Revelation 13, like the preceding one, is parenthetic, and brings before us the revived Roman Empire, as identified with the beast that rises out of the sea; and the second beast, the false prophet, the Antichrist, rising out of the earth.
The chapter begins with the seer standing on the sand of the sea, and seeing a beast rise up out of the sea. In this we have a picture of the fourth world-dominion, the Roman Empire—the sand of the sea referring to the multitudes of mankind; the sea, to the unstable and revolutionary forces at work. Doubtless John has chiefly in mind what is still future, the revival of the Roman Empire, but gives us first the original appearance and character of the Roman Empire and its break up.
This beast has seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the names of blasphemy. Note, he has the same number of heads and horns as the great red dragon has, thus showing that Satan gives him his power and seat and authority.
In other words, viewing Revelation 12 and 13, Satan's opposition to God in the last days will all be concentrated against Palestine, and his great instrument will be the revived Roman Empire.
This beast takes on and absorbs all the characteristics of the former beasts, symbolizing the former world-empires, as seen by Daniel in the vision of the four beasts arising out of the sea (Dan. 7:1-141In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 5And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:1‑14)).
Its general appearance is that of the leopard (Grecian Empire); his feet like those of a bear (the Medo-Persian Empire); his mouth as that of a lion (Babylonian Empire). The leopard speaks of rapidity of conquest; the bear's feet, of tenacity in holding territorial gains; the lion's mouth, the strength and ferocity in making them; whilst the combination gives a symbolism of the horrible power of this fourth world-empire.
One of its heads is wounded to death, and the deadly wound is healed, and all the world wonders after the beast. It is in the healing of the deadly wound that the empire is revived.
Rome arose out of chaos and revolution and became the wonder of the world. The legions of the Roman Empire were for long the subjugators and holders of vast tracts of territory. But pride, luxury, licentiousness, and debauchery ruined and enervated this wonderful power. About A.D. 476 the Huns and Goths, terrible and unalloyed savages, burst the bounds of their own lands, crossed the Alps, descended into the plains of Lombardy, reached Rome, and captured it. From that hour the Roman Empire ceased to exist. The head—imperial power—thus received its deadly wound. Doubtless God has delayed its revival, for revived it shall surely be, so that the Christian era may run its course. God once used the Roman power to chastise and disperse among the nations His ancient people the Jews, because of their rejection of Christ. But the day is coming when God will bless the Jew again. To prepare His people for this He will again use the Roman Empire to chastise His people, and through bitter persecution and deep repentance they will accept their Messiah.
When the Roman Empire suddenly becomes a reality again the world will indeed wonder. It will be of such a dramatic and wonderful character that it will suit the mood of the world, and it will be acclaimed with fervor and delirious joy.
Slowly signs of it increase on every hand. First of all, Belgium, originally in the Roman Empire, severed itself in 1830 from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, of which it formed a part. Italy, broken up into little states and republics, among which were the Papal States, within the last sixty years has been consolidated into a united kingdom, and ever since has been gaining in power and recognition.
Then the northern coasts of Africa, under the ancient names of Mauritania, Numidia, Africa, Libya, and Egypt, were all parts of the old Roman earth, and lapsed to African rule with the break-up of the Empire. These, within the memory of the writer, have quietly, and without much notice of even Christian writers, again come under European influence. France has a protectorate over Morocco, Tunis, and Algiers; more recently Italy has acquired Tripoli; whilst Great Britain has an interest in Egypt.
One of the results of the Great War is that the Near East has become the strategic center of the immediate future, and the European countries are grouping themselves in a way that may forecast the revival of the Roman Empire. The League of Nations also seems to point in this direction. We gather from Scripture that the Roman Empire will revive in a miraculous way, so that the whole world will wonder. Certainly the policy of fear is affecting present combinations, the nations scheming against the appeal to brute force. Whether it will be fear that will actually bring about the revival of the Roman Empire, or at first platonic and democratic theories as to universal peace and disarmament, we cannot say, but that it will take place the prophetic word leads us to expect.
In a very interesting way Revelation answers to Daniel. Daniel tells us the fourth beast—the Roman Empire—will consist of ten kings, but that “another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings” (ch. 7:24).
Without going into details, Revelation 13:11And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1) simply states that the beast has seven heads and ten crowned horns. Seven subtracted from ten leaves three, and that is explained by the king who arises and subdues three kings, and takes a place of supreme authority in connection with the empire.
It is our strong and growing belief that the first Napoleon was permitted to come upon the scene as a type of this great overlord of the revived Roman Empire. Out of the chaos and bloodshed of the French Revolution this little Corsican lieutenant suddenly emerged. Seizing his opportunities with consummate skill, both of generalship and statesmanship, he became for a brief moment the overlord of Europe.
So out of a greater and more widespread chaos, a greater than Napoleon, we believe, will arise, and on a greater scale will come forth as the fulfillment of these striking prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.
Since the first edition of this book was issued a very remarkable man—Benito Mussolini—has come to the front. By force of a wonderful personality and tremendous will he has rescued Italy from Communism, established himself Dictator, completely overshadowing the throne, and has made Italy a powerful nation of the first rank. We are often asked if he is the “beast... out of the sea” (Rev. 13:11And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)). We do not think this is possible as it must be some years before the great tribulation can be, which the head of the Roman Empire will bring about by breaking his treaty with the Jew. But we sometimes wonder if Mussolini is not the forerunner of the “beast... out of the sea.”
Revelation 17:1010And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (Revelation 17:10) says, “There are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is [that is the Roman Emperor when John wrote] and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh he must continue a short space [we believe that this might possibly refer to Mussolini]. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” We believe Mussolini is preparing for a greater man than himself, who will be the “beast... out of the sea,” the last Roman Emperor. Certainly his exploits are amazing and he himself believes that he is a man of destiny.
Next we read that the dragon is worshipped as giving power to the beast, and the beast himself is worshipped. Universal Satanic worship will show to what lengths evil can go. That the great Roman Emperor will be worshipped will be no new thing.
It is very instructive in this connection to note that the later Roman Emperors laid claim to divine honors, and were worshipped, and what has been may be again.
Power is given to the beast for forty and two months, that is, for three and a half years, that, is, during the latter half of Daniel's seventieth week. In this period God will specially permit opposition to Him and His people to have its full fling, during which time the beast will make war with the saints and overcome them, that is, martyr them. They will overcome him spiritually by sealing their testimony with their blood; he will overcome them physically in their slaughter.
Evidently, whilst Daniel speaks of this great prince in connection with the whole of Daniel's seventieth week (ch. 9:27), and shows how his treaty with the Jews for that period in the middle of the week is treated as “a scrap of paper” and shamelessly violated, launching in this way upon them the great tribulation, the Revelation fixes its attention upon the second half of the week.
Nothing but reality will withstand this great prince's assumptions; only those whose names are written in the book of life of the slain Lamb, names written from the foundation of the world, will stand the test of this awful period.
But we are told that his end will be but the reaping of his own sowing. Leading multitudes into captivity he will himself go into captivity; killing multitudes with the sword he must himself be killed by the sword. Doubtless, as the empire and its overlord are treated as one, this will apply generally to the whole empire, as lending itself to the leadership of this ruler.
Now the scene changes, though similar ground is covered more or less. Another moving picture comes before us. Another beast is seen coming up out of the earth. The first beast comes up out of the sea. But this beast comes out of the earth or the land, we believe, indicating Palestine—the land of Israel.
This second beast has two horns like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon. In other words, he deceives by his gentle appearance, but in reality he is energized by Satan for his own vile ends. Henceforth in the book he is referred to as “the false prophet,” showing his religious character. In 2 Thess. 2 he is called “that man of sin ... he son of perdition” (vs. 3), sharing this latter title with Judas; whilst John in his First Epistle describes him as the “Antichrist” (ch. 2:18).
In Daniel he is called “the King” (ch. 11:36). He will do according to his will, hence he is often called the willful king; and we further learn that this false prophet must be a Jew, and that he will reign as a king and priest at Jerusalem.
He will give his power to the first beast as supported by him. Evidently his power in Palestine will be as great as that of the first beast in the Roman Empire. He will be the first beast's trusted lieutenant, and use his great power in getting the first beast worshipped.
Not only so, but according to 2 Thessalonians 2:44Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4) he will sit in the temple of God, showing himself to be God. Probably the image of the first beast set up in the temple will be “the abomination that maketh desolate,” spoken of by Daniel (Dan. 12:1111And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11)), and referred to by our Lord in Matthew 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15), and which will occur in the beginning of the second half of Daniel's seventieth week, ushering in the great tribulation, “the time of Jacob's trouble” (Jer. 30:77Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7)).
Satan will help the false prophet to do great wonders, as if heaven were on his side. By some supernatural Satanic power fire will come down from heaven. This will have such a deceiving effect that the false prophet will persuade men that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by the sword and did live. He will have power to give breath to the image and make it speak, and so great will be his power that those who refuse to worship the image he will put to death. He will bind the chains of his religious tyranny upon millions by instituting a great combine from which the great and the rich will not be exempt, nor will the poor be left out. The necessities of life, the carrying on of commerce, the buying and selling, will all be tightly held by this great combine, so that none will be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark of the beast in their right hand, that is more or less secretly, or in their forehead, that is openly. This will be the most awful religiously apostate tyranny the world will ever see. Principles at work today, developments arising rapidly before our eyes, prepare our minds to see how all this can take place.
The mysterious number of the first beast—666—has led to much speculation and controversy. It is said by Scripture to be the number of a man. Doubtless when the meaning of that number is revealed to the saints in the great tribulation it will help them to resist all Satanic allurements of that time, for 2 Thessalonians 2:99Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:9) reminds us that Antichrist will come with “all power and signs and lying wonders,” and Matthew 24:2424For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:24) tells us such signs and wonders will be done that were it possible they should deceive the very elect.
We would permit ourselves to say that the number six stands as the symbol of the greatest possible human attainment, coming short of the number seven, which stands for divine perfection. It is completest attainment after man's mind under the dominating influence of Satan, and therefore diametrically opposed to God's. So 600 + 60 + 6 = 666, seems to point to the most extraordinary combination of what would attract poor fallen nature as duped in fullest way by the devil. But, such as it is, it falls entirely short of what is divine perfection according to God. On the contrary, it is the fullest and most absolute contradiction possible to all that God is in Christ.