Chapter 12 – Revelation 13 – Counting the Number of the Beast

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TIME & PLACE

Almost 2,000 years pass between the events of Revelation 12 and Revelation 13 – The gap while Israel are scattered from their Land.

Chapter 13 opens in the End times –

          ‘And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea.’ Rev. 13:1

The Beast of the Sea has 7 Heads and 10 horns – the same as the Great Red Dragon in the previous chapter –

But the Beast of the Sea has 10 crowns on its HORNS – not 7 crowns on its Heads  – 

Revelation 12 depicts the Days of Herod the Great when he ruled over the 7 nations given to Israel (7 crowns)

– “He overthrew 7 nations in Canaan, giving their land to His People.” Acts 13:19

Revelation 13 depicts the same place as chapter 12 – The Promised Land

(See Land of 7 & 10)

But  Revelation 13 depicts a different period – The End Times, when Israel are back in the Land and her neighbours also have self-rule (10 crowns) – 

Revelation 13 concerns the Beast with ‘7 Heads & 10 Horns‘ that is also found in Revelation 17 where Heads & Horns represent Kingdoms  (For more information on this Beast see notes for Revelation 17 – coming soon).

            BEAST OF SEA                   BEAST OF BOTTOMLESS PIT

The above comparison shows that the ‘Beast of the Sea’ and the ‘Beast of the Bottomless Pit’ (Abyss) are one and the same. It’s an overview of Iran and proxies (who have the spirit of Hitler) conquering Israel.

MANY SYMBOLS FOR ISRAEL

In Revelation 13:7 The Jews  are referred to as ‘The Holy Ones’.

The parallel account in Revelation 17:16 refers to Israel as ‘The Prostitute’ (Harlot). 

Revelation 11 refers to Israel as ‘2 Witnesses‘.

Revelation 13 ends by calling Israel the ‘Beast of the Earth‘.

Israel has many titles throughout Revelation –  they ‘witness’ as the chosen nation that lost their place ‘In Heaven’ and fell to ‘Earth’.

ISRAEL – THE EMPOWERED BEAST

Israel has an empowered witness back in the land – but only for a limited time –

“The second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people.”  Rev. 13:13

This description matches that of the 2 Witnesses of Revelation 11 – also talking of Israel and Judah back in the land who perform signs –

(See 2 Witnesses)

The message focuses on the rise of Israel in ‘End Times’ as a ‘Beast of the Earth’, and their witness (in their rejection of Christ) in the Promised Land

Revelation 19 refers to this witness of Israel (Beast of the Earth)
performing signs in the presence of the ‘Beast of the Sea’, and Israel is given yet another title – ‘The False Prophet’.

By comparing the prophecies, we can see that the ‘2^nd Beast’ and the ‘False Prophet’ are one and the same. They perform great signs which deceive in the presence of the Beast of the Sea.

The prophecies are talking about Israel’s empowered witness over their enemies. But when the time of their empowered victories end, so does their Earthly Kingdom – to be rolled up as a scroll and replaced with ‘New Jerusalem’ – the Kingdom of God that comes down from Heaven.

See The Dragon, The Beast & The False Prophet

V 18 “This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.”

This riddle is simplified by comparing the clues with other parts of scripture.

We are told that the Beast is actually a man who “performs great signs” (v 13) and “deceives” people (v 14) – the works of Satan.  We also know that they rise from the earth (Israel) in the final generation (days of the 10 crowned horns).

Paul speaks of a man fitting this description in 2 Thessalonians 2 –

The Lawless One, who fits this description, is Israel – they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them, by rejecting Jesus.

They also fit Paul’s description of the Lawless One having the works of Satan with every kind of power, sign and false wonder –

See: Man of Lawlessness Identified

The final part of the puzzle is to ‘count’ the number of the Beast. Paul tells us that ‘The Lawless One’  was restrained in his days –

           “And you know what is now restraining him that he may be revealed at the proper                    time.” 2 Thess. 2:6

Israel was ‘restrained’ at the time of Paul’s writing, by the Romans. Their entire time of being restrained under foreign/Beast rule lasted 666 years until they were scattered and banned from Jerusalem. This is the context of ‘counting the number of the Beast’. Not only was Israel under Beast rule, they became like all the other ‘Kingdoms of Men’ – in God’s eyes another ‘Beast Kingdom’ – See Jerusalem Becomes Babylon

A FLASH BACK

The ‘Beast of the Earth’ described as a serpent in Revelation 13 is a flash back to Eden –

“The serpent was more crafty than any beast of the earth”.

In Revelation another Beast rises out of the earth – It’s the final scene of the parable of the liar.

At the beginning of days a snake had slithered into God’s garden in Eden – at the end of days, apostate Israel  (who still don’t acknowledge Christ as their Messiah), occupy God’s holy city as the ‘Beast of the Earth’ who speaks as a serpent –

THE ANTICHRIST

This idea is picked up in 1 John 2

Who is the LIAR, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist. 1 John 2:15-22

Sadly, Israel still deny that Jesus is the Christ. They fit the description of ‘The AntiChrist’. This will change when they ‘look on the one they pierced’ as prophesied.

To Be Continued

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