a study by Rev. Paul A. Bartz

Chapter 13 is a continuation of the action which takes place in chapter 12.

13:1-4 -- The beast (already identified as the agent of the anti-Christ, and in this setting the administration of pagan Rome) is wounded to the death. The connection with Rome here is not only obvious from verse 2: "the seven heads" (the Seven Hills of Rome are still a symbol of Rome); and "ten horns," i.e. the ten provinces of ancient Rome, but also in a third point, of the mention of the beast as an agent of the Antichrist.

" . . . on each head a blasphemous name." -- The terms "Supreme Pontiff" and "Pope" actually trace their use with reference to the Roman Emperor to over 100 years before the birth of Christ. Domitian was to be addresses as "Our Lord and God." That pagan emperorship, with its ancient characteristics, disappeared with Constantine. It was dead, as verse 3 indicates.

The last half of verse 3 condenses several hundred years of history in saying that the wound of the beast that was dead was healed and all the world followed him. Constantine died in 337. In 361 Julian (for whom the Julian Calendar is named), Emperor of Rome, repudiates Christianity and is elected "Pontifex Maximus." Later the position of Roman Emperor would have "Holy" added to it, continue the titles of "Supreme Pontiff" and "Pope," and take on an imperial character with Boniface III in 606 within the church itself. This completes the connection of "Roman Emperor" with the anti-Christ -- the Papacy. (Compare the language of verse 3 with Genesis 3:15.)

13:5 -- "He would be given the authority to continue for forty-two months" -- This is another key to understanding what this is talking about. The forty-two months is a designation for the church age, or the New Testament age. The papacy will be around until Christ's return.

The blasphemies -- God's Name in the widest sense includes everything that He says about Himself -- and so anything which contradicts the Word of God is a blasphemy for it calls God, Who is truth, a liar:

"[God's name is hallowed] When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead a holy life according to it. This grant us dear Father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than God's Word teaches, profanes the name of God among us. From this preserve us, Heavenly Father." -- Luther's Small Catechism, explanation: First Petition, The Lord's Prayer.

13:7-10 -- The beast opposes Christianity and oppresses the faithful. The honor given this beast ("worship") will come to be universal, but the faithful, those who are saved, will refuse to honor him. (For more on the Lamb's Book of Life -- all those who will be saved -- see notes on 3:5, page 23.) Verse 9 indicates that this is a warning in familiar language. Verse 10 is best understood in terms of its closing phrase, and remembering the context provided by verse 9: The saints must be patient for they will be persecuted but cannot fight back in the world's sense of fighting. This, too, indicates that we are dealing with the papacy, the Roman Catholic church, here. It would be proper for us to defend our land against an encroaching Muslim army. But it would not be proper to wage other than spiritual war with Rome, since, despite its teachings, there are a few Christians hidden within it.

13:11-15 -- Here the papacy is spoken of as supported by the lamb-beast. The connection with the agent of the anti-Christ is obvious. The lamb is a very common symbol for a priesthood. (Reference to Christ as the Lamb of God is a common reference to the fact that He is both our priest and our sacrifice). In clear language, the Roman Catholic priesthood supports the papacy -- another image that points to this understanding of the text.

" . . . great and miraculous signs . . . " -- To establish its claim that it truly represents God, false signs are performed in service to the papacy. This was prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, which refers to the power of lawlessness, a direct opposite of righteousness. Of course, Roman Catholic theology teaches not that we are saved by Christ's righteousness, but the very opposite -- we must gain our own righteousness. See also Matthew 24:24 and Deuteronomy 13:1-3.

13:15 speaks of the worship of the image of the beast. The word here translated as "image" is the word from which we get the word "echo" -- the "echo" or representation of the papacy is worshiped. Roman Catholic theology states very clearly that it is absolutely essential for salvation to be subject to the papacy. The papacy could not be placed any higher than this. Tens of thousands of Christians confessing Jesus Christ have been killed for refusing to recognize this vaunted position of the papacy.

13:16 - 17 -- The mark of the beast has been the basis of all sorts of millennial excesses. In Revelation 7:4-8 (see our comments there), God sealed all the saved with the mark of salvation visible to the angels who shall execute God's judgment. So the devil marks those who are his "in the forehead by way of profession; in the hand with respect to work and service." (St. Augustine). Compare this language with Exodus 12:13. All who are not saved are thus marked in service to Satan. Those so belonging to the devil hate, ostracize, and oppose the servants of God.

13:18 -- 666 -- Millennial excesses here can be cleared up very quickly and simply with an accurate understanding of the text. Accurately translated, the phrase is " . . . for the number is that of man and his number is six hundred and sixty-six." Note the absence of the article before "man." Literally: "it is the number of man" -- a human number, not divine.

Seven is the number of completeness or perfection. It is the number of God. Six falls short of completeness or perfection. This is also the literal definition of sin -- to fall short of the target. Six multiplied to 666 expresses unrighteousness multiplied on top of unrighteousness to the point of glorifying that unrighteousness as righteousness incarnate. The beast makes that unrighteousness the standard for life. Unrighteousness is made virtuous, true Biblically defined righteousness is characterized by him as evil. The Antichrist is also referred to in Scripture as the man of unrighteousness. Prideful unrighteousness of man is the sign to look for by the man made wise by the Word of God. And more than anything else, this is an excellent description of the Roman Catholic system of theology and salvation.

Other attempts to decode 666, have, of course been tried. It is not hard to find names of Roman emperors, such as nero Caesar or Domitian, whose names work out numerically to 666. And that's the problem with the numerological approach to understanding 666. It makes no sense for the interpretation of 666 to be intended to be done numerologically, since no distinctive meaning can be arrived at through this method.

1. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, why are those who are led astray by the lawless one fooled?

2. We notice in the 2 Thessalonians text that God allows them to be fooled because they have done what two things?

3. What characteristics does this suggest that we will find in those, and are cultivated by those, who are written in the book of life (Revelation 13:8)?

4. What are some practical ways in which we can cultivate a love for the truth and a hatred for wickedness?

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