Revelation 14:2

And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder.  And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.

·         This is the voice of God (Revelation 1:15 and 4:5). Perhaps God spoke here to proclaim His approval of these 144,000 faithful servants in the spirit of Matthew 25:21: Well done, good and faithful servant.   (DG)

·         We remember that the elders of Revelation 5:8 have harps. Perhaps this is where their music is heard, to accompany the worshipful singing of the 144,000 as they sing a new song, unique to them.  (DG)

Revelation 14:1

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

·         The Lord Jesus Christ at the head of His faithful (MH)

·         A counterfeit lamb is mentioned as rising out of the earth in the last chapter, which was really a dragon; here Christ appears as the true paschal Lamb. (MH)

Revelation 13:18

Here is wisdom.  Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man:  his number is 666.

·         His number shows sufficiently all the wisdom and accuracy of men (MH)

·         Only this we know, God has written Mene Tekel upon all his enemies; he has numbered their days, and they shall be finished, but his own kingdom shall endure forever. (MH)

Revelation 13:16-17

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

·         They make an open profession of their subjection (MH)

·         Satan is not a creative being, all he can do imitate God. We are not surprised to find that this too is a Satanic parody of something God will do; it imitates God’s mark upon his people (Revelation 7:3-4). (DG)

Revelation 13:15

He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

·         The beast rising from the earth will use a deceptive, animated image as the focus point of the worship of the beast. (DG)

·         It may seem strange to us to have the whole world give this kind of worship to the image of a man, but the personality cults of totalitarian governments in the twentieth century are a good example of this kind of worship. (DG)

Revelation 13:14

And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

·         Lying wonders, pretended miracles, by which they should be deceived (MH)

·         God sometimes permits his enemies to do things that seem very wonderful, and by which unwary persons may be deluded (MH)

Revelation 13:13

He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

·         The beast rising from the sea has the “signs and wonders” to back up his false teaching.  (DG)

·         It is important that John highlights this miracle. In the eyes of the deceived world, it answers the miracle of the two witnesses, who minister during this period and are persecuted by the Antichrist and his false prophet (Revelation 11:5). To the deceived world, this also puts this false prophet in the class of Elijah (1 Kings 18). We can imagine the false prophet as saying, “Let the true God answer with fire” and then performing his deceptive wonder.  (DG)

Revelation 13:12

And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

·         The power which he exercises to draw men off from worshipping the true God to worship those who by nature are no gods. (MH)

·         The beast rising from the earth is essentially a satanic prophet, who leads the world to worship the beast and the dragon.  (DG)

Revelation 13:11

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

·         The form and shape of the second beast (MH)

·         Despite his lamb-like appearance, the message of the second beast is the same as the message of the first beast. (DG)

Revelation 13:10

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.

·         Those who have killed with the sword shall themselves fall by the sword (MH

·         Those who led the people of God into captivity shall themselves be made captives (MH)

Revelation 13:9

If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

·         It is a proverbial expression, implying that the highest attention should be given to what was spoken  (Barnes)

·         Anything serious, and of great importance, was delivered; and which required attention, and was not easily understood:  (Gills)

Revelation 13:8

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.

·         He can war only with those whose names are not written in the Book of Life (MH)

·         This final world dictator will demand and receive worship from the whole earth. But those who worship him pay the price.  (DG)

Revelation 13:7

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.

·         Here, the main instrument of that persecution is revealed: the government of the beast will persecute and kill all those who do not bow in worship to the beast.  (DG)

·         Overcome does not mean that the beast can overcome the faith of the saints, but that he can destroy their physical lives, and by all appearances defeat the cause of God’s people on this earth.  (DG)

Revelation 13:6

Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

·         As much as anything, this beast is a man who speaks against God and everything God stands for (His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven).  (DG)

Revelation 13:5

And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

·         The malice of the devil shows itself against heaven and the blessed inhabitants of heaven; all he can do is blaspheme them (MH)

·         The limitation of the devil’s power and success (MH)

Revelation 13:4

So they worship 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.?”

·         They paid honor and subjection to the devil and his instruments, and thought there was no power able to withstand them (MH)

·         As people worship this beast and bow down before his government, it may be that they do not know they are bowing down to Satan himself; but it is worship of Satan none the less. They clearly worship both the beast and the dragon, but their worship of the dragon may be unknowing.  (DG)

Revelation 13:3

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed.  And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

·         This is a head wound, a mortal wound, not a superficial injury.  (DG)

·         The recovery of the beast increases his fame and authority (all the world marveled and followed the beast). Twice later (Revelation 13:12 and 13:14) this recovery is mentioned in connection to the world’s worship and devotion to the beast.   (DG)

·         The honor and worship paid to this infernal monster (MH)

Revelation 13:2

Now the beast which I saw as 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.

·         This likeness to Satan is just one of the things that identifies this beast with the one popularly known as the Antichrist.  (DG)

·         We can begin by understanding what the title Antichrist means. The prefix anti can mean “the opposite of” or “instead of.” The Antichrist is the “opposite Jesus”; he is the “instead of” Jesus.  (DG)

Revelation 13:1

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.

·         In Revelation 12, John’s vision mainly had in heaven in view. Now the scene of his vision shifts to the earth, and in his vision he stood on the sand of the sea.  (DG)

·         From the place identified with evil and chaos and resisting God, a beast comes forth. The ancient Greek word translated beast here has the idea of a wild, dangerous animal. Because John calls him a beast and not a dragon (as in Revelation 12:3), this creature represents someone distinct from Satan who was represented by the dragon (Revelation 12:9).  (DG)

Revelation 12:17

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

·         The devil’s malice against the woman pushes him on to make war (MH)

·         This either begins or continues the fierce persecution of all those who would not submit to and worship this great Satanic dictator. The martyrs of this period were shown in Revelation 6:9-11 and Revelation 7:9-17.  (DG)

Revelation 12:16

But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

·         The help provided in this dangerous juncture (MH)

·         As it says in Isaiah 59:19, When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.   (DG)

Revelation 12:15

So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

·         The fury poured out against Israel after the abomination of desolation (marking the half-way point of 70^th week of Daniel) was spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24:15-22, and spoken of in distinctly Jewish terms (housetop . . . pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath).  (DG)

·         This passage in Revelation describes the fury that Jesus told them to flee.  (DG)

Revelation 12:14

But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

·         Eagle’s Wings are an emblem from the Exodus deliverance (Exodus 19:4), another way of connecting these people with Israel.  (DG)

·         This is another reference to a three and one-half year period, indicating that these events - this dramatic persecution of Israel - takes place during the 70^th week of Daniel 9.   (DG)

Revelation 12:13

Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

·         The devils second attempt upon the church now in the wilderness (MH)

·         “The persecution of Israel is part of the satanic program to thwart and hinder the work of God . . . Israel is hated by Satan not because of any of its own characteristics but because she is the chosen of God and essential to the overall purpose of God for time and eternity.” (Walvoord)

Revelation 12:12

“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!  Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!  For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

·         The warning given of the distress that should fall upon the inhabitants of the world in general (MH)

·         Being defeated in his designs against the church, he is resolved to give all the disturbance he can to the world in general (MH)

Revelation 12:11

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

·         Overcame by a resolute powerful preaching of the everlasting gospel.  (MH)

·         And by their courage and patience in sufferings (MH)

Revelation 12:10

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

·         The triumphant song that was composed and used on this occasion.  The conqueror is adored.  (MH)

·         The conquered enemy is described.  By his malice he appeared before God as an adversary to the church.  Though he hates the presence of God, yet he is willing to appear there to accuse the people of God.  (MH)

Revelation 12:9

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

·         The victory fell to Christ and His church, and the dragon and his angels were not only conquered, but cast out (MH)

·         This single verse uses many different titles for Satan. Dragon, serpent of old, the Devil, Satan, and he who deceives the whole world. These titles describe Satan as vicious, an accuser, an adversary, and a deceiver.  (DG)

Revelation 12:7-8

And war broke out in heaven:  Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

·         The attempts of the dragon not only proved unsuccessful against the church, but fatal to his own interests (MH)

·         At the mid-point of the great tribulation, God will turn the tide against Satan - first in heaven, then on earth. A battle will take place that will deny Satan access to heaven.  (DG)

Revelation 12:6

Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

·         Her obscure and private state was for a limited time (MH)

·         Revelation 12:6 describes yet-to-occur events in the 70^th week of Daniel, between these two verses lies hundreds of years (our current period). This obvious “near-far” break in time is typical of prophecy. Daniel’s seventy week prophecy has such a break (Daniel 9:24-27).  (DG)

Revelation 12:5

She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.  And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

·         She was safely delivered and care taken of this child (MH)

·         Clearly, this refers to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He rules the world with a rod of iron (Psalm 2 and Revelation 19:15).  (DG)