Revelation 13:14: 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.

Revelation 13:13 describes false wonders¹ that will increase as the Second Coming approaches during the seventh seal.² Revelation 13:14 indicates that these false miracles will deceive³ even the very elect,⁴ which means that people of faith will fall prey to Satan. Saints of the latter days will also forsake their covenants with Christ and yield themselves to Satan's influence.⁵ The Second Beast performs these false miracles in the sight of the [first] beast.⁶ This means that the latter-day Second Beast serves the same ideals as the First Beast,⁷ whose power came from the Dragon (Satan).⁸

People that perform false miracles are servants of Satan,⁹ including those that profess to perform miracles in the name of God and Jesus Christ.¹⁰ Satan directs his worldly agents¹¹ and has oversight of them that dwell on the earth,¹² saying that they should make an image to the beast.¹³ The word image is synonymous with the word idol.¹⁴ Worldliness and materialism are the idols¹⁵ of modern society,¹⁶ just as they were when the First Beast had power in the ancient Roman Empire.¹⁷

For the third time in chapter 13, John states that the First Beast had the wound by the sword and did live.¹⁸ The First Beast did live again in the Holy Roman Empire after Imperial Rome died from the sword of Germanic hoards in 476 AD.¹⁹ John alludes to this historical event again because history repeats itself in the latter days as worshipers of the Second Beast²⁰ increasingly make modern images in the likeness of the First Beast.²¹ Today, wicked people and institutions of the Second Beast²² are reshaping the modern world into the image, likeness, and worldliness of the ancient Roman Empire.²³ That empire died during the Reformation,²⁴ and yet its ideals increasingly live on again, and thrive in, Modern Babylon.²⁵ By the time Christ comes again, modern society will fully reflect the image and ideals of the First Beast that society will worship with great passion.²⁶ The First Beast that was wounded and died by the sword is still very much alive, revived, and revered in the modern world.

Revelation 13:15: 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.

The Second Beast has power to give life unto the image of the [first] beast in the latter days²⁷ just as the Holy Roman Empire had power to give life unto the image of the Imperial Roman Empire after the fall of Rome.²⁸ This same life-giving process has already begun again in the modern era as the worship of wickedness increases in the world today.²⁹ The First Beast is now alive and gaining strength as morally bankrupt societies³⁰ increasingly return³¹ to the wickedness,³² idolatry,³³ and worldly image³⁴ of the ancient Roman Empire.³⁵ Rome's gross wickedness³⁶ thrives in modern society,³⁷ and worldly people increasingly render unto Caesar the things that belong to God.³⁸

Today, the worldly image of the beast speaks false doctrines³⁹ in alluring ways⁴⁰ and in deafening tones.⁴¹ The image of the First Beast speaks in society today⁴² with far more power than the dumb idols of the past.⁴³ Today, the Second Beast speaks though social media platforms which allow people throughout the world to worship every form of wickedness and the worldliness⁴⁴ that was once the hallmark of ancient Rome.⁴⁵

In a future day, after the seventh seal has been opened, those that worship the image of the First Beast will cause (decree)⁴⁶ that the non-worshipers of the image should be killed.⁴⁷ This decree will come through the political and religious powers of the fully matured Second Beast.⁴⁸ These dual powers are represented in John's vision by the two horns on the head of the lamb that speaks like a dragon in Revelation 13:11.⁴⁹

The Second Beast will not have power to kill everyone who refuses to worship the image of the beast.⁵⁰ Righteous saints will survive as they flee Modern Babylon⁵¹ and find physical security in latter-day Zion called New Jerusalem.⁵² However, the saints will suffer many tribulations⁵³ leading up to the day when latter-day Zion is established.⁵⁴ Many will suffer modern martyrdom,⁵⁵ just as ancient martyrs died in the time of Christ⁵⁶ and many martyrs died during the Reformation.⁵⁷