Welcome to the second post in our series on Revelation chapter 13. In our last post, we compared the dragon with seven heads and ten horns in Revelation chapter 12 with the beast that had seven heads and ten horns in Revelation chapter 13. We saw that the crowns that were on the heads in chapter 12 had now switched to the ten horns in chapter 13. The significance of the repositioning of the crowns meant that the ten horns/kings were now in play. Their time in history had come. In this post, we’re going to find out where the beast gets his power.

Revelation 13:1–10

Second in an Eight-Part Series
By Karen Thompson

The Beast and the Rise of the Ten-Toed Kingdom

Rev. 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. 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: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The Dragon Gives the Beast Power, His Seat, and Great Authority

In verse two, John described the physical features of the beast: “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: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”

Before we examine the physical characteristics of the beast, let’s look first at the very last portion of this verse: “…and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Obviously, when it says the dragon gave the beast power, his seat, and authority, we’re talking about a man. The beast is a man that 2^nd Thessalonians 2:3 calls the “man of sin, the son of perdition.” In this verse, the beast is symbolizing a man, the king of the end time Antichrist kingdom. It is Satan that lifts up the man whom Daniel called the little horn and turns him into the beast. The beast does the bidding of Satan. It is Satan that gives the beast power, a throne, and great authority.

It might seem unnecessary to have to point that out, but occasionally there are people who come up with the crass idea that it is God who is using the beast as His puppet, to do His will. It’s a twisted point of view, and not only that, it’s unscriptural. This kind of thinking is similar to when Jesus Himself was accused of performing miracles through Satan: “This Man [Jesus] drives out demons only by and with the help of Beelzebub, the prince of demons” (Matt. 12:24 Amp.). Jesus rebuked them for their obscene remark and then explained to them the foolishness of their thoughts. “And knowing their thoughts, He said to them, Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being brought to desolation and laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will last or continue to stand. And if Satan drives out Satan, he has become divided against himself and disunified; how then will his kingdom last or continue to stand?” (Matt. 12:25–26 Amp.).

As Jesus pointed out, a house divided against itself will not stand. Let’s put to rest any idea that God is behind the antics of the Antichrist beast. God is not the one who sets up the beast as a ruler of a nation, nor gives him power to perform miracles. Satan is the one that elevates the beast to do his bidding, to destroy Jerusalem and the Jewish people.

Now let’s examine more closely the words 1) power, and 2) his seat, and 3) great authority. The Greek word used for power is dunamis, and it is translated in other places of the Bible as mighty work, strength, miracle, might, virtue, or mighty.² Next, the Greek word used for seat is thronos which is also translated as “throne.”³ Satan will give the beast his seat of power, a throne. Only leaders, or kings, sit on a throne. Lastly, the Greek word used for authority is exousia, and it is also translated as power, right, liberty, jurisdiction, and strength.⁴

The difference between dunamis and exousia would be that dunamis power is the ability to work miracles, and exousia is power through authority he gets from his position as ruler of a nation. Satan gives the beast power to deceive many people. He will use his authority to impose his will on people and nations. The beast will be a powerful king.

The Beast Is an Amalgamation of Daniel’s Vision

Now, let’s look more closely to the first part of verse two: “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: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” John described the beast as having body parts from different animals—a leopard, a bear, and a lion. John’s vision of this strange-looking beast is actually an amalgamation of the aforementioned vision the prophet Daniel had of four different beasts that would afflict Israel through the course of history. The first three beasts symbolized empires that have afflicted Israel in the past, and the last beast symbolized the end time kingdom of Antichrist. Daniel’s vision of the four beasts provides us with an explanation as to why the appearance of the Antichrist beast is made up of different animal body parts. Again, let’s go to Daniel chapter seven and review Daniel’s vision of the four beasts.

Daniels’s Vision of the Four Beasts in Daniel Chapter Seven

In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream about four great powers that would rule over Israel. Daniel began to describe his dream by saying, “the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another” (Dan. 7:2–3). Daniel described the first beast: “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings…” (v. 4). This first beast described as a lion with eagle’s wings is symbolic of Babylon (present-day Iraq). Daniel described the next beast that rose out of the sea in verse five: “And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear…” The beast described as “something like a bear” was the Medo/Persian Empire (present-day Iran). The third beast that rose out of the sea is in verse six: “After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard…” This beast symbolizes the Grecian Empire, the empire of Alexander the Great.

At one point in history, all three of these beasts—Babylon, Persia, and Greece—ruled over and oppressed Israel. All the territory the three beasts occupied was in the Middle East. Did you notice the symbols of these empires were the lion, the bear, and the leopard? The same symbols which describe the features of the Antichrist beast: “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.”

The Fourth Beast, the End Times Antichrist Beast

Next in verses 7–8, Daniel described the fourth beast; it is the end time beast of Antichrist: “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things” (Dan. 7:7–8).

Daniel doesn’t compare the appearance of this beast with any animal; he simply said it was different than the other beasts. In Daniel’s description of this beast, it’s obvious that it disturbed him more than the others. He said it was dreadful, terrible, and very strong. Why did Daniel describe the fourth beast as dreadful and terrible? It wasn’t just the beast’s appearance that was dreadful and fearful. It was the action of the fourth beast that made it so dreadful. The beast had great iron teeth and with them, he devoured and broke in pieces his prey. And then what he didn’t devour, he stomped on with his feet. That is the end time kingdom of Antichrist!

The Ten Horns on the Fourth Beast

Daniel said the dreadful and terrible beast had ten horns. We know these horns symbolize kings because the angel gave Daniel the interpretation of the horns in Daniel 7:24: “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.”

This is the second time in scripture where it talks about this kingdom. If you recall, the first time we read about these ten nations is in Daniel chapter two when Nebuchadnezzar had the dream about the giant metal man. The feet and ten toes made of iron and clay represent a ten-nation kingdom, or coalition, in the end times. It will be the last kingdom to ever afflict Israel. Daniel said it would be in the days of this latter kingdom that God would set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed, and God’s kingdom would “break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms” (Dan. 2:44). This dreadful and terrible beast is the end time beast that John described as rising up out of the sea.

The Little Horn

Daniel went on to describe the activity of the horns in Daniel 7:8: “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Daniel saw ten horns on the dreadful and terrible beast. In addition to the ten horns, a little horn came up after them, an eleventh horn. This little horn is the end time Antichrist beast. Notice he doesn’t appear until after the first ten horns are established. This means the little horn becomes ruler of a nation after all these other kings have been established.

Also notice that this little horn pushes up and, in the process, plucks up three of the ten horns. This action symbolizes that the little horn will overpower three kings/nations. Verse 24 says, “…and another [king] shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.” Later in Daniel chapter eight, we learn those three uprooted horns will be kings “toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.” The pleasant land is identified as Israel. These three nations being toppled takes place during the time when the seven seals in Revelation are opened.

Notice what the last part of Daniel 7:8 says about this little horn: “…in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” The little horn speaks “great things,” but it doesn’t tell us what “great things” he will speak. In later verses, Daniel asked the angel about the little horn and, in doing so, the angel gave Daniel more details saying, “…even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them…” (Dan. 7:20–21). This verse again tells us the little horn speaks “great things,” but we also learn the little horn makes war with the saints and prevails against them. From this it is confirmed again that the Jewish people will be among its prey that the dreadful and terrible beast devours with his great iron teeth, breaking in pieces and stomping on them with his feet.

Then in Daniel 7:25, the angel told Daniel additional information about the little horn saying, “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” This is the third time it is stated that the little horn will say great things, but this time, we know the great things he says are things against God. What this means is that he will speak blasphemous words against God.

The last part of Daniel 7:25 tells us the length of time the Jewish people will suffer under Antichrist: “and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” It is a familiar phrase. We see this same phrasing in Revelation 12:14 where we are told the length of time the sun-clothed woman will spend in the wilderness: “…where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” As explained, this is another way of saying “a year, two years, and half a year.” This is referring to the last half of Daniel’s 70^th week, the last three and one-half years, also referred to as 42 months, and also referred to as 1,260 days. No matter how you phrase it, Antichrist, the dreadful and terrible beast, will oppress Israel for the last three and one-half years of Daniel’s 70^th week.

Daniel 7:25 also tells us that in the end, after the little horn “wears out the saints,” the saints will inherit the kingdom: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Though the Jewish people will experience complete devastation because of the Antichrist beast, they will come out victorious in the end. And that will bring to an end Gentile nations ruling over the nation of Israel.

The Little Horn Is Judged

Then in Daniel 7:9–14, Daniel described the final end of the end time kingdom of Antichrist and the other beasts. Daniel said he kept watching until “the thrones were cast down,” which means the little horn and the other beasts were defeated. After that, Daniel saw God the Father on the throne and described Him using words like “white as snow” and His throne as a “fiery flame.” Then Daniel said, “…the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Books are opened; that means it’s judgment time. Daniel tells us about the Antichrist beast in verse 11: “I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time”(Dan. 7:11–12).

When it says the beast was thrown into the burning flame, we know it is the lake of fire. Revelation 19:20 tells us the fate of the beast and the false prophet that worked miracles with him: “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet … These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” The Antichrist beast and his false prophet will both be thrown into the lake of fire. That is their final judgment. It is their end.

The Judgment of the First Three Beasts: Lion, Bear, Leopard

Now we come to Daniel 7:12, the verse that explains why the beast rising out of the sea in Revelation 13:2 is described as “…like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion….” Daniel begins verse 12 saying, “As concerning the rest of the beasts…” What beasts? The “rest of the beasts” that Daniel was referring to are the first three beasts that came before the dreadful and terrible beast with teeth like iron. He’s referring to the beasts that looked like a lion with eagle’s wings, the bear with three ribs in its mouth, and the leopard with four heads. About these beasts, Daniel writes, “they had their dominion taken away….” All three of these nations were empires at the time they dominated Israel, meaning they ruled over other nations.

Now let’s focus on the last part of Daniel 7:12: “…yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.” In this phrase, we learn the reason why the beast in Revelation 13:2 is an amalgamation of the animal parts of the leopard, the lion, and the bear. The first three beasts lost their dominion, meaning they no longer ruled over other nations. They were no longer empires. But their lives were prolonged, meaning they were allowed to remain nations. In fact, they have existed as nations for well over a couple of millennia. But this phrase— “yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time”—indicates there will come a time when their existence as nations will come to an end. And that time comes when the Antichrist beast does battle with Jesus the Messiah at the battle of Armageddon and loses. As the victor, Jesus the Messiah pronounces judgment on the lives of these beasts. That is when their existence as nations will come to an end.

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