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Revelation 13:1-2

REVELATION 13:1-2

Revelation 13:1-2 New King James Version

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

The Beast from the Sea
Some people become afraid of the creatures revealed through the Book of Revelation. Let’s not forget that the Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. Let’s not forget that the Book of Revelation is a book Within the word of God. The power that these creatures have our powerful and overwhelming. However, they do not overwhelm the Lamb of God who wrote the Book!
This shows the fullness of the ultimate power of Satan being set loose on the Earth in the evil trinity. More so This Book of Revelation shows the power of God because with all of Satan’s efforts even when he finally gets everything, he’s ever wanted he still loses. Hallelujah!
Revelation 13:1 Here we see an evil trinity. This is description is giving again with an interpretation in Revelation 17:9-12.
BEAST The Greek word for beast means ‘WILD (dangerous and full of venom) ANIMAL’. This beast rises from the sea shows a person who will have the nature of a wild and dangerous animal. It can also be understood as having an unnatural or evil nature. Interesting note, this Greek word is never used in relation to an animal used in sacrifice.
This evil beast rises up from the sea. This is not a conformation for the misguided theory of evolution which claims humans (or part of humans) have developed from an organism crowding out of the sea. Throughout Scripture, the sea is the place that cannot be tamed. The sea is the place of confusion and chaos. The sea is where Leviathan lives. Leviathan is a powerful wild sea monster from the Book of Job, Psalms, the Book of Isaiah, and the Book of Amos. So, this evil beast rising up from the sea is to show its birth in and from evil. It has nothing but an evil nature.
In verse 2 Notice this evil beast has 7 heads but 1 mouth. The Greek word used for mouth is single. This is showing that there is only 1 mouth for the 7 heads.
This is not saying there will be world leaders who physically don’t have a mouth. Rather, they submit their own authority to 1 mouth. It seems that among those 7 heads there will be 1 as the spokesman with the support of the other heads.
CROWN/DIADEM A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty.
WE SEE TRINITY of EVIL (13:1, 2)We can see the evil trinity as a religious system. It establishes a religious structure of economics and politics. Religion is the unifying force of this evil trinity’s plan. The evil trinity wants to present substitutes for all that God provides in his plain of redemption. Within this trinity we find a person who is the opposite of Christ he is the person Antichrist.
This Antichrist is not only the opposite of Christ, he is Satan’s person instead of Christ.
We know from 1st and 2nd John the spirit of the antichrist is in the world denying Jesus has come in the flesh. This evil religious and economic system which is established by the wild beasts in Revelation is the ultimate result of Satan’s plan to receive worship.
The beast who arises from the sea comes to work for the dragon (in chapter 12) to work with the dragon, to worship the dragon. The two (beast and the dragon) show the union of the evil power/authority of the sea and the evil power/authority in the earth coming together in agreement.
The beast that arises out of the sea is described as having “seven heads and seven horns, and on his horns ten diadems (crowns), and upon his heads names of blasphemy” (13:1). This description is repeated and interpreted in greater detail in chapter 17:9-12. We will address these in a future post.
For now, let’s notice this image matches Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:7-8). For Daniel the evil beast comes up from within the unit power of the nations. It has powerful destructive powers. Daniel sees ten horns and a little horn. It has the eyes of a man and speaks great things.
Daniel doesn’t interpret the heads and horns specifically. So we must learn through observation found within the text. We see the character the best is evil. This shows the connection between the best and the dragon. They have the same nature.
The use of seven horns shows the apex of human government, the ultimate world dominance. Horns are used throughout Scripture to show human government power. The ten horns are subcategories of the seven heads. We can also see a connection with the ten toes in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2). Remember, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is symbolic of human governments throughout history. This leads us through the most powerful governmental powers throughout world history, up to the ultimate climate of one unified world government.
The heads hold tattoos of blasphemy names. This is the evil character of the world leaders. Throughout world leaders have claimed to be a divine person, a little god. At times (like Nebuchadnezzar) They have wanted, even demanded worship. In Revelation 13:2 we can see characteristics of three beast in one: leopard, the bear and the lion. All three are symbols of brutal violence.
These are the same symbols used by Daniel in Daniel 7:3-6. Daniel presents a history of world government, especially the humans in government who makes claims for themselves to have divine authority.
Revelation presents the apex of that human government. Revelation us the character of each of the empires in their final form as they join together to create a universal government.
Historians write of the political achievements of the Roman Empire, including how Roman utilized the strength of her predecessors. Theologians have made claims about the satanic powers involving the rise of the Roman Empire.
In Daniel and Revelation, we see the Antichrist take the same approach with its predecessors who achieved the claim of deity. The person of the Antichrist is the ultimate human deity government leader.
In Revelation 13:2-3 we learn this evil beast doesn’t have personal powers. He works for and worships the ancient dragon. He receives his political and spiritual powers from the ancient dragon. We read the elements which the ancient dragon gives to the wild evil beast to govern with are the power to pass laws into existence, possess the dragon’s throne (government authority)…

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Timothy R Carter

Hailing from the serene landscapes of North Georgia, Timothy Roy Carter wears multiple hats with equal finesse. Timothy's spiritual journey was chiseled from a young age, the middle child of a pastor, an inheritance he imbibed and eventually embraced as he, too, chose the path of a lead pastor. Academically, Timothy is no slouch. He boasts a BA in Pastoral Ministries from the esteemed Lee University and further sharpened his theological insights with a Master of Divinities from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. His credentials, however, don't just reside in parchments and certificates but are echoed in the community he serves and leads with devotion. Timothy's love for the written word manifests in his column for the local newspaper—a testament to his eloquence and deep insights. Before this, he had the privilege of reaching audiences through columns in two other newspapers, disseminating wisdom and observations that were both profound and accessible. While many know him as a pastor and columnist, fewer know his prowess as an author. With a flair for both fiction and nonfiction, Timothy's bibliography is diverse. He crafts nonfictional guides aimed at nurturing budding writers while also penning works focused on demystifying the intricacies of the Bible for the lay reader. For those with a penchant for the imaginative, Timothy's science fiction works offer a delightful escape, marrying profound spiritual insights with the limitless boundaries of speculative fiction. Beyond the pulpit and the pen, Timothy is an artist at heart. He finds solace in the strokes of paintbrushes and the sketches of pencils, creating visual art that speaks as eloquently as his writings. He is also a staunch advocate for holistic well-being, recognizing the symbiotic relationship between the mind, body, and spirit. This has led him to delve deep into nutrition and exercise, not just as a personal pursuit but as a mission to educate and elevate others. In Timothy Roy Carter, one finds a harmonious blend of a spiritual guide, a wordsmith, an artist, and a wellness advocate. But above all, at his core, he is an educator fervently dedicated to the noble cause of enlightening minds and enriching souls. He is the author of several books, blogs, newspapers, and international journal articles. Carter holds degrees of Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministries, with a concentration in Counseling from Lee University (2005); Master of Divinities with a concentration in Counseling from Pentecostal Theological Seminary (2008). Carter is a Bishop with Church of God, Cleveland, TN.; License Community Service Chaplain; Licensed Level 4 Church Consultant; Christian Counselor. Bishop Carter is available for speaking engagements and or training sessions. You can contact him here.