On the other hand, beasts are political entities. Governments, nations, empires.
I find this claim hard to justify from scripture.
It was however, preached that the "beasts" are political entities, governments, nations and empires by the Reformation Fathers so that they could justify a break away movement from the RCC.
Dan 7:2 is very telling as to the identification of the entities who are the "real" beasts of Daniel 7.
Dan 7:2: - Daniel spoke, saying, "
I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven[1] were stirring up the Great Sea.
Then in Dan 8:8 we see that the four horns, after Alexandra the Great, came up towards the four winds of heaven: -
Dan 8:8: - Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.
In both chapters, the four winds of heaven are spiritual entities who have the ability to influence the behaviour political entities, governments, nations and empires.
Now the fifth beast is the little horn which had influence over the horns of the fourth beast as recorded in Daniel 7:8: -
Daniel 7:7-8: - 7 "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
And as we continue in Daniel 8 we then read this: -
Dan8:9-14: - 9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious {Land}. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?"
14 And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed."
Considering verse 14, and applying the year for a day rule which has been applied to Daniel's prophetic words, the 2,300 days is actually 2,300 years.
Also, in Rev 13:11 we are told that the Little Horn/False Prophet is a beast as well.
Now the Little Horn is able to enter into the heavenlies, which no man, except Enoch has ever done, which means that the Little Horn is a spiritual entity, just like the four winds of heaven and is also a heavenly host/fallen angel, because the Little Horn cast out some of the hosts of heaven down to the ground and trampled them.
Now if the Little Horn is a heavenly host then the four winds of heaven are also heavenly hosts and are fallen Angels.
Now in Daniel 7:3 we are told that the four winds of heaven stirred up the sea of humanity such that the described beasts rise up out of the sea of humanity as a manifestation of the four respective winds of heaven/beasts.
Now after the time of the death of Alexandra the Great, probably around 260 BC until the end of this present age, the Little Horn has been given the means and various armies, during different time periods, to trample God's Sanctuary and His Earthly Hosts, i.e. Israel.
Sadly, as humans, we rarely are able to see the fallen angels operating, as they are hidden behind the manifestation of the respective beasts, i.e., people groups, nations and empires, who are doing the respective beasts bidding.
While ever we believe, the successful lie of Satan, that the beasts are of human entities and form, we will have difficulty in understanding the unfolding of the End Times.
Shalom
[1] The “four winds of heaven” are best understood to be four wicked fallen heavenly host that have gained an influence over the earth, in that, their dominate characteristic are manifested within the sea of humanity and these manifestations are described as beasts. The “four winds of heaven” are mentioned in Daniel 7:2, 8:8 and 11:4, and Zechariah 6:5.
