Revelation 13

So, Revelation 13 seems to be one of the most highly quoted chapters. 'The Mark of the Beast' chapter.

I'm paraphrasing here. The beast was given great authority by 'the dragon' Satan. It had 10 horns, 7 heads , 10 crowns on it's horns, and each head had a blasphemous name.
It looked like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and a mouth like a lion.
One head of the beast had a fatal wound that had been healed.

The whole world was filled with wonder as they followed the beast, and people worshipped the dragon because it gave authority to the beast, but also worshipped the beast because it asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” It was claiming to be undefeated. It spoke blasphemes of God, heaven and all that was in it. It had the power to wage war against 'holy people' and conquer them, and given authority over all people, all who were not written in The Lamb's book would worship this beast. 

At this point, it is easy to get lost in the imagery. A beast that everyone worships? How absurd -right? Well, we have to understand that sometimes metaphors are used in the Bible, but they are still full of truth. In fact, I would think that it sounded like Hitler almost. This just shows us how possible it is. 

The chapter continues to say...


“If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”[d]

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

Then comes the second beast... 

this time come out of the earth with 'two horns like a lamb  but spoke like a dragon'
"It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people...It ordered them (the people) to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived...It also forced all people...to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,  so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name; 666 (there is a little clause about calculating the number).