Vision of Revelation 13

Related Topics

Substack Version

The False Messiah’s Kingdom

TL;DR

A recurring pair of symbols comes back to the forefront in the return to John’s vision, a Beast with seven heads and ten horns. Unique to John’s vision, this symbology is identified with both a Dragon and a Beast. While these titles are both tied to the seven heads and ten horns, they are also distinguished from each other as different identities as well.

A subtle distinction is made between the body and the head both in describing a mortal wound to one of the heads that is healed and the mouthpiece of the Beast receiving his power and authority from the Dragon. A kind of diverse unity is seen in one Beast as two entities, as though looking through a dark mirror of the relationship between the Father and Yeshua, who came to do, and submitted to, the will of His Father. And is this any wonder given that the Devil has desired to be worshiped as God and would give his power and authority to his Beast to stand in place of Yeshua as Messiah to receive that worship?

The Devil tempted Yeshua before His ministry that if He bowed and worshiped the Devil, that He would be given all the kingdoms of the world. Yeshua rejected this offer, rebuking the Devil with the Word of God. It would seem that in the future one will accept this offer and be used as the instrument of the Devil’s plan to deceive and destroy the world. This is the great warning of deception Yeshua gave in the Olivet Discourse regarding false Christ’s, which holds the same meaning in Hebrew as Messiah, the anointed King of Israel. And just as Yeshua will later rule the world with a rod of iron, this false messiah will have all that dwell in the world submit to his reign.

But this Dragon and false messiah are not alone, a Beast from the earth joins them with signs and lying wonders. Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he has horns like a lamb but speaks as a Dragon. This appears to echo somewhat the relationship of Yeshua and John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for the Messiah and pointed everyone to Him as the promised King who would restore His kingdom to Israel, fulfilling the expectations of prophecy.

Unlike John, this false prophet will serve a central purpose through the reign of the false messiah working deceiving signs and wonders and enforcing the worship of the false messiah in the land. He will enforce idol worship and sealing of those who give up their eternal lives to save their mortal lives with the identifying number of the name of this man who would claim to be the Messiah and God. Those who capitulate will seal their fate for eternity to be with their false god in judgement, separated from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Prophetic Scope

The context of this part of John’s vision is focused on a time after the death and resurrection of the head of the Beast. This is evidenced by the reaction of the world in bowing to his authority from the Dragon, recognizing that war with him is futile. The reign of this false messiah is stated to be forty two months. This is also the time over which he is given power over the saints to overcome them, a time Yeshua, Daniel, John, Jeremiah, and Paul depict starting at the abomination of desolation and John sees ending with his defeat at Armageddon.

Prophetic Characters

• Beast from the Sea
  • Has seven heads with the name of blasphemy.
  • Has ten horns each with a crown.
  • The body of the Beast is like a leopard.
  • The feet of the Beast are like a bear.
  • The mouth of the Beast is like a lion.
  • One of the seven heads is wounded to death and then healed, causing the world to wonder at and worship the Beast, whose names are not written in the book of life.
  • He gets his power and great authority from the Dragon and the world realizes they can’t make war with him.
  • His mouth speaks great things and blasphemies against God, His tabernacle, and those in heaven.
  • He is given power for forty two months.
  • He goes to war with the saints and overcomes them and has power over all kindreds, nations, and tongues in the earth.
  • The number of the name of the Beast is the number of a man whose number is six hundred sixty six. With wisdom and understanding, this name can be counted.
• Dragon
  • The Dragon gives the Beast his power and great authority.
  • The world worships the Dragon along with the Beast.
• The World
  • They fear the power of the Beast and wonder at his healing from the deadly wound, worshiping the Beast and Dragon.
  • They submit to the authority of the Beast.
• Saints
  • They are overcome by the Beast during his forty two month reign over the earth.
  • The patience and faith of the saints is tied to resisting participation in the captivity and killing.
  • Their names are written in the book of life and they do not worship the Beast.
• Beast from the Earth
  • He has two horns like a lamb, but speaks as a Dragon.
  • He has the same power as the beast from the sea.
  • He causes those in the world to worship the Beast whose deadly wound was healed.
  • He makes fire come down from heaven in the sight of the world
  • He deceives the world with the wonders and miracles he is able to do in the sight of the Beast from the sea.
  • He causes the world to make an image of the Beast from the sea who was wounded by the sword yet lived.
  • He gives life to the image so that it would speak and kill anyone who refused to worship it.
  • He causes the world to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead
  • He makes it so it is not possible to buy or sell without the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The Beast from the Sea

Revelation 13:1
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.

The symbology of this Beast rising up out of the sea is most commonly tied to rising from the kingdoms of the world, given a later view of the harlot riding the Beast sitting on many waters.

Revelation 17:1, 15
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: ... And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Given the commonly accepted historical nature of the seven heads being Gentile kingdoms being over Jerusalem through time, this would seem to indicate where this beast will come to power from. However, as I covered in the vision of Revelation 17-18, it is possible that the assumption of only Gentile kingdoms being influenced by the Dragon may not be entirely accurate. This is because the harlot associated with the mystery of Babylon on Mount Zion would require kingdoms ruling over Israel while she is in that city. Prior to literal Babylon, the third head, the only kingdom ruling over Jerusalem while Israel was in the city was Israel and her kings.

It is my contention that the beast rising out of the sea is no more defining than is what is stated in the vision, that the sea represents, in this context, peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. This neither defines Jew or Gentile as they are all included in this depiction.

Another common interpretation is that the sea represents chaos, instability, and the dwelling place of evil. We saw in Mark 4:35-41 that Yeshua rebuked the wind and to the sea said, “Peace, be still.” And in Matthew 14:14-33 the disciples caught in the sea being tossed about when Yeshua is seen walking on the water and Peter goes to meet Him. Upon arriving to the boat, the wind ceased.

When meeting two possessed with devils coming out of tombs in Matthew 8:28-34, Yeshua cast them out and they entered into a herd of swine and they ran into the sea and died. And of course in this chapter we see the Beast rise up out of the sea, the representative of the Dragon.

That the Beast will come to power through much chaos and instability would seem to fit this symbolic interpretation, but it borders on the level of personal speculation I’m comfortable with and more solid foundations can be found elsewhere in scripture.

I believe what we’re seeing presented here is the idea that the Beast will be a man that comes from among men, not some supernatural or other-worldly presence. The Beast will also not be some amorphous system of government or religion, though a man will be the head of these things. As we will see, the head of the Beast symbolizes a man who is the representative of the Dragon, being his mouthpiece, that deceives the whole world with the power and authority the Dragon gives him.

Revelation 13:2
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.

You may recognize these animals being named from a previous study on the vision of Daniel 7. Here, they are united together as different parts of the same Beast with seven heads and ten horns. Just as with the previous study, I do not feel comfortable attempting to interpret the symbolic identity of these animals apart from the similar pairing in Daniel and John’s visions, the only other place in scripture these four are found.

While I believe the lion symbolizes some quarter of the power over nations in the earth, I also can’t ignore the symbology present in the mouth of this Beast being that of a lion and how that might subtly bring in the association of this man as a false messiah.

Genesis 49:8-11
Judah, thou [art he] whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand [shall be] in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah [is] a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be]. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

Revelation 5:4-7
And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

It’s important to look at these things through the lens of the blind of Israel that have closed their eyes to Yeshua. As followers of The Way, we see these verses speaking of Yeshua, who fulfilled many of the prophecies they do not see or believe. We saw Him fulfill the prophecy of Israel for his son Judah in the foal of an ass that was prophesied again in Zechariah 9:9-10 of Him which He acted out at the triumphal entry. Matthew 21:1-11 That his garments are washed in wine, the blood of grapes speaks to Isaiah 63:1-6 and Revelation 19:13, the result of Revelation 14:17-20 and the rest of the judgements Yeshua will bring about.

This is all symbolic for the Messiah prophesied to come, Yeshua. For one who cannot see Him, this root of David and lion of the tribe of Judah is still expected to arrive because God has promised it and God keeps His promises. And while He already did keep His promise in Yeshua’s coming, He will also allow the Dragon to present his own false messiah from the root of David.

In John’s vision we see this mouth of a lion speaking great blasphemies against God’s name, tabernacle, and those dwelling in heaven from the perspective of the faithful. This is something we could expect if a man were to present himself as the Messiah and actively reject Yeshua as the Messiah. To those who agree Yeshua is not Messiah it is not blasphemy, it’s just reality. But in reality, it is blasphemy and those that follow him will join him at his final destination.

False Messiah

Matthew 24:3-5, 11, 23-27
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ... And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ... Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

When the disciples asked Yeshua what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the age, He repeated a warning over and over about false messiahs and false prophets. In the context of scripture from which the culture of Israel was born, the Christ, or anointed is in Hebrew the Messiah. This is a very specific identity that is tied to the Davidic lineage from which an anointed King of Israel would come according to the prophets of Israel. And let us not forget that both the Old and New Testaments are Hebrew books written by Hebrews about Hebrews. It is this context we should be viewing prophecies about these beasts.

The Devil knew who Yeshua was and Yeshua went through His hour of temptation in the wilderness before His ministry began. He was tempted to use His power to turn stone to bread and satiate His mortal hunger, but He rebuked the Devil with the Word of God. He was tempted to prove His protection by angels from mortal death, but He rebuked the Devil with the Word of God.

Matthew 4:8-11
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Yeshua was tempted with the kingdoms of the world if He would only bow to the Devil and worship him, but He rebuked the Devil with the Word of God. Yeshua is the Messiah, the Word of God made flesh, by which all things were made. He was not swayed by the temptations of mortal man, though He was tempted in that time of human weakness. He remained faithful to His mission to fulfill the will of His Father in showing the greatest love to man that there is, to give His life for them.

John 5:37-47
And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that [cometh] from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is [one] that accuseth you, [even] Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

The religious authorities had their own interpretations of scripture, their own expectations of its fulfillment. These closed their eyes to Yeshua because He did not fit their paradigm of expectations. His answer to them was again a rebuke from the Word of God and a prophecy of them giving into their own interpretations of the Messiah over the truth. Yeshua came in the Father’s name and authority and was rejected, but these same that would reject the Messiah coming as the Son of the Father will receive a man that comes in his own name.

Even so, it would seem that to pull off this deception it will take more than a man just taking up that mantle and everyone believing him. And according to scripture it seems that the biggest miracle that influences his acceptance as a god to be worshiped is his death and resurrection.

Revelation 13:3-4, 6, 8
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. 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? ... And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. ... 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.

Paul warned of this apostasy and revealing of the man of sin before the coming of Yeshua and our gathering to Him in his letter to the church in Thessalonica. Of all the signs and wonders the world will see tied to this man, the one that immediately shifts their paradigm to worship him as god is the one thing only God can do, raise the dead. And tied to that revealing at the abomination of desolation is God’s intervention with a strong delusion that those who desire the lie over the truth would be consumed by that lie.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-12
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

So we see at this time in history that the world has fallen in line under the power and authority of the Beast from the sea who is in direct opposition to God, blaspheming His name, tabernacle and those dwelling in heaven.

Revelation 13:5, 7
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. ... 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.

Here we see another connection with several exact day prophecies that cover the same time and actions as seen in the vision of Daniel 7 and the vision of Daniel 10-12. This part of John’s vision would then seem to be during the forty two month reign of this false messiah that begins at the abomination of desolation and ends with His defeat by Yeshua at Armageddon. So while the Dragon gives the Beast his power and great authority, it is only allowed to continue for that duration according to God’s timing since He is the one that removes his authority.

This speaks to the attitude of the Beast toward those written in the Lamb’s book of life that parallels his blasphemy of their God and His tabernacle. He takes the wrath of the Dragon to heart, making war on the saints and overcoming them. While we are promised to have tribulation in this world, this repeatedly prophesied period of tribulation seems more globally antagonistic toward God’s people both in Judea and later around the world at the time of the end.

The Beast from the sea comes in the power and authority of the Dragon with whom he is associated symbolically and in action. Together they deceive the world and, in so doing, receive worship from a deceived world that falls in line and obeys them. For those who refuse, it is a time of great tribulation whose only hope is in the promises made to them in the Word of God and by which they have their patience and faith.

Revelation 13:9-10
If any man have an ear, let him hear. 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.

The head of the Dragon Beast acts as king of the world. He sets his throne in God’s now desolate tabernacle because of the abomination of his idolatry and blasphemy, coming in his own name claiming to be God. His death and resurrection, an apparent intervention from God, is the defining moment that brings many over to accept the great deception. It seals his place as king over the earth and he in turn will seal them forever with his mark, according to their allegiance, that will drag them to eternal destruction with him.

The Beast from the Earth

Just as there are prophecies about the Messiah, so are there prophecies about a prophet who would prepare the way for Him. In a great deception cloaked in truth, this adds some clarity as we look back to the Old Testament patterns that form the expectations of those to whom the deception is pointed at. We saw in the last post on the vision of Revelation 11 that God’s true Elijah may play a role in turning the hearts of the people back to God. In the Beast from the earth, we see that the Dragon’s false prophet may play a role in the deception, playing off the expectations of Elijah’s arrival.

Revelation 13:11
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.

It is clear in the rest of the depiction of this Beast from the earth that he is distinct from the Beast from the sea, but more directly he is not identified with seven heads and ten horns as he has only two horns on his head.

He is associated with a lamb, which is used in some paradigms to point to the identity of these two Beasts according to Islamic eschatology. Some also look to this Beast coming from the earth in light of the expectations of the twelfth Imam, the Mahdi, who is said to be in a well and coming back. However, I prefer to stick with actual scripture to determine my understanding and not the corruption of scripture as dictated by a man or an angel centuries after the fulfillment in Yeshua.

That is not to say that the Dragon isn’t setting up his pawns on the board to accomplish his plans that will play into the expectations of the blind and misled. It is clear that the Middle East has yet to go through even more conflict to set up his false messiah in a place of power and the corrupted eschatology of Islam plays right into giving his Beast from the sea an enemy to defeat so that his deception can constrict around the blind of Israel. It is one of their expectations that the arrival of the Messiah will come out of a time of trouble for Israel and rise as their king to defeat their enemies.

Those of Israel who view scripture through the lens of their own interpretations have certain expectations of how the Messiah is coming and those of Islam who view their scripture through the lens of their own interpretations have certain expectations of a false messiah rising in Israel whom they are supposed to fight against. The Dragon’s pawns and kings are set out on the board, having been set up over thousands of years toward this great deception.

Ephesians 6:11-13
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [deceit] of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The idea of a lamb that speaks as a Dragon ties right into that great deception coming on Israel and the whole world, a false prophet that presents as one thing that conceals his true nature. And the Serpent is subtle, twisting truth into lies, making them seem palatable to those who don’t know the truth.

False Prophet

Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Whether a wolf or a Dragon in sheep’s clothing, it is clear that this Beast from the earth is a false prophet used to perform signs and wonders supporting the belief that the Beast from the sea is deserving of worship and indeed forcing that worship on pain of death.

Revelation 13:12, 14b-15
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. … 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. 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.

Here again we see two indications that the actions of the false prophet take place after the abomination of desolation and the false messiah has been mortally wounded and brought back to life. As if to enforce the idea of idolatry in worshiping this false god, he has the people make an image to the Beast. The false prophet then uses his power to give life to the image, causing it to speak, and to kill those who would not worship it. The actions of this second Beast are not directed at himself, but rather at supporting the claims of the first Beast.

There are many speculations on the image I don’t think we need to get into, but the way it’s worded would seem to speak to a single image being created. Unlike images like that of Nebuchadnezzar, this one seems more animated with the ability to speak and perhaps kill. How exactly that is caused, whether through technology or supernatural means is unclear, but ultimately not relevant to the fact that it will happen.

Revelation 13:16-18
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: 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. 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.

Beyond the idolatry in worshiping the Beast from the sea, we also have a mark of allegiance to the Beast that is implemented. I don’t believe taking the mark is something that could be done by accident because it is tied to worship of the Beast. It is a free will choice made by the receiver of the mark to tie themselves to his kingdom. The fear of death is used to coerce those with no foundation in Christ to give up their eternal lives to save their mortal lives. For those deceived by him, this may seem like they are declaring their allegiance to the king of the messianic kingdom. In reality they are dooming themselves to eternal separation from the one true God.

Revelation 14:9-13
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Revelation 16:1-2
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image.

The wrath of God is focused on those who commit themselves to the idolatry of the false messiah’s kingdom, which is much of the world where his enforcement is able to reach. With the world giving over their power to him, it will likely be difficult to hide from making that choice. Furthermore, participation in society will become next to impossible for any who do not take the mark because it is required to buy or sell. And with the death sentence for those who refuse to worship him, trading with a society that does worship him without proof of allegiance could be deadly.

Much speculation has been made on this idea of the number of the name the Beast. While I believe at some point in the future it will be tied to an identifying mark representing his name, I don’t believe there is any point in trying to guess from the many names that people speculate about as I believe scripture places the name of this man in the future. There is also debate over two manuscripts that present the number six hundred sixty six and six hundred sixteen, throwing more confusion on the matter.

However, there are more clear actions that will be done by this Beast which will better identify his arrival than the number of his name. What is made clear in the text is that this number is counted, it is the number of the Beast, who is a man, and the number represents his name. This is an identifying symbol of the man with whom his followers will mark themselves as a sign of his ownership of them and their subservience to him.

Given Christians see the perspective of this time from God’s point of view and that of those who reject the false messiah, we tend to see this time as a dystopian nightmare. The first Beast has made war on the saints and overcome them and the second Beast is placing a decision before all those who come before his image, to worship or die. I have a feeling that dystopian view is limited to the minority at this time who reject the false messiah.

Remember that people are speaking of peace and security when sudden destruction comes. And if pulling off a great deception requires cloaking oneself in truth to hide the lies, this time of peace and security may come out of war that is a response to attack as seen in the vision of Daniel 10-12, a peace through strength. This has not been uncommon in the Middle East since Israel became a nation in a day. Time and again her neighbors have come against her only to be defeated in response by Israel, very reminiscent of the time of Zechariah 12:2-9 leading to Yeshua’s return in verse 10.

If the cause of constant war is eliminated, then peace can follow. And those with no foundation in the face of lying signs and wonders may see the hope of utopia in a false peace built on deception and lies. In this world of peace where all you have to do is worship this man that rose from the dead and receive his mark as a sign of that allegiance to live a life of peace, then the dystopian nightmare is really only the perspective of those who reject him. They will be treated as the terrorist-like antagonists to peace that the system of control crushes. The weapons and technology that protects all the people from true terrorists now will one day be turned on those who reject the one at the top who now controls those weapons and technology.

When the perception is that a government is only going after the real terrorists who were murdering innocent people, how much are you worried about the government turning all of its force against you and turning your life upside down? You may have heard of drone attacks taking out purported terrorists in some distant land, but that was bringing peace and security right? You’re a peaceful citizen. We’ve seen in recent history that definitions begin to change and suddenly in smaller measure a select few are finding themselves on the wrong side of the barrel of the government for their peaceful beliefs. When those who keep the faith in Yeshua are treated like the terrorists, will those who hate them feel like they are living in a dystopian nightmare, or just living their life promoting peace? It’s all a matter of perspective.

Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

For those who are faithful to death, they are resurrected in Yeshua’s kingdom to live and reign with Him. These are the faithful saints who died as a result of the war against them by the Dragon, the Beast, the false prophet, and all of their followers. Remaining faithful during this time will be difficult for some, and some will give up their inheritance for a bowl of stew. But the promise is true and patience through the great tribulation of the wrath of the Dragon will be rewarded. Fortunately for the faithful of the bride of Christ that time will not be long, but only those prepared with oil for their lamps will be kept from the hour of temptation. Matthew 25:1-13 | Revelation 3:7-13

Revelation 13:13-14a
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 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…

Practically the whole depiction of this Beast from the earth isn’t really about him as much as it is about him pointing the world to the first Beast from the sea. But his actions might just define him and give us a clue into the great deception and how the Dragon is going to deceive first Israel and then the world. These miracles that the false prophet does may be amazing in themselves to a world not used to these kinds of things happening, but part of the deception would seem to also be about these miracles echoing Israel’s history.

Malachi 4:4-6
Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, [with] the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

First we see, in the last part of the last prophetic book in the Tanakh, the call to remember the law of Moses. Even before they entered the promised land, Israel was told their future in the scattering into the nations and return to the covenant of their fathers.

Deuteronomy 4:27-31
And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God [is] a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Keeping in mind that the Dragon will most likely align his deception with the expectations of the blind to be deceived, the promise of Elijah before the day of the Lord has not been fulfilled as far as the blind are concerned, and so they expect Elijah to come as promised.

“As the herald of the messianic age and a recurring figure in Jewish folklore, Elijah’s legacy surpasses that of virtually all the other prophets of Israel. … In Jewish tradition, Elijah is the one who will announce the coming of the messiah and the redemption of Israel, a fact celebrated in a song traditionally sung during the Havdalah service at the close of Shabbat, which prays for Elijah’s return ‘speedily in our time.’ Some also sing this song during the Passover Seder, as they invite Elijah into their homes to drink from a cup of wine poured just for him, and during ritual circumcisions, as a newborn male is brought into the covenant between God and the Jewish people.” | Rabbi Elliot Goldberg, Elijah the Prophet

Furthermore, a signature identifier of Elijah was calling fire down from heaven. In 1 Kings 18 Elijah alone faced off with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The offerings were laid on the altars and three times Elijah’s offering was doused with water and he prayed that God would show the people that he was doing according to God’s instruction.

1 Kings 18:36-40
And it came to pass at [the time of] the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou [art] God in Israel, and [that] I [am] thy servant, and [that] I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou [art] the LORD God, and [that] thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench. And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

I find it interesting that Elijah’s request of God resulting in fire from heaven was a sign that he was a prophet of the God of Israel and that those who served another god were slain for it. Now imagine a false prophet who is given to do the same and who points to that sign and wonder as validity he is a prophet of God. He is then pointing to those who reject his false god as a kind of Baal worshiper, perhaps because their allegiance is to Yeshua or they see him as a false god.

The deceived that believe this false prophet have Biblical precedence for actions to cut off those worshiping a false god, from their perspective, in service of their false god. Will a zealous people whose false messiah has just effectively deceived them react differently? Given Yeshua’s warning for those in Judea to flee to the mountains when the abomination of desolation happens, it would seem that it is not safe to reject the false messiah and remain in Judea.

In 2 Kings 1:1-15, Elijah is summoned by king Ahaziah because of his interference with the king’s messengers sent to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether he would recover from his illness. Fifty men and their captain go to apprehend him and Elijah says, “If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.” These fifty one men were consumed by fire from heaven. A second captain and his fifty are sent and again are consumed by fire from heaven. The third captain falls on his knees before Elijah and begs for his life and that of his men. Then the angel of the Lord tells Elijah to go and he goes to the king with them.

Again we see Elijah tied to a consuming fire from heaven. These left an impression that Elijah was a prophet of God, and not only would this ring very true to those of Israel who know the stories well, Elijah is expected to come as a herald to the Messiah, to prepare the way for him and point everyone to worship Him. This is what John the Baptist did in the spirit of Elijah, and on the other side of the coin this is what the Beast from the earth, the false prophet, is doing in pointing the world to worship the Beast from the sea, the false messiah.

There is one other thing that Elijah was known for that could potentially tie into the false prophet’s claimed or believed identity according to his actions.

1 Kings 17:17-24
And it came to pass after these things, [that] the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou [art] a man of God, [and] that the word of the LORD in thy mouth [is] truth.

Could it be that this false prophet that has prepared the way for the acceptance of the false messiah is also the one that receives the recognition for his resurrection from the dead? Imagine the perception of those who may already believe this man was the prophet Elijah and he introduced and supported who they thought was the Messiah. Over the past years this false messiah has turned the people back to the Mosaic Covenant, built the temple, defeated Israel’s enemies, etc.

This false messiah has been killed and their hopes dashed, but the second greatest prophet after Moses repeats the actions from history and the false messiah comes back to life in the view of everyone watching. God resurrects him at the time of the false prophets actions in order to seal the deception according to the desires of those who reject God. While this is speculation on my part, the patterns would seem to be there.

Revelation 19:20
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

The end of both the Beast from the sea, the false messiah, and the Beast from the earth, the false prophet, are tied to Yeshua’s return at Armageddon. He defeats them, their armies, and locks the Dragon in the bottomless pit for the duration of the true Messianic Kingdom ruled by Yeshua. We see again the mark of the beast tied to the deceived worshiping the false messiah and his image, a personal choice made because they did not love the truth.

Conclusion

This part of John’s vision, twenty five years after the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century, lays out clues as to the expectations and general identity of two future men who would come in the power of the Dragon. These three identities are central in the events at the time of the end that we’ve seen from differing perspectives as laid out by the prophets. The Dragon is the source of power and great authority, the Beast from the sea is identified directly with the head of the Beast, a man who dies and is resurrected to then declare himself God. The Beast from the earth directs the world to worship the first Beast.

This is an interesting pattern laid out for us, and one we saw in the first century when the Father was the source of Yeshua’s power and great authority, who came in His Father’s name to do His will, died, and rose from the dead on the third day. It was John the Baptist that came before His ministry started to prepare the way for Yeshua, turning the hearts of the people and baptizing Yeshua prior to His ministry beginning. Though he wasn’t present through Yeshua’s ministry, he pointed to Yeshua as the Messiah.

John 1:29-31
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

This highlights the warnings of Yeshua to His people about false messiahs and false prophets at the time of the end. John’s vision would seem to echo that warning in the subtle comparison of the Beast from the sea and earth as this duo that repeat in general the prophesies about the Messiah and Elijah in their actions.

The Jews expected the restoration of the kingdom to Israel with the arrival of the Messiah, that their king that would defeat their oppressors and Israel would become a great nation which all the nations would recognize. Yeshua died on the cross before bringing this to pass, which caused many to reject Him as the Messiah. Most did also not see or believe that He rose from the dead, another echo we see in this Beast from the sea.

But in a day of live streaming across the globe, the reach of the resurrection of the head of the Beast from the sea will likely be global news. And for those of Israel awaiting the Messiah, their initial sorrow at the death of who they thought would restore the kingdom to Israel as her king will be turned to zealous worship by many in his supernatural resurrection.

While Christians believe Yeshua rose from the dead according to the scriptures, the unbelieving world sees this as hearsay from almost two thousand years ago. This future resurrection will be live and in everyone’s faces, an unprecedented strong delusion is sent by the only one able to raise the dead, potentially masked by the expectation of Elijah’s history of resurrection. This is undeniable proof for many of the claims he will then make that he is God as he stands in the tabernacle of God.

The Beast from the earth, elsewhere called the false prophet, not only acts in the prophesied expectation of pointing to the Messiah, but calling fire from heaven is directly connected to the second greatest prophet in the Old Testament, Elijah. And it is Elijah who was prophesied to prepare the way as was seen in John the Baptist in the spirit of Elijah. That the false Elijah may appear to be the reason behind that resurrection, it would seem in that moment the trap is shut, the line is drawn, and those who refuse to cross over and worship him will be hunted down and killed.

Orthodox Jews through history have expected Elijah to come and announce that redemption is at hand and through tradition welcome him into their homes on Passover with a glass of wine left for him or the special chair left for him at circumcisions in the hopes that the newborn child might be the messiah who will usher in the era of redemption.

While presented in reverse order, and focused on the time of the reign of the Beast from the sea, this relationship between these two would seem to point to a similar situation as we saw with John the Baptist and Yeshua. John would come on the scene first to prepare the hearts of the people and be the mouthpiece that would point to the Messiah and usher Him in. When we have covered the appointed times and the exact day framework in future studies, and amazing connection is made that in some years of the Metonic Cycle ties the expectation of Elijah’s arrival around Passover to a one thousand two hundred sixty day period leading to Yom Kippur. The appointed times given to Israel may be much more central to our future than most Christians believe and it’s all hidden in plain sight in the text.

If the Dragon and his beasts are attempting to deceive Israel and the world, it doesn’t have to be the whole truth, but it will be most effective if it conforms to the expectations of the ones to be deceived. Fortunately the Oral Law compiles the rabbinical interpretations of Bible prophecy, giving us insight into the best way the great deception could be pulled off.

Below are some references of the expectations of Orthodox Judaism for Elijah’s return to prepare the way for the Messiah. In Revelation 13 we’ve seen God’s perspective through John’s vision with the cloak of deception removed, laying bare the truly wicked actions of the Dragon and his acolytes. But if we put the sheep’s clothing back on the Dragon and his beasts, what would be an effective lie to deceive the ones looking for the Messiah to come on the earth?

• The following comes from an appendix of The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim Appendix viii. Rabbinic Traditions About Elijah, the Forerunner of the Messiah
  • Elijah will work in reconciling God and Israel, and bringing Israel to repentance.
  • “The period of Elijah’s advent would, according to one opinion (Pirqé de R. Eliez.43), be a time of genuine repentance by Israel, although it is not stated that this change would be brought about by his ministry.”
  • “He would also restore to Israel these three things which had been lost: the golden pot of Manna (Ex. xvi.33), the vessel containing the anointing oil, and that with the waters of purification - according to some, also Aaron’s rod that budded and bore fruit.” Hebrews 9:4
  • “In Jewish legend Elijah is always introduced as the guardian of the interests of Israel, whether theologically or personally - as it were the constant living medium between God and his people, the link that binds the Israel of the present - with its pursuits, wants, difficulties and interests - to the bright Messianic future of which he is the harbinger.”
  • “When, at length, the time of Israel’s redemption arrived - then would Elijah return. Of two things only are we sure in connection with it. Elijah will not come yesterday - that is, he will be revealed the same day that he comes - and he will not come on the eve of either a Sabbath or feast-day, in order not to interrupt the festive rest, nor to break the festive laws (Erub.43 b, Shabb.33 a). Whether he came one day (Er.43 b) or three days before the Messiah (Yalkut, vol. ii. p.53 c, about the middle) his advent would be close to that of that Messiah (Yalkut, vol. i. p.310 a, line 21 from bottom). The account given of the three days between the advent of Elijah and of the Messiah is peculiar (Yalkut, vol. ii. p.53 c). Commenting on Is. lii.7, it is explained, that on the first of those three days Elijah would stand on the mountains of Israel, lamenting the desolateness of the land, his voice being heard from one end of the world to the other, after which he would proclaim: ‘Peace cometh to the world; peace cometh to the world!’ Similarly on the second day he would proclaim, ‘Good cometh to the world; good cometh to the world!’ Lastly, on the third day, he would, in the same manner as the two previous days, make proclamation: ‘Jeshuah (salvation) cometh to the world; Jeshuah (salvation) cometh to the world,’ which, in order to mark the difference between Israel and the Gentiles, would be further explained by this addition: Saying unto Zion - ‘Thy King cometh!’”
  • “Targum Pseudo-Jon. on Ex. xl.10, where it also seems implied that he was to anoint the Messiah with the sacred oil, the composition of which was among the things unknown in the second Temple, but to be restored by Elijah (Tanch. on Ex. xxiii.20, ed. Warsh. p.91 a, lines 4 and 5 from the top).”
  • “The Synagogue is careful to trace this analogy [Moses and Elijah] step by step (Yalkut, vol. ii. p.32 d) the final deliverance of Israel of Egypt, so would the final deliverance by Elijah for ever break the yoke of all foreign rule. The allusion here is to the part which Elijah was expected to take in the future wars of Gog and Magog (Seder Olam R. c. xvii.) Indeed, this parallelism is carried so far, that tradition has it, that, when Moses was commissioned by God to go to Pharoah, he pleaded that God should rather send by him whom He designed to send for the far greater deliverance in the latter days. On this it was told him that Elijah’s mission would be to Israel, while he (Moses) was sent to Pharaoh (Pirqé de R. Eliez.40).”
  • “Not only was he the only ambassador to whom God had delegated His three special keys: of birth, of the rainfall, and of waking the dead (Yalkut, vol. ii.32 c), but his working was almost Divine (Tanch. Bereshith 7; ed. Warsh. p.6 b, last line, and 7 a).”
• Mashiach - Jewfaq.org provides a list of expectations of the coming Messiah.
  • “Before the time of the mashiach, there shall be war and suffering.” [Ezekiel 38:16]
  • “He will be well-versed in Jewish law, and observant of its commandments.” [Isaiah 11:2-5]
  • “He will be a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example.” He will be a great military leader, who will win battles for Israel. He will be a great judge, who makes righteous decisions.”
  • “The mashiach will bring about the political and spiritual redemption of the Jewish people by bringing us back to Israel and restoring Jerusalem.” [Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 23:8; 30:3; Hosea 3:4-5]
  • “The mashiach will be a great political leader descended from King David. [Jeremiah 23:5] The mashiach is often referred to as ‘mashiach ben David’ (mashiach, son of David).”
  • “He will establish a government in Israel that will be the center of all world government, both for Jews and gentiles.” [Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:10; 42:1]
  • “He will rebuild the Temple and re-establish its worship.” [Jeremiah 33:18; Zechariah 6:12-13]
  • “He will restore the religious court system of Israel and establish Jewish law as the law of the land.” [Jeremiah 33:15]
  • “The whole world will recognize the Jewish G-d as the only true G-d, and the Jewish religion as the only true religion” [Isaiah 2:3; 11:10; Micah 4:2-3; Zechariah 14:9]
  • “All on earth shall worship him. ”
  • “He shall rule the earth and destroy the wicked”
  • “There will be no sin” [Zephaniah 3:13]
  • “But above all, he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being. It has been said that in every generation, a person is born with the potential to be the mashiach. If the time is right for the messianic age within that person’s lifetime, then that person will be the mashiach. But if that person dies before he completes the mission of the mashiach, then that person is not the mashiach.”

Ironically, this last point, that has been made for millennia because of Yeshua’s claims to be one with God, may be the cause for many of Israel to reject the false messiah when he declares himself to be God in the temple. They’ve been taught that Messiah will just be a human king, not fully understanding the nature of God. When those who reject the false messiah because he declares himself to be God flee for their lives because of him, they will be confronted with the return of Yeshua in power and great glory from heaven to save them. †

Zechariah 12:10
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.

Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

May God continue to bless you as you remain in Him.