Who Is the Beast?
1. The beast has a spiritual nature.
“The beast comes up from the abyss” (Revelation
11:7).
In reading the references on abyss (Revelation
9:1–11; 16:13–14; and 20:1–3, 7), it becomes clear that
the abyss is a prison, not of this physical world, but of
the spiritual realm. Therefore, the beast, who comes
from the abyss, will be of a spiritual nature.
2. The beast has a physical nature.
“The beast … will attack them, and overpower and
kill them” (Revelation 11:7).
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“One of the heads of the beast seems to have had
a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed”
(Revelation 13:3).
“The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery
lake of burning sulfur” (Revelation 19:20).
Another aspect of the beast, then, is that physical
mankind is part of it. The beast is an entity that is
both spiritual and physical. It receives its authority
and power from satan (Revelation 13:4–8), and has
control of the family of satan. It may be easier to see
how the family of satan and the beast are a spiritual
as well as a physical entity by comparing them to the
family of God and the church.
Please note: This comparison is used only with
the following explanation. When one is born into the
kingdom of heaven, he crosses over God’s line into
the kingdom of heaven. Although he is still in the
world and he is still physically alive, he has become
a part of the spiritual realm as born again. Therefore,
the kingdom of heaven is made up of both the spiritual
kingdom of God in heaven and the physical
kingdom on earth, the true church.
In a similar manner, satan’s realm, described as the
beast, is comprised of both the spirit realm and the
physical world. Revelation 19:20–21 says,
But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who
had performed miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs,
he deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and
worship his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the
fiery lake of burning sulfur, and the rest of them were killed with
the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,
and all the birds gorge themselves on their flesh.
These verses speak of the beast and the false prophet being captured
and thrown alive into the lake of burning sulfur and the rest of the
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family of satan being killed by the sword of Jesus. There are divisions
between the beast, the false prophet, and the rest in that the beast
and the false prophet had deluded, (verse 20) those who had received
the mark. So, they, the beast and false prophet, received swifter punishment. The
combined forces of satan’s demons and those of mankind
who give themselves to satan (satanic church) led, entrapped,
and coerced others into following satan’s deceptions. Therefore, the
family of satan has leadership. Just as in many organizations, including
the true church, there are a few leaders, but the majority is followers. Thus,
the satanic church, false prophet, etc., are the physical
portion of the beast and will be thrown immediately into the lake
of fire.
Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that
comes up from the abyss will attack them, and overpower and
kill them.
Revelation 11:7
The beast will indeed attack, overpower, and kill a part of the last
generation of Christians who are called “the two witnesses.” In Revelation
11:2b-7 is a very subtle description of the greatest battle in all
of earth’s history: the spiritual battle between the family of God and
the family of satan in the last generation of mankind.
The Battle
This battle will not be a military battle.
It will not be fought along national boundaries.
It will not be fought according to racial boundaries.
It will not be fought according to ecclesiastical,
denominational, or church boundaries.
It will not necessarily be fought by those in high
positions in God’s churches, nor in satan’s.
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This battle will be fought by physical mankind.
It will be directed from the spirit realm.
It will be fought by Christians who are led by the
Holy Spirit.
It will be fought by satanists who are dominated by
satan.
It will be fought for all mankind and will affect all
mankind.
This battle is not for property, prestige, or any other physical thing. This battle will be and is for the souls of mankind.
The Nature of the Battle
The nature of the battle, as fought by the family of God, will be for
the purpose of proclaiming a witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ
to the family of satan. The two witnesses will neither purposefully
offend nor be angry with the enemy, nor will they fight physically
with him. Their battle will be somewhat like the one Jesus fought.
As Jesus was being arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, the
disciples asked, “Lord, shall we strike with swords?” And one of
them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. But
Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear
and healed him” (Luke 22:49–51).
The Bible says,
The chief priest accused him of many things. So again Pilate
asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things
they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and
Pilate was amazed.
Mark 15:3–5
Although Jesus could have called more than twelve legions of angels
(Matthew 26:53) to his defense, he allowed them to accuse, condemn,
and crucify him on the cross in order to bear witness and
provide salvation for a lost world. Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted
up from the earth, will draw all men to myself ” ( John 12:32).
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Like Jesus, the two witnesses will not fight back but will, as
result of their witness, be accused, condemned, and killed by the
beast. The nature of the battle proves that God will go to the last
mile to provide a witness to all mankind; even to those who reject
him and fight against him and his people.
The nature of the battle in regard to the family of satan is one of
deception, control, manipulation, prison, and death. This battle has
been in progress since the Garden of Eden; however, the full extent
of it will not be seen until the events described in chapters 11 and 13
have begun.
satan is the great deceiver and the father of lies. As a spiritual
being and prince of the air, he has sufficient knowledge and experience
gained from the time of the Garden of Eden until now to
manipulate and sometimes deceive even the strongest of the family
of God. It has been my observation that satan has been particularly
effective in deceiving Christians in the use of God’s physical
resources (offerings in particular), in desires (materialism), and in
relationships, whether in the family or in the church. It seems all too
often that those whom satan can manipulate are found in positions
of authority in churches and church organizations.
satan is very deceptive, particularly in the United States of
America, through the school systems, movies, television, magazines,
business advertising, and recording industry. With these vehicles
of information, satan has manipulated and led mankind to virtually
discard family, discipline, and morality. He is using television
programs and cartoons, toys, and games to introduce our children to
satanic practices and worship. In many respects, the Christian world
has been asleep and has allowed satan to deceive and destroy even
our own children. Please refer to Matthew 13:24–30.
satan’s ultimate deception is prophesied in Revelation, as it
says,
Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the
first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered
them to set up an image in honor of the beast, who, was wounded
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by the sword and yet was healed. He was given power to give
breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and
cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also
forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to
receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no
one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name
of the beast or the number of his name.
Revelation 13:14–17
The day will come when people who have not chosen Jesus Christ
will be forced to worship satan. Though they shudder at the thought,
when satan’s deception is complete, they will either worship him or
die. Thus, the nature of satan’s battle is deceptive so as to control
mankind. When satan’s deception is complete, no one else will be
saved. He will be given power––ordained of God, given by Jesus
(Matthew 28:18)––to blaspheme God, to make war against the
saints, and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every
tribe, people, language, and nation (Revelation 13:6). Thus, satan will
be in control of physical mankind.
He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance
and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
Revelation 13:9–10
The nature of satan’s battle will also be to imprison and to kill. Through his family, satan has throughout the ages imprisoned and
killed God’s family. satan himself claims that he killed Jesus, that
Jesus is dead, and that Jesus was his ultimate sacrifice. All the apostles
were apparently killed and martyred. John was exiled on the
island of Patmos at the time of this vision (Revelation 1:19). Through
his manipulation of mankind, satan has continued to kill God’s people
throughout history (Revelation 18:24) and will continue to do
so until the time he is allowed to kill the two witnesses (Revelation
11:7–8). This is also referred to in Daniel 12:7b, that says, “When the
power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will
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be completed.” God has never prevented the killing or martyrdom
of his people; although, he has not allowed them to be completely
destroyed.
Why the Battle?
This battle of all battles will be for the souls of mankind. Those who
win the physical battle will lose the war, for the family of satan––the
beast, the false prophet, and those who have rejected Jesus Christ––
will be destroyed very quickly after having killed the two witnesses. Those who lose the battle shall indeed win the war, as seen as life
returns to the two witnesses and a voice from heaven instructs them
to “come up here” (Revelation 11:12).
This battle will be fought in the physical world but directed
from the spiritual realm. The two witnesses, who “are the two olive
trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the
earth” (Revelation 11:4), will be in such communication with God
as to know his will. Their prophesying will bring on earth every
kind of plague, as they have power from God through Jesus Christ
(Matthew 28:19). These two witnesses will not be novice Christians,
but those who have committed themselves totally to the lordship of
Jesus Christ. They are a few out of the last generation of Christians
who have prepared for war and have power to make war against
satan, his beast, the false prophet, and those who follow them. The
two witnesses enter the battle that mankind might not be deceived
by satan and that they may be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. The two
witnesses gain nothing for themselves by entering the battle, but do
so only for the love of the family of satan and their desire that they
might be saved.
The beast that kills the two witnesses is made up of those of mankind
who are directed by satan from the spirit realm (see description
of the beast, chapter 13). These persons will have committed themselves
to satan just as the two witnesses have committed themselves
to Jesus Christ. This commitment to satan is explained in Revelation
13:4, which states, “Men worshiped the dragon because he had
given authority to the beast, and they also worship the beast and ask,
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‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’” Also, Revelation
17:13 says, “They have one purpose and will give their power
and authority to the beast.” Thus, satan, from the spirit realm, will
direct his people to attack, overpower, and kill the two witnesses. The family of satan enters the battle for their own desire for power. They have rejected God their creator and chosen the destroyer as
their king (Revelation 9: 11). To the family of satan, having rejected
God, self is god and they desire power over others as did satan in his
rebellion in heaven. It is commonly known that those who come out
of satanism find it very hard to give up the powers they possess as
satan worshipers.
Thus, the reasons for the battle are very different. Although
both sides fight for the souls of mankind, the beast fights for his
own desires for power, but the two witnesses fight only for the salvation
of others.
The Location of the Battle
Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is
figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was
crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe,
language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse burial.
Revelation 11:8–9
The place where their bodies will lie is commonly interpreted to
be Jerusalem. The Living Bible (paraphrased) even names it Jerusalem. Yet,
interpreting the place as Jerusalem satisfies only one of the
descriptive phrases, “where also their Lord was crucified” (verse 8b). This leaves no explanation for the references to Sodom and Egypt.
As I prayed and searched for further understanding, my mind
centered on the words figuratively (niv) and spiritually (kjv). It would
have to be a place that would figuratively and spiritually be compared
to Sodom and to Egypt and to where our Lord was crucified.
A place like Sodom, spiritually speaking, would be a place that
is utterly engrossed in physical sin. There were none in Sodom who
were righteous, except Lot and his family (Genesis 19).
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A place like Egypt, spiritually speaking, would be a place that is
completely given to the worship of satan. Egypt in Bible times was
known for its idol worship. There was an idol god for everything.
When the Lord sent Moses to Egypt to free his people, he, through
Moses and Aaron, performed a miracle before Pharaoh. When Aaron
threw down the staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, it became
a snake. Exodus 7:11–12 says, “Pharaoh summoned wise men and sorcerers,
and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their
secret arts: each one threw down his staff, and it became a snake. But
Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.” No idol of stone, wood, or
any other earthly material could have turned staffs into snakes. As a
spiritual being, satan is the only one, other than God, who could have
done such a thing. Therefore, Egypt, figuratively and spiritually, represents
a place given to satan worship. Pharaoh and his sorcerers were
not dummies; they knew spiritual powers.
The third descriptive phrase of the great city is “where also their
Lord was crucified” (Revelation 11:8). Figuratively and spiritually
speaking, Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified, was the place of
the temple and the organized religious structure. The high priest,
Sadducees, scribes, etc., were those who supposedly worshiped God,
yet they falsely accused, condemned, and crucified Jesus. Thus, a
place that would represent where our Lord was crucified would be
a place of high religious fervor but no worship of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It is a place where people ritually worship, thinking they
worship God but they have the wrong message. They reject the true
God and Creator and Jesus Christ our Lord.
So, the great city is a place totally engrossed in 1) sin, 2) satan
worship, and 3) false religion. This city with these three descriptions
is not contained within the city limits of any one city, but is
indeed the whole world. This concept was born out of Revelation
11:9, “Men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze
on their bodies.” Also, Revelation 18:2–3 says,
Babylon has fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons,
a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean
and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of
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the wrath of her fornication and the kings of the earth have
committed fornication with her.
Thus, the two witnesses being a limited number of the last generation
of Christians will be living all over the world, “every people,
tribe, language and nation” (Revelation 11:9). Their identity and the
fact that they are the cause of the plagues that will come upon the
earth will be known to the beast, the family of satan. When the beast
is allowed by God to take control of all the nations, he––satan, the
beast, and false prophet––will give the orders for the two witnesses
to be drug out into the streets and killed. The Bible says,
For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language,
and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The
inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate
by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had
tormented those who live on the earth.
Revelation 11:9–10
They will think that their troubles are over when the witnesses are
dead because they will have cleansed the earth of the old system.
But after three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered
them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who
saw them.
Revelation 11:11
God will bring them back to life, and they will ascend to heaven in
full view of the family of satan. The world will have already rejected
God’s plan for salvation, but this worldwide resurrection will prove
to the whole world that God is God. In Ezekiel 38:23, God said,
“And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make
myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know
that I am the Lord.” The family of satan will know that God is God
and not satan, whom they worship.
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At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth
of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the
earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to
the God of heaven.
Revelation 11:13
The fact that they will give glory to God does not mean that they
will be saved after the rapture or at any other time. However, they
will recognize that God did this great miracle in spite of their god,
satan. This brings to light the parables of Jesus concerning the time
when it will be too late to enter the kingdom of heaven.
The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1–13 speaks about
this time. Five virgins waiting to meet the bridegroom with lamps
had no oil; the other five virgins had their lamps and oil. All ten were
waiting for the Lord’s return. All ten went to sleep. While waiting
for the bridegroom to come, the five foolish virgins were forced
to go to buy oil. Meanwhile, the bridegroom came and went into
the wedding feast with the five wise virgins. When the others came
back, the door was shut. They called for the door to be opened only
to hear the bridegroom say, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.”
Then Jesus said, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know
the day or the hour.”
The Results of the Battle
The result of this great worldwide spiritual battle will be the physical
destruction of the family of God by the family of satan, and the
beginning of the end of all physical life on earth. It is difficult for
us in our modern theology of love, forgiveness, success, and happiness
to understand how our loving Savior could allow such an end
to come to his people, but the evidence is overwhelming. Revelation
11:7–10; 13:5–10; 13:15, and Daniel 12:7 each speak clearly of the
destruction of God’s people. Our Lord Jesus also spoke of this in
Matthew 24:9–35 as he told his disciples of the end times. He said
that 1) his followers would be persecuted and put to death (verse 9)
beginning with the apostles and continuing throughout history; 2)
his followers would be hated by all nations (verse 9) and that the
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gospel would be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all
nations (verse 14). These statements substantiate the interpretation
that the battle will be worldwide and will bring to a conclusion the
eternal destiny of all mankind; 3) there would be an increase of wickedness
(verse 12). This statement says and substantiates the fact that
satan will be given more power, power used through the beast (Revelation
13:5); 4) the love of Christians would grow cold as a result of
the pressure from satan’s increased power. This would result in the
limited number (two) of witnesses; 5) the abomination that causes
desolation would be seen standing in the holy place (verse 15a). This
statement reveals the fact that satan, with increased power, will take
complete control of the organized church, the false prophet, thus,
corrupting the church to the point that it is no longer an open door
to salvation; and, 6) those who will be in Judea will flee to the mountains
when the abomination of desolation is seen in the holy place
(verses 15b-24). This description is the same as the occurrence of the
two witnesses being hunted, arrested, and killed, and then the other
Christians, who are not part of the two witnesses, escaping their
enemies and surviving in hiding until they meet the Lord in the air. “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the
sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (verse 29).
This prophecy parallels the prophecy given in Revelation 11,
which says,
At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth
of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the
earthquake and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the
God of heaven.
Revelation 11:13
Please note, the seven thousand people killed in the earthquake are
probably not a literal seven thousand, but the complete “thousands”
who are killed by the quake.
Then a limited number of the last generation of Christians
will be martyred because of their testimony for Jesus Christ, and
the voice from heaven will call them to “come up here” (Revela121
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tion 11:12). Sometime afterwards, those who have escaped the death
penalty, who are silent “believers,” will also meet the Lord in the air. Two will be working, one will be taken, and the other will be left
behind. (Matthew 24:40–41).
So the family of God will be raptured and will be in heaven with
our Lord. Then comes the earthquake of Revelation 11:19, which will
mark the beginning of the great tribulation.
The Three Woes
The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
Revelation 11:14
The second “woe” passing and the third coming soon leads us to
enter the discussion and interpretation of the three “woes.” By its
very definition, woe means warning, trouble, danger, or disaster. Therefore, three woes, or the word woe stated three times, is interpreted
to mean the greatest “woe” or greatest disaster. Since the
death of the physical body is simply entrance into the spirit realm,
then I believe the greatest woe or disaster refers to a spiritual “woe,”
not a physical “woe.” The three “woes” obviously correspond to the
last three trumpets as stated in Revelation 8:13, “Woe! Woe! Woe!
to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blast about
to be sounded by the other three Angels!” Therefore, we are left to
interpret the meaning of the three “woes” from what happens and
from what is said in the three trumpets.
The first “woe” is quite easy to pinpoint since 1) the woes are
introduced in the last verse of chapter 8; 2) Revelation 9:1–11 tells
of locusts from the abyss; and, 3) verse 12 states that the first woe is
passed. Therefore, the first woe is the spiritual destruction caused by
the visionary locusts as the scene depicts mankind destroying mankind
through social and personal relationships.
The second “woe” is not so easily pinpointed in that it begins
with Revelation 9:13 and continues through Revelation 11:14, which
states, “The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.”
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Therefore, it must be determined from this block of Scripture what
constitutes the greatest spiritual destruction. Within this Scripture
passage, two major things happen to the family of satan: 1) through
war, they kill one-third of mankind (Revelation 9: 3–19), and 2) they
kill the two witnesses (Revelation 11:7).
The message is that the second woe comes as a result of the
family of satan killing one-third of mankind and the two witnesses. War, killing, and death should bring mankind to the reality of their
need for God, but that is not the result of the second woe. Their
rejection of God is stated in Revelation 9:20:
The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still
did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop
worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and
wood idols that cannot see or hear nor walk.
Thus, the second woe comes as mankind’s heart is hardened against
God (spiritual hardening) as a result of their refusing to repent.
The third woe gives the greatest difficulty in interpretation. Revelation 11:14 states, “ … the third woe is coming soon.” However,
there is no point in the following verses or chapters that signify that
the third woe has passed. So the contextual evidence must be examined
in order to interpret the third woe.
For a time, I thought the third woe was contained in the statements,
“because you (God) have taken your great power and begun to
reign” (Revelation 11:17), and, “And the time has come … for destroying
those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18). This was derived
from the standpoint that God’s judgment and the destruction would
be the greatest woe. I could not be satisfied with this interpretation,
for it was different in nature from the other two woes in that it pertained
to what God did rather than what mankind did. So I continued
to pray and study. Then it dawned on me that, in chapter 13, the
second beast’s taking control of all mankind and causing the whole
earth and its inhabitants to worship the first beast, “the abomination
that causes desolation” (Daniel and Matthew), is the greatest woe. All of physical mankind, then, will be worshiping satan; there will be
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nothing left to do but to destroy the “natural brute beast, made to be
taken and destroyed” (2 Peter 2:12). The ultimate spiritual destruction
is worshiping, as God, something that is not God.
Therefore, the three woes pertain to the spiritual destruction of
physical mankind. As mankind disregards or refuses God’s plan of
salvation through Jesus Christ, his natural course of life carries him
to spiritual destruction. The first phase of destruction is the destruction
of self, individually, through social relationships; the second,
collective destruction through war, killing, and refusing to repent;
and the third and final destruction of having chosen to and being
forced to worship satan as God.
The three woes illustrate three different but overlapping ways
in which mankind condemns himself before God. As he rejects or
is blinded to God, he creates other gods (self, a system), another
spiritual God.
1. Self-god
As mankind is born into this world, self is God. A child’s desire and motivation is only for its wants. If one continues through life in this mode, rejecting
or refusing to choose God’s plan for salvation,
self truly becomes God. The self-god is particularly
manifested in the first woe and in the woman who is
the great prostitute of chapter 17 and 18.
2. A system as a god
Mankind makes a system God as they give the
control of their lives and eternal destiny to an earthly
system. Around the world, mankind has bound himself,
collectively, in national units, religious organizations,
civic organizations, ideologies, etc. As mankind
holds onto an earthly system to the exclusion
of the eternal spiritual God, their system becomes
their god. This is exemplified in the second woe (the
wars of the sixth trumpet and in the false prophet), a
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person who thinks they are worshiping God but who
has the wrong message.
3) Another spiritual god
When mankind becomes aware of the existence
and reality of the spiritual realm, they must choose
whom they will serve. Mankind is allowed to choose
God or satan to be their God. As one chooses satan,
another spiritual god, he becomes part of the third
or greatest “woe,” which corresponds with the seventh
trumpet as described in the vision of the beast
in chapter 13.
The Seventh Trumpet
When the seventh trumpet sounded (Revelation 11:15), John was
shown a heavenly scene that is the immediate result of the killing
and resurrection of the two witnesses. Throughout history, satan has
enjoyed certain God-given powers, which will be increased at the
time of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:7; 13:5; 13:7–8; and 13:11–17). However, with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, John heard
proclaimed that God had “begun to reign” (Revelation 11:17).
This scene in heaven (Revelation 11:15–18) signifies the time when
God will close the door to heaven “and have begun to reign” (verse
17). God has been reigning throughout history, but created mankind
with a choice in his own destiny. Mankind has had the privilege of
eternal life in heaven by simply crying out, “God, be merciful to me,
a sinner.” However, when God has taken complete control, no one
else may choose or make a decision. Eternal destiny will have been
set for all of creation. After the sounding of the seventh trumpet,
God’s family, who will be in heaven, will be rewarded, and satan’s
family, who will be on earth, will be destroyed. Jesus’ parables about
the ten virgins and the wedding feast explained clearly this time that
corresponds with Revelation 11:15–18.
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Then, God’s temple in heaven was opened, and there came
flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake
and a great hailstorm.
Revelation 11:19
God’s temple in heaven will be opened to receive the family of
God, who will have escaped the sword of the beast and who will
be raptured to meet the Lord in the air. The occurrence of lightning,
thunder, earthquake, and hailstorm signifies the beginning of
destruction and shows the violence with which that destruction will
be accomplished.
Chapters 12 and 13 are part of the seventh trumpet and that
part which comprises the third woe. They explain the work of satan
throughout history, and especially that which brought about the
killing of the two witnesses.
Since the beginning, mankind has been manipulated, tricked,
and led astray by satan. They had rebelled against God and given
their allegiance to satan; therefore, woe unto them, for they will
receive the judgment and wrath of almighty God.

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Revelation 12
A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed
with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a garland of
twelve stars on her head Then, being with child, she cried out
in labor and in pain to give birth
Revelation 12:1–2
Chapter 12 gives a very short overview of the history of satan’s combative
work against God’s plan for the salvation of mankind from
the covenant between God and Abraham to the coming of the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost, with reference to that continued warfare to the
midpoint (three and a half years of the seven-year tribulation)
“Then the woman fl ed into the wilderness, where she has a
place prepared by God that they should feed her there for 1260 days”
(Revelation 12:6)
The visionary woman is interpreted to be God’s chosen people
God’s chosen people are people who have individually chosen to
believe in God and have chosen and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord
They are God’s chosen because God knew beforehand who
would believe and accept him as Lord
But, because God knew before I was born does not mean that
I knew
I did not know, thus I must make a decision, a choice I must choose
to use my guaranteed freedom of choice (“crown” of the fi rst seal)
I believe that the “woman” of Revelation 12 represents all of
mankind who believe in God, have chosen Jesus Christ as Lord, and
are true believers, born again into the kingdom of God She represents
true believers from all of history
The woman is “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her
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feet.” I believe this means that the woman is the central point of creation,
thus, central to God’s purpose for his creation. I believe that
God’s purpose for his creation is to create a family who has chosen,
been obedient, and has become the true family of God.
The woman had “on her head a garland of 12 stars.” I believe
this characterizes the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) as the foundation
of the nation of Israel, through whom came the Word of God and
through whom Jesus Christ was born into this physical world.
The woman is characterized as “being with child, she cried out
in labor, and in pain to give birth.” I believe that this illustrates the
difficulty, pain, and hardship that the people of God went through
in order that Jesus Christ be born in the “fullness of time.”
The woman also “bore a male child.” The male child is Jesus
Christ, who will “rule all nations, and was caught up to God and his
throne.”
The woman “fled into the wilderness … was provided for and
protected for 1260 days.” God provides for and protects his people––
limited (they are persecuted, some martyred, but never destroyed)––
until the 1260 days, which is the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation
when their witness is finally complete.
Also, the fact that this visionary woman is seen and described
in this way eliminates interpreting her as a physical woman, such
as Mary, the mother of Jesus. I hold to a spiritual interpretation in
which the woman is not a physical female, but is symbolically God’s
people Israel, who were chosen to be the lineage through which
Jesus Christ was born into the world and then continuing through
the New Testament era of born-again Christians.
The second sign is in the following scene. “Then another sign
appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and
ten horns and seven diadems on his heads” (Revelation 12:3). The
red dragon is satan (Revelation 12:9). He is envisioned (pictured
physically) as enormous, which symbolizes power; and red, which
symbolizes sinfulness and rebelliousness. He has seven heads, ten
horns, and seven diadems. The seven heads are the complete number
of entities––dynasties, kingdoms, nations––that are manipulated
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by satan and that carry out satan’s desires on earth. The ten horns
represent ten last entities (powers) that are the ones who will kill the
two witnesses and who will rule during the tribulation. Revelation
17:12–14 says,
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received
a kingdom, but who, for one hour will receive the authority as
kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will
give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war
against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, because
he is Lord of lords and King of king’s and with him will be his
called, chosen, and faithful followers.
The first phase of satan’s rebellion against God is recorded in a short
overview here in chapter 12.
1. Verses 4; 7–9: satan rebelled in heaven with one-third
of the angels of heaven following him.
2. Verse 2: satan fought against God’s people from the
time that God introduced his plan through Abraham.
3. Verse 4b: satan attempted to destroy Jesus at birth
(Matthew 2).
4. Verse 5: satan attempted to destroy Jesus’ testimony
(Luke 11:53–54; 22:1–6; 22:47; 23:43).
5. Verses 13, 15, and 17: satan pursued the followers of
Jesus (Acts 4, 5, 6, etc.).
Therefore, chapter 12 explains the direct opposition of satan against
God’s plan for the salvation of mankind through the chosen people
of Israel and those who hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The description of satan’s activities in chapter 12 and those of
the beast in chapter 13 have a marked difference, but all describe
satan’s “war against … those who obey God’s commandments and
hold to the testimony of Jesus” (verse 17). Chapter 12 is different
from chapter 13 in that it depicts satan as the great red dragon. The
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great red dragon is the best physical picture that God could give to
physical mankind of a spiritual being in rebellion against God and
at war against God’s people.
The dragon of chapter 12 is satan himself (verse 9) and is described
as being personally involved in fighting against God’s angels (verse
7) and “those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony
of Jesus” (verse 17). Chapter 13 describes two beasts––first
beast, verses 1–10; second beast, verses 11–18––which are God’s best
description (all we need to know ) of satan’s work in a different era
than that of chapter 12. The beasts are a manifestation of satan and
his work on earth (Revelation 17:7–8, 11).
satan BC
Chapter 12 points out satan’s rebellion on earth at these times:
1. Before the birth of Jesus. satan’s rebellion before the
birth of Jesus is related in verses 1–2. The woman,
interpreted as God’s chosen people, as pertaining to
the family of God, is persecuted by satan from the
time of God’s covenant with Abraham until the birth
of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in Bethlehem’s stable.
2. During the time of the birth and life of Jesus, satan
did his best to destroy Jesus at the time of his birth
and during his life on earth as related in verses 4–5. In
Bethlehem, Herod had killed all the boy babies who
were two years old and under (Matthew 2:16). satan
himself tempted Jesus in an attempt to destroy his
purpose on earth, but failed (Matthew 4:1–11). satan
and his people condemned and crucified Jesus but
found that it played into the hand and plan of God.
3. Immediately following the death and resurrection of
Jesus, satan continued his battle against God’s creation
as he influenced rulers, Pharisees, authorities, etc., in
their own rejection of Jesus Christ. The Jews and satan
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became partners in crime as they tried to stamp out the
followers of Jesus Christ. This partnership progressed
to become the beast of Revelation 13.
Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom
of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of
our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their
lives so much as to shrink from death.
Revelation 12:10–11
This scripture points to a specific time in history. This particular
time was when satan was defeated at the cross and Jesus was glorified
in the resurrection, providing salvation and deliverance from
satan for mankind.
Therefore, rejoice you heavens, and you who dwell in them! But
woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down
to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is
short. When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth,
he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she
might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she
would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of
the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth, the serpent spewed
water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away
with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its
mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out
of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and
went off to make war against the rest of her offspring––those
who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of
Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
Revelation 12:12–17
This is a description of satan’s war against Jesus’s followers. Seeing
he was defeated and condemned to death, he lashed out in fury at all
the family of God from the time of the resurrection to Pentecost and
on to the dispersion of the Christians from Jerusalem, which was a
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result of persecution. Because of the power and the work of the Holy
Spirit in the lives of the disciples and believers, satan began to duplicate
that indwelling spirit through his people to combat the believers. As
a created angelic being, satan had all the knowledge (seven
heads) and all the authority (seven crowns) necessary to insert his
thoughts and spirit into physical mankind. However, this can only
be done as mankind allows it, for God created into mankind the
authority to choose.
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Revelation 13
In chapter 13, satan’s character and purpose is explained as he works
through the beasts In verse 1, John said, “and I saw a beast coming
out of the sea ” In verse 11, the beast comes out of the earth,
and thereafter, a false prophet They are the manifestations of satan’s
work Notice that the dragon is not mentioned again until chapter
20 after the beast and the false prophet are cast into the “fi ery lake
of burning sulfur” (Revelation 19:20) Therefore, there seems to be a
different era of satanic activity described in chapter 13 The dragon,
who is satan, is described in chapter 12; the two beasts, in chapter 13;
which continues through the woman on the beast in chapters 17 and
18; and then chapter 20 returns to the dragon
The Era of the Beast: satan AD
The era of the beast began sometime soon after Pentecost and continues
until the family of God, the two witnesses, are defeated and
destroyed (Revelation 11:7; 13:5–10) and until the beast has conquered
the rest of mankind (Revelation 13:14–17) and the King of kings and
the Lord of lords cast him into the lake of burning sulfur (Revelation
19:20) The era of the beast is comparable to the kingdom of
God in that the beast works through the same time era as the Holy
Spirit of God works through his true believers from Pentecost to the
time of the two witnesses in Revelation 11
During the Old Testament period, God related to mankind
through the spoken word, dreams, and visions, etc However, on the
forty-ninth day after the resurrection of Jesus, the day of Pentecost,
the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and a new era began It
was and is an era in which the Holy Spirit indwells, teaches, and
guides the family of God It is an era in which the church, the bride
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of Christ, is instituted and also directed through the remainder of
history to carry out God’s plan for mankind. In a similar way, the
beast is a spiritual entity of the family of satan during the era after
the resurrection of Jesus Christ until it is destroyed, as recorded in
chapter 19. Meanwhile, it carries out satan’s work on earth. The beast
is satan’s attempt to duplicate the true church. The beast is similar
to the church in that:
1. It is an entity, not a person (Revelation 17:12–13).
2. Its leadership is not of this physical world (Revelation
19:20).
3. It is directed by its master from the spirit realm
(Revelation 13:2).
4. It is in part the bridge or communication channel
between the spirit realm and the physical world
(Revelation 13:2–4; 17:13).
5. It has authority.
6. It is evangelistic.
7. It is worldwide.
8. It has human leadership (Revelation 13:3; 17:12–13).
Therefore, the beast is the satanic church in all its aspects and is led
by its head and spiritual leader, satan.
Verse 1 poses somewhat of a question as some Bible translations
say, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea,” and others say, “and the
dragon stood on the shore.” Either translation is all right, for neither
change the message.
If the correct wording is “and I,” then it fits quite well into the
context. The vision of the dragon is past, and the next vision is forthcoming. The
statement, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea,”
would be an interlude, which separates the two visions.
If the correct wording is “and the dragon,” then that wording fits
quite well also. In the text, the dragon lashed out in fury, pursued the
woman, and spewed water like a river to overtake her, but the earth
helped her. Because of this, the dragon was enraged and went off to
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war against the family of God. After experiencing this scenario of
frustration, it is easy to imagine the dragon standing on the shore,
foaming at the mouth in great anger and frustration, wondering
what to do next. In either case, this statement is an interlude that
indicates the change of scene or a different era forthcoming.
satan was indeed frustrated in his attempt to destroy the apostles
and believers. The apostles were thrown into jail, but an angel took
them out (Acts 5:17–20). Stephen was stoned (Acts 7:54–8:1) with
Saul standing nearby in approval. Then God intervened on the road
to Damascus and made Saul, one of satan’s main men, a missionary
for the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 9). Herod killed James with the
sword (Acts 12:2) and threw Peter into jail. Again, an angel took him
out, the guards were executed, and satan’s man, Herod, died, “eaten
by worms” at the hand of God.
Indeed, the dragon was frustrated! He made an assessment of
his method of war against the family of God and a new era began,
which is symbolized here in the beast––a very vivid picture that God
gives us of spiritual warfare being waged against mankind in the
physical world.
John wrote,
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and
seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns and on each head a
blasphemous name.
Revelation 13:1
The explanation of this beast is in Revelation 17:7–14.
The Seven Heads
The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
Revelation 17:9b.
Traditionally, this has been interpreted as Rome. History tells us
that Rome was built on seven hills. There has been great effort to
impose the seven kings upon seven Roman rulers. They hardly fit,
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for this would involve only a small area of earth and a small era of
time in history.
I interpret the seven hills as being all––interpreting principle
number one––the hills on earth. There is much evidence to substantiate
that interpretation. The beast is a manifestation of satan’s
work on earth (Revelation 13, 17, 19), and it is worldwide. Revelation
13:3b says, “The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.”
Revelation 13:7b-8 says,
And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language,
and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast,
all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life
belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the
world.
Revelation 17: 8 says,
The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written
in the Book of Life from the creation of the world will be
astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is
not, and yet will come.
Revelation 19:19 says, “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the
earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the
rider on the horse and his army.”
Therefore, with these many references to the worldwide work of
satan and the beast as evidence, the seven hills are interpreted to be
the entire earth.
The Seven Kings
They are also seven kings.
Revelation 17:9c.
As we continue to interpret the number seven as a complete number
or a number meaning all, then the seven kings would be all the kings
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of all the world who have been led by satan and who have furthered
the work of satan. Throughout history, there have been kings, men
in places of authority, who were used and manipulated by satan. There have been others who knowingly committed themselves to
satan in order to gain power and control. I interpret the seven kings
to be those who committed themselves to satan during the era of the
beast. They could be religious leaders, as well as political and social
leaders, who are spiritually destructive to mankind and oppose the
family of God and God’s work on earth.
The Ten Horns
The ten horns you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received
a kingdom, but for one hour will receive authority as kings along
with the beast.
Revelation 17:12
These ten kings are ten rulers that rule the world at the end time
or during the time of the last generation to live on earth. They will
rule for a specified length of time. One hour does not mean sixty
minutes, but a very limited span of time.
(Refer to interpreting principle number one.)
These ten kings will have gained control of all the earth when
the testimony of the two witnesses has been finished (Revelation
11:7–9). They will reign through the second half of the great tribulation,
which is recorded in Revelation 16:14, which says, “and they go
out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle of
the great day of God Almighty.” They are the kings of Revelation
19:19, which says, “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth
and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider
on the horse and his army.” Therefore, the ten horns are the last ten
kings––presidents, prime ministers, etc.––to rule physical mankind
on physical earth.
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The Ten Crowns on His Ten Horns
He had ten horns and seven heads with ten crowns on his horns,
and on each head a blasphemous name.
Revelation 13:1b.
Crowns represent authority, and the ten horns (kings) have authority. satan
is given authority (Revelation 12:3), and he passes that
authority to the beast and to the ten kings as the physical kings of
the family of satan. Revelation 17:12–13 says,
The ten horns you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received
a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings,
along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their
power and authority to the beast.
All power and authority comes from God. It was given to Jesus as
recorded in Matthew 28:18, which says, “Then Jesus came to them and
said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” satan,
then, is given certain limited authority. The beast also is given certain
limited authority, and the ten kings are given certain limited authority. Thus, there is established a chain of command of power and authority,
which is given to satan, his beast, and these ten kings.
As John further described the beast, he said, “The beast I saw
resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth
like that of a lion” (Revelation 13:2a). The beast, as resembling a
leopard, is a ferocious, stealthy, in the darkness and wild being lashing
out to destroy everything. This is also shown in Revelation 17:16,
“The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They
will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and
burn her with fire.”
The beast also had feet like a bear. The feet of a bear are very
large as compared to a leopard. The large feet exemplify the fact that
the beast will stamp out the Christians and all opposition. This is
spoken of in Revelation 11:2b which states, “They will trample on
the holy city for forty-two months.”
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The beast is also described as having “a mouth like that of the
lion.” Anyone who has seen American movies in the past generation
has seen a movie or cartoon open with a big, ferocious roar of a lion
on the screen. As I think of that movie picture of the lion’s head, I
see a big, loud mouth that defies everything; satan and his beast defy
and ridicule all that is sacred and good. This image seems to fit the
description of the beast in Revelation 13:5–6.
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and
blasphemies … He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and
to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live
in heaven.
Revelation 13:5–6
Twofold Image of the Beast
Just as the first beast came into being in a new era after Pentecost,
so the second beast comes on the scene in a new era. The second
beast is the same satan, the same satanic cult, and the same war,
which continues to be carried out as satan promotes the destruction
of mankind and all of God’s creation. (God permits and does not
stop the destroying as a result of mankind’s sin and rejection of his
plan for salvation through Jesus Christ.) satan had desired to rule,
but he “saw that he had been hurled to the earth,” and, “he knows
that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12–13). So the beast is committed
to the destruction of creation. His desire is to take as many as
possible with him to destruction. He cannot defeat God, or even
fight against him, so he makes war against mankind, whom God
created and loves.
After the end of the 1260 days, the second beast will come on the
scene. Until that time, the first beast will have put many in prison
and killed many with the sword as seen down through history. The
testimony of the two witnesses will be completed, and the beast
from the abyss will attack them. (The first beast was given authority
during the 1260 days to make war and conquer, as seen in Revelation
13:5–10.) Thus, the era of the second beast will begin at the end of
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the 1260 days and will conclude after forty-two months, when he is
thrown into the lake of fire in Revelation 19:20. It is a new era, in
that satan and his family are in complete control of the earth.
Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two
horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
Revelation 13:11
The first beast is seen by John as “coming out of the sea” (Revelation
13:1b). The context of the coming of the first beast is that of Revelation
12:17, in which satan is enraged and is “off to war against … those
who obey God’s commandments,” whereas, the first beast comes out
of the sea to conquer and does so (Revelation 13:5–8); the second
beast is the recipient of that conquest (Revelation 13:12) and is in
control of the whole earth. Thus, the Bible says, “out of the earth.”
This phrase “out of the earth” denotes a twofold image that is
a very great deception on the part of satan. In the second beast is
satan’s greatest and final effort to deceive and destroy mankind; that
is “everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave,” and he
does so as his beast takes on the traits of the false prophet. Throughout
the Bible, a believer and follower of God is characterized as
a sheep. Jesus is characterized as “the Lamb” throughout Scripture
(Revelation 14, etc.). Thus, the first part of the phrase, “two horns like
a lamb,” is a visionary description of a false church or satan’s attempt
to lead the world astray through a religious system that duplicates
and imitates the true Christian church. (Refer to the false prophet.)
The two horns denote two systems or organizations. There are two
distinct groups of that sort in the world today.
The Christian churches and organizations have today, and have
had throughout history, members and leaders who worshiped the
organization but have no understanding of a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ through which they might be saved (Romans
10:9–10). Thus, after the true family of God is gone (Revelation 11),
the church organizations will still be functioning. There will still
be churches in progress, and there will still be “church.” They will
probably be filled to capacity the Sunday after the two witnesses