Who Is the Beast in Revelation 13, and Have We Met Him Yet?

Theology
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Who Is the Beast in Revelation 13?

The identity of the Beast described in Revelation 13 has been a subject of much debate and speculation throughout history. In this passage, the Apostle John describes two beasts—one rising out of the sea and the other out of the earth. The first beast is often associated with a powerful political leader or empire, while the second beast is linked to a religious figure who promotes the worship of the first beast.

Many interpretations suggest that the Beast represents a specific historical figure or empire, while others believe it is symbolic of a future global leader or system that will arise during the end times. With so many theories and viewpoints, the question remains: Have we met the Beast yet, or is this prophecy yet to be fulfilled?

How do current events align with these prophecies, and what should believers be looking out for? Share your thoughts and insights!

For more on this topic, check out the article: Who Is the Beast in Revelation 13, and Have We Met Him Yet?

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Gearstd
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Oh boy… this looks like a bad case of Tim LaHaye induced Left Behind Syndrome.

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He is the Antichrist.

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Hey! I just so happen to have enjoyed the Left Behind series, thank you very much. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I interviewed Tim LaHaye and Larry Jenkins when all those books came out.

It was really neat.

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And I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings… but I didn’t believe it was real.

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You don’t believe 1Thessalonians 5?

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Oho, now that’s a tall tower of end-times Tetris. Ready for demolition. Here’s your fire-forged response:

Onechristian, I admire the chart-making zeal—it’s like watching someone build an IKEA prophecy table with parts from eight different sets and no instruction manual. But let’s not confuse a spreadsheet with sound exegesis.

You’re stitching beasts and metals like Revelation is a Dan Brown sequel. But Daniel and John weren’t writing apocalyptic fan-fiction—they were laying down Holy Spirit-breathed prophecy. So let’s talk Scripture, not speculation.

First off: Revelation 13’s beast is not just a history recap in costume. Yes, it echoes Daniel’s four beasts—but it’s a composite creature for a reason. It represents not merely a succession of empires but the culmination of godless world power energized by Satan himself. The beast isn’t just “the Caliphate with a sequel”—it’s bigger, blasphemous, and globally worshiped (Rev 13:4). That ain’t 7th-century Islam. That’s end-game Antichrist.

And while we’re on that: your claim that the Roman Empire was the fourth head of the third beast? That’s a theological backflip. Daniel 7’s fourth beast isn’t bronze—it’s terrifying, iron-jawed, and unlike any before it (Dan 7:7). That’s Rome, baby. The empire that crushed, devoured, and trampled. The one alive in John’s day (Rev 17:10). You can’t shove Rome into the third beast just to make your end-times flowchart balance out. That’s eisegesis dressed as exegesis.

And calling Jerusalem “Babylon”? Nice try, but no dice. Revelation calls a woman “Babylon the Great”—but she’s riding the beast, not getting ruled by it. That’s not the Jerusalem of God; it’s the counterfeit religious-political system drunk on martyr blood (Rev 17:5–6). You just made the Holy City guilty of harlotry with the beast. Careful now.

Also: The “wounded seventh head” of Rev 13:3? That’s not the Caliphate. That’s the Antichrist himself. A man. Not a dynasty, not an empire, not a vague religious revival. A man who survives a death-blow, mimicking Christ’s resurrection, and leads the world into Satanic worship (Rev 13:3–8). That’s why people marvel and follow the beast—not because they’re history nerds, but because they think he conquered death.

You’ve got a clever framework, but clever isn’t the same as true. Let’s stick to Scripture, not speculation. If your theory needs a decoder ring, a Greek lexicon, and a world history syllabus just to make sense, it’s not prophecy—it’s a puzzle with pieces that don’t belong together.

Final word? The Beast isn’t an empire—it’s a person. And he’s still future. The question isn’t “Have we met him?” but “Are we ready to resist him?”

“Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man…” (Revelation 13:18)

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Onechristian, that’s one spicy end-times casserole you’ve cooked up—lots of ingredients, but some of them don’t belong in the same pot. Let’s take this bite by bite, shall we?

1. The “Eight Empires” Framework: Creative, but Unbiblical

You’ve stitched together Daniel and Revelation like a prophecy patchwork quilt, but the Bible doesn’t endorse an “eight-empire” model. Daniel shows four beasts (Dan 7:3), not eight. Revelation 17 speaks of seven kings, five fallen, one is, one to come—not a parade of empires possessing Jerusalem like it’s a game of theological Monopoly.

“These great beasts, which are four, are four kings…” (Daniel 7:17)
“Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come…” (Rev 17:10)

That’s four beasts in Daniel. Seven kings in Revelation. You’re playing mix-and-match prophecy, and that’s how false systems are born. It’s not exegesis—it’s esoteric algebra.

2. Rome Is the Fourth Beast—No Wiggle Room

Your attempt to stuff Rome into the third beast is a scriptural sleight-of-hand. Daniel’s fourth beast is “different from all the others”—ferocious, iron-toothed, ten-horned, and devastating (Dan 7:7). That’s Rome, plain and simple. Why? Because John was living under it.

“The beast that is…” (Rev 17:10)

Not “was.” Not “will be.” “Is.” That’s Rome. Not a limb of Greece. You can’t reshuffle the beasts to make Rome the sixth head on a leopard. That’s not prophetic insight—that’s theological Jenga.

3. Jerusalem Is Not Babylon. Period.

Calling Jerusalem “Babylon” is the most jaw-dropping claim in the whole scroll. Revelation doesn’t whisper—it shouts that Babylon is the spiritual prostitute of the age, drunk on martyr blood and riding the Beast (Rev 17:5–6). That’s apostate religion, not God’s chosen city.

“Rejoice over her, O heaven… for God has judged your judgment on her.” (Rev 18:20)

You’ve got Jerusalem playing the harlot and partnering with the Antichrist system. That’s not just a misread—that’s slander against the city where Christ will reign (Zech 14:16).

4. The Beast of Revelation 13 Is a Man, Not a Movement

Rev 13 isn’t just a mashup of empires. It describes a man—a singular Antichrist—who is worshiped worldwide and survives a mortal wound (Rev 13:3, 8). He speaks “great things and blasphemies” (Rev 13:5). That’s not the Caliphate. That’s a coming global ruler.

“Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man…” (Rev 13:18)

Not an empire. Not a dynasty. Not a revived Ottoman anything. A man.

5. Islam Doesn’t Fit the Profile of the Final Beast

Let’s get real. The beast has ten kings who give him authority for one hour (Rev 17:12–13). That’s a temporary, worldwide coalition—not a centuries-long Islamic dynasty. And the revived beast will demand global worship (Rev 13:8). Islam demands submission, yes—but worship of a man? Not even close.

Unless the Mahdi moonlights as the Antichrist and rewrites the Qur’an, Islam doesn’t check the boxes.

Final Thought:

You’re stacking symbols like Lego bricks and ignoring the cornerstone: Christ’s victory over the real beast to come. The Antichrist isn’t history—he’s prophecy, and he’s still inbound.

Daniel didn’t give us an eight-act play. Revelation doesn’t hand us a beast buffet. They give us a warning: a final, fierce world ruler is coming. And if you’re looking for him in the dusty corridors of history, you’ll miss the man of sin standing at the door.

Time to clean house and reread the script—not your timeline, but the Word. The Beast is real, he’s future, and he won’t be wearing a turban—he’ll be demanding worship.

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour…” (Matt 25:13)

Ready or not.

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Fritz et. al.

I may be all alone here, but I really believe The Apocalypse (The Revelation) is, as it says, the full revealing of Jesus, The Christ.

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants-…” Revelation 1:1

That is, the vision was given to John, (and preserved for us) not necessarily to reveal who all the end time players might be, but to fully reveal (unveil) Jesus, The Christ; not as a puzzle for us to decipher, but as a unveiling by which we may be enlightened. Enlightnment is the goal in a revelation (apocalypse), not obscurity. I have experienced many “decoders” who, with much difficulty, try to cleverly identify each of the events and the beings spoken of in this apocalypse, but actually spend very little ink on the main subject of the revelation. When John received this message, remember what John knew of Jesus. Think about how John saw Jesus, as a poor man, as a close friend, as a miracle worker, as a teacher, as a willing sacrifice, as a risen savior, as one gone away and yet still very present. I try to NOT forget, these visions were given to John to expand his (and our) understanding of the rest of Jesus; to begin to grapple with His absolute magnificence, to express through revelation the majesty and glory of the single, omnipotent, victorious Lamb of God, Emanuel, wonderful, counselor, The Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, Jesus.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and He will dwell with them,
and they shall be His people.
God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
And He said to me,
“Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
And He said to me,
"It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
Revelation 21:3-6 (NKJV)

The details of the events, and players leading up to the last battle are intentionally undefined, and presented to us, through this vision, in fantastic unfamiliar images of flying angels, multiheaded beasts, bloody judgements, bottomless pits, and lakes which burn. These are all images, metaphors maybe, that depict a yet-unknown reality; a reality that we have not yet imagined, and one that transpires over multiple dimensions that we have not yet experienced. I am sure this vision was given so we would be ready, not surprised by current events that inexplicably occur, and to realize there is a lot more going on in reality than we can observe or grapple with. Therefore, we walk by faith (taking God at His Word) and not by sight. I am fully confident in God’s ability to communicate details and facts to us in ways that even human minds can comprehend. The facts He wants us to know, we do not miss. When he doesn’t provide the details, I don’t think He is saying, “try to figure it out on your own”. I think He IS saying, don’t miss the Big Message, don’t miss the forest straining at identifying the trees. No matter who the players are in the final days, the single most important eternal one is what this apocalypse is about.

This is how I see it.
KP

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KPuff, I hear your heart—and I’ll raise you a trumpet blast.

You’re right that Revelation is first and foremost “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1)—no argument there. But let’s not swing the pendulum so hard toward “only Jesus” that we amputate half the book He revealed. Jesus didn’t hand John a scroll of beasts, bowls, and battles just to say, “Ignore all that—just focus on Me.”

That’s not Revelation. That’s redacted sentimentality.

Yes, Revelation unveils the glorified Christ—eyes like fire, voice like thunder, feet like bronze, the Alpha and the Omega riding on clouds. Amen. But this Revelation of Jesus is also a revelation from Jesus, and He didn’t stutter. He gave John specific warnings, chronological judgments, named symbols, and a very real Antichrist—not as background noise, but as battle prep.

“Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it…” (Rev 1:3)

Read. Hear. Keep. Not “vibe with the metaphors and move on.”

Look, I get it—there’s a ditch on both sides of the road. On the left: endless end-times decoding that forgets Jesus. On the right: a fuzzy “it’s all about Jesus” lens that turns beasts into metaphors and timelines into mood boards. But the narrow road? It’s both. Christ-centered and detail-respecting. Because the same Jesus who died for your sins also warns of the dragon’s wrath, the harlot’s seduction, and the wrath of God poured out in bowls.

You say, “The goal of Revelation is enlightenment, not obscurity.” Amen to that. But here’s the spicy truth: Enlightenment isn’t about escaping the details—it’s about understanding them. That’s why the Spirit says over and over, “Let him who has ears hear…” (Rev 2–3). God doesn’t waste ink, KP. If He gave us flying locusts, a two-horned false prophet, and a seven-headed geopolitical monster, it’s not so we could squint and say, “Eh, that’s just symbolic. Let’s get back to the Lamb.”

Let’s not treat the Word like a Rorschach test when it’s a roadmap. The same Jesus who wraps Revelation in His glory also commands us to watch, discern, and not be deceived. Not everyone who says “Jesus is Lord” will be ready when the sky splits and the Beast demands worship.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a war briefing, not a worship concert. And yes—He’s the center. But you’d better believe He wants His soldiers to know the battlefield, the enemy, and the terms of engagement.

“Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Rev 22:7)

Don’t miss the forest. But don’t chainsaw the trees either.

Much love—and sharpened swords.

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Sinister boo-talk strikes again!

John wrote to a specific group of people about the specific trials they faced. It’s interesting to note, however, how often history repeats itself. Apparently, if we fail to learn its lessons, we need to repeat the grade.

In this chapter, John sees a beast arising from “the sea.” The sea is, throughout the Bible, a word-picture of humanity – dark, turbulent, acted upon by exterior forces. The Beast from the sea is, obviously, both Rome and Caesar. The Caesar is, obviously, Nero. The dude who used to dress up in an animal costume with razor-sharp steel claws, to tear into chained captives in the arena. The chapter uses a discrete code to label Nero – if you spell out Caesar Nero in Hebrew characters and add up the numeric values of those letters, you get 666. The Roman empire was in the midst of a turbulent period. At one point, it had five emperors in less than a year. Yet somehow Rome managed to pull itself together and stagger on for another four centuries.

The beast I’m fascinated by, however, is the Beast from The Land. Which land? THE Land – Israel. After this (Bundan sonra) … well, let’s let John use his own words:

Bundan sonra bir canavar gördüm. Yerden çıkan bu canavarın kuzu gibi iki boynuzu vardı, ama ejderha gibi ses çıkarıyordu.
And, today’s word list:

  • kuzu gibi – like a lamb
  • ejderha gibi – like a dragon

Like a lamb, this beast had two horns. Like a dragon, it spoke. Knowing where this beast arose, The Land of Israel, its identity is easy to discern. As you recall, the ruling class of first-century Israel both resented Rome (the Pharisees) and depended on Rome for their political power (the Sadducees). When push came to shove, when the rulers of Israel confronted the Messiah, God’s King of Israel, they said, “We have no king but Caesar.”

They pledged allegiance to God’s enemy, and the ultimate enemy of their people. Their immediate descendants paid the price for that misplaced loyalty.

Yet, time after time, we see God’s people functioning as “Sampsons in reverse,” propping up enemies of God and man. Israel’s ruling class provided a credibility transplant to Rome, that helped Rome over a rough spot in their history. The Soviet experiment was funded with American money during the “New Economic Policy,” the “Lend-Lease program,” the post-Stalin “thaw,” “detente,” and “glasnost.”

Finally, here in America Christian parents are politely cooperating with the godless plan for their extermination by “rendering unto Caesar that which is God’s.” Christian parents support secular humanism by willingly providing this beast with the feedstock and fodder it demands – the bodies, minds, and souls of their children. As public education has become ever-more consistent to the dreams of its founding fathers, Horace Mann and John Dewey, those who go through the intestines of this leviathan emerge quite changed. Unlike “weasel coffee,” it’s not for the better. Very few are able to think like Christians any more – although they may “feel” and emote in culturally sanctioned ways.

Yet, every proud enemy of the gospel eventually collapses under its own weight. And we can hasten that glorious day by simply refusing to provide artificial life support to godless systems.

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SS, Well said!

I concur, my post may have sounded too pendulate. I was not really trying to comprehensively cover all the aspects of The Apocalypse, but simply to shed some much-needed light on, what seems to me to be, an often-overlooked primary message. In my haste to point out the forest, I see I didn’t give adequate ink to the trees. I realize it is the trees that comprise the forest, so I am definitely not advocating for, as you say, a passive shrug, with “Eh, that’s just symbolic. Let’s get back to the Lamb.” Your admonitions are good, and much appreciated. I never know how I’m being read until someone responds and points out how they heard it.

The fantastic details are given because they are important. They are important on several levels however, not just the simplest one, not just the low-hanging ideas which are easiest to grab, not just the esoteric imaginations that generate the most revenue for an ear-tickling book. For instance, when Jesus calmed the storm, I’m not doubting there was a real body of water, a real boat with real disciples in it, a real storm, on a real Galilean evening. It is fun to travel to the exact departure point on the sea of Galilee, and look out over the water and imagine a quickly building storm that would frighten even seasoned fishermen. These details are important, but not just so we can place these people in a certain place at a certain time, and hear testimony of those who witnessed something miraculous. No matter what relevance you inculcate from this story, no matter what truths you come away with, you should not miss the manifest truth that Jesus is master over all nature, and with all calmness and authority (the root of authority is author, btw), commands even the insentient cosmos to yield, to bow, and to cower in submission. We may come away from this story with the understanding that Jesus saved those disciples from drowning, and we may come away from the story internalizing that Jesus is The manifest Savior of mankind.

The Apocalypse is also like that (to me). What we come away with is largely dependent on what we expected to find. If you are only looking for insight into the future (prognostication) it’s all here for tasty consumption. If you are looking, as the deer pants for brooks of water, for Jesus, step back. He is on every page. I am not discounting the internal teaching of God’s Holy Spirit, and I am not suggesting that what we learn is totally dependent on our savviness, our intellect, or our dedication. But I did feel it is incumbent on me, as His ambassador, to ring the bell, and repoint our attention (or at least part of our attention) to chapter 1 verse 1, and to not allow ourselves to miss that beautiful grand vista who is, in my opinion, is both author and subject of the book!

Thanks again for your response. I often learn from God, through His disciples. I heard you.

KP

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