Two Beasts of Revelation

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Overview.

This first beast is a counterfeit of the ministry of Jesus Christ. There are several parallel characteristics such as Jesus came up out of the water at His baptism to begin His ministry, it lasted 3 1/2 years, He received a deadly wound on the cross, His wound was healed at His resurrection, and the whole world wondered (still talking about Jesus after 2000 years). 

 

The first beast of Revelation 13 comes up out of the water (Revelation 13:1), lasts 3 1/2 years prophetically (Revelation 13:5 - 42 months which is 3 1/2 years), receives a deadly wound (Revelation 13:3), the wound is eventually healed (Revelation 13:3), and the whole world wondered (Revelation 13:3).1 

 

This counterfeit of Jesus Christ also receives its authority from the dragon, just as Jesus receives His authority from the Father, John 5:26-27, “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”; Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

 

Just as the first beast counterfeits Jesus, the dragon (Satan) counterfeits God the Father. Satan wants to receive worship like God and to be like God. Isaiah 14:13-14 says, “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” 

 

To complete the counterfeit trinity of the Godhead the “land beast promotes the interests of the sea beast, just as the Holy Spirit glorified not Himself but Jesus (John 16:13-14). Also, just as the Holy Spirit performed a powerful act in bringing down “fire” from heaven (Acts 2:1-3 and also Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16), the land beast performs something similar (see Revelation 13:13).”2 “At the end, the land beast performs a counterfeit of Pentecost! For what purpose? To prove to the world that the counterfeit trinity is the true God.”3 

 

The Bible says that God is a consuming fire, Hebrews 12:29, “For our God is a consuming fire.”

 

Deuteronomy 4:24, “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”

 

Deuteronomy 9:3, “Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.”

 

2 Thessalonians 2:8, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”

 

Psalm 18:8, “There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.”

 

Psalm 97:3, “A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.” 

 

Just as God used fire at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-3), Satan will use fire to counterfeit the experience at the true Pentecost with a false revival. 

 

The first and second beasts of Revelation are tied to the Abomination of Desolation as spoken of by Daniel.4

 

From Revelation 12 to Revelation 13:10, the Bible describes the character of Satan and the counterfeit Zion (a counterfeit congregation having the characteristics of Satan), Psalm 48:1-2; Isaiah 4:5-6; Isaiah 33:20; Ezekiel 37:26-28; But in the beginning of Revelation 14 we get a description of the true Zion and the true character of God.5

 

It is important to understand the symbolism used in the dreams and visions of Daniel chapter 2 and Daniel chapter 7, because that will make it easier to understand the symbolism used in Revelation chapter 13, since John drew heavily from the book of Daniel. 

 

In Daniel 2:1-13, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that he knows is important but can’t fully remember, so he commands his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to tell him the dream and then provide the interpretation, Daniel 2:2-4. The wise men of the kingdom were unable to do these two tasks requested by the king, so he orders all the wise men of the kingdom to be killed, Daniel 2:11-13.

 

Daniel is an Israelite captive taken to Babylon to be a wise man (counselor) after Jerusalem is conquered by Babylon, Daniel 1:1-4. After the death decree goes forth, Daniel asks for time to gain the interpretation, Daniel 2:14-16. Then Daniel went to his house and prayed to God for the wisdom of the dream and interpretation, Daniel 2:17-18. 

 

God gives Daniel the dream and the interpretation, Daniel 2:19. He then goes before the king to give him the secret that God had revealed, Daniel 2:26-28. 

 

Daniel then tells the king the dream, Daniel 2:29-35. The dream is of a great image (statue) made of four metals, which consisted of a head of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass (bronze), the legs of iron, and the feet of both iron and clay, Daniel 2:31-33. Daniel then explains that there was a stone that struck the image and broke it to pieces and the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth, Daniel 2:34-35.

 

Daniel then gives king Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of the dream, Daniel 2:36-45. 

 

The head of gold is the kingdom of Babylon, Daniel 2:38.

 

The breast and arms of silver represent another kingdom (Medo-Persia), Daniel 2:39. Medo-Persia is identified by name in Daniel chapter 5 as the kingdom that conquers Babylon, Daniel 5:28. 

 

The belly and thighs of brass (bronze) represent another kingdom (Greece), Daniel 2:39. The kingdom of Greece is identified by name in Daniel chapter 8 as the kingdom that conquers Medo-Persia, Daniel 8:20-21. 

 

The legs of iron represent another kingdom (Roman Empire), Daniel 2:40. From history we know that the next major world kingdom that controlled or contained the territory of the Israelites was the Roman Empire.   

 

In Daniel chapter 7, Daniel has a dream and visions of four beasts, Daniel 7:1-7. This dream parallels the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, but instead of an image of metals this vision uses the symbolism of a beast to represent the same thing. In Daniel 2 the metals represented kingdoms and in Daniel 7 the beasts represent the same four kingdoms. 

 

The lion represents Babylon, Daniel 7:4. In Daniel 2 it was represented as the head of gold.

 

The bear represents Medo-Persia, Daniel 7:5. In Daniel 2 it was represented as the chest and arms of silver. 

 

The leopard represents Greece, Daniel 7:6. In Daniel 2 it was represented as the belly and thighs of brass.

 

The dreadful and terrible beast represents the Roman Empire, Daniel 7:7. In Daniel 2 it was represented as the legs of iron. Here it has iron teeth which helps to make the connection to the legs of iron in Daniel 2. 

 

Daniel is given this vision to expand on the initial vision given to king Nebuchadnezzar. This follows the principle of repeat and enlarge which is used throughout the Bible, but especially in prophecy. In this new vision which covers the four kingdoms, it expands by giving a vision of the end time Antichrist (as described in Revelation 13:1-10), Daniel 7:8. See the study called, The Antichrist (The Roman Catholic Church System).

 

The same beasts mentioned in Daniel 7 are mentioned in Revelation 13:2, a leopard, a bear and a lion. The beasts in Revelation 13:2 are mentioned in reverse order because at this point John was looking back in history and when Daniel wrote his book he was looking forward in history. 

 

It is highly recommended to read Daniel chapters 1, 2 and 7. Chapter 1 is included just to give a good overview of how Daniel ended up in Babylon and his faithfulness to God. 

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This chart is taken from Pastor Stephen Bohr's series called, "From the Close of Probation to the New Earth", which is a part of his Anchor School of Theology classes. The entire series can be found on the Secrets Unsealed app and YouTube channel.  

 

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The First Beast of Revelation 13.

Verses 1-10, and 18 describe the first beast of Revelation which is the antichrist of end time events. See the study called, The Antichrist (The Roman Catholic Church System) for additional details.

 

Note: The word antichrist is mentioned five times in the Bible and never in the Book of Revelation or Daniel. The word antichrist is found in 1 John 2:18 (twice), 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3, and 2 John 1:7. These verses tell us many things about antichrist such as, there are many antichrists, they existed in the time of John the apostle, and they denied Jesus Christ. Most of those five references to the antichrist do not refer to THE antichrist of end time events. There is only one antichrist power that is involved in end time events and that is the papal system, which is described primarily in Revelation 13, 17-18, Daniel 7, 2 Thessalonians, and a few other places in the Bible. Although the word antichrist is not used in those chapters, the concept and characteristics of this end time power is fully described and revealed.

 

 

• Revelation 13:1, And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

 

13V1-2: You have the lion, bear and leopard (in verse 2) which represents Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, which is the Old Testament timeframe. 

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13V1: Sea = Populated area. Revelation 17:15 says, “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” See notes at the beginning of the next section (The Second Beast of Revelation 13) for an explanation of the symbols used in Daniel 2 and 7.

 

13V1: Beast = Kingdom (nation). Daniel 7:17, 23 says, “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.”

 

13V1: Seven heads = Are seven successive kingdoms (civil power) which have been controlled by the harlot or apostate religion. It is also referred to as seven mountains, Revelation 17:9, “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.”

 

Mountains = Kingdoms. When the verse refers to the seven heads as seven mountains, it is actually saying seven kingdoms. Then in the very next verse it says ‘seven kings’ to make the point clear. 

 

Daniel 2:34-35, 44, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

 

Jeremiah 51:25, “Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.”

 

Micah 4:1, “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.”

 

“The seven heads are seven forms of civil power which successively bear rule. These seven heads belong alike to the dragon of Revelation 12, the beast of chapter 13, and that of Revelation 17. This shows conclusively that the dragon and these two beasts are symbols of the same power under different heads; for there are not three sets of seven heads, but it is evident that the heads are successive forms of its power, one of them bearing rule at a time, and then giving place to another (Revelation 17:9, 10). The proper period of each seems to be this: The dragon before the 1260 years, the beast of chapter 13 during that period, and the beast of chapter 17 since the deadly wound and captivity at the close of that period.” (J. N. Andrews, The Three Messages of Revelation XIV, 6-12, pages 77-78)

 

13V1: Ten Horns = Ten Kings, Revelation 17:12; Daniel 7:8, 24-25, ten nations of Europe when Western Rome fell; Alemanni (Germany); Franks (French); Saxons (English); Visigoths (Spanish); Burgundians (Swiss); Lombards (Italians); Suevi (Portuguese); Heruli, Vandals & Ostrogoths (now extinct).6

 

13V1: “All three beasts have seven heads and ten horns, which represent the sum total of heads and horns of the beasts of Daniel 7.”7 The three beasts are in Revelation 12:3, here in 13:1-3, and 17:3 and are the dragon, the sea beast, and the scarlet beast respectively. This also reinforces the concept that the book of Daniel and Revelation go hand in hand. The seven heads in Daniel 7 are the lion, bear, four headed leopard, and the terrible beast. 

 

13V1: Crowns = Kings, Daniel 7:24. So these horns definitely refer to kingdoms since they have crowns. 

 

13V1: Blasphemy = When a man claims to be God (John 10:30-33) & when a man claims to be able to perform the works of God (or manifest in his works the power of God) (John 10:36-39), also includes the claim to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7); 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Sits as God…showing himself that he is God; 2 Thessalonians 2:9, Power, signs, and lying wonders which is a counterfeit of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:22); Daniel 7:25 (Revelation 13:5 explains that pompous words = blasphemy; Daniel 11:36, The king = Revolutionary France.8

 

13V1: Name of blasphemy (or blasphemous names); Name = Title, Revelation 19:16 (names and titles are synonymous in the Bible). The name or title of this beast is a blasphemous name. The Pope has been referred to as the Vicar of Christ, which means in the place of Christ, which is a blasphemous title. For a fuller explanation see the study at the end of the chapter called, The Antichrist (The Roman Catholic Church System).  

 

 

• Revelation 13:2, And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 

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13V2: The Dragon working through the beast which is imperial Rome from 4 BC to 31 AD (the life of Jesus). 

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13V2: Leopard = Greece; bear = Medo-Persia; lion = Babylon, see Daniel 7:4-6; 8:20-21 (matches vision in Daniel 2). This beast has characteristics or remnants of the kingdoms that existed before the current kingdom. 

 

13V2: Leopard = Characteristics of Greece (idolatry, human philosophy or reasoning/a focus on man, superstitions and spirituality or paganism) and doesn’t change, Acts 17:15-23; Jeremiah 13:23.9 Since this first beast has a leopard’s body, then the antichrist would have these same characteristics of idolatry, a focus on man, superstitions and spirituality. Does the Catholic system fit this description, the answer is yes. The Catholic Church has so much idolatry in its system of worship that they had to do away with the second commandment that dealt with idolatry. The entire system is focused on a man (the pope) and man made traditions instead of the Bible. The Catholic system is full of superstitions, spirituality and even paganism like Sunday worship, using beads, repetitive prayers, and the sign of the cross.

 

13V2: Bear = A charging and destructive power, Proverbs 28:15; Hosea 13:8; Forced worship, Daniel 6. This kingdom or nation will have the characteristics of being ruthless to the people (which could point to persecution) and it will try to enforce a certain type of worship on the population (forced worship). More specifically, forced Sunday worship which is not the Sabbath of the Bible which is Saturday. The Catholic Church system has been a persecuting power, see the 1260 year prophecy in Annex C. 

 

13V2: Lion = Powerful king (church and state united), Forced worship, Daniel 3. This kingdom or nation will unite church and state and will enact forced worship (which will be Sunday worship). Most kings were also the head of the church and were therefore the head of the church and the civil government. The Pope is the “king” of the Vatican which is an independent and sovereign nation. So the papal power and the Vatican is the union of church and state where the pope has complete power and authority. 

 

13V2: John sees these kingdoms in reverse order, leopard, bear, lion, because he’s looking backward into history. Daniel lists them as lion, bear, leopard, because he’s looking forward in history.

 

13V2: Dragon = Satan, see also Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2. Satan = Former name was Lucifer. Before Satan fell from heaven, his given name as an angel of light and as one of the two covering cherubs on either side of God’s throne was Lucifer, Ezekiel 28:14-19; Isaiah 14:12-14. Satan is the dragon in Revelation 13:2 and is the one working through the first beast of chapter 13. Satan was the one working through the serpent in the garden of Eden, Genesis 3:1-15.

 

13V2: Power, and his seat, and great authority = The first beast of Revelation 13 has great power and authority because of the dragon, which is Satan which is working through this beast. The seat = Satan’s throne which is a counterfeit of God’s throne. Satan wanted to sit in the congregation and receive worship, Isaiah 14:13. So Satan gave his throne to the first beast which receives worship. This is in effect receiving worship on behalf of Satan. This is one of the reasons why it is very important to understand who or what this first beast is to avoid worshipping Satan either directly or indirectly. The throne is in the Vatican and is the papal system. 

 

 

• Revelation 13:3, 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.

 

13V3-10: This is the timeframe of Papal Rome and the 1260 year prophecy (42 months in verse 5). 

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13V3: Wounded = In 1798 the Pope was put into exile by General Berthier (Napoleon’s army), Daniel 7:24-25. This Pope died in captivity and many believed that the papacy’s power had been crushed for good. 

 

13V3: Wound healed = This has not yet been fully accomplished and will not be fulfilled until the Pope regains full civil and religious supremacy around the world;

• 1798, Wound began

• 1870, Lost power to Italy

• 1929, (11 Feb), Lateran Treaty, regained sovereignty (healing started)

• 2013, (11 Feb), Pope Benedict XVI resigns to allow full healing

• 2017, (31 Oct), End of Protestant Reformation according to the papacy; regaining religious supremacy around the world (wound continuing to heal)

• Once the false prophet (United States of America) makes an image to the beast as described in Revelation 13:11-18, then will the Papacy fully regain its civil power and authority and persecution will begin.10 

 

13V3: All the world = Only means the lost (those that don’t have their names written in the Book of Life. Revelation 17:8 says, “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not…and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world…”

 

13V3: Wondered = Miracles (false Christ), Revelation 13:13-14, deceived by miracles; Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 15-30.

 

 

• Revelation 13:4, 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?

 

13V4: Worshipped the dragon = Worshipping Satan indirectly (those that are deceived). Because Satan is the power behind the beast, then by worshipping the beast people are indirectly worshipping the dragon, which is Satan. 

 

13V4: Worshipped the beast = Worshipping in the false church.

 

 

• Revelation 13:5, And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

 

13V5: Mouth = A man at the head. Daniel 7:8 says, “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”

 

13V5: Great things = Speaking against God (also translated as proud boasting, haughty, and arrogant). Daniel 11:36 says, “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.”

 

13V5: Blasphemies = Make thyself God & Forgive sins, John 10:30-33; Mark 2:5-7; Daniel 11:36.

 

13V5: Forty and two months = Persecution for 1260 years. Daniel 7:24-25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2; 11:3; 12:6; 12:14.

 

 

• Revelation 13:6, And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

 

13V6: Name = Character. Exodus 33:18-19; 34:5-7, “And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

 

So God passed by Moses and showed His glory and name and then proceeded to proclaim His character. God’s name is His character. 

 

Psalm 138:2, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”

 

Other names that describe aspects of God’s character;11

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• Adonai = The God who is in charge, Genesis 15:2.

• Yahweh = The God who is always there, Genesis 2:4.

• Elohim = The Creator God, Genesis 1:1.

• El Shaddai = The Almighty God, Genesis 17:1.

• El Elyon = The Most High God, Genesis 14:19.

• El Olam = The Everlasting God, Genesis 21:33.

• El Roi = The God who sees, Genesis 16:13.

• Abba = The God who is our daddy, Mark 14:36.

 

13V6: Tabernacle = Tent/Sanctuary.

 

 

• Revelation 13:7, And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

 

13V7: Make war with the saints = A persecuting power, Daniel 7:24-25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2; 11:3; 12:6; 12:14; 13:5.

 

13V7: Saints = All Christians/believers, 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1.

 

13V7: All kindreds, and tongues, and nations = A world power (civil power). This persecuting power will combine religious and civil power. 

 

 

• Revelation 13:8, And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

 

13V8: All = The wicked (names not written in the book of life).

 

13V8: Book of Life = One of several books in the Bible, Book of Iniquities, Jeremiah 2:22; Book of Remembrance, Malachi 3:16; Book of Life, Revelation 3:5, 20:12.

 

13V8: Lamb = Jesus Christ. Revelation 15:3 says, “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”; 1 Peter 1:19 says, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…”; John 1:29 says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” and verse 36 says something similar, “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”

 

13V8: Foundation of the world = The plan of salvation was implemented shortly after creation when Adam and Eve fell, but the plan was developed right before creation, Genesis 3:21.

 

 

• Revelation 13:9, If any man have an ear, let him hear.

 

 

• Revelation 13:10, He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

 

13V10: Into captivity = Refers to Pope taken into captivity and put into exile in 1798.

 

13V10: Killeth with the sword = Persecuted the saints (see verses 5 and 7); military power of General Berthier took the Pope into captivity (wounded by civil power, verse 3). When the beast was wounded in verse 3 it was referring to this event of General Berthier taking the Pope into captivity. Killeth with the sword means that the papacy persecuted the saints for 1,260 years during the dark ages and through the inquisition (only one of the many instruments used). The sword represents civil power. The papacy used its civil power and authority to persecute those involved in the reformation. The deadly wound will not be healed as stated in verse 3 until the Papacy regains its civil power and authority. Once that happens, then persecution will begin again.12 A second possible understanding of this verse: This can also mean that the first beast killed (spiritually) by perverting the word of God and by teaching false doctrines and then was “killed with the sword” which was the Protestant Reformation; Two-edged sword = The Old and New Testament (the bible), Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17.13

 

13V10: Patience of the saints (also in Revelation 14:12) = Has to do with the calm, faith-empowered endurance of adversity and tribulation on the part of God’s people; Romans 5:3-4 (tribulation worketh patience); 2 Peter 1:5-7 (add to your faith…patience); James 1:3-4 (trying of your faith worketh patience); Revelation 3:10 (kept the word of my patience); James 5:10-11 (prophets…suffering affliction, and of patience); Job 13:15 (Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him).14

 

13V1-10: These verses describe the first beast of Revelation which is the antichrist of end time events. See the study called, The Antichrist (The Roman Catholic Church System).