Read Revelation 13 at Bible Gateway.
revelation 13, the beast from the sea
revelation 13, the beast from the land
revelation 13, the beast from the land, part two
revelation 13, the beast from the land, part three
revelation 13, the beast from the land, part four
revelation 13, fire from heaven
revelation 13, marked on the hand and forehead
revelation 13, the name of the beast, and his number
revelation 13, buying and selling
We learned that the purpose of these chapters which come between the trumpet judgments and the bowl of wrath judgments is to identify the dragon, the beast, the antichrist, and Mystery Babylon, on whom the bowl of wrath judgments are poured out.
Traditionally, this enemy of God has been identified with the Romans. Even the Catholics agree. In the footnotes of the Catholic Bible, the 4th beast of Dan 7 and Mystery Babylon of Revelation are both identified with the Roman Empire. The Protestants traditionally agreed.
Rev 13 includes additional description, which show the body of Messiah that the Roman system, and ultimately, the Babylonian system which is at its root, continued on after the Fall of Rome, in the form of the Roman church and the Holy Roman Empire. So let’s recap Rev 13 and make sure all the details confirm our theory.
Rev 13:1-2 describe a beast which looks like the four beasts of Dan 7, so we know that the beast from the sea is a picture of the kingdoms of this world, rooted in Babylon (which is the head kingdom in Daniel’s visions), which receives its authority from the dragon, or Satan. Rev 13:3-4 tells us that one of the heads of the kingdoms of this world received a fatal wound – in other words, it was dead as a head of authority, which happened at the Fall of Rome – and then its wound was healed – its authority was restored, which happened when the Holy Roman Empire was established – which made all the citizens of this earth (as opposed to those whose citizenship was in heaven) follow the beast and worship it as god.
Well, all the world (which in Revelation, we established meant all the Roman world) did follow the beast after its authority was restored in the form of the Holy Roman Empire, and worship it as god, if the beast is indeed Roman. The Roman church changed the gospel, changed the LORD’s holidays and Law, and established multiple idols in the pattern of Babylonianism — the mother of Jesus and the saints — which were venerated in place of YHVH.
Rev 13:5-8 describe the blasphemy of the beast and its war against those whose citizenship is in heaven instead of in the earth. We documented the blasphemy of the head of the Roman church, and the war the Roman church waged against those who opposed it is well known. About the forty-two months of authority, or 42 x 30 = 1260 years, traditionally it was believed that the period began with the decree of Justinian in 533, which established the authority of the bishop of Rome as the head of the Christian church, and ended 1260 years later, in 1793, with the French Revolution, which repudiated the authority of the Roman church.
Rev 13:11-18 describes the second beast which looks like the Lamb but speaks the words of the Devil. This is the papal office of the Roman church, who exercised temporal and political authority in the presence of the Holy Roman Empire. Lying signs deceived the unbelievers who dwelt on the earth, and fire from heaven in the form of the power of excommunication, caused all to worship as he decreed. During the years of his authority, moreover, the power of excommunication caused only those who were Roman to be able to participate in the economy.
Return to revelation index of studies
Christine’s book The Revelation of Jesus Christ Revealed, based on these studies but greatly expanded, is now available at Revelation Revealed Online. You may also be interested in reading the Book Extras and joining in on the Discussion.
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