The Beast (Revelation)

It speaks blasphemous words against God, will rule the world for 42 months (Revelation 13:5-7), and is described as resembling a leopard, a lion, and a bear— which are three of the animals in Daniel 7.

It suffers a fatal head wound which is miraculously healed, bewildering the world's population and causing many to worship it.

[5] These two beasts are ultimately defeated by Christ and thrown into the lake of fire mentioned in Revelation 19:18–20, while Satan, the dragon, is imprisoned in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.

In Revelation, the "many waters" on which the harlot sits are explained as "peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues" (Rev 17:1, 15).

(3½ times = 3½ years = 42 months) The Beast from the Earth is primarily described in Revelation chapter thirteen.

[6] His purpose is to promote the authority of the Sea Beast with the ability to perform great signs, even making fire come down out of Heaven.

"[10] Those who dwell on the earth are deceived into making an image [interpreted as a statue] of the Sea Beast as a means to worship its authority.

[11] Those who are killed for not conforming to the authority of the Sea Beast are blessed through the "first resurrection" that allows them to rule in Christ's presence as priests during the one thousand-year reign.

The second death has no power over these individuals who were victorious over the beast[12] by not being deceived, even though they lost their lives on Earth by his authority.

And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

[20] Preterism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets prophecies of the Bible, especially the Books of Daniel and Revelation, by reference to events that had already happened.

Preterist academic scholars generally identify the first beast from the sea with the Roman Empire, particularly with Emperor Nero.

Nero and Caligula "abandoned all reserve" in promoting emperor worship—they were the only two who demanded divine honors while still alive.

Tacitus records the scene in Rome when the persecution of Christians (or Chrestians)[28] broke out: "And their death was aggravated with mockeries, insomuch that, wrapped in the hides of wild beasts, they were torn to pieces by dogs, or fastened to crosses to be set on fire, that when the darkness fell they might be burned to illuminate the night.

[30] According to Suetonius, to the surprise of the world, "the empire which for a long time had been unsettled and, as it were, drifting through the usurpation and violent death of three emperors, was at last taken in and given stability by the Flavian family".

[31] This may be a reference to the mortal wound on one of the heads of the beast "inflicted by the sword" which was later healed (Revelation 13:3, 13:14).

John did not expect his readers "who had understanding" to have any difficulty identifying the beast, since they could simply calculate the meaning of this number: "Neron Kaisar" (Νερων Καισαρ the Greek rendering, documented by archaeological finds), transliterated into Hebrew נרון קסר (Nrwn Qsr).

When using standard mispar hechrechi[verification needed] encoding of gematria, adding the corresponding values yields 666, as shown: The variant number 616 found in some manuscripts of the Greek text of Revelation may represent the alternative Hebrew spelling נרו קסר (Nrw Qsr) based on the Latin form "Nero Caesar".

[37] According to this interpretation, the beast and false prophet were most commonly identified with the papacy in its political and religious aspects.

Adventists have interpreted the number of the beast, 666, as corresponding to a Latin title Vicarius Filii Dei of the pope.

[39] In The United States in the Light of Prophecy he wrote, The pope wears upon his pontifical crown in jeweled letters, this title: "Vicarius Filii Dei", "Viceregent of the Son of God"; the numerical value of which title is just six hundred and sixty-six.

[41] Uriah Smith maintained his interpretation in the various editions of Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, which was influential in the church.

[42] The beast from the earth has also been interpreted as the Islamic prophet Muhammed, according to some medieval Christians, particularly Pope Innocent III;[43] Saracens and Antipopes, according to other medieval Christians, particularly Joachim of Fiore;[44] and the government of the United States of America (this is the view of the Seventh-day Adventist Church).

[50] This is a common viewpoint of modern Christian scholars such as Gregory Beale in his New International Greek Testament Commentary on the Book of Revelation.

Similarly, in some idealist circles, it is suggested that the beast represents different social injustices, such as exploitation of workers,[53] wealth, the elite, commerce,[54] materialism, and imperialism.

He is, in modern parlance, the ideology – whether religious, philosophical, or political which 'gives breath to' any human social structure organized independently of God.

[citation needed] St. Augustine of Hippo takes a more Idealist interpretation when he writes: And what this beast is, though it requires a more careful investigation, yet it is not inconsistent with the true faith to understand it of the ungodly city itself, and the community of unbelievers set in opposition to the faithful people and the city of God.

For to this beast belong not only the avowed enemies of the name of Christ and His most glorious city, but also the tares which are to be gathered out of His kingdom, the Church, in the end of the world.

[63] Futurism interprets the beast from the sea to represent a revived Roman empire that will oppose Christians in the last days.

Futurists would admit the symbolic ties to Rome and would interpret that the recovery from the fatal head wound would refer to a revival of this empire in the last days.