Know: Identify the historical powers represented by the two beasts, and recognize the events associated with them.
Feel: Evaluate the gravity of the issues at stake, and control his or her feelings in the worship experience.
Do: Document the evidence supporting the fulfilment of prophecy, and find more reasons to trust the God who controls history.
Learning Outline:
Know: Babylon and America
What clues suggest that the beast of the sea is the Roman Catholic Church?
What clues suggest that the beast of the land is the United States of America?
Feel: Emotional Control
Why is the experience of feeling good not a trustworthy indication of having God’s presence?
How can you make sure that your worship feelings are in tune with the true God?
Why should you love people despite the fact that they may belong to the camp of the beast?
Do: Stick to Your God.
What is the most common temptation of false worship?
How do you come out of Babylon?
Why is coming out of Babylon not enough to avoid its influence?
Summary: The ambition of Babylon is to be worshiped by the whole world.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Revelation 13:10
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Spiritual life is not self-centered but implies a God-centered worship experience and a life founded on trust in God. True worship is not just fellowship and spending good times together. Nor is belonging to the right camp of believers enough to constitute true worship. Rather, true worship must lead to heartfelt devotion to God.
Just for Teachers: The identification of the powers represented by the two beasts of Revelation 13 should help us to situate the prophetic period in which we live, and instruct us to conduct our lives accordingly. Examine the historical evidence supporting the identification of the beasts. As much as possible, select well-known sources, even historical textbooks, to ensure objectivity and credibility. The main goal of this lesson is to inspire commitment to, and worship of, the true God.
Opening Discussion: There have never been so many religions and denominations that claim to be God’s true church. Discuss how the response to this proliferation of sects is to take refuge in the traditional church in which we grew up because of its historical legitimacy.
Questions for Discussion:
How can we explain this proliferation of sects?
Consider further the fallacy of taking refuge in traditional churches simply because they have historical legitimacy. How can we denounce this fallacy without falling into the trap of pride and self-sufficiency that characterizes the Laodicean church (Rev. 3:17)?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: It is important to be as sensitive as possible in your presentation of this lesson’s material. First, unveil the identity of the two beasts in light of contemporary events. Second, identify the main issue at stake, and discuss why denouncing the fallacy of falling back on a traditional church is important for our spiritual lives. Be creative and relevant in your presentation. Strengthen the foundation of your approach; use the best evidence and arguments to present this lesson.
Bible Commentary
I. Babylon and Her Allies (Review Revelation 13:12 with your class.)
The features of the beast of the sea evoke the four animals of Daniel 7—the first three being the lion, the bear, and the leopard (Rev. 13:2; compare with Dan. 7:2–6). But the focus here is particularly on the fourth beast (Rev. 13:1; compare with Dan. 7:7). The characteristic element of this fourth animal that rivets the attention of John is the little horn. Like the little horn, the beast of the sea usurps God’s power, and it claims to be worshiped. The phrase “ ‘Who is like the beast’ ” that is pronounced by her worshipers (Rev. 13:4, NKJV) is modeled on the traditional phrase that characterizes the worship of God in ancient Israel: “ ‘Who is like You, O Lord?’ ” (Exod. 15:11, NKJV; Ps. 35:10). In addition, like the little horn, this beast persecutes God’s people for the same length of time, 42 months, which corresponds to the time, times, and half a time of the little horn (Rev. 13:5, Dan. 7:25), beginning in a.d. 538 and ending in a.d. 1798. The beast of the sea represents, then, the same power as the little horn: that is, the Roman Catholic Church as an institution.
The vision of the book of Revelation adds one more identifying mark to our understanding of the little horn: the beast of the sea (little horn) will be wounded and will lose for a while its prestige, after which it will recover and will receive praise again (Rev. 13:3, 8). The wound refers to the pressure of the French Revolution and, more specifically, to Napoleon’s blow against the church when he captured the pope in 1798 and imprisoned him. The healing of the wound refers to the recovery of the church, starting in the nineteenth century, when, among many other things, the dogma of the infallibility of the pope was pronounced (1870). The popularity and the political influence of the papacy have never been greater in modern times than they are now.
Consider This: According to Revelation, what are the characteristics that make the fourth beast a persecuting power?
II. Worship Is at Stake (Review Revelation 13:16, 17 with your class.)
After the vision of the beast of the sea, John sees a beast rise up from the land. This beast of the land will support the beast of the sea and will even encourage people to worship it (Rev. 13:12), just as the dragon had already promoted the worship of the beast (Rev. 13:4).
Now, with the coming of the beast of the land, this claim of the beast of the sea to be worshiped is reaffirmed. The beast of the land does everything within its political power to foster the worship of the beast of the sea. The language of the vision of John recalls the story of Daniel 3, in which Nebuchadnezzar erected a statue that was the replica of the one in his dream, in Daniel 2, and then he ordered all peoples to worship this image. Those who refused would be killed (Dan. 3:4, 7). Likewise, the beast of the land will “cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Rev. 13:15, NKJV).
The biblical text of Revelation specifies how this worship of the beast of the sea will manifest itself: the worshiper of the beast receives the mark on the hand and the forehead (Rev. 13:16). For the faithful Jew, this language evokes the old custom (Deut. 6:8) of binding the tefillin on the hand and the forehead to symbolize one’s total submission to God’s commandments (see Prov. 3:3, 6:21, 7:3), involving both one’s actions (the hand) and one’s thinking (the forehead). The same symbol appears in Revelation 14:9, where it was associated with Creation, thus suggesting a more specific reference to the Sabbath (see lesson 6). A number of clues suggest that the beast of the land refers to the United States of America. This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled completely. The following clues will help to confirm the identity of the beast of the land:
This power is different from the beast of the sea: it is not religious; it is not worshiped (Rev. 13:12, 15). It is only political; it can kill (Rev. 13:15) and functions as an economic power; it determines who can buy or sell (Rev. 13:17).
This power comes into prominence after the beast of the sea, and it begins to act immediately after the beast of the sea receives its wound (Rev. 13:12); hence, by the end of the eighteenth century.
This power has a reassuring character. It looks like the lamb (Rev. 13:11) that is the symbol of Jesus Christ in His vulnerability. Yet, it speaks like a dragon; it has tremendous power. Also, it comes from the “land”—a sparsely populated part of the earth, unlike the beast from the sea (see Rev. 17:15).
This power exercises an important political and cultural influence on the world; it is a superpower.
The biblical prophet does not just accuse the evil powers. The spiritual intention behind the revelation of the motions of history is not to play the judge and point the finger against people.
Instead, the intention is to urge us to come out of Babylon (Rev. 18:2) and strengthen our faith and hope (Rev. 13:10). It is to build trust in God’s Word and control of history and to exhort us to worship the only true God.
Discussion Questions: What features of the beast of the land match the characteristics of the United States of America? What contemporary events point in the direction of America fulfilling its prophetic role as outlined in Revelation? What makes the Sabbath the ideal test of worship? What does it mean to come out of Babylon? What is the effect of the fulfillment of prophecy on your spiritual life? How does the paradoxical association of the lamb and the dragon fit the character of the United States in prophecy? How does this paradoxical association recall the little horn with human features?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: The Internet is full of lessons about prophecy. Paradoxically, people do not believe in God, because they think it is a naïve faith; but they dig into horoscopes and avidly consult fortunetellers. Why?
Application Questions:
How can we protect ourselves from far-fetched interpretations of the book of Revelation?
Why do we have so many diverse and even contradictory interpretations of the book of Revelation nowadays?
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Discuss the following document reporting Pope Francis’ trip to the United States: “He came as a shepherd and was everywhere tending his flock, with the human touch that has enthralled even skeptics. . . . We’ve seen elements of this pageant before: Paul VI was the first Pope to visit the U.S., back in 1965, when Vatican II had just begun. . . . John Paul II made seven U.S. visits during his 27-year tenure. . . . But none of that occurred in the age of Instagram, when every one of the millions who came out to see him could share the experience with millions more. . . . He’s the first Pope to do a Google Hangout and the first to amass over 20 million Twitter followers.”—Time, Oct. 5, 2015, pp. 36, 40.
Activities: Collect from popular magazines recent documents that support the prophecy of Revelation 13.
Adjust My Preferences
Welcome! Please set your reading preferences below.
You can access this panel later by clicking the
preference icon
in the top right of the page.
Key Texts: Revelation 13:1–18
Learning Outline:
Know: Babylon and America
Feel: Emotional Control
Do: Stick to Your God.
Summary: The ambition of Babylon is to be worshiped by the whole world.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Revelation 13:10
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Spiritual life is not self-centered but implies a God-centered worship experience and a life founded on trust in God. True worship is not just fellowship and spending good times together. Nor is belonging to the right camp of believers enough to constitute true worship. Rather, true worship must lead to heartfelt devotion to God.
Just for Teachers: The identification of the powers represented by the two beasts of Revelation 13 should help us to situate the prophetic period in which we live, and instruct us to conduct our lives accordingly. Examine the historical evidence supporting the identification of the beasts. As much as possible, select well-known sources, even historical textbooks, to ensure objectivity and credibility. The main goal of this lesson is to inspire commitment to, and worship of, the true God.
Opening Discussion: There have never been so many religions and denominations that claim to be God’s true church. Discuss how the response to this proliferation of sects is to take refuge in the traditional church in which we grew up because of its historical legitimacy.
Questions for Discussion:
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: It is important to be as sensitive as possible in your presentation of this lesson’s material. First, unveil the identity of the two beasts in light of contemporary events. Second, identify the main issue at stake, and discuss why denouncing the fallacy of falling back on a traditional church is important for our spiritual lives. Be creative and relevant in your presentation. Strengthen the foundation of your approach; use the best evidence and arguments to present this lesson.
Bible Commentary
I. Babylon and Her Allies (Review Revelation 13:12 with your class.)
The features of the beast of the sea evoke the four animals of Daniel 7—the first three being the lion, the bear, and the leopard (Rev. 13:2; compare with Dan. 7:2–6). But the focus here is particularly on the fourth beast (Rev. 13:1; compare with Dan. 7:7). The characteristic element of this fourth animal that rivets the attention of John is the little horn. Like the little horn, the beast of the sea usurps God’s power, and it claims to be worshiped. The phrase “ ‘Who is like the beast’ ” that is pronounced by her worshipers (Rev. 13:4, NKJV) is modeled on the traditional phrase that characterizes the worship of God in ancient Israel: “ ‘Who is like You, O Lord?’ ” (Exod. 15:11, NKJV; Ps. 35:10). In addition, like the little horn, this beast persecutes God’s people for the same length of time, 42 months, which corresponds to the time, times, and half a time of the little horn (Rev. 13:5, Dan. 7:25), beginning in a.d. 538 and ending in a.d. 1798. The beast of the sea represents, then, the same power as the little horn: that is, the Roman Catholic Church as an institution.
The vision of the book of Revelation adds one more identifying mark to our understanding of the little horn: the beast of the sea (little horn) will be wounded and will lose for a while its prestige, after which it will recover and will receive praise again (Rev. 13:3, 8). The wound refers to the pressure of the French Revolution and, more specifically, to Napoleon’s blow against the church when he captured the pope in 1798 and imprisoned him. The healing of the wound refers to the recovery of the church, starting in the nineteenth century, when, among many other things, the dogma of the infallibility of the pope was pronounced (1870). The popularity and the political influence of the papacy have never been greater in modern times than they are now.
Consider This: According to Revelation, what are the characteristics that make the fourth beast a persecuting power?
II. Worship Is at Stake (Review Revelation 13:16, 17 with your class.)
After the vision of the beast of the sea, John sees a beast rise up from the land. This beast of the land will support the beast of the sea and will even encourage people to worship it (Rev. 13:12), just as the dragon had already promoted the worship of the beast (Rev. 13:4).
Now, with the coming of the beast of the land, this claim of the beast of the sea to be worshiped is reaffirmed. The beast of the land does everything within its political power to foster the worship of the beast of the sea. The language of the vision of John recalls the story of Daniel 3, in which Nebuchadnezzar erected a statue that was the replica of the one in his dream, in Daniel 2, and then he ordered all peoples to worship this image. Those who refused would be killed (Dan. 3:4, 7). Likewise, the beast of the land will “cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Rev. 13:15, NKJV).
The biblical text of Revelation specifies how this worship of the beast of the sea will manifest itself: the worshiper of the beast receives the mark on the hand and the forehead (Rev. 13:16). For the faithful Jew, this language evokes the old custom (Deut. 6:8) of binding the tefillin on the hand and the forehead to symbolize one’s total submission to God’s commandments (see Prov. 3:3, 6:21, 7:3), involving both one’s actions (the hand) and one’s thinking (the forehead). The same symbol appears in Revelation 14:9, where it was associated with Creation, thus suggesting a more specific reference to the Sabbath (see lesson 6). A number of clues suggest that the beast of the land refers to the United States of America. This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled completely. The following clues will help to confirm the identity of the beast of the land:
The biblical prophet does not just accuse the evil powers. The spiritual intention behind the revelation of the motions of history is not to play the judge and point the finger against people.
Instead, the intention is to urge us to come out of Babylon (Rev. 18:2) and strengthen our faith and hope (Rev. 13:10). It is to build trust in God’s Word and control of history and to exhort us to worship the only true God.
Discussion Questions: What features of the beast of the land match the characteristics of the United States of America? What contemporary events point in the direction of America fulfilling its prophetic role as outlined in Revelation? What makes the Sabbath the ideal test of worship? What does it mean to come out of Babylon? What is the effect of the fulfillment of prophecy on your spiritual life? How does the paradoxical association of the lamb and the dragon fit the character of the United States in prophecy? How does this paradoxical association recall the little horn with human features?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: The Internet is full of lessons about prophecy. Paradoxically, people do not believe in God, because they think it is a naïve faith; but they dig into horoscopes and avidly consult fortunetellers. Why?
Application Questions:
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Discuss the following document reporting Pope Francis’ trip to the United States: “He came as a shepherd and was everywhere tending his flock, with the human touch that has enthralled even skeptics. . . . We’ve seen elements of this pageant before: Paul VI was the first Pope to visit the U.S., back in 1965, when Vatican II had just begun. . . . John Paul II made seven U.S. visits during his 27-year tenure. . . . But none of that occurred in the age of Instagram, when every one of the millions who came out to see him could share the experience with millions more. . . . He’s the first Pope to do a Google Hangout and the first to amass over 20 million Twitter followers.”—Time, Oct. 5, 2015, pp. 36, 40.
Activities: Collect from popular magazines recent documents that support the prophecy of Revelation 13.