Rev 13:1 | KingComments | STEP | The two beasts that are described in this chapter represent the two human and at the same time monstrous instruments, which will be used by satan in the end time. The first beast comes up out of the sea, the well-known picture of the nations ( ; ; cf. ). This beast is therefore also a pagan ruler over a pagan kingdom. The second beast comes up out of the earth. The earth represents Israel. The second beast is the antichrist who will reign over apostate Israel. In these two beasts both characteristics of satan – violence and lie – are exposed ( ). The first beast is more characterized by violence, the second by lies. . Because of his plan to wage war against the rest of her offspring, the dragon stands on the sand of the seashore. Then “a beast coming up out of the sea” is described. Before the eyes of John – and through his description before your eyes too – it rises up from the sea. He sees a ruler rising up from the middle of the turbulent and unmanageable nations, out of that great mass of people. It is the same person as the person that comes up out of the abyss ( ). His coming up out of the abyss indicates his demonic origin. This is no one else than the dictator of the restored Roman empire, the united Western Europe. That it is him we are talking about, will become clear from what you see further. ‘Horns’ are a picture of power. The form of that power can be derived from the ‘crowns’ that he has on his horns. This indicates that this beast has authority over royal rulers. In connection with the horns and crowns the number ‘ten’ is mentioned. By that you know that it is about ten kings ( ; ). They are subjected to the rule of the beast. John also mentions that this monster has “seven heads”. Of these heads it is said in Revelation 17: “The seven heads are seven mountains” ( ). The question now is what the mountains represent. It is a historical fact that in the ancient days the city of Rome was known as ‘the city with the seven hills’. This makes clear that Rome is the political center of this monstrous ruler. The seven heads, however, are not only an indication of the location where the power is seated. They also represent seven kings ( ). That is an indication of seven forms of government by which the Roman empire has been ruled consecutively. expands further on that. What John also sees, is that this political power is against God and resists Him. He sees “a blasphemous name” on his heads. The beast adorns himself with blasphemous names, probably names that belong only to God. . The description of the beast is not yet finished. John has more to tell. In this beast he recognizes traits of three different animals. He mentions “a leopard”, “a bear” and “a lion”. If you put Daniel 7 next to that ( ), you will read that Daniel sees the same animals. Only, he sees them in reverse order. Daniel sees a lion first, then a bear and third he sees a panther or leopard. That’s because Daniel looks forward, while John looks back. These animals represent empires. Daniel lived in the time of the Babylonian empire, represented by a lion. That empire was destroyed because the Medes and the Persians conquered the world empire. Because of the brutality with which they operated, that empire is represented by a bear. But also their government came to an end. Greece, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, conquered the empire of the Medes and Persians with overwhelming speed. Hence, the leopard is the appropriate symbol. Daniel also speaks about a fourth beast. He says of it that it is a “dreadful and terrible and extremely strong” beast ( ). Historically this beast represents the Roman empire that conquered world domination from the Greeks. Prophetically we see this empire back in the beast that John is seeing here. The beast is both the restored Roman empire and the head of that empire. This empire and this head possess all cruel characteristics of the fourth animal, in which John sees all cruel characteristics of the three animals mentioned. Can you picture it? The beast comes up out of the sea, which means that the dictator floats to the surface. The ten kings, the rulers of different countries that together form the Western Roman empire, are inseparably connected to him. This dictator has power over them, which he exercises from Rome as his center of power. He manifests himself blasphemously and with a cruelty symbolized by the three tearing beasts described. And who is hiding behind this, who makes sure that he becomes that mighty? The dragon, which is the devil ( ). Here the devil grants direct authority to someone who takes this out of his hand. Of course these things can only happen, because God allows them to. And He allows them to happen because they fit into His plan. But the point is that the dragon is the inspirer of the beast. The beast has power, he reigns and has great authority because the devil has given this to him. Here you see a great contrast between the beast and the Lord Jesus. Once satan offered the Lord Jesus all kingdoms to take them out of his hand ( ). But the Lord refused it. He did not want to anticipate God’s time to become King. He wanted to receive the kingdom and the power out of God’s hand ( ; ). For Him, that meant humiliation and the death on the cross. It is important for you too not to seek any favor in the world. Satan loves to give that to you. In that way you can escape suffering. If satan approaches you with such temptations, then respond like the Lord Jesus ( ). . Then John sees that one of the heads of the beast was as if it had been slain. This is to indicate that the Roman empire has perished and disappeared. From history we know that in the year 476 the Western Roman empire at that time was inflicted with a fatal blow. Rome was then conquered by barbarian Germanic tribes. What John saw at the moment he was watching – he saw it around the end of the first century – was still future. It would happen in a few centuries. But to God the future has no secrets. He informs us about things happening in the future as far as He considers them to be of importance for us to know. He does not do that to satisfy our curiosity, but that we may live our lives accordingly ( ). Therefore God shows to John, and to you, what more is going to happen. Then John sees that the fatal wound was healed. To John that was in the nearby future, but in the distant future. It’s what we see happening in our days! To us it is the nearby future. A restoration of the Western Roman empire is taking place before our eyes. But watch carefully: this happens by the power of satan! This restoration does not happen through a new conquest with violence, but through diabolic inspiration and deliberation. John sees how this restoration stirs up admiration and adoration from the world. . People will be aware that the dragon, which is satan, has given this empire its power. They hate God that much, they have been alienated from Him in such a way, that they worship the dragon as their god in an open, general and limitless admiration. They will also worship the beast. They provoke and blaspheme God by crying out statements about the beast that belong to God alone (cf. ; ). To them, no one compares to the beast and no one can compete against the beast to defeat him. That will be the result when Europe becomes one whole. In case you may be excited about the one Europe, I hope that, because of what God’s Word says here, this turns into cold shivers running down your spine. You will now be well aware that satan is the origin of it and that it ends up in worshiping satan! That with the referendum about the European constitution on June 1, 2005, many Christians in the Netherlands have voted ‘against’, does not necessarily reflect their opinion of Europe. The argument that mattered most to vote ‘against’ was that in that constitution no reference to God and the Jewish Christian roots of the European Union had been written down. In case that had happened, then the Christians probably would have plainly voted ‘for’! That is staggering. Now read Revelation 13:1-4 again. Reflection: What is astonishing about the beast?

‏ Revelation of John 13:1

The Beast Coming Up Out of the Sea

The two beasts that are described in this chapter represent the two human and at the same time monstrous instruments, which will be used by satan in the end time. The first beast comes up out of the sea, the well-known picture of the nations (Rev 17:15; Isa 17:12; cf. Dan 7:2-3). This beast is therefore also a pagan ruler over a pagan kingdom. The second beast comes up out of the earth. The earth represents Israel. The second beast is the antichrist who will reign over apostate Israel. In these two beasts both characteristics of satan – violence and lie – are exposed (Jn 8:44). The first beast is more characterized by violence, the second by lies.

Rev 13:1. Because of his plan to wage war against the rest of her offspring, the dragon stands on the sand of the seashore. Then “a beast coming up out of the sea” is described. Before the eyes of John – and through his description before your eyes too – it rises up from the sea. He sees a ruler rising up from the middle of the turbulent and unmanageable nations, out of that great mass of people. It is the same person as the person that comes up out of the abyss (Rev 11:7 ; Rev 17:8). His coming up out of the abyss indicates his demonic origin. This is no one else than the dictator of the restored Roman empire, the united Western Europe.

That it is him we are talking about, will become clear from what you see further. ‘Horns’ are a picture of power. The form of that power can be derived from the ‘crowns’ that he has on his horns. This indicates that this beast has authority over royal rulers. In connection with the horns and crowns the number ‘ten’ is mentioned. By that you know that it is about ten kings (Rev 17:12; Dan 7:24). They are subjected to the rule of the beast.

John also mentions that this monster has “seven heads”. Of these heads it is said in Revelation 17: “The seven heads are seven mountains” (Rev 17:9). The question now is what the mountains represent. It is a historical fact that in the ancient days the city of Rome was known as ‘the city with the seven hills’. This makes clear that Rome is the political center of this monstrous ruler.

The seven heads, however, are not only an indication of the location where the power is seated. They also represent seven kings (Rev 17:10). That is an indication of seven forms of government by which the Roman empire has been ruled consecutively. Rev 13:3 expands further on that. What John also sees, is that this political power is against God and resists Him. He sees “a blasphemous name” on his heads. The beast adorns himself with blasphemous names, probably names that belong only to God.

Rev 13:2. The description of the beast is not yet finished. John has more to tell. In this beast he recognizes traits of three different animals. He mentions “a leopard”, “a bear” and “a lion”. If you put Daniel 7 next to that (Dan 7:4-6), you will read that Daniel sees the same animals. Only, he sees them in reverse order. Daniel sees a lion first, then a bear and third he sees a panther or leopard. That’s because Daniel looks forward, while John looks back.

These animals represent empires. Daniel lived in the time of the Babylonian empire, represented by a lion. That empire was destroyed because the Medes and the Persians conquered the world empire. Because of the brutality with which they operated, that empire is represented by a bear. But also their government came to an end. Greece, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, conquered the empire of the Medes and Persians with overwhelming speed. Hence, the leopard is the appropriate symbol.

Daniel also speaks about a fourth beast. He says of it that it is a “dreadful and terrible and extremely strong” beast (Dan 7:7-8). Historically this beast represents the Roman empire that conquered world domination from the Greeks. Prophetically we see this empire back in the beast that John is seeing here. The beast is both the restored Roman empire and the head of that empire. This empire and this head possess all cruel characteristics of the fourth animal, in which John sees all cruel characteristics of the three animals mentioned.

Can you picture it? The beast comes up out of the sea, which means that the dictator floats to the surface. The ten kings, the rulers of different countries that together form the Western Roman empire, are inseparably connected to him. This dictator has power over them, which he exercises from Rome as his center of power. He manifests himself blasphemously and with a cruelty symbolized by the three tearing beasts described.

And who is hiding behind this, who makes sure that he becomes that mighty? The dragon, which is the devil (Rev 12:9). Here the devil grants direct authority to someone who takes this out of his hand. Of course these things can only happen, because God allows them to. And He allows them to happen because they fit into His plan. But the point is that the dragon is the inspirer of the beast. The beast has power, he reigns and has great authority because the devil has given this to him.

Here you see a great contrast between the beast and the Lord Jesus. Once satan offered the Lord Jesus all kingdoms to take them out of his hand (Mt 4:8-9). But the Lord refused it. He did not want to anticipate God’s time to become King. He wanted to receive the kingdom and the power out of God’s hand (Dan 7:13-14; Psa 2:8). For Him, that meant humiliation and the death on the cross. It is important for you too not to seek any favor in the world. Satan loves to give that to you. In that way you can escape suffering. If satan approaches you with such temptations, then respond like the Lord Jesus (Mt 4:10).

Rev 13:3. Then John sees that one of the heads of the beast was as if it had been slain. This is to indicate that the Roman empire has perished and disappeared. From history we know that in the year 476 the Western Roman empire at that time was inflicted with a fatal blow. Rome was then conquered by barbarian Germanic tribes. What John saw at the moment he was watching – he saw it around the end of the first century – was still future. It would happen in a few centuries.

But to God the future has no secrets. He informs us about things happening in the future as far as He considers them to be of importance for us to know. He does not do that to satisfy our curiosity, but that we may live our lives accordingly (2Pet 3:11-12). Therefore God shows to John, and to you, what more is going to happen.

Then John sees that the fatal wound was healed. To John that was in the nearby future, but in the distant future. It’s what we see happening in our days! To us it is the nearby future. A restoration of the Western Roman empire is taking place before our eyes. But watch carefully: this happens by the power of satan! This restoration does not happen through a new conquest with violence, but through diabolic inspiration and deliberation. John sees how this restoration stirs up admiration and adoration from the world.

Rev 13:4. People will be aware that the dragon, which is satan, has given this empire its power. They hate God that much, they have been alienated from Him in such a way, that they worship the dragon as their god in an open, general and limitless admiration. They will also worship the beast. They provoke and blaspheme God by crying out statements about the beast that belong to God alone (cf. Exo 15:11; Mic 7:18). To them, no one compares to the beast and no one can compete against the beast to defeat him. That will be the result when Europe becomes one whole.

In case you may be excited about the one Europe, I hope that, because of what God’s Word says here, this turns into cold shivers running down your spine. You will now be well aware that satan is the origin of it and that it ends up in worshiping satan! That with the referendum about the European constitution on June 1, 2005, many Christians in the Netherlands have voted ‘against’, does not necessarily reflect their opinion of Europe. The argument that mattered most to vote ‘against’ was that in that constitution no reference to God and the Jewish Christian roots of the European Union had been written down. In case that had happened, then the Christians probably would have plainly voted ‘for’! That is staggering.

Now read Revelation 13:1-4 again.

Reflection: What is astonishing about the beast?