In our last post, we learned that it is Satan that will give the Antichrist beast his power, his seat (or throne), and his authority. And we also learned why the Antichrist beast is symbolized with the animal parts of a leopard, a bear, a lion as it is an amalgamation of the prophet Daniel’s vision in Daniel chapter 7. In this post, we’re going to examine how Jesus will judge the nations after He defeats Antichrist in the battle of Armageddon. Let’s get into this!

Revelation 13:1–10

Third in Eight-Part Series
By Karen Thompson

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.

Jesus Judges the Nations

Let’s look at the verses in Daniel chapter seven that tell us when Jesus becomes King of Kings and Lord of Lords. After the dreadful and terrible beast was defeated, Daniel saw Jesus the Messiah given His kingdom. Daniel chapter seven says, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14).

In Daniel 7:13, we see Jesus is brought before the Father’s throne. Then in verse 14, God the Father gives to Jesus dominion and glory and a kingdom. His kingdom will be over the kingdom of man. He will rule over the nations of the earth, making Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And His kingdom will never come to an end. It will never be destroyed.

One of the first things He does as the ruler over the kingdom of men is to judge the nations. In Matthew chapter 25, we read about how He separates the nations into two groups. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left” (Matt. 25:31–33). When the Son of man comes, He will sit upon His throne, and before Him will be gathered all the nations. He begins to separate them into two groups: the sheep nations and the goat nations. The sheep nations go to His right and the goat nations on His left.

As you continue reading in Matthew chapter 25, you learn that the sheep nations are those nations that have blessed Israel and helped her. But the goat nations are those nations that have tried to harm her and didn’t lend a helping hand when she needed help. Verse 41 tells us what judgment He gives to the goat nations that are on His left: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels….” These nations come to an end. We see confirmed again and again that these goat nations will be destroyed with fire: it’s called a fiery stream in Daniel chapter 7, the lake of fire in Revelation chapter 19, and an everlasting fire in Matthew chapter 25. Of course, when it says a nation is thrown into the lake of fire, it’s referring to the people. The people are what make up a nation, and the nation is made up of people.

Finally, that’s what it means in Daniel 7:12 that the beasts of the lion, the bear, and the leopard will have their dominion taken away, but “their lives were prolonged for a season and time.” Their lives that have been prolonged for millennia will be taken away when King Messiah judges the nations. And that is why the beast in Revelation 13:2 is described in appearance as a leopard, with feet like a bear, and a mouth like a lion. When the dreadful and terrible beast meets his demise, so do the first three beasts; all will be thrown into the lake of fire.

This is confirmed in the vision of the metal man in Daniel chapter two when it said in the days of this latter kingdom, the kingdom of Antichrist, that God would set up a kingdom, and God’s kingdom would “break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms” (Dan. 2:44). In the vision of the metal man, King Nebuchadnezzar saw the metal man destroyed when a stone smashed the feet of the metal man. When the feet were smashed, the entire image of the metal man and the nations it symbolized crumbled into pieces. The metal man “became like chaff of the summer threshing floors.” The wind blew the chaff away. Then the stone, which symbolizes Jesus, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Dan. 2:34–35). It’s at that time when Jesus becomes King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His kingdom becomes a mountain, which is to say, an empire.

All the kingdoms that oppressed Israel will meet their demise at the time of Jesus’ millennial reign. Their demise will be a measure-for-measure judgment. For millennia, the Middle Eastern nations have tried to obliterate Israel, to “push her into the sea.” They will be judged on how they treated Israel. They have tried to obliterate Israel, so their judgment will be that they will be obliterated. It will be a fulfillment of Genesis 12:3: “And I will bless them that bless thee [Israel], and curse him that curseth thee.”

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