Before getting to the heart of the matter, it will prove helpful to
assure we grasp how gatekeepers work. A helpful example would be gatekeepers
who have changed what views of marriage are accepted and rejected, as well as
rewarded and penalized, in our society. It hasn’t been that long ago that most
people of influence would have affirmed that marriage consists of a union
between one man and one woman. The foundation for this change was not only a
move away from the Judeo-Christian ethic as the norm, but also a move away from
a robust view of marriage that included it providing companionship and
happiness for the couple, being the context in which children thrive, a
foundation for strong communities and countries, and its serving as a
reflection of important and irrevocable biblical truths, to its merely being
about the happiness and companionship of the couple. Once that shift took
place, it was not a large step to conclude that since happiness and
companionship comprised the sole focus, it could be any kind of relationship
that allegedly achieved this. Such a conclusion, coupled with the acceptance
and normalization of same-sex relationships, then easily led to advocation of
same-sex marriage among some individuals, then among political leaders and
judges, and ultimately its legal status across the nation.
Who were the gatekeepers that opened the “locks” to allow the gush of
new ideas to gain acceptance? No doubt, it was a combination of religious
leaders and those in the field of social sciences who began to advocate new
ideas about marriage and relationships, academia that began to teach these
ideas, and then legal and government leaders who championed them and wrote them
into legislation and legal decisions. It also includes news paper editors,
along with television and on-line news agencies who also took up the cause.
The result of this flood of change has been that we have gone from a
country that once would have thought it inconceivable to normalize and
legislate same-sex marriage to a country now where bakers, florists, county
workers, and others are penalized for believing that marriage is still only a
union between and man and woman and who refuse to provide products or services that
would celebrate a same-sex union.
Whether the changes have to do with what marriage is (as in the United
States), the relationship between freedom and the role of government (as seen
in totalitarian regimes like North Korea), or the role of religion and its laws
(as in countries that seek to enforce Islamic Sharia Law), in every place on
the globe there are gatekeepers that shape what life is like, what ideas are
rewarded or punished, and therefore which citizens are rewarded or punished.
Such gatekeepers (that can include religious leaders, governmental
leaders, educators, social scientists, counselors, media, family leaders, and
others) not only significantly shape the cultures in which we live, but they
have strong impact, therefore on which persons or groups of persons are
penalized for their views. To state this another way, they help to determine
who will receive push-back for their ideas and who will be persecuted.
It has been the pattern throughout the history of the church that
gatekeepers have decisively shaped cultures in which Christians have lived and
served and done so in such a way that the latter face hostility, loss, and
suffering.
With that foundation laid, we can now state where the book of
Revelation is heading. The book has been clear that the church typically faces
push back and persecution throughout its history. But with intensified focus
and clarity it zeroes in on that persecution in Rev. 12:1-15:4, to show its
origin and how God will enable the church to stay on mission and overcome in
the midst of it. We saw in Revelation 12 that persecution originates with
Satan. Now, in Revelation 12:17c-13:18
we will discover who the agents are for this hostility toward the church (who
often carries out the schemes of the devil) and it will turn out to be none
other than society’s gatekeepers.
This week we will look at 12:17c-13:10 (two posts) and then next week
at 13:11-18. In the first of these two passages, dependent on former visions in
Daniel (especially Dan. 7), John receives a vision of a beast rising from the
sea, which communicates to readers that the devil authorizes the state to be
his agent to persecute the church and deceive the ungodly. Let’s see how this develops in 12:17c-13:4.
The
Dragon/Devil Stands Ready to Summon His Agents. 17c
In this last clause of chapter
12 we read: “And he stood on the sand of the sea.” The “he” refers back
to “the dragon” in 12:17a, that is the devil or Satan (12:9). Throughout
Revelation the sea was seen as symbolic of evil, just like it was often in the
ancient world. Most likely this was because of the destructive power that could
be experienced in it through storms that took the lives of mariners and
fishermen, and through hurricanes, typhoons, and tsunamis that even took lives
on land. With little ability to predict such phenomena ahead of time, they
could be especially devastating. As a result, evil was often personified as a
beast that arose from the sea (cf. Job 41:1; Ps. 74:14; Is. 27:1).[1] The
visions here at the end of chapter 12 and then into chapter 13 appear to be
designed to take readers back to that background along with that of Daniel for
the visions John sees.
Based on the following text in chapter 13, what appears to be going on
here in 17c is that Satan is ready to summon his agents to pursue the church.
What we have in this second history of what is going on during this age is
parallel to what was going on in Rev. 12 and reveals in more detail how Satan
goes after and seeks to destroy the church.
What John Sees First: The Devil Summons A Beast Out of The Sea.
13:1-2a
John begins with the words, “And I saw,” which
introduces the second major vision in this third cycle in Revelation 6-20, the
Histories (12:1-15:4). John also reveals what he saw: “…
a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems
on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast
that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was
like a lion’s mouth.” This
beast that arises from the sea, the place of evil, is a reworking of Daniel’s
vision in Daniel 7:
This
beast is like a leopard, a bear, and a lion. The seven heads are a composite of
the heads of the four beasts Daniel saw, one like a leopard, one like a bear,
one like a lion, and a fourth with ten horns. Other features of the Danielic
beasts are also applied to the one beast in v. 2. In addition, the ten diadems
on the ten horns are a reference to Daniel’s fourth beast, whose ‘ten horns’
are interpreted as ‘ten kings’ (Dan. 7:24). Likewise, the blasphemous names on
his heads are connected with the blasphemous figure of Dan. 7:8, 11, who is
also associated with the fourth Danielic kingdom (see on vv. 5-6 below).[2]
We also can say the following about this beast rising from the
sea:
·
A strong connection is
made between the dragon of Revelation 12 and this beast since the dragon stood
on the sands of the sea (12:17) and the beast comes from the sea, and the
picture of both are derived in large part from Daniel 7-8. (This suggests that
what John sees is the ultimate fulfillment of what was communicated through
Daniel, a recurring theme through Revelation, as we have repeatedly seen) This
connection is also solidified through the same Danielic imagery of horns and
heads (Dan. 7:7, 24; cf. 7:3-6) applied to the dragon in Rev. 12:3-4, is also
applied to the beast here.
·
This beast appears to
symbolize governmental (and related)[3] forces amassed against God
and the church, to persecute the latter. Horns are a sign of power and the
numbers, “ten horns and seven heads,” display full power and dominion that most
likely is distributed throughout the world. Given the figurative use of 7 and
10 elsewhere in Revelation, we most likely are not meant to ascribe specific
names or places to these pictures, but rather the sense this is speaking of
oppressive governmental powers throughout the world. This view of the beast is
also supported by the fact that the sea monster imagery in the Old Testament
spoke of oppressive governmental forces (e.g. Ps. 74:14; Is. 27:1) and the
beasts in Daniel also were governmental forces or kingdoms of the world.[4]
·
The diadems signify the
beast’s false claims of sovereign, that is, a universal authority which is in
opposition to the true “King of kings and Lord of lords,” who also wears “many
diadems” (19:12, 16). This beast, then, just like the dragon he represents,
puts himself forward as the savior and Lord in place of the true Savior and
Lord. In fact, the blasphemous names written on the beast’s heads appear to represent
blasphemous claims to earthly, divine kingship by the beast in feeble imitation
of Christ’s true kingship (compare 13:1 to 17:3 and 13:7-13 to 1:5; 17:14;
19:12-16).
·
Because the same
descriptions are given of the beast here in Rev. 13 as the dragon in Rev. 12,
this shows that both visions and both monsters (dragon and beast) span the same
time period.
Next, John reveals what the devil does in relation to the beast.
The Devil Gives His Power And Authority To The Beast (i.e. The
Governmental Authorities And Related Entities). 2b
John writes: “And
to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.” Given what John writes here and given the likelihood that
Revelation 13 spans the same time as Revelation 12, what we will discover here
is just how the devil pursues and persecutes the church, as we saw in chapter
12. In other words, the devil often works through agents. We discover that
here. These agents include his demons (e.g. Rev. 6:1-8; 9:1-21) and also humans
who represent governments and related entities (the gatekeepers).
Revelation 12-13 clarify for us that though Satan and his demons
are defeated, they are still operative and wreak much havoc in the world and
against the church (cf. Eph. 6:10-18).
Next, John reveals how the world typically relates to the beast.
The Mortally Wounded Beast—A Counterfeit Christ—Is Worshiped For
Its Wonders, A Worship That Is Ultimately Of The Dragon (the Devil). 13:3-4
There are several things we need to note about this beast.
In the first clause of verse 3 we read, “One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound,” or literally, “And one of his heads was as it has been slain unto death.” Everywhere else the verb that the ESV translates, “have a mortal wound,” is used (and it is used only by John: 1 Jn. 3:12; Rev. 5:6, 9, 12; 6:4, 9; 13:8; 18:24) it speaks of killing, not merely wounding. The beastly system of the government and related gatekeeper entities truly has been given a mortal wound that results ultimately in full or complete death (separation from life and God’s blessed presence and it involves the presence of God’s judgment).
We should also note that the wording of the clause, “had been
slain,” denotes completed action in the past and continuing results into the
present. Given that reality and given the reality that the word translated
“wound” in verse 5 (which could also be translated “plague”) is used everywhere
to speak of a blow that has a divine origin, it is most likely that what is in
view in this “wound” is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.[5]
We should see that this
death blow to the head of the beast comes because of the death blow to the head
of the dragon/serpent/Satan, which was first prophesied in Gen. 3:15. Because
of the close connection between the dragon and the beast, for the dragon to
have his head mortally wounded is for the beast to have his head mortally
wounded. In other words, the devil and his beastly system of evil human agents
are all already defeated and their future destruction and judgment are certain.
The way the picture appears to function is that we are not to see
this as a country or part of an empire or a king who is killed. The picture
most likely is designed to remind the reader that the devil and his
governmental system (and its myriad of gatekeepers) received their death blow
in the conquering salvific work of Jesus Christ.
The Beast Is A
Counterfeit Christ
One final comment on this first part of verse 3 has to do with the
words, “as slain,” which mirror what is said of the Lamb, Christ, in 5:6, where
we read, “standing as slain.” This introduces the reality the beast is put
forward as a Satanic counterfeit of Christ.[6] Oh, how true this is! Governments and false religions are set forth
as the savior, the supplier, the deliverer of men and so false Christs or
saviors. Though they make great
promises, they cannot deliver and, in fact, they lead away from the true and
only source of salvation!
It should be noted from Revelation’s depiction of one beast that
serves as a parody of Christ and that opposes Christ and his people, this fits
with Scripture’s emphasis elsewhere (e.g. Ps. 2:1ff.; Is. 25:3; 1 John 2:15-17)
that there is a united world system or way of thinking and operating that
opposes God and his redemptive plan.
Finally, in relation to the beast as a counterfeit Christ, we can
mention three more significant outcomes:[7]
·
“The parallels show that
the trans-temporal beast is set up as the supreme enemy of Christ and His
people. The figure behind this is the devil himself, as he repeatedly works
through his chosen agents throughout history.”
·
“The significance of the
parallels is [also] that the chief opponent of Christ cannot be limited to one
historical person or epoch. That is, just as the rule of Christ spans the whole
church age, so the evil activities of His ultimate counterpart, the devil and
his servants, span the same time.”
·
“This analysis leaves
open the possibility of an antichrist figure who comes at the very end of
history and incarnates the devil in a greater way than ever before.”
The Beast Fakes Healing
If we have accurately understood the vision thus far, then the
next clause in verse 3, “but its mortal wound was
healed,” must not mean that it was literally healed. After all, this is a
blow that has come from God, the affects of which continue into the present and
the condition is mortal, it does lead to ultimate death, judgment, eternal
destruction. Instead, the intent is that the world-wide anti-God system
represented in the beastly government entities acts as if it is healed, rather
than having a terminal wound. It disguises its certain defeat and instead makes
people think it can serve as their savior.
The World’s Response To
The Beast
In the rest of verse 3 and then in verse 4 we discover how the
world typically relates to this beastly system of gatekeepers: “and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.
4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast,
and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight
against it?’” There are a number of points we should notice:
·
“The whole world” here
must be read in the context of the book. These are those persons who have not
been “sealed,” i.e. they have not trusted Jesus Christ as their savior and so
they are not his followers (Rev. 7:1-8, 9; 12:17; 14:1-5, 9-11).
·
The beast is so
convincing in covering up his certain defeat that people marvel at him and
worship him. In other words, they turn to him for their hope and happiness,
their significance, and their security, and their ultimate life and provision.
They also tend to follow whatever this world system says and have a love for
and allegiance to it (see 1 John 2:15-17).
·
According to 4a-b, since
the dragon has given his authority to the beast, to worship the beast is
ultimately to worship its source and lord, that is, Satan. “The phrase denoting
this transferal of authority is based on Dan. 7:6, where authority is given to
the third beast to rule over the earth and to persecute.”[8]
·
This unsaved world can
often see the governmental world system of gatekeepers as invincible. We may
not think this is true today, especially since so many people complain about
the government, until we understand that this system often includes everything
from a nation’s defense, to its provision for those in need, to our commitment
to a worldview that states through research, science, technology, and the
accomplishments of humans we can solve any problem we face. Whether a person is
politically conservative or liberal, there can be a tendency to put hope in
this system (perhaps in different ways) and to “worship” it, to give it
allegiance, submit to it without question, and to serve it.
Conclusion
In Revelation 12:17c-13:4 we have received an introduction to the
truth Jesus Christ is communicating through John in 12:17c-13:10, namely that
it is the gatekeepers of society who not only put themselves forward as saviors
and false gods worthy of worship (and do in fact receive that worship from the
unsaved world), but who also operate with the authority and according to the
purpose of the devil. Once that foundation is set, there is a need to know more
about how these gatekeepers function, how they impact the church, and how the
world responds to them. All these things we will discover in our next post, as
we cover Rev. 13:5-10.
[1]
The Reformation Study
Bible (2005
ed.), p. 801, on Psalm 74:14, explains the origin of “Leviathan,” the evil
beast from the chaotic, destructive sea: “The psalmist borrows the language of
popular mythology, related in texts discovered at ancient Ugarit in Syria. In
those texts, ‘Leviathan’ (or ‘Lothan’) is a seven-headed sea monster defeated
by Baal at the time of creation.” In the Greek translation of the Old Testament
drakon (transliterated into
English as dragon) is the word sometimes used for this beast. It is also the
word used in Rev. 12.
This is also why in Revelation 21:1 it is said that in
the vision of the new heaven and new earth the sea is no more. This is similar to saying, “there is no
more evil.”
[2]
Greg Beale, with David Campbell, Revelation:
A Shorter Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015), 267-68.
[3]
By related forces I mean arms of the government that can include, but not be
limited to, educational institutions influenced by or controlled heavily by the
government, judicial branches and courts, any agencies that emerge from or are
controlled by the government, to enforce its laws, religious entities that are
influenced by or aligned with government forces, and even media that are forced
to represent the government or who represent it by choice. All of these become
gatekeepers, deciding on behalf of the government what worldview(s) are king,
who is rewarded, and who is penalized. We see in the Gospels in regard to Jesus
and in Acts in regard to the early church just how religious entities (Judaism
or Greco-Roman relgions [Acts 19:21ff.]) aligned with government forces to
persecute. More recently we can think of some cross-sections of the church in
Nazi Germany during the WW II years, some cross-sections of the church today in
the U.S. and elsewhere who have aligned themselves with the world system that
has re-defined marriage and gender.
[4]
Beale and Campbell, 268, add: “Whereas in Dan. 7:3-8 the images of the lion,
bear, leopard, and ‘terrifying’ beast respectively represent four successive
world empires, here these four images are all applied to the one beast….” They
go on to argue correctly that most likely this beast represent first the Roman
empire of the first century, but also all successive powers until the end of
this age that possess similar persecuting and oppressive tendencies.
[5]
There are two other reasons we know the wound or blow the beast has received is
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: (a) Mention of the sword that
struck the beast’s head in Rev. 13:14 recalls the end-time prophecy of Is.
27:1: “In that day the Lord will punish Leviathan [or sea monster] the fleeing
serpent, with His fierce and great and mighty sword, even Leviathan [or sea
monster] the twisted serpent; and He will kill the dragon who lives in the
sea.” The fact that Is. 27:1 is also echoed in Rev. 12:3, 9 points to the
conclusion that the death blow administered to the beast came through Christ’s
death and resurrection in initial fulfillment of the prophet’s words. (b) That
one of the heads of the beast is depicted as “slain” because of Christ’s death
and resurrection is borne out by 12:5, 10-12, together with 1:5 and 5:9 (see on
12:10-12). The effects of this defeat are carried on by the faithfulness of
Christ’s followers (so 12:11, 17; Rom. 16:17-20).
[6]
There are several other reasons we know that the beast is a counterfeit Christ: (a) The beast is depicted in Rev.
13:14 as having been resurrected (“the beast that was wounded and yet lived”),
just like Jesus. Yet, there is a vast difference. The beast’s living after
death is merely his being allowed to carry on, even though he is defeated, and
it is to increase the evidence against him that he deserves eternal destruction
and judgment. (b) Both the beast and Christ have followers with their names
written on their foreheads (13:6 and 14:1). (c) Both the beast and Christ have
horns (13:1; 5:6). (d) Both Christ and the beast have authority over every
“tribe, tongue, people, and nation” (5:9; 7:9 and 13:7; 17:12, 15). (e) Both
Christ and the beast receive worldwide worship (5:8-14 and 13:4, 8). (f) Both
have a final coming or manifestation, though one is to destruction and the
other to eternal victory (17:7-18).
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