What Old Testament prophecies connect to the events in Revelation 13:3? The Mortal Wound in Revelation 13:3 “One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded, but the mortal wound was healed. And the whole world marveled and followed the beast.” Genesis 3:15—A Bruised Head and the Serpent’s Counterfeit • First promise of Messiah also foretells a head-wound: “He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” • Satan knows his own doom is a crushed head, so he prepares a blasphemous imitation—a “mortally wounded” head that recovers. • The counterfeit resurrection in Revelation 13:3 parodies Christ’s victory foretold in Eden. Daniel’s Fourth Beast and Little Horn (Daniel 7) • Daniel 7:7-8, 11-12 describes a terrifying fourth beast with ten horns; one horn is “slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.” • Yet the verse immediately notes the other beasts “had been granted an extension of life for a season and time.” • This pattern of destruction followed by an unexpected extension mirrors the “death” and “healing” of the beast’s head. • Daniel 7:19-25 shows the world’s awe and submission to the little horn—language echoed in Revelation 13:3-4 when earth-dwellers marvel and follow the beast. Daniel 8—The Broken and Restored Horn • Daniel 8:8-9: the great horn of the goat “was broken,” but out of it came four horns and then a “little horn” that grows exceedingly great. • The apparent fatal break, yet renewed power, anticipates the beast’s wound and revival. • Daniel 8:24-25 speaks of the little horn who “will cause astounding devastation,” “destroy the mighty,” and “stand against the Prince of princes”—all traits ascribed to the beast. Zechariah’s Worthless Shepherd (Zechariah 11:17) “Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye entirely blinded!” • A sword attack leaves this false shepherd maimed—another prophetic picture of an end-times leader wounded yet still active. • Many see his maimed eye/arm as the specific injury behind the beast’s head wound, providing a concrete Old-Testament description of the Antichrist’s impairment. Echoes of Proud Kings in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 • Isaiah 14:12-15: the “shining one” is cast down to Sheol yet vows, “I will ascend.” The cycle of fall and attempted rise matches the beast’s death-and-resurrection motif. • Ezekiel 28:9-10, 17-19: the king of Tyre (a satanic picture) is slain by the sword, judged, then used as a warning before nations who “stand aghast.” John sees a similar global astonishment when the beast revives. Why These Prophecies Matter for Revelation 13:3 • Together they forecast an adversary who suffers a seemingly fatal blow yet regains power, captivating the world. • They confirm that the beast’s counterfeit resurrection is Satan’s last-days strategy to mimic Christ’s true resurrection, deceive nations, and fulfill long-standing prophetic patterns. |
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