The Beast out of the Sea
1 The Authorized Version presents this line here but the Critical Text versions add this line at the end of Chapter 12.
2. This beast is a very different being than the seven headed dragon described in chapter 12. That creature represents Satan or the Devil; this beast represents a creation that works by the power of the Devil.
3. We remember that in scripture the sea often represents the Gentile nations or a Gentile nation. In this case we will discover that this beast is rising out of the Roman Empire. This beast is sometimes spoken of as an individual [specific sense]. It's not surprising then that the beast is interchangeably and individual and a kingdom, if ancient Roman is in view.
4. In order to understand what the seven heads of the beast represent, we are required to go to chapter 17:9-10 where John writes: "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitters. 10 and there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space". The seven kings correspond to the first seven Emperors, of Rome, namely Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, and Galba. [See Daniel 7:2;7; Revelation 17:3,9,12]
Revelation 13:2
5. Interestingly, the beast is described in such a way that it incorporates the traits of all four beasts that Daniel saw in a vision in Daniel 7:1-8. Generally speaking, most Bible Scholars seem to be in partial, if not full agreement, that the beasts in Daniel's vision represented the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Gree, and Roman empires. Here, Romans appears to have been brought into the picture as a chief agent of the judgement that came upon Jerusalem in 70AD. It [Rome] was the "persecuting power that was the hand of the Old Serpent cast to earth to persecute the Saints of God. [See Daniel 7:4-6; Revelation 12:4,9; 16:10]
6. When one of the seven Kings was mortally wounded unto death, [Nero], it was believed that the Roman Empire had come to an end.
7. The Roman Empire.
8. Meaning - "when the Roman Empire revived' [even through the renewed spirit of Nero himself]. [see commentary on Revelation 13:3 - The Death and Revival of Nero in the Roman Empire]
9. The KJV errantly reads, "the whole world"
10 - They were amazed at the Revival of the Roman Empire [ see Revelation 13:12, 14; 17:8]
11 - Satan
12 - They worshiped Rome. We have an instance of this in scripture when at the trails of Yeshua, the Jews cried, "we have no king but Caesar". [ John 19:15]
13 - Here we see not only the Jews adoration of Rome's incomparable power and stamina [ when the worshipers said things like, "Who is like the beast?] but we also get an idea of their feeling powerless to oppose Rome in anyway when they cry, "and who can fight against it?"
