Revelation chapter 13 details for us the rise of the Satan inspired Beast from the sea. He arises against the same background given to us in Daniel's prophecy of chapter 7. From the area of the Mediterranean emerges a monstrous beast like leader; autocratic and powerful, absolute in his authority, comparable to the lion like Babylon of old (Revelation 13:2). Geographically his origins appear skewed towards that of the footprint of the bear (Revelation 13:2); a territory more similar to that of the Medo-Persian empire; that of Turkey, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Egypt. Taking his inspiration from the Greek Leopard, 4 wings and super charged in speed, his Kingdom rises rapidly and spreads quickly.
It is this same individual whom Daniel refers to as the little horn in Daniel chapter 7. Point for point the 2 individuals are identical:
Revelation – The 1st Beast Chapter 13
Daniel – The little horn Chapter 7
1
Referred to as “a beast” (v1)
Referred to as “a beast” V10
2
Given power by the dragon (v2)
(Daniel 8:24) - Given power by another
3
Given “a mouth speaking great things” (v5)
“a mouth speaking great things” (7:8)
4
Reign ran for 42 mouths (v5)
“time, times and a dividing of time” (7:25)
5
Blasphemed name of God (v6)
“speak great words against the most High” (7:25)
6
Made war with the saints (v7)
“made war with the saints” (7:21)
The importance of this identification of the first beast of Revelation chapter 13 and Daniel's little horn of chapter 7, lies in the additional details which Daniel's prophecy furnish us regarding the origin of the little horn or beast. It is Daniel who reveals to us that the little horn or beast will arise from the fourth of Daniel's beasts: that beast representing the Roman Empire. This of course poses something of a problem for us today as this is an empire long gone. The western part of the Roman Empire fell into obscurity in the 6th century AD with the Eastern part of the Byzantine Empire persisting until the 15th century. It is perhaps from this eastern portion of the empire we can look to find the beast arising; from the footprint of the Medo Persian bear.
How can the beast arise from an empire long gone? Revelation chapter 13 points us to a head once wounded to death but now revived (13:3). It is from the revived, probably eastern portion of the Roman empire that we can look to find the beast arising.
An excerpt taken from systematic bible teaching given on chapter 13 of the book of Revelation by Dr J Stewart Gillespie: "Revelation chp 13 vs 1 to 10 - Who is the AntiChrist? Where will we find the Antichrist?"
From the lands of the Mediterranean Sea there will arise a Beast, the AntiChrist, the Man of Sin. Echoing features of empires past he will move quickly like the armies and empire of Alexander the Great, as pictured in the Leopard. His geographical domain is likely to be that of the Medo-Persian Empire of centuries ago, standing bear like, with his feet gripping the lands of Turkey, Iran and Iraq. This is Satan's one world dictator, a man with universal political (Revelation 13:2) and spiritual authority (Revelation 13:8) over the worlds. It is interesting to speculate how such a universal dictatorship could arise. The world of Revelation chapter 13, whilst echoed by events in the past century is very unlike the political landscape we see today. This is a world decimated by judgment, wars, disease and famine. between the judgments of the fourth scroll and 6th trumpet, one half of the world's population has been destroyed. Food production has been decimated by poisoned seas and rivers, nuclear explosions have polluted and destroyed productive agriculture and lands. This is a post-apocalyptic landscape, the leadership of which has been grasped, probably out of necessity to restore law and order and distribute evenly what resources there are. Here is Satan's finest hour, achieving his goal from the garden of Eden. This is his takeover of God's creation. Satan's Kingdom has come! Whilst this may be Satan's greatest moment, it is undoubtedly earth's most awful moment. A message preached as part of our series of systematic bible studies in the book of Revelation. Dr J Stewart Gillespie graceinchrist.org
Perhaps like myself you find the book of Revelation somewhat daunting with it's ultiplicity of interpretations which is somewhat off putting! Perhaps you can identify with the sentiment of one writer who quipped that there was only one person who understood Revelation and he is at home in the glory! It is a book of complex symbols and language. The subject matter; doesn’t really make for easy reading and is not overtly comforting, at least on the surface that is! This is perhaps typified by the transmission of the Greek title for Revelation “ἀποκάλυψις” into the English language, and is now used for catastrophe and disaster in epic proportions.
Revelation is indeed a book of catastrophe and disaster for the world:
Revelation is a boook containing the extremes of:
Personalities – Christ and the Devil
Places – Heaven and Hell
Problems – global and eternal destruction
7 seals 7 trumpets 3 woes 7 vials 4th Seal sees ¼ of the world’s population destroyed
6th trumpet witnesses 1/3 of the world’s population destroyed! By the time we reach chapter 12, at least ½ of the world’s population has been wiped out! It’s not a cheery read!
Don’t let that put you off!
Ignore the book of Revelation at your peril!
There is at least one great reason not to ignore this book:
Revelation at least in part deals with the extremes of disaster and catastrophe!
If you believe, as I do that God is:
Sovereign over the problems of life “all things work together for good”
Sufficient in His grace “my grace is sufficient for you”
Supreme in His power “all power is given unto me…”
Solution to all of our problems “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Then in these extreme experiences of:
Trial
Testing
Suffering
Persecution
Problems
Discouragement
Difficulty
We see God’s extreme solutions!
If God is able to deal with the extremes, He is surely sufficient for our problems and our needs too!
In Revelation chapter 12 people experience:
Personal Failure – The Flesh
Satanic Fury – The Devil
Persecutory Flood – The World
God has His provision and His solution in the extremes of these conditions and experiences!
Fury of the Devil
Flood from the World
Failure of the Flesh
All 3 are inter-related!
It is the fury of Satan which directly causes the flood of persecution from the world (vs12-15).
It is the failure of the flesh that hinders victory over Satan and gives the accuser fuel for his fire (v10-11).
Power to overcome the accuser (v11) holds the key to their personal victory!
The flood of persecution is the product of Satanic fury!
Israel couldn’t see that of course in Revelation chapter 12, but nonetheless the spiritual battle was happening above them, over them and they were caught in the crossfire between heaven and hell. There will be many spiritual battles of which we are unaware but feel the shockwaves in our lives and souls.
Cosider the fury of Satan revealed here in Revelation chapter 12:
Know your adversary
Don’t imitate his character
Note the description of his character:
Destroyer (v4) cf. John 10
Deceiver (v9)
Accuser (v10)
Satan characterised as deceiver.
Deception often linked with intelligence! It is so here of course.
Intelligence is often required to pass off a good deception!
Spoof emails and phone calls, fake social media accounts, malicious phone calls etc!
Normally intelligence employs deception for the goal of personal gain. They want what you have! For Satan though the scenario is different!
Satan is under no delusion that he could stand ultimately to gain from these deceptions (12:12), he knows that his time is short. Ultimate gain is not on the horizon for him!
What could possibly motivate him?
The very essence of Satanic character: malicious envy!
Satan isn’t deceiving to personally profit from it but rather that you might lose, that you might be destroyed. This is malicious, destructive, satanic, envy!
Cf John 10:10
Sufficient for Satan to drag you down, bring you down, get you down and keep you down! He will strive to ruin you at every turn!
Flood of persecution in the world
Satan having fallen from heaven (12:9), turns upon the people of God.
Satan falls from heaven to earth and to hell.
It is interesting that as Satan falls further and further, the glory of Christ fills the void, as the morning star and as King of Kings and Lord of Lords on the earth.
When the world and the Devil send the flood God always has His refuge for His people
“And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Isaiah 32:2
For:
Jacob and his sons in famine there was provision in Egypt Moses on the run as a fugitive there was refuge in the backside of the desert. Israel caught between the armies of Pharoah and the Red Sea, there was a path through to the promised land Samaria in the famine and siege of 2 Kings chp 7 – respite and refuge comes through the actions of 4 lepers at the gate of the city. David there was the cave of Adullam Jonah there was the provision of the whale Elijah a morsel of meal in the widow of Zarephath’s house Elisha a place in the home of the Shunammite
For:
Israel a way through the red sea and ultimately into the promised land Elijah a way up Jonah a way down and out of the depths Daniel a way out of the lion’s den Thief on the cross a way into heaven Noah a way over the flood
God is always able to provide a refuge in the storm, always able, since His refuge is a person!
“And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Isaiah 32:2
If a man is a hiding place, then that hiding place, isn’t restricted to a place, but is always available as a person!
Sometimes the means of that provision comes from the most unexpected of sources!
The unlikely gentile widow The unexpected provision from Joseph, a son sold as a slave The terrifying whale An unassuming little maid of Naaman An improbable coin in a fishes mouth
Failure of the flesh
The failure of the flesh give substance to the accuser, adds fuel to the fire and keeps the believer down, hinders their recovery.
There is overcoming victory (v11) by
Blood of the lamb
Provision for forgiveness and recovery
Word of Testimony
Power of a changed life
Total commitment
Proof of nothing being more important than the Lord
Free to download sermons as mp3 audio, systematic preaching studies through the New Testament, a verse by verse Bible Teaching series, from the prophetic book of Revelation of Jesus Christ.
