This beast will act for forty-two months (13:5). These forty-two months are the three and a half years in verse 14 of chapter 12 and the thousand two hundred and sixty days in verse 3 of chapter 11 and verse 6 of chapter 12, which will be the time of the great tribulation. In these three and a half years Antichrist will do many things. He will utter blasphemies against God, to blaspheme God’s name and His tabernacle, which tabernacle in heaven (13:6). The beast will make war with the saints and overcome them (v. 7). The saints in verse 7 refer to the rest of the woman’s seed in verse 17 of chapter 12, which consists of the Jews, who keep God’s commandments, and the believers in Christ, who bear the testimony of Jesus on earth at that time. Antichrist will persecute them, war against them, and overcome them. Many will be martyred during this time.
Antichrist will also receive the power, authority, and the kingdom of the ten kings (17:13), enabling him to rule over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation (13:7). Hence, “all those dwelling on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name is not written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world” (v. 8). From the foundation of the world may modify both whose name is not written and the Lamb who was slain.
Antichrist and the ten kings, the ten horns, “will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked and will eat her flesh and burn her utterly with fire” (17:16). This indicates that after Antichrist has been resuscitated, he will persecute every kind of religion, including Judaism and Catholicism.
The beast out of the sea is the last and crucial part of the fourth beast in Daniel 7:7-8 and 19-26. Both in Daniel and Revelation the beast out of the sea refers not only to the Roman Empire but particularly to Antichrist. Hence, eventually Antichrist is the beast out of the sea, the fourth beast in Daniel 7. This beast is dreadful and frightful (vv. 7, 19). Just as the Roman Empire did dreadful things, in the future Antichrist will also do dreadful things to damage people. This beast is exceedingly strong, indicating that the Roman Empire was the strongest heathen power in history and had once conquered all the neighboring powers. Likewise, Antichrist will also subdue and conquer all the powers around the Mediterranean Sea. This beast has large iron teeth and claws of bronze (vv. 7, 19) for devouring or crushing and for standing or trampling respectively. He will devour and crush the whole earth (v. 23). This applies firstly to the ancient Roman Empire with its Caesars and then to the coming Antichrist. This beast will trample down the remainder with its feet.
This beast has ten horns (vv. 7, 20, 24). These ten horns correspond to the ten kings represented by the ten toes of the great image in Daniel 2. In God’s view these ten kings are the lowest part of the body; however, in the vision in Daniel 7 these ten kingdoms, represented by the ten kings, are exalted as the ten horns. From the perspective of heaven, worldly politics and worldly kingdoms are very low. In the eyes of God, they are like wild beasts, which do nothing except damage and devour people. However, in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar, that is, in human eyes, the worldly kingdoms seem to be a great and glorious image.
This beast has a small horn—Antichrist—that comes up among the ten horns (vv. 8, 20, 24-26). This small horn has eyes like the eyes of a man, indicating that Antichrist will be intellectually brilliant. He will be a man full of knowledge and will possess great insight. He will not only know political science but will also possess the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. This small horn also has a mouth that speaks great things against the Most High (v. 25). It has an appearance that is greater than its companions (v. 20). Antichrist will be so strong, stout, imposing, and attractive that he will be able to subdue many simply by the power of his presence.
Not only will Antichrist be arrogant and blasphemous, but he will also wage war with the saints. He will persecute the God-fearing Jews and the Christ-believing Christians. That small horn will also wear out the saints of the Most High, and his intention will be to change the times and the law (vv. 21, 25). According to the book of Leviticus, God appointed at least seven yearly feasts for the Jewish people. The law refers to the law of God given to His people through Moses. Because these feasts are related to the worship of God, and because Antichrist will oppose any kind of religion, he will abolish all the feasts and change the laws that the people of Israel received from God through their forefathers.