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Revelation 13
2 The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast.
The beast which I saw was like a leopard
This refers back to the leopard symbol in the vision of Daniel representing the empire of Greece.
After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the animal had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. (Daniel 7:6)
The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. (Daniel 7:17 NIV)
A more thorough study of several of the prophecies found in the book of Daniel compared with historical narrative indicate that this symbol represents the empire of Greece thrust into power by the actions of Alexander the Great. No sooner had he finished establishing his empire by overthrowing the previous empire of the Medes and the Persians, he died at a young age and his empire was divided between his four generals. Thus the symbol of four wings and four heads.
Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; everyone who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backsliding is increased. (Jeremiah 5:6)
Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on. Yes, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour. (Habakkuk 1:8)
Since this beast coming up out of the sea is an amalgamation of the beasts in Daniel we can note that the attribute derived from this empire might indicate swiftness along with fierce strength as alluded to in the last two passages noted above.
his feet were like those of a bear
This refers to the bear symbol in the vision of Daniel representing the empire of Medeo-Persia. Daniel himself lived through the transition between the empire of Babylon into the administration of the empire of the Medes and Persians, so some of his later prophecies began with them.
Behold, another animal, a second, like a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus to it, Arise, devour much flesh. (Daniel 7:5)
Now will I show you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he has grown strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. (Daniel 11:2)
He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths. (2 Kings 2:24)
As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people. (Proverbs 28:15)
I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs, and will tear the covering of their heart. There I will devour them like a lioness. The wild animal will tear them. (Hosea 13:8)
The attributes contributed here by the bear into this amalgamated beast based on these passages focus on fury and power used to tear apart victims with great strength. Keep in mind that all the attributes of each of these beasts that are condensed into one beast all have to do with ferocity, intimidation and raw strength used primarily to rip apart and decimate relatively helpless victims.
his mouth like the mouth of a lion
This comes from the lion symbol in the vision of Daniel representing the empire of Babylon.
The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I saw until the wings of it were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man; and a man's heart was given to it. (Daniel 7:4)
As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people. (Proverbs 28:15)
Their roaring will be like a lioness. They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, and seize their prey and carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver. They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land behold, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its clouds. (Isaiah 5:29-30)
Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
The lion's contribution to this beast highlights the intimidating power of its roar, emotionally paralyzing its prey to immobilize it so it is easier to capture. This is all about the power of fear.
These collectively symbolize a composite political power resembling what were previously succeeding separate empires predicted in a vision given to Daniel. They are now amalgamated into one composite collective power combining strategic advantages of previous empires to be even more effective to exert tyrannical control over the whole world.
The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority
Note how often authority and power is given or received in these passages.
A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. (Revelation 13:5)
It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. (Revelation 13:7)
He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed. (Revelation 13:14-15)
The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour. (Revelation 17:12)
His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and do his pleasure; and he shall destroy the mighty ones and the holy people. (Daniel 8:24)
The nature of the kind of authority relied on by the dragon is hierarchy, a top-down type of authority that relies on intimidation, manipulation, deception, fear and the principles of commerce. This is all reinforced through systems of artificial law that must be supported by violence to induce fear and strengthens selfishness as well as resentment and desires for revenge. This is the model developed by Lucifer turned accuser in heaven that originally was offered as an improvement of God's governing design that is based on the principles of love alone. Here is a text that provides a key insight to the basis of the design for Satan's counterfeit system that is now modeled by all the world's governments in how they exercise authority.
Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, Have fellowship with You? (Psalms 94:20 NKJV)
Our passage says that the dragon gave this beast his own throne, power and authority. A throne represents the type of laws upon which a kingdom depends for its very existence. Satan invented the system of artificial law requiring attached imposed rewards and punishments that are enforced through fear and violence as the primary way to maintain control and authority over people. This is in sharp contrast with God's throne that is based on natural principles that govern the operation of the circulation of life (Ezekiel 1:1-28). Satan's system misrepresents God's laws by iniquity that works mischief through both manipulation of man-made laws as well as its forced imposition. This is the system of law these amalgamated powers rely on to impose their dogmas and edicts. It was this system that was offered to Jesus to administer when He was tempted in the wilderness to endorse it rather than face the horrors that would come if He remained true to the principle of selfless love.
Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. (Luke 4:4-6)
One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally
ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. (v. 1)
There is only one of the seven heads that is wounded with an apparently fatal blow. Yet all of the heads have blasphemous names. We need to keep this in mind, for as we have noted above, the entire system of governance and this kind of authority is foreign to God's system because it was conceived in iniquity . What this passage highlights here is that one head in particular receives the great blow, meaning that likely this one entity likely was the most assertive, outspoken and aggressive in its rebellion against God's principles of love.
This head that is wounded is described more fully in the following verses.
A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven. It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed. (Revelation 13:5-8)
This apparently fatal wound resonates with the very first prophecy given designed to bring hope after the initial entrance of sin into our world, indicating there would be a compelling pushback by the kingdom of light to resist the dominion of Satan.
I [Yahweh] will put enmity between you [serpent/dragon] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)
I want to point out an important correlation between two events that may be alluded to here. First, Satan seized control of the dominion of this planet as soon as Adam acquiesced to eat from the Tree, relinquishing his dominion by presenting himself to serve the dragon through eating the fruit from the tree representing the serpent's form of governance.
Don't you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)
Humanity's head chose deliberately to obey the author of the counterfeit system of governance, so all of Adam's descendants were brought under the tyranny of slavery and lost their freedom collectively. That is the law of inheritance operating. Children born to slaves are also slaves and owned by the slave-master who owned their parents. This is what we are up against living in these last days longing for full deliverance from the power of our fallen flesh nature.
The first major blow to the dragon's authority happened when Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, given Him the right to take away Satan's authority as representative of humanity in the courts of heaven to assume that position Himself. Additionally, the stunning revelation of the truth about God's character of pure love, light, truth and humility was exposed through the perfect reflection of God's heart in the human demonstration by the Son of Man. This caused the dragon to be exposed as the great fraud that he is and sent him scrambling to invent new deceptions to recover his credibility and to cover up and suppress the truth that had been released by Christ that was like a fatal blow to the entire system based on inventions originating in the head of the dragon.
Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
This reminds us of the pattern we have been observing from the previous chapter, how the dragon being exposed by the ascension of the Man Child into heaven caused his expulsion from his usurped role of representative for humanity. Immediately he realized he had to contrive new tactics to obscure his exposure in order to continue his agenda here on earth. Here we see this agenda emerging as one after the other, by land and by sea, surrogate beasts emerge along with an image, mimicing the roles of the three members of the Godhead and their creation of humankind. The dragon replicates in them his own character, agenda, motives and methods so they will continue what he was doing on earth previous to having his cover seriously compromised. Now by relying on surrogate powers to again distort the newly released truth about God through Christ's true followers (the remnant of her seed), the enemy of souls again obscures the liberating, glorious light unleashed by the Son of God, in order to shroud the world again in darkness, fear and misapprehension about God to keep them firmly under his control.
The head here referred to as receiving an apparently fatal wound, was the power that engaged most vociferously in misrepresenting what God is like, distorting His image by portraying Him as harsh, severe, condemning, demanding and needed to be bribed in order to find forgiveness. These beliefs had already developed in paganism long before, but now they became amalgamated into an entity resembling the dragon, meaning this power reflected the attributes and disposition of the dragon rather than the Creator God. In turn this amalgamated beast works ardently to reestablish old lies along with myriads of new ones until its power was curtailed by its overthrow in 1798.
The arrest of the Pope of Rome by a french general to put an end to the reign of terror propagated by the Holy Roman Empire was an apparently fatal wound not unlike the one the dragon had experienced around 1900 years previous. For a time it appeared that this wound would be irreversible, yet given enough time we see that this same power that received that mortal wound is coming back with even greater force, though presently still seeking to camouflage its true agenda until the time is ripe to reassert its power and make war on the saints of God to overcome them.
This reference to Rome must be kept in the forefront, for in the vision of Daniel it was represented by the fourth beast coming after the other three beasts already mentioned here in Revelation 13.
After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the animals that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:7-8)
It is helpful to view these prophecies from multiple perspectives simultaneously so as to see how they integrate and help to explain each other, not merely between the books of Daniel and Revelation but also between verses and chapters. This is what we will notice more as we continue to study the following verses in even greater detail. But for now, just be aware of what is referenced here as receiving the deadly wound and how it correlates to the flow of history. Daniel's vision laid out sequentially the beast symbols representing succeeding empires, while this composite beast simply retains key elements of each of those empires which most closely resemble the dragon himself. This beast rising from the sea is both similar to the dragon and is also intimately linked with the fourth beast in Daniel representing the most powerful, forceful, violent empire of Rome.
As political Rome weakened in power, its tactics and character were absorbed into a new amalgamation power that mingled both politics and religion, gaining ascendancy over other weaker powers until becoming the prominent force that dominated the Western hemisphere, ruling the world through relentless tyranny and relying on the principles and methods of the dragon in order to increase and assert its authority mercilessly until it confronted by the French revolution.
After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. (Daniel 7:7-8 NAS95)
I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them (Daniel 7:21 NAS95)
As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:24-25 NAS95)
This entity figures prominently in both the prophecies of Daniel as well as in Revelation, meaning that it must be a major player in the war between the dragon with the forces of darkness, against the Lamb leading all who choose to embrace the true light about God. This is given to alert us to watch and be ready in our minds and hearts in order that we not be caught unawares when these events explode in the last assaults initiated by the dragon in his fierce attempts to exterminate all who dare retain their loyalty to the Lamb and all that He stands for.
