Apocalipse 13
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Apocalipse 13:7-10
13:7 "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them" This is an AORIST PASSIVE INDICATIVE and an AORIST PASSIVE INFINITIVE. The implication of the PASSIVE VOICE is that God allowed this to occur. We do not understand all that is behind this but it is obvious from the book of the Revelation that God is in control of all history. This war on His saints is mentioned in Dan. 7:21,25. It refers to the physical death of God's people. There is a time when the enemy seems to be the victor (like Calvary), but Revelation and Daniel teach that this victory is short-lived! Notice that God's people are protected from the wrath of God, but not from the wrath of the beast and his followers. God allows evil an apparent victory in order to reveal its true intentions and nature. ▣"saints" See Special Topic: Saints ▣ "and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him" This phrase indicates that Revelation needs to be interpreted in a wider sense than the Roman Empire only, because of this universal, inclusive phrase that this refers to an Empire-wide event. 13:8 "All who dwell on the earth" This is a recurrent phrase referring to unbelievers in Revelation (cf. Rev. 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8,12,14; 17:8). ▣ "whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain" It is uncertain syntactically whether the phrase "from the foundation of the earth" is to be taken with "our name written" (cf. RSV, NRSV, TEV, NJB and 17:8; Eph. 1:4) "the Lamb being slaughtered" (cf. KJV, NKJV and 1 Pet. 1:19-20) The word order of this text and Rev. 17:8 implies that the phrase probably describes believers' names written in the book of life even before creation! The phrase "the foundation of the earth" is used several times in the NT (cf. Matt. 25:34; John 17:24; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:19-20). There is also a very similar phrase in Matt. 13:35; Luke 11:50; Heb. 4:3; 9:26 and Rev. 17:8. The combination of these phrases shows God's redemptive activity before the creation of the world. Believers are secure in Christ (cf. Rev. 7:4; 11:1; 13:8). Evil is limited by a sovereign God (number of PASSIVE VERBS in this chapter and the time limit). It looks bad in the short run, but look at the big picture! Special Topic: The Foundations of the Earth ▣ "the book of life" From Dan. 7:10 and Rev. 20:11-15 we understand that there were two metaphorical books mentioned in connection with human destiny: the Book of Life, which contains the names of those who have personally known God (OT) and have received Christ (NT) [cf. Exod. 32:32-33; Ps. 69:28; Dan. 12:1; Isa. 4:3; 34:16; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27] the Book of the Deeds of Mankind, which record human activity, both positive and negative (cf. Ps. 56:8; 139:16; Isa. 65:6; Mal. 3:16) These are obviously metaphors, but they do accurately describe God's ability to know those who are His and to hold those who have rejected Him accountable (cf. Gal. 6:7). Special Topic: The Two Books of God ▣ "who has been slain" See note at Rev. 5:12. 13:9 "If anyone has an ear, let him hear" This is a recurrent theme in the letters to the seven churches (cf. Rev. 2:7,17; 3:6,13,22). It, like the other phrases in Rev. 13:9-10, is a FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE which is assumed to be true for the author's literary purposes. The fact that these phrases relate to the churches seems to imply that the next phrase (v. 10) is also directed to the people of God. 13:10 This verse may be an allusion to Jer. 15:2 or 43:11, which speaks of God's judgment. There are several Greek manuscript variants related to the VERB "kill." This has caused the different English translations of this verse. The KJV and NKJV relate both of these phrases to the persecutors of God's people. The RSV and NRSV make the first clause relate to the persecuted Christians and the second clause to the anti-God persecutors. A third possible interpretation (TEV and NJB) is that both clauses refer to persecuted Christians. The very fact that there is so much variance in the translations shows the uncertainty. It is obviously a spiritual truth that God is in control of history. The only question is to whom the phrase was directed. to Christians to encourage them to remain faithful (cf. Matt. 26:52; Phil. 1:28) to persecutors to assure them that they will one day be accountable before God for their choices and actions? "Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints" NKJV, Peshitta "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" "Here is the call for endurance and faith of the saints" TEV, REB "This calls for endurance and faith on the part of God's people" "This is why the saints must have perseverance and faith" Rev. 13:9 and the end of Rev. 13:10 show that this phrase must refer to the people of God (cf. Matt. 26:52). This verse also describes the true believers (cf. Rev. 14:12; 12:11,17). They are encouraged to hold out until the end (cf. Rev. 2:3,7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21; 21:7). Perseverance is evidence of true salvation (cf. 1 John 2:19). See note at Rev. 2:2. Special Topic: Perseverance
Apocalipse 13:11-18
13:11 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth" This is an allusion to Dan. 7:17. many have assumed that these two beasts are a parody of the two witnesses of God in Rev. 11:13-14 others have assumed that the dragon and the two beasts are a parody of the Trinity. As the beast from the sea is an allusion to Leviathan (cf. Job 41:1-34), the ancient master of watery chaos, so the beast from the land is an allusion to Behemoth (cf. Job 40:15-24), the corresponding land monster (this in no way refers to dinosaurs, but to ancient eastern mythology). These beasts are symbols of evil (chaos) and rebellion in God's created order (cf. Ps. 74:12-14; Job. 3:8; Isa. 51:9-11; Amos 9:3). Sometimes Leviathan is called Rahab ("the twisted one," i.e., the serpent, cf Isa. 51:9). In other places Rahab is a name for Egypt (the Nile, i.e., twisting river, cf. Ps. 87:4; Isa. 30:7 and possibly Ezekiel 32, especially Rev. 13:2-3). Special Topic: Leviathan ▣ "he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon" The reference to a lamb is an obvious parody of Christ (cf. Rev. 5:6). His voice and/or message reveals his true character. Later in Revelation the second beast is always referred to as the false prophet (cf. Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). He does not seek glory for himself, but recruits the world to worship the beast (cf. Rev. 13:12). This is a parody of the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14-16) in promoting Christ. So we have an unholy trinity: Satan as a parody of God the Father the sea beast as a parody of God the Son the land beast as a parody of God the Spirit 13:13 "He performs great signs" This is a PRESENT TENSE VERB which means he continues to perform wonders. It was expected that the end-time false teachers would be able to do the miraculous and lead even the elect astray, if that were possible (cf. Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thess. 2:9-11; the Didache 16:3,4). Miracles are not automatically signs of God (cf. Exod. 7:8-13). This is another parody of Christ's ministry. Special Topic: Sign (OT) ▣ "he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men" This is similar to Elijah in 1 Kgs. 18:38, which may be the source of the description of the two witnesses found in Rev. 11:5. It may refer to fire that fell as a judgment of God in Ezek. 38:22 or 39:6. This may be another parody of the two witnesses of God's OT acts of Pentecost in Acts 2 Special Topic: Fire 13:14 "who had the wound of the sword and has come to life" The word "wound" (plēge, cf. Rev. 13:3,12,14) is usually translated "plague" in Revelation (cf. 9:18,20; 11:6; 15:1,6,8; 16:9,21; 18:4,8; 21:9; 22:18). The footnotes of the NRSV have for Rev. 13:3 "the plague of its death" for Rev. 13:12 "whose plague of its death" for Rev. 13:14 "that had received the plague of the sword" The theological intent of these translations is to show that the antichrist is not a person, but a world system. The term can be used metaphorically of a "blow of fate" or a plague (cf. BAGD, p. 674), but its basic meaning is a stroke, or a wound. The accompanying phrase "and has come back to life" shows that "plague" is not the best translation in these verses related to the beast. The idea of an end-time, anti-God Antichrist leading the nations in rebellion is predicted in the OT in Ezekiel 38-39; Zechariah 14; Daniel 7:21-27; 9:24-27; 11:36-39 and in the intertestamental apocalyptic literature, Sibylline Oracles, book III; IV Esdras 5.4,6 and Apocalypse of Baruch XL, and in the NT, 2 Thess. 2:3,8-9. Special Topic: Antichrist 13:15 "it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast" Elsewhere this beast from the land is called the false prophet (cf. Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). Perhaps this is the metaphor of injecting life (i.e.,Hebrew ruah = breath) into the movement (cf. Ezekiel 37). 13:16 "to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead" As the saints were sealed unto God in Rev. 7:3 (cf. Rev. 13:16; 14:9), here the evil one mimics God's action by marking his own. The Greek word implies an animal brand or a seal on a governmental document. Because of the location of the sign, some have thought that it was a perversion of a Jewish phylactery (cf. Deut. 6:8) relating to the first century Roman culture, in which slaves were branded with their owner's name soldiers tattooed in honor of their general 13:17 The mark of the beast relates to the purchase of food, and possibly employment. God's people are not protected from this economic privation. 13:17-18 "the number of his name" Ancient languages used the letters of their alphabets to also stand for numbers. As the Hebrew consonants of Jesus' name adds up to 888 (cf. Sibylline Oracles, 1.324), so the name of the beast, the end-time incarnation of Satan, adds up to 666. Six is one less than the perfect number 7 (cf. Gen. 1:1-2:3, seven days of creation); repeated three times it forms a Hebrew SUPERLATIVE (cf. Isa. 6:3; Jer. 7:4). It is also possible that since six is the human number, it may refer to a personification of each person of the unholy trinity—the dragon (Satan), the sea beast (Antichrist) and the land beast (false prophet). It seems to me that the first beast is a personification of an anti-God political system and the second beast is a personification of an anti-God religious system. We are moving toward the great whore of chapter 17, the epitome of an anti-God world system from Daniel 7. Whether it is ancient Babylon, first century Rome, or an end-time composite world kingdom, it shows that human history is moving toward the ultimate conflict between "the god of this world" (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4) and his minions versus the God of creation and His Messiah (cf. Psalm 2). 13:18 "his number is six hundred and sixty six" There is no consensus on who this number refers to. There have been countless conjectures, but none have been conclusive. Here are the three best theories in my opinion. Since there is a manuscript variant between 666 an 616, it is possible to use Nero Caesar. The Greek letters translated into Hebrew equal 666 and the Greek letters translated into Latin equal 616. Since a threefold repetition counts for a Hebrew superlative, 666 may mean the most evil person. Since the context denotes a parody on the Trinity, the three Divine Persons are reflected in 777, while the three counterfeit ones 666. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO REVELATION 14:1-20 It is possible that Rev. 14 is a response to the presentation of the overwhelming evil of Rev. 12 and 13. I am sure that the readers wondered what would be happening to the saints during this terrible end-time persecution. Some have seen another literary structure of "seven" in Rev. 14:6-20. There is a series of seven angels, but this structure does not seem to be theologically significant.