Rev 13: Beast Out of the Earth

January 10, 2023 at 1:19 PM Leave a comment

I’ve noticed something that happens a great deal when dealing with prophetic discourse in Scripture. Often, the application of it for us today is lacking. I’m not talking about the giving the meaning of the passage. That meaning doesn’t change from one generation to the next. What I’m talking about is how that specific text of Scripture applies to our lives. It seems many to most avoid making an application (or they only make application but breeze over meaning), and because of that, we are left with trying to figure out how to apply it.

In the current class on Revelation I’m teaching, I recently realized I’ve not been providing enough application in my teaching. I’ve provided meaning, knowledge or understanding of a particular passage. But I’ve usually left off application and there needs to be both.

The lesson I just taught this past Sunday in our Bible study group is a case in point. There was not a great deal of application of the passage (Revelation 13). What I did was break down the potential meaning of the text and while I did throw in some application, there needs to be much more. If there is no application for us now, today, what good is even studying those portions of Scripture except to gain knowledge? Knowledge is good, so please don’t get me wrong, but Scripture teaching needs to do both.

For instance, this past Sunday morning in our Sunday class at church, we went over Zephaniah 3. Much of this passage just deals with what I believe to be the Millennial Kingdom, where Jesus has physically returned and is reigning as Lord over all the earth. The description in Zephaniah 3 speaks of the day when Jews specifically will speak with a “pure” language (v 9). While some believe the prophet is speaking of the resurrection of the Hebrew language, chances are much better that he was speaking (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit), of a day when people who worship God (Gentile and Jewish believers), will offer that worship to God with pure lips stemming from a pure heart (not a specific language). In other words, the spoken worship (whether through praise, praying or singing), will be such that it will be pure in thought and word, stemming from people who are clearly righteous, not only labeled that way by God, but righteous in their words, actions and thoughts.

Zephaniah 3:9-13 deals specifically with the coming day when evil will essentially be vanquished, for the most part. During the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will rule with a rod of iron and will deal with any sin instantly. The nations will all worship only Him during that time. This world will be a completely different place than it is now. There will be absolutely no comparison with the way the world is now and the way the world will be then.

So what is the application of that passage for us? Put simply, try as we might, we will never attain that degree of right living now. This doesn’t mean we should not strive for it in His strength and with His help, but we need to know that even though Paul tells us to “work out (our) salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12-13), the fact of the matter is that it will always be a struggle in this life. It will always be such that we cannot escape the reality of our sinful natures. Yet, we must press onto the high calling we have in Christ (Philippians 3:14).

There will come a day, however, when Satan will be bound for 1,000 years, unable to tempt anyone on the earth. That alone will make things so much easier! So, the application is that while life is often difficult here, we should content ourselves in the knowledge that life is hard because of our sin nature that Satan often works through, but there will come a day when our faith will be sight and our sin natures will not exist (for those who have died and are with Christ), and Satan will be bound. These three glorious facts are what makes the Millennial Kingdom worth waiting for because outlooks, attitudes, thoughts, words and actions will automatically be completely different from what they are now. That is one application that we should grab onto and hold near and dear. Life will not always be difficult like it is now. Life will one day, be complete and far easier to do, think and say what is right. That should help ease tensions and problems for us now.

As with all discourse in Scripture, there is meaning and there is application for us, including in prophetic areas of Scripture. One without the other is not doing justice to the text. To teach only meaning is just as wrong as teaching only application. Both need to be presented so that people can see the foundation and understand how it can affect our thinking, our words and our actions now.

In the case of Revelation 13:11-18, we learn about another future person, who controls numerous future events. This individual, the “beast out of the sea” becomes the head of a religious system; often referred to as the False Prophet. That is clear from the text (Revelation 13:14-15).

And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

What the second beast does in the above text is to create a system of worship that points directly to the first beast, aka Antichrist. He first wows the world with his awesome ability and power. These are supernatural signs and wonders, not run of the mill special effects or artificial intelligence. This world is getting very jaded with special effects and would notice something that was mechanically or digitally realized through computerized effects. But this second beast is given tremendous supernatural power and full authority equivalent to the first beast (v 12). These powerful supernatural displays will have absolutely no explanation and no computer will be able to copy them. It is because of these things that the world will begin to follow the second beast with awe, who will point everyone to the first beast.

The second beast even goes so far as to direct people on the earth to make some sort of image or statue representing the first beast. The second beast then was given power (by Satan most likely, or God allows it because in the end, He will be glorified), to “give breath” to that image people created. Herod was known for his architecture but he didn’t physically build anything. The people of Rome did. The same applies to this future second beast.

This image will become very lifelike (again, by supernatural empowerment, not digital trickery), and cement the reality of his and the first beast’s power. Because of these things, people will flock after the second beast and trip over themselves to worship the first beast.

Reference it made twice to the first beast who was mortally wounded or killed (vv 12 & 14). There is some disagreement over what these things mean. Does it mean a previous empire will be resurrected? Does it refer to a person who, like Jesus, “dies” and “rises” again? It’s one or the other and it could be both. Imagine some future world ruler who appears to die and rises again. What would people think? They’ll think this Antichrist is the Christ.

In Revelation 13:15, we are told that the second beast forces the world to worship the image of the first beast. Anyone who refuses is summarily killed. I’m betting that this image will be set up in Jerusalem and quite possibly inside the Jewish temple yet to be constructed. The real beast along with the image might both go into the holy of holies (as Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2), and defame the temple, completely blaspheming God. What is interesting though is that when this happens, God does not retaliate at that point, but will deal with it when Jesus physically returns.

Things get worse in Revelation 13:16 where we read that the second beast introduces and mandates a “mark” that people will have to have embedded on their right hand or forehead, making it impossible for people to buy or sell without it. Many have come out and stated they “know” what this mark is, but they can’t. They only have guesses, not facts. We simply do not know what this mark will be until it is introduced.

If the Rapture occurs prior to the Tribulation, Christians will not be here at this point (which is the mid-point of the Tribulation period). If the Rapture happens at the mid-point or at the end of the Tribulation, then those Christians alive at that point will see the mark and understand it at that point. No amount of discussing it will reveal what the mark will be. Arriving to immovable conclusions as some have done is pointless and I believe can actually make it more difficult to better understand the text.

Just like the mandate with the mandatory CV jab for many, many people, the mark will be mandatory. We are seeing the results of the CV jab today though they are doing their best to ignore all those facts. Sudden deaths are now said to be “SADS,” or “sudden adult death syndrome” because so many are literally dropping dead. It’s one thing when elderly folks in their 70’s, 80’s or 90’s drop dead from a heart attack. While it is sad for those remaining, it is not unexpected. But when young people – in their 20’s, 30’s or 40’s – or even those in their early teens or younger are keeling over during recess or just walking to class or in class itself, something is very seriously wrong and the elephant in the room is simply ignored.

Recently, someone did some searching of VAERS and went back just 30 years to the 1990’s. They looked up SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), and were shocked to find that all the incidents of SIDS they found happened within just a few days after receiving numerous vaccines at “well-baby” visits. [1] Yes, there are many children from that decade who had the shots and did not die, but that does not mean that those who did die were unaffected by the vaccines, does it? After all, what is “SIDS”? It is unexplained infant death and doctors have never considered a connection between vaccines and infant deaths or adverse effects. The same is true today with the CV jab and so many adverse effects and death.

But as painful as the CV mandate may have been or will yet be, during the second half of the Tribulation, the second beast institutes another “mandate” and this one results in either life or death for the recipient. You take the mark, you live. You refuse it, you die. In essence, the mark will be the direct cause of multitudes of deaths during that period of time unless some at least find a way to escape.

Revelation 13:17-18 give us a clue as to the specific knowledge related to the first beast, the number of his name (or identity), and the number 666. If we were to take every guess related to “666,” there would be books on that subject. Truth be told, when the second beast arrives, the first beast will already be known worldwide. That in itself will tell us who the Antichrist is then.

So what’s the application of this passage of Revelation 13:11-18? I’ve presented what I believe is an accurate understanding of the meaning of the text (while I realize there are other interpretations). But how does this apply to us? What can we take from it for us today?

One major application is that God reigns supreme, period. This is the most important aspect of prophetic discourse. It is God showing us that He is in absolute control. Now, if He is in control of world events, then doesn’t that mean He can and will handle everything that comes our way? Without doubt.

Let me give one example, which may sound weird to you. In fact, it may seem “coincidental,” but I submit that God is in the details. I’ve been needing a tree stump for my kindling cutter. It is best to attach it to the top of a solid tree stump (with large screws), for safety sake and stability because you have to take a sledge hammer after placing a piece of wood on top and pound it down into the very sharp blade of the kindling cutter. The wood will then split into smaller pieces lengthwise.

You might ask, well Fred, why didn’t you just go into the woods and cut part of a large tree or try to find a stump? I looked and I couldn’t find a suitably large stump. I didn’t feel like cutting down a tree just to get the stump.

However, my wife and I were driving home from our son’s home the other day and I happened to glance off to my left side, way off the road. My eyes picked up a stump just lying there, completely by itself, as though someone dropped it there. I had already passed it by then but I turned around and came back. It took both my wife and I to get it into the trunk and when we got home, it turned out to be absolutely perfect. Both the bottom and top were cleanly cut and level.

The kindling cutter fit perfectly and when I tried splitting larger logs, they split easily. Tell me God did not place that stump, all by itself in that place just for me? Some might laugh at this or accuse me of reading into a situation, but I truly believe God knows every detail of our life that we often fail to notice. If fathers know how to give good gifts to their children and my parents did that when I was a kid, how much more capable is God? (Matthew 7:11)

If readers would like to view the video of this particular lesson and download the PowerPoint PDF, it can be found here at this link: SermonAudio.com/StudyGrowKnow

[1] https://rumble.com/v24nrli-was-it-really-sids-all-these-years-or-something-else.html