Prophecy - 97

Let's take a closer look at the beasts.


Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast (((FIRST BEAST HERE)))) 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.
Rev 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.
Rev 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.


Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast (((SECOND BEAST HERE))))coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he SPAKE AS A DRAGON.
Rev 13:12 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.


From the study we did a few days ago-

The commonality between the first beast and the dragon is further heightened in the imagery.
Both have seven heads and ten horns (12:3; 13:1)


Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast (((FIRST BEAST HERE)))) 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.

However, there is a movement of one item in the symbols; the crowns are placed on the "horns" of the first beast, rather than remaining on the "heads."


It must also be kept in mind that the book of Revelation presents a third beast with seven heads and ten horns. (17:3) No crowns are seen on this symbolism either on the "heads" or the "horns."


Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.


What is this telling us? If a "crown" is symbolic of reigning, then the "dragon" is portrayed as functioning through its seven heads from the time of the first gospel promise to the time of, and including the war with the "remnant of her seed."

(((We really have to note this- The DRAGON functions through its SEVEN heads from the first gospel until the very end.))))

The first beast of Revelation 13, would then be operating at the time of the reigning of "the ten horns."

(((The first beast has the crowns on its horns NOT its head. This beast the FIRST beast in Rev. 13 will function during the reigning of the 10 horns.))))

To further identify this beast, the description is closely associated with the vision given to Daniel (Chap. 7). The lion, the bear, and the leopard are followed by a nondescript beast.

In Revelation 13, the nondescript beast is a COMPOSITE, "like unto a LEOPARD, and his feet were as the feet of a BEAR, and his mouth as the mouth of a LION" (v. 2). This is the exact order as found in Daniel 7, only REVERSED. In the vision to Daniel, he saw that the dominion of the three beasts was "taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time." (7:12).

The symbolic representation in Revelation 13, tells us that the lives of the three beasts of Daniel 7 lived on in the first beast.

(((It's true that even today we STILL have the history of the great kingdoms that have affected each other one after the other and so on. Today people know about Babylon- they know about Medo-Persia, they know about Greece- THESE are facts, THESE are real parts of our history and lives no one can deny this- no one.))))

We must next turn our attention to the seven heads. What do they represent?

The span of Revelation 12 covers the time from the first gospel promise made in Eden till the war against the "remnant of her seed."

Genesis gives the beginning of the first nation or peoples through whom this promised "seed" would be realized. (Gen. 12:3; 21:12)

Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Gen 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

They were to go into bondage. (Gen. 15:13-15)

Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Gen 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Gen 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

This defiant power - EGYPT - was the first power to seek to "devour" the people of God. Pharaoh was the "son of Ra," one of the sun gods of Egypt. The symbolisms of Egypt used to represent their sun gods, as noted in the previous study of Revelation 12, was the "serpent of fire" around a sun disc.

From the first attempt to destroy the people of God through whom the Promised Seed would come, there were five powers to John's day -

Egypt
Assyria
Babylon
Medo-Persia
Grecia

The power of John's day was Rome, another was yet to come. (Rev. 17:10)

Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

At this point, we need to determine how we are to understand prophecy.
Do we place the count, "five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come," as beginning in our day, or do we understand it to be in the time frame of John to whom the statement was made?

There is another problem however, the seventh head was "to continue a short space."
If the sixth head is pagan Rome, and the seventh, papal Rome, we have the seventh head continuing for a longer period than any of the previous six heads which the wording of the definitive statement will not permit.

The book of Daniel in the visions as recorded in Chapters 7 & 8, present both pagan and papal Rome as one continuous power.

The "little horn" of Daniel 7, ever remains in and is nourished by the nondescript beast (7:8).

Further this beast is pictured as continuing "till ... slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." (7:11)

Dan 7:11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

The problem then is to interrelate all of this data to the first beast of Revelation 13, for it is this beast along with the second which are consigned to "the burning flame" (Rev. 19:20).

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

There is another textual relating between symbols which must be considered.


The first beast of Revelation 13 is "to act, or work" (Gr.- poiesai) his will "forty and two months." (13:5) The only other place where this same time period of prophecy is indicated is Chapter 11:2. There the "holy city" is to be "tread under foot forty and two months."

Rev 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.

The next verse (11:3) speaks of the "two witnesses" prophesying in sackcloth 1260 days.

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth

As noted in exegeting Chapter 12, this time period is identical in terminology with the time period that the woman was to be in the wilderness.

It can be shown that all of these time periods -

Daniel 7:25
Revelation 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; and 13:5 - are equal and apply to the same period.

Why then this differentiation?
Is it for interpretive purposes so that we can put together the various symbolisms?
Is it saying that the first beast of Revelation 13 is the power involved with the work described in Rev. 11:2; and the woman of Revelation 12 has a connection with "the two witnesses"?
If this be so, then there is some "knittng" back and forth between the last section of Revelation and Chapter 11, which must be considered.

More tomorrow by the grace of God!

We need understanding and all this will help us to understand through the Holy Spirit's guidance.

There are a lot of questions as we noted already and hopefully there will be answers, all the answers we need.

In Christ!


Amen.