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The Beast from the Sea

¹ And the ^(F1)dragon (Satan) stood on the sandy shore of the sea. ^(VR1) Then I saw a vicious ^(C1)beast coming up out of the sea with ^(C2)ten horns and ^(C2)seven heads, and on his horns were ^(C3)ten royal ^(F2)crowns (diadems), and on his heads were ^(C4)blasphemous names.² And the beast that I saw ^(C1)resembled a ^(F1)leopard, but his feet were like those of ^(C2)a bear, and his mouth was like that of ^(C3)a lion. And the ^(C4)dragon gave him his power and his ^(C5)throne and great authority.³ I saw one of his heads which seemed to have a fatal wound, but his ^(C1)fatal wound was healed; and the entire earth followed after the beast in ^(C2)amazement.⁴ They fell down and worshiped the ^(C1)dragon because he ^(C1)gave his authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast, saying, "^(C2)Who is like (as great as) the beast, and who is able to wage war against him?"⁵ And the beast was given a mouth (the power of speech), ^(C1)uttering great things and arrogant and blasphemous words, and he was given freedom and authority to act and to do as he pleased for ^(F1)(C2)forty-two months (three and a half years). ^(VR1)6 And he opened his mouth to speak blasphemies (abusive speech, slander) against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, and ^(C1)those who live in heaven.

⁷ He was also ^(F1)permitted to ^(C1)wage war against the saints (God's people) and to overcome them, and authority and power over ^(C2)every tribe and people and language and nation. ^(VR1)8 All the ^(C1)inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship him, everyone ^(C2)whose name has not been written ^(C3)since the foundation of the world in the ^(C4)Book of Life of ^(C5)the Lamb who has been slain as a willing sacrifice.^9 (C1)If anyone has an ear, let him hear.^10 (C1)If anyone is destined for captivity, he will go into captivity; ^(C2)if anyone kills with a sword, he must be killed with a sword. Here is the call for ^(C3)the patient endurance and the faithfulness of the saints which is seen in the response of God's people to difficult times. ^(VR1)

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹ Then ^(C1)I saw ^(F1)another beast rising up out of the earth; he had ^(C2)two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a ^(C3)dragon. ^(VR1)12 He ^(C1)exercises all the authority of the first beast ^(C2)in his presence when the two are together. And he makes ^(C3)the earth and those who inhabit it ^(C4)worship the first beast, whose ^(C5)deadly wound was healed.¹³ He ^(C1)performs great signs (awe-inspiring acts), even making ^(C2)fire fall from the sky to the earth, right before peoples' eyes.¹⁴ And he ^(C1)deceives ^(C2)those unconverted ones who inhabit the earth into believing him because of ^(C3)the signs which he is given by Satan to perform ^(C4)in the presence of the first beast, telling those who inhabit the earth to make an image to the beast who was ^(C5)wounded fatally by the sword and has come back to life. ^(VR1)15 And he is given power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast will even appear to speak, and cause ^(C1)those who do not ^(C2)bow down and worship the image of the beast to be put to death. ^(VR1)16 Also he compels all, ^(C1)the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be ^(C2)given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead signifying allegiance to the beast,¹⁷ and that no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the ^(C1)mark, either ^(C2)the name of the beast or ^(C3)the number of his name.^18 (C1)Here is wisdom. Let the person who has enough insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the imperfect ^(C2)number of a man; ^(F1)and his number is ^(F2)six hundred and sixty-six.