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.
11
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Revelation 13 Study & Commentary
Overview & Chapter Summary
Revelation 13 describes the rise of the Beast from the sea (a political power) and the Beast from the earth (a religious power/False Prophet). It details the "mark of the beast" and the requirement of all to worship the image of the beast.
Theological Context & Insights
CONTEMPORARY APPLICATIONS
1. Patience of the Saints: "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" (v. 10). In times of global deception and pressure, our call is to remain steadfast in our primary allegiance to Christ.
2. Discerning Deception: The false prophet "speaketh as a dragon" but looks like a lamb (v. 11). We must be biblically vigilant to distinguish between true spiritual authority and deceptive mimicry.
3. Resisting the System: The pressure to conform for economic survival (v. 17) is a recurring theme in history. We must trust God as our Provider above all human systems.
Practical Lessons & Daily Application
FORMAL PRAYER
O Lord, grant us wisdom to discern the signs of the times and the spirit of deception. Help us to keep Thy commandments and the faith of Jesus, refusing to bow before the idols of this world, regardless of the cost. Amen.
