Revelation is a book of contrasts. This week’s study discusses the seal of God and the mark of the beast. Throughout the centuries, the Sabbath has been a special sign of allegiance to God. The Sabbath has revealed that God is worthy of worship as the Creator of the universe. The mark of the beast also revolves around worship. Satan has introduced a counterfeit sabbath, the first day of the week, as a symbol of his authority. The final conflict between Christ and Satan focuses on who is worthy to rule the universe. Because Jesus is the Giver of life, He is worthy to be worshiped. Satan understands this truth as one of the dominant issues in the great controversy between good and evil. For this reason, Satan attacks the Sabbath, the symbol of God’s creative authority.
Because of the centrality of the Sabbath in the final conflict, the law of God is preeminent in the final conflict. In this week’s study, we will explore the issues in earth’s last war. Revelation 14:12 declares, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (NKJV). Christ’s end-time remnant is filled with Jesus’ gift of righteousness by faith, which enables His elect to keep God’s commandments.
Our study this week also helps us identify fully the beast power from the sea in Revelation 13. We will discover that this power, which usurps the authority of God, gets its authority from the dragon, or Satan. This beast power grows out of the ruins of the Roman Empire and claims for itself the very prerogatives of God.
Part II: Commentary
Overview: Those who heed the messages of the three angels turn away from Babylon and its false teachings. Consequently, they are commended for two things: their obedience and having the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12). They are patiently waiting for Jesus to return, which is another way of saying that they are steadfast and unshakable in their trust in God and in their obedience to His law. They will not be moved. Gill’s Exposition of the Bible offers an enlightening statement on Revelation 14:12: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and not the inventions of men, and the traditions of antichrist, but the ordinances of the Gospel, as they were at first delivered, without any adulteration and corruption; and who kept them because they were enjoined by God, and from a principle of love to him, and with a view to his glory: these are distinguished from the worshippers of the beast, and were preserved throughout the apostasy; these are the witnesses . . . and the remnant of the woman’s seed, with whom the dragon made war by the beast.”—Comments on Revelation 14:12, biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/revelation-14-12.html.
Saved by grace, the remnant is distinguished from the worshipers of the beast power from the sea because of their love for Jesus and their obedience to His commandments. They have the faith of Jesus—both faith in Jesus and the quality of faith from Jesus that enables them to become overcomers. Their faith results in obedience and enables them to stand when most of the people in this world bow to the beast power from the sea. Having the faith of Jesus means to have Jesus live His life in us. On the cross, Jesus trusted His Father’s love when He was unable to experience the Father’s care and concern for His suffering as the world’s sin bearer. The faith of Jesus, living within our hearts, enables us to trust Jesus in all of life’s experiences.
Identifying the Beast From the Sea
The clues to identifying the beast power from the sea of Revelation 13 are extremely specific. In this week’s study, we will discuss three of these significant identifying marks of the beast from the sea. The first clue we find concerns the origin of its power. “The dragon gave him [the beast from the sea] his power, his throne, and great authority” (Rev. 13:2, NKJV). Who is this dragon that gives the beast from the sea of Revelation 13 its power, throne, and authority?
We read about the dragon in Revelation 12. Revelation 12:3–5 says this “dragon”—the devil—attempted to destroy, “as soon as it was born,” the “male Child,” who was later “caught up to God and His throne” (NKJV), an unmistakable reference to Christ. The dragon is identified clearly in these verses. In straightforward language, God’s Word tells us that the dragon is the devil, or Satan (Rev. 12:8, 9). None other than the archenemy of God and of man is behind the beast power that comes from the sea. But the devil works through human agents. Just as God works through His church, the devil works through a mammoth fallen religious institution that has rejected God’s truth and turned its back on God’s law. Although the dragon is primarily Satan, as we’ve just learned, so closely was Satan aligned with pagan Rome that the dragon, in a secondary sense, also is a symbol of the pagan Roman Empire (compare Dan. 7:7). Satan used pagan Rome in his attempt to destroy Jesus shortly after His birth (Matt. 1:1–20). Later, Satan used pagan Rome to crucify Christ:
A Roman governor, Pilate, condemned Christ to die:
Matthew 27:2, 17–26.
A Roman executioner nailed Him to the cross:
Matthew 27:27, 35.
A Roman soldier pierced His side with a spear:
John 19:34.
A Roman seal was affixed to His tomb:
Matthew 27:66.
A Roman squad of soldiers guarded His tomb:
Matthew 27:62–65.
Still later, the dragon, through pagan Rome, gave the beast from the sea his seat, or throne. This endowment happened when the Roman Emperor Constantine decided to move the capital from Rome to what came to be called Constantinople, in modern-day Turkey, leaving a power vacuum at the former throne or seat of the Caesars, the Imperial City of Rome.
“By retiring to the East, he [Constantine] left the field clear for the Bishops of Rome.” “The Papacy is but ‘the ghost’ of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the ‘grave thereof.’ ”—Arthur P. Stanley, Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1862), p. 305. Thus, the beast power that arises from the sea, in Revelation 13, is the papal system of religion. We must remember here that we are talking about a system, not about individual members of that system. The beast power from the sea is not a person; it is a false religious organization.
The second clue that Revelation 13 gives us about the identity of the beast from the sea closely parallels the first clue. The power that rises out of Rome is a power that commands worship. It is a religious power. Revelation 13:3, 4 declares that “all the world marveled and followed the beast. So . . . they worshiped the beast” (NKJV). The organization described here is also a religious power that grows into a universal system of worship.
This observation leads us to the third clue that Revelation 13 gives in identifying the beast from the sea: blasphemy (Rev. 13:5, 6). According to the Bible, what is blasphemy? There were two occasions when the Lord Jesus unjustly was accused of blasphemy, thus giving us two examples from the Bible of what is meant by blasphemy: (1) if any human pretends to be, or claims to be, God or claims the privileges and prerogatives of God; and (2) if any human claims the power to forgive sins. In Jesus’ case, the accusations were unjust because He truly was, and is, God and holds all the powers and prerogatives of God—including the right to forgive us our sins. (See John 10:33, Luke 5:21.)
The Roman Church has two distinctive doctrines that the Bible calls blasphemy. One is its claim to have the power to forgive sins. The other is delegating to the pope the office of God on earth.
Jesus is our true priest, and only He can forgive our sins. It is true that we are not righteous enough to appear before God. We need a mediator. The incredibly good news is we have a mediator, Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that there is only “one Mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5, NKJV).
As to how the Roman Church fulfills the second Bible definition of blasphemy, let’s look at a clear statement from an authoritative Catholic source on the status of the pope: “The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God. . . . Hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as King of Heaven and of earth and of the lower regions. . . . The Pope is as it were God on earth, . . . chief King of kings . . . to whom has been entrusted by the omnipotent God directions . . . of the heavenly kingdom.”—Lucius Ferraris, “Papa,” article 2 in his Prompta Bibliotheca [“Handy Library”] (Venice, Italy: Gaspar Storti, 1772), vol. 6, pp. 26–29. Latin. Reprinted (Rome: Press of the Propaganda, 1899).
The book of Revelation exalts Jesus, identifies God’s last-day people, and reveals the identifying characteristics of the beast so that we can be prepared for the coming conflict.
Part III: Life Application
Reflect: At times, it may appear to some as if God’s condemnation of a religious organization that has done a great deal of good in the world, with its schools, hospitals, and humanitarian service, seems a little harsh and unjust. The ultimate question is not whether a religious organization has done some good. The ultimate questions are: Is this organization faithful to Jesus and the teachings of Scripture? What is behind its worldwide influence, and is it leading the world into the union of church and state that prophecy predicts? The book of Revelation reveals that, under the auspices of Rome, our religious liberties will be restricted, an economic boycott will be passed, and ultimately God’s people will experience oppression, imprisonment, and death.
Ask your class members to read aloud and discuss the following three vital points from our study this week:
1. Be alert to what is happening in our world. Revelation’s prophecies predict that a religiopolitical union will arise. Jesus instructed His disciples, just before He went to the cross, to “ ‘watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming’ ” (Matt. 24:42, NKJV). What does Jesus mean when He tells us to “watch”? In practical terms, how do we do that?
2. Be prepared. The time to prepare for earth’s final crisis is now. A crisis generally does not develop character; a crisis reveals character. Now is the time to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10, NKJV). Think of a crisis you went through recently. What did that reveal to you about yourself? What areas do you need to strengthen in your walk with God as a result of that revelation of character? How do we prepare for Christ’s coming?
3. Be active. Jesus said, “ ‘You shall be witnesses to Me’ ”(Acts 1:8, NKJV). If there ever were a time to be active in sharing God’s love, His Word, and His end-time message with those around us, it is today. What are ways you can share Christ’s end-time message with those around you in the coming week?
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Revelation is a book of contrasts. This week’s study discusses the seal of God and the mark of the beast. Throughout the centuries, the Sabbath has been a special sign of allegiance to God. The Sabbath has revealed that God is worthy of worship as the Creator of the universe. The mark of the beast also revolves around worship. Satan has introduced a counterfeit sabbath, the first day of the week, as a symbol of his authority. The final conflict between Christ and Satan focuses on who is worthy to rule the universe. Because Jesus is the Giver of life, He is worthy to be worshiped. Satan understands this truth as one of the dominant issues in the great controversy between good and evil. For this reason, Satan attacks the Sabbath, the symbol of God’s creative authority.
Because of the centrality of the Sabbath in the final conflict, the law of God is preeminent in the final conflict. In this week’s study, we will explore the issues in earth’s last war. Revelation 14:12 declares, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (NKJV). Christ’s end-time remnant is filled with Jesus’ gift of righteousness by faith, which enables His elect to keep God’s commandments.
Our study this week also helps us identify fully the beast power from the sea in Revelation 13. We will discover that this power, which usurps the authority of God, gets its authority from the dragon, or Satan. This beast power grows out of the ruins of the Roman Empire and claims for itself the very prerogatives of God.
Part II: Commentary
Overview: Those who heed the messages of the three angels turn away from Babylon and its false teachings. Consequently, they are commended for two things: their obedience and having the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12). They are patiently waiting for Jesus to return, which is another way of saying that they are steadfast and unshakable in their trust in God and in their obedience to His law. They will not be moved. Gill’s Exposition of the Bible offers an enlightening statement on Revelation 14:12: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and not the inventions of men, and the traditions of antichrist, but the ordinances of the Gospel, as they were at first delivered, without any adulteration and corruption; and who kept them because they were enjoined by God, and from a principle of love to him, and with a view to his glory: these are distinguished from the worshippers of the beast, and were preserved throughout the apostasy; these are the witnesses . . . and the remnant of the woman’s seed, with whom the dragon made war by the beast.”—Comments on Revelation 14:12, biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/revelation-14-12.html.
Saved by grace, the remnant is distinguished from the worshipers of the beast power from the sea because of their love for Jesus and their obedience to His commandments. They have the faith of Jesus—both faith in Jesus and the quality of faith from Jesus that enables them to become overcomers. Their faith results in obedience and enables them to stand when most of the people in this world bow to the beast power from the sea. Having the faith of Jesus means to have Jesus live His life in us. On the cross, Jesus trusted His Father’s love when He was unable to experience the Father’s care and concern for His suffering as the world’s sin bearer. The faith of Jesus, living within our hearts, enables us to trust Jesus in all of life’s experiences.
Identifying the Beast From the Sea
The clues to identifying the beast power from the sea of Revelation 13 are extremely specific. In this week’s study, we will discuss three of these significant identifying marks of the beast from the sea. The first clue we find concerns the origin of its power. “The dragon gave him [the beast from the sea] his power, his throne, and great authority” (Rev. 13:2, NKJV). Who is this dragon that gives the beast from the sea of Revelation 13 its power, throne, and authority?
We read about the dragon in Revelation 12. Revelation 12:3–5 says this “dragon”—the devil—attempted to destroy, “as soon as it was born,” the “male Child,” who was later “caught up to God and His throne” (NKJV), an unmistakable reference to Christ. The dragon is identified clearly in these verses. In straightforward language, God’s Word tells us that the dragon is the devil, or Satan (Rev. 12:8, 9). None other than the archenemy of God and of man is behind the beast power that comes from the sea. But the devil works through human agents. Just as God works through His church, the devil works through a mammoth fallen religious institution that has rejected God’s truth and turned its back on God’s law. Although the dragon is primarily Satan, as we’ve just learned, so closely was Satan aligned with pagan Rome that the dragon, in a secondary sense, also is a symbol of the pagan Roman Empire (compare Dan. 7:7). Satan used pagan Rome in his attempt to destroy Jesus shortly after His birth (Matt. 1:1–20). Later, Satan used pagan Rome to crucify Christ:
A Roman governor, Pilate, condemned Christ to die:
Matthew 27:2, 17–26.
A Roman executioner nailed Him to the cross:
Matthew 27:27, 35.
A Roman soldier pierced His side with a spear:
John 19:34.
A Roman seal was affixed to His tomb:
Matthew 27:66.
A Roman squad of soldiers guarded His tomb:
Matthew 27:62–65.
Still later, the dragon, through pagan Rome, gave the beast from the sea his seat, or throne. This endowment happened when the Roman Emperor Constantine decided to move the capital from Rome to what came to be called Constantinople, in modern-day Turkey, leaving a power vacuum at the former throne or seat of the Caesars, the Imperial City of Rome.
“By retiring to the East, he [Constantine] left the field clear for the Bishops of Rome.” “The Papacy is but ‘the ghost’ of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the ‘grave thereof.’ ”—Arthur P. Stanley, Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1862), p. 305. Thus, the beast power that arises from the sea, in Revelation 13, is the papal system of religion. We must remember here that we are talking about a system, not about individual members of that system. The beast power from the sea is not a person; it is a false religious organization.
The second clue that Revelation 13 gives us about the identity of the beast from the sea closely parallels the first clue. The power that rises out of Rome is a power that commands worship. It is a religious power. Revelation 13:3, 4 declares that “all the world marveled and followed the beast. So . . . they worshiped the beast” (NKJV). The organization described here is also a religious power that grows into a universal system of worship.
This observation leads us to the third clue that Revelation 13 gives in identifying the beast from the sea: blasphemy (Rev. 13:5, 6). According to the Bible, what is blasphemy? There were two occasions when the Lord Jesus unjustly was accused of blasphemy, thus giving us two examples from the Bible of what is meant by blasphemy: (1) if any human pretends to be, or claims to be, God or claims the privileges and prerogatives of God; and (2) if any human claims the power to forgive sins. In Jesus’ case, the accusations were unjust because He truly was, and is, God and holds all the powers and prerogatives of God—including the right to forgive us our sins. (See John 10:33, Luke 5:21.)
The Roman Church has two distinctive doctrines that the Bible calls blasphemy. One is its claim to have the power to forgive sins. The other is delegating to the pope the office of God on earth.
Jesus is our true priest, and only He can forgive our sins. It is true that we are not righteous enough to appear before God. We need a mediator. The incredibly good news is we have a mediator, Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that there is only “one Mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5, NKJV).
As to how the Roman Church fulfills the second Bible definition of blasphemy, let’s look at a clear statement from an authoritative Catholic source on the status of the pope: “The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God. . . . Hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as King of Heaven and of earth and of the lower regions. . . . The Pope is as it were God on earth, . . . chief King of kings . . . to whom has been entrusted by the omnipotent God directions . . . of the heavenly kingdom.”—Lucius Ferraris, “Papa,” article 2 in his Prompta Bibliotheca [“Handy Library”] (Venice, Italy: Gaspar Storti, 1772), vol. 6, pp. 26–29. Latin. Reprinted (Rome: Press of the Propaganda, 1899).
The book of Revelation exalts Jesus, identifies God’s last-day people, and reveals the identifying characteristics of the beast so that we can be prepared for the coming conflict.
Part III: Life Application
Reflect: At times, it may appear to some as if God’s condemnation of a religious organization that has done a great deal of good in the world, with its schools, hospitals, and humanitarian service, seems a little harsh and unjust. The ultimate question is not whether a religious organization has done some good. The ultimate questions are: Is this organization faithful to Jesus and the teachings of Scripture? What is behind its worldwide influence, and is it leading the world into the union of church and state that prophecy predicts? The book of Revelation reveals that, under the auspices of Rome, our religious liberties will be restricted, an economic boycott will be passed, and ultimately God’s people will experience oppression, imprisonment, and death.
Ask your class members to read aloud and discuss the following three vital points from our study this week:
1. Be alert to what is happening in our world. Revelation’s prophecies predict that a religiopolitical union will arise. Jesus instructed His disciples, just before He went to the cross, to “ ‘watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming’ ” (Matt. 24:42, NKJV). What does Jesus mean when He tells us to “watch”? In practical terms, how do we do that?
2. Be prepared. The time to prepare for earth’s final crisis is now. A crisis generally does not develop character; a crisis reveals character. Now is the time to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10, NKJV). Think of a crisis you went through recently. What did that reveal to you about yourself? What areas do you need to strengthen in your walk with God as a result of that revelation of character? How do we prepare for Christ’s coming?
3. Be active. Jesus said, “ ‘You shall be witnesses to Me’ ”(Acts 1:8, NKJV). If there ever were a time to be active in sharing God’s love, His Word, and His end-time message with those around us, it is today. What are ways you can share Christ’s end-time message with those around you in the coming week?