"It [another beast] exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people"
(Revelation 13:12-13)
The idea of counterfeit imitation is carried on in verse 13. The religious character of the second beast becomes clearer here. First, it is said that he preforms great signs. This makes him a Satanic counterfeit of the true prophet Moses, who also preformed signs (Exod. 4:17,30;10:2). Then it is said that "he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men", making him a counterfeit of the true prophet Elijah, who did likewise (1 Kgs. 18:38-39). The allusions to Moses and Elijah cannot be accidental, given the similar allusion to them in regard to the two witnesses in (Rev. 11:3-12), who, taken together, represent the church (Luke 9:54). Rev. 11:5 portrays "fire proceeding out of the mouth" of the two witnesses. There the fire indicates the speaking of God's word that convicts and judges sinners. Therefore the fire represents the speaking of God's true word which judges sinners, and here the beast poses as a spokesman for truth but is a false prophet and false teacher. This is part of what Christ prophesied in (Matthew 24:24): "False Christ's and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect". The second beast is a counterfeit of the church and the Spirit who empowers and indwells it.
Daniel warns (11:30-39) that a latter-day (Christ's ascension to His return) deceiver will infiltrate the church and turn people away from God. When purported Christian teachers take their primary cues from the surrounding culture instead of from God's word, they corrupt the covenant community spiritually by encouraging it to live by norms and a faith that ultimately oppose the reign of God and Christ.
(G.K. Beale)
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