Revelation 13:3 “The Beast Out of the Sea and It’s Deception”

The Beast Out of the Sea and Its Evil Deceptions

Bible Study Guide

(Verse 3) We learned in the previous study guide the beast out of the sea in John’s vision is the Antichrist. We also identified the symbols of the leopard, bear, and lion and what they represented.

Now we’re going to examine closely something that many people in the days of the Tribulation will find awe inspiring and unique. But in actuality, it will not be unique at all.

There is nothing original about the dragon (Satan) that gives power to the beast that will rise out of the sea. Everything he does is a counterfeit of God’s work. He opposes and copies God to accomplish his goals. He is the father of lies. There is no truth in him.

Keeping this in mind, we’re going to watch him establish his trinity which will be an unholy trinity. This will be between him, the Antichrist and the false prophet. This is the prophet that John is about to see come out of the earth. These three will establish the counterfeit unholy trinity.

But first, the dragon will use the beast to create another counterfeit of Christ. He will do this in order to establish a large spiritual following just as Christ did after His death and resurrection.

Why Is there a Fatal Wound on the Beast Out of the Sea?

As John continues to peer at the beast in his vision. He sees something unusual. One of the horns on it’s head appears to have been fatally wounded. Notice that John records that the fatal wound was healed.

This requires closer examination in order to properly understand what John is looking at.

Remember, the beast out of the sea is named as such so that a connection can be made with the beast in Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7. The beast in Daniel 7 symbolizes the old Roman Empire as well a future Roman Empire that will rise as a global empire ruled by who will be a global ruler, the beast (Antichrist).

No, this does not mean that the Romans are coming back to rule the earth. It’s simply a reference to the territory ruled by the Romans during their reign. In other words, this future global empire will rise somewhere out of the European territory. This could also include regions around the Mediterranean Sea that the Romans controlled. It’s also likely that the Antichrist will come out of the same region.

What Do We Make of This Fatal Wound?

In Daniel’s first visions of the Antichrist, we see he’s represented as a little horn on top of the head of the beast that Daniel sees which symbolized the Roman Empire. The little horn illustrates how the Antichrist will first come onto the public scene.

He will come quietly and hardly noticeable. He will speak eloquently and begin to draw people to himself through the worldly solutions he presents. These solutions will be for the good of humanity during a time of great chaos and destruction. As he builds his political alliances and stature, he’ll grow into a global leader.

“After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.” (Daniel 7:7-8)

Is the Beast’s Wound Really Fatal?

Now, let’s fast forward back up to John’s vision in Revelation. The little horn (Antichrist) that Daniel saw as a young early political leader, John now sees the head (Antichrist) on the beast, but with a fatal wound.

Notice carefully, two things that need our attention. The verse reads, “seemed to have had a fatal wound.” John, in his vision is not convinced that the symbol of the Antichrist via this head with the wound was a fatal wound.

Based on John’s recording of this vision, this fatal wound that the Antichrist will receive is probably intended by the dragon (Satan) to make it look like it was a fatal wound. Instead, it was a lie, a fake death, a counterfeit.

But Why a Fake Death? Why Is It a Counterfeit?

The answer is given to us if we keep reading. In the same verse, John records, “but the fatal wound had been healed.” There it is. Satan is going to make it appear as though the beast out of the sea (Antichrist) died, so it will look like it had been resurrected. But why?

But why was this necessary? The answer is simple, but first let’s take a closer look at the wound that the beast will be stricken with.

Zechariah’s Prophecy of the Beast of Revelation

“Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.
17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,
who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm and his right eye!
May his arm be completely withered,
his right eye totally blinded!” (Zechariah 11:15-17)

Here in this passage, Zechariah the prophet gives us a glimpse of the Antichrist and his so called fatal wound. He calls him the worthless shepherd also known as the lawless one. Remember, this Antichrist will rise to power as a friend of Israel. Possibly, even a hero to Israel. This is because, he’ll form a covenant that will allow Israel to build their third temple.

This is why, in this passage he’s portrayed as a shepherd of Israel. But he’ll desert the flock when he turns on the Jews and defiles the temple. He will then demand to be called God and worshiped.

According to Zechariah’s prophecy, it’s likely that this wound will leave permanent scars on the beast out of the sea. There’s nothing in this passage that leads us to believe that the wounds will be fatal.

Let’s fast forward up again to John’s vision and answer the very important question that hasn’t been answered. Will the fatal wound on the beast (Antichrist) be an actual fatal would or was it some other deception?

The Counterfeit Death and Resurrection of the Beast

Remember, we mentioned in the last study guide about the beast of Revelation (Antichrist) and how he would first rise to become a global political leader. Then he will turn his motivation to become a global spiritual leader in a one world religion.

In order to do this, he must create a spiritual following. He has little time left in order to accomplish this. It has to be something really big. It has to be something that will make people’s jaw drop in awe. Something that will immediately get people to follow him.

Again, since the dragon (Satan) cannot come up with anything original, he’ll do what he’s always been good at. He’ll deceive the people into following him spiritually as their God.

Since he’s the father of lies and deception, he’ll counterfeit the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since it’s likely that Satan has no power to resurrect anyone from the dead, he’ll make it appear that the beast out of the sea (Antichrist) is dead. This way it’ll look just like a resurrection when the beast appears to be healed of his so called fatal wound.

Notice carefully the order of Satan’s (dragon’s) works in John’s vision. Even this is a counterfeit. First, just as Christ was fully human and fully God, the Antichrist, who will be a human, will demand to be worshiped as God. This will be a counterfeit of the deity of Jesus Christ.

Then the beast will endure a counterfeit fatal wound which only appears fatal. Then it’ll look like he’s been resurrected. Counterfeiting the death and resurrection of Christ.

There Is No Truth In the Works of the Beast

So we see one counterfeit after another layered upon other counterfeits, all in an attempt to deceive people into follow him. To make his counterfeit complete, he will introduce the third person of his false unholy trinity.

Who is this “third person?” Why does the dragon go through all this trouble to counterfeit the works of God? Let’s take a close look in the next Bible study guide to find out.

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