John also received information about Satan's chief instruments through whom he will pursue his goals during the Tribulation. He recorded this to enable his readers to identify these individuals and to respond properly. This chapter records the continuation of the dragon's activities that John described in chapter 12.
John stressed three things about this beast: his conspiracy with the dragon (vv. 3-4), his success in deceiving the whole world (vv. 3-4, 8), and his success in temporarily defeating God's saints (vv. 6-7a).413
"The initial description of this creature identifies it as the culminating empire of Daniel's vision of the end (Dan. 7), but it speedily becomes evident that John has in view the empire as embodied in its ruler."414
Most interpreters who see the first beast as an individual also see the second beast as one. Others who see the first beast as a power or movement tend to view the second beast similarly. Many of the Reformers identified the second beast as the papacy or as specific popes. Many modern interpreters view the first beast as the personification of secular power in opposition to the church and the second beast as the personification of false religion.430However it seems best to take these beasts as representing individuals.
13:11 Kai eidon, "and I saw,"marks another new scene in the vision that John had been observing since 12:1 (cf. v. 1). John saw another beast (Gr. allo therion, one of the same kind) rise to prominence out of the earth. The Greek word translated "earth"(ges) refers to the land in contrast to the sea (v. 1).
"In the minds of the ancients, none of the terrestrial animals could compare in magnitude with monsters from the deep, so coming out of the earth in itself indicated a degree of inferiority in power of the second beast to the first."431
It is probably not valid to see a reference to Palestine in this reference to the earth.
"To argue that the earth means Palestine and that therefore this character is a Jew is reading into the passage more than it says."432
If the sea represents the abyss (v. 1), the earth probably represents planet earth. Clearly this second beast is a servant of the dragon, but his connections with the dragon are not as obvious as those of the first beast.
His two horns may symbolize some political power but less power than that of the first beast (cf. v. 1; 5:6).433Probably in his external conduct this second beast was peaceful, as a lamb, but his words will prove satanic (cf. Matt. 7:15). His words reveal his true loyalty. He is a false prophet (16:13; 19:20; 20:10).
"Preterist interpreters admit that it is impossible to find any ancient historical figure who is the counterpart of the second beast."434
13:12 The second beast will represent the first beast by acting as his prophet (19:20; 20:10; cf. Exod. 7:1).435He will be his effective agent in directing the persecution of believers. He will lead the worship of the first beast evidently as the leader of a worldwide religious movement. This is a satanic counterfeit of the Holy Spirit's ministry in pointing people to Christ. The reference to the first beast's fatal wound being healed also highlights the comparison with Christ who rose from the dead. Believers worship Christ because He rose from the dead (cf. Acts 17:30-31), and unbelievers will worship the beast because he did a similar thing (cf. v. 14). Here some type of personal rejuvenation seems to be in view, not just the revitalization of a nation (cf. v. 3).
13:13 Like Pharoah's magicians, only with greater effectiveness, the second beast will have authority to perform supernatural miracles (cf. Exod. 7:11, 22; 8:7). These will be genuine signs and wonders, not just tricks (16:13-14; 19:20; Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24-25 2 Thess. 2:9).436Like Elijah and the two witnesses, he will even be able to call down fire from heaven.
13:14 This power will make many earth-dwellers erroneously conclude that his authority is supreme. He will be able to produce some type of convincing likeness of Antichrist (cf. v. 15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4), perhaps a statue (cf. Dan. 3:4-6) or even an android (cf. v. 15). The false prophet will be the beast's "Minister of Propaganda."437The description of the first beast as having been fatally wounded by the sword and then having come back to life apparently refers to his resuscitation (cf. v. 12).
13:15 This verse may mean that the second beast will give life (Gr. pneuma, breath) to an inanimate object or that he will only appear to do so. In either case he will deceive many people (v. 14).
"Belief in statues which spoke and performed miracles is widely attested in ancient literature."438
The image will speak and will put to death those who do not worship the beast (cf. Dan. 3:-11), possibly by issuing commands for executions. Evidently these events will all take place in Jerusalem and probably in the temple that will stand there at this time (cf. 11:1-2; 2 Thess. 2:4). We should not conclude that every last believer will die at this time (i.e., during the Great Tribulation; cf. 12:13-16; 13:17-18).
13:16 The second beast also implements the marking of beast-worshippers. We should probably interpret "all"to mean all classes rather than all individuals since John mentioned six classes of people: social, economic, and cultural. However taken together these three groups comprise the entire population. This marking corresponds among unbelievers to the sealing of God's servants in chapter 7. It probably will begin early in the Great Tribulation shortly after the sealing of the 144,000.439Those who receive this mark will do so willingly.440
"The choice of right hand or forehead is presumably for conspicuousness. It could not be hidden. It may also be meant as a travesty of the Jewish custom of wearing phylacteries (little boxes containing extracts from the Bible) on the left hand (or forearm) and on the head."441
The mark of the beast is evidently a brand-like mark, similar to a tattoo, that will identify beast-worshippers and will enable them to buy and sell. It probably connects with ancient customs. Domestic slave owners sometimes branded their slaves with their mark. Those bearing the mark of the beast show by their mark that they are his slaves. Sometimes Roman soldiers branded themselves with the mark of their general if they were particularly fond of him. Those devoted to the beast will take his mark. The same Greek word translated "mark"(charagma) also described the seal attached to legal documents that bore the name of the emperor and the date.
A less literal view understands the mark as, "John's way of symbolically describing authentic ownership and loyalty."442
13:17 Many believers will not take the mark of the beast (cf. 7:3; 14:1, 9-11). Perhaps they will be able to survive by pooling their resources, by obtaining the necessities of life in clandestine ways (cf. 12:16), and through God's supernatural provisions. Those earth-dwellers who worship the beast will accept his law and authority. Coins bore the image of the head and the inscription of the emperor. Those who bear the mark of the beast demonstrate by this that they belong to him. When a person burned a pinch of incense to worship Caesar, he received a certificate verifying that he had done so. This preserved him from death by persecution and enabled him to buy and sell.443The mark of the beast appears to be such a certificate of worship that a person may only obtain by affirming his or her veneration of Antichrist.
The interchangability of the beast's name and the number of his name evidently indicates that the name, written in letters, has a numerical equivalent (v. 18).444
13:18 John indicated that it would take wisdom (Gr. sophia) to figure out the number of the beast (cf. 17:9). This wisdom is the understanding and skill necessary to solve the problem (cf. Dan. 9:22; 12:10). By identifying the beast's number believers in the Tribulation will be able to recognize him for who he is. Calculating or counting (Gr. psephisato) is the key to the puzzle.
The number 666 has, of course, been the subject of much study by interpreters.
"Most students work from the fact that in the ancient world (where men lacked our convenient Arabic numerals) it was usual to employ letters to denote numbers. In Greek the first nine letters of the alphabet were used for the units, the next for the tens, and so on. The problem then is to find a name which gives a total of 666 when the numbers signified by its letters are added together."445
"The sheer disagreement and confusion created through the years by the gematria method [the method described above] should have long ago warned the church that it was on the wrong track."446
On the other hand, this disagreement and confusion may be due in part to the fact that the meaning of this number may not be evident until the Antichrist appears.447
"As to the man whom the number Six hundred and sixty and six' represents, God will give full understanding' when it is needed, in those three and half [sic] years of horror and danger."448
Another approach takes the numbers 666 as Scripture uses them symbolically elsewhere.449The number seven frequently occurs in Scripture. The Israelites understood seven to represent a completed work of God (e.g., the seven days of creation, etc.). The number three often stands for the fullness of something (e.g., the Trinity, etc.). Consequently 777 would indicate something authenticated as divine. However "666"would appear as a deficient counterfeit to a believer who knows the significance of these numbers. This is especially true since the number six often connects with human rather than divine activities in Scripture (e.g., man works six days a week, etc.). Verse 18 says 666 is the number of "man."The article "a"is absent in the Greek text, and though the reader may supply it legitimately here, it seems best not to do so.
I think that neither the identity of the Antichrist nor the number of his name will be evident until he appears and fulfills prophecy. Then wise believers will be able to calculate his number as well as identify his person. Until then both aspects of Antichrist's identity will remain a mystery.450
"I would suggest that we not waste our time trying to identify a person by this number. Instead, we need to present Jesus Christ that we might reduce the population of those who have to go through the Great Tribulation Period and who will therefore know what the number of the Beast is."451
The dragon and the two beasts mentioned in chapters 12 and 13 are a counterfeit of the divine Trinity.452The dragon seeks worship that belongs only to God. The first beast seeks to rule the world, which is Jesus Christ's prerogative. The second beast glorifies the first beast, which is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit's ministry of glorifying Christ.453
Note that chapters 12 and 13 also paint a picture of the Great Tribulation in which there is finally one government, one religion, and one economic system for the whole world. This will be a time of great persecution and martyrdom for believers. Rather than getting better and better, as postmillennialists believe, the world will get worse before Jesus Christ's second coming. As we see world events shaping up for this scenario, we should allow them to motivate us to redeem the time before the Rapture or death terminates our ministries here. On the other hand, we should also rejoice that our Savior's second coming is drawing near (Matt. 6:10).
