The Two Beasts of Revelation 13
Summary:
Revelation 13 discusses two beasts: the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth. These beasts will have great authority at the end of time and use their power to enforce the Beast's mark.
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...And all that dwell upon the
earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life…
And I beheld another
beast coming up out of the
earth; and he had two horns like a
lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first
beast before him, and causeth the
earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first
beast, whose deadly wound was healed…And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a
mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads (Revelation 13:1,8,11-12,16).
This passage describes two beasts that will dominate world events at the end of time. The first arises out of the sea, and the second out of the earth. The second beast causes all that dwell upon the earth to worship the first beast, and in so doing they receive the mark of the Beast. Again, by applying the Biblical definitions to the symbols employed in this great prophecy, we can unravel its mysteries.
The core symbols are beasts, heads, horns, sea, dragon, and earth. A beast represents a king or a kingdom according to Daniel 7:17. The two beasts of Revelation 13 thus represent two kingdoms or political powers that dominate world events in the last days.
The first beast arose out of the sea. Revelation 17:15 tells us that the sea represents “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Therefore the first beast arose from nations (inhabited territory). In contrast, the second beast arises out of the earth, which represents the opposite of nations, multitudes, and kingdoms. Therefore, the second beast must arise in areas of the world where nations, multitudes, and kings were not established (uninhabited territory).
The first beast of Revelation 13 has seven heads and ten horns—and the same attributes as the little horn of Daniel 7.
The second beast of Revelation 13 arises in an area previously not inhabited by great nations. What power does this second beast represent?
Revelation 16 speaks of three powers that would work together to fight a war against God.
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This article is adapted from Truth Matters by Professor Walter J. Veith, an international speaker who has studied Biblical issues in-depth in his quest for truth. His popular series Genesis Conflict brings the debate between Creation and evolution to a new climax as he dissects the arguments with a scientific eye. His highly-acclaimed series Total Onslaught sheds light on the state of the world today as we move to a one-world government and an anticipated apocalypse.
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Protest of the Princes The French Reformation
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Enmity Between Man and Satan
Agency of Evil Spirits Snares of Satan
The First Great Deception
Can Our Dead Speak to Us?
Liberty of Conscience Threatened
The Impending Conflict
The Scriptures a Safeguard The Final Warning
The Time of Trouble God's People Delivered
Desolation of the Earth The Controversy Ended
Persecution in the First Centuries
An Era of Spiritual Darkness The Waldenses
John Wycliffe Huss and Jerome
Luther's Separation From Rome
Luther Before the Diet The Swiss Reformer
Progress of Reform in Germany
Protest of the Princes The French Reformation
The Netherlands and Scandinavia
Later English Reformers
The Bible and the French Revolution
The Pilgrim Fathers Heralds of the Morning
An American Reformer Light Through Darkness
A Great Religious Awakening A Warning Rejected
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In the Holy of Holies God's Law Immutable
A Work of Reform Modern Revivals
Facing Life's Record The Origin of Evil
Enmity Between Man and Satan
Agency of Evil Spirits Snares of Satan
The First Great Deception
Can Our Dead Speak to Us?
Liberty of Conscience Threatened
The Impending Conflict
The Scriptures a Safeguard The Final Warning
The Time of Trouble God's People Delivered
Desolation of the Earth The Controversy Ended
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