The Beasts of
Revelation Exposed
What do They
Represent?
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A Really Big Show
Revelation 13:13 And
he [the Lamb-like beast] performed
great and miraculous signs, even
causing fire to come down from heaven
to earth in full view of men. [To
prove his assumed divinity]
Revelation 13:14
Because of the signs he [the
Lamb-like beast] was given power
[from God] to do on behalf of the
first beast, he deceived [all the
wicked] inhabitants of the earth. He
ordered them to set up an image in
honor of the beast who was wounded by
the sword and yet lived.
Revelation 13:15 He
[the Lamb-like beast] was given power
[from God] to give breath to the
image of the first beast, so that it
could speak and cause all who refused
to worship the image to be killed.
Comments: A few
comments are necessary about these
verses. First, the ability to call
fire down from the heavens at will,
upon command, is a most compelling
display of divine authority. Do not
be fooled into thinking this falling
fire is just a harmless holiday
display. No, this falling fire will
be deadly – destroying the
enemies of the devil. This will
certainly out the “fear of
God” in every heart. (Read 2
Kings 1 for an example of what I
mean.)
Also, notice that the
image is set up in honor of the
composite beast. What does this mean?
The devil is a master of flattery,
especially when flattery paves the
way toward fulfilling his evil
schemes. He feigns “honor”
for the ancient religions of
millenniums past as he moves in the
background to do away with them! The
devil wants to convince people, the
world over, that his new church, the
one-world church/government, is being
assembled as a new religion that
encompasses all peoples and all
faiths. “All people of all
faiths are invited to participate in
the honorable church of the living
God – a church that makes the
old way obsolete since God now lives
among men. Yes, in times past, God
winked at man’s diversity, but
now he calls for everyone to assemble
for worship and praise at the
appointed time.” I can almost
hear this evil announcement ringing
in my ears right now! After the
one-world church is established,
tones and attitudes will quickly
change. Verse 15 is chilling, as well
as self-explanatory.
The Mark of the Beast
Revelation 13:16 He
[the Lamb-like beast] also forced
everyone, small and great, rich and
poor, free and slave, to receive a
mark on right hand or on his
forehead.
Revelation 13:17 so
that no one could buy or sell unless
he had the mark, which is [either]
the name of the [Lamb-like] beast or
the number of his name.
Revelation 13:18 This
calls for [very little] wisdom. If
anyone has [two ounces of] insight,
let him calculate the number of the
beast, for it is a man’s number.
His number is 666.
Comments: Perhaps, no
single topic in the Bible is more
widely known and discussed than the
mark of the beast. It could also be
said that no topic in the Bible is
more poorly understood that this one.
Three reasons exist for this
confusion.
First, identifying who
the beasts are in Revelation is a
problem for most people. Second,
which beast does the mark belong to?
Last, is the mark visible, literal or
symbolic? As previously identified,
the four beasts in Revelation
represent Jesus as the Lamb of God;
Lucifer, the dragon cast into a
spiritual dungeon; Lucifer’s
“crisis government” (the
composite beast); and Lucifer as the
Lamb-like beast, none other than
Lucifer himself, in the assumed form
of God. If we read this verse
literally, then the mark will either
be a visible tattoo on the forehead
(bearing the name that the devil will
assume) or a tattoo showing the
number “666” on the right
hand.
Consider the following
points:
a.
The beast that owns the mark is the
beast of greatest and highest
authority. In other words, the mark
of the beast cannot come from the
composite beast because no particular
religious or political power can
force the rest of the world to comply
with its demands. The composite beast
has many members and as such, one
member cannot demand submission from
the rest of its members. If it could,
then it would not be a composite
beast.
b.
The Lamb-like beast is the devil
personating Christ. Because he can
perform counterfeit signs, wonders
and miracles, because he can call
fire from the heavens at will,
because he is the star performer
during the end-time, because he is
the eighth king that rules over the
seven heads and ten horns – he
is the greater power of the two
beasts in Revelation 13.
c.
The number “666” is
associated with a man –
specifically, the man of sin (or man
of lawlessness – 2
Thessalonians 2). It may surprise you
that the Bible refers to angels, even
the devil, as a man. Following are
some key texts:
Daniel 8:15-17 While
I, Daniel, was watching the vision
and trying to understand it, there
before me stood one who looked like a
man. And I heard a man’s
voice from the Ulai calling,
“Gabriel, tell this man the
meaning of the vision. As he came
near the place where I was standing,
I was terrified and fell prostrate.
“Son of man,” he said to
me, “understand that the vision
concerns the time of the
end…” Daniel 9:21 while I
was still in prayer, Gabriel, the
man I had seen in the earlier
vision, came to me in swift flight
about the time of the evening
sacrifice.
Ezekiel 28:2,3;
12:14 (2) Son of man, say to the
[real] ruler of Tyre, This is what
the Sovereign Lord says: “In the
pride of your heart you say, ‘I
am a god; I sit on the throne of a
god in the heart of the seas.’
But you are a man and not a
god, though you think you are as wise
as a god. (3) Are you wiser than
Daniel? Is no hidden secret from
you?”… (12) Son of man,
take up a lament concerning the
[real) king of Tyre and say to him:
This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“You were the model of
perfection, full of wisdom and
perfect in beauty. (13) You were in
Eden, the garden of God… (14)
You were anointed as a guardian
cherub, for so I ordained you. You
were on the holy mount of God; you
walked among the fiery stones.”
Isaiah 14: 12-17 How
far you have fallen from heaven, O
morning star, son of the dawn! You
have been cast down to the earth, you
who once laid low the nations! You
said in your heart, ‘I will
ascend to heaven; I will raise my
throne above the stars of God; I will
sit enthroned on the mount of
assembly, on the utmost heights of
the sacred mountain. I will ascend
above the tops of the clouds; I will
make myself like the Most High.’
But you were brought down to the
grave, to the depths of the pit.
Those who see you stare at you, they
ponder your fate: ‘Is this the
man who shook the earth and made
kingdoms tremble, the man who
made the world a desert, who
overthrew its cities and would not
let his captives go home?’
These texts confirm
the essential point that Bible
writers often refer angels as men.
Other examples could be used, but
these make the point –
especially the selections from
Ezekiel and Isaiah concerning
Lucifer.
666 and the Man
How is the devil (in
the form of a man) and the number
“666” connected? These are
facts, as I understand them. God has
made sure that the number
“666” represents something
evil for nearly two thousand years.
Almost everyone who has read anything
in the Bible knows this number is
associated with evil and mystery. As
mentioned earlier, the mark of the
beast is either the name that the
devil will assume or the number
“666.’ The reason for the
distinction between the forehead and
right hand is rank. Those who serve
in Lucifer’s government as
officials will receive a tattoo on
their foreheads as a mark of rank,
devotion and loyalty in
Lucifer’s court. You might be
surprised to learn that this process
is mandated by God to make
Lucifer’s deception all the more
secure. Notice what the Bible says
about the 144,000: “Then I
looked, and there before me was the
Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and
with him 144,000 who had his name
and his Father’s name written on
their foreheads.” (Revelation
14:1 – emphasis mine) In other
words, the devil is required by God
to imitate the distinction that Jesus
and the Father are going to bestow on
Their own servants! The contrast, of
course, is like daylight and
darkness. One will be an ugly and
hideous tattoo, while the other will
be a glorious light that reflects the
beauty and holiness of God.
Nevertheless, officers in
Lucifer’s government will have
the mark of the beast that is the
assumed name of the devil, tattooed
on their foreheads. (Incidentally, in
most military organizations today,
officers display rank on their
collars or foreheads using hats.)
What about the number
‘666?” The rank and file of
the devil’s one-world
church/government will receive a
tattoo on their saluting (right) hand
showing allegiance and loyalty to
this new order. The irony is
important here. Men and woman will
willfully and knowingly submit to
this evil tattoo rather than put
their faith in God. The tattoo must
be clearly visible since it will have
to be displayed to buy or sell that
few precious rations are available. I
do not believe the mark of the beast
is a super computer, nor a microchip
implanted beneath the skin. The Bible
says the mark of the beast is a mark.
Hitler demonstrated that the easiest
way to track large numbers of people
without electricity or fancy gadgets
is to put a tattoo on their physical
body. Tattoos are permanent. They
cannot be transferred or removed
without great agony. Remember, by the
time the “mark” is
activated, the world is in shambles.
The devastation caused by the
trumpets will leave the world without
electricity, computers, paper or
other things we depend on so heavily
today. The mark of the beast must
work with the same precision in every
country 9including undeveloped third
world countries) and with this in
mind, the tattoo is not a far-flung
idea. In fact, ancient history also
confirms the use of tattoos to mark
slaves. Exodus 13:9 illustrate an
interesting parallel. The generation
that left Egypt were marked with
tattoos indicating they were the
property of Pharaoh. That generation
died in the wilderness after 40 years
of wandering as a result of their
rebellion against God. The new
generation that entered the Promised
Land was not marked as slaves. By the
grace of God, they were freeman!
Therefore, it will be again! When
Jesus comes, there will be two
classes of people – the slaves
of the devil and the free in Christ
– the marked and the unmarked.
God will not allow the
devil to use an alternate means of
marking the people. God has attached
an evil significance to the number
“666” for a good reason and
He requires the devil to implement
it. God does this to prove beyond any
doubt that men and women, with hearts
full of rebellion against God, would
rather receive the evil mark of the
beast than to submit to the authority
of God. This is the final course of
sin.
I want to draw your
attention to a critical point in
verse 18. Verse 18 is an
understatement. It basically says,
“When the time comes for the
implantation of the mark of the
beast, if anyone has two ounces of
brain power, he will be able to grasp
the seriousness and importance of
avoiding the mark because everyone
who receives the mark of the beast
will receive the wrath of God.”
Revelation 14:9-11 A
third angel followed them and said in
a loud voice: “If anyone
worships the beast and his image and
receives his mark on their forehead
or on the hand, he too, will drink of
the wine of God’s fury, which
has been poured full strength into
the cup of his wrath. He will be
tormented with burning sulfur in the
presence of the holy angels and of
the Lamb. And the smoke of their
torment rises for ever and ever.
There is no rest day or night for
those who worship the beast and his
image, or for anyone who receives the
mark of his name.”
Summary
This study has been
far-reaching and perhaps, a bit too
technical and long, especially if
this topic is new to you. However,
this may be the only opportunity to
share my findings with you. In
closing, let me emphasize again that
the Bible is rich in God’s
grace. God has given us much to
consider! At the current time, the
events and developments described in
revelation’s story may seem far
removed and highly impossible.
However, this attitude will change in
a single day – just like it did
in Noah’s day.
I hope you can see the
events in Revelation are worldwide,
which means that every prophetic
conclusion has worldwide
implications. This is where many
students of prophecy fail, since they
do not include all six billion people
living on Earth in the story. Do not
consider this story from a personal
perspective. Instead, pretend you are
circling the earth in the space
shuttle and watching events unfold on
Earth. The activities of the four
beasts will be the same in every
country, even though we are a
world of different religions,
governments and languages. You must
not overlook this point!
When the four angels
(Revelation 7:1-4), who are currently
holding back the wrath of God, hear
the Lamb say, “There is no more
delay” (Revelation 10:6), they
will release the four winds. First, a
global earthquake will shake the
Earth. (Revelation 8:3-5) Then, the
first four trumpets will sound,
(Revelation 8:6-12) and the
“crisis government” will
quickly form the composite beast of
Revelation 13:1-8. While the
composite beast is in power, the
devil will operate from his spiritual
dungeon. The dragon of Revelation 12
was cast into the dungeon. After a
period of time, perhaps as much as
two years from the initial global
earthquake, the devil will physically
appear out of nowhere. (The Lamb-like
beast of Revelation 13: 11-18 will
rise from the Earth or bottomless
pit.) He has only one goal – to
lead the world into destruction and
total rebellion against God. He will
succeed because God has pre-decreed
both his victory and his destruction.
(Revelation 17:8)
Revelation tells a
story about two great kings. One is
noble, righteous and loving and the
other is mean, evil and violent. The
two kings are about to declare war on
each other and the souls of men and
women are the prize. Therefore, I
would encourage you to reread this
material and study it until your own
thoughts are clear about the identity
of the four beasts. Surely, the
better we understand God’s Word,
the better we will be able to testify
on His behalf and share His saving
truth with people around us. Billions
of people do not have no idea about
these soon coming events. To be sure,
the day is almost here when everyone
will be “awakened” to hear
this story. At that time, billions of
people will wake up, only to find
themselves in the middle of a life
and death conflict! Who knows, you
might be instrumental in leading
someone to eternal life because you
understood the big picture!
So seriously,
consider our Savior’s words,
“And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in the whole world
as a testimony to all nations, and
then the end will come.”
(Matthew 24:14)
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