1) "And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast (kingdom) 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. 2) And the beast that 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; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat (throne) and great authority. 3) And I saw one of his heads as it were (slain) wounded to death,(εσφαγμενην), and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast."
John is instructed to document and record a series of events: the things which he had seen, the things that are, and the things which shall be hereafter. (Revelation 1:19). After the seven letters to the seven churches, John is shown a door in heaven and is taken in the spirit. The large majority of the things recorded in Revelation consists of futuristic events, that extended far beyond John's world, to the end of the age. These events transpire during the last seven years of human history and move the reader forward, into the the time of the end and the second coming of Yeshua HaMashiach.
We are told that Revelation is full of prophetic symbolic imagery and it's hard to understand so, we expect to be confounded and confused. We were told how scripture should be interpreted and now, we hold onto centuries-old interpretations for dear life and pass them on, conditioning future generations with several flawed interpretations. One of these ancient interpretations is the theory, that the seven heads of the beast, are the seven hills of Rome, moving the fourth beast, the antichrist-tribulation kingdom back in time - and, into Europe.
The majority of Revelation consists of the witness statement written by John; the documented account of the events he viewed 'which shall be hereafter,' These events were witnessed and recorded while John was in the spirit on the Lords day. Much of his witness statement is contested by bible students and scholars who don't quite agree with the timing or, the imagery that John saw and documented. Most of the symbology and imagery is found in the prophetic books of the old testament and, much of Revelation can be viewed from a biblical perspective based upon these ancient writings.
Many religious sects add more to scripture then what was detailed by John, bypassing simple biblical constructs, making it complicated or confusing. It's important to read scripture as written and avoid the additional inflections that may add or, take away from the words that John had written: Revelation 22:18-19.
And the dragon was wroth with the woman (Israel) and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev 12:17 (See also Genesis 3:15)
As Satan's war on the woman's seed escalates, John is shown the rise of a beast kingdom. John is standing on the sands of the shore 13:1, watching as a great beast with seven heads and ten horns rises up from the sea. Several translations such as Darby place the dragon aka: Satan standing on the sands of the sea orchestrating the rise of his beast kingdom as John bears witness.
And I (John) stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast (kingdom) rise up out of the sea, having seven heads (four beast kingdoms and three non-beast kingdoms) and ten horns (ten kings), and upon his horns ten crowns (power, great authority), and upon his heads the name of blasphemy (the name of the beast or the number of the name)
Daniel's fourth beast rises as a seventh kingdom, to seize world power before the time of tribulation and, prior to the return of Christ Jesus. This is a future event, not a past one. The fourth beast is not Rome. The western Roman monarchy began its rise 753 - 27 B.C., and collapsed in 476 A.D. Rome's eastern division, the Byzantine, fell in 1453, conquered by the Ottoman empire, removing the last remnant of the Roman empire from the middle east. Rome's rise and fall is a past event, not a future one. John sees an event which has not yet happened.
Johns documentation of events interconnects with the night vision of Daniel, who saw four beasts rise from the sea: the lion, bear, leopard and the beast of ten horns. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another: Daniel 7:3. These four great beast are four kingdoms which shall arise out of the earth; Daniel 7:17. The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth... Daniel 7:23a
And the beast (kingdom) which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat (throne) and great authority. Rev 13:2. The beast of ten horns, is a combination of three beast from Daniel's night vision which are now mortally wounded, and deceased: leopard, bear and lion.
The beast with the seven heads is 'like' or, similar to a leopard, The leopard: Daniel 7:6, represents the ancient four winged, four-headed Grecian kingdom, which was divided into four dynasties or four kingdoms, after the death of Alexander the Great. While the leopard had four heads, four kingdoms, the beast from the sea has seven heads, seven world kingdoms, making the beast from the sea 'like' the leopard, who had additional heads. These seven world kingdoms belong to the red dragon Rev 12:3; showcasing the source of the dragons' power and authority. This power and authority is seen by the imagery of the seven crowns upon the dragons seven heads - one for each kingdom.
Did Satan offer Christ Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow before him in worship or, did Satan offer Jesus the seven hills of Rome? Satan offered kingdoms, because they were given to him and belong to him. Luke 4:5-7; Matthew 4:8-10; John 12:31.
The beast also has feet like those of a bear: Daniel 7:5, Mede-Persian, and the mouth like that of a lion: Daniel 7:4,19, which represents the kingdom of Babylon - the head of the beast. All three beast kingdoms were ruled by mighty kings who were mighty warriors. These kings ruled the middle east while living in Babylon; the fourth beast provides the fourth king: the little horn or, antichrist.
The beast of ten horns is given the seven heads of the red dragon: Rev 13:2, which are seven world kingdoms that symbolize the dragons power and, great authority. The ten horns are given ten crowns, power and great authority. The crowns that were upon the seven heads, have been removed, and new crowns are given to the ten horns, transferring the dragon's power and authority from the seven heads (kingdoms) to the ten horns (kings): Rev 13:1. The crowns that were on the seven heads have been replaced with a blasphemous name; the name of the beast or the number of his name.
John sees that one of his heads has the appearance of death, a mortal wound, but by the time the beast rises from the sea, the deadly wound will be healed. This single event causes those on earth who were not written in the book of life, to wonder in amazement: Rev 13:3b, 17:8b, and they worship the dragon who revives the mortally wounded head, restoring its life, raising it from the bottomless pit: Rev 17:8. The seventh head will rise from the abyss as the eighth world kingdom: 17:11. Rev 17:8,11 documents how Nebuchadnezzar's fourth kingdom is raised from death - in the latter days,
The totality of the fourth beast will be so large and hostile, that not one kingdom will be able to make war against it: R 13:4. There is also an additional beast that rises from the earth (clay). The beast out of the earth is the religious system of the first beast (iron). The iron and clay, are the political and religious systems that rise to seize world power in the end of days. This alliance can be traced back to the feet and toes of iron and clay, the fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar's dream image. The feet and (ten) toes of iron and clay parallel the fourth beast of ten horns, linking Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 to the kingdom which rises from the sea in Revelation 13, with its religious system firmly in place.
The earth beast is controlled by the sorcerer - the false prophet, he who prophesizes falsley:13:11-16. Ancient Mesopotamian kingdoms had a slew of magicians, wise men, sorcerers, seers, necromancer's, conjurers and star gazers that worked in the kings court. This is what the false prophet represents, a master magician that works in service to the king and his kingdom. The beast is a kingdom, the horns are his kings.
Daniel 7:17 defines the connection between king and kingdom; linking four kingdoms to four kings. Four beast (kingdoms) rise from the sea, while four kings rise from kingdoms.
Daniel 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kingdoms which shall arise out of the earth.
Four kingdoms: Babylon, Mede-Persian, Greece, beast with ten horns.
Four kings: Nebuchadnezzar II, Darius the Mede, Alexander the Great, Antichrist.
Four metals: 1) Gold - Babylon, 2) Silver - Mede-Persia, 3) Brass - Grecian, 4a) Iron- the fall of Babylon 4b) Iron mixed with clay - Antichrist-Tribulation kingdom.
Daniel 7:23 -Thus he (the angel) said, The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on earth....
The seven heads represent seven world kingdoms. Four of the heads are four beast kingdoms from Daniel's prophecy: lion, bear, leopard and, the beast with ten horns. There are three additional kingdoms which were not beast kingdoms: Egypt, Assyria and Rome, for a total of seven. The seven kingdoms are attached to the beast as seven heads, similar to the beast 'like a leopard' who had four heads- Daniel 7:6. Instead of four heads, this beast has a total of seven heads or, seven kingdoms, mirroring the red dragons' authority, ruling power and territorial domain: 12:3;13:2.
The seven heads are seven kingdoms which is further explained in Rev 17:9. The angel used an old testament symbolic reference to the seven heads as seven 'mountains. John records this in the Greek as ὄρος, óros: mountain. He is told to use wisdom and, carefully consider the meaning of the seven heads which are seven 'mountains' and seven kings. (He was not told to use code words, an angel would never use 'code words' but, an angel would use old testament prophetic imagery) A hill in the Greek is βουνός 'bounos' and is not found in the original Greek in verse 9; John never implied that the woman sits on seven hills, as a hill has no prophetic significance to Nebuchadnezzar's fourth kingdom.
In prophetic text, a mountain is used as a symbolic reference for a kingdom: Satan was cast from the holy mountain (kingdom) of God due to his pride: Ezekiel 28:13-17. In Daniel 2:35 the mountain becomes a kingdom that fills the whole earth. We also see this in Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 51:25, and Revelation 21:10. A king rules a kingdom; kings do not rule hills.
The red dragon has authority over six historic kingdoms recorded in the Bible that have negatively impacted Israel, causing great pain and suffering. He wears these kingdoms as heads, like trophies of achievement, the source of his power and authority. Five have fallen, one is, and the seventh has not yet come, the fourth beast of ten horns / ten kings. The fourth beast is the future world kingdom that will rise to dominate the earth in the latter days. This kingdom will be the seventh, completing the number of heads upon the red dragon, and his beastly domain.
There are seven heads: 1) Egypt-fallen, 2) Assyria-fallen, 3) Babylon-fallen beast, mortally wounded, 4) Mede-Persian -fallen beast, mortally wounded 5) Grecian-fallen beast, mortally wounded 6) Rome -the one that is, and 7) the future kingdom that has not yet come: the beast of ten horns: Rev 17:10. These world powers correlate with the number of heads upon the red dragon: 12:3. The red dragon gives his power, his seat (throne, territorial domain) and great authority to the beast of ten horns: Rev 13:1-2b.
One of the heads was slain, wounded to death: Greek, εσφαγμενην (Rev 13:3) suggesting a fallen beast or, beast kingdom that was mortally wounded and left to rot and decay, but the deadly head wound will heal, and the beasts' life will be restored. This series of events will cause those on earth who are not written in the book of life, to wonder in amazement (Rev 13:3b, 17:8b) and they will worship the red dragon who revives this wounded head, the mortally wounded beast kingdom, reinstating his life, raising it from the bottomless pit healed and restored: Rev 17:8.
The Greek word John used: εσφαγμενην translates to English as: slain, wounded to death, having been butchered. The Greek 4969, further suggests this was done in a ritual sense as an act of God in a balance of power, to take power away. The slain beast will be restored or revived according to the scripture in Rev 13:3, 17:8 and 11. The revived beast kingdom will be healed from his deadly wound and rise up from the abyss and rise from the sea: Rev 13:1-4. The world will be amazed by the beast (kingdom) that was, and is not, yet is or, shall be.
The seventh head is a future beast kingdom that has a mortal wound which will soon be healed and restored. The seventh head is Daniels fourth beast from the sea; the beast of ten horns. The seventh head or kingdom, will be formed from of three mortally wounded middle eastern beast kingdoms: lion, bear and leopard - which has the appearance of death - a mortal wound. This is the head aka: kingdom the little horn will rise from - a representation of death. As he rises, he uproots three horns or kings, seizing the power of the beast as it revives from death.
As the political and religious system of the middle east is conquering and devouring the earth for global dominance, the beast is just now beginning to rise. The powers that be, are creating a new Babylon kingdom complete with a merchant port. The ancient territories of the Babylonian kingdom is being transformed into a merchant hub.
This is the kingdom that has not yet come; the one that rises after Rome. Rome is the one that is: Revelation 17:10, which gives us the order and succession of the seven heads, the seven kingdoms.
Daniel 2:44; Revelation 13:1; 17:12 place the ten kings that rise from the fourth kingdom of ten horns - ten toes - ten kings - into the time period before Christ Jesus returns to earth. The antichrist or little horn rises to ultimate power during the tribulation period, specifically mid-tribulation, placing Nebuchadnezzar's fourth kingdom in the time of tribulation as the beast that rises from death.
Daniels fourth beast with the ten horns is the kingdom that rises just prior to the rise of the little horn, preparing the world for his reign. It is the kingdom that is forming now, right before our eyes, but the world is blinded to the fact, intensely focused on the sixth head.
This is how close the world is to the start of tribulation and the end of the church age. In the order of events documented in Rev 17 concerning the mystery of the beast with seven heads and ten horns: Rev 17:7b, Daniel's fourth beast prepares to rise from the abyss as Babylon undergoes a transformation. Once this transformation is complete, Nebuchadnezzar's fourth kingdom will rise from death, transforming into the eighth world power: 17:11. The Bible lays every step out for us, we just need to move away from the world view, and let the Bible speak for itself.
The beast of the ten horns, represents a seventh head, the one that has not yet come in John's documentation of events. When it does, it will rise swiftly, and will exist a short time so the ten kings can lay the foundation, preparing everything the little horn or antichrist will need for his earthly reign: Rev 17:10b.
How long is a short time? Considering that Hammurabi ruled a Babylon kingdom for 42 years until it fell into the hands of the Assyrians, or that the Chaldean dynasty ruled for 66 years until it fell to the Mede-Persians, or, that Alexander the Great conquered for 13 years until his death - and the leopard was given dominion - one would think that less than half a century would be considered a 'short time.' Compare this the average life span of a non-beast kingdom, which can last hundreds or even thousands of years: Egypt, Assyria and Rome.
As antichrist rises, the beast kingdom with the ten horns, will rise from the abyss as the eighth world power. There is no eighth head; the eighth kingdom is the totality of the beast. This is documented in Revelation 17:10,11 which places the beast with the ten horns into position as the seventh head. This is the kingdom that is rising now, conquering Rome, the sixth head. The antichrist is not mentioned in Revelation 17, as the focus is on the rise of the beast kingdom that carries the woman, unraveling their mystery.
The entire kingdom of antichrist is full of blasphemous men and women who are anti-God, anti-Israel, anti-Christian: Rev 17:3. Enmity is the cohesion that unites the kingdoms.
To understand the rise of the beast we need to understand the genetic makeup of the beast kingdom: the four beasts, the seven heads and the ten horns. This also helps to clarify the identity of the commercially corrupt woman by biblical standards. The woman is intimately connected to the rise of the beast kingdom, sitting on the beasts seven heads: seven world kingdoms.
This is a fascinating study which eliminates mythology, fictional characters and mythical figures that is commonly taught within the church to explain the mystery of the woman in Revelation 17.
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