Revelation 13 Antichrist: The Coming World Leader

Bible Study Series: Revealing Jesus in Revelation

Revelation Chapter 13: Antichrist - The Coming World Leader

by I Gordon

When I was a little boy back in the 1970's, my Uncle would sometimes come around to our house and he and my Mum would often end up in a deep discussion about Bible prophecy and the end times. As they did so, I, along with the other kids, would try listen in from the edge of the room picking up whatever we could. And when there was a gap in the discussions we would blurt out the same thing - 'Tell us about the beast!' Now, I know what you are thinking. "Wouldn't it have been better if you asked instead about the Lord Jesus?" Yep. I should, as a five year old, have instead said 'Mother, my good Uncle, can you please expound once again on the substitutionary atonement on the cross bringing justification, propitiation, and eventual glorification, for all who believe?' I know... shame on me. But all I would say was 'tell us about the beast!' For some reason, the five year old me, along with all the other kids there, were drawn to this dark mysterious baddie! Mmmm, I'm not convinced that's a good sign! : )

Well, a few decades have passed since then and I know a little more about 'the beast' today than I did when I was 5. So we're going to talk about him today. It is fair to say that today's chapter, Revelation 13, is a very interesting and well known one. In fact even most unbelievers have heard something about 'the beast' or, at the very least, 666 and 'the mark of the beast'. So we'll explore verses 1-10 today concentrating on the following...    

• We'll first lay a foundation from Revelation 13 for this One that is coming. Why is it important to stick with the Bible and avoid speculation?
• We'll explore the similarities with a modern day 'antichrist' - Was Satan doing a dry run with another leader?
• We'll delve deeper into this coming world leader - What are some of the key characteristics that he will be known for?
• We'll end with a list of comparisons and contrasts between the Antichrist and Jesus Christ - the counterfeit and true King!

The Coming Beast from the Sea

Rev 13:1-2 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. 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. (2) The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

There is one coming who will literally take this world by storm! And that's not a good thing. Scripture knows him by several names. Probably the most famous is 'the Antichrist' though surprisingly this is used in 1st and 2nd John only and not in Revelation at all. In Revelation 'the beast' is used extensively with 37 mentions in 29 verses. A few other names and titles that he is know by is 'the man of sin', 'the son of destruction', 'the lawless one', 'the little horn' and 'the prince that is to come'¹. Now people love to speculate on who it is and this has gone on for centuries, going right back to the time of Nero in the 1st century. But it's pretty clear right? It's Bill Gates. No sorry, it's Klaus Schwab. Actually, no, I meant to say it's King Charles III. Ok, I'm being naughty. It's not them... the Antichrist will actually be charismatic and popular! So let's see what scripture says because unbiblical speculation isn't helpful. We see in this passage that the dragon Satan, whom we spoke of a lot in the previous two studies, stands on the shore of the sea. It is a day where the Restrainer, the Holy Spirit and His work through the Church, have been taken out of the way. Having been kicked out of heaven the enemy knows that his time is now short and is allowed to bring forth his 'beast'. Let's just make a few quick points on this passage.

1. 'The beast' - You might ask 'Why use imagery of a beast Where does that come form?' The imagery of the beast, especially looking like a leopard, a bear and a lion, is straight from the book of Daniel. You might remember that while king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had a dream about a glorious statue of a man, symbolizing the coming kingdoms on this earth, God gave His impression of those same kingdoms by picturing them as various vicious beasts. Thus, the one who is coming will combine aspects of these various previous 'beastly' kingdoms.
2. 'Out of the sea' - The sea in scripture, as seen in the book of Revelation, speaks of the Gentile nations. Rev 17:15 And he *said to me, "The waters which you saw... are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.' And as we shall see in the next study, this stands in contrast with the 2nd Beast that comes from the land.
3. 'He had ten horns' - Horns in scripture speak of strength and the 10 horns are a pointer to the kingdom of the last days coming out of the revived Roman Empire, from which the beast/Antichrist arises. This corresponds to the 10 toes of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and the 10 horns in Belshazzar's dream in Dan 7:7,24. The ten horns are also interpreted for us later - Revelation 17:12-13 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast." 
4. 'Seven heads' - This again is interpreted from us in Revelation 17. There we read Rev 17:9-11 where we see that the seven heads are both seven mountains and seven kings (or kingdoms) that exist throughout history. We'll discuss this in more depth in our study on Revelation 17.  
5. 'Each head had a blasphemous name' - Each head is blasphemous, displaying gross disrespect for God, taking glory for itself and dwelling in pride. As we go on we'll see that the coming Antichrist, as Satan's man, will specifically speak out and blaspheme the God of heaven. He won't be able to hide his hatred for God desiring all worship for himself.
6. 'Resembled a leopard... a bear... a lion' - We see that the coming beast will follow a line of the 'beast' empires (Greece, Medo-Persia & Babylon) and their leaders as seen in Daniel 7. They are placed in the reverse order to what we see in Daniel because John is now looking back in time instead of forwards as seen in the days of Daniel. 
7. 'The dragon gave the beast his power' - The coming Antichrist will be specifically empowered and even possessed by Satan Himself. It is Satanic power that will grant Antichrist the ability to accomplish incredible feats, goals and wonders (2 Thes 2:9-10), as we shall soon see.
   
   

The last days... Welcome to open Satan worship

Rev 13:3-4 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. (4) Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" 

There are some really interesting points that are made in these verses. We see first of all that the beast 'seemed to have a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.' Some take this as a revived Roman empire, but it is repeated in verses 12 & 14 where it is applied to an individual. And because this is repeated three times in this one chapter, we would do well to take notice of it. Verse 14 says:

Rev 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

So here we see that the beasts' 'fatal wound' comes from a sword, and yet he comes back to life! This mention of the sword reminds us of a passage in Zechariah about the coming Antichrist (called the 'worthless shepherd') which says:

Zec 11:17 "Woe to the worthless shepherd Who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered And his right eye will be blind."

Notice also that it says that men will worship both the dragon and the beast. Remember again that the dragon is Satan. Men will worship Satan. Think about that! Everything will be twisted and turned upside down in the coming day. Satan will be revered and the God of heaven despised. Satan will be seen as the 'good guy' and Yahweh as the evil one. Woe to those that call evil good and good evil! And the coming day will not have atheists. There will be a choice that all have to make as to who they will worship - God or Satan? Antichrist or Jesus Christ? And scripture says that the vast majority will marvel at the Antichrist (beast) and say 'who is like him? Who can make war with him?' Unfortunately, we only have to look at history to see how easily the masses can be led astray!  

Hitler - Satan's dry run

I recently asked my Mum what her first memory was. It turns out it came as a three year old, living in Gloucester England, and is of her Father solemnly telling her Mum that World War II has begun. As a three year old she didn't understand what that meant but she remembers seeing that it was something very serious that was of great concern to both her parents. That generation got to see an 'antichrist'. Yet what is interesting is that this man Hitler was and is such a study in contrasts. As we explore his life there are so many pointers to the coming Antichrist it seems as if Satan was doing 'a dry run'. On this I would recommend Erwin W. Lutzer's book 'Hitler's Cross': 

• His rise: Hitler's rise was filled with remarkable achievements. So much so that most Christians in Germany saw him as an answer to prayer. Most Pastors willingly submitted and praised him. Winston Churchill observed him closely and in 1937 said his accomplishments in bringing Germany out of their great depression, were among the most amazing in the history of the world. One historian said that had he died before World War II he would have gone down in history as 'Adolf the great, one of the outstanding figures in German history.' 
• His control: It is interesting that though apparently quite dull and unremarkable outside of politics, Hitler was a mesmerizing powerful public speaker who captured and held his listeners, and soon had millions of obedient subjects. First through awe, and then through fear, the nation was willing to do his bidding no matter what his demands. He was seen as the savior of Germany, a Messiah-like figure, given full powers as a complete dictator and seen as the one who would bring them into the golden age. Through the power of propaganda he was able, along with his Nazi party, to take over the media, education, the heath system and even the church. Sounds familiar?
• His character and contrasts: Hitler was a man of stark contrasts. He would give speeches about his desire for peace, while privately preparing for war. He could be charming one moment and monstrously cruel the next. He would speak about the importance of good morals while privately reveling in his ability to deceive. Despite what he said outwardly, he believed in lies, especially big ones, saying 'the magnitude of a lie always contains a certain factor of credibility since the masses... more easily fall victim to a big lie than a small one.' He could quote Jesus, while openly seeking the extermination of the entire Jewish population. He would speak of being a Catholic while being heavily into the occult, banning prayer in schools and crushing the leadership of the church.

Hitler was Satan's dry run for the coming Antichrist and a great, although terrible, picture of what is to come.

So look now at how this points to the coming Antichrist. A.W Pink writes of this coming beast that he will be an intellectual genius, an oratorical genius, a political genius, a military genius, a commercial genius, a governmental genius and a religious genius. And when examining  scripture we see how this is all possible. Consider the following passage about him:

Dan 8:23-25 "...A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue. (24) "His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. (25) "And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, And he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency.

This passage about the Antichrist says:

• He will rise in leadership, yet be fierce, insolent and skilled in the dark arts
• He will be mighty in power... yet not through his own power
• He will prosper... while destroying to an extraordinary degree
• He will succeed... through deceit and shrewdness
• He will bring peace... and destroy many while they are at ease
• He will magnify himself... while opposing even the Prince of princes
• He will be finally broken... yet not through human hands

The man with the mouth

Rev 13:5-6 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. (6) He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.

Most times in scripture it speaks about this coming world leader, the Antichrist, it mentions his mouth. To say that he will be a man with the gift of the gab is to put it mildly. His speech will be incredibly persuasive and powerful. We saw that as mentioned with Hitler. We have seen it to a certain extent more recently where Barack Obama swept into office on the back of powerful speeches that swayed the majority. Reflecting later on what she had heard, Barbara Walters, the respected American journalist and broadcaster said of Obama:  'He made so many promises...We (the media) thought that he was going to be - I shouldn't say this at Christmastime, but - the next Messiah.' Hmmm - and how did that work out? 

The coming beast will be like that but on a whole different scale. He is Mr. Big Mouth. The prophet Daniel speaks about this often (Dan 7:8; Dan 7:11; Dan 7:20; Dan 7:25; Dan 11:36). But it isn't just huge promises, big claims and proud words coming out of his mouth. It is also blasphemy.  He will despise God, hate Jesus, and loathe the believers that live in Heaven. All of them will be in the firing line of his taunts and abuse. For 3 1/2 years³, during the second half of the tribulation period, he will defy God and curse all those associated with Him. He is the end times Goliath standing and defying the God of Israel and all His people. That will even include the raptured church who have overcome Satan and escaped his rule of tyranny for it says he will slander those who live in heaven. He will hate all that worship the true God, stating it openly, for he will desire all to worship himself. 

Power over the Saints

Rev 13:7-10 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (8) 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. (9) He who has an ear, let him hear. (10) 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.

The Bible says that he will be given power and authority. He is given power to make war against the saints. He is given authority to rule over every nation. So the obvious question is 'by whom? On a human level he will be given authority by the 10 kings whom he will initially rule alongside with. On the spiritual level, this power and authority comes from Satan - the ruler of this world. Going further, ultimately God is the One that has allowed this - for a well defined and limited time frame. And note that he will have authority over all the peoples and nations. If anyone ever asks you where in the Bible it says that there will be a global government, this is one of those places. Every nation on earth will come under his control and authority. 

Always take matters to God and ask for insight!

Rev 13:8 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.

Thankfully, there will be some that see through the Antichrist and do not follow him. They are those that have been written in the Lamb's book of life. They will not worship him. They will not comply. They are those that have eyes to see and ears to hear. They will see what the masses are seeing... and yet have the totally opposite response to those in the world. They will hear what others in the world hear... and yet think the opposite. This reminds us of the importance of hearing from God, knowing His voice, and understanding His word does it not? Believer, do not be surprised if you are different to those in the world. That is how it should be. You march to the beat and sound of a different drum. Always be listening for the voice of God. This is critical for this day as we see the mystery of lawlessness at work and we see the chess pieces fall into place for this coming world leader. Praise God for His voice, His gift of discernment and the leading of His Holy Spirit. It is only He who keeps the believer from being deceived as well. But we are not passive in this. We should always ask God for revelation and wisdom to be able to discern correctly. As Rev 13:9 says:

Rev 13:9 He who has an ear, let him hear.⁴

May we be those that can hear and then respond accordingly.

Rev 13:10 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.

This final verse reminds us that there is a plan and purpose in all things. Yes, in the coming day things will seem chaotic. Believers on this day will be imprisoned. Others will be killed. But God is still ruling and so he calls for patient endurance from the saints because of this fact. This applies to our lives right now as well obviously. Patient endurance and faithfulness, even when the way forward seems dark and uncertain, is very important. Yet often we don't have this within ourselves. Often we are not courageous and strong. If this is you, then take your concerns to the Great Shepherd once again. Acknowledge that you are nothing, but He is something! Really something! Admit your doubts and weaknesses and ask that He would be your strength, Thankfully, the patient endurance of the believer is obtainable because we are connected to the One who always endures and is faithful to us. 

Conclusion

So what have we seen? Like I said at the start, when I was really little I would say to Mum 'tell us about the Beast!' Well the Bible has a lot to say about him and we've only scratched the surface in this study. We've seen that he will be an intellectual, oratorical, political, military, commercial and religious genius. We saw that this title 'Antichrist' means both 'against' and 'instead of or in place of' Christ. Thus there are both comparisons and contrasts with Jesus Christ. On the one hand he will come trying to mimic the Lord Jesus. On the other hand he will hate and despise the Lord and his life will be the greatest contrast with the true King. A.W Pink put together a fantastic list of both comparisons and contrasts that I will end with. I will only list a few but you can see more in his study online⁵ about the coming Antichrist.

Jesus Christ - Antichrist Comparisons

1. Christ was revealed only at God’s appointed time (Gal. 4:4). Such will also be the case with the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:6).
2. Christ will make a covenant with Israel (Heb. 8:8); so also will the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27).
3. Christ will be the King of kings (Rev. 17:14); so also will the Antichrist be (Rev. 17:12, 13).
4. Christ wrought miracles (Acts 2:22). So also will the Antichrist, concerning whom it is written, “whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9).
5. Christ’s public ministry was limited to three years and a half; so also will the Antichrist’s final ministry be (Rev. 13:5).
6. Christ is shown to us riding a “white horse” (Rev. 19:11); so also is the Antichrist (Rev. 6:2).
7. Christ will return to the earth as Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6, 7); so also will the Antichrist introduce an era of peace (Dan. 11:21, 1 Thess. 5:3)
8. Christ died and rose again; so also will the Antichrist (Rev. 13:3).
9. The followers of the Lamb will be sealed in their foreheads (Rev. 7:3; 14:1); so also will the followers of the Beast (Rev. 13:16, 17).
10. Christ will be the object of universal worship (Phil. 2:10); so also will the Antichrist (Rev. 13:4).

Jesus Christ - Antichrist Contrasts

1. One is called the Christ (Matt. 16:16); the other the Antichrist (1 John 4:3).
2. One is called the Man of Sorrows (Isa. 53:3); the other the Man of Sin (2 Thess. 2:3).
3. One is called the Son of God (John 1:34); the other the Son of Perdition (2 Thess. 2:3).
4. One is called the Seed of woman (Gen. 3:15); the other the seed of the Serpent (Gen. 3:15).
5. One is called the Lamb (Isa. 53:7); the other the Beast (Rev. 11:7).
6. One is called the Holy One (Mark 1:24); the other the Wicked One (2 Thess. 2:8).
7. One is called the Truth (John 14:6); the other the Lie (John 8:44).
8. One is called the Good Shepherd (John 10:11); the other is called the Idol Shepherd (Zech. 11:17).
9. One has for the number of His name 888; the other has for the number of his name 666 (Rev 13:18) .
10. Christ came down from heaven (John 3:13); Antichrist comes up out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 11:7).
11. Christ came in Another’s Name (John 5:43); Antichrist will come in his own name (John 5:43).
12. Christ came to do the Father’s will (John 6:38); Antichrist will do his own will (Dan. 11:36).
13. Christ was energized by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14); Antichrist will be energized by Satan (Rev. 13:4).
14. Christ submitted Himself to God (John 5:30); Antichrist defies God (2 Thess. 2:4).
15. Christ humbled Himself (Phil. 2:8); Antichrist exalts himself (Dan. 11:37).
16. Christ cleansed the temple (John 2:14, 16); the Antichrist defiles the temple (Matt. 24:15).
17. Christ was rejected of men (Isa. 53:7); Antichrist will be accepted by men (Rev. 13:4).
18. Christ was slain for the people (John 11:51); Antichrist slays the people (Isa. 14:20).
19. Christ glorified God on earth (John 17:4), Antichrist blasphemes the name of God in heaven (Rev. 13:6).
20. Christ was received up into heaven (Luke 24:51); Antichrist goes down into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20).

The bottom line is that if you are a believer, thank God once again that you know Jesus Christ. Because the majority in this world already follow the spirit of antichrist and will follow the Antichrist when He comes. And if you are not a believer, realize that the One who was rejected by mankind when He came the first time, also died for mankind so that you could be saved and become the Sons and Daughters of the Living God. So love the truth and follow Christ least you be deceived and following a deceptive counterfeit. For there is a world leader coming and he is a counterfeit king who will destroy greatly. But praise God that the true King of kings is coming as well and He will deal with this usurper king. May you follow the true King! 

God Bless!

FOOTNOTES