Today we’re going to look at the first beast in 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.
Let's compare this beast to:
- The beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit in Rev 11
- The dragon in Rev 12
- The beast that carried the whore in Revelation 17
- the dragon that was bound and loosed from the bottomless pit in Revelation 20
Hopefully by comparing and contrasting these scriptures we can work out what the Revelation 13 beast represents.
Let’s first talk about the similarities between them:
- The dragon, serpent, devil, satan in Rev 12 is red with seven heads and ten horns.
- The first beast in Rev 13 has seven heads and ten horns.
- The beast in Rev 17 is scarlet with seven heads and ten horns.
- The beast in Rev 17 “shall ascend out of the bottomless pit”.
- The dragon, serpent, satan, devil in Rev 20 is shut up in the “bottomless pit” for 1000 years then “loosed a little season”.
- The beast in Rev 11 ascends out of the bottomless pit.
In previous posts I’ve compared the “beast” of Revelation 11 to events described by first century historian Flavius Josephus.
Revelation 11 says that this beast killed to the “two witnesses”.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses…
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
I believe the “two witnesses” were the last two legitimate high priests, Ananus ben Ananus and Jesus ben Gamalas that were killed by Idumeans in 68AD, as detailed in `The Wars of the Jews’ book 4.
WOJ 4.5.2
…the Idumeans…sought for the High-priests; and the generality went with the greatest zeal against them. And as soon as they caught them, they slew them: and then standing upon their dead bodies, in way of jest, upbraided Ananus with his kindness to the people; and Jesus…Nay they proceeded to that degree of impiety, as to cast away their dead bodies without burial: although the Jews used to take so much care of the burial of men…
I’ve also talked previously about the pregnant woman and the dragon who tried to devour her “man child” as soon as he was born in Rev 12.
I believe the dragon represents Herod the Great who tried to kill Jesus as soon as he was born (Matt. 2:16).
More accurately, the seven heads on the dragon represent the entire Herodian dynasty from Herod the Great to Herod Agrippa II.
Herod the Great was born in Idumea.
Do you see the common denominator here?
Both the beast in Rev 11 and the dragon in Rev 12 represent Idumeans.
In Genesis 25:25 Jacob’s twin brother Esau is described as being red.
An alternative name for Esau is אֱדוֹם ’eḏôm which literally means red.
Esau’s descendants eventually became known as Idumeans and lived just below Judea.
The dragon in Rev 12 and the beast in Rev 17 are both RED in colour…just like Esau.
One thing I haven’t yet addressed is the dragon in Rev 20 who was shut up in the bottomless pit for 1000 years then loosed a “little season”.
I will address that now in order to explain the first beast in Rev 13.
Jacob, who’s name was changed to Israel had 12 sons, one of whom was Judah.
Genesis 49
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
The Sceptre was a symbol of authority.
David, who was descended from the tribe of Judah, took up the Judahic sceptre and subdued all the enemies of Israel.
From the beginning of King David’s rule through to when Shiloh came (Jesus Christ) was roughly 1000 years.
When we see the Dragon, serpent, devil, satan being bound with a chain and shut up in the bottomless pit for a thousand years we’re seeing the enemies of Israel (including but not limited to the descendants of Esau) being subdued by King David.
2 Sam. 8
14…all they of Edom became David’s servants…
15 And David reigned over all Israel; and -- David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
In 68AD the red, seven headed, ten horned dragon/beast was loosed from the bottomless pit for a “little season”.
Once it had killed the “two witnesses” and many others, it abruptly left the city, only to return with it’s “king” Simon bar Giora (Rev. 9:2,3&11)
According to `The Wars of the Jews’ book 4, Simon bar Giora amassed an army of at least 40,000 men from “all quarters” of the land and brought them to Jerusalem in 69AD.
WOJ 4.9
3. And now there arose another war at Jerusalem. There was a son of Giora, one Simon, by birth of Gerasa, a young man; not so cunning indeed as John [of Gischala]… but superior in strength of body, and courage…he affecting to tyrannize, and being fond of greatness, when he had heard of the death of Ananus he left them, and went into the mountainous part of the country. So he proclaimed liberty to those in slavery, and a reward to those already free, and got together a set of wicked men from all quarters.
4. And as he had now a strong body of men about him, he over-ran the villages that lay in the mountainous country…the lower parts of the country…many of the men of power were corrupted by him: so that his army was no longer composed of slaves and robbers, but a great many of the populace were obedient to him as to their King.
WOJ 4.9
7 Thence did Simon make his progress over all Idumea… he had forty thousand men that followed him…one may see all the woods behind despoiled of their leaves by locusts, after they have been there, so was there nothing left behind Simon’s army, but a desert…
A high priest named Matthias allowed Simon and his army into Jerusalem to get rid of tyrannical zealot leader John Gischala.
Simon bar Giora became king of Jerusalem soon before it was destroyed by Roman soldiers in 70AD.
WOJ 4.9
11…in order to overthrow John, they determined to admit Simon…and sent Matthias, the High-priest, to beseech this Simon to come in to them…Accordingly he, in an arrogant manner, granted them his lordly protection; and came into the city, in order to deliver it from the zealots. The people also made joyful acclamations to him, as their saviour, and their preserver…
12. And thus did Simon get possession of Jerusalem, in the third year of the war, in the month Xanthicus [Nisan] [A.D. 69].
In conclusion:
Revelation 17 connects the seven headed, ten horned beast of Revelation 13 to the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit in Revelation 11.
The writings of first century historian Josephus reveal that the beast of Revelation 11 represents the Idumean horde that killed the two witnesses in 68AD, then re entered the city in 69AD with Simon bar Giora.
In a previous video I said that the beast represents zealot-led Israel. The zealots did play a huge role in the Jewish revolt.
However, I now believe the first beast of Revelation 13 represents Simon bar Giora’s Idumean army that rose up between 68AD and 69AD.
God used Simon bar Giora, the Idumeans and Romans to bring about the final destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.
THE GOOD NEWS
In 70AD the old, physical Jerusalem was replaced with the new, spiritual Jerusalem we see described in the last two chapters of Revelation.
The New Jerusalem represents the New Covenant kingdom which has God at it’s centre, not man.
Beastly, man-centred kingdoms will always result in disorder, disunity, darkness, death and destruction.
In contrast, God’s New Covenant kingdom is full of light, life and Godly order. It is a SPIRITUAL kingdom that can NEVER be destroyed.
Thus the invitation to be part of it is on-going and for “whosoever will”.
Revelation 22
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
“Whosoever” includes you.
God bless as you study to show yourself approved.
