Read or listen The Book of Revelation, chapter 13 online (ESV, YouVersion)

The Beast 13:1‑10

John sees a beast rising from the sea. The sea is at least in some places in the Bible a symbol of death or evil (e.g. Rev. 21:1). So the place from which the beast rises tells us whose servant it is. The beast is frightening in appearance. It has many horns and heads. This describes the strength, power and wisdom of the beast.

John also sees that the dragon, already spoken of in the previous chapter, gives power to the beast. Then John hears the beast blaspheme God and the people of heaven. John is also shown that the beast makes war against the saints - that is, God's own people living on earth. There is no doubt whom the beast serves. The beast is a tool of the Devil.

Bible commentators have wondered what or who the beast is. It has been thought that the beast represents the Roman Empire, which persecuted Christians. Others believe that the beast represents a ruler in the service of the Devil. Emperor Nero, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, and many others have been suggested as the beast.

I personally interpret the description of the beast a little differently. At least some of the Bible’s prophecies seem to be fulfilled more than once. This could also be the case with the vision of the beast. Perhaps the beast means all power and strength that serves the Devil in the way that John describes in the vision. What is said about the beast fits well with the ancient Roman Empire, as well as Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Soviet Union. The beast is therefore not necessarily a single state, idea or ruler. Throughout history, many states, ideologies and rulers have fought against the Church of Christ, blasphemed the living God, served the devil and thus fulfilled the marks of the beast. They can be said to have been the beasts of the Book of Revelation.

The Bible speaks of the Antichrist (1 John 2:18) or "the son of destruction" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10), who will appear at the end of time, fight with great power against the living God and his people, and win over many people to his side. Most likely, the vision of the beast specifically refers to this and will be realized definitively and in the worst way in what the Antichrist does.

The beast seems to be achieving his goal. Verse 7 tells us that he will overcome the multitude of Jesus’ followers. Chapter 11 spoke of the same thing (see Rev. 11:7 and its explanation). It seems that the multitude of God’s own has been badly beaten and destroyed just before Jesus’ return. However, that is not all. In 2 Thessalonians we read:

"And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming."
(2 Thessalonians 2:8)

God will have the last word. Christ is the victor and he will overthrow the beast that appears victorious.

Even the beast's actions depend on what God allows. This is explained in verse 7. The beast only does what he is allowed to do. God is above all and even the Devil and his servants are bound by his decisions.

Verse 8 is difficult. Does it say that God has already, at the creation of the world, destined some to heaven and others to perdition? The Lutheran fathers correctly distinguished two things: God has not destined anyone to heaven and no one to hell. But God knows who will eventually arrive in heaven - otherwise God would not be all-knowing.

This is a mystery that human reason cannot understand. Nor should we draw false conclusions from this. We do this if we do not urge anyone to believe in Jesus and justify it by saying that those in heaven are those whom God already knows are there. Even though not everyone will be saved, we still tell everyone that God wants to save everyone.

The difficult verse also has a tremendously beautiful message. A believer in Jesus can say: "My name was written in the book of life when the world was created. God wants me to be in heaven one day, and that is why he has given me faith. Getting to heaven is not based on what I can do, but on what God has decided and what he can do. My getting to heaven is in safe hands."

The Second Beast 13:11-18

John sees a second beast rising from the bowels of the earth—that is, from where the Devil’s kingdom is—and says that the beast resembles a lamb. However, its speech reveals whom it serves. It speaks as the Devil wants it to speak. The second beast seeks to get people to worship the first beast. The second beast is therefore a kind of propaganda minister. There have been such people in this world. We know of those from this or the last century who have given their skills to the service of the Devil and have caused large masses of people to worship an idea, a state or a ruler to which John's description of the beast fits well.

We have already stated above that the description of the beast may also refer to the Antichrist. The talk about the second beast indicates that he too will have a propaganda minister who will win many people over to the side of the Antichrist.

The second beast is said to be capable of performing great miracles: fire comes down from heaven and the image of the beast begins to speak. Miracles are therefore not necessarily a sign of God's presence and activity. The Devil is also capable of amazing deeds. Therefore, we must not blindly run after miracles. At worst, they lead us to serve the devil himself. Of course, not all miracles are the work of the Devil. Jesus did many miracles and promised that his people would do them too.

It is not easy for God's people where the beast rules. There are large groups on the side of the beast. The beast gives orders through which it seeks to kill faith in Jesus. This means difficult times for God's people. And Christians have experienced it where the beast has ruled. Jesus did not promise his followers a nice and easy way to heaven.

In verse 18, the number of the beast is told as 666. Attempts have been made to solve the meaning of the number in many ways. Behind the number is apparently the name of the beast. The Hebrew and Greek letters each have a certain numerical value. Therefore, the numerical value for each word can be calculated by adding up the numerical values ​​of the letters in the word. This so-called gematria was practiced in ancient times. Calculations have been made and the number 666 has been applied to several historical figures. However, it has not been easily applied to anyone considered to be the beast.

Perhaps the number only fits the name of the Antichrist. There is another possible explanation for the number of the beast. The number of God in the Bible is seven. The devil is close to God in power and strength, but still less than God. So the number 6 fits him. When John announces the number of the beast as three times six, he is thus telling whom the beast serves and whose tool he is. The beast is in collaboration with the Devil, and therefore God's people should have no fellowship with the beast.