Revelation 13:11-12 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Beginning with verse 11, we see another beast rise up out of the earth, this particular beast is known as the ‘False Prophet’. Recall the previous Revelation commentary where mentions of false prophets in the Bible characterize these individuals as those appearing to be innocent but are actually very wicked.
Many times, these figures are compared to a wolf in sheep’s clothing, deceiving multitudes with their great and swelling words and it is no different in this verse which describes the False Prophet as having characteristics similar to a lamb (horns).
The verse later reveals the manner of speaking the False Prophet possesses which is likened to a dragon. Recall in verse 5 that the Antichrist’s mouth (a power which he receives from Satan the dragon) speaks great things and blasphemies. This gives us an idea of what it means to speak like a dragon.
‘I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth‘
Another thing to know about the False Prophet is that there is a possibility that he (like the Antichrist) may be resurrected or at the very least, ascend from hell. The reasoning behind this is found in verse 11 where it mentions another beast coming up out of the earth.
Recall a previous Revelation 13 commentary where the Antichrist ascends from the pit of hell as well via the sea. Refer to Revelation 13:2-3, 4-5 commentary for more information. Something else that would support this idea is the mutants from Revelation 9 that come out of hell.
Because there is more than one incident where demonic beings come up from hell, it is also plausible to believe that the False Prophet could also come up from hell (if not resurrected like the Antichrist) because of the particular wording of verse 11. The fact that much of the wording during the introductions of both the Antichrist and the False Prophet match (rising from sea versus rising from the earth, both being described as beasts and both possessing power from the same source) opens up a possibility that the False Prophet could also be resurrected when he comes out of the earth if he indeed is imitating the Antichrist.
‘And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him‘
Verse 12 mentions that the False Prophet exercises or carries on with the powers of the first beast or the Antichrist. ‘before him’ lets us know that the Antichrist comes long before the False Prophet.
Some believers have speculated that the Pope could be the False Prophet while others believe that it is the Antichrist. Although it could be a possibility, the fact that there have been Popes throughout the past 2000 years lets us know that it is less likely that it is the identity of the False Prophet given that the Antichrist is revealed before the False Prophet.
It is more plausible to consider the Pope as the Antichrist rather than the False Prophet. The following verses also lean more towards the Pope being the Antichrist given the characteristics of the Antichrist. 1 John 2 mentions that there have been many antichrists before the official Antichrist which matches up with the many popes existing before the current Pope.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
We also have to consider the fact that during John’s time the secular Roman kings in power transitioned into a religious Roman Catholic Church, whose leader became the Pope.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2 Thessalonians 2 mentions that the mystery of iniquity or an unofficial antichrist is already here but that the Wicked (official Antichrist) has yet to be revealed. If we apply this to Paul’s time (when this was written) and the Roman powers of the time, this seems to line up with there being popes in power but that the one who will reveal himself as the Antichrist has yet to come.
Going back to the main text, verse 11 reveals another interesting bit about the power that the False Prophet exercises. In relation to the Godhead, think about the being that exercised the power of Jesus Christ which is the Holy Spirit. John 14, 15, and 16 state that in Jesus’ place, the Holy Spirit carries his power.
As mentioned before in previous Revelation commentaries, Satan and the Antichrist make up two-thirds of the satanic trinity meant to imitate the Godhead that is God the Father and God the Son, respectively. That being said, the beginning of verse 11 reveals to us that the False Prophet is meant to imitate God the Holy Spirit, thus completing the satanic version of the Trinity.
Going back to verse 12, we see that the False Prophet is used as a means for paving the way for the Antichrist. Recall that it was John the Baptist who paved the way for the coming of Jesus Christ and was considered the greatest of all prophets by Jesus himself. Like John the Baptist, the False Prophet will be considered the “greatest of all prophets” during his time.
Something else to consider is which two religions make a big deal about their prophets, Islam (Muhammed) and Mormonism (Joseph Smith). This supports the idea of the False prophet being a religious minister. Refer to the previous Revelation 13 commentary for more information. Popes are known as Christ on earth which fits more with the Antichrist. Continuing with verse 12, the people of the world worship the first beast or the Antichrist, who survived a deadly wound, thus “proving” himself to be Jesus Christ to the world.