THE BEAST & LITTLE HORN
Third Angel’s Message
Revelation 14:9 - “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand.”
All people worship someone, something, or a belief even if they don’t make any profession of religion or worship. For example, atheists worship a belief that there is no god. Evolutionists worship a belief that this world came about through a “big bang.” Buddhist worship Buddha. Muslims worship Muhammad. New Age worship spiritualism. And many in between worship “self.” The mark of the beast crisis is all about who you worship at the end of time. Do you worship God or Satan, Truth or lies, the Word or man’s traditions, Jesus or self? In the end, all those who reject or ignore God’s Bible truth, any of God’s Ten Commandments including the seventh-day Sabbath, will become by “default” members of Babylon. There is no middle ground. You are either in Christ one true church or Satan’s Babylonian church at the end of time.
Specifically, who and what does Babylon, the beast, its image, and the mark of the beast represent in the three angel’s message?
Since you have a foundational understanding, let’s specifically identify Babylon, the beast, its image and the mark of the beast. You need to know so you will not receive the mark of the beast. In the book of Revelation, Babylon, the beast, its image, and the mark of the beast are symbolic imagery that point to reality. Do we have the freedom to guess what each one represents? Absolutely not. Bible prophecy is history told in advanced. You must let the Bible interpret Bible prophecy, but history will confirm its fulfillment and authenticity. The Bible reveals the character of each prophetic symbol in which its fulfillment or identity can be accurately matched to people, things, or events.
Let’s first specifically identify the beast. Then we will study the image of the beast and reveal the mark of the beast.
This same symbolic beast spoken about in Revelation chapter 14 is actually introduced in the previous chapter, 13. Here the Bible gives us the characteristic of this beast that can be accurately matched to a real and clearly identifiable system. This is a loaded question with a loaded answer. Dig in God’s Word and let’s go deeper.
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.”
This description of the beast confirms that the beast of Revelation chapters 13 & 14 is symbolic because there are no beasts in God’s literal animal kingdom that have seven heads, ten horns, spots like a leopard, bear’s feet, and a lion’s mouth.
To clearly answer this question we must use Revelation’s prophetic sister book, Daniel. Note that many prophecies revealed in either books are related and confirm each other. In many cases, comparing prophecies found in both books expand our understanding. Matter of fact, we will see that the beast described in Revelation chapter 13 is directly related to the end time prophecies in Daniel.
In Daniel 7:2-7, the prophet Daniel in vision saw four beasts come out of the sea. The first beast was described as a lion with eagle’s wings that stood up on two feet. The second was described as a bear with three ribs in his mouth. The third was described as a leopard with four heads and four bird wings. The fourth beast was described as dreadful, terrible, and exceedingly strong with iron teeth and ten horns. You will not find any of these animals at the zoo. The descriptions of the four beasts coming out of the sea in Daniel’s vision are symbolic. By the way, when you compare Daniel’s description of the four beasts to the leopard-like beast of Revelation chapter 13, you notice that the leopard-like beast has some of the same features as all four beasts in Daniel chapter 7. More on that later. At the end of Daniel chapter 7, Daniel is given the symbolic meaning of what these beasts represent.
16 “I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.”
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.”
Kings are over kingdoms or nations. So, in general, beasts in Bible prophecy are symbolic for kingdoms or nations.
Prophetic Symbol: BEASTS = KINGDOMS / NATIONS
This answers the first clue of the leopard-like beast of Revelation chapter 13: it represents a kingdom or nation. This will be confirmed as we study the other features of the leopard-like beast.
Let’s look at this prophetic picture of art that Jesus paints and see what is revealed to us based on the clues of Revelation chapter 13. Below is a list of features that we are going to study and analyze in order to unravel the mystery of who is the beast of Revelation chapter 13.
Let’s study these key features in order to accurately identify the leopard-like beast of Revelation chapter 13.
Revelation 12:9 - “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Satan also known as the Devil is depicted as the great dragon and old serpent. The adjectives “great” and “old” are used to reveal the worldwide size of Satan’s reach and his old age on this earth. Satan is that same “old serpent” that deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden almost 6000 years ago (Genesis 3:1-6, 13). Satan has been around for a very long time with a lot of experience developing and implementing his deceptive strategies worldwide. Throughout Bible prophecy when Satan is referred to as a snake, it is pointing to his deceptive character. When Satan is referred to as a dragon, it is pointing to his persecuting character (Revelation 12:13, 17).
So the great dragon that gives the leopard-like beast its power, seat, and great authority is Satan which points to his persecuting character.
Prophetic Symbol: DRAGON = SATAN / DEVIL
Below are the “Greek” meanings for power, seat, and great authority:
As we already discovered, the leopard-like beast is a kingdom or nation. Satan gives this nation its power, seat, and great authority to enforce its governmental powers as a nation around the world. Since Satan is using his symbol as a dragon, it is obvious that he will use this nation (beast) to persecute God’s people.
Blasphemy means slander, wicked speech, or deliberate actions against God. Blasphemy is also applied to humans trying to take on the roles, acts, and privileges of God that only belong to Him. For example, in John 10:31-33 the Jewish leaders falsely charged Jesus for blasphemy because He revealed that He is divine.
31 “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
The Jewish leaders were wrong in their charge of blasphemy against Jesus, because He is God. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Even though the Jewish leader’s accusation about Jesus were false, they were correct in their definition of blasphemy.
Any person that takes on the rights, position, roles, privileges, titles, and worship that only belong to God would be guilty of blasphemy.
Luke 5:20, 21
20 “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
Again, Jesus is God, so those charges do not apply to Him. Only God can forgive and cleanse us from sin, not man. No man has the power to forgive and cleanse anyone from sin. In addition, according to Webster’s Dictionary 1828 series, “Blasphemy is an injury offered to God, by denying that which is due and belonging to him, or attributing to him that which is not agreeable to his nature.” So blasphemy is twofold. It is attributing to man the rights that only belong to God and it is also attributing to God things that directly contradict God’s character and misrepresent Bible truth.
Notice again that the name of blasphemy is on the heads of the beast of Revelation chapter 13. Behind your forehead is the frontal lobe of the brain. This is where your decisions are made and your character is formed. The name of the beast reveals that its character is blasphemous against God making claims and entitlements that ONLY belong to God.