First Beast / Ten-horned Beast

Revelation 13:2 - Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power (forces), his throne (Rome), and great authority.

Daniel 7:23 - Thus he said: The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth...

Beast denotes a kingdom.

Daniel 2:1 - Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.

Daniel 2:31 - You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome.

Daniel 2:32-33 - This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

Gold

Daniel 2:34 - You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

Daniel 2:35 - Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

  Metal   Kingdom   Reference
  Gold   Babylon   Daniel 2:38
  Silver   Medo-Persia   Daniel 2:39; 7:5; 8:20; 5:26-31
  Bronze   Greece   Daniel 2:39; 7:6; 8:21
  Iron   Rome   Daniel 2:40; 7:7

Daniel 2:38 - ...You (Babylon) are this head of gold.

Daniel 8:20 - The ram which you saw, having the two horns--they are the kings of Media and Persia.

Daniel 8:21 - And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.

Luke 2:1 - And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus (Roman Emperor), that all the world should be taxed.

  • Fourth Kingdom (Roman Empire) exists in some form until the Second Coming of Jesus - Dan 2:34

    • Daniel 2:34 - You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

  • Fourth Kingdom (Roman Empire) initially exists as a Dragon (Pagan Roman Empire)

    • 10 horns in Fourth Beast (Daniel 7:7), 10 horns in Dragon in Revelation 12:3

  • Dragon (Pagan Roman Empire) gives its power to the First Beast (Second form of Roman Empire)

    • Revelation 13:2 - Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power (forces), his throne (Rome), and great authority.

  • Second Beast (Third form of Roman Empire) exercises the power of the First Beast

    • Revelation 13:11 - Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

    Revelation 13:12 - And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

  • First Beast & Second Beast are contemporaries

    • Revelation 19:20 - Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet (Rev 16:13) who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 13:2 - Now the beast (Kingdom) which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon (Pagan Roman Empire) gave him his power (forces), his throne (Rome), and great authority.

The sea beast is the Catholic Roman Empire / Western & Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Empire / Europe, which rose to power after the collapse of the Pagan Roman Empire. It reigned for 1,260 years (1,260 prophetic days) from 538-1798 A.D.

Revelation 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 10-horned, or secular beast, is the university of ten kingdoms (Ten Horns in Rev 13:1), into which the empire of the Caesars, after the expulsion of the dragon, had settled after the Barbaric invasions, coalescing at length into one Roman republic, through the renewed impiety of the dragon.

Revelation 17:15 - Then he said to me, The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

The Beast with ten horns, the Catholic Roman Empire / Western & Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Empire (Europe), rose out of the sea (sea represents people & nations - Revelation 17:15), and the Beast with two horns (Papacy) out of the earth (Revelation 13:11).

The Dragon (Pagan Rome Empire) gave the Beast (Roman Empire) his power and throne (Rome), and great authority. And the ten horns (Ten Kingdoms of Europe) received power as Kings, the same hour with the Beast.

Western Roman Empire

Water in Bible prophecy represents people: Revelation 17:15

The Catholic Roman Empire / Western & Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Empire / Europe rose to power among the 10 kingdoms of the fallen Pagan Roman Empire.

Revelation 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.

Revelation 17:9 - Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

Crown on Head = Central Power (Caesar) is in Rome / One King - Pagan Roman Empire

Revelation 13:1 - 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.

Crown on Horn = Power is divided among 10 Kingdoms / 10 Kings - Catholic Roman Empire

Revelation 13:2 - Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion...

Four Kingdoms

  Beast   Metal   Kingdom   Reference
  Lion   Gold   Babylon   Daniel 2:38, 7:4
  Bear   Silver   Medo-Persia   Daniel 2:39; 7:5; 8:20; 5:26-31
  Leopard   Bronze   Greece   Daniel 2:39; 7:6; 8:21
  Terrible Beast   Iron   Rome   Daniel 2:40; 7:7

The 10-horned beast issues edicts to be observed with a Babylonian mouth, by commanding the worship of deities and idols, with pain of death, and burning alive, denounced against those who refuse it, in the same manner as Nebuchadnezzar did to those Jews, who would not adore the golden image (Daniel chapter 3).

Daniel 3:1 - Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon / Lion) the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

Daniel 3:6 - and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Revelation 13:3 - And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

This head wound occured between 400-476 A.D when Rome was sacked by gothic kings Alaric, Genseric, Attila and Odoacer.

When the Roman Empire collapsed, their head, the Roman Emperors, were removed from power, which was the deadly head wound. It recovered in the form of the Papacy, when Popes took authority as the Pontifex Maximus, and claimed civil and ecclesiastical authority over the whole world.

Revelation 13:5 - And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

Revelation 13:6 - Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

Ezekiel 20:27-28 - Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In this too your fathers have blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me. When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings.

Isaiah 65:7 - Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, says the Lord, Who have burned incense on the mountains And blasphemed Me on the hills;

The beast blasphemed the great God Almighty by the worship of idols. The name of blasphemy is the mark of idolatry.

The beast exercised the power committed to him by the dragon (Pagan Roman Empire), ie. in blasphemy towards God, and the persecution of the saints. The whole description is taken from the prophecy of Daniel chapter 7, where he treats of the same subject, as here.

Daniel 7:8 - ...and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:20 - ...and a mouth which spoke very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

Revelation 13:5 - And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

The mouth speaking great things in Daniel; but in Revelation the great words are explained by blasphemies, under which name, it will presently be asserted, idolatrous worship was designated, which is the highest affront to God.

Revelation 13:4 - So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?

To worship the beast is the same thing as to be subject to him, which the explanation subjoined to the word worship, not obscurely points out. They devoted themselves willingly to the obedience of the beast, as to one who so far excelled others in power, that there was no one that would resist or make war with him.

Revelation 13:12 - And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

The earth itself, not merely its inhabitants, is said to have worshipped the beast; that is, to have yielded to his dominion.

There is an analogy in the benediction of Jacob.

Genesis 27:29 - Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you (Exodus 20:4-5). Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you (Exodus 20:4-5). Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!

There is another analogy in the benediction of Judah.

Genesis 49:8 - Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you (Exodus 20:4-5).

Revelation 13:7 - It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Satan used the Catholic Roman Empire / Western & Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Empire / Europe (under the instigation of Papacy) to make war with the saints during the Dark Ages and the Inquisitions. They persecuted the saints so extensively, that they pronounced the opposers who testified against them as dead.