The Activity Involving the Sea Beast (verses 3b-8)

We see that when the wound was healed, the wicked world marveled at that [verse 3b] and they worshiped the dragon and the sea beast. If this sea beast—by the way, an ally, a colleague, of Satan—is, in fact, evil personified, if it represents (and I believe it does) an evil government, the evil conditions of the world at hand, then there’s an important lesson here for Christians of every age. That is, that it may appear sometimes that evil is “on the run,” that evil has been overcome, and, indeed, evil can be defeated. But remember this, that there is more evil to take the place of that evil that has been defeated, or has been destroyed. That’s true in the world; that’s true in the church; that’s true in our individual lives. And you see, therefore, we can never let down our guard. We can never give up the struggle, the battle, that we are in against Satan. And, indeed, we are in a daily struggle, a daily battle. Always remember that evil will follow evil and, just as John describes, the world is impressed with that fact. The world wonders, it marvels, as Dr. Hugo McCord translates this particular verse, verse 3, in his translation of the New Testament He says, “and the whole world followed the beast, full of wonder.” Well, say now, that’s it, isn’t it? “…and the whole world followed the beast, full of wonder.” BUT, the Christian, the child of God, you and I, we are called upon to resist, to struggle against, not to be enamored with, not to be overcome by, not to follow after the beast.

They [“the whole world”] used language that in Scripture is commonly reserved for the praise of God! [“So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’ 5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies…,” verses 4 and 5a.]

Here again, perhaps this is a “mocking parallel” to spiritual things, to divine things. The statements of those who worshipped the dragon and the beast [“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”] are statements which had been, and could always be, and will continue always to be, made of God! But these are statements that those who worship the dragon, who worship the beast, are now making about them.

So, the mouth of the sea beast [who represents evil governments, evil conditions of the world] speaks “great things and blasphemies,” asserting his opposition to God. And he is given forty-two months in which to continue, once again, a symbolic time [“…and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months,” verse 5b]. You know, we’ve run across this expression of time before—the one thousand two hundred sixty day—all representing a period of time with a beginning and with an end, which is the time of the persecution, the final times.

Verse 5 does give us hope and reassurance. The ability of this beast to have this power and authority is limited. Remember from verse 2 that Satan, the dragon, gave this sea beast equal power and authority that he, Satan, possessed [“The dragon (Satan) gave him (the sea beast, who represents evil governmental/political power) his (Satan’s) power, his (Satan’s) throne, and great authority.”]. He will not be able to wield that power and authority for eternity. [Job 24:22-24: “But God draws the mighty away with His power; He rises up, but no man is sure of life. 23 He gives them security, and they rely on it; Yet His eyes are on their ways. 24They are exalted for a little while, Then they are gone. They are brought low; They are taken out of the way like all others; They dry out like the heads of grain.” Psalm 37:9-10: “For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.”].

That number of months here, that “forty-two months,” the “one thousand two hundred sixty days,” represents and says that “this is a specific period of time.” It has a beginning and it has an end. This period of time was ongoing in the day that John wrote this; this period of time continues even now, and will continue until the return of Christ [1 Corinthians 15:24-25: “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.”].

The sea beast blasphemes God and God’s Name and God’s tabernacle and those that dwell in heaven, which is another way of saying that he blasphemes not only God, but all of God’s people, all of the heavenly court. [“Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven,” verse 6.]

This beast from the sea makes war against the saints and is able to overcome them [“It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation,” verse 7]. He takes power into his own hand; he is able to persecute them and to overcome them, in a sense.

But, in another sense, the saints, who are being persecuted, who the dragon and the beast are trying to overcome, in reality, overcome through the blood of Christ Jesus and are secured by God’s power from the dragon and the beast [Romans 5:8-10: “But God demonstrates His Own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”1 Corinthians 15:57: “But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:13-14: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Revelation 7:14, 12:11: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…And they overcame him [Satan, the accuser] by the blood of the Lamband by the Word of their Testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”].