“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;” (Revelation 13:13-14a).

“And he doeth great wonders,” (vs 13)

The pronoun “he” apparently refers to the “false prophet” or earth beast. But, in a revealing commentary, John is later shown three unclean spirits – like frogs – coming out of the mouths of the dragon, beast and false prophet. Then it describes them as spirits of devils – evil angels – working miracles “which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14). Three distinct powers are appealed to with specific missions. All are deceptive, undermining the purity of truth. “Out of their mouths” suggests that they are all making legislative proclamations or edicts for the world.[1]

Through demonic power, the three creatures of Revelation 13 do miracles before the whole world. Making fire come down from heaven is specific to this earth beast. Paul talks, however, of the eschatological antichrist as “him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (II Thessalonians 2:9). That would relate to the sea beast. Later in Revelation it specifically notes that the earth beast – the false prophet – “wrought miracles before him” (19:20).

An earmark of this false trinity will be miracles!! Here, in context with verse 12, fire coming down from heaven is focused on the false prophet, but Satan and the sea beast are part of this cunning chicanery.

Expositor White uses this verse many times in her works. She makes allusions to “Satan,” the “false prophet” and many “agencies” performing their wonders:

“In Revelation we read concerning Satan: ‘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’ … [Rev. 13:13-17 quoted].”[2]

“The final struggle will be waged between those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and that apostate power [the earth beast or false prophet] which will deceive all who dwell upon the earth. ‘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’ [Rev. 13:13]”[3]

“The deceiving power of Satan will continually increase to the very end. Through his agencies he will do great wonders, ‘so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth … by the means of those miracles [Rev. 13:13].’”[4]

Thus, she applies this verse, applied long ago to the false prophet, to agencies such as the papacy and the dragon as it contextually unfolds.

“so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,” (vs 13)

This is the deceptive sign that will attract the world. When Elijah called fire down from heaven (I Kings 18:38, II Kings 1:10), it was to validate and vindicate the true God. Here, the deceptive blasphemous beasts and Satan do this to “affirm” their words and validate their spiritual
authority.[5]

“This is not a religious act but a public-relations performance intended to enhance the worship of the false trinity.”[6] In the Septuagint it is noted that Nebuchadnezzar extolled the “God of heaven” for “doing signs and great wonders” (Daniel 4:37a).[7] Such a display here is devised to bring praise to the being that is “in the sight of men.” No wonder God calls this earth beast a “false prophet.”

This echoes a fascinating theme written by Moses: “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3).

Christ had warned that counterfeit signs would accompany false christs at the end (Matthew 24:24-25). How can one know that it is false? The truth related to these prophecies will be the means to unlock that emotional time. For starters, Jesus compared the false end-time appearances of “Christ” as being at variance to His dramatic coming.

“Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:26-27).

The next chapter is filled with information regarding the falsehood of the beasts here recorded. Authenticity of truth is now to be riveted in our hearts through relentless study of God’s word! “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world” (I John 4:1-3).

“The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your foundation. The only safety for you is to search for the truth as for hidden treasures. Dig for the truth as you would for treasures in the earth, and present the word of God, the Bible, before your Heavenly Father, and say, Enlighten me; teach me what is truth. And when his Holy Spirit shall come into your hearts, to impress the truth into your souls, you will not let it go easily. You have gained such an experience in searching the Scriptures, that every point is established. And it is important that you continually search the Scriptures. You should store the mind with the word of God; for you may be separated, and placed where you will not have the privilege of meeting with the children of God. Then you will want the treasures of God's word hidden in your hearts, and when opposition comes around you, you will need to bring everything to the Scriptures.”[8]

Everything Satan does is an invitation to the saints to defect from God’s ranks.

“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;” (vs 14).

In Christ’s words to His disciples in that great end-time discourse, He warned, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). People will be fooled into believing lies as though they were God’s truths. Stunning is this prophecy! The whole earth will become victims of these satanic delusions.

Satan was branded the “deceiver of the whole world” (12:9) and later will be called the “deceiver of the nations” (20:3, 8, 10). Here, he and false apostate Protestantism in the United States continue that end-time mission.

Intriguingly, several old manuscripts say that “he deceives mine,” suggesting that the main submissive prey are those inside the church![9]

“By the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast” (vs 14a) suggests that the sea beast gives approval to what the earth beast is doing.[10] In essence, it functions as the servant of the papacy. “True prophets receive their inspiration and commissions as they stand before the presence of the Lord (11:4). Likewise, the false prophet receives his inspiration and commission as he acts ‘in the presence of the beast.’”[11]