The Beast
In the previous chapter the fact of Satan’s hostility to the “woman” and her seed is stated: in this the means or the instrumentalities by which he pursues his ends are detailed. They are the two “beasts” who, during Daniel’s last half-week, or the 1260 days, will be allowed to exercise their undisputed sway in opposition to God, to His Christ and to His people. The scene of the visions in the last chapter is in heaven. Here the stand-point of the prophet is the sand of the sea. He writes, “And I stood [Some read, “And he stood,” etc. In that case it would refer to the dragon; but the context is, as we judge, in favor of the accepted text.] 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 [The more generally accepted reading is “names.”] of blasphemy” (vs. 1). If we now turn to the prophet Daniel it will aid us in the interpretation of this vision. He says, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.” The first, he tells us, “was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings;” the second “like to a bear;” the third “like a leopard;” but the fourth was “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.” (Dan. 7:2-72Daniel 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. (Daniel 7:2‑7)) We learn, moreover, that this fourth beast will continue until the Ancient of days shall sit; and that, upon the beast having been slain, the dominion and glory and kingdom are given to One like the Son of Man. (Dan. 72Daniel 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. (Daniel 7:2‑7); see also chapter 2.) From the same prophet we learn that the first three “beasts” represent the monarchies of Babylon, Persia, and Greece; and we also know from Scripture that the successor of Greece in sovereignty over the prophetic earth is the Roman Empire. Observe, moreover, that this last form of Gentile sovereignty continues until the end; and this enables us at once to identify the first beast of our chapter with Daniel’s fourth beast. We also find from verse 2, that this beast of the Apocalypse combines in himself all the characteristics of his three predecessors, for he was “like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion.” At the time of John’s vision the first three beasts and their kingdoms had forever passed away. The fourth had come into their place, and had inherited all their characteristic features, as well as their sovereignty.
We may now examine the vision a little more closely. The beast rises up out of the sea looking back to the origin of the Roman Empire, though seen here in its developed character at the end. The sea is a figure for a disturbed state of the nations, masses of the people in commotion, as for example in times of insurrection or revolution. It was out of such a state of things that the Roman dominion had sprung into existence. There has been in modern days a remarkable exemplification of a similar phenomenon. The first Napoleon suddenly emerged into view out of the confusion of a revolutionary period, and very soon asserted his power and extended his sway over half of Europe. The difference is only in the fact that in his case it was the sudden rise of a person more like the little horn of Daniel 7; whereas here it was rather the Roman power, although seen at the end incarnated in an individual head.
This beast, the imperial head of the revived Roman Empire, has seven heads, or forms of government, and, as pointed out in Revelation 12, therein completeness; and he has ten horns, on all of which are diadems, indicating the fact repeated again and again (See Dan. 2:77They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. (Daniel 2:7); also Rev. 17:1212And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (Revelation 17:12)), that the dominion of the beast is composed of ten kingdoms, having their respective sovereigns, but allied together in a common federation under his imperial sway.
The moral character of this last representative of Gentile sovereignty is exhibited in one word—he has upon his heads the names of blasphemy. He not only is indifferent to God and His claims, but he is in open and wicked opposition to Him, and avowedly so before the eyes of men. Does anyone wonder that such a monster could be tolerated on the earth? If so, let him remember that a neighboring country has recently had infidel and atheistic governments; and that, in response to the invitation of such, thousands could rush over from “Christian” England to assist at the commemoration of a revolution which sought to dethrone God and to deify man and the reason of man. Ah no, men were not shocked; for indeed the course of modern thought and of politics is fast paving the way for the apostasy, and the appearance of these names of blasphemy, adorned as they will be, with all that which excites the admiration of man as man. The rule of this last Gentile monarch will be the expression of all the preceding monarchies. He will be distinguished by the strength and majesty of the first, the voracity of the second, and the swiftness of the third, added to his own irresistible and relentless power. (See Dan. 7:4-74The 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. (Daniel 7:4‑7) with verse 2.)
We have next the source of his dominion unveiled. “And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority” (vs. 2). He is therefore characterized by Satan’s inspiration and energy. Such is the picture presented to us, delineated by an infallible hand, of the last governmental power on the earth before the coming of Christ to establish His kingdom.
In the following verses we have a brief and figurative description of the resuscitation of the Roman empire, and an account of the place and supremacy of its head during his brief career. “And I saw,” says John, “one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world [the whole earth] wondered after the beast” (vs. 3). In Revelation 17 we read, “The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And 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. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition” (Ch. 17:9-11). Combining these two scriptures, and recalling the fact that the heads are symbols of forms of government, or governing powers (“kings”), the interpretation is not difficult. At the time of the vision five of these governing powers, in the various vicissitudes of the Roman dominion, had passed away; but “one is” said the angel, and that one was the imperial, for Rome then had its emperors. There was, however, another to arise before the advent of the beast, one who, like perhaps Napoleon I, was to “continue a short space,” (Ch. 17:10) and then, with what interval we are not told, the beast would appear, an eighth; for Satan ever imitates, and thus even here would dazzle the minds of men by the semblance of a resurrection (of which “eight” is the symbolic number). But while the beast is the eighth, he is yet of the seven, and only, therefore, possesses seven heads. The conclusion from these scriptures is evidently that the “head,” wounded as it were to death, was the imperial one, seen too in the fact of the destruction and disappearance of the old Roman empire, which today, and for centuries past, save in the attempt of Napoleon to revive it, has clean gone from human view. When, therefore, we are told that the “deadly wound was healed,” (vs. 5) it will mean that this imperial form of government will be restored in connection with the beast of our chapter. These eight heads are often, and probably truly, reckoned thus: (1) Kings, (2) Consuls, (3) Dictators, (4) Decemvirs, (5) Military Tribunes, (6) Caesars, (7) Napoleon I, (8) The Beast out of the abyss. These will include all the governmental heads of the Roman Empire until the appearing of Christ. It is this unexpected revival that will astonish, and excite the admiration of the whole earth.
Two effects follow, effects awful to contemplate, but none the less certain. First, “they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast” (vs. 4). And who are the “they”? The eighth verse, though speaking there of the beast, answers the question. They are all those who are outside of God’s elect saints, elect saints on earth after the rapture of the church. It will include, therefore, the inhabitants of the prophetic earth, where Christianity was once professed, but who now, “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” are under a “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (2 Thess. 2:10-1110And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thessalonians 2:10‑11)). Such is to be the final issue of modern civilization, progress in thought, art, and science, yet men will pay homage to Satan. It is not only that they will have cast off all fear of God from before their eyes, but they will also enthrone Satan in His place. Secondly, they will likewise worship the beast. They will “worship” him because of his wisdom and power; for so blinded will they be, that they will not be able to discern between what is of Satan and what is of God. Vague foreshadowings of this satanic delusion are constantly seen when men prostrate themselves before statesmen or warriors on account of their genius, foresight, and skill in the conduct of affairs. The private lives of the objects of their homage may be ever so corrupt, but all is condoned under the influence of their intellectual brilliance.
The character, duration and exploits of the beast are next given. The reader will note the repetition of the phrase, there was “given unto him” (vss. 5,7), a phrase explained by verses 2 and 4, reminding us that not only is the beast’s power derived, but also that it was derived from Satan. The time, it must be remembered, is after the church has been caught away and before the appearing of Christ, an interval during which God will own no power on the earth until He takes His own in the person of the true King. First of all the beast has a mouth “speaking great things and blasphemies” (vs. 5). He will be a boaster, puffed up, like his god Satan, with the sense of his own merits and excellencies; and in his daring impiety he will open “his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven” (vs. 6). He cannot rid himself of God, of heaven, or of the heavenly saints, but in the impotence of his rage, exulting in his earthly supremacy, he vents his wicked heart in insolent blasphemies. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have him in derision” (Psa. 2:44He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. (Psalm 2:4)). In the next place, we find again that the duration of his career will be forty and two months—the 1260 days, the last half-week of Daniel’s prophecy, completing his seventy weeks. (See Rev. 11:22But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (Revelation 11:2), Rev. 12:6-146And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14And to the woman were given two wings of a 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. (Revelation 12:6‑14).)
As this period of time has often been mentioned, it may be stated, for the information of the reader, that Daniel’s seventy weeks, weeks of years, and therefore 490 in all, date “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:2525Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. (Daniel 9:25)); that is, from the twentieth year of Artaxerxes. (See Neh. 25And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. (Nehemiah 3:5).) This is believed to correspond with 454 or 455 B.C. The seventy weeks are divided by Gabriel into three periods— seven, sixty-two, and one. “Unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks” (Dan. 9:2525Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. (Daniel 9:25)); and hence after Christ came, the last week only remained. But He was rejected, and the predicted era of blessing has consequently been postponed; and we thus read of that last week, the seventieth, appearing in connection with a covenant to be made with the mass of the Jewish people by the future head of the Roman empire, the first beast of Revelation 13. (See Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27).) This covenant is broken in the middle of the week, and it is the last half of it that forms the 1260 days or the 42 months of Revelation. For faith the ministry of Christ occupied the first half of the last week; and hence it is that, whether in Matthew 2427For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:27) or in Revelation, we have only the record of the last half, the 1260 days.
Two other particulars are added: “It was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (vss. 7-8). The saints against whom he will wage war are those specified in the previous chapter (Ch. 12:17); he being in this, as indeed in all else, but Satan’s instrument. God allows them to be overcome (compare Matt. 24:9-109Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. (Matthew 24:9‑10)), not all of them as we learn after, but many, to test their faith and to purify His people in the furnace of affliction. Moreover, the beast will be irresistible in his might, for “all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (vs. 7) will acknowledge his sway. Save the elect, all men also will worship the beast—all that dwell upon the earth, and this expression now, losing its special moral significance, will include every one, within this sphere, except God’s people. It will only be the revival of the old Roman custom of paying homage, and offering incense, to images of the emperor. This relic of heathenism is shocking enough to the Christian mind, but in the deification of intellect and human power already proceeding with such rapid steps, the way will be easily prepared for its restoration. All these who will worship the beast are said not to have their names written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Compare Rev. 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15).) Those whose names were written in it did not therefore join in this idolatrous worship. One point of difference between the earthly saints thus negatively indicated and the heavenly saints may be noted. The latter are said to be chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, whereas the former’s election only dates from the world’s foundation. It is but another proof of how carefully the saints that form the church, as united to Christ, are distinguished from all others, whatever their blessedness.
This part of the chapter closes with a special proclamation. Solemn attention is called to it by the cry, “If any man have an ear, let him hear”; and then it is added, “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (vss. 9-10). Two things are here contained. First, the assurance that divine judgment should surely fall upon the beast, the persecutor of the saints, and that he should be dealt with in the manner in which he had dealt with them (see Psa. 137:88O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. (Psalm 137:8)) and second, the attitude of the saints in the midst of this unparalleled tribulation must be one of “unresisting patience,” the attitude of our Lord Himself, who when the hour of man and the power of darkness had come, suffered Himself to be “brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.” (Isa. 53:77He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)) The faith and patience of the saints would be displayed in their confidence in God, and in their meek endurance of the fiery trial through which they would have to pass. (Compare Jer. 15:22And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. (Jeremiah 15:2).)
The Antichrist
In this section of our book we have no less a personage than the antichrist introduced. Again and again his appearance on the scene is predicted, both by prophets of the Old Testament and by apostles of the New; and now at last, we are permitted to see him emerge into view, and to read the character of his power and kingdom as delineated by the Spirit of God through His servant John. In a few brief words this diabolical instrument is described: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (vs. 11).
Unlike the first beast of this chapter, who rose up out of the sea, out of the masses of the people in a state of lawless confusion, the antichrist comes up out of the earth. The earth is a symbol of organized and ordered government; and we learn, therefore, that he gets his place in a regular governmental or political manner—obtains his sway after a legal form; and consequently his position will be in accord with the civil and political arrangements of the period.
Before proceeding to consider the account here given, it may be well to answer two or three questions to enable the reader to pursue the subject more intelligently. First, then, it may be inquired, Have we any information as to who the antichrist will be? From a passage in Daniel it appears that he will be a Jew, an apostate Jew. Speaking of “the king,” who undoubtedly is the antichrist (Compare Dan. 11:3636And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. (Daniel 11:36) with 2 Thess. 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 says, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers” (Dan. 11:3737Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. (Daniel 11:37)), that is, Jehovah as revealed to Israel. Our Lord’s words point to the same conclusion. He said, speaking to the Jews, “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (John 5:4343I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43)). The very contrast drawn with Himself shows that our Lord had the antichrist in view; and it is thus sufficiently plain, without offering as examples other scriptures bearing on the point, that this false usurper will spring out of the Jewish nation.
This conclusion, together with many indications in the Apocalypse, enables us with certainty to determine the next point as to the place and seat of his power. It will be Jerusalem; for at that time the Jews will have returned in unbelief, and will have built their temple (see Rev. 113And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. (Revelation 11:3‑4)), and, as a consequence, will be morally ready to receive a false Christ. (See Matt. 243And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (Matthew 24:3‑4).) The apostle Paul declares plainly that this “man of sin,” “the son of perdition,” will sit “in the temple of God, showing himself that he is god” (2 Thess. 2:3-43Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who 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 2:3‑4)); and we know the temple will be at Jerusalem. Lastly, we may again answer the question as to the period indicated. It has been already explained, more than once, that these events take place after the rapture of the church, and before the appearing of Christ.
This is entirely corroborated by the apostle’s statement in 2 Thessalonians 2. He says, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he [‘the man of sin’] might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [restraineth], will let [restrain], until he be taken out of the way.” (vss. 6-7) (It has sometimes been contended that this clause ought to be translated, “until he be developed out of the midst,” and many quotations from the classics are given in support; the object being to prove that the church will be here at the same time as the antichrist, and thus will have to pass through the great tribulation. Having through some pains to examine the alleged use of the phrase, we found that in no single instance did the citation sustain the contention.) “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thess. 2:88And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:8)). The Spirit of God in the church, though the mystery of iniquity already works, restrains and will restrain the manifestation of the evil in the person of the “son of perdition” (The careful reader will recall the fact that the Lord applies this term to Judas.) until He departs with the church. Then room is made for the revelation of this incarnation of evil, and he will continue until destroyed by the Lord Himself at His appearing. It is clear, therefore, beyond all question, that the interval between the Lord’s coming for His saints and His appearing in glory is the period of the antichrist’s rise and power.
Returning now to our chapter, two things are specially noted. First, this beast had two horns like a lamb. Claiming to be the expected Messiah, he imitates, assumes the appearance of, the true Christ. He was like a lamb in the vision; and, moreover, he had two horns; he had, that is, two of the forms of power which Christ as the Messiah will exercise. These are here the forms of prophetic and kingly power. Satan could not now give the third form, that of the priest; for he had lost his anti-priestly place when he was cast down out of heaven. (See Rev. 12:9-109And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:9‑10).) The other two he bestows upon his blind tool that he might lure therewith the Jewish nation to destruction. As ever, he will resort to imitation in order to deceive the unwary and to accomplish their eternal ruin. (Compare 2 Cor. 11:13-15; 213For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:13‑15)
13I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. 14Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. 15For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: (2 Corinthians 2:13‑15) Tim. 3:8.) Assume, however, whatever appearance he may, he cannot morally change his nature; for he spake as a dragon. The dragon is Satan (Rev. 129And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:9‑10); also verses 23), and hence, if lamb-like in form, his speech betrays him. Those taught of God, therefore, in spite of his pretensions, will discern his true character; for the sheep know the voice of the good Shepherd, and they know not the voice of strangers (John 109I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:9‑10)). So too, as we read in John’s epistle, the babes in the family of God, warned against the many antichrists already in the world, shadows and forerunners of the antichrist, are reminded that they have an unction from the Holy One and know all things. No saint of God, therefore, need be led astray, however specious the deception presented.
We have next the twofold form of his power— what may be termed civil, or governmental, and religious power. “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (vs. 12). We gather from the first part of this description that the antichrist will be a kind of vicegerent of the imperial head of the Roman Empire; and consequently that he will be sustained in his position by all that monarch’s forces. There may be a special reason for this. It is evident from other scriptures that the antichrist, during his sway, will be exposed to attacks from the “king of the north,” or the Assyrian (see Dan. 11:40-4540And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:40‑45)); and it would seem from another prophecy, that the antichrist will enter into a league with the Roman power to make common cause against his adversary. (See Isa. 28:14-2214Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 16Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. 19From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. 20For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. 21For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. 22Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth. (Isaiah 28:14‑22).) This may account for the fact here stated that he exercises all the power of the first beast before it. In return for the Roman support, he assumes the office of prophet to the imperial head and compels men to worship the first beast. It was a common thing for Roman emperors in the past to demand divine honors; and once more, as we here learn, the same thing will be witnessed in the world’s history. The almost miraculous resuscitation of the imperial governmental form of power, when the “deadly wound” is healed (vs. 3), will make the world wonder after the beast, and will, at the same time, prepare the way for its deification. The poor world, with all its vaunted wisdom and enlightenment, will be unable to distinguish between divine and satanic power. And the culmination of its progress and civilization will be seen in the worship of the image of a man. Men will readily fall into the snare under the blinding influences of the strong delusion which God, in judgment, will send upon them, “that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned [judged] who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:11-1211And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:11‑12)).
Moreover, he will sustain his claims by miraculous displays of power. Like Elijah, he will cause fire to “come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men” (vs. 13); and even as the Lord Himself, he will work miracles to accredit his mission (compare 2 Thess. 2:99Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:9)), and to prove the first beast’s title to divine homage. Thereby he will deceive “them that dwell on the earth,” and induce them to “make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live” (vs. 14).
He is permitted to go still further under the inspiration of Satan; for he will have “power to give life [not life, but breath] unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (vs. 15). Nebuchadnezzar went far, when he erected his image of gold in the plain of Dura, and issued a decree that all men should worship it, with the penalty of the burning fiery furnace if they refused. The antichrist will go still further; for his image, instinct with its diabolical breath and the mouthpiece of Satan in its utterances, will fill the minds of its worshippers with fear and dread, so that all, excepting the elect of God (Rev. 13:88And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)), will be constrained to obey the behest of the antichrist, and to offer their homage to this creature of hell. They would not have God, and now they must worship Satan. Alas for man when he falls under the unhindered power of the devil!
The antichrist proceeds to regulate even commerce. He will cause “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (vss. 16-17). He will thus form a vast organization, composed of all save those whose names were written from the foundation of the world in the slain Lamb’s book of life, outside of which it will not be lawful to buy or sell. Every member of it must bear the mark of allegiance to the beast in order to possess the liberty to trade. Under the mask of the welfare of the empire, all will be subjected to this awful tyranny under the pains and penalties of the deprivation of the commonest liberty of the individual. Foreshadowings of this frightful abuse of authority are frequently seen even in this tolerant age, affording a sufficient warning to those whose eyes are opened, that the most absolute despotism may often be cloaked under a profession of the most liberal ideas, and giving also an indication of the ultimate goal of modern politics under the concealed guidance and inspiration of Satan.
The chapter concludes with the number of the beast, which is six hundred and sixty-six. And “here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man” (vs. 18). Many have been the attempts to unravel this mystery; but all have been in vain. And we conclude, from the analogy of Scripture, that it will be impossible to discover the secret before the beast’s appearance. When at length he shall come upon the scene, those who have the wisdom of God will be able to identify him by the number given; and they will thus be divinely forewarned. The indication here afforded is consequently for those who will be in the circumstances described.
It may be helpful to some if we add that in order to obtain a complete view of the antichrist the various scriptures on the subject must be combined. Here, as before said, we have his actings in Jerusalem and his relation to the imperial head of the Roman empire; in Daniel we see him menaced by the king of the north, or the Assyrian; in 2 Thessalonians 2 he is presented in relation to Judaism which he seeks to set aside and supersede by claiming divine homage for himself; whereas in John’s epistle he is seen as the denier of the Father and the Son that is, of Christianity as so revealed. (1 John 2:2222Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22); see also 2 John 77For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 7).) What a contrast between the Christ of God and the antichrist of Satan! And let it not be forgotten that the mystery of lawlessness is already working, that many antichrists are abroad at this moment in the world, who by their specious and subtle reasonings upon the Word of God, are fast preparing the minds of men for the total rejection of all revealed truth, and thus to accept the guidance of Satan in the place of that of the Holy Spirit of God.
The attempt has often been made to unravel the mystery of the number 666 by “calculations according to the Greek value of the constituent letters” of the supposed name of the antichrist. This has opened the door, as will readily be perceived, to endless speculations. One of the earliest solutions offered was “Lateinos”; and a current one is “Napoleon,” the letters in both cases, when taken according to their Greek numerical values, making up the required 666. But, as observed, the solution of the number will never be reached until the actual appearance of the antichrist. Then, and not till then, his correspondence with the prediction will be easily detected by God’s people on the earth.