Part 3
Revelation Chapter 13
VERSE 1 continued “And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.”
(As taken from The Keys of Revelation)
Although as explained in our previous post the first phrase of Verse 1 viz. “AND HE (the Dragon) STOOD ON THE SAND OF THE SEASHORE” belongs at the end of the 12th chapter, nevertheless the KJV (as well as several other translations) still include it as part of the opening of Chapter 13. Likewise, some tend to refer John rather than to the beast as the one standing on the seashore.
“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.” (KJV)
Brother Shallieu interprets it thusly:
Sand of the Sea
From a stance apart, upon the seashore, the Apostle beholds the spectacle of a beast rise out of the sea. John’s position in the vision shows that in the midst of a scene of restlessness and turbulence, the John class is afforded a detached and enlightened standpoint similar to that of Revelation 4:1,2 and 17:3. Another and more important reason for the Apostle’s stance is that during these chaotic circumstances new creatures in Christ were protected spiritually from being overwhelmed in the confusion; they were protected by the same God who has “placed the sand for the boundary of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it” (Jer. 5:22).
Comparison with the Beast of Daniel 7
In Chapter 13 the wild beast of Revelation makes its appearance for the first time. A strong correlation exists between this beast and the fourth beast of Daniel 7:7, 8. Although in the Old Testament prophecy, the beast is not likened to any known creature, yet from information afforded by the Apocalypse and other Scriptures, as well as by tradition, it probably had the similitude of the fabled dragon, most resembling a walking serpent (Gen. 3:14).
In this same seventh chapter of Daniel, the angel explains that the four beasts spoken of represent four kingdoms, four universal empires, that arise out of the earth (Verse 17). Elsewhere in Daniel, three of these kingdoms are explicitly mentioned by the second (Dan. 8:20); and Greece, the third (Dan. 8:21). Since three successive empires are identified, the fourth empire obviously is Rome, the successor of Greece. The Old Testament provides essential information up to where recorded events are reliable, not only from a general standpoint of detail but also from a chronological viewpoint. It was not necessary, therefore, to expressly name the fourth empire, for it is sufficiently disclosed by implication. The fourth beast of Daniel 7 represents the Roman Empire.
In the Book of Revelation BOTH the dragon and the beast represent Rome, the former as a civil power, purely secular, and the latter as a religious temporal government. The beast and the dragon are separate and distinct entities, however. The Lord’s people recognized early that the Devil used Rome as his international capital, and the city was soon seen to be “Satan’s seat” (Rev. 2:13). It has been the headquarters of both the pagan and the papal systems. For many centuries from A.D. 539 onward, the bishop of Rome acted as the temporal sovereign of that city.
The fact the beast is seen initially to arise from the sea indicates that its power was mysteriously spawned during a troublesome era, in the midst of upheaval (The waves of the sea depicting turmoil, restlessness). Several barbarian incursions into Italy plunged the nation into periods of violence and plunder and the populace into the depths of poverty, hunger, and despair, thus greatly weakening the Western imperial power. Papacy capitalized on the instability of government, particularly in Rome, the ancient and revered capital of the empire, and adroitly maneuvered the situation to its own advantage.
The city more and more changed into the city of popes. If it can be said that communism “sets its sails on the sea of discontent,” how much more so has the papal system prospered under similar conditions of unrest and turmoil and, through the art of diplomacy, established itself as a strong power and potent world influence.”
Daniel 7 says nothing about the fourth beast having seven heads or any crowns attached to its horns. Yet at least one head is implied (by the “teeth” of Verse 19), but it is silently and purposely passed by, as if to say that the seven heads of the dragon would not be introduced until necessary, in recording the Apocalypse, to show their relationship to the now visible birth of papal power.
The beast of Revelation 13 and the dragon of Chapter 12 both have seven heads and ten horns. The heads represent the seven successive powers in Rome.
In regards to this last, the seven heads there are several fine brethren who have both studied and written upon this particular subject including the author of The Keys of Revelation, Brother Shallieu with each presenting a list of whom they believe them to have been. Because of this wide difference of opinion, we have decided to included it as a separate subject under the title, “The Seven Heads”, See How to study the book of Revelation, Part 43
We continue with the explanation of Verse 1 as given in The Keys of Revelation with our next post.
