The World’s Last Dictator

Revelation Chapter 13

In chapter 12 the conflict in Heaven ended with Satan’s defeat and his final overthrow from Heaven. He is cast out of Heaven onto the earth. Here in Revelation chapter 13 we have a detail description of his all-out effort on the earth just prior to his being cast into the bottomless pit. It is his last drive to defeat the program of God and establish his own kingdom.
Now we know that Satan is a spirit-being and that he cannot operate effectively on earth except as he does through the passions and personalities of man. He embodies himself in men in order to get what he wants (not physically but mentally as he has a body of his own). He knows his time is short, so he comes in rage and fury to do as much damage as he possibly can. In Chapter 12 we saw the fact of Satan’s hostility; here in chapter 13 we see the means of that hostility. The two worst rebels in all of human history appear on the scene. They are called “beasts.” They are not animals, but men. They are called beasts because of the cruelty of their reign.

The Lamb who holds the title deed to the earth is to come shortly and take over His possession. Satan knows this therefore this is his last all-out effort to throttle the divine plan. It is “woe” time for the world, the day of Satan’s greatest miracles. Demonism at its height will produce a reign of terror throughout the earth. This is the period prophesied by the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-11, when that wicked one shall be revealed, “Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

The chapter before us prophesies the activity of the two beasts on the earth after the church has been caught up to Heaven to be with her Lord. The first beast appears out of the sea [Ref. Rev. 13:1-10)], while the second comes up out of the earth [ref. Rev. 13:11-18]. Both are Satan-controlled men, so that actually there is in this chapter a trinity of the evil dragon and his two associates. Satan always has been a clever imitator, a device he has used successfully to deceive men. Here in the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, we see the Satanic trinity, Satan’s imitation of the divine trinity [Ref. Rev. 16:13].
Rev. 13: 1&2
The phrase “the sand of the sea” indicates Satan’s position as usurper of the earth and of his power over its people. The “sand” pictures the many people who will make up the nations, “the number of whom is as the sand of the sea” [Ref. Rev. 20:8]. Satan sees the sea of nations in their restlessness and political agitation [Ref. Isa. 17:12; 57:20; Rev 17:15], and so he stands upon the earth about to proceed in his final struggle for supremacy.
The first beast has “seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy” [Ref. Rev. 13:1]. It is clearly stated that he is a man vs. 18, but it is also affirmed twice that he comes out of the abyss [Ref. Rev. 11:7; 17:8], which means he is in league with Satan and energized by Satan. The heads speak of wisdom, the horns confederated power, and the crowns represent ruling authority. The restless world will be desperate for a leader, and this man will represent to the unregenerate mass of humanity what will appear to be the solution to the world’s ills. But all of his genius and ability only combine in blasphemy against God.
The description of this emerging dictator in vs. 2, namely, “like unto a leopard…a bear…and a lion,” is prophesied by Daniel. We should notice here that this beast is a composite of the previous world powers. He combines in himself the abilities and characteristics of the leaders, of the three world empires preceding the Roman Empire, the swiftness of the leopard, the overpowering tyranny of the bear, and the wild ferocity of the lion.
Rev. 13:3
Three times in this one chapter the wound of the beast is mentioned, and in all three verses it is made clear that the wound brought death, but that the beast was restored again [Ref. vs. 3, 12,14]. Satan’s masterpiece of deception will be a clever imitation of Christ. Christ, the seed of the woman, is God incarnate. Antichrist, the seed of the serpent, might well be Satan incarnate. As God raised Jesus from the dead, Satan will or could raise his representative from the dead, for he has certain powers over death [Ref. Heb. 2:14]. Revelation 11:7; 17; 8, 11 says that the beast goes into the place of departed spirits, and then is raised up out of that place of departed spirits. In Rev. 17:8 four things are said of him: “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition.” This indicates quite clearly that the antichrist has been on the earth before.
There is a striking similarity between the antichrist and Judas Iscariot in scripture as an identity to the antichrist. These two only are called “the son of perdition” [Ref. John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2:3]. Judas is the only man of whom it is said that Satan himself entered into him [Ref. Luke. 22:3].
The antichrist is not a system, but a person. When the prophetic scriptures speak of the antichrist, the masculine pronoun “he” is used. While he is the head of the final apostate system, he nevertheless a man, the man who is being looked for by many and whose advent seem to be drawing near. After the true Church has been raptured, and the restraining power of the Holy Spirit has been removed, this coming one will become earth’s dictator.
We are moving toward a “one world system,” that is a unified political system and a unified religious system. The first beast will be the head of a great confederation of nations. It will be the final form of the last great Gentile world power prior to Christ’s second coming to the earth. It is this one great world ruler on whom Daniel focuses attention in the last six chapters of his prophecy. He is the “little horn.” In Daniel 7:8, the “king of fierce countenance” in Daniel 9:26, the “willful king” in Daniel 11:16.
A world which has been denying the resurrection of Christ for centuries now accepts the fact that here is a man who has conquered death. After having denied the One who is the Truth, the world in amazement believes a lie. “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness “Ref. 2 Thess. 2:11-12.

The antichrist will possess an attractive and fascinating personality. His exceptional qualities of wisdom, daring, and leadership will draw to himself the highest admiration from people all over the world. He will be admired for his military prowess, for many shall say “who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” [Ref. Rev. 13:4].
Rev. 13:4-6
The wondering of vs. 3 is followed by worship. Spiritism, which is a form of demon worship and which has advanced with rapid strides in the last century, will reach its zenith during the latter half of the tribulation. While the eternally triune God is being blasphemed by the antichrist millions will worship Satan who controls the man of sin. This is he of whom the Apostle Paul wrote, “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as god sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is god” [Ref. 2 Thess. 2:4].
The worship of the first beast is enforced by another beast that is called three times “the false prophet” [Ref. Rev. 16:13; 19:20]. Like the first beast, he is a real person, a man who is subordinate to and dependent upon the first beast, as the first beast is subordinate to and dependent upon Satan.
This second beast is seen “coming up out of the earth” [Ref. Rev. 13:11], or more accurately, out of “the land,” meaning the ancient land of Palestine where Christ was born and died. In appearance he is “like a lamb” imitating the Lamb of God and Israel’s Messiah. This clever deception arises in the same land where Jewish prophets announced that the Messiah would appear.
We see in this chapter a world religion under one head with all worship controlled by him. In order to procure results in getting people to worship the first beast, he performs miracles thereby demonstrating that he possesses supernatural ability. We should bear in mind first that a miracle is not necessarily of God. The worship of the antichrist in the tribulation will be forced upon the people even as it was in the ancient days. And at last Satan finds a man who will accept what Christ rejected, and through him will direct the worship of the entire inhabited world. Even now Satan has his forerunners of the antichrist leading many to worship him [Ref. 2 Cor. 11:13-15].
Rev. 13:7-12
The beast makes war with the saints. Now the “saints” here are not the believers of the “church age.” Not all saints are in the church. There were saints in Israel before the Church came into being, and there will be saints on earth during the tribulation after the Church has been caught up to Heaven. Israel and the Church are not the same nor does God deal in the same way with each. The saints mentioned in our verse are saved during the tribulation [Ref. Rev. 7].
For some time the beast is quite popular. His personality, military prowess, great intellect, and ability to empress himself will capture the hearts and the worship of the masses. But suddenly he turns against the Jewish saints at Jerusalem. We must remember he has made a covenant with the Jews, but in the middle of the week he will break that covenant [Ref. Dan. 9:27]. When he comes he will promise them peace in the land of Palestine. The nation will accept him as the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of Abraham’s covenant. But the peace he offers the Jews is a false peace. Daniel prophesied that he “by peace shall destroy many” [Ref. Dan. 8:25]. He will move into Palestine, desecrate the restored temple [Ref. 2 Thess. 2:4]; Rev. 11:1-2], and institute a religious system that will become the worship of Palestine and of the entire earth. He will recognize no religion other than the worship of Satan through himself. Because the people refused to kneel to God’s Christ, they must in that day bow to the devil’s antichrist. His subordinate the second beast, called the “false prophet” [Ref. Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10], will assist the antichrist in enforcing his false religious system.
Rev. 13:13
This second beast is the false prophet who works to support the antichrist. He is an administrator of the affairs of Satan. As a means of impressing the people favorably, he performs miracles. This is a means of accomplishing his purposes. He substantiates his claims by demonstrating supernatural control over the forces of nature.
These signs are religious in character. There is the sign of fire from Heaven. This has been one way that God revealed Himself in history. He sent fire from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah [Ref. Gen. 19:24]. He sent fire from Heaven to slay Nadab and Abichu [Ref. Lev. 10:1-2]. He sent fire from Heaven to Mount Carmel in answer to the prayer of Elijah [Ref. 1 Kings 18:38]. Similar miracles will have been performed by the two witnesses [Ref. Rev. 11:3-6], so that the false prophet’s duplication of such wonders will serve an aid in causing the masses on earth to worship the beast. Now consider the last words spoken to the 400 silent years: “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” [Ref. Mal. 4:5-6]. Here is a promise that Elijah would come before the second coming of Christ to the earth. We see here that Elijah is one of God’s two witnesses in Revelation 11. We will learn from this the reason why the false prophet calls down fire from Heaven. The devil and his associates know the prophetic Scriptures. So, by imitating the miracles of Elijah through the false prophet, Satan hopes to convince the nation Israel that the false prophet is Elijah, and that the man to whom this Elijah is pointing is none other than Israel’s Messiah, who ought to be worshiped. Oh the cleverness of Satan’s wiles.
Rev. 13:14
Here we see the purpose for the miracles of the false prophet. The real purpose for the miracles was to prepare the minds of the people for the announcement in vs. 14. The false prophet will attempt to lead the people to finance the building of a great image in Jerusalem, thereby making Jerusalem the center of a world-wide religious system. Once again Satan is imitating what is predicted in the prophetic Scriptures. Satan knows that Jerusalem was the center of Christ’s activities when He came to earth the first time, and that it will be His capital city when He comes again at the Second Advent to reign on earth [Ref. Mt. 24:15-24], and see where Christ is referring to these same events [Ref. Mt. 24:21] where our Lord identifies the time period when the false prophet and the antichrist appear on the scene in the Great Tribulation.
Rev. 13:15
We see here that when the image speaks(given breath), the whole world, Jews, Gentiles, Roman Catholics, protestants, whatever they are, will worship the image or be killed if they refuse to.
Rev. 13:16-17
We have here now the mark of the beast. It is an identifying mark indicating that the one bearing it both worship the beast and submits to his rule. To be without the mark will label one as a traitor to government. In order to remain alive one must be able to buy and sell, and these things he will be permitted to do only if he can show the mark of the beast.
There are forerunners today of this intricately planned system which will control world commerce, the latest of these being the European common market. The day will come when the producer and the consumer, the seller and the buyer, will be powerless under the control of the antichrist. Capital and labor are struggling for control of this now, but at that time both will be controlled by the beast. Anyone who is outside of his vast control will be ruthlessly boycotted. No one will employ you or be employed by you. All classes of society are included. No exceptions will be made. All will worship the beast or die.
Rev. 13:18
The Word of God says, “It is the number of a man.” We know that man was created on the sixth day. We know further that seven is the number of completion or perfection. Six then is short of seven, so that man at his best is still imperfect. We know that the antichrist will be the fullest manifestation of man at his best, but any man at his best is a poor imitation of Jesus Christ.
What the world needs is Jesus Christ, not the antichrist. If you have not received God’s Son, do so at once. Trust Him now for eternal life.