Revelation 13: The Sea Beast

Overview

• The beasts in Daniel 7:1–2 also came up from the sea, like sand from the sea. The rough sea is a metaphor for nations at war (Isaiah 17:12, 13).

• The seven heads on the single beast reflect different stages in the history of the nations, starting with Babylon and ending with the resurrected pope. In Daniel 7, the leopard with four heads represents Greece's whole history, with no breaks in time. Daniel 8 expands on this by predicting that a notable horn will initially rule Greece, but when it breaks, four horns will take control. Revelation 13:10 says that the beast has only one head at a time (Revelations 12, 13, and 17).

• Ten horns - There is no distribution of the horns among the seven heads; they are all on one. The ten horns are on heads 5, 6, and 7.

• Ten crowns on horns (horns represent kingdoms).

• Blasphemous name (this blasphemous name has a number, which is 666).

🔹Characteristics to the identity of antichrist/sea beast

1. The kingdom is a political entity in addition to being a beast. This further illustrates that the antichrist will not be a single individual, but rather a governmental structure.

2. Emerges in the midst of a large populace and the ocean. (15th verse of Revelation)

3. In addition, it represents one of the seven political powers or empires that stand in opposition to God. Given that one of the heads sustained fatal damage, this assertion holds true.

4. There is a connection between it and Western Europe. In the beginning, the 10 horns that appear in Daniel and Revelation are a reference to the divisions that western Rome created. 

5. It maintains its dominance through the authority of Western European powers.

6. Connected with the four kingdoms described in Daniel 7: Babylon and their religion (which attributed their wisdom and power to false gods), Medo-Persia and their tyrannical (absolute monarchy) rule along with their infallibility, Greece and her philosophy (Acts 17:21), and Imperial Rome, which was the most powerful of all the four kingdoms, possessing a false religion, a tyrannical government, and a false educational system.

7. Imperial Rome provided the seat, power, and great authority.

8. Becomes a universal. Catholic means universal (verses 4 and 7).

9. It practices blasphemy (verses 5–6).

10. It persecutes and destroys the saints.

11. Its number is 666.

12. Political supremacy is for 1260 years, or 42 prophetic months.

13. Then it receives a deadly wound.

14. Its wound is healed.

🔹Daniel 7 should be read along with Revelation 13:1-10

There is only one power that was and still is political and religious in nature: the Papacy, which ruled during the Dark Ages. This power is the only one that perfectly embodies all these qualities. Revelation 13:2 says that Satan, also known as the dragon, is providing this Beast with power, a seat, and a great deal of authority. 

It kept pagan characteristics from the world kingdoms who existed before it namely:

- Babylon (Lion)

- Medo-Persia (Bear)

- Greece (Leopard)

Read Daniel 7:1–6. In Daniel 7:7-8, 19–26, we see a little horn kingdom rising out of the Pagan Rome Beast.

Due to the fact that the little horn originates from this fourth Beast, they are considered to be one and the same. When compared with a corresponding paragraph in Daniel 8:9–12, this passage in Daniel 7 displays characteristics that are similar to those of the Beast (Papacy) described in New Testament chapter 13 verse 1. 

- The Papacy sprang from the ashes of the pagan Roman Empire and ruled supreme for a period of 1260 years, beginning in the year 538 AD and ending in the year 1798. During this time, Berthier, a general in Napoleon's army, took the Pope hostage, inflicting fatal injuries on the Beast.

- According to the prophecy found in Revelation 13, the terrible wound is going to heal, and the entire world will be in a state of wonder following the Papacy (Revelation 13:3, 4, 8).

- People who do not wish to conform to the will of the Papacy will once again be subjected to persecution since the Papacy has not changed its attitudes. Worship is something that Satan, who created this papal power, desires. The worship of the sea Beast will be imposed on the world by the land Beast, as we will see in the following example.

- In addition to this, the Papacy is responsible for the blasphemy of the Holy Name of God, which is His character, His Heavenly Sanctuary, which is the plan of salvation, those who reside in Heaven, which are the Godhead and angels, and even the persecution of the saints (Revelation 13:6, 7).

- The truth about God and the Gospel is being destroyed by Satan, who is using his abilities to do whatever it takes to accomplish this goal. It is written in Revelation 13:7 that he desires to rule "over kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Isaiah 14:12–14 says that he desired to have that in heaven already. Among these Beasts, his defiance is still going strong. It is written in Romans 5:3, James 1:3, and 1 Peter 1:7 that God instructs us to wait patiently through these tribulations. However, God will judge these Beasts according to the crime that they have committed (Revelation 13:10).

🔹Characteristics of the little horn in Daniel 7

1. Daniel 7:8 provides further information on how the little horn rose to power among the ten horns, which were located in Western Europe.

2. The little horn appeared just after the year 476 A.D. (Daniel 7:8). If it emerged from among the 10 horns, it must have done so after they were already in existence. In the year 476 A.D., the ten horns emerged as a means of dividing the Roman Empire.

3. In the process of ascending to power, the little horn was responsible for uprooting three of the ten horns (Daniel 7:8). 

4. A human leader who holds the authority of the little horn is known as the one who is at the head of the little horn and who speaks for it (Daniel 7:8).

5. Referring to Daniel 7:24, the little horn represents a distinct type of strength in comparison to the ten horns.

6. Read Daniel 7:25 for further information on the blasphemous words that the little horn will utter against God. In the Bible, blasphemy is defined as the act of a man claiming that he is God (John 10:30–33) or that he can pardon sins (Mark 2:5-7). 

7. The little horn uses its strength and influence to oppress God's people. It is a force that persecutes (Daniel 7:25).

8. The small horn will make an effort to alter the law that God has established (Daniel 7:25).

9. For twelve hundred and sixty years, the little horn will rule. Daniel 7:25 references the same period and times, as does the passage in Revelation 12:14. However, Revelation 12:6 and 13:5 state the time period as one thousand two hundred sixty days, in addition to forty-two months.

🔹Let us review the nine marks that identify the little horn and notice how they apply to the papacy

1. It was predicted that the little horn power would emerge in western Europe, which was one of the ten divisions that made up the Roman Empire. There is no doubt that the papacy originated in Western Europe, specifically in the magnificent city of Rome. 

2. It was anticipated that the little horn power would begin its reign some time after the year 476 A.D. Emperor Justinian issued an edict in the year 538 A.D., which led to the papacy exercising its authority. This decree established the pope as the leader of all religious powers across the globe and granted him governmental authority. 

3. As it climbed to prominence, the little horn would uproot three of the 10 horns that were standing in its way. History shows that the pope destroyed the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Heruli while ascending to power. The year 538 A.D. marked the final eradication of the Ostrogoths among the three groups. This was the same year that Justinian issued his decree, which granted the church the authority to exercise both religious and political authority. 

4. The little horn was to have a man at its head as its authoritative spokesman. The papacy exalts the pope as its human head and supreme authority.

5. The little horn would be distinct from the other ten horns. The pope became a religious power seeking political authority. 

6. The Little Horn Power would utter blasphemous words against God. Without much digging, we discover that the papacy asserts that the pope is God on earth ("Holy Father") and that he and the church's priests have the authority to pardon men's guilt.

7. The little horn power would oppress God's people. Firstly, we are well aware that the papacy has a bloody history, having killed nearly 50 million Christians during the Dark Ages. Although some argue that it is impossible to know for certain how many Christians it has killed, No other power in history has tortured and murdered as many people in God's name. 

8. The little horn would attempt to alter God's fundamental moral law. Even today, Catholic catechisms omit the second commandment, which prohibits the worship of graven images. They then divided the tenth commandment into two parts to make a total of ten. The church had to delete the second commandment in order to avoid censure for worshiping statues of Mary, the apostles, and other saints. 

9. The little horn would reign for 1260 years.

In 538 A.D., Emperor Justinian issued a decree granting the papacy political and ecclesiastical authority. If you count back 1260 years from 538 A.D., you will arrive in 1798. In that same year, the French commander Berthia marched into Vatican City in Rome, deposed the pope, kidnapped him, and confiscated the church's property, effectively ending the papacy's dominion. The French Directoire administration declared that there would never be another Bishop of Rome. The papacy was a thing of the past in the eyes of the world. It is interesting that the Bible predicted the exact 1260-year period of papal power.

🔹Four stages of Rome

Not enough attention has been paid to the fact that the fourth beast, the Roman Empire, is said to have had four times of dominance in a row.

Stage # 1: The united Roman empire (168 BC-476 AD)

Daniel 7:23 - "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces."

Stage # 2: The divided Roman empire (476 AD-538 AD)

Daniel 7:24a - “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:”

The ten horns must have come from this kingdom; therefore, the kingdom must have been there before they did. History shows that the barbarian bands that came from the north to attack the Roman Empire broke it up and gave each piece to a different group of people.

Stage # 3: Papal Rome during the 1260 years (538 AD-1798 AD)

Daniel 7:24b-25 - “24b and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

Ten characteristics help to identify this power:

# 1: Arose to power after the ten had come up (Daniel 7:23, 24)

# 2: Arose among the ten (Daniel 7:8)

# 3: Arose from the dragon (Daniel 7:23, 24)

# 4: He would uproot three horns (Daniel 7:8)

# 5: Spoke great words (Daniel 7:8, 25)

# 6: Would persecute the saints (Daniel 7:21, 25)

# 7: Ruled for 3.5 times (Daniel 7:25)

# 8: Thought he could change God’s law (Daniel 7:25)

# 9: Thought he could change God’s times (Daniel 7:25)

# 10: It would recover its power before the end (Daniel 7:26-27)

There can be no doubt that stage # 3 represents ecclesiastical or papal Rome.

Stage # 4: Papal Rome restored to power sometime after the three and a half times and before the second coming of Jesus

Daniel 7:26-27 - “26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Daniel 7 makes it clear that the fourth stage of the fourth beast is coming. Since the little horn will no longer be in charge when Jesus comes back, it will be in charge of the world again at that time. For this reason, the papacy's work did not end when it lost power at the end of the three and a half predicted times. It will be living and well when Jesus comes back to rule the world again, but the brightness of His coming will destroy it (2 Thessalonians 2:8-9).

🔹Summarizing the four stages of the fourth beast we have:

• The fourth beast alone: Imperial Rome (168-476 A.D.)

• The fourth beast with ten horns: Divided Rome (476-538 A.D.)

• The fourth beast with the little horn ruling for three and one half prophetic years: Papal Rome’s first stage (538-1798 A.D.)

• Fourth beast when the little horn is restored to power: Papal Rome’s second stage (in the near future)

🔹Revelation 13:1-10 parallels Daniel 7

A quick look at Revelation 13:1 and 2 makes the connection to Daniel 7 very clear. In both passages, the forces are in the same order:

Revelation 13:1-2 - “1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”

As with the dragon beast of Daniel 7, the dragon beast (fourth beast) of Revelation 12 and 13 also has four consecutive stages of dominion:

• Imperial Rome: The dragon which sought to kill Jesus (Revelation 12:1-3)

• Divided Rome: The dragon had ten horns (Revelation 12:3)

• Papal Rome: The beast which received its power, throne and great authority from the dragon and then ruled for 42 months (Revelation 13:5)

• Papal Rome: The beast which will rule the world once again after the deadly wound is healed (Revelation 13:3)

It is clear that the beast, which derived its power, throne, and high status from the dragon, acted similarly to the little horn during the same period:

Revelation 13:5, 7 - “5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."

🔹Fourth stage of the dragon beast

Daniel 7 only hinted at the fourth stage of the dragon beast. However, Revelation 13 clarifies that the beast will reign for an additional 42 months prior to its destruction. Between these two steps, the beast is healing from a wound that will kill it.

Revelation 13:3 - “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.”



• Only one head of the beast is wounded, the head that ruled during the 42 months.

• The beast has seven heads, but each one rules one after the other. In Revelation 17, we learn that five of the heads had already died at this point in the prophecy. John only recently witnessed the injury to this beast's head. The other heads all died and will never live again, but this one will.

• What is the meaning of the expression “as if it had been mortally wounded”?

The weapon that wounded the beast

Crucial Questions:

• With what weapon was the beast wounded?

• What does the sword represent?

• How and when did the beast acquire the sword?

• What is the meaning of the deadly wound?

• Was the deadly wound healed in 1801 or 1929?

• What presently keeps the deadly wound from healing?

• When and how will the wound be healed and by whom?

According to Revelation 13:10, the sword dealt the dragon the fatal wound that brought an end to his third stage of rule. The sword's cut rendered the beast prisoner, preventing it from causing trouble as it did during its reign.

In the same way that the little horn lost its power in 1798, the beast suffered the wound. However, Revelation 13 promises the healing of the deadly wound. It says that everyone should follow the beast and bow down to its power again. Mussolini signed a treaty with the pope of Rome in 1929, largely healing the papacy's wounds. This gave the papacy back its property and political power. Numerous political agreements with the Vatican have contributed to the wound's further healing since 1929. The papal power is indeed recovering from the devastating blow it suffered in 1798. It is now clear that the pope of Rome is a world leader.

🔹Protestant Reformers who also believed that the Papacy was the antichrist (First beast of Revelation 13).

Martin Luther (1483 – 1546) [Founder of the Lutheran Church]

"Nothing else than the kingdom of Babylon and of very Antichrist. For who is the man of sin and the son of perdition, but he who by his teaching and his ordinances increases the sin and perdition of souls in the church; while he yet sits in the church as if he were God? All these conditions have now for many ages been fulfilled by the papal tyranny.” (Martin Luther, First Principles, pp. 196-197)

John Calvin (1509 – 1564) [Fonder of the Presbyterian Church]

“Though it be admitted that Rome was once the mother of all Churches, yet from the time when it began to be the seat of Antichrist it has ceased to be what it was before. Some persons think us too severe and censorious when we call the Roman Pontiff Antichrist. But those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against Paul himself, after whom we speak and whose language we adopt .. I shall briefly show that (Paul’s words in II Thess. 2) are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies them to the Papacy.” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Vol.3, p.149)

John Knox (1505 – 1572)

Yea, to speak it in plain words; lest that we submit ourselves to Satan, thinking that we submit ourselves to Jesus Christ, for, as for your Roman kirk, as it is now corrupted, and the authority thereof, whereon stands the hope of your victory, I no more doubt but that it is the synagogue of Satan, and the head thereof, called the pope, to be that man of sin, of whom the apostle speaks.” (John Knox, The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland, p.65)

Thomas Cranmer (1489 – 1556)

“Whereof it followeth Rome to be the seat of Antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself. I could prove the same by many other scriptures, old writers, and strong reasons.” (Works by Cranmer, vol.1, pp.6-7)

John Wesley (1703 – 1791) [Founder of the Methodist Church]

“… In many respects, the Pope has an indisputable claim to those titles. He is, in an emphatical sense, the man of sin, as he increases all manner of sin above measure. And he is, too, properly styled, the son of perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers, destroyed innumerable souls, and will himself perish everlastingly. He it is that opposeth himself to the emperor, once his rightful sovereign; and that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped – Commanding angels, and putting kings under his feet, both of whom are called gods in scripture; claiming the highest power, the highest honour; suffering himself, not once only, to be styled God or vice-God. Indeed no less is implied in his ordinary title, “Most Holy Lord,” or, “Most Holy Father.” So that he sitteth – Enthroned. In the temple of God – Mentioned Rev. xi, 1. Declaring himself that he is God – Claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone.” (John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon The New Testament, p.216)

Charles Spurgeon was not a reformer, but a Baptist preacher who also believed that the Papacy was the antichrist

“It is the bounden duty of every Christian to pray against Antichrist, and as to what Antichrist is no sane man ought to raise a question. If it be not the popery in the Church of Rome there is nothing in the world that can be called by that name. If there were to be issued a hue and cry for Antichrist, we should certainly take up this church on suspicion, and it would certainly not be let loose again, for it so exactly answers the description.”

“Popery is contrary to Christ’s Gospel, and is the Antichrist, and we ought to pray against it. It should be the daily prayer of every believer that Antichrist might be hurled like a millstone into the flood and for Christ, because it wounds Christ, because it robs Christ of His glory, because it puts sacramental efficacy in the place of His atonement, and lifts a piece of bread into the place of the Saviour, and a few drops of water into the place of the Holy Ghost, and puts a mere fallible man like ourselves up as the vicar of Christ on earth; if we pray against it, because it is against Him, we shall love the persons though we hate their errors: we shall love their souls though we loath and detest their dogmas, and so the breath of our prayers will be sweetened, because we turn our faces towards Christ when we pray.” – Charles Spurgeon

Revelation Chapter 13 Verse 1 to 10

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

🔹Beast rise up out of the sea

Revelation 17:15 - "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."

The sea represents people, multitudes, nationalities, and languages.

This indicates that a diverse range of individuals lived in a densely populated area when the beast first appeared.

As demonstrated previously, this beast is the Papal Church State, the antichristian power. 

It should be mentioned that, in contrast to the first beast, the second beast in Chapter 13 likewise emerges from the soil. This additional link demonstrates that the second beast did not originate in the old world or under the pope's jurisdiction.

🔹Seven heads and ten horn

Having crowns on the horns shows authority. Daniel 7 reveals that the horns symbolize the divisions within the Western Roman Empire. The papacy controlled the divisions of Western Europe through the kings and leaders of the nations, and consequently through the crowns on their heads.

🔹Blasphemy

Blasphemy is defined in the Bible as thinking of oneself as God while still being a mere man (John 10:30–33), and claiming the ability to pardon sin (Mark 2:5-7). These are the activities that the Papacy also engages in.

In verse 6, one might question the pope's ability to disparage the angels and heaven, a concept Hebrews 8:1-2 describes as God's tent. The papacy accomplished this by erecting a fake earthly tabernacle to worship a fake deity, complete with fake sacrifices made by a fake priesthood. Furthermore, they assert that the Pope has the authority to banish angels, and that priests are superior to angels. (Ligouri 'Dignity and duties of the Priest', pg. 31. Lucii Ferraris 'Prompta Bibliotheca Canonica Juridica Moralis Theologica', Vol. VI pg. 48.)

Further reading:

Blasphemous Roman Catholic Church Statements - Link

What are some of the blasphemous titles which have been used by the popes of the Roman Catholic Church? - Link

🔹Like unto a leopard, his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion

This reminds us of Daniel 7, which describes all of these beasts. There have been many popes before this one. It is a hybrid beast.

We can also connect this beast to the picture in Daniel 2 because it is one image made up of all the countries.

These are the main characteristic for each of these kingdoms:

- Babylon was famous for worshiping idols; they were obsessed with their statues (Jeremiah 50:38). According to Jeremiah 50:2, their main god was Bel, Marodach, or Marduk, the sun god. So the main thing that made Babylon unique was worshiping idols, or more specifically, the sun. 

Recommended Video from Third Party (View Terms of Use Page) - Sun Worship 

- Medo-Persia was known for its passing of decrees/laws that cannot be changed (Daniel 6, Esther, Ezra).

- Greece: 1 Corinthians 1:22 and Acts 17:18–21 recognize the Grecians for their constant pursuit of wisdom and the discovery of new things through the study of philosophy. Greek philosophy is the foundation for humanism, which is the pursuit of truth through human techniques in order to support human goals.

- Rome was known for its persecuting/desolating power, as iron breaks and subdues all things (Daniel 2:40).

In addition, when we examine the feet of the image in Daniel 2, we notice that the authority of the state, which is a sign of an apostate church, continues to be a persecuting and desolating force, and that the might of the iron, which represents Rome, continues to shine through. Isaiah 64:8 and Jeremiah 18:1-6 both employ clay as a symbol to represent the people of God, also known as His church. Therefore, a dirty church or an apostate church would be represented by miry or unclean clay. In addition, additional material may be provided on this subject; but, the available space does not permit it.

Further reading:

Culture and religion in Ancient Rome - Link

🔹Dragon gave

In Chapter 12, the first thing we discovered was that Pagan Rome was the dragon. However, it is crucial to remember that, in the end, Satan is the dragon, even though the Papacy gained its power and other resources from the pagan Rome, as we will see shortly. 9th verse of Revelation It can be concluded that Satan is the ultimate power behind this beast.

🔹Seat

“When the Roman Empire became Christian, and the peace of the Church was guaranteed, the Emperor left Rome to the Pope, to be the seat of authority of the Vicar of Christ, who should reign there independent of all human authority, to the consummation of ages, to the end of time.” Papal Rights and Privileges, pgs. 13, 14. 1889. Francis P. C. Hays (who is a Roman Catholic).

“The removal of the capitol of the empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330, left the Western Church practically free from imperial power, to develop its own form of organization. The Bishop of Rome, in the seat of the Caesars, was now the greatest man in the West, and was soon forced to become the political as well as the spiritual head.” The Rise of the Medieval Church, pg. 168. Alexander C. Flick. Ph.D. Litt.D.

It is evident that Constantine bequeathed her seat to the papacy when he relocated the seat of government from Rome to Constantinople in the East. This was done in order to give the papacy the seat that had previously been in Rome. 

🔹Power and great authority

This was done through Justinian and his general Belisarius.

🔹Wounded to death

Due to the fact that one of its heads was killed by a wound, it is clear that the papacy must be one of the heads. It is important to keep in mind that the papacy is a church-state, and that the church has never stopped being, despite the fact that temporal and political power have been defeated.

This took place in 1798; “In 1798 Berthier made his entrance into Rome, abolished the Papal government and established a secular one.” Encyclopedia Americana, 1941 Edition.

However, as the latter part of the chapter demonstrates, she will heal this wound, resurrect, and regain her full power once more. Therefore, we must fully restore her temporal and political power to her, just as we did during her initial reign.

🔹Worshipped the dragon

This statement is shocking because it shows that worshiping the beast means worshiping the dragon. If one were to use this view, it would imply that when one worships the power of the papal institution, they are actually paying tribute and worshiping Satan himself. According to what we saw in Chapter 12, this is just what he has been hoping for from the very beginning.

A visible agency, the beast is little more than a front man for the dragon, functioning as a conduit through which the dragon works and operates.

🔹Make war with him

After her reinstatement to power, she makes this comment. The later part of the chapter reveals her as a dominant and persecuting force, raising the question: how can someone challenge a power that endures a wound and persists?

🔹Continue forty and two month

As we have seen already, the papal power ruled for 1260 prophetic days, or 42 prophetic months. This is the longest reigning power, from 538–1798 A.D.

🔹War with the saints

As we have seen in Chapter 12, the papacy has an almost endless list of persecutions against true Christian believers.

🔹All that dwell upon the earth

It is clear that there will be only two groups: those who worship the beast or papal authority and those who worship Jesus Christ and are written in the Lamb's book of life. It is important to keep in mind that those who adore the papacy and follow in her footsteps will not have their names written in the book of life, resulting in the loss of their salvation. (15th verse of Revelation)

Please keep in mind that this is the Lamb's book of life. It is a reference to the manifestation of His self-sacrificing love to die for our sins, putting Himself aside for the salvation of others. The lamb symbolizes this love. Something that stands in contrast to the beast is a life that does not involve the use of force or coercion. In Ephesians 5:1-2, we are instructed to demonstrate the same self-sacrificing love that Christ exhibited. This love is one that will lay aside one's own interests and commit one's entire life to Christ. Real love between brothers (Revelation 13:35).

🔹Leadeth into captivity

Here is an illustration of verse 3. She killed, tormented, and coerced that which she dealt out with the sword, but she received that which she dealt out, "all those who take the sword shall perish with the sword." The papacy was responsible for the rotting of many people in the cell during the time. It is written in Matthew 26:52. As a result of being held captive, she suffered a fatal wound, which resulted in the loss of her power. As a result, this verse represents 1798, the year of the pope's capture.

Next: Revelation Chapter 13: The Land Beast 

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