The description continues the theme of something wicked “ascending”
from a dark place; first, from the “sea,” which corresponds to the “Abyss”
from which the “beast” first ascended. And second, from the “earth,”
the very place associated with the human opponents of the “Lamb,” the “inhabitants
of the earth.” In both cases, the Greek participle rendered “ascending”
is in the present tense, indicating ongoing action rather
than a single event; that is, a process of ascending.
- (Revelation 13:11-15) – “And I saw another beast ascending from the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and began speaking as a dragon. And all the authority of the first beast he uses before him; and causes the inhabitants of the earth to render homage to the first beast, whose stroke of death was healed. And he does great signs, so that even fire he causes to descend to the earth before men; and he deceives the inhabitants of the earth by the signs which it was given him to do before the beast, saying to the inhabitants of the earth that they should make an image for the beast who had the stroke of the sword, and yet lived. And it was given to it to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and should cause that as many as should not do homage to the image of the beast should be slain.”
The passage demonstrates why the arrival of this “beast”
meant “woe” to the “inhabitants of the earth,” for this creature deceives
them so that they render homage to the “beast from the sea,” ensuring
that their names will not be “written in the book of life.”
The descriptive language for the ascents of beasts from the
“sea” and the “earth” is derived from Daniel’s vision of the four beasts “ascending from the sea.” As with the previous paragraph, the present
passage employs language largely from Daniel:
- (Daniel 7:2-3) – “I was looking, in my vision which came with the night, when, behold, the four winds of the heavens, bursting forth upon the great sea; and four large beasts ascending from the sea.”
- (Daniel 7:17) – “These great beasts are four kings who will ascend from the earth.”
The “beast from the earth” speaks with the voice
of Satan and the authority of the first “beast” - (“he spoke as a
dragon”). He is the mouthpiece of the “beast from the sea” that summons
all men to give it their allegiance.
In fact, the “beast
from the earth” is the “mouth speaking great things
and slanders” that was given to the first “beast,” and with the authority
to operate over “forty-two months,” the same period allotted for the “trampling
of the sanctuary by the nations,” the ministry of the “two witnesses,”
the “nourishment” of the woman for “a thousand, twelve
hundred and sixty days,” and the “short season” for
the “Dragon” to wreak havoc on the “earth and the sea” - (Revelation
11:1-3, 12:6-14, 13:5).
He speaks by another’s authority. His “voice”
echoes the characteristics of the “little horn” from Daniel that was
“speaking great things.” And, though his “power was mighty,” it
was “not by his own power.” He has “two horns like a
lamb”; that is, on some level he mimics Jesus, the “slain Lamb” – (Daniel
7:8, 8:23).
He “causes
the inhabitants of the earth to render homage to the first beast.” This alludes to the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s “golden
image” that he “erected” and compelled all “peoples, nations and
tongues” to render homage to it:
- (Daniel 3:1-7) – “Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold…in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon… Then the herald cried aloud: To you, it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and tongues… that you render homage to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has erected… And all the peoples, nations, and tongues fell down and rendered homage to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had erected.”
Additionally, the “beast from the earth” has “two”
horns and the authority to “cause fire to descend from heaven to the earth”
to deceive its “inhabitants.” This means he also imitates the “two
witnesses,” from whose mouth fire “consumed their enemies.” The “two
witnesses stood in the sight of (enopion) the
Lord of the earth”; likewise, the “beast from the earth” exercises
all the authority of the first beast “in the sight (enopion) of
it.” Each serves its respective master - (Revelation 11:4-6).
The “two witnesses” inflicted punishment on their
opponents, much like the plagues inflicted on Egypt by Moses, and the “sign” Aaron
performed before Pharaoh when he cast his rod before Pharaoh and turned it into
a serpent, but the Egyptian sorcerers were able to imitate the same “sign” – (“they
cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents”). So, also, the “beast
from the earth” performed “signs” like those of the “two witnesses”
- (Exodus 7:9-12, Revelation 11:6).
“Saying to the inhabitants of the earth that they should make an image for the beast.” The “beast” does not himself erect the “image”; rather, he convinces the “inhabitants of the earth” to do so, making them full participants in the idolatrous endeavor.
But the “beast from the earth”
is the one who gives life, purpose, and justification to the “image.” He
provides the rationale and ideology for giving absolute allegiance to the “beast
from the sea,” rather than to the “Lamb” – (“It was given to it
to give breath to the image of the beast”).
“As many as should not render homage to the image should
be killed.” The statement echoes the action of Nebuchadnezzar, who threatened
to cast all who refused to bow to his image into “the burning fiery furnace.”
“Killed” translates the Greek verb apokteinô,
the same one used when the “beast from the Abyss” killed
the “two witnesses,” and to describe the “perseverance of the saints”
- “If anyone is to be killed with sword, with sword he must be
killed.” Implicit is that faithful “saints” are the ones who are “killed”
for refusing to give allegiance to the “beast” - (Revelation 11:7-13,
13:10).
The task of the “beast from the earth” is to cause
the “inhabitants of the earth” to give allegiance to the “beast from
the sea.” If the first “beast” represents political power, the “beast
from the earth” represents the ideology and religious authority invoked to
legitimize the authority and idolatrous allegiance demanded by the “beast
from the sea.”
Elsewhere, the “beast from the earth” is called
the “false prophet.” Just as the deceitful activities of “that
prophetess, Jezebel” correspond to the “Great Harlot, Babylon, who made
the inhabitants of the earth drunk with her fornication,” so, also, the efforts
of the “false prophet” to deceive humanity parallel the proponents of
the “doctrines of Balaam” and the “Nicolaitans” at Pergamos, who
taught saints to “fornicate and eat meat offered to idols.” Thus, the deceptions
of the “beast from the earth” are found within the church, as well as among
the “inhabitants of the earth” – (Revelation 2:14, 2:20, 17:1-4).
Whether
the “false prophet” represents an actual person, an organization or movement,
an ideology, or something else, remains to be seen. For now, the stress is on
his ability to deceive others to “render homage,” their total
allegiance, to the “beast from the sea,” the earthly representative of
the “Dragon,” that “ancient serpent” called ‘Satan’ and ‘Devil’ who
“slandered the brethren” before the Throne of God “day and night.”
However,
since the exaltation of the messianic “son,” he has been banished from
heaven. Though enraged, Satan has only a “short time” remaining to destroy
the church; so, also, his earthly agents. He can only operate when and how far
allowed by the “Lamb.” In the end, his assault against the “saints”
will only hammer more “nails in his coffin,” including the death of every
martyr slain by his vassals, his “seed.” Though momentarily horrific for his
victims, the attacks by the enraged “Dragon” will constitute his final death
throes.
In
chapter 13, the political and religious aspects of this satanic effort are
prominent, especially the mixture of the two. In the end, the decision of each
man and woman is between giving allegiance to the “beast,” or to “follow
the Lamb wherever he goes,” even when doing so means an unjust and violent
death.