(S2E15) The Beast from the Sea

In this episode, Gordon and Mark connect Revelation chapters 12 and 13, emphasizing that they must be read together as a continuous narrative.  At the end of chapter 12, the dragon, identified as Satan, stands on the shore of the sea, preparing for war.  Chapter 13 begins with the next step in that plan with Satan raising the “beast from the sea” as his primary instrument to carry out his end-times agenda.

The hosts explain that the beast operates on three levels simultaneously:

• As a final global empire
• As a specific man—the Antichrist
• As a demonic power, likely from the abyss, indwelling that man

This makes the beast the ultimate earthly expression of satanic authority, receiving power, a throne, and dominion directly from Satan.

A key distinction is drawn between the two creatures.  In Revelation 12, the dragon is described with seven heads, representing past satanic kingdoms.  In Revelation 13, the beast emphasizes ten horns, pointing forward to a future coalition of ten kings or nations. 

The seven heads of the dragon are interpreted as successive world empires used by Satan to oppose God’s people throughout history and they are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Seleucid Dynasties.  These empires demonstrate Satan’s long-term strategy of working through political powers to resist God’s plan.

In contrast, the ten horns represent a future alliance—a coalition of ten kings or nations that unite to empower the final beast. This forms a global political and military system unlike anything previously seen.  

The hosts connect these ideas directly to the book of Daniel, showing that Revelation fulfills the visions of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7.  Within this system, the “Little Horn” from Daniel 7 emerges as a specific leader who rises from within the ten-nation coalition, removes rivals, and consolidates power.  This individual becomes the Antichrist.  The hosts suggest that a powerful entity from the abyss may indwell this leader, transforming him into the fully realized Antichrist figure.

The beast’s authority is described as both delegated and permitted.  Satan grants him power, but ultimately God allows it for a limited time and purpose.  His authority extends over every tribe, people, language, and nation, creating a global system of control.

A dramatic moment occurs with the “mortal wound”, which the hosts interpret as referring to a kingdom rather than an individual.  This kingdom appears to be destroyed but is then restored, astonishing the world and leading to widespread allegiance.  This event fuels global deception, causing people to follow and worship the beast which is an act that ultimately equates to worshiping Satan.  Only those not written in the Book of Life give full allegiance.

The episode also introduces a second figure, often called the False Prophet.  This individual supports the first beast by performing signs, deceiving the world, and compelling worship of the Antichrist.  He enforces allegiance through economic control, including the well-known “mark of the beast.”  While his role will be explored more fully in a future episode, his function is clear.  He will direct the world’s worship toward the Antichrist.

Together, these three figures—Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet—form an “unholy trinity,” a counterfeit of God’s divine order.  This system represents the climax of Satan’s long-standing effort to imitate, oppose, and replace God’s authority.

The episode concludes by highlighting the seriousness of this deception.  What unfolds in Revelation 13 is not just political or social—it is deeply spiritual.  It represents the final stage of rebellion, where humanity is drawn into open allegiance either to God or to Satan’s counterfeit kingdom.

Transcript

Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Hello, everyone. Welcome to our podcast called On Guard Discerning Truth in End Times. My name is Gordon Douglas. I'm here with my brother Mark.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us again today.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

We're glad to have you back with us. We're so glad that you continue to listen to us and our podcast. Today marks the final episode of season two. With this episode's taping, we are done with season two. That is hard to believe. It is. And with this episode, we will make it most of the way through Revelation chapter 13, which means we likely can finish the remainder of the book of Revelation next fall with about 12 more episodes. We'll see how it goes. Season three should start around the 1st of September of this year, 2026, if everything goes to plan. It is quite hard to believe that we are 27 episodes into an end times podcast, and we're only now being introduced to this first beast. We have seen and heard references to it, but we haven't really talked specifically about it, or should I say him?

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Well, we will discuss him quite a bit in this episode, and we have a lot to get to, so let's go ahead

Verse that Links Revelation 12 & 13

SPEAKER_02 1:19

and get started.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

To help us start Revelation 13, we want to go back and read the last verse of chapter 12 again. We read it last week and concentrated on the first phrase or segment in that last verse. Today we want to say something critically important about the second phrase or segment in that verse, because it really applies directly to Revelation 13's entire topic. The whole verse from Revelation chapter 12, verse 17 says this quote, then the dragon, who is Satan, became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

Also, in that final phrase, the dragon, who we learned is last week was Satan, he stood on the sand of the sea looking for the way to make war on those people. And in the very next verse, which is the first verse of chapter 13, we will see that he saw a beast rising out of the sea. This language from these two verses most definitely connects the beast from the sea with that dragon. In many of our episodes, we've made a point about scripture that needs repeating today. At times in Revelation, the break point between chapters and verses isn't very clear or helpful to benefiting our understanding. Hear this. You can't just start reading Revelation 13 at verse 1 and expect to understand how the events fit together. You must read Revelation 12 first. The two chapters go together. We made this point in the episode on Revelation 4 and 5, and again in the episode of Revelation 6 and 7, and it's true here again. If you skip Revelation 12, then you miss seeing that Revelation 13 continues the storyline. Satan is behind all this stuff, and the point which you are about to make really takes on more power if we make that connection. When we read both chapters together, we see a much fuller picture of what's going on in the verses. From Revelation 12, we learn Satan has been cast down, he is enraged, and now he begins organizing his rebellion through beastly powers that he raises up in the world, as we will see in Revelation 13. And one final comment that maybe helps support this point in a strange sort of way. In the English Standard Version Bible, which you use, the phrase, and he stood on the sand of the sea, is part of chapter 12. But did you know in the New International Version of the Bible, which I use most often, that phrase is actually a part of chapter 13. How can that be? Same phrase, but in different chapters. I looked at a couple other examples. The Revised Standard Version places the phrase like the ESV, and the King James Version has it like the NIV. So I guess the point is that each set of authors who assembled their version of the Bible aren't sure which chapter it fits in. Right? My conclusion is then that it's because the two chapters are one storyline and honestly they fit together as a single passage.

SPEAKER_01 5:01

Interesting. That's very interesting. I don't think I figured that out in my studying, but um but the point is the point I'm trying to make. The dragon from Revelation 12 will use this end times beast from Revelation 13 to make war on the women's offspring and the followers of Jesus. Let's be really clear about that point. The primary means by which Satan will make war on Israel and Christians in these end times is by this end times beast. So we want to know everything the Bible says about it so we can recognize him for who he is.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Okay. Let's read the first two verses of Revelation 13 so that we give a frame of reference for what this chapter says. Then we will start with what the Bible says and has been saying about this beast throughout Scripture in the Old Testament, and then talk about the New Testament details. We're going to give background first and then point to where the beast is mentioned in Scripture, and we'll get to the rest of Revelation 13.

The "Beast from the Sea"

SPEAKER_01 6:01

So here is what it says from Revelation chapter 12, the second part of the last verse 17 through Revelation chapter 13, verse 2. And Satan stood on the sand of the sea, and I, John, saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns, and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth, and to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

An

Dragon & Beast are same but different

SPEAKER_02 6:41

immediate connection between this beast and the dragon is that they are both described as having ten horns and seven heads, and also diadems. But there's one discernible difference which is not by accident. Let's examine the two verses we're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

Last week, when we were introduced to the dragon in chapter 12, verse 3, we learned he had seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. Now here in chapter 13, we learn the beast has ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns. Did you see the distinction? You have to pay very close attention.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

To be honest, I didn't get it. Even after you told me to read it, it took me about five times, and then I still continue to miss the point. I got lost more in the counting of the elements than the position of them or how they relate to each other. Tell us what you see.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

So, yes, I think it took me multiple times to see it too, or at least to process it. Both images have the exact number of seven heads and ten horns. But then you need to recognize the dragon is described as heads first, and the beast is described as horns first. And then you see that the dragon has crowns on his heads, and the beast has crowns on his horns. The distinction made here is critically important. This distinction isn't random, but it is a huge point to see. The focal point on the beast is different than the dragon, and the crowns are in different places. The emphasis in Revelation 12 for the dragon is on its seven heads. While in Revelation 13, the emphasis for the beast is on the ten horns. Isn't that just interesting?

SPEAKER_02 8:41

It is interesting. And so subtle that it could be easily missed. In fact, I missed it. We need to explain more of what you see so listeners can see it too.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Alright,

The Dragon's Kingdoms

SPEAKER_01 8:51

so let's go through the detail. In Revelation 12, on the dragon there are seven heads, each having a single crown. Collectively, these heads and crowns represent the satanic kingdoms which the dragon has used at various times in history to conquer and dominate Israel. Okay, so how do we know that? That's a great question. Later in Revelation chapter 17, there's much more detail about what's going on with these heads and horns. It is quite confusing to a reader that has not spent much time studying it all. In fact, it can be quite confusing to anyone. It is language which sounds like a riddle. We'll get to that language when we get to Revelation chapter 17. But for now, our interpretation of this image today is aided by a few verses from that chapter. There we are told that these seven heads are seven mountains or seven kings, and kings always represent kingdoms. So back to my point from a second ago. Those heads of the dragon represent pagan kingdoms in history that Satan has put his power behind to go against God. Most believe those seven heads of the dragon are kingdoms which Bible readers will recognize and know about. Remember, there are seven in total. One kingdom for each head of the beast. The kingdoms are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Islamic Caliphate, or the Seleucid dynasty. Some don't recognize that last one, but we will discuss that again later. For now, allow our list to include the last one. Alright, so next, Revelation chapter 13 is about a beast. And so in Revelation 13, the emphasis on this connected duo, the dragon and the beast, so they're connected, the emphasis on this connected duo shifts completely from the seven heads to the ten horns. We know the shift occurs because the crowns are now on the horns and are no longer on the heads. So remember, this chapter is talking about the beast. Notice there are now ten crowns, and they are shown on the horns, not the heads.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

So let's be clear. See if I get it. Revelation chapter 12 was about a dragon and the empires which he uses to attack and conquer Israel and God's plans. But now, Revelation chapter 13 is about a beast which is somehow connected to those seven previous empires and kingdoms. This beast will itself be an additional king and kingdom that the dragon will use. We can call it an eighth and final kingdom.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

Yes,

The Beast's Kingdom

SPEAKER_01 11:54

that is correct. This new beast is the final beast and is built upon the foundation of the seven previous kingdoms that Satan tried to use. And we see that this final beast will have ten crowns, not seven. We will certainly discuss further detail about these ten crowns, but for today in Revelation 17, 12, Scripture tells us more about the ten horns. The Bible says, quote, and the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast, end quote. So these ten horns are ten kings, or we might now say, ten countries, who come together to empower this final end times beast. At the time of John's vision, these ten kings had not yet risen to receive their power. And we believe they are still waiting to be revealed as to who they are. Again, this is a bit of foreshadowing of material for next season and what we can expect in our future.

SPEAKER_02 13:01

So what we know so far is that Satan and his final beast are absolutely connected. Scripture shows that the beast from the sea is not the same as the dragon. And the beast is satanically patterned after the dragon, yes, and it derives its power from him, yes, but the beast from the sea is a new kingdom. The Revelation 13 image is more of a specific point-in-time appearance of Satan's authority happening in the end times. This is a really important insight. The dragon in Revelation 12 has been the power behind the long history of satanic empires, and the beast in Revelation 13 is the final concentrated political expression of that satanic power. And it seems this beast from the sea rises up in the end times in relation to Satan coming after or making war on the nation of Israel and everyone who follows Jesus Christ. This is exactly what is stated at the end of Revelation chapter 12. Satan realizes his time is short and he sets out to make war against those two groups.

Introduction of "Antichrist"

SPEAKER_02 14:12

Right.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

That's right. And to remove any suspense from the discussion, this beast of the sea represents both the Antichrist and the Antichrist's empire. Is that what you believe? Yep, that's what I believe.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

But what or who is the Antichrist? In order to really understand that question, we have to search the Bible for what it has been saying about him for centuries. God has pointed to him in many prophecies over many years. We know the original groundwork for this end times beast comes from the visions described in the book of Daniel. God used Daniel to interpret dreams given to King Nebuchadnezzar and then gave Daniel dreams of his own to introduce us to a grand picture of beasts representing kings and kingdoms, which would span over time in opposition to the kingdom of God. And the dreams point to a specific end times version of a kingdom, which we think is the beast that is rising up out of the sea in Revelation 13.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

Right. We certainly

Daniel 2

SPEAKER_01 15:17

don't have time to study the full depth of the book of Daniel, but we have to go there to make our point.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

You know, every time we say we don't have time, we do it anyway. So we have to start in Daniel 2 with the famous dream given to King Nebuchadnezzar, where he dreams about a multicolored statue. We won't really do anything but introduce the dream from Daniel 2 because this dream is really just background, which helps Daniel make sense of his own dream, which comes in Daniel 7. We will spend most of our time on the dream from Daniel 7, but you might want to read Daniel 2 in conjunction with listening to this episode.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Here is the short version of Daniel 2. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a multicolored statue which was made of multiple types of materials, including gold, silver, bronze, iron, and then iron mixed with clay. This dream was interpreted by Daniel through God, giving him insight and understanding. Daniel described the different sections of the statue as different kings, kingdoms or empires that will rise and rule over the earth. These are kingdoms that will be in opposition to God and in opposition to his chosen nation of Israel.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

And what we learn is that these kingdoms are the successive worldly pagan kingdoms empowered by the dragon or Satan. And Satan has used these powerful kingdoms of the world to oppose and to attempt to destroy and conquer Israel. This shows us something about Satan's operating model. Since he is not all-knowing, he is constantly watching, listening, and reacting. He heard God's promises from the Garden of Eden about being crushed by the seed of man, but he does not fully understand how or when God will bring final fulfillment to that realization. So Satan lashes out at the people, places, and bloodlines through which those promises are supposed to come. When God chose Abraham, Satan targeted Abraham and his descendants. When God brought the nation of Israel into the promised land, Satan attacked it. When the Messiah came through Israel, Satan tried to corrupt, scatter, or destroy him before the promise was fulfilled. These patterns will continue because that is Satan's operating model. Don't see these kingdoms as merely political accidents of history. Scripture teaches us to see the deeper reality that there is an unseen spiritual war operating behind the visible physical world we live in. Earthly empires rise for political, military, and economic reasons, but many of them also become instruments in a bigger agenda. The good news, though, is God remains sovereign. Satan may move from kingdom to kingdom through our timeline, trying to stop God's plan, but he is never ahead of God. The kingdoms of this world may look powerful for a season, but every one of them eventually falls. While God's kingdom moves steadily forward, exactly as he said it would. Satan is not omniscient, which means he does not know everything like God does.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

That is right. And we will come back to that very valuable point. Also, one important point about reconciling the seven kingdoms from Revelation with Daniel's vision of this statue. Daniel lived from about 620 BC into the 500s B.C., which means that by the time he interprets Nebuchadnezzar's statue dream, two of the heads from the Revelation 12 and 13 beasts had already occurred on his timeline. Those two heads of the beast were Egypt and Assyria. So they were in Daniel's past. In Daniel 2, though, this first dream or prophecy tells us unequivocally that Babylon is the next satanic kingdom, and then there will be future kingdoms that follow it. Remember, there was Egypt, who enslaved the whole nation of Israel for 400 years until the Exodus with Moses around 1500 B.C. Then there was Assyria, which conquered the ten northern tribes of Israel in 722 B.C. So next will be Babylon as the head of this statue. Then, as God often does, he continues on with the vision, but with a timelier starting point. As these next set of kingdoms, represented by the layers described in the bottom elements of the statue, come along in history, they eventually weaken, become less powerful, and get toppled by the next level down. So much so that the final earthly kingdom from the statue's two legs shows as a divided kingdom. The most important part of this dream is that at the time of this final earthly kingdom, which is represented by a large boulder in the dream, Scripture says the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever. We interpret this to mean that God will set up his eternal kingdom, and it will eventually destroy these earthly pagan kingdoms for good and forever.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

So from Nebuchadnezzar's dream documented in Daniel 2, we learn that Satan will try to defeat God using kingdom after kingdom of this world. He will put his power and authority behind each of the successive kingdoms represented by the sections of the statute. But eventually, God will set up his own kingdom, which will destroy what Satan has tried to do to defeat him.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

Alright, that's good background. But from Daniel 2, I haven't heard anything about a beast yet.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

Alright,

Daniel 7

SPEAKER_02 21:11

well, just wait. When we move to chapter 7 in Daniel, we get details from Daniel's own personal dream. Daniel's dream is similar to the dream of the statue given to Nebuchadnezzar, but Daniel's dream does not use a statue. Instead, it uses just these various beasts.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

Okay, so this dream about beast sounds much more relevant to our Revelation chapter 13 topic. Everyone, please understand that this dream in chapter 7 of Daniel is really a recapitulation of the dream from chapter 2. What I mean is this vision is not new information, but God is giving us a different version to see the meaning that was expressed in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The kingdom and beast prophecy is so important that he is telling it. To us a second time, using a different analogy and providing a little more detail.

SPEAKER_02 22:05

Alright, well, it's like our football game analogy and all the swim lanes. God is trying to give Daniel a different point of view to aid in his understanding. So let's read Daniel chapter 7, 3 through 7. I'm going to leave out a lot of the detail so it won't be so long. Alright, here's the shortened version. Quote, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear, it was raised up on one side, it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. After this I looked and behold, another like a leopard with four wings, like a bird on its back, and the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth, it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the other beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. Even without any explanation, you ought to be able to see the connection to Daniel chapter two regarding successive kingdoms, but also the definite connection to Revelation chapter 13's description of the beast. Daniel had his own personal dream around 550 BC, which was about fifty years after the Nebuchadnezzar dream of the statue.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Again, through these dreams in both Daniel chapter 2 and chapter 7, God was giving a complete prophecy which tells us about powerful kingdoms that would rise in the world in opposition to his chosen nation and thus in opposition to him. These nations would conquer Israel and rule over Israel and the Jewish people. There are important key aspects of Daniel's dream which you can definitely see relate to what we read earlier from Revelation chapter 13. The major pieces that we see are Revelation 13 describes a beast rising out of the sea. I think by it rising out of the sea, it just means that it is a worldly pagan kingdom. All the beasts in Daniel 7 are that way, and now we see that this beast in Revelation 13 will be that type of kingdom. All right.

SPEAKER_02 24:25

And there is an illustration about ten horns in both the Daniel and Revelation passages. The ten horns are universally thought to be ten kingdoms or countries that come together to align and form some type of coalition. For an empire or kingdom to be that strong and powerful, it must include a combination of countries.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

Each revelation and Daniel passage mentions a lion, a bear, and a leopard. This language is quite possibly the language that absolutely makes it a guarantee that these passages and these prophecies are connected. This end times beast appears to be one that is a combination of all the previous ones. In Daniel 7, we were just told that this final kingdom would be terrifying and exceedingly strong. Now we see why. It is a beast that combines all the parts and powers of all the previous kingdoms.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

And in both passages, a beast was given authority or dominion. The language plainly says that Satan stood behind the fourth beast in Daniel and then does the same thing here in Revelation. We therefore conclude there is no doubt that the passage in Revelation 13 is linked back to that vision in the book of Daniel. So if they are linked, what is that linkage trying to tell us? Do we need to look back closer at those original prophecies and see if we see a further connection?

SPEAKER_01 25:52

I think so. We really don't want to spend the time today to discuss the specific kingdoms and who they are, but here is a short version of it. In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the interpretation that Daniel received from God was that King Nebuchadnezzar himself was the head of gold. We know for a fact that he and his kingdom of Babylon were the first kingdom on that statue. The interpretation did not name the second kingdom or the third or the fourth or the remade fourth. But Daniel's personal dream in chapter 7 does. It names the next two kingdoms as Medo-Persia and Greece. So it is universally agreed that the second kingdom was the Medo-Persian Empire, which actually conquered Babylon. And then the third one is the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great, which came after Medo-Persia. Note, the fourth and final kingdom is never named in any of the text. And here is where universal agreement on the identification of kingdoms stops. A great many believe that the fourth empire is the Roman Empire. We know it came soon after the Greek Empire. And although it really did not conquer Israel, it did destroy Jerusalem in 70 AD. We want you to know that Bible scholars are not in agreement that the fourth beast points to Rome. We know it is true that the land of Israel was being ruled by the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus, but in the spirit of long occupations, this Roman rule was only for a short period of time.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

And as you have said, I'm not sure now is the time to debate the issue too much. But in your Bibles, you will most likely see Bible headings and commentaries which say that the fourth empire was Rome. Please keep in mind those headings and commentaries are not part of the original Bible text. They are someone's interpretation of the text. Don't read the commentary like it is Scripture. We believe it is quite possible another country, at a minimum, shares the fourth beast position. I want to add something that's really interesting to this point. My son Joshua and I were in a discussion about this very topic a few nights ago. He's reading a book that provides a possible reason Rome's rule over Israel was so short-lived and gives room for another country to be identified as the fourth kingdom, which we're talking about. God had a plan that needed Rome and its infrastructure in order to enable the spread of the gospel throughout the known world of that day. In the window of history, you can see God push Rome into Jesus' timeline just long enough to ensure that when the Holy Spirit was given to those early believers, that the gospel was able to move out of the Middle East and across the known world. Also, I personally believe Rome's short-term involvement enables the formation of a large denomination, which might be something God may also use in the future. To summarize, there is a fourth empire that came sometime after the Greek Empire, and we will discuss more about it a little bit

Revelation 13 Uses This Language

SPEAKER_02 29:04

later.

SPEAKER_01 29:04

The key question in our study of Revelation is this if these beasts from these visions, dreams, and images represent kingdoms from the past, why does Revelation 13 still use this same language for our future? That question pushes us back to Daniel's prophecies, where a closer look shows that not every part of the vision has been fulfilled in history. In particular, the final portion of the statue, the feet of iron and clay, and the fourth beast in Daniel 7, the one described as more terrifying than the rest, both point beyond the ancient world and into a future kingdom. Daniel's visions ultimately lead us to an end times empire still to come. And once we see that point, the language of Revelation 13 begins to make much more sense.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

Yes, now we can conclusively see that this beast rising out of the sea in Revelation 13 is the final beast that was described in Daniel 7. They are the same, and he is the end times beast.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

And that gives us an opportunity to consolidate the language from both prophecies to give us a clearer, more comprehensive understanding of what or who this future beast might be. And we want to explore other scriptures that tell us something about it. Daniel II's text seems to say the final kingdom will be a re made fourth kingdom, and it will be a divided kingdom. Remember, the fourth kingdom on the statue is described as being made of iron but mixed with clay. It will have some firmness in it, but also some softness. Thus it will be partly strong and partly brittle, which we interpret to mean that it will not hold together completely.

SPEAKER_02 30:44

And then in Daniel 7, we learn that this end times beast will be different from the rest, because it will be terrifying and exceedingly strong. It will have iron teeth and will devour and break into pieces all that it conquers, and it will have ten horns.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

And then in Revelation 13, the language expounds upon the details and says the beast also has seven heads and ten diadems, and it is a combination of the other beasts from Daniel 7, in that this beast will be like a leopard, with feet like a bear, and with a mouth like a lion. One more critical point is from Revelation chapter 17, where we will see it say that the end times of empire will be the eighth one that belongs to the seventh. This language certainly means it is connected back to those first seven empires.

Summarize Revelation 13's Detail

SPEAKER_01 31:37

So let's try and summarize what's going on here in Revelation 13. Mark, you give it a try.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

Okay. John in Revelation was given a vision of this final endomes empire, which will rise up in the last days. This empire will be the empire of the Antichrist who will lead it together with a coalition of ten nations. This empire will be built on the foundation and geographic location of the previous empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece, and then that fourth kingdom. We believe this means it will be Middle Eastern in its formation, not European, not Roman. All of the three previous empires were more Middle Eastern than European. But if this final one is connected to the previous seven, it might still have some Roman connection to it. This empire will be terrifying and very strong, probably Islamic centered based on its location. We will discuss a Roman connection as we get to the rest of Revelation chapter 13 and in future episodes when we complete the discussion in Revelation 17.

SPEAKER_01 32:44

So all that together gives us the end times and final satanic empire that will be in power. Do you believe it will be ruled by the Antichrist? How do you connect that together?

SPEAKER_02 32:56

If we would have read further in the dream from Daniel 7, we would learn about a little horn that comes up from around the ten horns of this end times beast. This little horn uproots three of the original ten horns and is said to have eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things. This little horn is universally thought to be the Antichrist. He is the leader that rises to take control of this final beast, a consortium of kingdoms or countries. So the beast rising from the sea can be said to be the head of that empire we just described. He will be its leader. Look, let's read two more verses from this Revelation 13 passage and kind of add to this. Revelation 13 verses 5 to 6 say, quote, and the beast was given a mouth, uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opens its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is those who dwell in heaven.

SPEAKER_01 34:03

So there is the little horn from Daniel mentioned in Revelation. He is the one with the mouth uttering blasphemous words.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

And he is the one we read about later in Daniel 9, who stands in the temple of God and performs the abomination of desolation. He is the one Paul calls the man of lawlessness in Thessalonians. He's the one Ezekiel calls Gog in Ezekiel 38. There's no doubt we are talking about the Antichrist. He is a man and he is leading an empire. Both the man and the empire can be called the beast.

SPEAKER_01 34:36

And we read a verse a few episodes ago that we might have skipped right over. We weren't ready to discuss it then. I'm going to go back to Revelation 11 to reread it. In that chapter, we were discussing the two witnesses. Revelation 11, 7 says, quote, and when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them. End quote. Here we get some of the same language about a beast, except he comes from a bottomless pit making war against God's witnesses.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

Yep, in that verse it says that there is a beast that rises out of the bottomless pit. Remember back in Revelation chapter 9, under the fifth trumpet, the bottomless pit was unlocked, and some of the demons who were locked up there were then let out. Well, it appears that one of those powerful demons comes out of that pit and becomes very important in this story.

SPEAKER_01 35:33

Yeah, we believe that the language in that verse puts it together with the language here in Revelation 13. We believe that powerful demon from that bottomless pit will indwell the man who will then become the Antichrist, most think of when they hear about him. Our speculation is that up until that indwelling moment, this same man was not quite so evil in his nature, but he will be afterwards.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

Wow, that is that is so much. We believe the beast is collectively all these things: an empire, a man, and a powerful demon who indwells that man. The indwelling will drive that man to do the things he has prophesied to do and to become the

Re-read Revelation 13:1-10

SPEAKER_02 36:17

Antichrist.

SPEAKER_01 36:18

All right, so with that background, we need to go back and read the whole passage from Revelation 13, from verses 1 to 10. We need to look at the rest of what is being said here about this beast and what is going on in these end times. So hear these verses again, now that we've looked at the background and you know what each thing is. Starting with verse 1, quote, and I saw a beast rising out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth, and to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast, and they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast and who can fight against it? And the beast was given a mouth, uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them, and authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it. Every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes. If anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

SPEAKER_02 38:11

Wow, I think we need to take a deep breath, right? That was a lot of detail. That passage was full of tidbits about what will be going on when this beast rises. There's so much there to discuss. It was definitely helpful to have the 30 minutes of background that we gave before reading that whole passage. Okay, Mark, so set the scene for the further discussion now. All right. In the period we know as the tribulation, right, or Daniel's 70th week, we have a seven-year period over which we will likely see some coalition of nations that will come together for the very purpose of persecuting and destroying Israel and those that follow Jesus. As this coalition rises to power, it will be admired and loved by the whole world, especially those who are not believers in Jesus. This empire will gather popularity and power and seem to be motivated by a pseudo-peace that was put in place, especially in the Middle East. But at some point in this seven-year period, an end times switch will flip. A man referred to as the little horn will rise from within this coalition to take power and uproot three of the members of the coalition. He will gain much power when he is indwelled by the demon from the bottomless pit. This man will move from peace to direct conflict. He will have enough power to force people to comply with his controls and governance. Christians and many Israelites will be in opposition to this man's plan, and they will be persecuted because of their stance. At the midpoint of this seven year period of time, this man demon will stand in the temple of God in Jerusalem and challenge God himself. He will claim to be greater than the God of Israel and will desecrate the temple. Our belief is he will deny the resurrection of Jesus and begin to demand worship from the world as though he was a godlike entity. He will demand that others fall in line with this theology, and he will outlaw Christian evangelism on a global basis. This will start the Great Tribulation where He will make war directly on the saints of God. He will pursue them and be allowed to conquer them for three and a half years.

SPEAKER_01 40:28

But remember the verse from chapter 12. Remember, physical death just means eternal life to those who believe in Jesus and hold to their faith. Let's go through some of those specific verses from the reading to get clarification on what they might

Mortal Head Wound

SPEAKER_01 40:50

mean. What did that verse say about a mortal wound? I know there's much speculation about that from anyone who has ever heard about it.

SPEAKER_02 40:57

You know, the sentence, the actual sentence says that one of the heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but that wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. You are right. That wound has been the subject of much debate and discussion by people. I want to make two points about it. The first point is that only one of the heads seemed to have this wound. Remember, the heads of the beast represent empires, not people. So this must mean that only one of the empires or countries is affected. And the second point is the wording is interesting about the wound. It says the wound seemed to be a mortal wound.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

Right. That language is very subtle. It seems to say that the wound of one of the heads is almost dead but not completely dead. Is that the way you see it?

SPEAKER_02 41:50

Yep, that's how I understand it. My view is that a specific head on the beast, which represents a kingdom or nation, appears to suffer what looks like a catastrophic death blow. Remember, the heads of the beast are not individual people, but kingdoms. So the idea is not that a man is killed or has a head wound, it's that a nation seems to collapse or to be destroyed. If we wanted to use a modern example as an illustration, without claiming any direct prophetic fulfillment at this point, you could imagine something like what we see in Iran in today's headlines. I'm not saying this is a fulfillment of this prophecy, only that it helps illustrate the idea I'm trying to convey. A person might look at a major conflict and say that Iran appears to have suffered a kind of mortal wound. You know, as we were working on this very episode, we heard an interview with Mark Levine on Fox News from April 10th, 2026. Listen to what he says. This is so amazing.

Mark Levine Soundbite

SPEAKER_00 42:55

So the fact of the matter is, this regime is dead. The question is whether we let it live, whether we allow it to breathe life into it, and that's why these negotiations are critical. I agree with almost everything General Kellogg had to say. They are dead men walking. Now, are we going to resuscitate them or not?

SPEAKER_01 43:15

Wow. I'm not sure what to say about that clip. It sure sounds relevant to this discussion. Everyone should keep their eyes on Iran and what is happening in the Middle East. And we know Iran is Persia, which was where the Medo-Persian Empire was located. So it fits in with that thought quite well.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

Revelation says the mortal wound is healed, and that is also important. Several times in the passage, the text emphasizes that the world marvels at the beast because of its recovery. The verse actually says its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. In other words, the amazement and worship seem to be tied to the beast's joy. Dramatic restoration. It is as though the wounded kingdom rises again in a new and astonishing form. Using the Iran example, again, only as an illustration, you could picture a nation that goes through devastation and then re-emerges, rebuilt, reorganized, stronger than before, and perhaps even transformed into something new as being so impressive that we should marvel at it. And given the scale of destruction this head appears to endure, it's not hard to understand why the nations of the world might rally behind that recovery and admire the rebuilding process. Please see this. We have to read the passage carefully. Scripture also makes clear that this response is not morally neutral. The ones who give their allegiance to the restoration of the beast are identified as those whose names have not been written in the book of life. That tells us this is far more than political admiration. It is a spiritual allegiance that will be happening. Maybe not at first, but likely once it gets well positioned. What do you think that verse actually means? Does everyone bow and worship the beast? Do you think Christian people will actually bow down and worship that beast?

SPEAKER_01 45:20

That's a great question. As we've said many times, there are only two sides to this answer. If you don't affirmatively choose to believe in Jesus and have faith in him, then you are going to be on the wrong side. And we really do worry about this very question for all of those around us and those listening. I will say that it is likely most people will participate because they may not see the veil of deception behind this movement. We worry that people will be deceived by humanity's feel good spirit in this globalized movement. The populace, including good, honest, professing Christian people, may not realize what they are doing. That is why we continue to read about and mention the deception. People must be aware. Christian people are called to love and serve everyone, but loving and serving everyone does not mean missing the bigger picture of what is going on. It does not mean tolerance of things in opposition to God's truth and his word. You cannot let global movements dissuade you from standing firm on the gospel message of Jesus Christ. This is the foremost reason for us always encouraging and even admonishing you to get into the Word of God. I think in these verses, God is clearly communicating exactly what we said in our first episode of this season. You will eventually have to decide if you love your life too much. You will have to decide if you want to choose to side with safety and security for your physical life on this earth. If you find yourself joining the broad road, then take note of it. The Bible says that narrow is the road that leads to salvation. Please be aware when those times

Authority Granted

SPEAKER_01 47:14

come.

SPEAKER_02 47:14

All right, let's talk for a minute about authority. Twice in that passage we see that authority was given to this beast. Why is that repeated? And what does it mean?

SPEAKER_01 47:23

That is a great catch and a very important point that might just be one of the most important pieces of this passage as far as understanding the landscape of what is going on. In the first part, it says that the dragon had given his authority to the beast. Then later on, it says authority was given to the beast over every tribe and people and language and nation. So I think your question is whether this language is repetitive, or is it just reiterating that point, or does it mean something different? Right? Yep, that's the point of the question. All right. I think for certain that these are two entirely different events of granting authority from entirely two different places with two different meanings. Okay, so I'm with you. Explain. So the first granting of authority was given to the beast from the dragon. I believe this point means that Satan gives his full power to the Antichrist to try and destroy the nation of Israel and all Christians. But this authority is not unabated authority. Satan's authority is limited and completely within the sovereignty of God, which leads us to the second granting of authority. Who is the one granting authority to the beast in the second event? I believe God is granting authority to him here.

SPEAKER_02 48:46

I can see that. God, who has full authority, is granting conditional and limited authority to the beast, which overrides and controls the limited authority that Satan provided him to start with.

SPEAKER_01 48:58

I like that. So that's a good way to see it. God will allow the beast to have complete authority over everyone other than those whose names are written in the book of life. For those people, the beast will never truly have any authority over.

SPEAKER_02 49:15

We have gone through quite a bit of deep, deep spiritual insight in this episode. Do you think we need a short summary before we tackle the last bit?

SPEAKER_01 49:23

Alright, here's a quick summary of the major points. Revelation 12's dragon sets up successive satanic kingdoms throughout history. Used to thwart God's redemptive story, the seven heads are interpreted as kingdoms. Revelation 13's beast is presented as the final end times political empire empowered by Satan. The ten horns represent a future coalition of ten kings or nations that will empower the completed beast to function. The beast in Revelation 13 is linked directly to Daniel's fourth beast and is described as a composite of prior empire, suggesting it gathers the strength and character of earlier anti-God kingdoms. The little horn, spoken of in Daniel, is identified as the Antichrist, who is seen as the personal ruler of this final empire and the one who speaks blasphemies, persecutes believers, and desecrates the temple. The mortal wound is interpreted as something happening to one of the beast's kingdoms, not to a person, with the world marveling when that wounded kingdom appears to recover in a dramatic fashion. The text stresses that the beast's worldwide admiration leads to spiritual deception, and those who follow it are contrasted with those whose names are written in the book of life. Satan gives power to the beast, and God permits the beast limited authority within his sovereign control. So that's good.

SPEAKER_02 50:52

That's really good. Now we need to move on to the last part of the sac of our episode, and these verses might be tough to hear.

SPEAKER_01 51:00

So we just got through saying that the beast was not given authority over anyone whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Yet Life, yet these next two verses, nine and ten, make it seem otherwise. Let me remind you what they say. Quote, if anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to be taken captive to captivity he goes. If anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain, end quote. So how do we make sense of these verses?

SPEAKER_02 51:30

For anyone that's been listening to what we've been saying from the outset of this podcast, these verses should not be a surprise. We believe persecution is coming. For anyone, and unfortunately, maybe many of you who continue to hold to a pre-tribulation rapture viewpoint where you believe you will be removed from persecution, these verses might not be what you want to hear. We think that everything about what we have studied in this book of Revelation is that this will be a time of trouble for the people of Israel and those who claim to be believers in Jesus Christ. We have continued to say that our physical lives are not guaranteed or protected. We believe that our faith will be tested, and this period of time will require endurance and perseverance.

Introduce the False Prophet

SPEAKER_02 52:14

Alright, so let's move on to the remainder of this chapter and see what it says about a second beast. We will not do much in the way of explanation today. We are out of time. We will return to a deeper dive into these uh into this section next season. But Revelation chapter 13, verses eleven through fifteen say this. Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. You will commonly hear this second beast called the false prophet. That term comes from Revelation chapter 16, verse 13. Also notice in our reading today, we stopped right around verse 15. There's more here to see and learn, which we'll move into in the first episode of next season.

SPEAKER_01 53:36

It is interesting that it says, This beast rose out of the earth. Remember, the first beast rose out of the sea. So in Matthew 24, 24, Jesus says that false Christ and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead people astray, if possible, even the elect. End quote. That verse is from the Olivet Discourse we discussed earlier, discussed earlier in the season. I believe when Jesus said these words, he was specifically talking about this false prophet. I believe Jesus was referring to him with that very warning.

SPEAKER_02 54:12

Yes, it's amazing what Jesus said when he was here on earth and how it was more to the point than we can imagine. Sometimes we just thought he was giving general guidance. In Matthew chapter 7, verse 15, Jesus says, Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Again, Jesus was warning us about this very guy, this false prophet and second beast. What we just read in Revelation says that this second beast, who has two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon, he will be someone to watch for carefully and with much discernment.

SPEAKER_01 54:49

This false prophet will be a man who will likely be more subtle than the Antichrist, but just as diabolical. He will exercise all the authority of the first beast. So how do we know what to believe? Well, Jesus finishes that verse from Matthew 7 with some guidance for all of us. That guidance is for us today and will apply specially for the end times. Jesus says, You will recognize them by their fruits. Jesus' words can be true from more than one application. There have certainly been false prophecies at every age in the last 2,000 years, but I think Jesus was thinking directly about this false prophet mentioned in Revelation.

SPEAKER_02 55:33

The dragon, who we know is Satan, the first beast, who we've told you is the Antichrist, and the second beast, which we'll learn next year as the false prophet, are called the unholy trinity by some. It's amazing how Satan tries his best to imitate God in counterfeit ways. He is never original. He tries to copy the real thing to deceive people into believing what he is trying to do and say. It's not an unusual storyline to have an evil leader be allied with a right hand man who is just as diabolical or maybe even more so. This sidekick does the dirty work to allow the evil leader to come across maybe as less evil than he really is. The role of this false prophet is to force others to listen to the Antichrist and bow down to him. He is the one pointing others to this Antichrist and giving credence to him. This false prophet is likely a religious leader of some kind that has some respect from the nations. He will be giving the okay for people to respond to the Antichrist and to his claims of deity.

SPEAKER_01 56:41

Let's go through and highlight material in a verse and see what the text says that the false prophet specifically does. Verse 12 He makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast. Verse 13. He deceives those who dwell on the earth by doing great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of them. Verse 14. He tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast. He was allowed to give breath to that image of the beast that it might speak and cause those who would not worship its image to be slain. Verses 16 to 18, he causes all to get the mark of the beast to be able to buy or sell. What is the mark likely to be? Per verse 17, it will have something to do with the name of the beast or the number of his name.

SPEAKER_02 57:34

Unfortunately, we won't have time in this episode to unpack all that information about the false prophet. We will definitely pick it up in our first episode next season.

Summarize Season 2

SPEAKER_01 57:45

Yep, we definitely will. We have had an incredible second season that spanned from opening the scroll in chapter 5 all the way to the cosmic signs we see when the sixth seal is open. We talked about the way the opening of those seals frame the whole period of Daniel's 70th week.

SPEAKER_02 58:03

As the heat is turned out through the trumpet judgments, we learn that God is sealing and protecting those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. He protects the Jewish remnant so that they can survive and see him return so their eyes can be opened to receive him. He helps all believers to be faithful to endure and persevere under the persecution and tribulation that will happen. Christians are able to stand before Almighty God because of what the Lamb has done for them. They are clothed with white robes, which proves they will inherit eternal life.

SPEAKER_01 58:35

Whether the Christians are martyred or raptured, they will be seen before the throne as part of a great multitude. Next we saw that there will come a time when God will have had enough of Satan's wrath, and he will cut short the great tribulation by returning to earth with full and conclusive wrath against those who choose to oppose him. The seventh trumpet is a glorious moment where we learned all the promises that God made have been kept, and Jesus has begun to reign on earth.

SPEAKER_02 59:03

Alright, and lastly, we started to get more detail about just how this period will look. We were introduced to the final end times beast, which is a man, an empire, and a demon, and there will be a second beast called the false prophet by his side.

SPEAKER_01 59:18

Next season, we will pick back up on this relationship between those two beasts and what it means for people on earth. We will begin our third season with an episode about the mark of the beast.

Conclusion

SPEAKER_01 59:30

Thank you so much for listening to us today and this whole season. The episode officially ends season two. We have made it into 13 chapters of the book of Revelation and many passages from all over the Bible. Please take the time between our seasons to go back and listen again. These messages should be an anchor to your life. They are vital for us to understand and be ready for the times we live in. Lastly, I will say, keep an eye on things going on around you in our world. We live in interesting times that seem to be lining up with what we are studying. We want to thank all the listeners from around the world. As of this taping date, we have had 40 countries where at least one person has tuned in to the podcast. We know that people are tuning in from Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, India, Chile, Brazil, Morocco, Vietnam, and many other countries. In fact, most recently, this morning, we had one from Baghdad, Iraq. So it's an amazing. We've had 363 different cities in those countries that have downloaded an episode. Thank you for trusting us with your biblical studies. We do not take it lightly or for granted. So we will be back for season three in early September. Please mark your calendars and don't forget us. Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to our podcast through your applications follow us button wherever you get your podcast. Also, please tell others about us if you can. Our main method of spreading our message is through fellow believers who are willing to forward it on. Please share our podcast with anyone you think might like to listen. Remember also you can send us an email to notify at onguard244.com if you want to be on an email distribution list to receive notification of new episodes and seasons. Please update your spam controls to make sure our notification does not get redirected there. Our notification will come from no reply at onguard244.com. Once again, you can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcast, and iHeartRadio currently. Also, you can find us on Instagram and Facebook or at our website, www.onguard244.com. If you have not gone to our website, never seen it, go to our website and look at it. There's a lot of good information there. If you have comments or an idea, then send those messages to comment at onguard244.com. Thank you very much. See you in the fall of 2026. Yep, thank you guys. We'll see you soon. Bye.