Read Revelation 13
Questions from the Scripture text: Where did John stand (Revelation 13:1)? What did he see? Rising out of what? With how many heads? And how many horns? And how many of what on the horns? And what upon his heads? What was its body like (Revelation 13:2)? Its feet? Its mouth? Who gave what three things to it? What had happened to one of his heads (Revelation 13:3)? But then what happened to that? How did the world respond? Whom did they worship on account of this (Revelation 13:4)? What rhetorical question did they ask? What was the implied answer? What else were given to the beast in Revelation 13:5? For how long? What did he open his mouth to speak (Revelation 13:6)? Against which four objects? Against whom was he permitted to make war and overcome on the earth (Revelation 13:7)? Over how many of whom was he given authority? How many of whom would worship him (Revelation 13:8)? Only the ones whose names were not written where? Whom does Revelation 13:9 call to do what (cf. Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 2:29; Revelation 3:6, Revelation 3:13, Revelation 3:22)? What have some done (Revelation 13:10a)? What shall be done to them? What else have some done (verse 10b)? What shall be done to them? How does verse 10c summarize the application of this section? What does John see in Revelation 13:11? Coming from where? What features does he have, like what creature? But how does he speak? What does he exercise (Revelation 13:12)? What does he cause the dwellers of earth to do? What does he perform (Revelation 13:13)? What effect does this have (Revelation 13:14)? What does he give to the image of the beast in Revelation 13:15? What does the image of the beast do to whom? Whom does he cause to receive what (Revelation 13:16)? Upon what two types of places? What does this mark permit people to do? What does v18 say is the primary application of this section? What do they need wisdom to understand?
How does the dragon make war on the saints, and what are they to do about it? Revelation 13 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eighteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the dragon makes war on the saints by strength of force and by subtlety of falsehood, so the saints must endure by patience and faith and by wisdom.
The dragon that fell from heaven makes war on the saints on the earth, but he does so through others who arise from the earth. In this chapter, a beast arises from the sea, and another from the land. This is as much to say that from land and sea, from this whole world, Satan raises up those by whom he attacks the saints. The first beast (Revelation 13:1-10) attacks the saints by strength of force. The second beast (Revelation 13:11-18) attacks the saints by subtlety of falsehood.
The first beast is characterized by ten horns and seven heads, the same images that communicated the authority and power of the dragon himself (Revelation 13:1, cf. Revelation 12:3). He calls himself “Lord,” which the Roman emperors actually required of the citizens and subjects of the empire. This blasphemous name was a great trial for thousands of Christians, under multiple persecutions, who died for refusing to say “Caesar is Lord,” because they knew that it was meant in the way that only “Christ is Lord.” But the beast is not only the Roman empire. For two thousand years, great state/military/political powers have been ferocious (as pictured in Revelation 13:2).
Additionally, the power of empires and rulers takes on a mythical character, when Satan counterfeits the displays of Christ’s power. The mortal wound that heals in Revelation 13:3 is a counterfeit of Christ and the resurrection; it has sometimes been the case that when it seemed that an empire or ruler was about to die, it has reasserted itself in such a way that causes people to say “Who is like them?” And of some empires or nations, multitudes have been brought to say “Who is able to make war with them?” (Revelation 13:4). All of this was true of the Roman empire at that time, and the saints who first received this book would have understood that this passage teaches us that such earthly empires are empowered and employed by the devil. When people think of them is inevitable and indomitable, they are worshiping not just the beast (the empire), but the dragon behind the beast, the devil himself (verse 4).
Such empires, over the whole earth, have often persecuted and even slaughtered believers (Revelation 13:7). Such nations speak blasphemously, as if they are the great power in the universe (Revelation 13:5-6). Your own government may be such a nation! And, when it rises to such power, truly it is only the life and light that the Spirit gives to the elect that keeps them from falling into blasphemous reverence for earthly authority and power (Revelation 13:8).
But the Spirit DOES give the elect ears to hear (Revelation 13:9). Christians should know that sovereign providence shortens such empires for the sake of the elect, as indicated by the forty-two months of Revelation 13:5 (or, sometimes, by “1260 days”; and, other times, by “a time, times, and half a time”). Christians should know that sovereign justice will fully repay the enslaving and murdering empires of this world (Revelation 13:10). The primary application of responding to the first beast is at the end of verse 10: patience and faith. We know who is sovereign even over the most powerful and wicked empires. We overcome them by the blood of Lamb; our names are written in His book, and He rules over all now, and He will set all things right.
The dragon’s second strategy isn’t the strength of force but the subtlety of false religion. This beast is dressed as a lamb (Revelation 13:11). Jesus had warned His disciples about this (cf. Matthew 7:15). And the apostle warned that satanic religion often appears at first as if it were angelic (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:13–15). False prophets and churches always seek to be influential and powerful with earthly power (Revelation 13:12a, Revelation 13:14b). As such, they are always in cahoots with national powers (Revelation 13:12b). The Papist church is the greatest example of this, particularly as the pope is that man of sin of 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, setting himself up in the place in the church that belongs only to Jesus. But it’s not just the pope. All whom the dragon employs in this way appeal to fleshly authority and employ fleshly authority. They do not have the blood of the Lamb or the word of the testimony of the saints. The counterfeit authority of the dragon and the first beast are all that they have.
Just as God alone has all true authority and power, but permits the dragon and those civil authorities empowered by the dragon, to have some measure or semblance of political and military authority, the same is true in spiritual things. God actually permits false teachers and churches to perform sins (Revelation 13:13-14a) and to make impressive spiritual displays (Revelation 13:15). Again, only the elect are spared (Revelation 13:16, cf. Matthew 24:24–25). And they make disciples for themselves that are marked off by signs, both those that are upon the head (an indication of identity, just as Christian baptism is upon the head) and those behaviors that are done with the hand (as Christians are also marked by particular ways of behaving). When false religion is winning the day, those who are most excluded from society are true believers (Revelation 13:17). The mark of the beast, the name of the beast, is likened to a number here. Not 777, a divine number, but a corruption of it, 666. Always short in at least one way, always a corruption of the truth. Like Satan coming to the woman with language that sounds like the law of the garden and the purpose of being in the image of God, or Satan coming to the Lord Jesus quoting messianic Scripture, or false/satanic teachers laying just one thing alongside the gospel to the Galatians, false religion is often entirely wrong by way of being almost right. A legalistic false religion will have much accurate theology and correct morality, but be entirely missing actual adoration of Christ and affection toward men. An antinomian false religion will have much that feels like it might be grace but with none of the love for truth or morality that true grace always produces. A ritualistic false religion will be full of spiritual exercises and symbols, but not narrowed strictly to those things that the Spirit Himself has given, and by which the Spirit Himself actually applies to us union with Christ and communion with Christ.
A satanic false religion is often so close to the genuine article, in its appearance and feel, that it takes wisdom. To be sure, it will find ways to be in league with the earthly powers-that-be, and it can be recognized that way as well. But it especially takes wisdom to recognize how it is a counterfeit of the true religion, with the true Christ, and His true teaching. This is the primary application for us with regard to the second beast: wisdom (Revelation 13:18). We must have wisdom; the elect receive understanding from the Spirit to test the prophets and discern biblical truth from satanic error.
Patience and faith (Revelation 13:11) and wisdom to identify and keep professing only the true religion (Revelation 13:18). This is the way of the persecuted church during the time between the comings of Christ. Or, as Revelation 12:11 has already put it: we overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony, loving not our lives even unto death! The dragon is a defeated dragon, but his beastly attacks are both strong and subtle. By patience and faith, we must endure his strength through the blood of the Lamb. And by wisdom we must, we must escape his subtlety through the word of our testimony.
What are some examples in the world, right now, of the power of the state being used to crush genuine Christians? What are some examples in the world, right now, of the deceptiveness of false religion attempting to seduce Christians?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for teaching us about Satan’s devices. Forgive us for being ignorant of them. Forgive us when we are more impacted by how apparently powerful the government is than we are by how truly powerful You are. Forgive us for when we lack the wisdom to detect and avoid “almost”-Christianity. Give us patience and faith and wisdom by Your Spirit, and make us to overcome in Christ, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP2 “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage” or TPH244 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
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