The latter part of the chapter presents still another mighty person, who is also called a “beast,” but later appears as the false prophet (Rev. 19:20); and who exercises all the power of the first beast, and receives his power from the dragon, Satan.  Much is said of this second “beast,” but his mission is in no way to attract attention to himself.  He co-operates in gaining world-wide worship and authority for the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  The second beast seems to deal directly with the people and by his mighty signs and miracles, as well as by his authority, he compels loyalty to the first beast.  Fire is called down from heaven; and a dumb idol is made to speak and live.  He is able to establish a union of all people in trade, imposing a death penalty upon them.  And by all these means he furthers the interests of the first beast.  The Scripture here referred to is as follows:  “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 (Satan).  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.  And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.  And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:  and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.  Here is wisdom.  Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast:  for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six” (Rev. 13:11-18).

There is a deep suggestion, in the person of this second beast, of a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit of God.  He who came not to speak of Himself, but to glorify Christ and to unite all believers; leading them in worship and praise.  This second beast is probably identical with “Anti-christ,” who appears under that title only in the writings of John, and who is there seen as the consummation of a long succession of false religious teachers who have denied the Christ and His sacrificial work.