Welcome fellow, eschatologists! This is the first post in our new series on Revelation chapter 13. The scenario John recorded in chapter 13 tells us about the event that will change the king that Daniel referred to as the little horn into “the beast.” When the little horn becomes the beast, he becomes what 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 refers to as the “man of sin, the son of perdition.” He becomes what 1st John 2:18 refers to as the “Antichrist.” Up until this point, the man we refer to as Antichrist was really just a warrior king, looking to expand his kingdom through conquest. The event that changes the little horn into the beast takes place when he invades Jerusalem/Israel in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week. Everything John records hereafter in chapter 13 is what takes place in the last half of Daniel’s 70th week, the last three- and one-half years. The situation for the inhabitants of earth goes from bad to the absolute worst. Satan and his fallen angels have been kicked out of the realm above earth’s atmosphere and are now dwelling with the inhabitants on earth. Chapter 13 tells us about the drastic changes that will take place in the aftermath of the two wars we just read about in the previous chapter.
Revelation 13:1–10
First in an Eight-Part Series
By Karen Thompson
The Beast and the Rise of the Ten-Toed Kingdom
Rev. 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. 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.
Immediately in chapter 13, we are introduced for the first time in the book of Revelation to “the beast.” John introduces us to the beast by describing a new scenario: “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” (v. 1). John saw himself standing on the seashore. Next, he saw a beast come up out of the sea. Its description is one we are already familiar with. It had seven heads and ten horns and the horns were wearing crowns. There are elements of this scenario that are key to its interpretation: 1) the beast with seven heads and ten horns, 2) the crowns, and 3) the name of blasphemy.
Let’s start with the beast itself. Right away, you notice its similarity to the dragon in the scenario of the sun-clothed woman described to us in the last chapter: “… behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” (Rev. 12:3). We know the dragon to be symbolic of Satan. Both the dragon and the beast have seven heads and ten horns. In the case of the beast that rises out of the sea, the meaning of the heads and horns has not changed. The seven heads still symbolize the six kings of six different empires that have ruled over Jerusalem in the past and the seventh king of the end time empire that will rule over Jerusalem in the future. The ten horns still represent ten kings that align with the little horn to form the prophesied ten-nation coalition of the latter times.
We’ve determined that the dragon with seven heads and ten horns represents Satan. But what exactly does the beast with the seven heads and ten horns represent? We can determine the identity of the beast with seven heads and ten horns by looking at the prophet Daniel’s vision of the four beasts in Daniel chapter seven. There was the first beast that looked like a lion with eagle’s wings. There was the second beast that looked similar to a bear. There was the third beast that looked like a leopard with four heads and four wings. Then there was the fourth beast that Daniel didn’t compare to any known animal. It had brass claws, iron teeth, and ten horns on its head. It was especially strong and dreadful, devouring its prey with its iron teeth. In Daniel’s vision of the four beasts, all four beasts symbolized kingdoms and their rulers. Daniel’s fourth beast with its iron teeth and ten horns is the end time kingdom of Antichrist. The beast that John saw rising up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns represents the end time kingdom of Antichrist. Throughout end time prophecies, the seven heads and ten horns always symbolize the end time kingdom of Antichrist.
As we go along in our study, you’ll see the beast John saw with seven heads and ten horns actually symbolizes three things: 1) the end time kingdom of Antichrist, 2) the king that rules over that kingdom (the little horn), and 3) the angel called Apollyon that comes out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:11). From here on in, after the invasion of Jerusalem in the middle of the 70th week, the man Daniel referred to as the little horn, John now refers to him as “the beast.” He is the Antichrist beast.
The Crowns
Now let’s look at the difference between the dragon in Revelation chapter 12 and the beast in Revelation chapter 13. In Revelation chapter 12, the dragon is described as “…a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” (Rev. 12:3). And in Revelation chapter 13, the beast is described as “a beast rises 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” (Rev. 13:1). The obvious difference is the placement of the crowns. In the description of the dragon in chapter 12, the crowns were on the heads. But in the description of the beast in chapter 13, the crowns are no longer on the heads but on the ten horns!
When we see the placement of the crowns being switched from the heads to the ten horns on the beast, it means that the horns, the ten kings, are in play. Their time in history has come. It is the time in history when they align themselves together with the little horn. The book of Daniel tells us a little something about their alliance. If you recall, the end time kingdom was symbolized on the metal man by the feet made of both iron and clay, which symbolizes that the ten-nation alliance will be both strong and broken: “And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken” (Daniel 2:42). The kingdom will be partly strong and partly broken. This is an odd way to describe a kingdom, but there’s a reason why the end time kingdom is described in this way. Many make the mistake of thinking Antichrist will be absolute ruler over these ten nations, but that is incorrect. He will be the leader of a ten-nation coalition, where the ten kings are still the rulers of their nations. Revelation 17:12 says these ten kings will “receive power as kings one hour with the beast.” They rule “as kings” one hour… As discussed before, the phrase “one hour” is symbolic of Daniel’s 70th week. These kings will rule “as kings” with the Antichrist for the seven-year week. Antichrist and the ten kings will enter into an agreed upon arrangement of seven years, where they align themselves together to form a sort of coalition with Antichrist as the coalition’s leader. This will be the end time kingdom of Antichrist. That’s the reason for the odd description of “partly strong and partly broken.”
The Name of Blasphemy
Next, let’s look at the phrase, “and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” The Greek word translated as blasphemy is blasphemia, and it means “slander, detraction, speech injurious to another’s good name, impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty.” The dictionary describes blasphemy as someone speaking irreverently about and/or cursing God or sacred things. It can also be described as someone claiming to have godlike qualities or actually claiming to be God. The reason all seven heads have the name of blasphemy on them is because the blasphemy comes from the dragon. As noted earlier, Satan’s desire is to be like God, to actually be God. That in itself is blasphemy. This subject of blasphemy will be discussed more in-depth in verse five.
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