End-Time Insights

The Beast from the Sea is authorized to wage war on the saints on behalf of the Ancient Serpent, the Dragon – Revelation 13:6-10. The “ Dragon ” sent his “ Beast from the Sea ” to destroy the “ saints ,” and the Beast received authority over the nations to do so. In the Book of Revelation , humanity is divided into two groups: The “ Inhabitants of the Earth , ” the men who “ give allegiance to the Beast ,” and those who “ Tabernacle in the Heavens ,” namely, the “ saints .”

At the end of the age, Satan will wage his final war on the saints, the followers of the Lamb . The  Book of Revelation  portrays the ongoing Cosmic War between the “ Dragon ” and the “ Lamb .” It is being waged on the Earth as Satan’s servants, both human and nonhuman, seek to destroy the followers of Jesus.  The conclusion of this war will affect the entire Cosmos. Following the Lamb’s final victory over his enemies, life will be changed forever throughout the Universe, and death and evil will be no more.

The False Prophet imitates the Sacrificial Lamb, presenting a counterfeit of the faith of Jesus and his true Apostles . Men and women must choose between swearing fealty to the Beast or following the Lamb. Jesus summons all men to follow him “ wherever he goes ,” whereas the Beast demands the recognition and veneration of its absolute authority and majesty. Who is the true “ Ruler of the Kings of the Earth ”? Christ or Caesar? Conflict is inevitable.

The False Prophet employs economic pressure to coerce men and women to swear allegiance to the Beast from the Sea . The “ False Prophet ,” the “ Beast from the Earth ,” uses economic force against men who refuse to swear fealty to the  World Empire , and the “ mark of the Beast ” is his tracking and enforcement mechanism. The ability to impose monetary penalties and sanctions on nations and individuals is key to the political power of the First Beast.

The Inhabitants of the Earth refuse to follow the Lamb, choosing instead to swear allegiance to the Dragon and his Beast . In the  Book of Revelation,  there are no geographic restrictions on the reign of the “ Beast .” All the “ Inhabitants of the Earth ” take the Beast’s “ Mark ” or “ Number ” and venerate its image. No national government resists the monster from the Sea, for it is granted “ authority over every tribe, people, tongue and nation .” There are no exceptions.

Babylon is a biblical symbol of the recurring rise of empires and self-appointed world leaders, and it continues to live and thrive today . There is a much larger and older story behind the visions of the Book of Daniel than meets the eye, one quite relevant today. The Book focuses on the Empire that intends to rule the world and has done so since the dawn of human history. We ignore this biblical narrative at our peril. Not only was ancient Babel alive and well in the prophet's day, but it is rising once more on the world scene.

The “ Beast ” is a single history-spanning entity that has existed since the dawn of human civilization, beginning when Babel “ SET UP a high tower to make us a name, lest we be scattered upon the face of the earth .” That incident is alluded to by Daniel when describing how Nebuchadnezzar subjugated Jerusalem and took the “ vessels of the house of God into the land of Shinar to the house of his god .”

End-Time “ Babylon ” sits on the same beastly entity that John saw “ ascending from the Sea ” in Chapter 13, but it combines the four “ Beasts ” of Daniel into one final malignant creature bent on destroying the saints. In Chapter 17, its “lineage” and inevitable destruction are described with language from Daniel’s vision of the “ Little Horn ” and the “ Fourth Beast .”

There is a much larger and older story behind the visions of the Book of Daniel than meets the eye, one that remains relevant to this day. The Book focuses on the Empire that has been attempting to rule the world since the dawn of human history. We ignore this biblical narrative at our peril. Not only was ancient Babel alive and well in the prophet's day, but even now it is rising once more on the world scene.

When it is first introduced, “ smoke ” and locust-like creatures are seen ascending from the “ Abyss ” to torment the “ inhabitants of the earth .” It is the deep pit from which satanic forces are seen ascending to wreak havoc on the Earth, and especially to wage war against the “ saints .” It is also the “prison” where demonic forces are imprisoned until their appointed time when they will attempt to execute their malevolent plans to destroy God’s people.

The subject of the Antichrist raises common questions. Who is he? When will he appear? How will we recognize him? What is his “ mark ” or “ number ”? In popular preaching, he is a global political leader who uses military might to subjugate other nations and attack Israel in the Middle East. However, if Satan is truly cunning, why would he do the very thing we expect?

The  “Inhabitants of the Earth”  represent the men omitted from the Book of Life because they embraced the Beast from the Sea . They are  remorseless in their hostility to the “ Lamb ” and his followers, even rejoicing and exchanging gifts when the “ Two Witnesses ” are murdered. Unlike the “ nations ” and the “ Kings of the Earth ,” they are irredeemable, and therefore their names are excluded from the “ Book of Life .”

The False Prophet uses every means necessary to coerce men to pay homage to the Beast from the sea, the representative of the Dragon .  In  Revelation , the “ False Prophet ” uses religion and its ability to manipulate commerce to coax the inhabitants of the  Empire  to render homage to the imperial throne. Whether he employs force or persuasion, the goal remains the same, and anyone who refuses to submit is excluded from economic activity.

The  Book of Revelation  graphically portrays the cosmic conflict between Satan and Jesus, one that plays out in the daily struggles of the “ Seven Assemblies of Asia .” On Earth, the agents of the “ Dragon ” execute his attacks on the Church, especially the “ Beast from the Sea ,” the “ False Prophet ,” and “ Babylon, the Great Whore .” This “ war ” is waged by the Devil with deception and compromise even more so than persecution.

The Beast of Revelation embodies the ancient imperial power that has stalked the saints since the Tower of Babel incident . History is littered with the remains of past attempts by tyrants and empires to dominate peoples and territories. Each new imperial power may experience initial success. However, all past empires have floundered, declined, and collapsed in the end. The Babylonian kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar and Caesar’s imperial realm, for example, ceased to exist thousands of years ago .

The “ Abyss ” was introduced when the “ fifth trumpet ” sounded and demonic hordes “ ascended ” from it. It is referred to next after the “ Two Witnesses ” complete their “ testimony .” On cue, the “ Beast ascends from the Abyss ” to attack and slay them, but only after they finish their prophetic mission.

In the  Book of Revelation , the “ Little Horn ” from Daniel’s visions is  NOT  referred to explicitly but its characteristics are present in the “ Beast from the Sea .” The Book does not retell the same story from  Daniel  without changes. Instead, it modifies and repurposes it to tell  ITS  story. The “ Beast ” is based on Daniel’s “ Little Horn ,” but it also is something beyond it, and arguably, far worse.

In Chapter 7 of the  Book of Daniel , the fourth “ Beast ” that the Prophet saw “ ascending from the sea ” is presented in more detail than the first three. It is the center and primary concern of the vision. The three other “ beasts ” provided background information for the rise of the fourth kingdom. Unlike the first three, it had no analog in the animal kingdom. It was an unnatural and monstrous creature with “ iron teeth ” and “ ten horns .”

The identities of the second and third beasts  are found by comparing the vision of Chapter 7 with the Book’s other visions.  In his vision, Daniel saw “ four beasts ascending ” from the sea. The first three featured characteristics of certain animals - the winged lion, the bear, and the leopard with two pairs of wings. The fourth beast did not resemble any known species of animal. It was a horrifying monstrosity with “ great iron teeth ,” “ ten horns ,” and another “ little horn, with a mouth speaking great things .”

The Rider on the White Horse destroys the beasts from the sea and the earth at the last battle, Armageddon  – Revelation 19:17-21.  In chapter 19 of  Revelation , John sees the destruction of the “ Beast from the sea ” and the “ false prophet ” at the final battle when the “ rider on the white horse ” overthrows the forces of “ Gog and Magog .” The passage does not state where this occurs other than on planet earth. The focus is on the destruction of the two beasts and their consignment to the “ Lake of Fire. ”