Dear Wake Up Family,
In the June edition of Wake Up Events, I applied Larry Wilson’s first rule of apocalyptic prophecy to the four beasts in Daniel and Revelation. This rule states that an apocalyptic prophecy must have a defined beginning and ending point in time, along with a sequence of events that unfold in the order given. We identified that in the three prophecies found in Daniel 7 (the terrible beast), Revelation 12 (the dragon/Satan), and Revelation 13–14, five links create a parallel timing relationship between these prophecies. This month we will examine the descriptions of the four beasts within these prophecies to uncover additional connections between them.
Before we begin to study the scarlet beast in Revelation 17, we need to consider the physical characteristics of the four other beasts and ponder a critical question. Did Daniel and John describe four beasts that were completely unrelated to each other despite being linked by sequences of events and sharing similar characteristics? We previously learned of the timing linkages between these prophecies so let us evaluate the characteristics. The table on the following page outlines the descriptions of four horned beasts found in Daniel and Revelation.
Three elements, the origins, the horns, and the heads, are particularly relevant as we consider the four entities in the table and will assist us when we study the Revelation 17 beast in an upcoming article.
The Origins
The terrible beast came from the sea and rose out of the earth, the dragon came from heaven, the sea beast came from the sea, and the earth beast came out of the earth. The sea or waters in prophecy has traditionally been interpreted as “peoples, multitudes, nations and languages” based on the definition in Revelation 17:15. The reference to heaven as the dragon’s origin is clear since Revelation 12:9 identifies the dragon as the Devil, or Satan. However, the Bible does not seem to provide another verse specifically identifying the meaning of the earth as used in Daniel 7:17 and Revelation 13:11. However, Larry’s Rule 3 of apocalyptic prophecy states that if a prophetic element is thought to be symbolic, a student must consider context, parallel language, and relevant texts to define the symbol.
Characteristics of the First Four Beasts Found in Daniel and Revelation
| Daniel 7 | Revelation 12:1-17 |
Revelation 13:1-10 |
Revelation 13:11-18 |
|
| Name | Terrible Beast | Dragon/Devil/Satan | Sea Beast | Earth Beast |
| Origin | Four beasts came from Sea (Lion/Bear/Leopard/Terrible Beast) but rise from Earth | Red Dragon Comes from Heaven | Combined Leopard/Bear/Feet/Lion Mouth Comes from Sea | Lamb-like Beast Comes from Earth |
| Horns | Ten Horns/Ten Kings | Ten Horns | Ten Horns/Ten Crowns | Two Horns |
| Heads | One Head | Seven Heads/Seven Crowns | Seven Heads/Blasphemous Names, One Head/Fatal Wound Heales | One Head |
| Voice | Frightening, Powerful, Spoke Boastfully | Proud Words Blasphemies | Spoke Like the Dragon or Devil | |
| Actions | Iron Teeth, Crushed Devoured Trampled Victims, Changes Times/Laws Devours Earth, Little Horn/King Uproots Three Horns/Kings | Dragon’s Tail Swept a Third of Stars Out of Heaven to Earth, Dragon Hurled to Earth | Dragon Gives Power/Throne/Great Authority Over All for 42 Months | Has Authority of Sea Beast, Creates Image of Sea Beast, Performs Miracles, Calls Fire from Heaven |
| Impact | Holy People Delivered to Him Times/Time/Half Time | Woman Protected 1,260 Days Time/Times/Half Time | Conquers Holy People | Forced a Mark – 666 |
| Results | Power Handed Back to the Holy People of the Most High | Dragon Wages War with Women’s Offspring | People Worshipped Dragon and Earth Beast | Empowered Earth Beast to Force People to Worship its Image |
| Final Reward | Terrible Beast Slain, Body Destroyed, Thrown Into Fire |
The terrible beast of Daniel 7 came from the sea, or groups of people. Daniel 7:17 also identified it as the fourth king in a series of beasts that rose from the earth. The Lamb-like beast came out of the earth with no reference to a sea of people. The juxtaposition of the beasts coming from the sea but rising from the earth requires further evaluation. A traditional approach has been to identify that earth in the context of the Lamb-like beast means land or a geographic body. However, Daniel clearly described that the fourth beast of Daniel 7 came from groups of people (the sea) and was a king (from the earth). I believe God was trying to make a point through Daniel and John. Each beast of Daniel 7 represented three elements. The first element was the king who politically ruled over subjects (Daniel 7:17). The second element was the subjects of the king, represented by the beast coming out of the sea (Daniel 7:3). The final element was the entity who rose out of the earth. I will return to this beast rising out of the earth after we consider the other entities.
In Revelation 13:1, John describes the beast as coming out of the sea, which according to symbolic interpretation, represents a group of people. This suggests that the sea beast symbolizes a collective entity, rather than a single ruler or king. Using the language of Daniel 7:3, we can infer that this beast is not a single king who rules over subjects. In contrast, when we examine the earth beast in Revelation 13:11, Daniel 7 provides further insight to help us understand its significance. Daniel 7:17 explains that the beasts who arose out of the earth symbolize great kings. Since the earth beast did not rise out of the sea, it does not directly represent a group of people. Instead, Revelation 13:11–17 portrays the earth beast’s actions as those of a king, emphasizing its role as an individual rather than a nation or a group of people.
The earth beast creates an image to the sea beast and enforces its mark. These beasts, or kings, arise from the earth and their actions suggest evil intent. The term earth in the context of these beasts may be related to the Greek word abyssos which is significant for this study. In the New Testament context, abyssos is often translated as abyss or bottomless pit, a place associated with the confinement of evil spirits. This imagery implies that earth means a shaft or a pit in the ground where they are confined. This interpretation aligns with the ancient Jewish concept of tehom, a dwelling place for spirits, which corresponds to the idea of the Abyss as a subterranean realm. Most biblical references to the Abyss are found in Revelation, where it is associated with an evil beast or angel that is released from or confined to this realm.
The Horns
Remember, the terrible beast arose from the earth and was identified as a king. In Daniel 7:24, the ten horns on this beast are defined as ten kings who come from the same kingdom (terrible beast). This imagery is echoed in Revelation 12–13 with the dragon and the sea beast, suggesting the horns on the dragon and sea beast also symbolize ten kings or political entities. Notably, crowns are on the ten horns of the sea beast, unlike the horns of the terrible beast. The earth beast, however, has two horns, making a significant change from the earlier beasts. In Revelation 5:6, John described the Lamb of God as having seven horns which indicates perfection or completeness. This suggests that references to horns in Revelation do not always represent kings. For the earth beast, two horns could imply a semblance of authority or power that imitates the true Lamb but falls short of divine perfection. Furthermore, the absence of crowns on the earth beast’s two horns indicates a lack of kingly power beyond what exists in the beast itself. Therefore, if the Bible does not explain the symbolism of the horns in a particular prophecy, we lack specific information to define them.
The Heads
The earth beast is described as having one head while the dragon had seven heads, each wearing a crown. In a later vision, John notes that the crowns were not on the heads of the sea beast, but had shifted to its horns. In John’s vision of the earth beast, the lamb-like beast has one head. The Bible provides clues to help decipher the symbolism of the heads in Revelation 13 and 17.
- Each head bears a blasphemous name. (Revelation 13:1)
- One of the heads had been wounded and healed. (Revelation 13:3)
- The beast is given a mouth to blaspheme God. (Revelation 13:5)
- The seven heads are seven mountains or hills. (Revelation 17:9)
- The seven heads are seven kings. (Revelation 17:10)
- Five of the seven heads have fallen. (Revelation 17:10)
- One head is. (Revelation 17:10)
- Another head is yet to come. (Revelation 17:10)
- The beast that ascends out of the Abyss will be the eighth king and is a companion of the seven heads. (Revelation 17:8, 11)
These clues are essential for us to understand the meaning of the heads of the beasts in Revelation 12 and 13 as well as the beasts in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17. A crucial aspect of this analysis is determining the time frame relevant to the Revelation 17 vision. Revelation 17:10 references times in the past, present, and future which leads to varying interpretations. A student of prophecy must identify the exact point in time Revelation 17 refers to before determining the previously fallen, current, and future heads of the beast. Prophetic expositors have not reached a consensus on the exact timing of the present head (is) in Revelation 17:10, but many concur that the heads of the Revelation 17 beast represent political entities (which may include papal Rome).
We can start evaluating the clues by examining Revelation 13:1, which reveals that each of these heads had a blasphemous name. This suggests that these heads have a religious nature and claim divine authority. One of these heads, representing Christianity/Catholicism, was wounded in 1798 when Napoleon captured the pope, but it has since healed. If this head symbolizes a religious system, it follows that the other heads also represent religious systems. While Revelation 17:9 could be interpreted to mean political powers, the Bible often uses mountains or hills to symbolize religious bodies. The number seven, as in seven heads, signifies completeness, such as seven colors in the rainbow or seven days in a week. The ancients often considered hills and mountains to be God’s sacred dwellings and placed temples in those locations. The Bible frequently refers to Israel as Mount Zion, my holy hill, or my holy mountain (see Daniel 9:16, 20; Psalm 2:6, 15:1, 24:3; Joel 2:1, 3:17; Zephaniah 3:11). Currently, there are seven major religious systems in the world, symbolized by seven hills, as people look to these systems for knowledge and understanding of God.
Revelation 17:10 describes the heads as seven kings, indicating they have dominions and subjects who obey these religious systems as a way of serving God. The next clue involves the timing of the prophecy. The religious systems represented by the heads should encompass the world’s entire population, so we must think globally when considering these systems. By combining the blasphemous nature of these religious systems with the timing, we can establish when the vision applies. At the time of John’s vision, five heads had fallen. The term fallen could mean overthrown, but it also could mean brought down or shown to be false (see Revelation 14:8 for a parallel). Only one historical event could have exposed entire religious systems as false; the physical coming of Jesus to earth. Through His life and death, Jesus revealed Heathenism (man creates his own gods), Judaism (which rejected Jesus), Eastern Religions (man can become God), Islam (which denies Jesus is God), and Atheism (which denies God’s existence) as anti-Christ and blasphemous. This message’s timing could only have been relevant in John’s day.
The angel also told John in Revelation 17:10 that one religious system “is” and another “is yet to come.” The religious systems are listed in the following table. The religious system that began and existed in John’s day was Christianity which later evolved into Catholicism. Over 17 centuries, Satan gained control of the Christian church. After the Catholic Church’s fall in 1798, a new religious system will emerge and “remains for a little while.” However, Revelation 13:3 indicates that the sea beast with the fatal wound will experience a miraculous recovery and will again play a significant role in end-time events.
World Religions From John’s Perspective in AD 95
Religious Systems
| Heads have Fallen | One Is | One is Yet to Come |
| Atheism | Christianity/Catholicism | A New Religious System |
| Heathenism | ||
| Eastern Religions | ||
| Islam | ||
| Judaism |
This month, we have examined the origins, the horns, and the heads of four beasts described in Daniel and Revelation. In the next study, we will explore patterns of repetition, enlargement, and progression within the prophetic elements. Although this subject is complex, we can take comfort in knowing that God used Daniel and John to provide us with important insights that remain relevant even 2,500 years after Daniel wrote about the first beast.
Marty
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