The beast out of the sea continued.
“Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, and on its heads a blasphemous name. Now, the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority to rule.” Revelation 13:1 – 2, NET. The beast here refers to human agencies that Satan employed to disrupt God’s plan for humankind. Seven heads portray the seven kingdoms as a part of one beast. It is the totality of human efforts on behalf of Satan. The dragon is Satan, who exerted evil power through six kingdoms to eliminate the people that God chose to bring the Messiah through them. The seventh kingdom is the system that evil employs to take as many people as possible out of Christ. The seventh kingdom is not a classical one. It is something that humankind has never attempted before.
The four successive kingdoms were Satan’s concerted effort to prevent the birth of the Messiah. In Revelation, the Greek noun “Therion” refers to both the human agencies, kingdoms, and Satan himself, as in Revelation 17:8. When it applies to Satan himself, John defines the “Therion” as the “beast which was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss.” Revelation 17:8. Satan was the prince of this world; now he is not and will come out of the Abyss, the imprisonment. He will convince the ten horns, the ten kings, to install him as the prince and the leader of humankind. That will come true after the Millennium. As a newly installed prince, Satan will lead his followers in battle Armageddon. Revelation 20:7 – 8.
For modern-day students of the Bible, a significant part of the beast is the “head that was wounded and healed.” Revelation 13:3 – 4. The seven heads of the “Therion,” the beast, are the seven kingdoms. Six assisted Satan in the past. The seventh kingdom is being formed with the same aim and purpose as the previous kingdom, mainly to accomplish Satan’s goal. The seventh kingdom will assist Satan in his plan against God at the end of the Millennium. Satan will prepare the ten kings for the battle of Armageddon in the hope of regaining a home for himself and his followers. Revelation 17:9 – 10.
The head that was wounded represents the seventh kingdom on earth. The seventh kingdom is not an empire in the classical sense. No matter how powerful it may be, one country and nation will not rule the world. It is the “One World,” or Integrated World, fully inclusive of all countries, nations, languages, and peoples. It is the unique kingdom among the seven in the Book of Revelation. It is purely a human invention and will be run by humans. However, humans will run in the same spirit as previous kingdoms and on behalf of Satan himself. It will be the first fully global human institution, a system working on behalf of the dragon, Satan. Jesus will return during the early part of the rule by the seventh kingdom. This will become clear very soon.
Continued in the next blog.
