Another Terrible Beast & the “Mark of the Beast"

Revelation 13:11-18

In Rev 12, John explains the spiritual, “behind-the-scenes” role that Satan will play in the future Tribulation. He portrays Satan as a hideous dragon who will attempt to derail God’s plan, dethrone Christ, and devour God’s people.

In Rev 13, he introduces two people as Satan’s key human accomplices in his ultimate endgame strategy. He portrays these men not as dragons but beasts – monstrous and vicious creatures who devour their prey in a clever, bloodthirsty way. The first he envisioned as a beast from the sea, who is the Antichrist, but what about the second?

The second beast will be a powerful accomplice to the Antichrist. (Rev 13:11-13)

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. (13:11)

Though this will be a different person from the antichrist (the first beast), it will be similar in character and nature as a bloodthirsty predator. That the first beast emerges from the sea while the second beast emerges from the land indicates an inferior, secondary status to the first beast, because ancient people viewed sea creatures as more imposing and powerful than their dry land counterparts (a killer whale is more fearsome than a lion, for instance, and a great white shark is more terrifying than a grizzly bear).[1]

John describes this second beast as resembling both a lamb and a dragon. As a lamb, he appeared with two horns on his head, noticeable fewer than the seven horns of the suffering and victorious lamb in God’s throne room (Rev 5:4). The similarity between the lamb in God’s throne room and the beast from the earth indicates an attempt at impersonating the Messiah. The difference in the number of horns, however, indicates a distinctly inferior nature and status.

This beast also resembled a dragon, esp. through his speech. Though he will be less impressive than the first beast (the antichrist), he will rely less on brute force and governmental power to accomplish his ends and far more on deceptive and satanically empowered words and persuasive ability. Later in the book, John will call this second person “the false prophet” (Rev 19:20; 20:10). He will serve as a mouthpiece for Satan and will be essentially a “dragon in sheep’s clothing.”

And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (13:12)

The antichrist will fully authorize and endorse this person to carry out his satanic agenda. This person will be his official spokesperson, something like a chief ambassador and press secretary combined.

His primary agenda will be religious in nature as he aims to persuade the global population to worship the antichrist. His messaging will apparently emphasize the antichrist’s stunning recovery from an apparently deadly wound, which will be a key factor in persuading people to exchange their many other religions for him.

He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. (13:13)

This false prophet will accompany his deceptive messaging with stunning sensational signs. These signs will be real supernatural displays, not some low-level trickery or amateur showmanship. He will even call fire down from heaven, much like Elijah in the Old Testament (OT) and God’s own two tribulation witnesses (Rev 11:5). They will also attempt to rival the sign miracles that John himself recorded from Christ’s earthly ministry in the Gospel of John.

This false prophet will persuade people to worship the Antichrist. (Rev 13:14-15)

And he deceives those who dwell on the earth – by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. (13:14)

John continues to emphasize this false prophet's deceptive and effective agenda as an ambassador for the antichrist. He also introduces a new detail to the narrative by mentioning an “image to the beast,” something which he will mention 9 more times in the book, including 3 more times in Rev 13:5 (cf. 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4).

• This image may foreshadow something like the antichrist’s likeness impressed on monetary currency, like the imprint of Caesars on ancient Roman coins or of Presidents on modern American coins (Matt 22:20).
• It’s also possible, and perhaps more likely, that it foreshadows an actual statue. This interpretation seems to correlate more closely with John’s later descriptions of this image, and it also strongly resembles how Nebuchadnezzar erected a statue of himself to be worshipped by all (Dan 3:4-6).

We also learn more here about the deadly wound from which the antichrist appeared to have resurrected. It was inflicted by a sword, which refers to something closer to a knife (whether small or large) than a battle sword, so perhaps the wound will be inflicted in military battle, or perhaps as an attempt to assassinate him.

He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (13:15)

This false prophet will be granted the ability to in turn grant the appearance of life to this image. If this image is an idol or statue of some sort, for instance, then the false prophet will animate it by supernatural means so that it speaks. Whatever it says will cause the execution and martyrdom of anyone who refuses to worship it (as when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship the image of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan 3:1-11).

This false prophet will introduce the “mark of the beast” to the world.” (Rev 13:16-17)

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads. (13:16)

Whatever the statue says, it will also place a requirement on everyone else who worships the Antichrist. Rather than be executed, they must receive a mark, and this mark will be mandated for people from every economic status and social class, with no exceptions.

• In the first century, brandings like the one John describes were given to people as a mark of being a devoted, loyal slave to another person.
• The word mark itself was specifically used of a Roman emperor’s head or insignia placed on Roman coins.

As you probably know, explanations abound for what this mark will be, but they are all nothing more than speculation. Perhaps it will be a branding mark on the skin like a tattoo, or chip implanted under the skin, or something else entirely. The most recent suggestion I’ve heard, though highly implausible, is that it will be the COVID vaccination!

We simply cannot say for sure what this mark will be, neither should we be concerned about it today. If the antichrist and false prophet are not governing the world and a statue isn’t talking that requires such a mark, then we have nothing to fear. Nothing happening in the world today is the mark of this beast.

And that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (13:17)

John explains why it will be important for people to receive this mark of the beast during the second half of the tribulation. Presenting the mark will be a prerequisite for doing any economic business, whether as a buyer or seller. No legal financial transactions will occur without it, yet to receive this mark and be authorized to buy and sell, a person must first pledge their allegiance to the beast. As a result, anyone who accepts the mark will confirm their rejection of Christ, but anyone who is loyal to Christ will refuse the mark.

John also explains that this symbol will have a corresponding name, and both will have a corresponding number as well. This “mark” will entail a symbol, a word, and a number that are one and the same.

This “mark of the beast” will enable Christ’s followers to identify the Antichrist with certainty. (Rev 13:18)

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: his number is 666. (13:18)

Just as he did at the end of his description of the first beast, John once again offers a personal, practical response to what he saw. Bear in mind that these takeaways apply to those who will experience the Tribulation, not to believers who are in the world today. Knowing this rightly deters us from searching for immediate connections between this “number of the beast” and our economic and social activities today.

Though countless (pun intended) theories have been offered through church history about what this number means, we should take the advice of Irenaeus, who was influenced by the teaching of Polycarp, a disciple of John who wrote Revelation. Irenaeus warned that we should not waste our time and effort speculating about this number and the person it identifies until that person actually arrives on the scene.[2]

They will be able to calculate a number from his name or title.

As the other events of the Tribulation occur as John describes them, those who are loyal to Christ will be able to identify the antichrist conclusively by calculating a number from his name and vice versa. To understand how this may occur, consider how a few miscellaneous Greek manuscripts record this number as 616 rather than 666. There is no strong reason to view these as the correct manuscripts, but there is a good way to explain why this variant occurred.

The phrase “calculate the number” (or “count out the number”) refers to some sort of mathematical calculation that involves letters and numbers, much like what the ancient practice of gematria entails. This practice involved associating certain numbers with certain letters in the alphabet and then counting out the number of an associated word.

While this is not a good Bible study technic as it leads to many fanciful interpretations of Scripture and fails to read the Bible through the ordinary use of human language, we have clear Scriptural instructions to use something like gematria on this one occasion.

That said, the Latin name for Nero Caesar counted out to 616 through gematria, which would have been an enticing connection for copyists of Scripture to make, especially since he targeted Christians for persecution. As fascinating as this connection may be, the number 666 has far greater manuscript support. What’s more, Irenaeus (mentioned above) was aware of the 616 variant and discounted it as a copyist mistake.[3]

This number refers to the number of a man not the “number of man.”

Some Bible teachers will suggest that the number 666 represents fallen mankind in some symbolic way. To do so, they will point out that many have associated the numeral 6 with fallen mankind in contrast with numeral 7 as representing God’s perfection. On this basis, they will suggest that this number refers both emphatically and symbolically to mankind’s fallen, rebellious nature by its threefold use of the numeral 6.

While this number may convey such symbology, for the antichrist and his program will surely epitomize man’s fallen, sinful state, this interpretation must at the most be secondary and additional to the primary interpretation of John’s statement. “Calculate the number” distinctly means to “count out the number” and conveys a technical, mathematical sense, not symbolic or allegorical.

But the number of what? The number of a particular person’s name, namely the antichrist.[4] and doing this will enable God’s people to positively identify a particular person when he appears, namely the antichrist. Whereas the name of an emperor like Nero Caesar could be “counted out” to be 616, in a similar way the identity, name, or title of the antichrist will be countable to 666.

Why would this number be helpful for John to mention? Because it will provide Christ’s loyal followers, who will experience the most intense persecution ever during the Tribulation, with a clear and objective way to identify the antichrist. This will be a strategic way to overcome the overpowering deception of the antichrist and the messaging agenda of his false prophet.

Key Takeaways

Don’t let even the most impressive people lure you away from Christ.

Though we’re not in the Tribulation today, the world is always experiencing a steady stream of antichrist personalities. According to John, who wrote Revelation, these “antichrists” have been active since the first century of the church, and they will continue in a steady parade until the final and ultimate antichrist appears on the world stage.

Here’s what John said in another letter he wrote: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18).

Such people attempt to persuade people to follow them as though they are Christ himself or as though they are leading them to him. They attempt to lead people astray through persuasive speech and impressive, supernatural accomplishments and may even relate to human government in some cases.

What matters for us today is not figuring out who the ultimate Antichrist will be but identifying and steering clear of the false teaching and influence of the various antichrist influencers who enter our lives today through coworkers, neighbors, friends, books, radio, television, and internet platforms.

When loyalty to Christ and economic prosperity collide, choose Christ.

Since we’re not in the Tribulation today and true followers of Christ are unable to lose their salvation by any means, the actual mark of the beast is not a concern for us. This mark and its economic consequences will be a crisis for Christ’s followers during the Tribulation, esp. during the second half, the final three-and-a-half years.

Even so, we should learn from this future crisis by examining whether we have chosen (or are being tempted to choose) economic prosperity and financial success over obedience to Christ. We do this whenever we make career, investment, job, and other monetary choices that prevent us from obeying and worshiping Christ as he teaches us to do in the New Testament (NT).

This will be the underlying point of crisis for believers in the second half of the Tribulation, as they will be forced to trade away loyalty to Christ for economic prosperity and meeting essential needs. There are believers in the world today who experience this trial to one degree or another, but this trial is more deceptive in America as we make slow, increasing, progressive choices to advance ourselves economically while giving less of our effort, resources, and time to (1) maturing our relationship with Christ, (2) appearing, giving, and serving with your church, and (3) advancing the kingdom of God by spreading the gospel and making disciples through your life.

Don’t superimpose features exclusive to the Tribulation onto world news today.

I’ve hinted at this takeaway throughout our study of Revelation thus far and have done so even in this lesson. We should resist the urge to speculate about surveying world news to identify things like:

• the one world order
• the emerging universal religion
• the antichrist
• a league of nations
• the mark of the beast, etc.

Such things will occur and emerge onto the world scene, but Christ will remove his church from the world when those things occur so they will not affect us.

What’s more, even if we could identify these things, what would we do? We have no command from Christ to fight against these developments or seek to change them. In fact, John has already forewarned us that those who experience these things should not resist but can only endure with patience (Rev 13:9-10). Believers have speculated about these things from the earliest centuries and have always turned out to be wrong, so who are we kidding that we will do better than them. Let’s focus instead on what truly matters.

The objective guidance of Scripture equips us to avoid even the strongest deceptions.

Though we’re unable to identify the name, number, or symbol of the Antichrist today, we know that when that day comes, Christ has provided a clear and objective way to do so. That period will be overrun by the most powerful and persuasive program of deception in the history of the world, so it is encouraging to know that even then, God will have already provided his people with clear and objective guidance.

Though we’re not encountering the antichrist today, we encounter many other lesser antichrist influences of various kinds, not to mention our own fleshly desires and temptations. As in the Tribulation, our only hope to fruitful perseverance and faithful living is to stay closely in tune with the clear teaching of Scripture, both through regular personal reading and study and through the faithful preaching and teaching ministry of the churches where God has placed us.

Whenever a professing believer drifts away from regular personal study of God’s Word and regular personal instruction in God’s Word from their church, then they expose themselves to many deceptions which may even lead them so far astray that they turn out to have been no true believer at all.

*****
[1] Stuart, Apocalypse, 645, cited by Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1995). 172.

[2] Irenaeus, Contra Haereses v. 30. 3.

[3] Bruce Manning Metzger and United Bible Societies, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition a Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament, 4th rev. ed. (London; New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 676.

[4] Buist M. Fanning, Revelation, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 379.