Chapter 13; Reign of the Regime of the Beast
God makes the Word of the prophecy to be testified in Judgement period; Chapter 12 shows the protection of His chosen people, and Chapter 13 shows the tribulation when the horrible persecution comes. John saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
It means that the aggressive politics that loves to plunder others like a beast will come out of the chaotic world like the sea. Ten horns and seven heads indicate the policy controlled by the red dragon; the beast has an identical relationship with the red dragon emerging in Chapter 12. (1)
The beast like a leopard indicates the deceitful policy disguised in beauty. His feet like those of a bear signifies the plunderous policy. His mouth like the mouth of a lion means the merciless policy. The dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority; it means the policies are used as the devil’s tool. (2)
One of his heads was shown as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; this head which was slain and healed indicates the seventh head as Revelation 17:10 says “they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come.”
John received this Revelation and wrote it down in Roman era; and because it was said ‘five have fallen and one is,’ the sixth head is Roman Empire. Then the seventh head definitely indicates USSR. This head surely ‘had been slain and was healed,’ as the lowest class raised the riot in Russian Revolution smashing down the government, that is the head, and slaughtered 20 million of sovereign people who have functioned like the head, and shed their blood.
It is considered that this foreshows the current situation that the nation, which perished by the Communist Revolution, is threatening the world with its invasive power. (3)
The dragon gave his authority to the beast and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’; it means that human power is never able to stand up to his authority. (4)
So the beast will become extremely arrogant and receive the authority to act for forty-two months. (5)
The beast who is temporarily given the authority will blaspheme God. (6)
And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him; it means that God will take away all the works of the saints and give the world to the devil’s authority in order to judge the world.
Therefore, God will completely protect and nourish the prepared place, but outside will be the prey of the evil beast. So everyone will worship the beast except those whose name is written in the book of life. (8)
It is God’s Counsel to gather only the wheat, so everyone has to listen carefully to it. (9)
It is the vengeful plagues, so all will be forsaken except the ones who endure the grudge and believe. (10)
Because of the false prophet with two horns like a lamb, everyone will receive the mark of the beast and worship the beast, that is the seventh head. (11~12)
God will allow the authority of the devil to deceive the world freely, so he will perform great signs so that he even will make fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. (13)
To deceive those who dwell on the earth and make them worship the seventh head, he performs magical act – the last extreme deception – making the image of the beast speak, and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (14~15)
This false prophet causes all to receive the mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark. The mark is six hundred and sixty-six, that is six, six, and six. The number 6 is the number of the devil, and the highest devil’s power, the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, they together reign with the mark. (16~18)
God permits the tribulation like this in purpose to judge according to Chapters 14 to 19 and to fulfill the New Era as in Chapter 20.