Satan Goes After the Church (Revelation 12:7-12)

Chapter 9

Revelation 12:7-12 explains to us why Satan is so determined to kill the saints. He has done battle with Michael and his angels in heaven and lost. He has been cast to the earth and no longer has access to the throne of God. He has taken one third of the angels with him (cf. 12:4 with verse 9). John lauds believers and warns unbelievers in verses 10-12. He tells unbelievers that the devil is now going to be angry with everyone, even those who have sworn allegiance to him, because he has gone absolutely berserk. He again goes after the 144,000 divinely protected Israelis, gets even angrier when God supernaturally opens the earth and swallows up the flood of waters he is trying to use to destroy Israel in the wilderness (12:15, 16), and uses his final burst of energy going after those Christians who are still left on earth. These are described in 12:17 as those, “who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

Chapters 13:1 through 14:15 summarize Satan’s 3 ½ year temper tantrum. Angry that God is supernaturally protecting the 144,000 sealed from Israel, he goes after those who have been providing them shelter and refuge, those nations who have openly provided them arms and munitions to fight against their enemies for the previous decades. Today the only nation doing that is the United States. Though we who live here know full well this is not a Christian nation, the Muslim world and its allies look upon us as the enemy who arms their enemy, Israel. Our support of Israel has been open and entirely above board for at least four decades. It has only been recently that Muslim nations have had sufficient numbers and munitions to fight back; and that is what they are doing even as I write these words. Millions of Muslims are working in cell groups around the world, especially in the United States and those places where U.S. embassies stand, to kill, maim, or silence any way possible what they perceive as the Christian assault on their way of life. As prophesied by Jesus, they truly believe they are doing God a favor by killing us.

I suspect this country will be relatively powerless to help Israel during this period of history; but of course, God will not be. He will divinely protect the temple for forty-two months. At the end of forty-two months, the antichrist will enter the temple, declare himself god (Daniel 9:31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15), and send his troops around the world to gather up and martyr all those claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ. Chapter 13 describes his rise to power. He is the dragon who stands on the sand of the seashore. The beast who comes out of the sea is the human agent to whom Satan will give his power and authority. He is described as coming out of the sea. The sea is used in the Revelation to describe the populations of the world. This description simply means he is a man of the world. He is not a supernatural angelic being, though he will have incredible powers given to him by Satan. He is a human. He will undoubtedly have powers of speech much like Napoleon and Hitler. He will amaze and mesmerize his listeners when he speaks. The ten heads and seven horns are difficult to interpret because each has dual meanings and John doesn’t explain this until chapter 17 of the Revelation. The ten heads represent ten kingdoms (17:12). I will expand on the covenant the beast will make with the false church when we get to chapter 17. The seven heads represent two things: 1. the seven mountains upon which the woman sits (17:9, Rome); 2. seven kings (17:10). I will also expand that thought when we get to chapter 17. For now it is important that we remember this is the 3 ½ year period when Satan will be wreaking havoc upon the earth. He and the world think he is in charge; in actuality, he is like a crazed man, running to and fro trying to look important and powerful. He knows he only has a short time to convince the world he is god and take as many as possible with him into eternal hellfire and damnation. I’m sure, in the back of his mind somewhere, he thinks he still has enough time to gather sufficient forces to defeat God and His angelic forces and actually take over the universe. After all, when a human looks at the incredibly destructive power our current nuclear technology can muster, it seems natural to think it might be enough to overthrow God himself.

In 1945 the United States dropped two atomic bombs, the first on Hiroshima and the second on Nagasaki, (the forerunners to our current nuclear stockpile) and killed approximately 135,000 innocent Japanese people. The devastation was sickening. In II Kings 19:35 one angel of the lord killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night. That is power my beloved brethren; and Satan apparently hasn’t a clue what he is up against.

Verse 2 of chapter 13 describes the beast (Satan’s emissary) as like a leopard, with feet like those of a bear, and a mouth like that of a lion. These three images symbolize speed, power, and authority. The leopard is one of the swifter animals of the jungle, the bear one of the most powerful, and the lion is known as the king of the jungle. The phrase, “And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and his authority.” lends credence to the meaning of the symbols of the leopard, the bear, and the lion. Daniel 7:3-8 tells us these animals also represent three kingdoms that have arisen; the fourth will be the kingdom of the antichrist (Dan. 7:7). Daniel 7:8 indicates the antichrist will, at some time during his reign, dethrone the first three kings; so obviously they will also be kings reigning during the final hours of history.

Verse 3 of chapter 13 has always given interpreters trouble. Again, the symbol of the head has more than one meaning, thus the problem with the interpretation. One of his heads could mean one of his kings. In that case, it would mean the antichrist actually resurrects one of the kings who has temporarily given his kingdom over to the authority of the antichrist (Rev. 17:13). Such a feat would certainly cause a stir. It would convince great multitudes he has the power over death. Only prophets of God and Jesus himself have ever done that before.

There’s a little known verse in the Zechariah where God says, “I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs.” Specifically in verse 17, He says, “Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered and his right eye will be blind.” (Zech. 11:15-17). Quite possibly such a wound will identify the antichrist but will not be the miracle he performs here to astound the world. More likely this will identify someone who will be closely connected with the antichrist. When this person is revealed, those who are familiar with the verse will remember it and realize we are in the final 7 years of history.

Some interpret this verse to mean the beast himself (Satan’s human emissary) will die and come back to life, thus imitating the resurrection of Jesus. Tim LaHaye’s series Left Behind indicates that he thinks this is an acceptable interpretation of this verse. And while it isn’t critical we know exactly what the verse means, it is helpful to use the juxtaposition of the pronouns to determine who this person most likely is.

The previous sentence has been interpreted from the Greek to render, “And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and his great authority.” “Him” is a reference to the beast. His heads are the kings who have given him their authority. Therefore, it seems obvious the beast will resurrect one of his kings, who has likely been assassinated by an unhappy constituent. That is an easy scenario to imagine, and the text seems to support such an interpretation better than any of the other myriads that have been offered. Such a feat would be significant enough to amaze the world and cause them to worship the beast saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with Him?” The blasphemy he speaks here is the abomination of desolation referred to in Daniel 9:27 and 12:11,

And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured on the one who makes desolate.

From the time of the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

Without straying from the specifics of the Revelation, it is important to note that three chapters is Daniel—7, 9, and 12—all provide an abundance of information that serves to verify the events as well as their timing as recorded here in the Revelation to John. At this point of the tribulation (remember we are in the final 3 ½ years) the beast goes after the saints. Note the intentional non-authoritative authority the beast has been given here. The phrase, “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.” Satan, whose only authority is that which has been given to him by Jesus for this very brief period of time, apparently gives this authority to the beast. And of course, the beast uses it to deceive the nations. While the havoc and destruction he brings during this period will certainly be real, it is critical for Jesus’ followers to understand such havoc and destruction will be both short lived and meaningless when measured against eternity.

Many believers will become victims of this assault. They will be martyred in rather large numbers. We believers are instructed not to resist this martyrdom in Revelation 13:10, “If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and faith of the saints.” The saints must understand during this period of martyrdom, such martyrdom is the perfect will of God and will result in great reward for those who suffer it (see Rev. 20:4, 5). During the millennial reign of Christ, these saints will reign with Him for that thousand years. They will judge the nations (see also Zechariah 14:9-21). I will spend a great deal more time explaining the millennial reign of Christ when we get to Revelation 20. For now, I will only point out that it will be a one thousand year period of time when Jesus will be physically present and ruling on the earth as its King.

A second beast rises from the earth in Revelation 13:11. He is described as having two horns like a lamb, which simply means the horns are on his head not his nose. He also speaks like a dragon. That simply means he has some of the same authority as the first beast. We are also told he exercises all the authority of the first beast while in his presence. That simply means he gets his authority as a direct result of his political ties to the first beast. This second beast (a king of one of the nations who has risen to the position of personal attendant of the beast), makes the inhabitants of the world to worship the antichrist. This second beast will be able to perform signs. These signs will be significant when compared to the magic performed by small time magicians. They will have to be. Otherwise, the world would just laugh at him. He will be able to make fire come down from heaven. Obviously it will have to be something like the fire that descended when Elijah was mocking the prophets of Baal in I Kings 18:36-40. We recently had a lightening bolt strike the ground near our home in Montana. The noise was deafening. I’m not sure I can imagine what it would be like standing next to someone, watching him command a lightning bolt from heaven to strike the earth. Everything this second beast does will be done to bring attention to the first beast. And the first beast will have all the authority and power Satan is capable of giving. He may at some point be indwelt by Satan. I see no reason to believe Satan himself ever inhabits a human body. It seems it is too risky a thing to do considering what happened to those Jesus sent into the swine; and his abject failure when he entered Judas Iscariot would seem to suggest he won’t take that chance again.

This assistant to the antichrist will also perform miracles. He will actually give breath to an image of the beast, which will evidently make some think the image has come to life. It is at this point (13:14) that we see the third reference to the beast who has had the wound of the sword and has come to life (see also 13:3 and 12). These two references seem to indicate the first beast is the one who had the fatal wound (a death blow) and has healed himself. Again, I don’t think it is paramount we know whether the antichrist resurrects himself or another ruler. Of course, if he resurrects himself, it would fool those false believers who would liken it to the historical record of Christ’s resurrection. Finally, the reference to the wound of the sword simply means he was killed by someone; he did not die from some illness or natural cause.

It is at this point the antichrist introduces his infamous mark. He wants to identify and eliminate all Christians in the world, so he comes up with a clever way to identify them. He requires everyone who wants to do business in his one world economy to receive a mark in their forehead and/or the back of their hand. One of the major reasons so many contemporary prophets believe the final hours of history are upon us is that this technology has been in its experimental stages for over twenty years now. It was first introduced in prisons in the eighties as an experiment to identify prisoners. It is part of the idea of a cashless society that is also being ushered in as I write these words. This mark will enable the one who has it to conduct business without the use of credit cards, which have proven they are easily stolen and/or duplicated.

This technology is so commonly known about today that there is little resistance to the idea now. Twenty years ago the resistance to human branding was astronomical. The current form of this technology consists of injecting a tiny microchip with a surgical needle just under the skin into the back of the hand and into the forehead. We already had a similar device injected into the neck of two of our dogs. Of course we only had that done thinking it would enable anyone who found them, should they stray off, to identify them and return them to us. It never occurred to me when we had them injected this was the same technology. And of course, it isn’t the mark of the antichrist that was injected into my animals, but it is the same application of the same kind of technology. The injection referred to in Rev. 13:16, which brands its recipients with the mark of the antichrist, will have a lot more information in it. It will have one’s social security number preceded by the numbers 666; it will have bank information much like the information in that little black stripe on the back of bank cards; it may have criminal information; certainly, it can be set up so such information can be added later. It will be much like downloading information to your computer; and it will likely have a record of all your purchases for the past decade or so.

I have written one novel and started another, dealing with what Christians should be doing to prepare themselves for this period. It will last no more than 3 ½ years and may well be significantly shorter. We aren’t told exactly at what point in the last 3 ½ years of his reign the beast will institute this program. A few things are important to consider. Christians will not be able to buy or sell during this time because they will refuse to receive the mark (see Rev. 14:9, 10 and 20:4). At least for a few years, we will have to have some alternative way to get food; and we will not likely be able to live in our regular homes because doing so will require us to pay utilities and taxes which will not be possible without the mark of the beast. Therefore, we will get caught, jailed, and in some cases martyred, or we will be living off the land at some remote location. Of course there are those who think we will not be here. I suppose it will be easier for us to prepare if they are right. The problem is they are wrong. Considering the abundance of instruction given to us, i.e., to read, hear, and heed the words of this prophecy, I simply can’t help but be adamant about what I perceive to be fact. I have already addressed that subject at length, so I won’t do so again. If, by some strange twist of the truth there is something I have failed to grasp and my pre-tribulation brothers are right, this information will still serve well those who are here during the tribulation who are not yet saved but who will still refuse to accept the mark of the beast.

I moved to Montana with my dear wife in 1993 because I am convinced we will be here during the tribulation; Montana is arguably one of the best places in the entire United States to live off of the land. Wild game is plentiful, and there are huge areas that are unsettled and relatively undisturbed by human hands. While the winters are brutal, those who have lived here a few years know it is possible to sustain oneself through them if properly prepared. Any book written by a survivalist will provide the information needed for basic survival in sub zero weather. Just remember, if you’ve never experienced 90 degrees below zero, you have no idea how brutal it can be. You also have no idea that such temperatures can be tolerated when one is properly equipped. Finally, a shotgun for small game, a high powered rifle for large game, minimal fishing gear, and a dependable way to start a fire are the minimum requirements for one to be able to provide himself food and warmth in the cold.

The simplest way to start a fire without matches is the Indian way with the stick, the string, and the piece of wood upon which the stick is rubbed. A little tender at the base of the stick will quickly ignite when the point where the stick meets the board gets hot. The string wrapped around the stick makes it easy to move the stick fast enough to cause the necessary friction to get the stick hot enough to ignite the tender. Just a thought. Of course, if one can carry waterproof matches that would even be easier. This book is not intended to be a survival manual, so I’ll stop with the specific survival information. It is sufficient for any who are here during the tribulation to know they will have to do something similar to what I have suggested, surrender to the antichrist, and go to jail or to their death. Those will be your only options.

I got some rather troubling news a few years back that I didn’t recognize as such until just recently. It seems the number 666 is going to be connected to our social security numbers. In a book called The Cashless Society the author photocopied some social security checks that had been sent out by accident. Those checks had the numbers 666 stamped on the back. That number was the guarantee the checks were genuine. It seems our government inadvertently sent these checks out. They were experimental. I am almost sixty-three years old. I am currently looking forward to retiring in 3 ½ years at which time, God willing, I will begin getting my social security checks.

Of course, if we have entered the final years of the tribulation, that will not be possible. That’s both good and bad news. The bad news is obvious. The good news will be that there will only be two or three years left before Jesus will return and establish His one thousand year millennial reign. Of course, I won’t need social security then. Hallelujah, and amen! Anyway, for all who will be here, the numbers 666 are those that identify the unholy king and his unholy kingdom. Beware! DO NOT IGNORE THIS WARNING! ONCE YOU RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST, YOU WILL NOT EVER BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE DECISION TO DO SO. IT IS THE MARK THAT WILL GUARANTEE YOU WILL SPEND FOREVER IN THE ETERNAL LAKE OF FIRE, WHICH HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS AND ANY WHO RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST.