Study Desk

When the two witnesses have finished telling their message, the beast will fight against them. This is the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit. It will defeat and kill them.

Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. There was a crown on each of its horns. It had an evil name written on each head.

This beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear's feet. It had a mouth like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave the beast all of its power and its throne and great authority.

One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been wounded and killed, but the death wound was healed. All the people in the world were amazed, and they all followed the beast.

People worshiped the dragon because it had given its power to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast. They asked, "Who is as powerful as the beast? Who can make war against it?"

The beast was allowed to boast and speak insults against God. It was allowed to use its power for 42 months.

The beast opened its mouth to insult God—to insult his name, the place where he lives, and all those who live in heaven.

Everyone living on earth would worship the beast. These are all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life. The Lamb is the one who was killed.

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he talked like a dragon.

This beast stood before the first beast and used the same power the first beast had. He used this power to make everyone living on the earth worship the first beast. The first beast was the one that had the death wound that was healed.

The second beast did great miracles. He even made fire come down from heaven to earth while people were watching.

This second beast fooled the people living on earth by using the miracles that he had been given the power to do for the first beast. He ordered people to make an idol to honor the first beast, the one that was wounded by the sword but did not die.

The second beast was given power to give life to the idol of the first beast. Then the idol could speak and order all those who did not worship it to be killed.

The second beast also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark put on their right hand or on their forehead.

No one could buy or sell without this mark. (This mark is the name of the beast or the number of its name.)

A third angel followed the first two angels. This third angel said in a loud voice, "God will punish all those who worship the beast and the beast's idol and agree to have the beast's mark on their forehead or on their hand.

And the smoke from their burning pain will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest, day or night, for those who worship the beast and its idol or who wear the mark of its name."

I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. All those who had won the victory over the beast and his idol and over the number of its name were standing by the sea. These people had harps that God had given them.

The first angel left. He poured out his bowl on the land. Then all those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its idol got sores that were ugly and painful.

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. And darkness covered the beast's kingdom. People bit their tongues because of the pain.