Revelation Chapter 13

NY Study Group

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

SANDS OF SEAS - Detached state of observation. BEAST - Emotional urges for expression of SELFISH desires.      Attributes: LEOPARD - Treacherous. FEET OF BEAR - Blundering. MOUTH OF LION - Boastful. WOUND HEALED - Able to perform miracles. WORLD - Mankind. PATIENCE AND FAITH OF SAINTS - Experience in world. ANOTHER BEAST - Mind on conscious level with power of choice between good and evil. MARK OF BEAST - Pattern of animalistic behavior shown. FOREHEAD - In mental, and HANDS - Creative activities. NUMBER OF BEAST - 666. NUMBER OF MAN - 666 - The natural man as opposed to the evolved man. INTERPRETATION 1. From a point of view of detached observation, John now perceives how forces for the expression of selfish desires arise through the emotions which are capable of ruling man. Attributes of these forces are treachery, error and boastfulness. The power springs from the Self Will of the unspiritualized intellect of Man. 3. Because of ability of this force to bring about certain miraculous transformation(s), the world worships the intellect as a "symbol of success". 5. During the period of its apparent unobstructed license to indulge itself, the human intellect, lacking spiritual orientation, cuts itself off from all that is Divine. 7. Yet, so great is its influence that it begins to take control of all those in the world who have no particular belief in a higher power, who don't actually know in what they truly believe. 10. However, those who have overcome through experience in the world know that whatever appears to be happening, the law of Cause and Effect goes on perpetually and inexorably. 11. The unspiritualized mentality is shown as a deceiving intelligence which persuades mankind to embrace false values of what is wonderful and miraculous in the world, to set up discriminations against those who retain their spiritual values. 16. Thus all are forced to bind themselves to the institutions of the world and its systems. 18. The intellect can be either the instrument of man's salvation of his degeneration.