Revelation 13

The people of God are pictured as a woman who gives birth to the Messiah. Even though the devil has already been defeated, he continues to attack her and her children (Revelation 12:1–17). With his two followers, the beast and the false prophet, Satan tries to keep controlling the world (Revelation 13:1–18) before the final battle with the Lord (14:1–20).

John shows that the dragon carries out his war (Revelation 12:17) through two beasts. Together with Satan, these three form an evil trinity, meaning three evil beings acting together as one group.

The beast comes out of the sea, symbolizing evil. Like the dragon, it has seven heads and ten horns (see Revelation 12:3). The crowns show its political and military power (compare Revelation 17:3, 7–11; Daniel 7:7, 19–20) and indicate that Satan leads this beast's empire.

The first beast is the second member of the evil trinity (see study note on Revelation 12:18–13:18). It likely represents Roman power (see “Four World Empires” Theme Note).

Satan turns the beast into a false god by giving it his power, throne, and authority. In the first century, Roman emperors often claimed to be gods.

• Satan often imitates God. Here, the beast copies the death and resurrection of Jesus.

• One of the beast’s heads appears to have been fatally wounded but then healed. This detail has led many interpreters to connect the beast with the Roman emperor Nero, who ruled from AD 54 to 68. A tradition developed that Nero was so evil that he either did not really die or would return as another tyrant like Domitian, who ruled from AD 81 to 96. In Revelation 17:9–10, the beast’s seven heads are linked to both seven hills (Rome) and seven kings.

The forty-two months represent three and a half years of persecution and evil rule (see study note on Revelation 11:2–3).

The four characteristics of the beast are:

1. he speaks against God,

2. he holds power for a short time,

3. he fights against God's people, and

4. he governs the world.

However, God remains in control.

The beast has power over all the people in the world.

People who worshiped the beast received its mark (Revelation 13:15–17) and are not in the Book of Life (see 20:12).

The scene (Revelation 13:1–10) ends with a dramatic conclusion similar to Jeremiah 15:2; 43:11. Anyone who can hear must listen, because judgment is coming (compare Revelation 2:7, 11, 17).

God's holy people are called to stay strong and faithful during temporary persecution.

• The beast appears as a lamb, the same symbol used for Christ (see Revelation 5:6–13; 7:9–17; 14:1–4), but this lamb spoke like a dragon. This image represents a false messiah.

• The two horns might symbolize two emperors, possibly Nero and Domitian.

another beast: This second beast, the third member of the evil trinity (see study note on Revelation 12:18–13:18), is later called the false prophet (16:13). As a high priest of false religion, he leads the world to worship the first beast and the dragon (see also 16:13–14).

• caused the earth … to worship the first beast: Rome under the rule of the emperor demanded that people worship Emperor Domitian.

• whose mortal wound had been healed: This description might point to Domitian, who many believed was a return, or reincarnation, of Nero (see study note on Revelation 13:3). The image represents the constant return of evil, especially in the last days (see study note on Revelation 17:8).

The second beast gets its power from the first beast, which follows the dragon (Revelation 13:4).

In New Testament times, false prophets amazed people with stories of divine visits and idols speaking for the gods they represented (see Acts 16:16–18; 1 Corinthians 12:2–3). These practices involved worshiping demons (see 1 Corinthians 10:20–21) and were highlighted in the Roman emperor cult. Those who refused to follow were executed.

it was given … was permitted: God never gives up ultimate authority. These evil creatures can rebel against God, but they are not in control.

• small and great, rich and poor, free and slave: Everyone must accept the beast's evil mark of ownership (see Revelation 14:9, 11; 19:20; 20:4). This mark is needed to buy or sell. The text does not clearly describe what the mark is or how it looks.

• On the right hand or forehead suggests the branding of slaves, showing the beast owns them.

• the name of the beast or the number of its name: In both Hebrew and Greek, letters of the alphabet stand for numbers, giving names a numerical value (Revelation 13:18).

• a call for wisdom: John gives a clue to help his readers understand the meaning of the beast’s number.

• of a man: John hides the man’s identity, possibly to protect himself and his readers from danger (compare the use of Babylon as a symbol for Rome, Revelation 17:9).

• The number 666 represents supernatural evil (see “Symbolic Numbers” Theme Note). John might have used the transliteration Caesar Neron (a Hebrew spelling of the name) to reach the number 666. Later scribes, who spoke Greek but not Hebrew, changed the number to 616 in some manuscripts, likely to match the name’s numerical value in Greek.