If you search the internet you’ll find lot’s of theories regarding the first beast of Revelation 13, the vast majority of which are from a “futurist” perspective.
In this article we’ll consider the way in which the beast is described, comparing it to the book of Daniel and first century historical records.
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…
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion…
In Daniel chapter two Nebuchadnezzar dreamt of an “image” made of various substances. The head was gold, the breast and arms silver, the belly and thighs brass, the legs iron, the feet iron mixed with clay.
Daniel went on to explain how each part of the image represented an ancient kingdom beginning with the Babylonian empire led by Nebuchadnezzar.
The Babylonians were over taken by the Medo-Persians led by king Cyrus, the Medo-Persians were over taken by the Greeks led by Alexander the Great, finally the Roman Empire dominated the known world.
In Daniel chapter 7 he had a vision in which four beasts rose from the sea.
The first was like a lion, the second a bear, the third a leopard, the fourth had teeth of iron and ten horns.
It makes sense to me that the four beasts of Daniel 7 tie in with the four ancient kingdoms of Daniel 2.
Just as the leopard, bear and lion are all powerful, ferocious beasts, God used powerful world empires such as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome to deal with his people.
Hosea 13
2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols…
7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself…
The first beast of Revelation 13 is a combination of all four beast kingdoms found in Daniel.
It has the body of a leopard, feet of a bear and mouth of a lion.
What does this tell us? God’s judgement upon his people had reached a climax.
In around 586BC the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and took the Judahites captive. However, after 70 years of captivity, King Cyrus released them back to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple.
In contrast, when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70AD, it was a complete, final destruction. No more chances.
It was in the days of the Roman empire that all these beastly kingdoms were superseded by an everlasting, spiritual kingdom.
Daniel 2
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
This verse provides us with an important time statement we should not over-look.
This verse tells us that the first beast in revelation 13 pertains NOT to events happening today or in our future, rather events happening in the first century.
More specifically, during Daniel’s 3 and an half years.
The three and a half years of “great tribulation” that was the Roman-Jewish war.
A war that reached it’s climax in 70AD when Jerusalem was destroyed and God’s New Covenant kingdom was fully established.
Daniel 9
26…the people…shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
One week שָׁבוּעַ šāḇûa can mean seven years thus “the midst of the week” denotes a three and a half year period of “war” concluding with “the city and the sanctuary” being destroyed.
Now I want to take a quick look at Revelation chapters 11 for context.
In Revelation 11 we see the temple been measured.
1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
The location of this temple is
8…the great city… where also our Lord was crucified.
This is a good indication we’re looking at the temple in Jerusalem.
It was not measuring up therefore it would be destroyed.
Next in Revelation 11 the two witnesses are mentioned.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy…
The two witness are killed by a beast that rises from the bottomless pit, their bodies cast into the street.
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall…kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city…
I’ve mentioned in other posts how this pertains to events happening around the “zealot temple siege” of 68AD as described in detail by first century historian Josephus.
The zealots, an extreme political faction, seized upon the temple in Jerusalem.
High priest Ananus ben Ananus set guards upon the cloisters so they could not escape.
Zealot leader/priest Eleazar ben Simon then resolved to call upon the Idumeans for help.
Another high-priest Jesus ben Gamalas made a powerful speech to try and dissuade the Idumeans from getting involved.
However, during the night zealots sawed open the city gates and the Idumeans came flooding in.
The Idumeans promptly murdered the two high priests Ananus ben Ananus and Jesus ben Gamalas, casting their bodies into the streets.
….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 with his speech made to them from the wall. 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…
(Wars 4.5.2)
I propose these high priests were the two witnesses prophesied in Revelation 11.
After their murder the seventh trumpet sounded and a voice said…
Revelation 11
15 The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever…
Does this not sound similar to Daniel 2?
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
This suggests that the first beast of Revelation 13 pertains to events happening somewhere between the “zealot temple siege” in 68AD and the temple’s destruction in 70AD.
Most Christians struggle to accept such a narrow time-frame.
One reason is they think the everlasting kingdom Daniel and John prophesied is a future, physical kingdom.
They look around and say where is the new heaven and earth? I can’t see it.
They don’t understand that the new heavens and earth, the New Covenant Kingdom is US in relationship with God.
We are the temple in which he dwells. He in us, we in him…wether we’re physically alive or physically dead, wether we’re on this earth or in the heavenly realm.
I plan to make videos/blog posts explaining the "mystery of the kingdom" in the future.
Until then, God bless as you study to show yourself approved.
