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UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD 
THE BOOK OF REVELATION - PART 18 
By John S. Torell

March 31, 2002 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

Verse 1: The beast is a being who will have the outer appearance of a man, who is going to come forth out of the [sea] ocean. Let us now try to learn as much as possible about this coming world ruler.

Here is what God told Daniel: Daniel 11:36-39; He is going to be of Jewish linage, but refusing to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; he is not going to have any desire for women, which indicates that he will be a homosexual, and he is going to elevate himself as a god.

Jesus told us that as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the end time. Matthew 24:37-38.

Most likely this beast man is going to be an offspring of a fallen angel and a woman, like it was in the days of Noah - Genesis 6:1-5.

The apostle Paul gives us more information in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-11.

This beast-man is going to sit down in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and proclaim himself to be god. He is called "the man of sin, the son of perdition" [ruin, complete and irreparable loss, damnation].

The seven heads and ten horns are explained in Revelation 17:7-14.  It is significant that in Revelation 17:9, the reference is made to the "woman," which is the Great Whore, the world church, which will have its headquarters in the city of Rome.

Verse 2: This is a description of the beast-man, also known as the Antichrist. A leopard is fast, the feet of a bear are powerful with claws and crushing power, the mouth of a lion is strong enough to crush bones. This monster beast-man is going to have awful powers, and be swift to use them. And the Devil himself will empower him and set up his reign. It will be a supernatural event, that cannot be resisted in the flesh (physical weapons).

Verse 3: Somehow this beast-man will temporarily die, and then he will be brought back to life again. This will be Satan’s attempt to fake a false atonement followed by a resurrection.

Verse 4: At this time on earth Satan worship is going to be the religion of the world, but the Devil is not going to be known by any other name than Lucifer, which means "shining one." The beast-man is going to be held to be the earthly manifestation of the god Lucifer. People shall greatly fear the beast-man.

Verse 5: The time that the Antichrist system shall exist is not that easy to understand. Nazi Germany began with Hitler and ended after 12 years, when Hitler died. The Soviet Union lasted from 1917 until 1991, totaling 74 years. Soviet rulers were Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov and lastly Gorbachev.

In Revelation 17:12 we are told that the ten kings will have power for one hour with the beast-man, and if we use 2 Peter 3:8 as a guideline, that means a total of 41.67 earth years. Looking at verse five now, we are given the time limit of 42 months, 3.5 years. My understanding is that after the man-beast is resurrected, he will continue for another 3.5 years and then it is over for his kingdom and himself. Compare this with Daniel 7:19-25.

Verse 6: This verse is a description of the beast-man after his resurrection. He is going to verbally attack God, the name of God, which is the name of Jesus - John 14:6-11, the body of Christ - 1 Peter 2:1-10 and all the inhabitants in heaven.

Verse 7-8: At this time in the history of the earth, God will grant the power to Satan to be able, for a short time, to make war with the saints and overcome them physically. Only true believers in Christ shall be able to endure this tremendous physical and spiritual pressure. God is stating that those who will die for their faith are blessed - Revelation 14:12-13.