The Second Vision: The Beast from the Sea

Sermon for Midweek of Trinity 5

Revelation 13:1-10

We turn now from the vision of the dragon, the woman, and the Child to the second vision from the set of seven visions in Revelation 12-14. This one shows us the beast that came up out of the sea. It’s a terrible creature, and it’s one that the Church will have to deal with for 42 months, that is, for the entire New Testament period, until Christ returns. As usual, there’s plenty in these pictures that we may struggle to identify, but the overarching message remains the same: The Church will suffer terribly throughout this New Testament period, but it all fits into God’s plan to work all things together for good to those who love Him.

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority… And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

Instead of “I stood on the sand of the sea,” another Greek reading has “he stood,” as in, the dragon stood. That seems to fit a little better with the context, because the dragon is just waiting for this beast to come forth so that it can serve him. If you recall, the dragon was described in chapter 12 as having seven heads and ten horns, just like this beast, so that the beast resembles the dragon, and the dragon gave the beast his power and authority. They’re working very closely together.

There’s really no doubt that John’s vision of the beast from the sea is directly related to Daniel’s vision of four beasts that came up out of the sea. If you recall from our study of Daniel, we easily identified those four beasts as the four governments that would affect the people of Israel over the coming centuries. The first beast Daniel saw, representing Babylonia, was described as being “like a lion”; John’s beast has the mouth of a lion. Daniel’s second beast, representing the Medes and Persians, looked “like a bear”; John’s beast has feet like those of a bear. Daniel’s third beast, representing the nation of Greece, was “one that looked like a leopard”; the beast which John saw was like a leopard. The fourth beast in Daniel, representing the Roman Empire, is not compared to any animal but it has ten horns; John’s beast also has ten horns. The third beast described by Daniel has four heads, the other three only had one each, for a total of seven heads, just as the single beast seen by John had seven heads. One of the ten horns of Daniel’s beast is described as “waging war against the saints and defeating them.” John later describes the beast from the sea as doing almost exactly the same thing.

So it seems very clear that the beast from the sea in Revelation is also meant to represent the governments of the world. The message is clear: the governments of the world will be working hand in hand with the devil against God and against the Church for the duration of this New Testament time period. Now, the devil didn’t create the world’s governments; they “came up out of the sea,” out of God’s natural created order. Nor do most world leaders worship the devil openly as so-called “Satanists.” But if you pay attention, practically all of them have “a blasphemous name” written on them. Their claims about themselves challenge the authority of God, and they have a reputation of usurping God’s authority, legalizing, promoting, and celebrating things that God condemns, while often forbidding the things that God commands.

Where is the God-denying doctrine of evolution taught more than in government-sponsored schools? Who is responsible for legalized abortion, no-fault divorce, the celebration of homosexuality and other perversions, and the persecution of Christians but the governments of the world? At times in history they have been openly anti-Christian, as in the first three centuries leading up to Constantine, or in the governments under Muslim control, or in modern times, the communist governments of the world. At other times government leaders have claimed to be Christians, but have still promoted policies that blaspheme God and that are harmful to the true Christian Church, all the while pretending to teach people things that are false when it comes to God. Our country is a prime example.

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. What could it mean that one of the heads of secular government appears to have been mortally wounded or “slain,” and then healed? That seems to indicate all the times when one of the governments of the world that was persecuting Christians was stopped for a time, maybe by a rebellion or a revolt, or by other nations. The Roman Empire’s horrible persecutions of the first three centuries were put to a stop when Constantine took over. The Muslim conquerors were sometimes defeated. Hitler’s government was overthrown. The Soviet Union crumbled. Even the United States seemed to have defeated the anti-Christian forces connected with slavery. But all of these governments, forasmuch as it seemed like Satan’s influence was diminished for a time, always came back into his service eventually.

And all the world marveled and followed the beast…They worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” The power of the government seems almost god-like, and they’re all wearing those “crowns” or “diadems” on their horns, which were symbols of a ruler’s claim to godhood. Sometimes it’s the government’s military strength that impresses people. Sometimes it’s their power to lock up or punish dissenters. Sometimes it’s their socialist programs that are aimed at making everyone dependent on the government. In any case, people end up putting their faith in the government—faith which should only be placed in God.

It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The governments of the world have made war with the saints since the time of Christ, when Herod and Pilate conspired together against Christ Himself, if not by open persecution, then by deceit and leading people to trust in princes more than they trust in God. And all unbelievers end up worshiping the governments of the world in one way or another. That’s what’s meant by “whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb.” That’s a clear reference to the election that took place in Christ “before the foundations of the earth were laid.” And while it’s possible to take “from the foundation of the world” with the “Lamb slain,” the Greek allows for that phrase to be taken with “whose names have not been written,” which seems to fit the context better.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. This little saying is meant to comfort the saints, to give us patience and faith. The world rulers who have done the persecuting will eventually be persecuted by God. Those who have blasphemed God and made war against the saints, who thought they were running things, will one day learn what it’s like to have God make war against them.

Now, given what God has shown us about the world governments in this vision, no Christian should ever fall into the trap of thinking of the government as the friend of Christians. It never has been, and it never will be. But neither should the Christian’s response be rebellion against our governments, or slander, or mockery, or bitterness, or anger. The task God has given us as Christians is not to worship the beast, not to “slay the beast,” or to rage against the beast, or to take the beast over for Christ, but still to pray for the governing authorities and to honor them, even though they dishonor the very God who put them in place to do good in this world. The wicked will answer for their crimes, not to us, but to God.

Meanwhile, we may have to stand up to the government, not by rebelling, but by speaking the truth and by not going along with the sinful or illegitimate laws the governments make. We may have to flee to a place where the government attacks aren’t as strong or as direct. And we will certainly have to keep preaching and hearing the Word of God and living as lights in the world. And when we do, you can expect that the governments of the world will brand us as extremists, because while we continue to hold the line, with the same old teachings and practices God has always prescribed in the Bible, the world rushes further and further away from those principles and practices, until the gap between the world’s morality and ours is like a great chasm.

But take heart! Revelation is the story of the final victory of Christ and His Church after God’s enemies look like they’re winning for a time. The governments of the world are one of those bitter enemies, and they, too, will finally have to admit that God has loved us. Amen.