Revelation 13
11
I saw another beast
coming up out of the earth.
He had two horns like a lamb,
and he spoke like a dragon.
12 He exercises all the authority
of the first beast
in his presence.
He makes
the earth and those who dwell in it
to worship the first beast,
whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He performs great
signs, even making
fire come down out of
the sky to the earth in the sight of people.
(See chart
covering the rest of this chapter.)
Verses 1-10 in the Greek are
written in past tense while from here to the end of the chapter is
written in present and future tense.
I
saw another beast
coming up out of the
earth
Another
indicates reference to the beast from the sea we have been
examining for some time now.
Then I stood on the sand
of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and
on his heads, blasphemous names. (Revelation 13:1)
The following verse
parallels the three main beast entities covered in this chapter,
giving us another symbol or title to this beast coming out of
the earth.
I saw coming out of the
mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the
beast, and out of the mouth of the
false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like
frogs; (Revelation 16:13)
Beware of false
prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly are ravening wolves. (Matthew
7:15)
One of the functions
of a prophet is sometimes to provide signs. We will take a
closer look at this in a later verse. But this moves us toward the
next descriptor relating to this beast, as mimicking the Lamb.
The earth is a key
symbol in this book symbolizing the mindset and beliefs of
those who live according to the counterfeit principles of the
Tree of Good and Evil. Like the mist that rose from the ground
in Genesis 2:6, this beast may represent the distillation of a
new kind of creature more reflective of Satan's likeness,
and who in turn forms and breathes life into an image made in
its likeness. Thus the creation of humans by God is
counterfeited by this unholy trinity setting up a new kind
of intelligence to help facilitate their push to take control
of the entire planet without exceptions.
Then said the woman, Whom
shall I bring up to you? He said, Bring me up Samuel. When the woman
saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul,
saying, Why have you deceived me? for you are Saul. The king said to
her, Don't be afraid: for what do you see? The woman said to Saul, I
see a god coming up out of the earth. He said to her, What
form is he of? She said, An old man comes up;
and he is covered with a robe. Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and
he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance. (1
Samuel 28:11-14)
two
horns like
a lamb
Horns represent
authority, power, force, intimidation and are often
found as defensive and offensive weapons on many literal
beasts. Yet no literal lamb has horns, nor does any other baby
animal in general. The true Lamb of God is innocent and harmless,
and even the symbolic Lamb found in chapter 5 is seen with 7
horns. These two horns represent some two-pronged approach
to effectively deceive and seize control of the whole world
through means that seek to appear benign and beneficial. This
beast seeks to mimic the gentleness and appeal of a lamb while
balancing that with intimidation and violence like a dragon. This
spirit is reflective of the Tree of Good and Evil.
This connects to one of the
core symbols of Satan's design which is the balance scales of good
and evil, reward and punishment, insistence that both
must coexist in order to maintain order and prevent chaos.
Two sources or kinds of power could be reflected by the metaphor of
the carrot and stick approach presumed to be effective in
controlling society. This is purported to be the way God operates
and thus lamb-like, yet it is really a counterfeit of the
true Lamb who has 7 horns, not just 2, and those are very
different in nature. This is another example of the great
counterfeiter imitating the hero Lamb of Revelation. This
could also be a refinement
of the previous version of the antichrist.
There are many opinions
about the possible meaning of these two horns. Some insist it
represents the separation of powers in the unique political
experiment of the United States, and this has credibility. It may
also refer to the polarization of political views between the
right and the left who appear to be at intense odds with each
other but behind the scenes are actually pushing for a similar
agenda. It may even have something to do with the fact there are
two genders in humanity who are meant to work together toward
common goals but with different perspectives. Whatever the
horns mean, the important part of this verse in the
masquerading as a lamb while having the spirit of the
dragon.
Beware of false
prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly are ravening wolves. (Matthew
7:15)
spoke
like a dragon
What does it mean to
speak like a dragon? The original dragon was not just
powerful but even more importantly it was extremely cunning,
seductive and subversive.
Now the serpent was more
subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had
made. He said to the woman, "Has God really said,
'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'" The woman said
to the serpent, "Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may
eat, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the
garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, neither shall you
touch it, lest you die.'" The serpent said
to the woman, "You won't surely die, for
God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and
you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
(Genesis 3:1-5)
This is dragon-speak
at a highly refined level. It is the ancient serpent
identified in chapter 12 as Satan, the dragon and the devil. Be aware
that he has the most brilliant created mind in the universe
who spent much time close to the throne of power at the center
of the universe. After his fall he became fiercely intimidating,
relying on fear and deception to get his way.
Most important in this
context is that this beast rising like an apparition out of
the ground shares common goals and sentiments with both the
previous beast and the dragon. It is like the dragon keeps
coming up with yet another mask to use in pursuing his
agenda for total world domination and extorting all the
worship and allegiance he can get by hook or by crook.
For such men are false
apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as
Christ's apostles. And no wonder, for even Satan
masquerades as an angel of light. It is no great thing
therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of
righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
(2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
This beast may appear to be
like a lamb, yet it does not have the character of humility
and gentleness like the authentic Lamb. It opposes the methods
of heaven's Lamb by reliance on its system of balancing good and evil
invented by the dragon. This alerts us to the core issue of
the war between this slaughtering lamb in contrast to the
slaughtered Lamb introduced in 5:6.
You are of your father,
the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and doesn't stand in the
truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a
liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
He
exercises all the
authority
of the first beast
in his presence
Keep in mind the type of
authority this is, and that it parallels that of the first
beast.
They worshiped
the dragon, because he gave his authority to the
beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is
like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" A mouth
speaking great things and blasphemy
was given to him. Authority to make war for
forty-two months was given to him. (Revelation 13:4-5)
This means this second beast
is involved in every aspect of what the first beast was
involved in doing such as blasphemy and making war against
the saints of God. Clearly both of these beasts are synchronizing
to further the agenda of the dragon who manipulates them both.
Notice too the reference
to presence here. In Revelation presence has
significance.
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. (Revelation
13:14)
Two wings of the great
eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the
wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished
for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face
of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14)
The beast was taken, and
with him the false prophet who worked the signs in
his sight, with which he deceived
those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped
his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that
burns with sulfur. (Revelation 19:20)
he also will drink of the
wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his
anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the
presence of the holy angels, and in
the presence of the Lamb.
(Revelation 14:10)
He
makes
the earth
and those who dwell in
it
to worship the first
beast
Most all of these phrases
have been reviewed, some several times, so we won't spend a
lot of time covering them again. This makes it clear that dwelling
on earthly things preconditions one to worshiping the first
beast and the dragon, because worship involves getting one's
identity and reason for living from a chosen source. That is
why this pitched battle taking place all around us is seeking
to rivet our attention on things to keep our imagination
constantly occupied with anything other than a true knowledge
of God's heart. Fear and intimidation are efficient
means of getting worship, and the dragon and beasts are experts in
using fear to capture the attention of most everyone. That is
why we were given this prophetic book, to alert us to the underlying
issues involved so we can know how to relate to the realities
described here as they unfold all around us.
For though we walk in the
flesh, we don't wage war according to the flesh;
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty
before God to the throwing down of strongholds, throwing down
imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the
knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the
obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
For our wrestling is not
against flesh and blood, but against the principalities,
against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of
this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Let no one deceive
you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure
comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,
he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is
called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits
as God in the temple of God, setting himself up
as God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
What should be noted
carefully here however, is the word makes at the
beginning of this prediction. It is the very same word used at
the beginning of this verse where it says he exercises
all the authority of the first beast. What is important are the
methods being used and how authority is perceived that stands out in
sharp contrast to the true meaning of authority as designed by
God and exercised by the Lamb. This beast is a law-enforcer
and follows fully the example of the previous beast in how it
enforces its will. It is all about use of coercion,
compulsion, threats and whatever other violent means it deems
necessary to force everyone to comply to its demands in the
name of unity. It represents the spectrum of how the counterfeit
system invented by Satan maintains control over as many as
possible.
The dragon gave
him his power, his throne, and great
authority.
They worshiped the
dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast,
and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast?
Who is able to make war with him?" A mouth
speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him.
Authority to make war for forty-two months was
given to him.
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 13:2, 4-5, 7)
This transpires more readily
because of the notion that
law-keeping is equivalent to righteousness.
Shall the throne
of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
Have fellowship with You? (Psalms 94:20 NKJV)
This summarizes how the
surrogates of the dragon carry out the dragon's agenda to
control the entire world by any means possible. Our
greatest danger is being infected with this spirit and
disposition of the dragon, by allowing desires for revenge,
payback, punishment and reliance on forceful means for achieving
order and compliance to remain embedded in our own heart. All
such desire poisons and abuses our spirit that was designed
to reflect only the Lamb. Contrast this with how the Lamb
exercises authority.
Jesus came to them and
spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given
to me in heaven and on earth."
(Matthew 28:18)
I say the things which
I have seen with my Father; and you also do the
things which you have seen with your father. (John
8:38)
In the synagogue there
was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with
a loud voice, saying, "Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus of
Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know
you who you are: the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him,
saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" When the demon
had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him,
having done him no harm. Amazement came on all,
and they spoke together, one with another, saying, "What is this
word? For with authority and power he commands
the unclean spirits, and they come out!" (Luke 4:33-36)
There arose also a
contention among them, which of them was considered to be
greatest. He said to them, "The kings of the nations
lord it over them, and those who have authority
over them are called 'benefactors.' But not so
with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him
become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves.
(Luke 22:24-26)
The prophet who has a
dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let
him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw
to the wheat? says Yahweh. Isn't my word like
fire? says Yahweh; and like a hammer that breaks
the rock in pieces?
Therefore, behold, I am
against the prophets, says Yahweh, who steal my words
everyone from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets, says
Yahweh, who use their tongues, and say, He says.
Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,
says Yahweh, and do tell them, and cause my people to err
by their lies, and by their vain boasting:
yet I didn't send them, nor commanded them;
neither do they profit this people at all, says Yahweh. (Jeremiah
23:28-32)
Then the end comes, when
he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will
have abolished all rule and all
authority and power. (1
Corinthians 15:24)
whose
fatal wound was healed
This too was reviewed more
thoroughly when we studied verse 3 not long ago. As we mentioned
then, there is potentially more than one instance of a fatal wound
experiencing recovery, but the primary application for us I
believe, is what we see happening today on a global scale as
the governments and rulers of the whole earth are being
brought into synchronization with the agenda and
disposition of most powerful religious entity that has
been around and is most experienced in wielding this kind of
power for over 1600 years.
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