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When a sign is revealed, it causes men to know what will come to pass. Beginning from Revelation 12:1, the apostle John prophesies again because 10:11 says, "You must prophesy again." Following Revelation 11:15-18, we see the situation after the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Hence, Revelation 12:1—22:21 is his prophesying again; it supplements the first section (chapters six through eleven). Chapters six through eleven provide the outline, arranged in sequence, whereas chapters twelve through twenty-two give the details.
The first section ends with 11:15: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever." Because it says that the kingdom goes on forever and ever, this section covers all the things through the new heaven and new earth. Hence, this is not speaking about the millennial kingdom. Therefore, we can say that chapters six through eleven cover everything through the new heaven and new earth. Then chapters twelve through twenty-two speak again in detail about all the crucial things in the first section. This is like Genesis 1, which speaks of God's work in six days, while chapter two speaks again about what was done on the sixth day in specific detail. Chapters six through eleven of Revelation are in the principle of Genesis 1, and chapters twelve through twenty-two follow the example of Genesis 2.
In Revelation 9:1 a great star falls from heaven to the earth. This is the great red dragon in 12:3.
Chapters twelve through fourteen are written symbolically, chapters fifteen through sixteen are written literally, and chapters seventeen through eighteen are again written symbolically. God's wrath and judgment are never written symbolically; they are always written literally.
"And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon underneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."
Some people say that the "woman" here refers to the church, but this is not correct because: (1) before the second coming of the Lord, the position of the church before Christ is that of a virgin (2 Cor. 11:2); (2) the church has never been typified as a mother, and it has never had any daughters (names like "mother church" cannot be found in the Bible); and (3) the church is raptured at the end, but this woman is never raptured.
Some people say that this woman is Mary, but this is also incorrect. (1) How could Mary be depicted by the description in Revelation 12:1? (2) The Lord Jesus was the firstborn Son, but this woman already has other children (12:17). (3) This does not agree with the prophetic nature of this book. If the woman were Mary and the man-child were the Lord, then this description would be historical and would be contrary to the prophetic nature of this book because this book is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Who then is this woman? Let us consider a few things. First, every woman (singular in number) in this book refers to a city (17:18; 21:9-10). Second, J.K. Seiss says that the sun refers to the Lord, the moon to the devil, and the twelve stars to the twelve tribes. While it is possible to say that the sun represents the Lord and the twelve stars, the twelve tribes, how can one infer that the moon stands for the devil? Third, Robert Govett says that the sun refers to grace (this is possible), the moon refers to the law (how does he explain this?), and that the stars refer to the twelve tribes (which is correct).
A third school says that the sun, moon, and stars refer to Christians. Their basis for such an interpretation is 1 Corinthians 15:41. However, the stars in 1 Corinthians 15:41 are general, while the "twelve stars" in Revelation 12:1 are specific.
Our answer is that the "woman" refers to Jerusalem in the nation of Israel. The reasons for this are:
(1) By reading Genesis 37:9-10, we immediately know that the sun refers to Jacob, the moon to the mother of Israel, and the twelve stars to the twelve tribes. Explained in this way, we realize that what is described here is the city of Jerusalem, which represents the nation of Israel. (These three, the sun, the moon, and the stars, cannot be explained separately; they have to be viewed together.)
(2) The one "clothed with the sun" is obviously the mother of Israel. (She is only clothed with the sun; she is not the sun itself.) "The moon [was] underneath her feet." This means that she is being forgotten. "On her head [was] a crown of twelve stars"; these are obviously the twelve tribes (Gen. 37:9-10).
(3) "Travailing in birth" (12:2). In Isaiah 26:17-18; Jeremiah 6:22-25 (Zion is Jerusalem); 13:19-21; 30:6-7; Micah 4:8-10 and 5:1-3, the prophets clearly say that Jerusalem will suffer a tribulation just as a woman travails in giving birth.
(4) In Revelation 12:7 the angel, Michael, helps her. Daniel 12:1 clearly says that Michael will rise up to help Israel during the great tribulation.
(5) This woman typifies Jerusalem in the nation of Israel. God commands her to flee to the wilderness (Rev. 12:6, 14). In Matthew 24:16-20 the Lord expressly says that they would flee. Luke 21:20-24 also states this very clearly.
"And she was with child, and she cried out, travailing in birth and being in pain to bring forth."
Since everything about this woman is symbolic, her pregnancy, birth, and crying out in 12:2 must not be interpreted literally. Birth has only three meanings in the Bible: (1) literal birth, (2) spiritual birth, and (3) resurrection. Since Revelation 12:2 is symbolic, this birth cannot be literal. Furthermore, since the man-child shepherds the nations with an iron rod, which speaks of overcoming, this birth cannot be a spiritual regeneration either. Since it is neither the first interpretation nor the second, it must be the third, that is, a birth in resurrection. The external evidence of this is in Acts 13:33 and Romans 1:4, but this chapter also contains evidence. The last phrase of Revelation 12:11 says that those brought forth were martyred ones, that they were dead ones. These were begotten from the dead. Hence, it indicates resurrection. Symbolically speaking, this is Jerusalem. When the Christians are resurrected, Jerusalem has to pass through the great tribulation, which is like hard labor. The woman's crying out must be their prayer.
Why do Christians come out of Jerusalem? It is because (1)the Lord is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5); (2)salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22); and (3)Jerusalem is our mother (Gal. 4:26).
The dragon has two aspects: (1) the heavenly dragon and (2) the earthly devil. Jerusalem also has two aspects: (1) she has a high position before God, and (2) she is a refugee on earth.
"And another sign was seen in heaven; and behold, there was a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems."
The "great red dragon" is the same as "the Devil and Satan" in verse 9. He is God's adversary. He is also the serpent in Genesis 3:1. Red is the color of war. The "great red dragon" signifies that he is a murderer from the beginning to the end. (See John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8, both of which are also recorded by John.)
"Seven heads." Compare this with Revelation 17:9 and 12. The "ten horns" are ten kings which are subordinates of the great king. The heads are larger than the horns, while the horns execute the decisions of the heads. After the revival of the Roman Empire, the dragon will lead the ten small kings to persecute the children of God.
"And his tail drags away the third part of the stars of heaven, and he cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, so that when she brings forth he might devour her child."
The third part of the stars of heaven that are cast down to the earth are the angels in 12:9. One third of the angels follow the devil. The casting down of the dragon happens before the rapture of the man-child.
"And she brought forth a son, a man-child, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne."
Since the "woman" in 12:1 typifies Jerusalem of the nation of Israel, who then is the "man-child"? Some say it refers to the Israelites, but this cannot be true because of the following reasons:
(1) The sun, the moon, and the stars already typify the nation of Israel.
(2) This man-child is raptured to the throne, but the Bible never says that the nation of Israel will be raptured. This would not match the prophecy concerning Israel.
(3) This man-child believes in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11), but the Israelites never have. Some say that the Israelites will believe in the Lord during the tribulation, but the Bible never says so. The Bible says that when the Lord Jesus' feet stand upon the Mount of Olives, God will open up to the Israelites a fountain of salvation, and they will be saved at that time (Zech. 13:1; 14:4; 12:10-14).
Some say that the man-child is the Lord Jesus, but this cannot be true for the following reasons:
(1) The "woman" typifies Jerusalem, but the Lord was born in Bethlehem.
(2) This man-child is not an individual but a corporate entity (Rev. 12:10-11).
(3) If the man-child refers to the Lord, then the dragon must refer to Herod. But 12:9 expressly says that the dragon is Satan himself.
(4) After the man-child is born, he is immediately raptured, but after Jesus was born, He lived for over thirty-three and a half years and was raptured only after His death and resurrection.
(5) Because it is a "great" sign, the words "brought forth" cannot be interpreted literally.
Some say that the man-child refers to the whole church, but this cannot be true either, because:
(1) The whole church cannot be resurrected, for this would mean that the whole church has died.
(2) The whole church is not raptured at the same time. Some go first, and some go later; but here all of the man-child is raptured at the same time.
(3) The promise of shepherding all nations with an iron rod is not given to the whole church but to the overcomers (2:26-27), and not all in the church are overcomers.
(4) The matter of reigning is not for the whole church since only those who suffer together with the Lord may reign together with Him (2 Tim. 2:12).
Who then is the man-child? He refers to the overcoming Christians who have died.
(1) He must include some of those in the church in Smyrna, those who were faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10). This matches 12:11, which says, "even unto death."
(2) He includes some of those in the church in Thyatira, those who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod (2:26-27). This matches 12:5, which says, "To shepherd all the nations with an iron rod."
(3) He includes some of those in the church in Philadelphia, those who will be saved from and not subjected to the tribulation (3:10). This matches 12:5, which says that the man-child is "caught up to God."
(4) He also includes some of those in the church in Laodicea, those who will sit on the throne (3:21). This matches 12:5, which says that the man-child will "shepherd all the nations."
Hence, the man-child is neither the whole church nor a part of those in various local churches. They are the overcomers in the churches. They are the Christians who were martyred and resurrected, because: (1) Revelation 12:11 expressly says that they loved not their soul-life even unto death, and (2) "brought forth" here symbolizes resurrection.
In covering Revelation 7:16-17 we have already mentioned eight points that match what is recorded here. The man-child is a major part of the great multitude that no man can number. (Chapter seven speaks in a general way, revealing an outline of the rapture, whereas chapter twelve speaks in detail about a portion of the raptured ones.)
Matthew 25:1 through 13 is a parable concerning the ten virgins, hence; the word "slept" cannot be interpreted literally. Furthermore, we cannot say that it means unwatchfulness, because the five wise virgins also slept. Therefore, sleep indicates death. The five wise virgins are the man-child in Revelation 12:5, and the five foolish virgins are a part which includes the remnant of the woman's seed in Revelation 12:17 (there are survivors among this part).
Revelation 12:5 says that this group of Christians has died, resurrected, and been raptured.
"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place there prepared by God so that they might nourish her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days."
The fleeing of the woman is the flight that is described in Matthew 24:6-20 and Luke 21:20-24. In Revelation 12:1 the woman is in heaven; in 12:6 she is in the wilderness. Immediately after the man-child is born, she loses her position in heaven. She is now just the earthly Jerusalem. The wilderness means a desolate and uninhabited place. God nourishes her at this time in the same way that He once nourished the children of Israel in the wilderness.
In Galatians 4:21-31 there are two contrasts. The first is between the Jerusalem in heaven and the Jerusalem on earth; the one signifies the Christians, and the other, the Jews. One is represented by Isaac, and the other, by Ishmael. The main thought, however, is to prove that we Christians are free in the same way that Isaac was free.
"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels went to war with the dragon. And the dragon warred and his angels."
The war determines who is to live in the heavens — the man-child or the dragon. The man-child now wants to obtain the position of the dragon; hence, he must go to war. In the whole Bible there is only one archangel — Michael. The meaning of this name is "the one who is very much like God" (some say that Michael is the Lord Jesus). During the time of Job, the dragon could come before the presence of God (Job 1:7). He could also do this during the Lord's time. But after the man-child is caught up, he can no longer do this.
"And they did not prevail, neither was their place found any longer in heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, he who is called the Devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole inhabited earth; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him."
The designation "dragon" implies cruelty; the old serpent, deceit; the Devil, temptation; and Satan, opposition. The devil is cast down from heaven, and he draws one third of the angels down with him. He also opens the abyss (9:1). At this point, how dark the world is!
"And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, for the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night."
In the past God used the blood to redeem, but now He uses His power to redeem. The power of the kingdom of God is perfect before the throne of God; however, before Satan is cast down, God's will cannot be carried out in the air. After the one thousand two hundred sixty days, the kingdom of God will come to the earth, and God's will shall be carried out on the earth also. (In Matthew 12:28, when the demons are cast out, the kingdom of God comes.)
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their soul-life even unto death."
There are three things which overcome accusations: (1) The blood of the Lord. (The accusations may not always be false; hence, we need the blood.) We rest in the precious blood of the Lamb (Rom. 8:34). (2) The word of our testimony. We should not only believe with the heart, but should also speak out with the mouth. Once we speak, Satan can do nothing. (3) Loving not the soul-life even unto death. The greatest trial is death. If we are not afraid of death, even unto death, Satan can do nothing.
"Therefore be glad, O heavens and those who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you and has great rage, knowing that he has only a short time."
In Revelation 13:1 a beast (Antichrist) rises up out of the sea. In 13:11 another beast (the false prophet) comes up out of the earth. In 9:1 a star (the dragon) is cast down from heaven. These three will come to the earth; therefore, "Woe to the earth and the sea."
The foreknowledge of Satan here, "knowing that he has only a short time," is comparable to the foreknowledge of historians; it comes through inference.
During the tribulation, there is the wrath of God, and there is also the wrath of Satan.
"And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the man-child."
The prophets in the Old Testament have much to say about this. During the great tribulation, Jerusalem will be besieged by the Gentiles (Zech. 14:1-2). The persecution of the woman by the dragon is the fulfillment of this. It is also the execution of Revelation 12:12.
"And to the woman there were given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent."
Since the woman is a sign, the wings must be a sign also. They signify the extraordinary power given to them by God to enable them to run fast. This is similar to the way God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, as an eagle bears its young on its wings (Exo. 19:4; Deut. 32:11-12). The fleeing here matches that described in Matthew 24:16-20. At that time, the Jews will be protected by God in a special way.
"And the serpent cast water as a river out of his mouth after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by its current."
Since "the serpent" is Satan, the "water" cannot refer just to water, but must refer to something else. From Jeremiah 46:7-8 we know that water represents the advance of a hostile army (see also Jer. 47:2-4; Isa. 59:19). Hence, the dragon's use of water to pursue the woman must refer to his use of the armies of the nations to pursue the children of Israel.
"And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth."
"The earth" is the earth. In Exodus 15:10 God used water to drown the armies of Egypt, and in Numbers 16:30 He opened the earth to swallow up people. God will use His ways to protect the chosen Jews.
"And the dragon became angry with the woman and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus."
"The rest of her seed" includes the faithful Jews and the remaining Christians. If this were to refer only to the Jews, it could only be said that they keep the commandments of God; it could not be said that they bear the testimony of Jesus. (At this point the Lord has not yet come, and the Jews have not yet believed in Him.) "The saints" in 13:7 refer to both the Jews and the remaining Christians. They are "the rest of her seed."
"And he stood on the sand of the sea."
Revelation 12:18 should be connected to the first part of 13:1. "The sand of the sea." "The sea" denotes the Mediterranean, and the "beast" represents either a nation, the Roman Empire, or a person, Antichrist.
If the beast indicates a nation, then the sea should be interpreted spiritually, but if it indicates a person, then the sea should be just the sea. When interpreted spiritually, the sea always refers to the Gentiles. The earth, interpreted spiritually, indicates the Jews. The types in the Bible concerning the sea and the land always correspond with this. For example, in both Revelation 17:15 and Daniel 7:3, the sea typifies the Gentile world. To come up out of the sea means to come from the Gentile world.
The beast coming up out of the sea denotes the revival of the Roman Empire. "The sea" speaks of the place from which he comes, and "beast" speaks of his nature. Revelation 9:11 and 11:7 refer to his coming up out of the abyss, and 13:1 speaks of his coming up out of the sea. These two places correspond with each other. To come up means to ascend out of (1 Sam. 28:13-14). We know that the beast is resurrected from the dead because the abyss is where the spirits of the dead are kept.
"And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and on his heads names of blasphemy."
The "ten horns" represent ten minor kings (17:12), and the "seven heads" indicate seven major kings (17:10). Heads are larger than horns; they direct the horns. Hence, the seven heads and ten horns must refer to seven emperors and ten minor kings.
The "seven heads" are successive kings, whereas the ten horns are simultaneous rulers. (The Roman Empire had a total of thirteen Caesars, but among them, five died violently. In the original text, the words "have fallen" in 17:10 mean "have died in a violent way." The sixth Caesar, Domitian, was also killed. Likewise, the seventh will be killed. God mentions seven Roman emperors, each of whom met with a violent death. The ten horns are only subordinate kings of the Roman Empire.)
Antichrist is the beast and is the seventh head. Revelation 12:3 says, "And on his heads seven diadems." Revelation 13:1 says, "And on his horns ten diadems." In the future, Antichrist will come out of the Roman Empire and will control Europe. According to history, the ten kings in 12:3 have not yet received their diadems and their authority. By the time of 13:1, the ten kings will have received their diadems and their authority. At that time, however, Antichrist will not yet have received his authority. It is in 17:13, when the ten kings crown the beast, that Antichrist receives his authority.
"And on his heads names of blasphemy." This means that the kings claim to be God. According to history, each of the five Caesars demanded that others worship them as a worship to God. To exalt oneself and to put down God is blasphemy (Matt. 9:3; 26:65; John 5:18; 10:33; Mark 3:28; Rev. 16:21).
"And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority."
"A leopard." In order to understand this portion, one must read Daniel 7:3-8 and 2:31-33: (1) The lion is the golden head in chapter two, which refers to Babylon; (2) the bear indicates Medo-Persia and is the silver breast; (3) the leopard is the bronze belly, which is Greece; and (4) the dreadful and terrible beast is the iron legs, which is the Roman Empire. Babylon's army was very fierce in battle; Medo-Persia's army was more fierce and deliberate; Greece's army was most ferocious; and Rome's army was the most cruel. This beast in 13:2 possesses each of these four evil characteristics. He is the totality of the power of the Gentiles.
The leopard with its spots indicates sin (Jer. 13:23); the Lord Jesus has no blemish or spot. Revelation speaks of the Lord as a Lamb twenty-eight times, and it speaks of the beast as a wild beast thirty-six times. God will use this beast to judge men (Jer. 5:6; Hosea 13:7; Hab. 1:8). "Leopard" refers to his sinfulness; the bear bites (see 2 Kings 2:24, the tearing up of forty-two children); and the lion devours. (God sealed the mouths of the lions in Daniel 6:22 and delivered Paul out of the lion's mouth in 2 Timothy 4:17.)
"The beast" in Revelation 13:2 indicates a kingdom because it has seven heads and ten horns. We also know this from 17:9-10 and 12. In addition, according to Daniel 7, the lion, the bear, and the leopard, all indicate kingdoms. Therefore, the fourth beast must also indicate a kingdom, which is the Roman Empire.
At the same time, this "beast" also indicates a man. Have fallen in 17:8-11 in the original text means to have died violently. The one who still existed at John's time was the Roman Caesar, Domitian. The beast is personified in 19:20 and 20:10; he must be a man. God cannot cast a kingdom into the lake of fire.
"Slain to death" in 13:3 must refer to a man. The dragon is a counterfeit of God, the beast is a counterfeit of Christ, and the false prophet is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit. The counterfeit father also gives authority to the counterfeit son. This "power" (v. 2) is for performing supernatural and deceiving wonders. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9, the phrase "wonders of a lie" does not mean that the wonders are themselves lies; it means that the purpose of performing these wonders is to deceive people.
"His throne." This must mean that he has a kingdom; without a kingdom, there cannot be a throne. The dragon revives the Roman Empire and delivers it to the false Christ.
"Power" speaks of influence, and "authority" is the legitimate power to execute laws.
"And one of his heads was as it were slain to death, and his death stroke was healed. And the whole earth marveled after the beast."
Revelation 13:14 tells us that the wound was caused by a sword. John wrote this book in A.D. 96. From 17:7-8 we see that "was" means prior to A.D. 96, "is not" means that this one was not on the earth at the time that John wrote this book, and "about to come up out of the abyss and go into perdition" means that this one is going to appear and will go to the lake of fire. Revelation 17:10 says, "Five have fallen, one is." This latter one is John's contemporary emperor, Domitian. "The other has not yet come," that is, he was not yet on the earth at that time. But he could now be on the earth, though not yet manifested. According to the words of 17:11, there are seven souls and seven bodies but eight lives. "He himself is also the eighth and is out of the seven," one of the previous seven. So we can see that this one must have died and been resurrected. (The seventh dies; then this one becomes one of the previous six, resurrected.) From this we can see that in the future there will be a very powerful one who will rise up to revive the Roman Empire and become the king of the ten kingdoms. Someone will kill him and, probably after three days, he will rise again, causing people all over the earth to think that he is God. Actually, he is not resurrected; instead, the spirit of one of the previous emperors will enter into his body to resurrect it. (This spirit may be that of Nero.) Many people do not believe in the resurrection of Christ, but they will believe in the resurrection of Antichrist.
"And they worshipped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? And who can make war with him?"
Antichrist can be such because the dragon is behind him. People will worship the beast because they will see (1) no personality greater than the beast and (2) no ability comparable to his ability.
"And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority was given to him to act for forty-two months."
"Speaking great things" is to exalt oneself. "Speaking...blasphemies" is to profane God. The "authority" in this verse is something allowed by God, and there is a limit to it. "Forty- two" equals six times seven. Seven is a complete number, and six is a number for Satan. Here Satan is doing something that is neither six nor seven (similar to doing something that is neither black nor white). In Numbers, between the exodus from Egypt and the entry into Canaan, there were forty-two stations. The bears tore up forty-two children in 2 Kings 2:24. In the holy Scriptures, forty-two is the number of wandering and judgment. Second Thessalonians 2:9 through 11 tells us the reason that God allows Satan to do whatever he wishes for forty-two months. In the original text, the word "lie" in 2 Thessalonians 2:11 has the definite article. It is the lie of Genesis 3:4, which suggested (1) that things shall not surely be as God has said and (2) that man shall be like God (in wisdom). God gives the beast the authority (John 19:11).
"And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, which tabernacle in heaven."
The first thing the beast does is blaspheme against God. The name of God includes the person, nature, and authority of God. "His tabernacle" here is heaven.
"And permission was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority was given to him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation."
"The saints" are the remnant of the Christians and the Jews who are faithful to God. By this time, the beast's sphere of influence reaches the whole world, but his kingdom is limited to Rome.
"And all those dwelling on the earth will worship him, every one whose name is not written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world."
This proves that there will still be some Christians on earth at this time, because there will still be people whose names are written in the book of life of the Lamb. God's selection alone is able to preserve them from temptations.
"If anyone has an ear, let him hear."
In chapters two and three, the churches still had a place. Hence, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Here, however, although there is still the remnant of the Christians, the church no longer has a place, and God again returns to the Old Testament standing!
"If anyone is for captivity, into captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he is to be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints."
Christians cannot war, as the Crusaders did, against their enemies; they can only endure (1:9). To lose endurance is actually to lose faith. To fight will result only in being killed or captured.
"And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon."
In the original text, this beast refers to a wild beast. He comes up out of the earth and must, therefore, be a resurrected one, since Hades is under the earth. At the same time, the "earth" indicates the Jewish kingdom because in the Bible the sea always indicates the Gentiles and the earth indicates the Jews.
This beast is the false prophet and is a man because: (1) he is called the false prophet three times in the Bible (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10); (2) the Lord says clearly in Matthew 24:24 that there will be false prophets; and (3) there are altogether three evil spirits — Satan, the beast (Antichrist), and "another beast" (the false prophet), all of whom are charged with commissions. Therefore, the beast is certainly not a system. Still, there are others who say (for instance, Mr. Gabelein) that the beast in Revelation 13:1 indicates the king of the north (mentioned in the book of Daniel) and that only in 13:11 does the beast actually refer to Antichrist. However, to say this is illogical because: (1) since Christ came out of the Jews, Antichrist should, of course, come out of the Gentiles; and (2) since chapter twelve concerns Satan, the beast in 13:1 must be Antichrist, and the beast in 13:11 must be the false prophet. This is actually a counterfeit of the Triune God.
"Two horns." This beast is merely a person; he does not represent a kingdom. The horns of the Lamb indicate the Spirit (5:6). Since these horns are like the horns of the Lamb, these two horns must indicate two spirits. "To give breath to the image of the beast" in 13:15 may be translated "to give spirit to the image of the beast." This is one spirit, and 16:13 tells of another spirit.
"He spoke like a dragon." This indicates that his speaking deceives people and is cruel and violent. The first beast sits upon the dragon's throne; this beast speaks the dragon's language.
"And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his sight, and he causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose death stroke was healed."
The second beast works by utilizing the first beast's authority. The verb "causes" is in the active voice. That the second beast causes is mentioned a total of eight times in this book. The Holy Spirit is the power of the Godhead; He is the Executor. In a corresponding way, the false prophet is the same. The "worship" here is a system of coercion. This is different from the worshipping referred to in 13:4, which is voluntary.
There is much evidence to show that the first beast is Nero, raised from the dead, and the second beast is the traitor Judas, raised from the dead.
Concerning the first beast's being the resurrected Caesar Nero, more proofs will be listed later in this book. Let us first consider the second beast. Acts 1:20, Psalm 69:25, and Psalm 109:8 refer to Judas. Acts 1:20 quotes from Psalms 69 and 109. In Psalm 109:6, Satan stands at Judas's right hand; this has not yet been fulfilled. Previously, Satan only entered Judas's heart (John 13:27). It must be at the time of Revelation 13:12 that Satan begins to stand at his right hand. Acts 1:25 says, "To go to his own place." In the whole Bible, only Judas is described as going to his own place. All the others are said either to have been gathered to their people or to have gone to Hades. Judas seems to have a special place, a place reserved for his use alone. The entire New Testament only speaks of "the son of perdition" twice: once in John 17:12, which indicates Judas explicitly, and once in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which indicates Antichrist. If the first beast, who is called the son of perdition, is Antichrist, who else can the second beast, who is also called the son of perdition, be, except Judas? In John 6:70 the Lord says that Judas is a devil. So then, who else besides Judas can be the one in this triune counterfeit?
"And he does great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth before men."
The greatest miracle is to cause fire to come down from heaven to the earth. Probably because of the fact that the two witnesses can cause fire to come down, this one causes fire to come down and performs even more miracles.
"And he deceives those who dwell on the earth on account of the signs which he was given power to do before the beast, commanding those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast, who had the stroke of the sword and revived. And power was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast might even speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed."
Here is the totality of all future idols. This image seems to somewhat resemble that other man. After the Lord resurrected, His wounds remained, and He showed them to Thomas (John 20:27). The beast's sword wound also remains, causing people to believe that he is resurrected from the dead.
"Breath" here ("life" in the KJV) can also be translated "spirit." Once the spirit is given, there is, of course, life right away. This beast has three characteristics: (1) he has life; (2) he can speak; and (3) he can cause those who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed. This is different from what is written in Psalm 135:15-17 and Jeremiah 10:4-5. In ancient times the idols had mouths that could not speak, eyes that could not see, ears that could not hear, and were dead. But in the future it will not be the same. How does the image of the beast kill people? Of course, we do not know. It may be that the image of the beast passes death sentences upon people so that they will be killed, or it may be that the image of the beast itself has some kind of mechanism with which to kill people.
"And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead."
The "mark" here must be obvious. Since the mark is sealed on the body and the body is physical, the mark must also be physical. When people buy things, it will be easily recognized. Therefore, it must be obvious. Satan seals people. This is to say that their spirit, soul, and body belong to him. These must be those who openly follow him, and this must be something that cannot be hidden. Perhaps women receive the mark on their right hands and men receive it on their foreheads. There will definitely not be any Christians among these people.
"And that no one may be able to buy or sell except he who has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name."
It is not hard not to sell, but it is really hard not to buy. There are several kinds of marks: one is the name of the beast; one is the number of his name; and others may be various kinds of symbols.
"Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred sixty-six."
This beast is not the beast that comes up out of the earth but the beast that comes up out of the sea. Many people only search into the number 666, but they forget to pay attention to the context of the whole verse. According to this verse, there are three things which must agree:
(1) The number of a man (the number of a place cannot be used).
(2) The number of the beast. In 13:1 the beast has seven heads, and 17:9 and 10 say that these seven heads are the seven mountains and also the seven kings. (History clearly tells us that Rome is a city of seven mountains.) Then does this beast refer to the Roman Empire or to one of the Roman emperors? Since 13:18 says that the number of the beast is the number of a man, this beast must not refer to the Roman Empire but rather to one of the Roman emperors!
(3) It must be the number of a person's name, a person who is a Roman emperor. The sum of these numbers is 666. From these three facts we can find out who the beast is.
The letters of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets all represent numbers. Except for Caesar Nero, there is no other man in history who has this number. Nero's number is 306, to which 360 must be added to make it correct. The title of Caesar exactly represents the number 360. When the Bible mentions the names of the Roman emperors, the title Caesar is always added, as in Luke 2:1 and 3:1, which mention Caesar Augustus and Tiberius Caesar. History tells us that Nero always called himself Caesar.
According to the Hebrew alphabet, the sum of the numbers of the name Caesar Nero is exactly 666. Some people think that the former Nero committed suicide and that the future false Christ will be cast into the lake of fire. So how can we say that this is Nero? According to Revelation 17:11, we know that this false Christ is the resuscitated Nero. Hence, there is no conflict at all.
The following shows the sums of these numbers:
From this we see that the first beast, which comes up out of the sea, is Antichrist, the resuscitated Caesar Nero; while the beast that comes up out of the earth is the false prophet, the resurrected Judas, the betrayer of Jesus.
