When studying Revelation, we constantly need to realize that we are not reading future history out of a newspaper but are learning the spiritual realities of our present age through a visionary-prophetic picture book. It is especially necessary to stress this approach today, when many Christians do not even try to understand Revelation because of the confusing teaching they have heard. Yet the visions provided to John in Revelation should be as familiar to believers as Jesus’ well-known parables, such as those of the prodigal son, and the Good Samaritan. An example is the vision of the dragon, the woman, and the child in Revelation 12. This dramatization of spiritual warfare in the church age should provide an easy-to-understand mental picture to all Bible believers. This vision shows how Satan failed to destroy Jesus in His first coming and that now Satan vainly rages against the church in anger over his inevitable failure.

Another principle to remember is that Revelation’s symbols must be interpreted not from speculations about current events but from parallels in the Old Testament. An example is seen in the final statement of chapter 12, “And he [the dragon] stood on the sand of the sea” (Rev 12:17). The reader familiar with Old Testament imagery expects some dreadful evil to appear, since the sea is the realm of chaos and rebellion, a virtual synonym for the Abyss of hell. The vision of chapter 11 earlier spoke of “the beast that rises from the bottomless pit,” who makes war on the witnessing church (11:7). Now that same warfare will be depicted from the enemy perspective, as John watches. He records, “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea” (13:1).

The prophet Daniel received a vision showing four beasts who represented evil imperial powers on earth. Daniel’s beasts represented the empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome that would successively rise in history (Dan. 7:1-8). Each of these kingdoms would harm God’s people, but be ultimately supplanted by Christ. Daniel was told that “the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever” (Dan. 7:18).

As John presents a beast like Daniel’s, he sees him rising out of the dark water, describing each part as it breaks the surface (Rev. 13:1). Like Daniel’s fourth beast, which represented imperial Rome, this beast has ten horns (Dan. 7:7). Like the dragon of Revelation 12, this beast has seven heads, ten horns, and royal diadems (Rev. 12:3). These parallels connect this beast with the Roman Empire and identify him as a servant who wields Satan’s might.

John described this beast as having “ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads” (v. 1). These give the general impression of the beast as coming with powers, rulers, and thrones under his control. In Daniel’s vision, the fourth beast’s ten horns represented kings who would rise (Dan 7:24). The fact that these horns each wear diadems confirms that they are royal persons. The beast has crowns on his horns, whereas the dragon of Revelation 12 had crowns on his head, which suggests that this indicates that while the dragon is the king of the evil empire, the beast is the military arm of the king. The “blasphemous names on its head” points to false claims to deity made by earthly rulers. The Roman emperors gave themselves the titles of lord, savior, son of God, and lord and god.

As the beast rises further, John describes it more fully in verse 2. This description combines the different beasts of Daniel’s vision, each of which emphasized separate kingdoms. This beast, therefore, is a composite of all the beasts that Daniel saw. This suggests that John’s beast is greater than any of the individual empires, even that of Rome. The beast from the sea represents all the empires throughout human history that have stood against God and His people. The fact that this beast exercises authority for forty-two months (v. 5), that is, for the entirety of the church age, shows that this beast represents more than the ancient Rome that persecuted the churches of John’s time – it represents the entirety of violent earthly empires that oppose Christ’s kingdom and people.

The question may be raised whether this beast from the sea should be equated with the Antichrist. The answer is yes, if the Antichrist is biblically understood. The term is used only in the epistles of John, where the apostle spoke of those who opposed the revelation of Jesus (1 John 2:18). This verse states that the Antichrist is a figure who will appear in the end, but who is represented throughout church history by many who are like him. John added that “every spirit that does not confess Jesus, is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already” (1 John 4:3; see also 2 John 7). This spirit is exemplified in the beast from the sea, which “was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words (v. 5). Paul’s teaching in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 indicated that there would be an ultimate Antichrist before Christ returned, whom he named as the “man of lawlessness.” Yet he is represented throughout the church age by blasphemous powers in opposition to Christ.

One of the most significant features of the beast in Revelation 13 is the way he parodies the death and resurrection of Jesus. In Revelation, Christ wears “many diadems” (Rev. 19:12), so the beast has his many crowns; Christ has a worthy name written on Him (19:12), so the beast bears blasphemous names; Christ has people “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (5:9), so the beast assumes power “over every tribe and people and language and nation (13:7); Christ is worshiped together with God (7:10), so the beast demands false worship together with Satan (13:4). In keeping with these counterfeits, John says of the beast: “One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast” (Rev. 13:3).

John informs us that the beast has two main agendas. The first is the gathering of false worship to himself and through himself to Satan (13:4). Christians can identify the false worship of Satan and his beast when it derives from raw power and earthly glory, acting contrary to God’s Word and drawing people away from faith in Jesus. Whenever we are called to give unquestioned allegiance and worship to a human ruler, we should see him as the beast behind which stands Satan in his desperate bid to usurp God’s throne. This is not to say that all government is evil. Paul used his Roman citizenship and was often helped by honest Roman officials. The beast is seen when government takes the place of God in our lives. When the government is set forth as “the remedy for all ills – economic, social, medical, moral, and even spiritual” – then the idolatry of the state usurps the place reserved for God alone.

John records his vision of the beast to warn believers of what to expect, starting with the churches of Asia that faced the bestial Roman emperor Domitian. John concludes with three applications: first, our source of hope; second, our calling in persecution; and third, the victory we win through perseverance in faith.

Where can Christians find hope for salvation against so dreadful a beast, who exercises worldwide dominion and authority? The answer is in the sovereign God who has ultimate dominion and authority over this world, over Satan and his beast, and over our lives. With God’s sovereign will providing hope to suffering Christians, John next directs us to our humble calling (v. 10). Christ’s people are told that we can expect persecution. This calling does not preclude us from taking prudent steps to avoid persecution, but it does mean that when persecution comes, Christians must embrace it with faith and a resolve to do God’s will.

John concludes this passage with one of Revelation’s many stirring appeals to perseverance in faith despite all affliction: “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints” (v. 10). Satan and his beast, together with their followers, think us defeated when we are put down in persecution, yet through perseverance in faith Christians have victory through Jesus Christ. Christ comes to His faithful suffering people with blessing and power. When we possess Christ by faith, despite all persecution, we gain eternal life, justification by grace, adoption as God’s children, and an inheritance in glory. With these eternal blessings we also have His daily help, when we refuse to yield to the beast but persevere in faith.

Revelation 13:1-10 Study Questions:

What does John see rising out of the sea next to the dragon and how does he describe it (vv. 1-2)?

This passage draws heavily on a section from the Old Testament that was hugely popular in the first century. Read Daniel 7:2-8. What similarities and differences do you see between Daniel 7 and Revelation 13?

In verses 3-4, how do the inhabitants of the earth respond to the beast? Why does the beast make life miserable for the people of God (vv. 5-8)?

The last verse of this section may reflect John’s sober realism when contemplating the scene he has now drawn. Some people are going to be taken captive, while others are going to be killed with the sword. John says in verse 10 that our proper response to this harsh reality is to be patient and have faith. What does it look like to live this way in such circumstances?