The Strand Study Bible

REVELATION

2164 Written From the Island of Patmos The lion, bear, and leopard in Revelation 13, as in Daniel 7, represent the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Greek empires. This vision suggests that Antichrist’s final empire will combine the strongest elements of all these ancient kingdoms. 1

Truly, this man will be one powerful person (II Thess 2:8-12). 13:3a Apparently the Antichrist’s kingdom will receive a deadly blow ( wounded to death ) to which it will miraculously recover (Rev 13:12,14). 13:3b The Antichrist will have already had a global audience ( all the world ) before his deadly wound is healed. 13:5a According to this verse, the power that the Antichrist will continue to possess actually began at the beginning of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, when he first defeated three powers in order to establish his temporary peace on earth (Dan 9:27 and Rev 6:1). 13:5b Thisterm“ FORTYANDTWOMONTHS ”dealswiththelast3½yearsoftheTribulation,calledthe GREATTRIBULATION and/or the DAY OF THE LORD (See - Isa 24:1-14,17-20 & 26:20 & 66:7-8 & Jere 30:5-8 & Dan 7:25 & 12:1,7,11 & Zeph 3:8 & Mt 24: 12-24,26,29,33,34, 43,44 & Mk 13:10, 13-22,24,29-30 & Lk 12:39-40 & 17:31 & 21:20-24,28,31-32,36 & I Thess 5:2-4,9 & II Pet 3:10,12 & Rev 3:3,10 & 11:2 & 12: 6,12,14 & 16:15). 13:6 The “ Tabernacle ” here depicts CHRIST (Jn 1:14 and Rev 21:3). 13:8 According to verse eight, the Antichrist will have a global audience ( all that dwell upon the earth ). 13:11 According to Revelation 16:13, the false prophet ( another beast; lamb - Anti- SPIRIT ), Satan ( DRAGON - Anti- FATHER ), and the original beast (Anti- CHRIST – Rev 13:1) are Satan’s answer to the Trinity. 13:17 a The Antichrist will control the world by controlling its finances ( And that no man might buy or sell ). Which means: A global financial collapse is in order before the Antichrist’s emergence. According to verse 16, the Antichrist will wrest the reigns of the global finances from the Banksters ( And he causeth all, both small and great – Prov 22:7 and Lk 18:8 – point #5), which will anger them to the point of killing him (Rev 13:3,12). His miraculous recovery will then end the Banksters hold on global finances. 13:17 b If God is a God of order (and He is – I Cor 14:33,40), then even numbers have a supernatural design to them. And if there be design, there must be significance. Therefore, numbers and their secrets hold an important place in both the words and works of God ( Mt 5:18 ). For example: * One is the number of unity (Jn 17:20-22, Zech 14:9 and Deut 6:4 ). Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria (c AD 350), famous for defending the Trinity, gave us a good orthodox summation of the doctrine of the Trinity when he said: We worship one God, in Trinity, and Trinity is unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. 2 * Two is the number for witness (Jn 8:17-18, Rev 11:3 and Lk 10:1). According to Isaiah 55:1-4, Christ (the 2 nd Person of the Triune Godhead) is God’s witness (Rev 1:5). * Three is the number for completeness (I Jn 5:7-8 and I Thess 5:23 ). All things that suggest “ completeness ” are stamped with the number three ( Deut 6:4 ). * Four is the number for earth (Ezk 7:1-2 and Rev 7:1) According to Isaiah 11:12, the four corners of the earth speak of the four points of the compass (N, S, E, W). * Five is the number for grace and/or favor (Gen 15:7-9, I Sam 17:40 and Lev 1:14 ). Paul said in I Corinthians 14:19 that five words spoken in Divine strength (grace) were better than 10,000 words. * Six is the number for man (Rev 13:18). According to Genesis 1:26-31, man was created on the sixth day. * Seven is the number for perfection (Rev 1:4,11,20). According to Genesis 2:1-3, God rested (savored the moment in the satisfactory completion of a job well done) on the seventh day. * Eight is the number for new beginnings (Lev 12:1-3/Phil 3:5, Colo 2:9-11, Lev 14:1-11, I Pet 3:18-20 and II Pet 2:5). According to John 8:24-26, after eight days Thomas was given a new beginning . * Nine is the number for finality, summation and conclusion (Lk 17:17). According to Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the SPIRIT is made up of nine graces (speaking of summation ). * Ten is the number for fullness (Rev 2:10 & 13:1). According to Exodus 11 and 20, the ten plagues and Ten Commandments represented the fullness of judgment and the Law. (For more information on the amazing pattern of numbers and numerical features within the Bible, consider E.W. Bullinger’s book, called Number in Scripture . 3) NOTE – Whereas to the Antichrist you are just a “number,” to CHRIST you are a “name” (Rev 2:17). The question remains: When Jesus returns, will your "name" be called, or will your "number" be up? 14:3 Jack Hyles in Let’s Study the Revelation notes:

These 144,000 will sing a new song together. What a choir that will be! They will not be able to sing the old songs because they all pertained to events that will already have happened at that time. For example, they cannot sing, “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder,” because the roll will have already been called when this happens. 4

1 De Haan II, M.R. What Can We Know About The Antichrist? , Grand Rapids, MI, Discovery House Pub. Print. 2 “ Athanasian Creed. ” Creeds . (2009). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 13 Apr 2009 . 3 Bullinger, E.W. Number in Scripture . Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel. 1967. Print. 4 Hyles, Jack. Let’s Study the Revelation , Murfreesboro, TN, Sword of the Lord Pub., 1967. Print.