Beasts

Revelation


We really need to take what we've learned and apply it to throughout, in so doing a small recap is necessary here-

(From Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith)

The sea is a symbol of "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17: 15.
A beast is the Bible symbol of a nation or power. It sometimes represents the civil power alone, and sometimes the ecclesiastical in connection with civil.
Whenever a beast is seen to come up out of the sea, it denotes that the power arises in a thickly populated territory.
If the winds are represented as blowing upon the sea, as in Daniel 7: 2, 3, political commotion, civil strife, and revolution are indicated.


*******

...
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.
...


Another beast is seen by John as he stood on the sand of the sea- the sea shore. If the sea represents a lot of people, John is standing on the outskirts of this land watching. He sees a beast- a power rising up from the multitudes and this power had seven heads. Seven kingdoms, and with ten horns. Seven heads should have seven horns right, but this beast has seven heads with ten horns. Seven kingdoms with ten leaders, and ten crowns - ten victories for those ten leaders. Upon his heads... the beasts seven heads there is the name of blasphemy. A single name on all the heads- the name for all of them, blasphemy.

Dict. Def.

blasphemy (blàs´fe-mê) noun
plural blasphemies
1.a. A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity. b. The act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God.
2.An irreverent or impious act, attitude, or utterance in regard to something considered inviolable or sacrosanct.

Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary


This beast is clearly not Godly in any way shape or form other than perhaps anti-godly. This beast with its seven heads-all blasphemous. When you have label on something it's named. This beast is named.


...
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
...


Interesting to note this is a non-descript beast meaning it's not just a lion, not just a bear, not just a leopard, it's a composite of them all. It looks like a leopard and yet the feet of this leopard looking beast are those of a bear, and the leopard looking beast's mouth was like that of a lion. Another interesting note- where else are these beasts mentioned?


Daniel--
{7:1} In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters.
{7:2} Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
{7:3} And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
{7:4} The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
{7:5} And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
{7:6} After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
{7:7} After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.
{7:8} 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.

A lion,
A bear,
A leopard,
A non-descript beast.


Backwards, single beast in Revelation 13 is described with attributes of these individual beasts in Daniel 7, only backwards. The leopard- like description first then the feet of the bear, and then a mouth of a lion. Very interesting!


The powers, the kingdoms, the rulers of the multitude of people are corrupt- blasphemous and yet we have many in leadership positions that claim to be God-fearing. They're liars! Blasphemous. Rulers that have nothing to do with the true church, God's people.


...
and the dragon gave him his power,
and his seat,
and great authority.
...


This composite beast is given power by whom? The dragon! The Devil! The devil gives this beast power and not only power but his SEAT and GREAT AUTHORITY.


We need to study this stuff closely, very closely to understand what is going on. The Revelation wasn't given to us for no reason. We are blessed if we read and keep it. With history our key, and God as our guide we can understand. By the mercy and grace of Jesus our lives are His and we need to believe in Him and His love for us. What we need to understand we will understand through the Holy Spirit's guidance.


Let's not cover our eyes and choose not to see just because we don't like what is being revealed.


In Jesus now and forever.


Amen.