Revelation Chapter 13
The Beasts, the Dragon, and Global Deception
This is the Integrated Document that consolidates my thinking to this point. Inserted 11/8/25. You will note some serious discontinuities between the explanation of Chapter 13 and that used in Chapters 11-12, and possibly even before that. This is because I ran into an interpretational crisis in Chapter 13. The crisis arose as I tried to integrate two sets of events. The first is that the Seals and Trumpets are “acute” events, occurring in chronological sequence, beginning concurrently with the 70th week. The second concerns the longer term – the 3 ½ year events that begin when the timestamps begin showing up in chapter 11 with the arrival of the Two Witnesses who testify for 1260 days. Then the Witnesses are followed by the Seventh Trumpet, the Woman in the Desert for time times and half a time AND for 1260 days in Chapter 12, the Dragon’s “short time” after being thrown down, and the authority to the first beast for 42 months. These timestamp events also coincide with John being told to “start over” at the end of Chapter 10. There was a fatal flaw in the way I had these things overlaying each other. This flaw became obvious as I tried to relate Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians, and Revelation 10-13 in a fully coordinated and consistent way. The problem is that Matthew 24 says the MoL is going to show up and there will be great tribulation after that, and then the Sixth Seal will occur. 2 Thessalonians says that the rapture does not occur until AFTER the AoD is set up. The AoD is set up by the second beast, who comes only after the first beast, who is the MoL. Then Revelation 11-13 tells us that the Dragon is thrown down, gets angry, and following that event, we get the first beast rising out of the sea. The only way to resolve this, as I have been able to determine so far, is that The AoD is set up BEFORE the Sixth Seal, which means before ALL the Trumpet judgments. This means that the church will be here for the first six Seals. This is the way I had this worked out anyway, so this part fits. Since the AoD will be set up while the church is still here, the AoD comes before the Sixth Seal, and everything backs up from there. In reverse order we get the second beast, the first beast, and the Dragon evicted from heaven. These also must occur before the Sixth Seal. The Two Witnesses are killed by Abaddon. Abaddon is not released from the pit until the Fifth Trumpet. This puts the Witnesses squarely in the second half, after the rapture, instead of in the first half where I previously thought they were. I thought the Dragon was thrown down by the resurrected saints – it made such good sense to go there – but I now believe he is thrown down at the beginning of the 70th, not in the middle, and well before the rapture. The first beast will only “have authority” for 42 months, which time period I believe will begin in Matt 24 :15 as he persecutes the church after the woman escapes the Dragon, and continue through the entirety of what is left post-rapture. But he MUST ARISE before the rapture…which is nailed down to the Sixth Seal in my opinion. Even so, I believe he will arrive on the scene much earlier, and begin his rise to power as a man, but eventually be given supernatural power by the First Beast from the Sea. I am not going to go back and make repairs to previous chapters at this time though. I am going forward with 13 and will come back and correct previous chapters after I have organized the rest of my notes on Revelation. From here on, I will think of my notes as a “draft”, and stop worrying about getting everything perfect the first time.
These Chapter 13 notes have two sections. In the first section, we will look at the text beginning with verse 1 and work our way through to the end. But after that, I have inserted a fictionalized account of how events might unfold. The fiction is true to the sequence of events as I believe they will occur, and it has a ring of true possibility to it. I believe it makes very clear that the Book of Revelation is describing events that WILL take place, whether in the way I have described in this fictionalized account or in some similar way, with the parts being played by real people.
Chapter 13 begins with an interesting verse. The verse reads quite differently depending on which translation you choose, so we need to make a decision here. In the NASB95 the verse begins this way: 1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore...[Rev 13:1a NASB95]. The NIV, LSB, and ASV all translate it this way. This interpretation makes 13:1 a sort of continuation of the last verse of Chapter 12, where the dragon is still the subject.
However, many other translations, including the KJV, ESV, and RSV render the verse this way: 1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea…. [Rev 13:1a ESV] I think the second translation makes better sense of the text. At the end of Chapter 12 we saw the dragon go off to make war. We wouldn’t expect him to make war by standing on the sand of the sea.
I think this is better read as John standing on the seashore as a witness to the action the Dragon will take. He sees what is clearly a vision and not a real character. He sees a beast rising out of the sea. This beast is the first step the Dragon takes to make war “with the rest of her children”. The wording also makes it clear that John is viewing these events from a place on the earth. He is no longer telling us what he sees happening in heaven. The point of view has changed. This tells us that the events he sees will occur on the earth. John continues to reference the sign of the woman and of the Dragon from Chapter 12. What we see here occurs because Satan has just been thrown out of heaven. He is on the earth, along with all his followers. This is the great eviction. Up until now, through all history and despite his rebellion, Satan has retained access to heaven and walked among the angels who remained loyal. But as the end nears, it will be necessary to throw Satan down. He and his angels cannot be allowed to stay and spy on the plans being executed from heaven. As Satan lands on earth, he turns to annihilation of the woman, as seen in the vision.
As the first verse continues, John describes his vision of a "beast rising out of the sea" [Rev 13:1 ESV]. This beast arises from the sea, from water. We understand that this is not happening in physical space – it is not like Godzilla coming ashore. This is a vision. The “water” is not really water but represents something else. After some research I think the sea in Revelation 13 symbolizes the chaotic state of planet Earth at the time the Dragon is thrown down. He is thrown down as the 70th week is about to start. The earth is in bad shape, and the four horsemen are about to arrive and make things oh so much worse. These set the stage for the advancement to power of the MoL. So, the sea represents unstable, hostile empires and worldly forces outside of Israel and opposed to Israel.
What about the beast itself? It should be obvious that this is not a real animal. The beast is a representative vision. The same sort of vison as the woman and the dragon in Chapter 12. The woman represented a whole nation, with 12 tribes, and embodied all the varied history of that nation down through the millennia. The child was Jesus, and his birth embodied the fulfilment of scripture, the incarnation, and the atonement. Neither represented an angel or a person or even a place. They are more encompassing and at the same time more general than any kind of individual would be.
I think we are looking at that same kind of representation in this First Beast. The beast from the sea is in fact a third “stained glass window” that conveys a lot of information and understanding about things that are yet to happen.
There is one more inference that is very relevant here. Remember that when thrown down from heaven at the end of Chapter 12, the dragon attacks the woman, and she goes into hiding and remains there for 1260 days. Once thwarted in destroying the woman, the Dragon turns elsewhere. Given this time frame, I think we can rightly conclude that the dragon is thrown down at the beginning of the 70th week. The first thing he does is to attack the Jewish people, planet-wide, in order to wipe them out. If he can do this, prophecy concerning them, the promises to Abraham concerning the Land in particular, cannot be fulfilled. If Israel is completely wiped out it will show that Satan is indeed powerful enough to thwart the will of God and worthy of the worship he has craved since the beginning.
But we are told he does not succeed. Instead, Israel is forced into hiding and remains there for 3 ½ years. According to our timeline, Satan is thrown down at the beginning of the 70th and immediately attacks the woman. She goes into hiding for 3 ½ years, or half the 70th week. We can see that this must refer to the first half of the 70th. There are only two choices, and this is the only one that makes sense.
We are not told what methods the Dragon will employ in this initial attack on the Jewish people, but we do know it will be sufficiently energetic to force that whole nation into hiding. Once the Dragon’s initial strategy fails, he adopts another. He turns on “the rest of her children”. I believe this is a reference to spiritual children of Abraham – and that is the church.
We have discussed what this beast represents, now let us put it into place chronologically. I think this beast appears immediately after the Jews go into hiding, near the beginning of the 70th week. As we have said, this is another stained-glass window that conveys to us the state of things at this point in time. So, let’s look at the specifics of John’s vision of the beast and see what we can learn. The beast comes from the sea, and we discussed that before. Now we see that the beast itself has 10 horns, seven heads, 10 diadems, seven names. What do these things mean?
Staying consistent with previous interpretations, we see the seven heads as representing the seven spiritual domains. Since all seven heads are on one beast, we can anticipate that one part of Satan’s strategy will be to combine all the spiritual domains as a unit. Remember that the Dragon also had seven heads. This reinforces the idea that Satan’s power is going to be consolidated into a single worldwide system.
Next, the First Beast has ten horns and 10 diadems. Again, to be consistent, we see the ten horns as representing ten earthly domains or kingdoms, each with a human ruler at the head of civil government. The diadems confirm for us that each earthly kingdom will have a separate “Head of State”. Remember our description of the “sea” from which the beast arises. The world is in a shambles with nations warring for resources, authority, and power. From that chaos, the world will organize itself – consolidate the various warring elements – into ten separately governed regions.
Based on this description, we conclude that Satan’s strategy will be, for the first time ever, to combine authority over all seven spiritual domains and all ten 10 kingdoms of the physical world into a single entity. That “picture” of the shape of things is what we see in the First Beast from the Sea. The world has never seen so much power and authority combined before. This matches perfectly with Daniel’s prophecy that the fourth kingdom will be unlike anything previously seen.
Next, we find that there is a blasphemous name on each head. These identify the beast with the Dragon. The names are blasphemous because they are demonic designations aimed at denying the authority of God. Further, we are told that the beast has the body of a leopard, feet of a bear, mouth of a lion. We find many similarities here to the beasts that Daniel envisions in Daniel Chapter 7.
For instance, Daniel’s first beast was a lion with eagle’s wings representing Babylon. He also saw a leopard representing Alexander the Great, and a bear representing the Medo-Persian Empire. In Daniel, each of these was ruled by a separate beast, and applied chronologically as a succession of kingdoms which in their day were world powers. We can think of each of those kingdoms as a particular strategy that Satan employed to harass and if possible, destroy Israel. What we see here in Revelation is something new. This beast combines all those previous strategies and devices into one all-out attack by the Dragon – because his time is short.
In Daniel’s continuing description of this fourth beast, we note the following items that crossover to details John gives us about the beast from the sea: Daniel’s beast had iron teeth, 10 horns, and a mouth speaking great things. Two men, a thousand years apart, describe a beast that will appear at the end of the world. The descriptions are not the same, but they could certainly both be describing the same beast. Each man focuses on the details that impress him the most. It is no stretch at all to conclude that the beast from the sea and Daniel’s fourth beast are one and the same.
Returning to the beast from the sea, it is interesting to compare it to the Great Red Dragon of Chapter 12. The Dragon had seven heads, 10 horns, and seven diadems. That’s one diadem for each of the heads. But in the beast from the sea, there are seven heads, 10 horns and 10 diadems. Perhaps what this means is that the Great Red Dragon has authority vested in the seven heads – the seven spiritual domains while the beast from the sea has authority in the rulers of earthly kingdoms. The Red Dragon rules the spiritual realm, the beast from the sea rules on the earth.
In any case, the beast from the sea tells us that Satan’s strategy following the escape of the Jewish nation begins with the consolidation of all spiritual and earthly control into one giant organization. The beast is not a creature, but an organizational framework through which the plans of Satan can be implemented. Historically, Satan attacked Israel through the rulers of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Rome…. but in all those cases he used one nation empowered by him and his demonic forces to annihilate the Jews. This time, he plans to combine the governments and resources of the entire world in one last attempt to wipe them out.
I think we must remember here that the first four seals – the four horsemen discussed in Chapter 6, are coming down from heaven. They will cause the political and economic situation on earth to deteriorate rapidly. I believe Satan will fail to understand that the horsemen are part of God’s unfolding of the 70th week and will instead see himself as orchestrating the descent of the world into a chaotic state. He will interpret the Seal events as something he can use to his advantage in setting up the beast – the one world government.
The Dragon explicitly gives the beast from the sea "his power and his throne and great authority" [Rev 13:2 ESV]. This last fact corroborates our previous conclusion that the beast is immensely powerful…and yet still subordinate to the Dragon. The beast from the sea is the system of worldwide government, administration, and law through which Satan will pursue “the rest of her children”.
Looked at this way, as a representation of a complex organization and not an individual entity, we can see the similarity between this vision of the beast from the sea and the visions of the woman and the Dragon. This reinforces the interpretation that this is now a third icon, a third “stained glass window”. These visions are a way to paint a picture of events that is both revealing and entirely memorable, an effective way to communicate a lot of complex information.
So we see Satan’s goal. The next step in his strategy is to give that government and its leadership unquestioned credibility. A credibility that is so beyond question that people will override what conscience tells them is heinously wrong out of loyalty to the system – to the Dragon and to the beast from the sea. The leader of this system must command an almost rabid loyalty from the whole world. The procedure to accomplish this begins in verse 3.
As we saw with the previous icons, we move from a fixed to a moving picture. John begins a chronological account of events orchestrated by the Dragon to vest authority in the leadership he is setting up. First, in Revelation 13:3, we see a pivotal event recounted. "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". If we look at this closely, note that it says this seemed to be a mortal wound. A quick word study shows that the word translated “mortal wound” is used only 10 times in the NT and only by the Apostle John. In Rev 5:6 the word is used of the Lamb at the throne of God “as though it had been slain”. Here in Rev 13:3 the phrasing is that the head “seemed to have a mortal wound”. I think John’s point is that both the Lamb and the head have obviously deadly wounds…and yet both are just as obviously alive. Satan is trying to show the world that the credentials of his proposed world ruler match those of the Lamb.
The Dragon’s plan here is to set up parallel biographies. Jesus died on the cross but is now alive. One of the heads of the Dragon died and is now alive. Just as the Lamb is depicted as God’s Chosen, as evidenced by his resurrection, so this beast’s head is depicted as the Dragon’s chosen, as evidenced by his resurrection.
This parallelism will be a very compelling sign pulled off by the Dragon to place this recovered beast into the same category as the Lamb in the eyes of those left on earth. The Dragon is pulling out all the stops in his desperation and is presenting his own fake version of a messiah to the world. The people of the world have refused to turn back to God in the face of the upheavals leading up to the 70th week. We might well expect them to jump at the chance to get behind anyone or anything that might save them from a continuation of these events without requiring them to repent and turn to God.
People on earth interpret this healing as a miraculous recovery – as a bona fide resurrection from the dead in fact. The world views this impossible feat as a demonstration of immense supernatural power, leading them to follow the beast and to worship the Dragon that empowers it. This demonic imitation of Jesus death and resurrection is a critical element in establishing credibility for the beast – credibility that makes him “worthy” not just of loyalty but of the world’s worship.
We should note that in consolidating the seven dominions and the ten kingdoms, it will be necessary to establish one ruler. I think what we are seeing here is the “nomination” of the MoL for the position of world ruler. Who will oppose a man who rose from the dead? Who can bring charges that might discredit such a person. The MoL won’t have to fight and battle. His credentials as one who rose from the dead will be unimpeachable. He will climb to power by saying that God has kept him alive to lead, and we know that he will ultimately claim to be divine in his own right. By this means, he will rise to a position of absolute power over all the governments of the earth – the Beast from the Sea.
We have seen Satan do this repeatedly in history. One man rises to a position of incredible power and is then used to persecute the Woman. This began with a Pharoah who enslaved Israel in Egypt, then the King of Assyria conquering and dismantling all of the northern Kingdom, then Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon taking the Southern Kingdom captive for 70 years. These were followed by Alexander in Greece and then the successive Roman emperors, constantly scapegoating the people of Israel to justify their persecution.
What we have then in Revelation 13 is that same strategy writ large, not just on a national or regional scale but worldwide. We deduce from this that the “head” that had the mortal wound is a man, a human not a demon, who is chosen by the Dragon to rule the world.
This brings us to verse 5. We are told here that “he” is given a mouth “uttering haughty and blasphemous words”, and “authority to act for 42 months”. Here is another time stamp. We have established that the Dragon is thrown down at the beginning of the 70th Week, fails to annihilate the woman, and so goes after the rest of her children – the church. He does that by establishing 10 kingdoms on the earth, still warring with each other, and then he sets out to combine all ten under one ruler – creating a single world government – as depicted in the vision of the First Beast of the Sea. During the three and a half years following Satan’s eviction from heaven, he will see that the MoL is moved into position to assume headship of the world government. Once he is “elected” to that position, he will retain power, he will have authority, for 42 months – the final 3 ½ years of the 70th week.
What about the “mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words”. We believe this is about the MoL who, with the support of the beast and the Dragon, has just ascended to a throne from which he rules the world. The Dragon has given him immense and unprecedented supernatural power. I think this mouth he is given is akin to what Satan can do as “the father of lies”. Satan is also able to speak in a haughty and blasphemous manner. He deceived Eve to eat that fruit. The MoL will have similar ability, and I believe it will be a large part of his rise to power. People will believe what he says because of this mouth he is given.
It is important to recall that this man has been known and prominent in the events leading to this demonic promotion. Remember that he also made peace with “many” for one week (Dan 9:27) which covers the entire final seven years, but in the middle, at 3 ½ years, he breaks that peace.
This moment right here, when he is seemingly resurrected from the dead, gives him a sense of immortality. Because of his resurrection, he will demand to be worshiped as a god. This will infuriate the Jews with whom he made a covenant for seven years, and that agreement will be broken. Like the Dragon, this new ruler will believe himself worthy of man’s worship. He will make this known to the world. More than that, he will insist upon it. This is blasphemy.
We get a further prophesy of the things the MoL will say beginning in verse 6. In addition to blasphemy, he is going to verbally attack “those who dwell in heaven”. I think this means that the MoL will convince his followers that the Dragon’s exile from heaven was unjust, that the Dragon should instead be ruling in heaven, and the MoL will name names of the leaders in heaven who were responsible for his exile. This makes sense when we remember that the Dragon is known also as the accuser of the brethren. He has been thrown down, but his tactics have not changed.
This is an attempt to secure the unquestioning loyalty of all who remain on earth. This level of loyalty will be necessary in light of the brutal and barbaric actions the MoL is going to require in order to persecute the Christians still on earth at that time. Think of the guards at Auschwitz.
To summarize, then, the things that are said by the MoL will be persuasive in ways never heard before. We know from Daniel that the MoL comes to power not by military might or force but by non-violent means. He will be a consummate statesman, diplomat, and negotiator. He will bring about his own ascension without firing a shot, and through the authority he is given by the Dragon. The blasphemous words are a reference to the fact that he will require worship from all those over whom he rules. He will put himself, and by reference he will put the Dragon, in the place of God. He will make himself a living idol to the world.
We have now reached conclusions as to what the beast from the sea represents – a world government under one leader - based on his appearance. We have understood his role in the end times, as Satan establishes a world government under the kingship of the MoL by “raising him from the dead” so that he appears to be divine and worthy of worship by the whole world. And we have seen the “campaign strategy” of blasphemy and accusation that the MoL will use to inspire unquestioning loyalty from those left on the planet.
And now, as we look at verses 7-8, we see the success of this strategy in that “All who dwell on the earth will worship him”. The MoL, a man empowered by Satan himself and having established himself as an object of worship for the entire world, will then turn to making war against all who refuse to worship him. Th brutality of this war will have no limit. No Geneva Convention. Worshiped as deity, no order of the MoL will be unacceptable, and the desperate Dragon who is commanding it all, will have no scruples about his methods.
This section about the beast from the sea closes with what I think is a warning to the saved who will be alive at that time: 10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. [Rev 13:10 ESV].
The preceding verses have established that the power and authority of the MoL will be unopposable. They have said that as an ultimate authority on earth he can and will order any action, no matter how heinous, and it will be done. So, the way we ought to understand this warning is that you cannot run, and you cannot hide. You cannot fight a guerilla war against him; you cannot organize a militia and oppose him. During this time, all you can do is be faithful, and even in that, many Christians will be captured and killed. Endure as best you can and live by faith, knowing that all these things must be.
The next question to consider is whether this blasphemous way of speaking, this demand to be worshiped by the whole world, is the eye opening moment when “…the man of lawlessness[is revealed, the son of destruction.” I think a few additional events will take place before the situation is fully realized.
In the next verse, 11, we see the first steps the newly “elected” King of All the Earth will take to consolidate his position. John sees "another beast rising out of the earth" [Rev 13:11 ESV]. John describes this beast using the same outline he used of the first beast. Its origin, its physical description, its power, and its role are detailed in order.
Recall that the First Beast from the sea was interpreted as an icon representing a one-world government put together from the seven spiritual dominions and the ten physical earthly kingdoms. This is easy to visualize when we look at something like the European Union as arising from the various civil governments of the member states.
Continuing with this idea of “beasts” as icons, we turn to the Second Beast from the earth. Research indicates that there is support for the idea that the earth represents not civil, but religious authority on the earth. Our source says this is a particularly appropriate interpretation when religious authority is exercised alongside civil government or when religious authority is subservient to civil authority. Think about something like the Church of England where the head of the church is one and the same person as the head of civil government.
What we have developing here in vs 11 is an unprecedented world government comprised of many parts – 7 heads and 10 horns – but agreed in one, and with one supreme representative, working in tandem with a “new” religion that worships the first beast and the dragon. In essence the Second Beast is a representation of all previous religions consolidated under one “High Priest”. This second beast is the stained glass window depicting a religion the whole world will embrace. While the beast of the earth represents this whole idea, there will be one man acting as head of religion, just as we see the MoL acting as head of civil government. These two men are the physical manifestation of the iconic beasts. This man will be a sort of high priest for all the world.
Turning next to the physical appearance of the second beast, we see that he has "two horns like a lamb" [Rev 13:11 ESV]. This lamb-like appearance is a deceptive facade, imitating Christ as the Lamb or a symbol of innocence to mislead humanity. This appearance veils the true intent of this beast. Remember that a lamb which appeared to have been slain was found worthy of opening the seven seals, and to that Lamb all authority was given. We see that hierarchy repeated here on earth in a mockery of the preceding events in heaven. But the deception is incomplete because despite its harmless appearance, the second beast "spoke like a dragon" [Rev 13:11 ESV]. Its voice – or really its message – will reveal its true, satanic allegiance, underscoring its role as a "forgery".
In verse 12 we see that a certain amount of power is delegated to this beast also. The second beast can do anything the first beast can do, but only if the first beast is present. I think this means the second beast is denied the ability to take autonomous action. This says that the world religion will be entirely subject to the world government. The beast from the earth can perform ONLY in the presence of the beast from the sea. Nevertheless, in the presence of the first beast, this beast can do some extraordinary things.
We see from vs 13 that he can even call down fire from heaven. Previously, this sign has only been done by Elijah when he took on the prophets of Baal. Fire from heaven has always been a power exercised exclusively by God. Think Sodom and Gomorrah. But here, in the last days, Satan seems to have learned to mimic this sign as a way of lending credibility to this charlatan high priest. The fact that Satan has learned to do these things may explain what Matthew and Mark give us in these two verses: 24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [Mat 24:24 NKJV]; and 22 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [Mar 13:22 NKJV].
Having finished the origin and the physical description of the second beast, John moves on to the role this second beast will play. First, we see that he will require those still on earth at this time to worship the Beast from the sea. He will use force to do this. He will no doubt “preach the resurrection of the first beast” as proof that men ought to worship him, and he will do all kinds of signs as he imitates the miracles of the prophets of old.
Once he has convinced the world of the deity of the first beast and succeeded in convincing the world to worship him as embodied in the MoL, he will “require men to build an image of the first beast”, the one who “has come to life”. We would expect this image to look very much like the beast from the sea. I would expect the heads and the horns and so on to match that beast. But we are not specifically told what this image will look like, but we have been given other details about it, enough to understand that this is no simple idol.
We see that somehow, the Second Beast is able to “bring the image to life”, Revelation 13:15 reveals that the second beast "was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak". This is an extraordinary counterfeit of creation, presenting a dynamic idol that can communicate, further enhancing the deception. He condemns to death anyone who refuses to worship this manmade image of the first beast. Revelation 13:15 concludes that the second beast will "cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain" [33]. This demonstrates the brutal enforcement of this new world religion, making worship of the image a matter of life or death.
As I read verse 15, I picture a sort of court room where men are brought before the idol, and the idol will pronounce them guilty and sentence them to death. Because this idol speaks supernaturally, there can be no rebuttal to the sentences it hands down. There will be no appealing the verdict of this idol.
I am convinced that this man-made idol is the very Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Daniel and Matthew 24. This is the sign given that the end is here. I do not believe the AoD is a person. Here are the verses from Daniel that first prophecy about this: 31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. [Dan 11:31 ESV];
(This is my interpretation right now. Very good arguments can be made that these verses in Daniel have already been fulfilled with AEIV defiled the Temple in Jerusalem in 167 BC. Before I “pick a side” in this debate, I need to look much more deeply into the prophecies of Daniel, which I will be reading later this year (2025). For now, I believe it is this image that is referenced in Matt 24.)
So, we see the AoD is something that is “set up”. Think of installed, erected, put on display. I believe there is clear indication that Daniel is referencing an object of some kind that will be brought into the future Temple and worshiped. Sacrifices will be offered to it. Imagine its unveiling on worldwide TV for all to see!
In addition to having an animated idol sentence to death those who refuse to worship the beast, there is one more aspect with which we are all familiar. “He makes everyone take a mark – hand or head”. Here is the verse from Revelation 13:16: "Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead". I think critical to our interpretation of Revelation is understanding that the famed “mark of the beast” is not implemented until very nearly the midpoint of the 70th week. It is the second beast who imposes this universal mark.
Let’s look at the implications associated with this mark. How will it be used by the two beasts to further the false kingdom that has been established? First we see that it is in place "so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666".
The purpose of this mark is to establish government control over a global economic system. In this system participation in commerce of any kind is impossible without the mark. I envision the mark as a digital identifier, possibly an "embedded chip," without which participation in economic transactions is prohibited. We see governments moving in this direction already. Look at the digital ID that has been imposed in India, and that the UK government is trying to impose on that nation! Such a thing would allow widespread control and coercion of the entire world population. One will either affirm the Dragon as worthy of worship by taking the mark, or refuse to take the mark and bring a sentence of death upon oneself – either by execution or starvation.
I do not think this mark, when it comes, will be subtle or secret, or pushed upon us without our knowledge. I think the connection between the mark and the worship of the Dragon will be broadcast far and wide. The whole point will be to separate those loyal to Satan from those loyal to God. When this mark comes, all who believe in God will recognize it for what it is.
How will we know for sure? Revelation 13:18 begins with the phrase, "This calls for wisdom". The outline emphasizes that this wisdom is a divine gift, necessary for understanding these profound prophetic truths. The divine call to "let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast" [Rev 13:18 ESV] highlights the importance of discerning this crucial detail for those living in that era. Then we are told all that we will need to know about the mark. The number of the beast is the number of a man. This means that whatever the beast might be - a demon, an angel in the service of Satan, or any other creature - it is incarnated as a man!
The number of the beast is revealed as "666" [Rev 13:18 ESV]. This is all we’re given about it. So the Bible does not provide a definitive explanation for its meaning, leaving it as a mystery to be deciphered, possibly only understood when its full context is revealed at the midway point of the 70th week.
Having looked in detail at the actual text of Revelation 13, I put together a sort of “storyline” or narrative of how this might all unfold if it were to come about in our time. That narrative is show below:
Just before the 70th week starts, the world is a powder keg as Islam and Christianity are openly at war. Islam is doing its thing and trying to make the whole world bow to Allah or die. It is happening now, today, and there is evidence for it everywhere – the Islamic invasions of France, Germany, Sweden, and the UK disguised as simple immigration and supported by the governments of those countries. It is the same for many other countries in Europe, and we see it beginning in the US in cities across Minnesota, and the election of people like Ilhan Omar to congress and Mamdani as Mayor of NYC. Just stop and consider how much progress Islam is making under the guise of immigration, and ask yourself how it is possible that so many governments, so many national leaders, suddenly see the importation of massive numbers of people who are guided by a fundamentally different mindset than they are as a good thing? As the beginning of the 70th week approaches – possibly today - Islam will begin to focus on ridding itself of its most ancient enemy, the Jews. Think Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen, Iran… Even as atrocities are carried out against Israel, the world seems to be wavering in its commitment to that nation. We hear some very prominent people saying things like “I am Christian, but I don’t feel any particular obligation to support Israel in everything they do”. Victor Davis Hansen said something along these lines. Think of the things Ilhan Omar and AOC have said over the last few years. And I have said that I support Israel, but I do not think they are without error. I have also said that they have lost their country many times before and that I would not be surprised if they lost it again. As Islam spreads and becomes more militant, more centralized, and takes over governments in some countries that have been longtime allies of Israel, it is likely that the nation of Israel will have to be abandoned. I think this abandonment will be “the woman going into hiding” lest the repeated attempts at genocide through history at last succeed. This will mark the beginning of the 1260 days of hiding in the wilderness. Once this happens, once Israel is forced off the land, the church will at last find its voice and speak out against the worldwide progress of Islam. The church will at last wake up and realize the threat. (As of today, the church is not yet awake – things have not gone this far yet.) In the face of Islamic aggression, the countries which remain in secular or religious control will band together to stop them, to preserve their national integrity free from Islamic rule. The world will be going headlong towards a worldwide religious conflict, with the Jews in hiding but still vigorously pursued. A negotiator will come forward proposing a worldwide peace agreement. He will try to bring Islam, the Jews, Christianity, and secular authorities together in order to prevent worldwide conflict . He will come from one of the ten diadems we see in the picture of the first beast. This Negotiator (we’ll call him that for now) will be in a position to negotiate because of his diplomacy and intrigue in positioning himself, by ingratiating himself to those who hold real power. I believe he will be a Muslim himself because Islam will not agree to representation by any but a follower of Allah. But we know that Christians will be willing to go along in the name of peace. It has always been the way that goes. At first this Negotiator will only be a minor player. As things go forward though he will gain in prominence and rise to the top of the hierarchy, becoming the primary negotiator for all the world’s regions. Consider the difficulties he must overcome… The church and any secular governments will consider worldwide peace to be the primary consideration. The church will insist that Islam stop it’s aggressive, violent, forced conversions to Islam in all the areas they control. Secular nations will want Islam to stay where it is and leave their borders intact. That is, Muslim expansionism must cease. I think the church will also demand that Israel be restored to the land. But now that the Jews have finally been kicked out of “Palestine”, Islam will never ever agree to bringing them back. Some major compromise will be required at this time to bring all parties together. What will that be? I think it is very possible, even likely, that the plan will be to give the Jews what they’ve craved for 2000 years. If they are allowed to rebuild their Temple, they might consider it a stepping stone, a good short term compromise, leading to a later retaking of their land. The Temple Mount might be a big enough prize for the time being, especially given that the whole world is at the brink. I think they will settle for this guarantee. This agreement will be worldwide and unprecedented and even though the world’s leaders agree to it, there will be many, on all sides, who continue violently. The Negotiator’s plan with this agreement – made with the church as “the covenant with many” and with those in Islamic power, is to put himself into a position of massive authority. He is backed here by the Dragon – by Satan himself – who will do all that is in his considerable powers to persuade by lies and deceit and keep the Negotiator moving forward in his ambitions. So this negotiator will gain worldwide fame as this world peace agreement is signed. He will have brought a peace to the whole world, stopped Muslim aggression, calmed down the resurgent church, and even satisfied the Jews. He is famous at this point but he does not yet have worldwide authority. He is still just a man, still not recognized for who he really is. He was accepted as negotiator for such an unprecedented agreement because he is Muslim and a skilled diplomat. As the agreement goes into effect, other events will also unfold. Remember that we are right at the very beginning of the 70th week now. The first half, the first 1260 days, the first 42 months, the first time, times, and half a time are just about to start. As yet, there is world government. But there is a world peace between 10 governing regions of the world. This negotiator will now begin to promote himself from one working on behalf of the world and on behalf of all nations to a position of power in his own right. He will begin to surround himself with power. And we must realize that the situation will be ripe for these manipulations. This is because some, many, maybe even most Muslims will violently oppose the rebuilding of the Temple. We know from our own experience that Islam will never stop its expansion. So even though an agreement for world peace has been signed, there will still be wars, invasions, incursions, retaliations, and in such a situation, negotiations and diplomatic fire extinguishing will we more needed than ever before, and the Negotiator will be only too happy to help with that. These ongoing wars and rumors of wars will lead directly to the coming of the four horseman and all that goes with them, as discussed back in Chapter 6. Muslim countries will attack neighboring Christian countries. Muslim neighbors will attack their Christian neighbors. The world will descend into chaos and want as distribution systems break down The Negotiator will continue to rise in authority by making promises first to the Jews about the Temple, then to the Muslims promising more territory, more control, and more power and patting the hand of the church and telling them all will be well. We are told in Revelation that during this time, three of the heads of regional government will fall, and be replaced by the same man. As each falls, I expect from assassination or betrayal, the negotiator will “temporarily” assume their roles. In this way, for the first time, the Negotiator will begin to exercise true autonomous authority. He will again be negotiating for a world peace, but this time, for the first time in world history, the goal will be to unite the entire world under a single government, with one head of state agreed upon by all. One in whom the world can trust, as evidenced by his many previous diplomatic accomplishments. And as he goes about consolidating his power and “inventing” a system for world government, construction of the Temple continues despite war, lawlessness, famine, and economic depression. All this during that first half. But after 3 ½ years the Temple is nearing completion, and so are the plans for a world government. As the midpoint nears, the Negotiator, with the support of the Dragon, completes negotiations for a worldwide peace. This will be very near the end of the Seal judgments. I suspect that the Muslims will be winning the “peace” with more and more obvious support from the Negotiator who is now also the head of three regions. He will have armies at his disposal at this time, to persuade other regions that his plan for world government ought to be supported. I suspect the church will be much smaller at the midpoint than at the beginning of the 70th. The craving for a true worldwide peace will make a government that unites all mankind under one leader seem very appealing. An agreement WILL be reached. All will agree on a world government and then negotiations begin as to who will be the head of that government. Many will ask who could be more deserving of the first ever title of Prime Minister of the World than the one who is already running three of the world’s 10 governments? After all, he is the one who has worked so hard for the last 3 ½ years to bring all this about. He is the one who has kept the whole world from blowing up during the first agreement – the agreement with the many. Despite this very widespread support, there is still no consensus, no majority. We can imagine that the competition for such a position will be fierce, with all parties wanting a Prime Minister who will show them political favor, allocate extra resources to their region, and so on. Something is needed to raise one candidate above all the others. What can that be? I think it is clear: 3 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 ESV]. That Negotiator will be killed and then be resurrected somehow by the power the Dragon wields. Think what that will look like. A world anxious for peace, which only needs a world leader to bring it about. But who? And then you have this miracle occur where a man with a world reputation, who already has the world’s respect and gratitude, gets assassinated. Everything is put on hold as the earth mourns his loss. And then he comes back to life!!! The world is in awe. The world demands that he assume his place as Prime Minister of the World with all authority placed in him. And that will happen. What comes next? You have to believe that this man, this Negotiator, will now see himself as much more than just a man. Upon being named ruler of the world, he will be given “a haughty and blasphemous mouth”, and declare himself not only the world’s civil head, but also the world's god. He will walk into that newly finished Temple and demand to be worshiped by Islam, Christianity, and Jew alike. Next he will appoint a high priest, the second beast, and commission the setting up of the AoD. When this happens – when the church sees the AoD standing where it ought not - there will be no further doubt about who he really is. He is no longer the great Negotiator. He is no longer the Prime Minister of the World. The church will recognize him as the Man of Lawlessness, as the Antichrist, as the Son of Perdition. And this recognition will be the signs given here: 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, [2Th 2:3 ESV]; and here: 15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), [Mat 24:15 ESV]. The declaration by the MoL that he is to be worshiped in this new Temple is also the breach of the covenant made with many. We know this happens at the middle of the week. The church will refuse to worship, and the Jews will go into deeper hiding, this time for a time, times, and half a time added to the 1260 days she has already hidden. This is why it is given a different designation – not 1260 days because they’ve already hidden for that long. This will be a second period of hiding. The great tribulation of Matt 24:15 will break out against the church, because after all the Jews don’t even have a country at this time. The church will be persecuted as never before in history. The MoL will try to wipe them out. Genocide is his primary strategy. This prophecy comes true during this time: 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. [Mat 24:21-22 ESV]. The goal of the Dragon and his MoL during this time will be to purge the earth of all mankind. If all are dead, the remaining prophecies of God cannot be fulfilled. There can be no Millennial if there are no survivors. I don’t think this level of persecution can go on very long at all. At some point during this persecution, signs will appear in the heavens, Jesus will appear and gather his remaining people. This is the rapture of the church. This is the Sixth Seal. This is the point where God himself will intervene lest in his zeal to save himself, the Dragon, via the MoL, the High Priest, the AoD and their Muslim followers, all mankind might die. So let’s review with an eye to establishing the state of things at the end of Revelation 13: The first beast – the MoL - has gained all authority as the second half begins and he will retain that authority for 42 months. The church is raptured out during the Sixth Seal. There are only 3 ½ years remaining. The one world govt is in place. The Jews are in hiding. God is done waiting, and wrath is about to begin with the first Trump. The Two Witnesses are about to appear for their 42 months of power and declare the MoL to be an imposter. Gentiles, mostly Muslims – will are now trampling the grounds of the new temple as they worship the MoL in that sacred place, and this will continue for 42 months.