Revelation 13
The beast rising from the sea—with ten horns and seven heads bearing names of blasphemy—receives its power and throne from the dragon, receiving authority to reign for forty-two months. One of the beast's heads appears to have been mortally wounded yet miraculously healed, deceiving the inhabitants of the earth and causing them to worship the beast and ask, Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it? The beast opens its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, his name, his dwelling, and those dwelling in heaven—the ultimate rebellion against divine sovereignty. The beast is given authority to wage war against the saints and conquer them, and authority over every tribe and people and language and nation, so that all who dwell on the earth worship the beast except those written in the Lamb's book of life. The beast from the earth rises to promote worship of the beast from the sea, working great signs and deceiving the inhabitants of the earth, causing all to receive a mark on their hand or forehead—666, the number of a human, which symbolizes human rebellion against God's perfection. Those without the mark cannot buy or sell, establishing total economic subjugation to the beast's system.
Revelation 13:1
The dragon stood on the shore of the sea, and I saw a beast coming out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads - the beast emerges from the sea of nations, drawing on Daniel 7's four beasts compressed into one. The ten horns and seven heads represent political powers and demonic authority arrayed against God's kingdom.
Revelation 13:2
The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion - the composite beast combines the imperial powers of Daniel's vision (leopard=Greece, bear=Media-Persia, lion=Babylon). The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority, making earthly kingship the instrument of demonic rule.
Revelation 13:3
One of the heads of the beast seemed to have a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed - one head receives a mortal wound yet is miraculously restored, perhaps reflecting a historical ruler's assassination and succession or Rome's apparent invincibility. The healed wound parodies Christ's resurrection and deepens the beast's claim to ultimate authority.
Revelation 13:4
The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast, and people worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast - the masses capitulate to political power, worshiping the source of that power (Satan) rather than resisting it. The gullibility of humanity is a recurring theme: people choose security and spectacle over truth.
Revelation 13:5
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months - the beast boasts and blasphemes, claiming what belongs to God alone. The forty-two months (three-and-a-half years) is the divinely appointed limit of persecution, beyond which Satan cannot go.