5.4: Book of Revelations
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- 98529
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Book of Revelations’ description of the Antichrist (Revelation 13)
The following passage is from the Book of Revelation, which is the very last section of the Christian Bible. The book is written by a man named John who has been exiled to the Isle of Patmos for his Christian belief (remember that Christianity was still illegal when the Bible was being written). When on this island he has a mystical vision in which Jesus comes back to earth, vanquishes his enemies, gathers together all his followers, and erects a new Jerusalem. The book is highly symbolic and can be very difficult to interpret. This vision of the return of Jesus has fascinated and confused Christians since its writing. Some see the descriptions of beasts, angels, seals, trumpets, a heavenly city, etc. as literal, and others view them as symbolic. Some interprets have seen it as a vision of the apocalypse while others have seen it as describing the fall of the Roman Empire.
Perhaps the most fascinating section of the book is the description of the “antichrist”, or beast that will rise out of the sea and trick many humans into worshipping it. Jesus Christ will eventually battle and defeat the Antichrist when he returns, which will signal the beginning of his gathering of all his true followers into an idyllic reward – living in the new Jerusalem.
The following is a description of this “antichrist” as well as a secondary beast that will assist the Antichrist in tricking people into worshipping it, when it is actually evil. Some believe that the Antichrist is the devil himself.
The Antichrist
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names.
The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast.
They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him.
He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven.
It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed…
I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.
He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people.
He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.
It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed.
He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads;
and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
Access the text here:
https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/web/rev.htm