Al l New - Updated Godhead Spirit Realm Prophecy Holy Days Commentary THE BEASTS OF REVELATION AND DANIEL here are three 7-headed, 10-horned beasts mentioned in the book of Revelation (Rev. 12:3; 13:1; 17:3). Additionally, the 7th chapter of Daniel speaks of four beasts rising up from the ocean. Are these beasts all the same , or are they different? Is it possible for us to identify who or what these beasts represent? In this article, we are going to examine the se beasts and attempt to identify them in order to better understand end-time prophecies. Let's start by looking at the 7-headed, 10-horned dragon spoken of in Revelation 12: REVELATION 12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads . 4 His tail swept a third ofthe stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon , and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 Th e great dragon was hurled down that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. ( NIV) This great red dragon with 7 hea ds, 10 horns and 7 crowns is plainly identifi ed in this passage as Sa tan, the devil (v. 9). The reference to "his angels" clearly is speaking of the fallen angels who followed his example of disobedience. Notice that this 7- headed representation of Satan has 7 crowns on its heads. The significance of this will bec ome more evident as we progress in our study. Now let's look at the beast in Revelation 17 to see if it also symbolizes Satan, or if it represents someone or something else: REVELATION 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full ofabominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood o f the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. 7 And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw wa s , and is not [ouk estin], and is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to destruction . And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has n ot been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. ( NASU) T
