Alpha and Omega

"They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." ~ Acts 17:11

This is an Israel friendly site!

From the Rapture to the Second Coming

Revelation 13: "The Antichrist and False Prophet"

Topical Index

Let's Get Started

At the close of Chapter 10 John was told to eat the little book and to prophesy about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. In Chapter 11 John wrote about the rebuilding of the Temple, the two witnesses, and the impact they will have on the world. In Chapter 12 he wrote about Satan being cast out of heaven, and how it will affect Israel and the other believers in the world. Now in Chapter 13 John will tell us about the two powerhouses of the Tribulation Period, the Antichrist (the political powerhouse) and the False Prophet (the religious powerhouse). These two end-time dictators will merge church and state. The results will be disastrous.

The Beast From The Sea

Revelation 13:1 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.

The dragon (Revelation 12:9), Satan, will stand on the shore of the masses of humanity in the last days. The beast, the Antichrist (1 John 2:18), will rise up out of this sea of wickedness (Revelation 17:15; Isaiah 57:20) that will reign when the Church is gone. The ten horns are ten rulers (Revelation 17:12) who will reign with the Antichrist during the Tribulation Period. The seven heads have a double meaning

1. they are seven world governments (Daniel 7:24; Revelation 17:10)
2. they are seven hills (Revelation 17:9, 10) where the world religion will be located for a short time during the Tribulation Period. The ten crowns are the ten divisions of the last world government. It will be divided into ten divisions with each division having its own ruler and set of false religions.

According to the Bible, mankind will go through seven heads (Revelation 12:3; 17:3), the heads of seven world kingdoms or seven world governments. Each of the seven heads will have a blasphemous name, because all seven world governments and their corresponding false religions will be noted for their wickedness. The seventh head (seventh world government) will be run by the Antichrist. His world government will be subdivided into ten crowns (ten major divisions) with each division having its own wicked ruler.

Seven Heads/Hills Ten Horns/Crowns (Seven World Governments) (Ten Divisions/Rulers)

1 Assyrian     2 Egyptian     3 Babylonian     4 Medo-Persian     5 Greek     6 Roman     7 Revised Roman Empire (Run by the Antichrist) 1 ____________________________     2 ____________________________     3 ____________________________     4 ____________________________     5 ____________________________     6 ____________________________     7 ____________________________     8 ____________________________     9 ____________________________     10 ____________________________

Key Symbols:

• Beast From the Sea
• Antichrist
• sea
• wicked people
• seven heads/hills
• seven governments
• seven religions
• ten horns
• ten rulers
• ten crowns
• ten divisions of seventh world government

What Others are Saying:

Jack Van Impe: In man's search for international leadership, there has always been the drive to find the one who is destined to hold it all together. Are people today really ready to accept a "devil" as the new CEO of world affairs? ^13-1
Grant R. Jeffrey: The Ten Regions (Divisions) of the New World Government

Region 1: Canada and the United States of America Region 2: European Union—Western Europe Region 3: Japan Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Pacific Islands Region 5: Eastern Europe Region 6: Latin America—Mexico and Central and South America Region 7: North Africa and Middle East (Moslems) Region 8: Central Africa Region 9: South and Southeast Asia Region 10: Central Asia 13-2

Ed Hindson: Most Bible commentators understand the beast of the sea to be the Antichrist. Whether he is a specific person, a political system, or both is a matter of debate. Since he is associated with the same symbol given to Rome (seven heads and ten horns), it is assumed that he represents the revived Roman Empire of the last days. Some people speculate this could be in the process of being formed even now in the European Economic Community (EEC). ^13-3

Warning!

• The prophet Daniel teaches that the Antichrist will come up among the ten horns and uproot three of them (Daniel 7:7, 8, 23–25). There is some debate as to whether the Antichrist is one of the ten or whether he is an eleventh person who arises while the ten are in power. I personally do not think he is one of the ten. I think he rises while they are in power. He takes over the power of one, then a second, a third, and finally the remaining seven give him their power. He is then the head of the world government which started with ten divisions and was whittled down to seven. I wish I could say what happens to America, but I would only be speculating. All that can be said is that Europe is going to replace America as the dominant power in the world.

Three Groups

Revelation 13:2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

The word "beast" can represent either the Antichrist or his world government. In this verse, it represents his world government. This government will begin as a mixture of three groups of nations.

The Antichrist will have complete control of these groups at the beginning of his reign. He and the group known as the leopard will act as one body on all critical issues (Israel, Jesus, believers, etc.). He and the bear group will stand for the same things while the lion group will parrot the Antichrist. The Antichrist's final world government will begin as a composite world government. At the start, three groups of nations will give the Antichrist his strongest support, but eventually his control will encompass the whole world.

In my opinion the interpretation of this beast is as follows:

• Resembled a leopard refers to a future Arab coalition. The Antichrist and a group of Arab nations will act as one body. Leopards are native to Africa, and have been used at various times as a symbol of African nationality.
• Feet like those of a bear refers to Russia and her allies. The Antichrist will be supported by what is left of the Russian Empire (the Russian Bear) following the first Russian invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38, 39).
• A mouth like a lion refers to England and those nations established out of England. The symbol of England is the lion. The Antichrist, England, and those nations coming out of England will speak with the same voice. They will parrot or mimic each other.
• His power, office, and authority will come from Satan. Jesus was the incarnation of God in the world. The Antichrist will be the incarnation of Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10). Whoever he is and whatever he does comes from the pits of hell.

Key Point

• The Antichrist will be the incarnation of Satan.

Key Symbols:

• Beast
• Antichrist
• resembled a leopard
• feet like those of a bear
• mouth like that of a lion

What Others are Saying: