One of the most popular and well known chapters in the Bible is Revelation 13. It is here that we get a glimpse of the Antichrist, the False Prophet, the Image of the Beast, and the Mark of the Beast. Our study of an Islamic Antichrist would be incomplete without looking at Revelation 13:1-10. In this article, we will examine these verses to see whether or not it is consistent with a Middle Eastern origin of the Antichrist.
Revelation 13:1-10
1 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. 9 He who has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
In these verses, the Apostle John witnesses a beast rising up out of the sea. This beast has ten horns and seven heads (v.1). The beast resembled a leopard, but had the feet of a bear, and a mouth of a lion (v. 2). This beast is given authority, power, and a throne from the dragon (Satan) (v.2). One of the seven heads seems to have had a fatal wound, but the wound had been healed (v.3). Other aspects of the beast include:
- The whole world (“all inhabitants”) worshipped the dragon and the beast (v.3-4, 8).
- The people following the beast say, “Who can make war against him?” (v.4)
- The beast utters proud words and blasphemies and exercises authority for forty-two months (3 ½ years). (v.5)
- He makes war against the saints and even conquers them. (v.7)
- “And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.” (v.7)
Interpreting the Beast of Revelation 13:1-10
There are a few different ways to interpret the beast of Revelation 13:1-10. First, the beast is taken to be a composite of the four beasts of Daniel 7 (the lion, bear, leopard, and the fourth beast with ten horns). It is believed that since all four are combined in Revelation 13 then the beast must symbolize all evil governments throughout history that are antichristian.[1] That is, because of the symbolic nature of the book of Revelation, every empire and kingdom from Rome to Nazi Germany, from the Mongolians to the Japanese, and everything in between, is believed to be represented by this beast.
Second, the beast represents the Antichrist, in that the Antichrist and his kingdom will be a combination of all the cruelty of every evil government that has ever existed (or at least the ones in Daniel 7).[2]
I admit that because of the symbolic nature of Revelation that both of these interpretations are possible. However, if we use the principle of using Scripture to interpret Scripture, then there is a third interpretation that is accepted among those who believe that the Antichrist will be Middle Eastern. A careful reader will notice that there are many similarities between the fourth beast of Daniel 7 and the beast in Revelation 13.
1) Both chapters say that the beast came up out of the sea. The sea in apocalyptic literature symbolizes Gentile (non-Jewish) or evil nations and peoples.[3] So these four kingdoms are empires that are outside of the nation of Israel.
2) Both beasts have ten horns. The ten horns are the same as the ten toes in Daniel 2.
3) Both are destroyed by the second coming of Christ (see Revelation 19:11-21).
4) Both make war against the saints and succeed.
5) Both utter blasphemies against God.
6) Both will wage war for a time, times, and half a time (3 ½ years)
These details suggest that the beast in Revelation 13:1-10 is the same as the fourth beast in Daniel 7. The beast of Revelation 13 is not a composite of all four beasts in Daniel 7, but it is a composite of the first three beasts only: the lion, the bear, and the leopard. In order to know the significance of this we must understand what the three beasts represent.
1. The first beast in Daniel 7, the lion, signifies the Babylonian Empire (c. 626-539 BC).
2. The second beast, the lopsided bear, represents the Medo-Persian Empire (539-332 BC) which destroyed the Babylonian Empire.
3. The leopard represents the kingdom of Alexander the Great, the Greek Empire (c. 330-30 BC). The four heads signify the fact that after Alexander died (in 323 BC) his kingdom was divided into four different kingdoms headed by four of his generals.
This leaves us with very important information concerning the beast of Revelation 13 and the fourth beast of Daniel 7. First, the beast in Revelation 13 is a mixture of three Middle Eastern kingdoms (Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece). This suggests, along with the rest of this series on the Antichrist, that the Antichrist does not come from a revived Roman Empire.[4]
Second, I showed in part 1 of this series that the legs of iron are best represented by the Islamic Caliphate, and we know that the fourth beast of Daniel 7 is the same as the beast of Revelation 13. This beast is also the same as the legs of iron. The beast in Daniel 7 has large iron teeth and bronze claws.
| A comparison of the statue of Daniel 2 with the beasts of Daniel 7 | ||
| Daniel 2 | Daniel 7 | |
| Head of Gold | Lion with the wings of an eagle | Babylonian Empire |
| Chest and arms of silver | Lopsided bear | Medo-Persian Empire |
| Belly and thighs of bronze | Leopard with four wings and four heads | Greek Empire |
| Legs of Iron | Fourth beast | Roman Empire (common interpretation) |
| Feet and toes | Ten horns | Revived Roman Empire (common interpretation) |
Third, it is also significant that the beast of the antichrist also has bronze claws in Daniel 7. The bronze is the same as the leopard (the Greek Empire). There is also a connection to the Antichrist’s empire to the Greek empire in Daniel 8 and 11. In Revelation 13, the beast resembles a leopard. The kingdom of the antichrist will resemble (look like) the kingdom of Alexander the Great, which was a Middle Eastern empire.[5]
Conclusion
The beast in Revelation 13 is consistent with an Islamic Antichrist. All the details from Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation all conform together to give us the same picture: a Middle Eastern origin of the antichrist.
What do you think? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.
[This is a revised and updated edition of an article originally published on April 16, 2013.] [1] Sam Storms. Kingdom Come (Ross-shire: Mentor, 2013). 477-479, 488. William Hendriksen. More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1940). 145-146. [2] Grant R. Osborne. Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002). 491-492. Robert H. Mounce The Book of Revelation. In The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Revised Edition. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1997). 246. [3] Mounce, 244. Hendriksen, 145. Joel Richardson. Mideast Beast. (Washington D.C.: WND Books, 2012). 148. [4] It is common to see the beast in Revelation to be the revived Roman Empire. See John Walvoord. The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago: Moody Press, 1966). 197. [5] Richardson, 152, 154. Walid Shoebat, with Joel Richardson. God’s War on Terror (Top Executive Media, 2008). 356.
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donal
November 24, 2015 11:45 pm– 10 horns
1. muhamad
2 Abu bakr
3 umar
4 utman
5 ali
6 hasan
7 husein
8 khalid ibn al walid
9 Abu ubaidah
10 jafar bin abi talib
>> 10 horns purpose to give power and authority to the beast (rev 17:13) they will rule for one hour that’s 41 years started 620 (islam perfected when mohamed ascend to heaven-isra mijrad and receive allah order to pray 5 times/day) until 661 when ali,hasan,husein subdue to muawiyah
Small horn: muawiyah
after mohamed died he replaced by 4 caliphs, abu bakr, umar both father in law, utman, ali both son in law of mohamed so all blood related to mohamed. problem arise when utman replaced by ali, muawiyah who’s blood related to utman but not to ali protest said no need blood related to mohamed to rule islam anyone can as long as justified and starting rebellion. in 660 AD muawiyah gain control most of islamic caliphate territory and jan 661 ali died months later ali sons hasan (5th caliph) and husain(2nd imam of shiah) surrender to muawiyah new caliphate sytem (non blood/sunni) last for 1260 years from 660 (muawiyah gain control of IC) until 1920 (first meeting of league of nation, fall of ottoman)
7 heads are kings/kingdom, 5 fallen, one is, the other not come (rev 17:10)
1 egypt
2 asiria
3 babylon
4 persia
5 greece
6 rome
7 islamic caliphate – blood related leadership
8 islamic caliphate – non blood related
donal
November 24, 2015 11:46 pmREVELATION 13 by each verse
1. Beast appeared (look daniel 7 4th beast), this is symbol of islam/allah as whole
2. resembled of lion, bear and leopard only islam ever conquer 3 beasts territory and it is HISTORICAL FACT you will never seen rome map reach persian.
3. one head wounded but heal, it is the first fitna when muawiyah fight against ali which cost many jihadist troops but finally muawiyah wins and his umayah caliphate conquer from spain to persia
4. who can fight the beast? islam is so powerfull under rashidun and umayah and most of her conquest last until now (while rome suffer many defeats, split even lost its territory) men worship islam as religion not rome
5. 42 month represent power of new system calliphate that replace blood related from 660 (muawiyah gain most IC territory) until 1920 (end of WW1, first meeting of league of nation held in january, fall of ottoman empire)
6. islam insult god and his dwelling place, islam called jesus as man, replace true israel god with pagan deity and build mosque in jerusalem salomn temple
7. islam fight against jew and christian even defeating christian byzantium empire and also islam/allah spread throughout the world.
8 there are 1.5 B muslim now from all over the world
9/10. islam spread her teaching with sword (war)
11. islam claimed to believe prophet isa/jesus believe in all prophet and their book of torah and sabur/psalm (look like a lamb) but insult him by reject jesus divinity, claim all prophet were muslim and claimed bible is a fake (speak like dragon). the beast is early jihadist(when they are still in small number then gaining more follower), two horns represent rashidun and umayah caliphate
12. rashidun and umayah are moslim and they forced people to follow islam
13-15. muslim always claim mohamed split the moon and it is known they respect /using demonic jinn (genie) even dark magic and claimed thats all from allah almighty. they will kill those who insult islam. in war islam bring cannon which unknown to christian that weapon can cause explosion (fire from heaven)
16-18 under rashidun and umayah caliphate islam expand its territory with war/sword they commit forced religious convertion with death penalty or paying high taxes (jizyah) so non converter will become very poor (unable to buy/sell – rev 13:16).
666 beast – triscore
1. it is a mark, those who embrace islam will receive mark in head (belief the idea of pagan deity) and work in way of islam (hand mark).
2.it is a number , the mark of the beast 666 which greece numerical known as tri score and the number is allah
3 it is a name, a converter/mualaf must said syahadat word which mention name of beast/allah (rev 13:17) .
4. it is man, name allah is a name for male deity for female is al lat just like christiano for male and christiana for female