Chapter 13 gives us a brief review of what has happened in the first half of the book of Revelation. (We see the beast/final empire ruling over the earth, followed by the manifestation of the antichrist and his activities.)

Verse 1: “As I stood upon the seashore, I saw a beast coming up from the sea. And to it were seven heads and ten horns, and upon the horns ten crowns. And upon its heads were blasphemous names.”

John is standing at the seashore looking at the sea. (for sea see 12v12) This beast is an empire (12v3). In the last days an empire is going to rise up out of a place of iinstability in the world. As mentioned in 12v3 the seven heads are seven distinct empires that
manifest themselves in different times.

1. Egypt
2. Assyria
3. Babylon
4. Medes and Persians
5. Greece
6. Rome
7. A unique empire (the hardest to understand and most terrifying to Daniel – Daniel 8v27)

The last empire’s rule/administration is very brief (17v12). It is the shortest of all the empires (In chapter 17v11 we will see that an 8
th empire briefly rises out of this 7 th one). 

This final empire rules in a blasphemous way. Satan is going to manifest himself in a unique and powerful way in this last empire – signs wonders and miracles (2 Thessalonians 2v9-10).

Ten horns are ten kingdoms (12v3) that come together to make up the final empire. Each of these ten kingdoms (within the empire) are going to be given ruler ship and authority (17v12-14).

All of these, above mentioned, empires have stood in opposition to G-d. They have all been satanically inspired and have demonstrated their opposition to G-d by persecuting the Jewish people and acting to remove them from the land of Israel. Satan  understands that it is G-d’s willfor the people to be in the land.

The prophets clearly reveal that the Jewish people need to be living in the ancient cities, that had been destroyed, before the (2nd ) coming of Messiah (Isaiah 58v12, Isaiah 61v4, Ezekiel 36v8-12, Ezekiel 36v24-38)


Verse 2: “And the beast, which I saw, had an appearance like a leopard. Its feet were like the feet of a bear, and its mouth as a mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave to it its power, its throne and great authority.”

Daniel speaks of these same animals, a leopard, a bear and a lion (Daniel 7v4-6). Daniel mentions these animals in the reverse order to John; Daniel saw these empires in his future (Babylonians, Medes and Persians and the Greeks) but for John they were in his past. John is writing about the same things that Daniel wrote about in his prophesy – just from a different perspective of time.

Verse 3: “I looked and behold one of its heads was wounded with a mortal wound. And the mortal wound which it had was healed. And all the earth was amazed, and it followed after the beast.”

*The antichrist is going to give a false/counterfeit impression to the world (Imitates Messiah with the intention to deceive or defraud.)

The 7th head (empire) is wounded and should die but, miraculously, lives – resurrection language is being used here (Resurrection reminds us of Yeshua). He will go into the Holy of Holies and proclaim himself to be G-d (Who Messiah is).

This last empire is going to be a supernatural one. Because of supernatural power the world is going to be deceived. In the last days G-d is going to send strong delusion to those who have delighted in wickedness and refused to love truth (2 Thessalonians 2v9-12) Only those people who have a covenantal relationship with G-d, and who follow after truth, will not be deceived (Mark 13v22-23).


Verse 4: “They are going to bow down to the dragon, which gave a government to the beast, and they worshiped the beast. And they said: ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to war with it?’”

These people think that what they are seeing is supernatural and wrongly conclude that G-d must have a hand in it. But this is not the case. Those who are unaware of what the Scripture says and are unprepared for the last days are going to be easily deceived by the enemy.

Satan knows that he has been defeated and is not going to be victorious. He delights in the suffering of others and so will take down with him as many people as he can. In Daniel 8 the shaggy goat depicts this beast. The people alive at the time will feel helpless against him. The sentiment will be: “How can we wage war or win against him because he is supernatural?” 

We need to realize that we have the King of kings and the L-rd of lords on our side. Our fight is not against flesh and blood….we have access to spiritual weapons. (Eph 6v10- 18) Even if we are consumed/destroyed physically that is not our defeat.

Verse 5: “And it was given to him a great mouth to speak blasphemies. And authority was given to him to make war for 42 months” 

Daniels 70th week is made up of a seven-year period. (Daniel 9v27) These seven years are split in half – each half 3.5 years, 42 months or 1260 days.

Verse 6: “And he opened up his mouth to blaspheme against G-d. To blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and the ones dwelling in heaven.

He blasphemed the character of G-d, as well as those who have a commitment to the Kingdom of G-d. What G-d sees as good this empire will see as evil. What G-d sees as evil this empire will see as good.

Verse 7: “And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And it was given to him to rule over all the families of the earth, over every language and over every people ”

Satan was given authority to wage war against the saints and put them to death, to overcome them. Our physical lives might be taken from us, but this is not our defeat (Luke 21v16-19) we need to be concerned about the wellbeing of our souls – not of our flesh. Satan may interrupt our physical existence, but he cannot touch the spiritual future that we have, with a new body that our souls will go into. A soul redeemed by the blood of Messiah. (1 Corinthians 15v50-58)

This final empire will rule as a one world government (rule over all the families of the earth, over every language and over every people).