Revelation 13: 1-10
(1) And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.
This is the dragon that was thrown out of Heaven.
Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
This could be a sea of nations, or a nation on the other side of the sea.
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems,
This looks like a confederation of nations, horns signifying political powers.
and on his heads were blasphemous names.
The heads of this government are all evil people who have agreed to govern in a dictatorial manner, believing that the common people are not capable of managing their own affairs, but need a strong government to cede their rights to and make all the personal decisions for them. (This is exactly what Barak Obama said in a speech that I saw online.)
(2) And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
This government is very strong and scary, and gets its power from Lucifer. He has wanted to be worshiped ever since he sinned, and now he will force all mankind to worship him, instead of God.
(3) I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
This is Satan's imitation of Christ's Resurrection. He wants to be god so he mocks God by imitating Him. Just like Jannes and Jambres imitated the miracles Moses did before Pharaoh, Paul writes in II Timothy 3: 8 that this is the same attitude men will adopt in the last days, resisting the truth, having corrupt minds and reprobate.
(4) they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"
These are all the people of the world who are deceived by the devil, and they see no choice but to worship this powerful government and the power behind it, because they hold all military power and make all the rules and laws, and there's no way to go against them successfully.
(5) There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.
This beast may appear at the beginning of the seven years, but for this limited time of three and a half years, it will be given unlimited authority to do whatever it wants.
(6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His Name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in Heaven.
It slanders and tears down God and His beings and people to build itself up.
(7) 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.
This is unimaginable, that this evil power would be able to overcome God's people. God is giving Satan a long rope to hang himself with.
(8) All who dwell on the Earth will worship him, everyone whose name is not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
Only those who have been born into God's family and have His Spirit of Truth in them will be able to see past all the deception, and not succumb to the seductions of this world government.
(9) If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
This is for everyone who is willing to listen to truth, even if it isn't what they want to hear.
(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 the faith of the saints.
This is where the saying comes from, "He who lives by the sword will die by the sword." During the last three and a half years of the seven prophesied, it will seem that everything is set in stone, and cannot be changed. People will be deprived of choice and forced to accept whatever the world government decides for them.
There will be many martyrs, and God's people will have to go into hiding and cooperate with each other to survive, like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins propose in their Left Behind series of books.
This is the end of the End Days. There's not much time left. Satan knows his time is short, so he is forcing Mankind into the worst most horrible times the Earth has ever known since its creation. There has never been anything like it before, and if God hadn't limited it, there would be no flesh left (see Matthew 24: 22 and Mark 13: 20).
This is not all that we are to expect before the Lord returns, there's a lot more!
O my Father, please give us clarity on what is ahead. Help us to put together all these happenings so we will be able to recognize when we are experiencing them. Teach us to trust in You and to lean on You in these times coming soon when we will each be required to give our testimony in the face of opposition and danger.
Strengthen us, Father, to maintain our faith in Your almighty power over our enemy, to not waver or collapse, but to fight with the spiritual weapons You have provided us, and to wear the appropriate armor that You have designed.
O Father, send out Your children now, while there is still time, to preach Your Good News to the world, before the Bad News takes over. There is not very much time left for us to do this, Father, please give us Your strength and wisdom to accomplish Your will in this time we are in right now.
And grant us perseverance to endure all that is coming.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, and no other, He is our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
