Most of us are familiar with the term “a right-hand man.” Like many sayings, we are not always sure where they originated. The phrase “right-hand man” stems from historical military practices that associated the right side with strength, honor, and protection. Because most people are right-handed, the right side was traditionally the strongest and most dependable in a fight, making a soldier positioned there the leader’s most trusted protector.

Biblical texts use the “right hand” as a metaphor for divine favor, power, and ultimate authority (e.g., sitting at the “right hand of God”). In Genesis 35:18, Jacob names Rachel’s second son, Benjamin, meaning “Son of the right hand.” Psalm 16:11 reads, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 80:17 reads, “Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.”

Over the centuries, the term has evolved from a literal battlefield position or a biblical metaphor for authority into a broad idiom. It is used across politics, business, and daily life to describe an indispensable and highly trusted assistant.

I’ve titled today’s study “Satan’s Right-hand Man,” from the opening verses of Revelation 13. Once we read the text, you will clearly see the reason for my choice.

Keep in mind that what we’re seeing in these next chapters is not necessarily sequential or chronological. Numerous things are happening simultaneously during this final 3.5-year period of the Great Tribulation. Let’s turn to the Scripture now: Revelation 13:1-10.

¹ Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 

² Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 

³ And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 

⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

⁵ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 

⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 

⁷ It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 

⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 

¹⁰ He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

The introduction of the “beast out of the sea” is central to the events of the Great Tribulation. Our text reveals several FACTS about Satan’s right-hand man.

The First FACT is,

The Source of His Authority

As John watches, a living creature (beast) emerges from the sea. This is the beast out of the abyss that we were introduced to in Revelation 11:7. There, he came forth to kill the Two Witnesses. Here, we have a fuller description of his appearance and the source of his power.  

Let’s compare this description to the dragon in 12:3, “a great, fiery red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.” This creature has “seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.” This imagery is reminiscent of Daniel 7. In the Tanakh (the Hebrew Scriptures), a horn often refers to a king, symbolizing power. Daniel saw a vast empire that used brute force to advance its attempt to rule the world. This beast is also a counterfeit of Revelation 19:12, where the Almighty wears many crowns and has a glorious name on those crowns that only He knows!

Remember, John is writing to those suffering under the Roman Empire’s cruel persecution, so he uses symbolic language. He says in Revelation 17:9, “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” This seems to refer to Rome, which was built on seven hills. We see this imagery throughout the book.

Furthermore, this creature had blasphemous names on its head. The blasphemous titles assumed by Roman emperors in the first and second centuries are well known to us. Compare this to Revelation 17:3, “And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” Here, a woman is portrayed as both an individual and a religious system. This was also true in chapter 12 regarding the mother of Jesus and the nation from which He came. By now, it should be clear to us that we are dealing with an individual “king,” the Antichrist, as well as the kingdom he represents.

The biblical teaching about the Antichrist originates in the book of Daniel. Daniel 7 portrays the Antichrist as a little horn (v. 8) that arises from the ten horns of the fourth beast in Daniel’s vision. That horn represents a person, because it “possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts” (v. 8). Earlier in the same verse, Daniel notes that “three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before [Antichrist],” indicating that he will destroy three of the other rulers and subjugate the rest during his rise to power.

The beast is further described as a composite of the creatures Daniel saw in his vision. He saw kingdoms represented by a lion (Babylon), a bear (Medo-Persian), and a leopard (Greece). The catlike vigilance of the leopard, the crushing power of the bear, and the roar of the lion were all familiar to the shepherds in Palestine in John’s day. Those 3 morphed into a 4^th creature that was more terrible than any one of them. Since the Roman Empire followed the previous three world powers, it is historically regarded as the fourth beast. The strength and brutality of the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Greek empires were all combined and multiplied in the Roman Empire.

The final sentence of verse two states, “The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.” This beast out of the sea is revealed as the second person in the false trinity. The dragon empowers him and works through him. He is Satan’s agent. In chapter 12, we learned of Satan being cast out of heaven in a great rage. His plans to usurp Christ’s authority have now been compressed into 3.5 years. Knowing that his time is short, he unleashes his last, desperate onslaught against God by empowering his final Antichrist (capital A).

So, the source of the Antichrist’s authority is the dragon (Satan) himself.  

The Next FACT is,

The Marvel of His Invincibility

Verse 3 informs us that “I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed.” This is the mocking counterpart to Revelation 5:6. “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”

Did you notice the similar phrasing regarding the deaths of these two? Some suggest that the Antichrist will not truly die; he only appears to be dead. However, if we adopt that interpretation, we must apply it to Jesus as well, since the deaths of both are described in similar terms. We know that Jesus died; that is a historical fact. The Antichrist will also die, but will be miraculously restored to life.

This fact does introduce the question, “Does Satan have the power to restore life, or is it just the appearance of restoration?” Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” The final Antichrist will be at the pinnacle of this deception. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 puts it this way: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders…” We will see further examples of this deception later in this chapter.

Others point out that it was just “one of his heads” that was mortally wounded. They argue that the head, whose fatal wound was healed, was a kingdom that was destroyed and restored. They see the death and resurrection miracle as the revival of the Roman Empire. In their view, the Antichrist will unite the countries that occupy the territory of the ancient Roman Empire into a new empire. That revival of power will so amaze the other nations that they will also submit to his rule.

The most obvious problem with that interpretation is that while verse 3 speaks of one of the heads being slain, other passages specify that the beast himself is slain (13:12, 14; 17:8, 11). The personal pronoun in the phrase “his fatal wound” also indicates that one of the kings is in view, not the empire as a whole. It seems unlikely that merely reviving the Roman Empire would cause the worldwide astonishment and wonder mentioned in this verse.

As a result of what appears to be a miraculous healing of the death stroke, all the world was filled with wonder, followed the beast, and worshipped him, as well as the dragon, saying, “Who is like the beast and who can make war with him?” The implication in the question is that no one can be victorious over the beast!

Those on earth who have foolishly rejected Jesus as the Messiah will be convinced that the Antichrist is invincible. Their deception will be complete, and their doom will be sure! In addition, this question, “Who is like the beast?, may be a parody of the name of the archangel Michael. His name means “Who is like God?” It also refers to the Antichrist in superlative language that should be reserved for the worship of God, as found in Psalm 113:5-6: “Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high,  who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?”

The final form of apostasy is not simply the worship of some pagan deity but the worship of Satan himself. His whole program seeks to be “like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14). Because men worship Satan, they also worship the beast, that is, the man who rules over the revived Roman Empire. He is Satan’s substitute for Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords, and to him the world as a whole flocks to give homage, indicated in the questions “Who is like unto the beast? Who can make war with him?” The point in history at which this takes place is apparently at the beginning of the great tribulation, when the head of the revived Roman Empire, described here as the beast, assumes authority over the entire world.[1]

The source of the Antichrist’s authority (Satan) and the marvel of his invincibility lead us to the final fact describing Satan’s right-hand man.

The Next FACT is,

The Scope of His Hostility

This creature is given a mouth that speaks arrogantly and blasphemes God’s name and His holy dwelling place. And remember, God’s name stands for all that He is; it is the sum of His attributes. This blasphemy will include the Tribulation saints of Revelation 7:15, “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.” In Daniel 7:8, 20, and 25, this arrogant speech is described as “pompous words” spoken against the Most High God by this dreadful character.

In addition, verse 7 informs us that “…it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation.” This hateful, ferocious, demonic creature will not be “all talk and no action.” His blasphemies against God’s name will be accompanied by swift and vengeful action.

Acting as Satan’s right-hand man, he will wage war against the saints throughout the entire globe and overcome them. In the will of God, many believers in Christ among both Jews and Gentiles will perish as martyrs during this awful time of trial, while others are preserved despite all the beast can do.

Daniel 7:23 prophesies that this beast will devour “the whole earth”; here, the worldwide extent of his power is indicated. Everyone living on earth whose name has not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb (unbelievers) will worship the Beast. The dream of world conquest, which was achieved in part by the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires, is now closer to reality than ever before. It is the satanic counterfeit of Christ’s millennial reign allowed by God in this final evil display of Satan and wicked humanity.

As Satan’s lieutenant, the Antichrist will be allowed to continue for 42 months or 3.5 years. This is the same 3½ year period as seen in Revelation 12:6, 14, and Daniel 7:25 and 12:7, the last half of the tribulation period. The one thousand two hundred and threescore days of Revelation 11:3, however, are the first half of the tribulation. The two together comprise Daniel’s seventieth week of seven years (Daniel 9:27). The first half marks the rapid rise of the beast to world power; the second half his global reign, with all seven years simultaneously being “the great day of [God’s] wrath” (Revelation 6:17) on the ungodly world.

This section closes with the saying that is repeated to each of the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3. “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” This phrase isn’t found in John’s Gospel, but in the other gospels, it is used by the Lord Jesus to teach radical truths, great principles, and wonderful promises. One writer said it could be better translated: “The one who has ears to hear MUST hear.” In all its previous uses in Revelation, it is followed by the phrase “what the Spirit says to the churches.” The omission of that phrase suggests that the church is not in view here, having been raptured prior to the beginning of the Tribulation.

Reinforcing the exhortation is the warning of God’s ultimate sovereign justice, which will be brought to bear on the wicked. Several variations occur in the text of verse 10, but the general meaning is clear. “If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goes. If any man is to be killed by the sword, he must be killed by the sword.” This is the law of divine retribution. Those who persecute the saints and lead them into captivity must suffer the righteous wrath of God.

Within this ultimate judgment upon wicked men lies the patience and faith of the saints in their hour of trial. The Scriptures frequently mention this final vindication (Matt. 5:38; Rom. 12:19; Gal. 6:7). The same truth that serves as an encouragement to the saints acts as a warning to their persecutors. Their ultimate doom is assured at the end of their brief period of power.

Satan’s purpose to usurp God’s place in the future great tribulation is the motivating power behind his activities today. His desire to be like God originally plunged the universe into sin (Isa. 14:14). His program has never changed, and he is seeking today, as throughout his career, to lure men into obeying him rather than God. In the great tribulation, this purpose will be clearly evident, and after its manifestation, it will be brought before divine judgment.

The source of the Antichrist’s authority is Satan. The marvel of his invincibility will cause the world of unbelievers to worship him, and the scope of his hostility will be universal. Despite all this, the message of this passage is clear. Let the monstrous beast from the abyss do his worst. Let Satan and his demon hosts have their hour. God controls the future, and believers belong to Him. “In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37), and we will triumph on that glorious day when “The kingdom of the world [becomes] the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).[2]

[1] Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 206

[2] MacArthur, New Testament Commentary on Revelation, p. 708