Bible Question:
The beast(Anti-Christ)is described in Revelation 13:1-2 What do each of these physical traits of the beast possibly represent: 10 horns 7 heads with blasphemous names 10 crowns resemblence to a leopard feet of a bear mouth like a lion Thanks,Chusarcik |
Bible Answer: Chusarchik, "The beast from the sea echoes the dragon of Revelation 12 in that it too has seven heads and ten horns. Yet they are distinct, with the beast deriving its authority from the dragon (13:2). Almost every commentator agrees that this beast is an image of Rome, especially since the "sea" is typically an image of the Gentile "nations." John draws once again from Daniel 7 and the vision where the prophet sees a succession of four Gentile empires dominating and oppressing Old Testament Israel (Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman imaged as four beasts coming out of the sea: a lion, a leopard, a bear, and a terrible beast with "ten horns"). John's beast from the sea has the attributes of a lion, leopard, and bear all rolled into one. In other words, this fourth empire sums up in itself all the evils of the previous three. John tells us, "One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed." Some scholars see in this a reference to a myth or rumor that Nero (the first Caesar to persecute Christians) would return to life. However, it is also possible to see in this a simple reference to the recovery of the persecuting empire in the wake of Nero's death. At any rate, it is a fact that the Neronian persecution of Christians lasted 3 1/2 years or "forty-two months" (13:5) and it is also a fact that the Caesars claimed divine honors and demanded worship. The beast is given power to "make war on the saints and to conquer them" like the beast in the first half of Daniel 7. Significantly, however, the beast in Daniel is overcome by the "son of man" and the saints of the Most High share his victory. Ironically, the same destiny awaits the church, for in the very heart of the beast that seeks to destroy the Church -- Rome -- God will, by the blood of the martyrs, plant the seed of the Church ....But it is not only the Church that pagan Rome shall attempt to dominate. Nor shall submission to Rome's domination save those who submit to it. John alludes to this fact by making a free quotation of Jeremiah 15:2 ("If anyone is to be taken captive ", etc.). In context, this passage from Jeremiah spoke of the absolute certainty of the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple "because what Manasseh... did in Jerusalem" (Jeremiah 15:4). Manasseh was the very worst of the Davidic Kings. He offered up thousands of child sacrifices in Jerusalem. Because of him, God assures Jerusalem through Jeremiah that the destruction of the Temple and captivity is certain and inevitable. Indeed, so inevitable is the coming of the army to destroy the Temple in Jeremiah's time that the prophet is commanded (Jeremiah 14:11) not to pray to avert it and is specifically instructed by God that any prophecy to the contrary issues from the mouth of a false prophet. Jeremiah's language concerning the coming destruction of the Temple by Babylon was astonishing and blasphemous to his contemporaries. Yet this is exactly the language John now deploys in order to drive home the point that the Temple shall once again be destroyed by another pagan power whom God shall use to enact his judgment. And, in fact, on the exact same day of the year, Rome will reenact (in 70 AD) what Babylon did in 587 BC." Catholic Scripture Study - Revelation www.catholic exchange.com Emmaus |