Bible Commentaries
Revelation 13

Verses 1-17

1 The dragon , not John, was stationed so as to bring up the wild beast.

1 The beast from the sea (which is the equivalent of the abyss) has hitherto enacted the role of a deceiver and is known as the false christ ( Mat_24:5 cf . Rev_6:1-2 ) and the white horse rider. That was in the political sphere. This is the religious section. Here the figure is a wild beast and corresponds to the antichrist. The wild beast is a composite of the four beasts of the seventh of Dan_:1 . Lion 1 heads 0 horns

2. Bear 1 heads 0 horns

3 Leopard 4 heads 0 horns

4 Nondescript 1 heads 10 horns The Wild Beast 7 heads 10 horns Here we have the same wild beasts seen by Daniel after the nondescript has devoured the other three. The Chaldee k'd' m , before , refers to position , not time ( Dan_7:7 ; Dan_7:10 ), and may have the sense of east as in Hebrew. In that case the ten-horned beast is a confederacy of western powers and the other three beasts are eastern powers.

It will be noted that worship rather than rule is the dominant note here. These beasts bring before us kingdoms and confederacies bound together by a common religion. The western beast will be confederate Christendom. The ten horns will be ten Christian military powers.

There are, in the East, three great religions, Brahmanism in India, Buddhism in Japan and China, Islamism or Mohammedanism in the Arab world and elsewhere. All these will form three great eastern combinations which will be, in time, conquered by Christendom, and absorbed into the one great world religion which will worship the dragon and the wild beast. Thus a confederacy of the whole world's religious powers will be concentrated against the few Jews who remain faithful to Jehovah.

7 This world empire will not be limited to any ancient boundaries but will include every tribe and people and language and nation- all who dwell on the earth -not only the Roman empire.

10 As the beast is to conquer the saints during its period of forty-two months, the saints are warned not to commit any acts of violence during this period. They are exhorted to endure to the end.

11 The second wild beast emphasizes the religious character of the first. It is called a prophet ( Rev_16:13 ), and makes every effort to get worship for the beast. The calling down of fire from heaven was the test of deity in Elljah's day: "the God Who answers by fire, He is God" ( 1Ki_18:24 ). Hence this will be a "strong delusion" ( 2Th_2:11 ) like the giving of life to the image. There is a marked similarity between the career of the first beast and Christ. As the Lord was crucified and raised again, so the wounded head descends into the abyss and is recalled to life by the dragon. Before that he will be a deceiver. The second beast is also patterned after Christ, for it points to the first, even as Christ points to the Father.

15 Spirit is the source of life. "The spirit is that which is vivifying" ( Joh_6:63 ). So that, giving spirit to the Image results in its manifesting signs of life. This is man's poor imitation of Christ, Who is the Image of God ( Col_1:15 ). But God's Anointed was given God's Spirit, not only to speak, as this image, but to give life. This image cannot give life, but causes all who do not bow to it to be killed. After centuries of civiilzation and culture and religion, mankind will actually descend to the worship of an image because it has miraculous powers!

16 The "mark" of the wild beast will be the emblem or flag or symbol of the world confederation. It must be worn, or be branded, in a most conspicuous place so that anyone may be able to tell at a glance if anyone is not a worshiper of the beast. Such a mark or badge has often been used to indicate polltical or rellgious affillations, and usually consists of some appropriate and significant design expressive of the character or purpose of the unity which it represents. As all who belong to the body of Christ will be in heaven by this time, all the world will gladly receive this badge as the pledge of their allegiance to the world federation of religion, except the few Jews who will be faithful to Jehovah.

Verse 18

18 All will be obliged to have one of three marks to indicate their worship of the wild beast: either its symbol, its name, or its number. The number, we are told, is the number of humanity. This has nothing to do with its name. The number seven, which is used throughout this scroll, is significant of sufficiency, completion. This is its meaning in Hebrew. The number six comes one short of this. It is significant of insufficiency. This entire era is marked by man's supreme attempt to attain perfection apart from God. All his achievements fall short of the divine standard. He accomplishes the federation of mankind-except a few Jews. He unites all the world under one religion-except a handful in Judea. He conquers all who oppose-except Christ. In everything humanity falls one step short of its goal. Hence its number is 666. This is the summit of all man's efforts.

1 This is the same company of 144,000 who are sealed in the Throne Section ( Rev_7:3-8 ). There they are slaves , here they are worshipers , standing on Mount Zion, where the temple is. The seal on their foreheads ( Rev_7:3 ), the names of the Father and the Lambkin, take the place of the name of the wild beast ( Rev_13:17 ), which the unfaithful receive. This is the time of the harvest and these are the first fruits ( Lev_23:10 ) before the full harvest, which is represented by the vast multitude ( Rev_7:9 ). They will be, literally, celibates, whose worship is in marked contrast to the sensuous ritual which will characterize the worship of the wild beast.

6 The eonian evangel Is not for this day. It is for the hours of judgment. In the midst of wrath He remembers mercy. But it does not call upon them to believe , as the gospel does today, for that is adapted to a time of undiluted grace ( Rom_4:16 ). It is not even repent , for that is the door into the kingdom before the hour of judgment has struck ( Act_2:38 ). It is fear- fear for God in His most elemental character as the Creator. It is a demand that no one be worshiped but the One Who created the universe. This is His answer to the demands of the false prophet that all worship the wild beast and the dragon ( cf . Act_17:24-31 ).

8 This notation fixes the time of Babylon's overthrow, which is greatly expanded in the next division of this section, where God deals particularly with the apostates of the chosen nation. It falls just before the final judgments which usher in the priestly kingdom. This makes it clear that the Harvest and the Vintage follow Babylon's destruction and that, when we take up the next division of the Temple Section we must go back in time to a period prior to these announcements.

10 This so-called "cup of malediction" ( Psa_75:8 ; Psa_60:3 ; Isa_51:17-23 ), was wine fortified with myrrh, frankincense or some other bitter drug. In this case it is not tempered with water ( Rev_18:6 cf Mat_27:34 ; Mar_15:23 ).

11 The torment spoken of in this prophecy is of various lengths and limited to specific classes. All of mankind who have not the seal of God on their foreheads will be tormented five months by the locusts, under the fifth trumpet ( Rev_9:5 ). Satan and the wild beast and the false prophet will be tormented ( Rev_20:10 ). The fumes of the torment of those here spoken of last for the eons of the eons. These are the supreme sinners of mankind, hence shall be tormented until they die ( Rev_16:2 ; Rev_16:8-9 , Rev_18:8 ), some of them by the blade ( Rev_19:21 ).

13 "Happy are the dead who are dying in the Lord henceforth " can only be applied to this particular crisis. The reason is clear. No one, unless especially protected by God, can remain true to Him when they cannot buy or sell, or have any intercourse with their fellow men unless they have the emblem of the wild beast. It will mean certain death to accept the eonian evangel and worship the Creator.

14 The One like a son of mankind is, most probably, Christ Himself, hence the words "son of mankind" do not refer to Him directly but indirectly, for He is like him. The harvest is the result of the eonian evangel. The darnel has been gathered Into bundles; now the wheat is to be gathered into His barn ( Mat_13:30 ). This division of the Temple Section is based on the covenant with Israel, hence ends in the blessing of His people and the destruction of their enemies. These are accomplished in the Harvest and the Vintage.