The Revelation of Jesus Christ Part 2: Session 1 - Revelation Chapter 13

Cheat Sheet

The Beast that John sees at the start of Revelation 13 is an agent of Satan. This beast is also some kind of hybrid of the beasts that the prophet Daniel saw in Daniel 7. This gives us a clue: Daniel’s monsters were metaphors for a series of kingdoms that would rule the earth and persecute God’s people, so it is likely that John sees his beast in the same light. As such, it’s one of several characters in Revelation that represent the Roman Empire, which was the ruling, and persecuting, empire at that time.

The fatal wound that the beast somehow survived is an intriguing ground for scholarly debate, especially given that it happens to a creature that represents the Roman Empire. What should have killed the empire, but didn’t? Some suggest that it was the way in which Rome had recently recovered from a violent revolution that threatened to overthrow the power of the emperor. Others think it might be a reference to emperor Caligula’s recovery from a serious illness. Yet, in either case, the general point is that this evil empire is so big and powerful that it cannot be killed by normal means. It can shrug off a fatal wound!

42 months is exactly half of seven years. Many interpreters have taken this period in an overly literal fashion and used it to map out the end times in excruciating detail. Yet, like so many of the numbers used in Revelation, this “half of seven” is first and foremost a symbol of something partial, incomplete, and half-baked. The beast will not blaspheme forever. And any time given to any empire or institution that is opposed to God and his people (whether it be exactly 42 months or not), is only ever given for a season.

The Lamb’s book of life is a register of the names of all those who belong to God. This concept appears six times in Revelation, and it also can be found elsewhere in the Bible. Some Christian thinkers argue that if your name is written in this book, you can be certain that you will endure in your faith and enjoy eternal life with Christ. Yet in Revelation this view is far from certain (see, for example, Revelation 3:5), and in chapter 13 John’s point seems to be that if you get caught up in the worship of the beast, your name is definitely not in God’s book.

A second Beast appears in Revelation 13:11, who some writers have labelled as the first beast’s priest. This is another reflection of the political situation in John’s day; the Roman Empire had its own imperial priesthood, who worked with the empire in compelling its citizens to worship. The second beast represents those who celebrate or champion the advance of evil empires in the world. This beast also acts as a fake Christ, performing miracles, dressed in imitation of the Lamb, and facilitating worship. This is an image of deception, reminding the reader that there are those who imitate God and those who are fooled by this imitation.

A mark on the right hand or forehead has led some modern interpreters to speculate about microchips and other forms of modern technology that they see as signs of the end. This is dangerous speculation, as John and his audience had no idea of such things. Rather, the immediate background to this idea can be found in the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 6:8, Moses instructs God’s people to tie God’s commands to their hands and their foreheads, and some Jews took this command very literally, wearing little boxes filled with Bible verses on their hands and foreheads. This mark is also intended to be read as a direct opposite to the seal that God puts on his followers in Revelation 7. Just as God wants to brand us as his own, the world system also wants us to wear its “mark.” Should we choose not to, we will be excluded. This was a lived reality for the first hearers of Revelation, many of whom had lost the opportunity to buy or sell in local markets because they had abandoned their old religious and cultural practices out of loyalty to Jesus.

666 is most likely a coded reference to the Roman emperor Nero. This can be shown through an ancient Jewish practice called gematria, where letters are each given a numerical value. “Nero Caesar” adds up to 666 if this method is followed. Yet, some scholars are skeptical about this, and offer different interpretations. However, most interpreters agree that “666” also acts as a sign of the inferior place that evil holds in God’s plan. 6 is one short of 7, the perfect number. If you use gematria on the name “Jesus” you end up with 888. So he is even better still! The overall point is that whether it be the evil of the Roman Empire, the evil of some other system, or the evil of Satan himself, it all amounts to something less that what God has done in Christ.

Study

Read Revelation 13

Interacting with the state.

Some commentators note that this chapter highlights a potential conflict within the New Testament. At the start of Romans 13, the apostle Paul teaches the Roman church to “be subject to the governing authorities … whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted.” This is clearly written with the Roman Empire in view. Yet, so is Revelation 13, where the sentiment is much more resistant, and the Roman Empire is described as a horrible, Satanic beast. One key reason for this change is that, by the time Revelation was written, the Roman Empire was actively coercing its citizens to worship the emperor and to view him as Lord and as God. This clearly falls outside of a Christian view of what governments should be doing!

Read Romans 13:1-6 and compare it with Revelation 13:1-6 (both are talking about the Roman Empire!)

How would you reconcile these two passages?

Whose mark?

Many modern interpreters argue that the mark in verse 16 should not be understood as something that is physically visible. Rather, like the seals on God’s servants in Revelation 7, these are spiritual marks, that only God can see. Yet, the mark is also in direct opposition to Moses’ teaching in Deuteronomy 6, where he tells God’s people to carry God’s word on their foreheads and hands. So, it sets up a conflict; either we carry God’s teaching with us wherever we go, or we carry the words and the beliefs of the beast.

This is a conflict for all Christians in all cultures, and we shouldn’t think it only applies to the church in the end times or when governments want to brand us in some physical way.

What are some of the beliefs of our society that conflict with God’s word?

How can you tell which set of teachings you are “carrying” with you each day?

End times?

Revelation 13 is one chapter where end times theorists have found a lot of evidence to support their theories. And it is possible that, when Christ returns, some of the teaching here may be fulfilled in some way. Yet this can distract us from how this teaching is relevant to our lives now.

Take a look at one or two of the concepts discussed in this week’s Cheat Sheet. How might these concepts impact how you live today?

Optional Extra Resources

Someone made a rap about this chapter!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLqNUJI_Z5g

And if that hasn’t completely blown your mind, there’s always Apocalypse Animated:

https://apocalypseanimated.com/revelation-13