Rev 13:11-12 | KingComments | STEP | . Then before the eyes of John a second beast appears. It is not a twin brother of the first beast, but another beast. It looks different and it does different things. But you will see that these two beasts get along very well. This beast does not come up out of the sea, like the first one, but “coming up out of the earth”. With ‘the earth’ is meant, in contrast to the sea, a more or less ordered society. It seems to be about Israel. I think so because the description of this beast shows that it is an imitator of the Lord Jesus. When John sees the horns he must think of a lamb. In the book of Revelation the Lamb is always the Lord Jesus. And who is the great imitator of the Lord Jesus other than the antichrist? He it is of whom the Lord Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews that someone would come in his own name and that they will receive him ( ). This also means that the antichrist will be a Jew. Israel will never receive a stranger, a person who does not belong to the Jewish people, as their king. It must be someone from among their own people. Because of his horns this false messiah makes one think of a lamb. But he speaks “as a dragon”. His language reveals him. Therefore the sheep that belong to the Lord Jesus will certainly not follow the antichrist. The sheep do not listen to the voice of the stranger ( ). They know the voice of the good Shepherd and therefore they will follow Him ( ). This is also a touchstone for you. If you hear a voice that you do not recognize as the voice of the Lord Jesus, you must not to listen to it. . There is a great closeness between the two beasts. But that closeness is not one of equality. In fact, the second beast is walks on the leash by the first beast. When the second beast exercises his power the first beast is obviously present. The second beast, the antichrist, has control by the grace of the first beast. He is not able to operate on his own, but is dependent on the first beast. The first beast, the dictator of the restored Western Roman empire, the united Europe, determines and ensures the way in which the antichrist exercises his power. This is the result of the covenant that apostate Israel under the leadership of the antichrist, the false messiah, will make with the first beast. Isaiah calls it ‘a covenant with death’ ( ; ). The second beast, like all earthlings, also has a limitless admiration for the first beast. That admiration is so great that he makes every effort to ensure that everything and everyone on earth will worship the first beast. The cause of worship is the healing of the deadly wound of the first beast. In the description of the first beast you have learnt that this healing refers to the restoration of the Western Roman empire, that has become visible in the united Europe. With this compulsion to worship the first beast, the second beast makes himself known as a spiritual leader both of apostate Judaism and of apostate Christianity. It is his goal to make an end to all worship of the Father and the Son. . His strategy is that of lying, deception and imitation. He performs all kinds of impressive signs. What you see is not to be denied. At least, that is what many people will believe. But mind you that images may be manipulated. Another deceptive factor is that you do not get to see the whole story. When two people have seen something and make a report of it, you can still get two totally different reports. The devil is the great manipulator and a master in telling half-truths. Therefore do not let yourself be dragged by stories and movies of so called great signs that are ascribed to God. It is a characteristic of the end time that spectacular things happen. The origin of that is not God, but the devil ( ). Here you see that the beast even “makes fire come down out of heaven”. Everyone sees that it comes from heaven, from God … it seems. But it is a trick of the devil who tries to give the impression through this false prophet that a true prophet is at work here. His performance is an imitation of what Elijah did several times ( ; ). The word “even” indicates that it could possibly be his most deceptive craftiness. With him making an appeal to the Bible people would say that a person who could ‘even’ do that, must surely be the true Messiah. . You see how people who do not want to have anything to do with the Bible, who only live for the earth, are a prey of his supernatural manifestations. The religious feeling of man is a perfect work place for demons. People who live without God will link themselves to something that is beneficial for them, whether in a financial sense, or in the sense of a spiritual boost. They admire others for their own benefit. They are not aware of them delivering themselves directly to the instruments of satan. Satan gives the antichrist the ability to perform deceptive signs. Those signs happen in the presence of the (first) beast. They happen to his glory and honor. The religious influence gained by the antichrist through his signs is now so great that he considers the time ripe to erect an idol to the first beast. Therefore he gives the order to make such an idol. Here is mention of the erection of “the abomination of desolation” ( ; ). Again, reference is made to his revival after the mortal wound. That must be enormously impressive. That is something you are observing more and more already now, as Europe becomes more and more one empire. . The deceitful power of the antichrist is so great that it seems as if he brings the image to life. Satan enables him to give breath to the image. But breath doesn’t mean life. Only God can give life. The impression that the image is alive, arises because it speaks. The voice is of course that of a demon that perfectly imitates a human voice. This speaking makes the deception complete. The apostate Jews may think that they have to do with an image of the true God. They have always been taught that idols do not speak ( ). A speaking image, therefore, they believe in their foolish blindness, cannot be an idol. Masses of people will fall down to worship the beast. Worship of the beast determines life or death. He who does not worship will be killed (cf. ). . Although the people have been deceived, they have voluntarily bowed down before the beast. They have chosen for the beast. But with their choice for the beast they lose their freedom at the same time. They have fallen under the spell of a power from which they cannot free themselves. The beast empowers his control over the people and brings them to an absolute connectedness and subjection to himself. No one escapes from that. It does not make any difference whether you are a small citizen or a great minister, for he is the big chief. It also does not matter whether you are rich or poor, for you cannot buy it off. Nor does it matter whether you are a free man or a slave, for you have lost your freedom. Everyone is forced to visibly express his loyalty to the beast. To this end, the beast will give a perceptible mark “on their right hand or on their forehead”. The ‘right hand’ refers to deeds. In that way the beast confiscates everything that each person does. Everything will contribute to the power and glory of the beast and his empire. The ‘forehead’ is the center of the thoughts. Through indoctrination, all people will serve the cause of the beast out of full conviction. With the development of technology, applying the mark will be a simple operation. We are on the threshold of the era that will be ruled by the beast. If not God’s Word and His thoughts revealed in it govern your hand and your thinking, sin and finally the antichrist will do it. Let this warning sink in carefully. . Through this mark, the beast controls the entire economy. Whoever does not surrender himself with skin and hair to the beast is economically a pariah, an outcast from society. To this test the faithful will be exposed in all severity. Because of their refusal to have the name or the number of the beast applied on their body, they will not be able “to buy or to sell”. Starvation is imminent. . Due to the crafty and deceptive character of the beast, his proposals for applying the mark will be presented credible. People who accept the mark being applied, think that in that way they act wisely. But they act foolishly. The faithful, on the contrary, receives wisdom from God to unmask the beast. To do that he has to use his understanding, which is the insight given by God. In that way he will be able to calculate the number of the beast. A lot of attempts have made to calculate the number, but all of them have a different outcome. That proves that we are not able to calculate it today. That is not necessary yet, because that time has not come yet. Only when the church has been raptured, that time has come. In that time the wise men and those who have understanding will be able to calculate the number. It is anyway clear that six is the number of man. That is called here in threefold form, 666, the number of the beast. Man has become equal to the beast here, the absolute nadir of the degeneration of man. Now read Revelation 13:11-18 again. Reflection: Mention the characteristics of the antichrist.

‏ Revelation of John 13:11-12

The Beast Coming Up Out of the Earth

Rev 13:11. Then before the eyes of John a second beast appears. It is not a twin brother of the first beast, but another beast. It looks different and it does different things. But you will see that these two beasts get along very well. This beast does not come up out of the sea, like the first one, but “coming up out of the earth”. With ‘the earth’ is meant, in contrast to the sea, a more or less ordered society. It seems to be about Israel.

I think so because the description of this beast shows that it is an imitator of the Lord Jesus. When John sees the horns he must think of a lamb. In the book of Revelation the Lamb is always the Lord Jesus. And who is the great imitator of the Lord Jesus other than the antichrist? He it is of whom the Lord Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews that someone would come in his own name and that they will receive him (Jn 5:43). This also means that the antichrist will be a Jew. Israel will never receive a stranger, a person who does not belong to the Jewish people, as their king. It must be someone from among their own people.

Because of his horns this false messiah makes one think of a lamb. But he speaks “as a dragon”. His language reveals him. Therefore the sheep that belong to the Lord Jesus will certainly not follow the antichrist. The sheep do not listen to the voice of the stranger (Jn 10:5). They know the voice of the good Shepherd and therefore they will follow Him (Jn 10:4). This is also a touchstone for you. If you hear a voice that you do not recognize as the voice of the Lord Jesus, you must not to listen to it.

Rev 13:12. There is a great closeness between the two beasts. But that closeness is not one of equality. In fact, the second beast is walks on the leash by the first beast. When the second beast exercises his power the first beast is obviously present. The second beast, the antichrist, has control by the grace of the first beast. He is not able to operate on his own, but is dependent on the first beast. The first beast, the dictator of the restored Western Roman empire, the united Europe, determines and ensures the way in which the antichrist exercises his power. This is the result of the covenant that apostate Israel under the leadership of the antichrist, the false messiah, will make with the first beast. Isaiah calls it ‘a covenant with death’ (Isa 28:15; Dan 9:27).

The second beast, like all earthlings, also has a limitless admiration for the first beast. That admiration is so great that he makes every effort to ensure that everything and everyone on earth will worship the first beast. The cause of worship is the healing of the deadly wound of the first beast. In the description of the first beast you have learnt that this healing refers to the restoration of the Western Roman empire, that has become visible in the united Europe. With this compulsion to worship the first beast, the second beast makes himself known as a spiritual leader both of apostate Judaism and of apostate Christianity. It is his goal to make an end to all worship of the Father and the Son.

Rev 13:13. His strategy is that of lying, deception and imitation. He performs all kinds of impressive signs. What you see is not to be denied. At least, that is what many people will believe. But mind you that images may be manipulated. Another deceptive factor is that you do not get to see the whole story. When two people have seen something and make a report of it, you can still get two totally different reports. The devil is the great manipulator and a master in telling half-truths. Therefore do not let yourself be dragged by stories and movies of so called great signs that are ascribed to God.

It is a characteristic of the end time that spectacular things happen. The origin of that is not God, but the devil (2Thes 2:9). Here you see that the beast even “makes fire come down out of heaven”. Everyone sees that it comes from heaven, from God … it seems. But it is a trick of the devil who tries to give the impression through this false prophet that a true prophet is at work here. His performance is an imitation of what Elijah did several times (1Kgs 18:38; 2Kgs 1:10 ; 12). The word “even” indicates that it could possibly be his most deceptive craftiness. With him making an appeal to the Bible people would say that a person who could ‘even’ do that, must surely be the true Messiah.

Rev 13:14. You see how people who do not want to have anything to do with the Bible, who only live for the earth, are a prey of his supernatural manifestations. The religious feeling of man is a perfect work place for demons. People who live without God will link themselves to something that is beneficial for them, whether in a financial sense, or in the sense of a spiritual boost. They admire others for their own benefit. They are not aware of them delivering themselves directly to the instruments of satan. Satan gives the antichrist the ability to perform deceptive signs. Those signs happen in the presence of the (first) beast. They happen to his glory and honor.

The religious influence gained by the antichrist through his signs is now so great that he considers the time ripe to erect an idol to the first beast. Therefore he gives the order to make such an idol. Here is mention of the erection of “the abomination of desolation” (Mt 24:15; Dan 9:27 ; Dan 12:11). Again, reference is made to his revival after the mortal wound. That must be enormously impressive. That is something you are observing more and more already now, as Europe becomes more and more one empire.

Rev 13:15. The deceitful power of the antichrist is so great that it seems as if he brings the image to life. Satan enables him to give breath to the image. But breath doesn’t mean life. Only God can give life. The impression that the image is alive, arises because it speaks. The voice is of course that of a demon that perfectly imitates a human voice. This speaking makes the deception complete.

The apostate Jews may think that they have to do with an image of the true God. They have always been taught that idols do not speak (Psa 115:3 ; 5 ; 7 ; Psa 135:17). A speaking image, therefore, they believe in their foolish blindness, cannot be an idol. Masses of people will fall down to worship the beast. Worship of the beast determines life or death. He who does not worship will be killed (cf. Dan 3:5-6).

Rev 13:16. Although the people have been deceived, they have voluntarily bowed down before the beast. They have chosen for the beast. But with their choice for the beast they lose their freedom at the same time. They have fallen under the spell of a power from which they cannot free themselves. The beast empowers his control over the people and brings them to an absolute connectedness and subjection to himself. No one escapes from that. It does not make any difference whether you are a small citizen or a great minister, for he is the big chief. It also does not matter whether you are rich or poor, for you cannot buy it off. Nor does it matter whether you are a free man or a slave, for you have lost your freedom.

Everyone is forced to visibly express his loyalty to the beast. To this end, the beast will give a perceptible mark “on their right hand or on their forehead”. The ‘right hand’ refers to deeds. In that way the beast confiscates everything that each person does. Everything will contribute to the power and glory of the beast and his empire. The ‘forehead’ is the center of the thoughts. Through indoctrination, all people will serve the cause of the beast out of full conviction.

With the development of technology, applying the mark will be a simple operation. We are on the threshold of the era that will be ruled by the beast. If not God’s Word and His thoughts revealed in it govern your hand and your thinking, sin and finally the antichrist will do it. Let this warning sink in carefully.

Rev 13:17. Through this mark, the beast controls the entire economy. Whoever does not surrender himself with skin and hair to the beast is economically a pariah, an outcast from society. To this test the faithful will be exposed in all severity. Because of their refusal to have the name or the number of the beast applied on their body, they will not be able “to buy or to sell”. Starvation is imminent.

Rev 13:18. Due to the crafty and deceptive character of the beast, his proposals for applying the mark will be presented credible. People who accept the mark being applied, think that in that way they act wisely. But they act foolishly. The faithful, on the contrary, receives wisdom from God to unmask the beast. To do that he has to use his understanding, which is the insight given by God. In that way he will be able to calculate the number of the beast.

A lot of attempts have made to calculate the number, but all of them have a different outcome. That proves that we are not able to calculate it today. That is not necessary yet, because that time has not come yet. Only when the church has been raptured, that time has come. In that time the wise men and those who have understanding will be able to calculate the number. It is anyway clear that six is the number of man. That is called here in threefold form, 666, the number of the beast. Man has become equal to the beast here, the absolute nadir of the degeneration of man.

Now read Revelation 13:11-18 again.

Reflection: Mention the characteristics of the antichrist.