The Trinity of Satan (12.1-13.18)
13.1-10 “A BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE SEA”
The sea points to the Mediterranean, and the beast represents either a kingdom - that of the Roman Empire - or a person who is Antichrist.
If the beast means a kingdom, the sea needs to be interpreted spiritually. If the beast represents a person, the sea must be taken literally. Spiritually interpreted, “sea” stands for the Gentiles since the land is spiritually reckoned as the Jews. This is in accordance with the way the Scriptures explain the sea. “The waters which sawest, when the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues (17.15). We find in Daniel 7.3,7 that the sea indicates the Gentile world too. And hence a coming up out of the sea means a coming forth from the Gentile world.
“A beast coming up out of the sea” – The Roman Empire will revive. The sea discloses its location and the beast reveals its character.
13.1 “Ten horns” represent ten minor kings (17.12), while “seven heads” speak of seven supreme kings (17.10). Since the heads are bigger than the horns and the latter are on the heads, the seven heads and ten horns must stand for seven emperors and ten kings.
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13.2 “Leopard” – In order to understand this section we must read Daniel 2.31-33 and 7.3-8. By so doing we learn that (1) the lion is the golden head in Nebuchadnezar’s image, (2) the bear is Medo-Persia – the breast of silver, (3) the leopard has a belly of brass and thus represents Greece, and (4) the fourth beast, terrible and powerful, which was diverse from the other beasts, has the legs of iron – which is the roman Empire. Babylon is terrible in war, Medo-Persia is slow but ravage, Greece is ferocious, and Rome cruel.
The beast of 13.2 possesses all four bad characters. In fact, it is the composite of all the powers of all the nations.
The book of Revelation speaks of the Lord Jesus as the Lamb 28 times, and the beast it speaks of as the wild beast 36 times.
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The beast we read about in 13.2 points to a kingdom because it has seven heads and ten horns. According to 17.9,10,12 a kingdom is no doubt meant. The lion, the bear, and the leopard mentioned in Daniel 7 are all symbolic of kingdoms; and hence the fourth beast must also be a kingdom – that of the Roman Empire.
But the beast of 13.2 likewise refers to a person. The term “fallen” used in 17.8-11 means meeting violent death, and the one who still remained at the time of the Apostle John was Domitan; therefore the beast spoken of in 19.20 and 20.10 is no doubt a man of personality. God does not cast a kingdom into the lake of fire.
13.3,14 “As though it had been smitten unto death” – The image must be that of a man, for Antichrist is a human being. The dragon counterfeits God; the beast, Christ, and the false prophet, the Holy Spirit.
The false father also gives authority to the false son so that the latter may have the power to perform lying wonders (2 Thess. 2.9). The phrase “lying wonders” does not mean to convey the idea that these wonders are false; it simply means that the purpose of these wonders is to deceive people.
“His throne” (13.2) – This indicates that there must be a kingdom. No kingdom, no throne. The dragon revives the Roman Empire and gives it to the false christ.
Note that 13.3 says this: “as though it had been smitten unto death”; and chapter 13 further comments on it by saying: "the stroke of the sword” (v.14). In connection with 17.7,8, it should be noted that John wrote this book of Revelation in approximately 96 A.D. Hence the word “was” must refer to the time before 96 A.D.; ”is not”, to the time when John wrote the book; and “is about to come out of the abyss, and go into perdition”, to the time in the future. According to 17.9-11, “the five are fallen, the one is” (this latter one, at the time of John, was Domitian); “the other is not yet come” (one wonders if he is now already in the world, but only waiting to be manifested). Judging by the words in verse 11, there are seven souls, seven bodies; yet eight live, for the eighth one is also one of the original seven. He must have died and is to be reanimated in the days to come. There will arise a most powerful person who will revive the Roman Empire and become the leader of a confederacy of ten kingdoms. He will be killed, but he will also be reanimated. Thus, the whole world will consider him a god. Actually, he is not resurrected in the real sense; he is only reanimated by the entering into his body of the soul of one of the former Emperors.* (Not to be construed as teaching reincarnation. See explanatory footnotes at 17.11 below. – Translator – This is not to be construed as teaching reincarnation. The Bible does not teach reincarnation, nor did the author ever subscribe to such a heretical doctrine. The specific interpretation given here relative to the Antichrist serves only as the exception which goes to prove the rule of no reincarnation – just as the image of the beast having breath and ability to speak [see 13.14,15 above] is the exception which proves the rule of no image having breath or speaking. – Translator
Many people do not believe in resurrection of Christ, and yet they all shall believe in the reanimation of the Antichrist.
13.4 Antichrist is so influential because the dragon is backing him. People worship the beast because they consider him superior both in PERSONALITY and power.
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13.7 “To make war with the saints” – These latter are the Christians who are kept behind and those Jews who are faithful to God. The influence of the beast is worldwide, though his kingdom is limited to the revived Roman Empire.
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13.9 "If any man hath an ear, let him hear" - In the time of chapters 2 and 3 the churches still hold their position as such, hence each time there is the added clause: "what the Spirit saith to the churches"; here, though, only some Christians will remain behind, and therefore the exhortation simply reads: "If any man hath an ear, let him hear".
13.10 Christians cannot rise up, as the Crusaders did, to fight against enemies. They can only practice patience. If they lose their patience they will lose their faith.
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13.11 This beast is also a wild beast. Because he is to come up out of the earth he must also be a re-vitalized person, since Hades is beneath the earth. On the other hand, “earth” may have reference to the Jewish nation. The Scriptures often classify the earth as being symbolic of the nation of Israel.
This beast is the false prophet. He is a person since (1) three times the Bible calls him the false prophet (16.13, 19.20, 20.10), (2) the Lord clearly stated that there will be false prophets (Matt. 24.24), and (3) there are three evil spirits: Satan, the beast (Antichrist), and another beast )the false prophet. Each has his mission to fulfill. Thus this beast cannot be a system but a person. At the time of evil, we have the counterfeit of the triune God.
“Two horns” – Since this beast is a person and not a kingdom, his two horns should signify two sprits; for the horns of the Lamb are referred to as being the Spirit of God (5.6), and the horns of the beast are like to those of the Lamb. “To give breath to it” (13.15) may be translated “to give spirit to it”; this is one spirit, and 16.13 tells of another spirit.
"And he spake as a dragon" - His speech is both deceitful and atrocious. Just the first beast sits on the throne of the dragon, so this beast speaks of the word of the dragon.
13.12 This second beast works by means of the authority of the first beast. As the Holy Spirit is the executor as well as the power in the Godhead, so the false prophet is the executor and the power of the trio of evil. “To worship” here is compulsory, unlike that mentioned in 13.4 which is voluntary.
There are many verses to link the revitalization of Nero. This second beast may very well be the return from the dead of the betrayer Judas. Acts 1.20, Psalm 69.25 and Psalm 109.8 all point to Judas, for Acts 1.20 quotes from Psalms 69 and 109. Psalm 10.6 declares: “Let Satan stand at his right hand” (mg.) – This is yet to be fulfilled. At the time of Christ, Satan entered into the heart of Judas; but not until the time of Revelation 13.12 will Satan stand at his right hand. We are also told in Acts 1: “that he might go to his own place” (v.25). Concerning other individuals the Scriptures always say he is “gathered to his own people” or that “he is gone down into sheol”; but in the case of Judas we are told that “he might go to his own place” – as though he has a special place set aside for his use. In the entire New Testament the term “son of perdition” is only used twice: one is found in John 17:12 which distinctly points to Judas, and the other is found in 2 Thessalonians 2.3 which alludes to Antichrist. If the first beast is Antichrist, the son of perdition, who else can be the second beast except Judas who also is called the son of perdition? In John 6 the Lord is recorded as calling Judas “a devil” (v.70). So then, who but Judas can rank among the trio of evil?
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13.16 “A mark” – This mark must be visible. Since it is stamped on the human body, it must be physical in nature. When people buy or sell, this mark can easily be distinguished. To be so marked means that the soul and the body of the man belong to Satan. He is to be an open, not a secret, follower of Satan. No doubt such people do not have Christ in them.
13.17 It is hard not to sell, but it is harder not to buy. The mark can be of various kinds, with some bearing the name of the beast and others the number of his name.
13.18 Many have attempted to find out what the number 666 is, but they fail to see the unity of this verse. Three things need to be joined in one: First, “the number of a man” (the number of a place is therefore discounted). Second, “the number of the beast” – In 13.1 it is stated that the beast has seven heads, and in 17.9,10 it is stated that the seven heads are “seven mountains”, also they are “the seven kings” (the city of Rome is also built on seven hills). Which does the beast represent – the Roman Empire or one of the emperors of Rome? Since 13.18 says that the number of the beast is the number of a man, the beast cannot stand for the Roman Empire but rather points to one of the Roman emperors. And third, “the number of [a man’s] name” (13.17), which is also the number of a Roman emperor, must be 666. From the convergence of these three points we may find out who the beast is.
In both Greek and Hebrew, the letters of the alphabet are also used for numbers. Apart from Nero Caesar there is no one else in history who fits this number. Nero is 306, and the number for Caesar is 360. The Bible usually mentions the name of a Roman Emperor together with the title Caesar, such as in Luke 2.1 and 3.1 we have Caesar Augustus and Tiberius Caesar. History tells us that Nero always called himself Caesar.
The name Nero Caesar in Hebrew makes up 666, as follows: *
Greek____Hebrew No.……… Greek______Hebrew Number
Ne……….……....50………………Kai……………..……100
R…….………….200……………...Sa……………………..60
O………..…..….…6………….……R…….…....….……..200
N……………..…..50
Total =………....306…………………+..………...……= 306 = 666
* Robert Govett, The Apocalypse Expounded. London: Chas. J. Thynne, 1920, p. 351. - Translator