Revelation 13 / The AntiChrist and the Mark of the Beast
Two Opposing Forces
There are two opposing forces in the Book of Revelation: Team Lamb and Team Babylon.
Team Lamb
Team Lamb, led by the slain Lamb (symbolizing Jesus), represents all those allegiant to the Lamb despite the daily temptations and threats of Babylon. This team includes various heavenly beings like the four beasts, 24 elders, and all of the worshiping creatures in the throne room. The Lamb, despite appearing frail, holds ultimate authority and triumphs over the universe's most powerful forces.
Team Babylon
On the other hand, Team Babylon is marked by its allegiance to worldly powers and attributes like arrogance, materialism, violence, and exploitation.
It’s key players include:
The Dragon: Represents deceit and destruction, aiming to lure people away from God and into the service of Babylon. Ultimately, the Dragon is defeated and cast into the lake of fire.
The Beast from the Sea: A monstrous creature given power by the Dragon. It has ten horns and seven heads, each with blasphemous names. This beast symbolizes political and military power that opposes God's followers, enforcing allegiance through fear and violence.
The Beast from the Earth: Appears as a lamb but speaks like a dragon, symbolizing deceit and false prophecy. It enforces the worship of the first beast and marks people with the number 666, restricting economic activities to only those who bear the mark.
The Mark of the Beast & The AntiChrist
The number 666 is linked with imperfection and human efforts towards power and authority (as opposed to the divine number 7). Throughout scriptures, this number has been associated with figures and systems that exert oppressive control over others, aligning with the values of Babylon rather than those of the Lamb. It is the numerical value of the Greek word for beast, and John used it as a way of hinting at the emperors and leaders of the Roman Empire general, and for John, Nero was likely in mind.
The term "Antichrist" itself is rarely mentioned in scripture and does not appear in Revelation. Instead, it refers broadly to any force, individual, or group opposing Christ’s teachings. The way the tJohn uses this flexibility of interpretation encourages the Christians to identify the "Antichrist," not as one person, but as any leader or ideology that promotes oppression, violence, and deception in the guise of good.
The true warning in Revelation is against all forms of compromising allegiance, turning away from the ways of the Lamb, and towards the way of Babylon. John calls Christians to discern between leaders who genuinely embody Christlike virtues and those who, though claiming to serve God, align more with the principles of Babylon—power, coercion, and greed. Ultimately, Revelation serves as a call to self-examination for all believers, urging them to remain faithful and to reject the values and practices of Babylon that may infiltrate their communities and their own hearts. It’s a reminder to live in a way that reflects the sacrificial love and humility of the Lamb, not the arrogance and violence of the beasts.
Discussion Questions
The second beast appears like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. How can we discern when someone or something is masquerading as good but is actually deceptive or harmful?
Can you think of any current examples where this might be happening?Think about the mark of the beast, the mark that allowed them to do business in Babylon, and contemplate what that mark might look like today. What form does it take? Where do we see pressure to conform in order to take part? Is there a situation in which you had to make a choice between making a profit and keeping your principles intact?
What might the work of an "Antichrist" in today’s society look like? How can we identify and resist these influences?
Revelation warns about being influenced by Babylon’s values of power, coercion, and materialism. Are there areas in your own life where you feel these influences creeping in? What steps can you take to align more closely with the values of Team Lamb?