Hisgalus (Revelation) 13:12:-Who were those that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

 Hisgalus (Revelation) 13:12

12. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence; and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, the one whose fatal wound had been healed.

Commentary

1. Exegesis of the Verse

In the style of Dr. David H. Stern’s Jewish New Testament Commentary (JNTC), this verse exposes the dark unity of the anti-messianic coalition. The phrase "in its presence" (Hebrew: lefanav - before his face) indicates that the second beast acts as the visible agent, prime minister, or high priest of the first beast.

The core strategy of this deceptive entity is to divert the innate human instinct for worship away from Adonai and toward a human, satanically empowered system: the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. The healing of the fatal wound (makkah mavet) is a dark parody of the resurrection of Yeshua. Just as the true Messiah died and rose again to receive all authority from the Father, the first beast undergoes a counterfeit resurrection (a revived global empire or a miraculously preserved ruler), using this supernatural resilience to demand absolute, godlike allegiance.

2. Who Are "Those Who Dwell Therein" (Yoshei HaEretz)?

To understand exactly who is being compelled to worship the beast, we must decode the phrase "those that dwell therein" (or "its inhabitants") from a precise Hebraic and Messianic perspective.

• The Idiom of the "Earth-Dwellers": Throughout Hisgalus, the phrase Yoshei HaEretz (literally "the dwellers of the earth/land") is a technical, spiritual designation. It does not merely mean "anyone alive on the planet." Rather, it refers strictly to those whose hearts, minds, citizenship, and identity are entirely bound to the material world. They are the spiritually unregenerate who are completely anchored in the current world order (Olam HaZeh), as opposed to the citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
• The Gentile Nations (Goyim): In a global context, these are the masses of the international community who are easily swept up by nationalistic, political, and economic idolatry. When they witness the "resurrection" of the beastly system, they exclaim, "Who is like the beast?" (v. 4). Their worship is driven by awe of raw, surviving physical power.
• The Apostate Covenant Community: Because the second beast rises from the Eretz (the land/established religious matrix), the warning hits closer to home. In a localized Hebraic context, Yoshei HaEretz can also hint at those within Israel or the visible body of believers who choose physical comfort, cultural conformity, and political survival over loyalty to the Torah and the Messiah. They are the ones who compromise under pressure, trading the seal of Adonai for the economic stability offered by the beast.

Zohar Light: The Clinging of the "Mixed Multitude"

In Jewish mystical thought, the concept of those who willingly worship the counterfeit resurrection of the beast links deeply to the mystery of the Erev Rav (the Mixed Multitude) mentioned in Exodus 12:38.

1. The Desire for a Visible God: The Zohar (Zohar I, 25a) explains that the Erev Rav were Egyptian sorcerers and opportunists who attached themselves to Israel during the Exodus not out of pure love for Adonai, but because they saw the raw power of the plagues. When Moses delayed on Mount Sinai, it was the Erev Rav who instigated the making of the Golden Calf, demanding a visible, physical god they could control and see.
2. The Parallel to the Healed Wound: "Those who dwell on the earth" possess the exact same spiritual DNA as the Erev Rav. They cannot walk by faith (emunah) in an unseen, resurrected Messiah (Yeshua). Instead, they demand a visible, tangible, political savior. When the first beast's "deadly wound is healed," it provides the ultimate physical spectacle. The Zohar notes that the forces of the sitra achra (the "other side") thrive on physical sight rather than spiritual insight.
3. The Light of the Earthly Vessels: Mystically, "those who dwell on the earth" are vessels that have rejected the Ohr Makif (the surrounding divine light of the world to come) and have chosen to become completely dense, material vessels. Because they lack internal spiritual light, they are instantly magnetized by the false, blinding aura of the resurrected beast. The second beast easily manipulates them because their spiritual sensory organs are entirely calibrated to earthly power, survival, and greed.