In this final study of our series, we’ll be continuing our journey in Rev chapter 13 and we’ll practice a few mental exercises. In part 5 we learned about the keys to help us decipher what we’re reading, so we’ll be leaning heavily on those again for this study. We also took a look at the first and second beast and viewed them through a different lens than what we might be used to. I’d like for us to pick back up on those verses we had to skip over in the last study, in order to help fill in some blanks.

To begin, we’ll read Re 13:3-11 and see what jumps out at us.  

EXERCISE 1: Seeing the two beasts in Circular Time

REV 13 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.  2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, - ( 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.  10He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed ) -  and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” 5And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.  6Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.  7It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.  8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. – (verses 9-15 moved) -  16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

For our first exercise, you’ll notice that verses 9-15 have been moved to start in the middle of verse 3, right after the first beast receives its deadly wound. I left the verse numbers there so we can see where the move begins and ends, but I want us all to keep in mind that the original manuscripts didn’t have verse numbers. 

Those were placed there by men. And while they are very helpful for reference points, they also train our brain to see prophetic books in a linier way, which is sometimes more of a hurdle than a help. 

I’m not suggesting we need to rearrange the verses, I’m suggesting that we rearrange the way we see the chronology of these verses, from linier to circular. In that way, instead of us possibly being deceived by waiting and searching for signs of a mysterious evil man to show up sometime in the future, we can see clearly that there’s been a dragon coiling around the BRIDE of Christ for a long time, and it looks like a lamb.

To summarize, the first beast was PAGAN ROME. A beast that rose from, represented, and had the power of all the previous empires before it- {vs 1-2}. Then the Living Word came and with the spiritual SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, He mortally wounded PAGAN ROME- {vs 3}, the beast that killed with the literal sword and led multitudes into captivity- {vs 9-10 reference}. Then John sees another beast rise from the earth, (a symbol of resurrection),- {vs 11} which looks like a lamb, (the appearance of Christianity), but speaks as a dragon, (a symbol of satanic intent).

This beast has all the authority and power of the first beast,-{vs 12} but has a different appearance. This beast performs miracles-{vs 13} and deceives the world into being made in the image of the first beast, instead of the image of God- {vs 14} These two beast are empowered by the same entity, the DRAGON- {vs 2 and 15, then the time loop starts over and jumps back to the rest of verse 3 with a slightly different perspective} The only difference between these beasts is how they appear and operate. The first beast operated by force and fear and appeared as a terrible beast with roots all the way back to Babylon. The second beast operates with deception and appears as a lamb with horns. In essence, these two beasts are just different illusions of the same dragon.

By the way, lambs are baby sheep, and they don’t have horns. We’ve learned from previous studies that horns in prophecy symbolize power, so this false lamb beast has two different powers. This beast is PAPAL ROME, and those two horns represent the political and religious power of the Papacy. With all that in mind, go back and read those verses again, through the lens of the time loop, and see if it helps clarify things?

Hopefully, that wasn’t too uncomfortable, and that’ll be the hardest exercise tonight. So now, let’s move on to our next exercise, which is seeing the 42 months in a different way…

    These examples show us in scripture where a prophetic day is established to equal 1 literal year. Another interesting fact is that a Biblical year is exactly 360 days, divided by 12 months of 30 days. A Biblical year was different from the calendar year because it was used specifically to divide times prophetically and learning about this can really help our understanding on those times mentioned in prophecy.

To make matters a little more complex, just like a prophetic day equals one 360 day literal year, 360 prophetic days equals one “prophetic year”, which is a measurement of time consisting of 360 literal years.

· 1 “Prophetic Day” equals 1 Biblical Year

· A Biblical Year is exactly 12 months of 30 days (360 days)

· A “Prophetic Week” equals 7 Biblical Years

· A “Prophetic Month” equals 30 Biblical Years

· A “Prophetic Year” equals 360 Biblical Years

Using this principle, let’s look at some other times first, before we explore the 42 months. 

Notice how God keeps repeating the same thing over and over in these prophecies? In just this chapter, He tells us an event, then 8 verses later, He comes back and tells us the same thing, but in a slightly different way. There’s a purpose for that. It connects the two different time frames, which aren’t different at all, they’re just worded differently. Also, we’re hardheaded. That’s why there are so many different views on prophecy.

I’d love to unpack this part of the vision, but I’ll just say this: most scholars agree that the woman represents Israel, the TRUE Israel, the Israel of God, as in the Bride of Christ, Ecclesia Israel. And He doesn’t have 2 brides. If that’s the case, (and it’s up to you to decide if it is or not) then we can definitely point to a time in history where the Ecclesia was in hiding for a very long time. Maybe even 1260 years. 

Speaking of the 1260 “Prophetic Days”, if we divide them by the 30 days of each month in the Biblical Year, we get 42 “Prophetic Months”! 

So now, we have a new way of viewing those 42 months mentioned in Rev 13, as well as the “time, times, and half a time,” and the 1260 days mentioned throughout prophecy. Like I’ve said before, my intention isn’t to challenge anyone’s view or beliefs, it’s just to offer an alternative view that maybe we haven’t considered yet or even knew about. The rest is up to the Holy Spirit and us to study. 

Some background and context for these verses is, the verse in Exodus is God telling the Israelites to use the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a reminder that His Law is supreme. He uses the image of a symbol or sign on the hand and between the eyes (forehead). However, this doesn’t imply a literal symbol, but a metaphorical, spiritual sign of belonging to YHVH.

The verse in Deuteronomy is what’s called the Shema, and it’s a prayer that identifies YHVH as the one true God. Again, He uses the symbol of a sign on the hand and forehead. Because of this verse, orthodox Jews still wear phylacteries on their hand and heads. Those phylacteries symbolize the thoughts (forehead) and actions (right hand) being submitted to God’s authority and Law.

The verse in Ezekiel is actually a prophetic vision about Jerusalem being destroyed. In the vision, YHVH tells an angel to go and mark everyone’s forehead that is angry at the abominations being done by the leaders, and those that didn’t have this seal on their foreheads were to be killed. This is symbolic of acknowledging God as the TRUE Judge and having a heart for righteousness.

In the same way that these verses indicate something spiritual that symbolizes a person’s loyalty to YHVH and His Word and His Law in our actions and thoughts, then so too does the Seal of God in Rev, through our faith in Christ, the True Lamb.

If that’s the case, then possibly the mark of that beast, is a spiritual symbol of a person’s loyalty to the false god and his word and his law in their actions and thoughts, and through faith in the false lamb.

All that leads me to this: Do I know for sure what that mark of the beast is, no I don’t? But I’m 100% sure God knows, and I know He wants us to know, so the key to unlocking that will be found in His Word.

And that leads me to tonight’s final exercise…