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)

Isaiah 10:22  For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea…..

Daniel 7:8  I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots.  And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

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)

Genesis 3;15  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Psalm 119:88  Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

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)

Numbers 16:32  and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.

Proverbs 15:28  The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.