A Study on Revelation Chapter 14: Part 4 – The beast, his image, and his mark

In Rev 14 we read about the judgment that will come to those who worship the beast and his image.    

Rev 14:9-11 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.

Just prior to chapter 14, there are 2 beasts mentioned in chapter 13; the first beast with 7 heads and 10 horns, and the second beast with 2 horns.

The first beast: 

Rev 13:1-4 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world marveled after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

The second beast:

Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.

Because a head is what controls the rest of the body, a head represents a leader, or ruling entity. A horn in the Bible represents power, and a crown represents rulership, or ruling authority. Because the book of Revelation is almost intirely written in parabolic language, the numbers 7 and 10 most likey do not literally represent 7 and 10, but it is parabolic language used to represent a perfect number (7) of ruling entities that possess complete (10) power and rulership. Because this beast is seen rising up out of the sea, it signifies an entity that will rise to power and ruling authority in the world; therefore this beast represents a body of powerful leaders that will come together into one unified governing body that will attain total and complete power and rulling authority over the whole world. Because this beast is like unto a leopard, has the feet of a bear, and a mouth as a lion, its agenda will be to destroy. In Hosea 13 we find a passage that refers to God coming as a lion, a leopard, and a bear, during Israel’s final period of self-destruction.  

Hosea 13:7-9 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion, as a leopard by the way will I observe them. I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the enclosure of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion; the wild beast shall tear them. Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help.

Because this governing body of leaders wil be completely opposed to Christianity and the true Godhead, they will use every manner or evil propaganda possible to turn the world against Christianity and the true Godhead.

   

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

   

One of the beast’s heads had been wounded to death, but its deadly wound was healed; this signifies that one of its leaders has experienced a type of resurrection from the dead.

  

Rev 13:3-4 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world marveled after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

  

This worldwide governing body of leaders is going to be demonically empowered by Satan, who will supernatural grant them the ability to create a false sense of utopia in the world, thus the whole world will "marvel after the beast". It will be because of this false sense of utopia that the whole world will worship the dragon, which gave power unto the beast, and they will worship the beast saying, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

    

This first beast, composed of a powerful group of leaders, will become unified in force by the second beast; the one with 2 horns as a lamb, but speaks as a dragon. This will be the awaited Antichrist, who will come looking like the Messiah of the world, but will in actuality also be completely demonically empowered and possessed.

Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.

This Antichrist will come performing many incredible miracles and will deceive billions of people into believing that he is the true Messiah. This Antichrist will “exercise all the power of the first beast”, meaning that he will also have complete and total power to rule over the whole world, and he will “cause the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast.”

Rev 13:12-13 And he [the Antichrist] exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed; and he performs great miracles, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

Because this Antichrist will be granted total and complete ruling authority over the whole world, he will be able to command that everyone should make a god-like image of the beast (or ruling leader) which appears to have been resurrected from the dead.

Rev 13:14  And he [the Antichrist] deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

This Antichrist will have the supernatural ability to endow this god-like image that had been created of the leader who had been resurrected from the dead, with a god-like spirit.

Rev 13:15-18 And he [theAntichrist] had power to give life unto the image of the beast; that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their forehead; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.

After the image of the resurrected leader has been created, which I am guessing will be some type of holographic electronic image, the Antichrist will give it an ability to speak. I believe that this resurrected leader along with his image, make up the abomination of desolation spoken of by Jesus and by Daniel the prophet.

   

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day [of the Rapture) shall not come except there occurs the departure first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, declaring himself that he is God.

   

Mark 13:14 So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not - (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

    

All those who obey the commands of that image and worship it, will receive a supernatural mark of the resurrected beast, which is the number of a man, and they will be begin to receive severe judgments from God. 

    

Rev 16:2 And the first [angel] went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there broke out a wicked and painful sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

Only those who do not obey the commands of this image, worship it, and receive its mark, will the Lord Jesus be able to save and grant eternal life to.

Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

I will end Part 4 here and continue with Part 5