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Bern Zumpano looks deeper into Revelation Chapter 13, which details the ministries of the Antichrist (the political beast from the sea) and the False Prophet (the religious beast). Zumpano stresses the importance of approaching the more ambiguous "gray zones" of scripture with caution, distinguishing between the respected opinions of scholars (like Clarence Larkin and Finnis Dake) and divine revelation. He re-emphasizes the traditional view that the Antichrist is a human king—likely of mixed Greco-Assyrian/Jewish descent—who gains universal appeal before receiving a fatal wound that is miraculously healed. The popular teaching is that this is a counterfeit resurrection, where Satan incarnates the Antichrist's body at the midpoint of the Tribulation, transforming him into a ruthless tyrant.

Zumpano introduces a balanced view, citing Finnis Dake's argument that the Antichrist and the Beast from the Abyss are two distinct entities. Dake argues that the Antichrist is simply a human king (the "man of lawlessness") and not Satan reincarnated, pointing out that Revelation 13:3 states "one of his heads" was slain and healed, not the beast himself. Furthermore, the Abyss is consistently depicted in scripture as a prison for demons (including Satan), not for human spirits like Judas (a popular theory). Scriptural evidence, such as Revelation 13:4, which shows the Dragon (Satan) giving power to the Beast, supports the idea that the two are separate beings, thus undercutting the theory of Satanic incarnation and counterfeit resurrection. Zumpano ultimately leaves the final interpretation to the Holy Spirit, but notes that Antichrist, as a counterfeit of Christ, will be a literal king over a country, echoing Jesus's legal claim to the throne of Israel.

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Bern Zumpano continues the study of Revelation Chapter 13, moving past the overview of the two beasts—the Antichrist (the first, political beast from the sea) and the False Prophet (the second, religious beast from the earth)—to focus on the identity and ministry of the Antichrist. The Antichrist is a man who achieves political power, then receives a fatal wound that is miraculously healed, which most scholars believe is a counterfeit resurrection where Satan incarnates his dead body. This miracle causes the world, including the Jewish people, to accept him as the long-awaited Messiah. However, at the midpoint of the Tribulation, the now-Satan-incarnated Antichrist changes personality, desecrates the Temple, and begins his reign of terror for 42 months (the final 3 1/2 years). This Beast from the Sea is equated with the Fourth Beast of Danieland its physical characteristics—an amalgam of the previous empires (lion/Babylon, leopard/Greece, bear/Medo-Persia, iron teeth/Rome)—suggest a mixed cultural heritage (Greek/Assyrian/Jewish) that makes him appealing to all groups.

Zumpano then explores the Antichrist's various titles from the Old and New Testaments (Little Horn, King of Fierce Countenance, Man of Lawlessness, Son of Perdition, and The Beast). His ministry, drawn from Daniel and 2 Thessalonians 2, is one of deception and lawlessness: he will speak arrogant words, blaspheme God, make war with the saints, and use his shrewdness to succeed. Zumpano dedicates significant discussion to the controversial scholarly theory that the Antichrist might be Judas Iscariot resurrected, citing the fact that both are called the "Son of Perdition" in scripture. This theory is supported by the idea that the Antichrist represents the "mystery of iniquity" (the opposite of Christ, the "mystery of godliness") and that the "beast that comes up out of the abyss" in Revelation 11:7 may be a reference to Judas returning from the place of the dead. Regardless of this specific theory, all these biblical references are meant to clearly identify the Antichrist as one and the same person, whose ultimate purpose is to deceive the world and enforce the mark of the beast (666) for economic control.

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Bern Zumpano introduces Revelation Chapter 13, focusing exclusively on the rise and ministry of the Antichrist (the first beast) and the False Prophet (the second beast), the two powers that will attempt to control the earth. The chapter opens with the first beast—the Antichrist—coming up out of the sea (arising from a nation, likely the Mediterranean region), having ten horns and seven heads, which is supported by the ten-nation confederacy (the European Union/revived Roman Empire). The beast is an amalgam of previous historical empires (lion/Babylonian, bear/Medo-Persian, leopard/Greek) and is explicitly empowered by the Dragon (Satan), confirming that the end-time European political structure is "satanic." This beast receives a fatal wound that is healed (a counterfeit resurrection), causing the whole world to marvel and worship him as the long-awaited Messiah.

The second beast, the False Prophet, arises from the earth and is identified as the religious head of the one-world religion. He appears with two horns like a lamb (false spiritual authority) but speaks as a dragon (his message is not the word of God), deceiving the world through great signs, including making fire come down from heaven. His primary ministry is to coerce the world to worship the first beast and to institute the mark of the beast—a consecration to Antichrist on the right hand or forehead—without which no one can buy or sell. Zumpano correlates the ten horns of Revelation 13 with the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar's statue in Daniel and the ten kings of Revelation 17, explaining that the succession of world empires shown in Daniel moves from "fine metal" (pure) to "iron mixed with clay" (rubble), symbolizing man's self-idolatry that is destined to crumble when Christ, the Stone, returns.