The Revelation of St. John the Divine

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 13 -

(Daniel 7:1–8)

Then I saw a beast come up out of the ocean. It had ten horns and seven heads. On each of its horns there was a royal crown. On each of its heads there was a name that insulted God.

This beast was like a leopard. But its feet were like the feet of a bear, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion. The dragon made the beast very powerful. He gave him the authority to rule over people as king.

One of the heads of the beast looked as if someone had wounded it so that it died. But its wound had healed. As a result, all the people of the earth marveled at the beast and followed it.

They also worshiped the dragon because he had given the beast authority to rule over them. They also worshiped the beast and said, “No one is as powerful as the beast! Who could ever fight against it?”

God allowed the beast to speak proudly and to insult him. God also allowed it to rule the people for forty-two months.

When it spoke, it insulted God, his name, the place where he lives, and all who live in heaven.

God also allowed the beast to fight against his people and conquer them. It had authority to rule over every tribe, over every nation, over the speakers of every language, and over every people group.

All the people living on earth will worship it. They are the people whose names are not in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who had been killed. These are the names of the people that he wrote in the book before God created the world, the names of those who belong to God.

Everyone who wants to understand must listen carefully to this message from God.

If God has decided that some people will be captured by their enemies, they will be captured. If God has decided that some people will die in war, they will die in war. So God’s people must endure suffering and be faithful to him.

The Beast from the Earth

Then I saw another beast come up from the earth. It had two small horns on its head as a sheep has. But it spoke harshly as a dragon does.

It rules people with power in order to do what the first beast wants. It forces the people who live on the earth to worship the first beast, that is, the beast that almost died but whose wound was healed.

The second beast also did awesome miracles, even causing fire from the sky to fall to earth while people watched.

He did these miracles on behalf of the first beast. By doing that, he deceived the people on the earth so that they thought they should worship the first beast. But this happened only because God allowed it to happen. The second beast told the people living on earth to make an idol to represent the first beast, the one that was alive, even though someone had killed him with a sword.

God allowed the second beast to breathe life into that idol in order that the idol might speak. And the beast commanded that whoever refused to worship the idol should be killed.

The Mark of the Beast

The second beast also required that people should write the first beast’s name on the right hand or on the forehead of everyone, whether these were important people or unimportant people, rich or poor, free or slave. Everyone!

The second beast required this so that people could not buy anything or sell anything if they did not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number representing its name.

You must think wisely to understand the meaning of the mark. Anyone who thinks wisely should understand that the number represents mankind. It is 666.

(Daniel 7:1–8)

Then I stood

(a)

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, his dwelling, and 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.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed.(b) Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and it 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(c) 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 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.

The Mark of the Beast

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, which is 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.

Footnotes

(a)13:1 NU reads he stood

(b)13:10 TR reads “If anyone leads into captivity, into captivity he goes. If anyone will kill with the sword, he must be killed with a sword.” instead of “If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed.”