Chapter 12 ended with the dragon going to make war on God’s people. Chapter 13 shows how he does it: through two beasts. The first beast rises out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, and many Christians have noticed that it combines features of the four beasts in Daniel 7. The dragon gives it his power, throne, and great authority. One of its heads seems to have a fatal wound that was healed, and many Christians have read this beast as a false copy of the Lamb who was slain and lives. The whole earth marvels and worships the dragon and the beast, asking, Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?
The beast is given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy. It speaks against God’s name, his dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven. It is allowed to make war with the saints for forty-two months, the same limited period as in chapter 11. Everyone whose name is not written in the book of life of the Lamb worships it. The repeated word allowed is important: the beast has no power except what God permits for a time. John adds, If anyone has an ear, let him hear. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.
A second beast rises out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. Later Revelation calls him the false prophet. He performs signs, even making fire come down from the sky, and deceives people into worshiping the first beast and its image. He causes everyone to receive a mark on the right hand or forehead, so that no one can buy or sell without it. The mark answers God’s seal in chapter 7: everyone carries the sign of whom they worship. John ends with a riddle: Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six. Christians have proposed many explanations, and the main lesson is to stay loyal to the Lamb.