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3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (Rev 13:3-4 KJV) A riddle: Only one of the "heads of it" (κεφαλῶν feminine αὐτοῦ neuter) "looked like" (ὡς) it was wounded to death, but "it" (αὐτοῦ neuter referring to the Beast θηρίου neuter) was healed. Later the "Beast" is wounded and healed or "did live" (Rev. 13:12, 14). However, its logically impossible the "part of the whole" is "the whole" simultaneously. Moreover, the wound is in appearance only, so how can the healing be real? Just as the true picture emerges if Jigsaw pieces aren't forced to fit, so also the truth resolves apparent contradictions without violence to the details. As the wound is apparent, it cannot refer to an actual wound as in the much later Nero redivinus myth. As the wounded head is not healed this cannot depict a phony resurrection of the Antichrist Beast. Moreover, the angel interpreted the Head/king as alive in John's day (Rev. 17:10), but the Beast is healed when its Mouth speaks in the final 42 months of the end time week. The details imply the answer to the riddle as these exist harmoniously in the truth being revealed: In the Greek, the word for “wound” is plēgē, which everywhere in Revelation means “plague,” in fact, a divinely inflicted judgment (9:18, 20; 11:6; 15:1ff.; 16:9, 21; 18:4, 8; 21:9; 22:18)... In 13:14 we find that the beast has the plague of the “sword” (machaira)... Elsewhere in Revelation the “sword” (machaira, or rhomphaia) (1) symbolically refers to the divine judgment of the Messiah (1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15, 21); (2) is the sword of the rider on the red horse and equals divine judgment (6:4, 8); and (3) is a sword used as a weapon against the saints of God (13:10). We are, then, nearer to John’s mind if we see the sword, not as referring to an emperor’s death, but as the symbol of God’s wrath that in some event had struck a death blow to the authority of the beast (and the dragon), yet which had been deceptively covered up or restored (for a probable antecedent, see Isa 27:1).-Johnson, A. F. (1981). Revelation. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 526). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. The Roman Empire of John's day was plagued by the divine gospel of Christ, Christianity apparently slew the Beast when it accepted the Word of God, thus the head was slain by the divine Sword of the Lord" (Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12 cp. Rev. 11:5). However, the conversion was in appearance only for the Head returns in the modern version of ancient Rome. As this Beast is empowered by the Dragon and given his authority, the satanic healing is real, not in appearance only. As casting Christianity down is a victory over God, the Dragon takes his place as the object of worship, so also the Beast Kingdom. (Rev. 13:4). As neither the return of Israel nor the resurrection of Christ created such wonder in the whole world, the cause of the world's wonder must lie in the manifestation of the Dragon's power in the Beast: "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2 Thess. 2:9 KJV) This Beast rises up at mid-week, for 42 months its blasphemous "mouth" will rage against God. Just before this time, the restraint of the mystery of lawlessness is taken out of the way---the divine decree Satan's angels couldn't interact physically with humans on earth as they did in Genesis 6. In Rev. 9:1 a star free falls from heaven symbolizing the heavenly restraint being taken out of the way, allowing spiritual wickedness above and demon locusts from beneath invade the earth. For five months demon locust spirits infest the air humans breathe, tormenting and terrorizing reluctant followers of the Antichrist as he transforms into the Beast (Rev. 9:1-10). The rest of mankind are astonished by the appearance of the Nephilim disguised as a friendly extra-terrestrial race. All under the command of the Dragon, who appears physically and stands with his Son of Destruction the Beast and the False prophet (Rev. 16:13-14)---that is the meaning of the flying frogs, miracle working spiritism coupled with a ufo deception deceiving the entire world they can fight against God and win: "Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" (Rev. 13:4 KJV) The great falling away against all called God or worshiped has begun (2 Thess. 2:4), times and Law (Dan. 7:25) have apparently changed; all former religions are now obsolete. In their place, the Beast offers worship to the Dragon, the God of fortresses (Dan. 11:38) whose flying wings of abomination (Dan. 9:27 NKJ) rain down fire (Rev. 13:13) upon all who oppose the Beast.