What Do the Two Beasts of Revelation 13 Represent?

Let’s address these questions one at a time.

What Is the First Beast Coming Up from the Sea in Revelation 13?

As I noted in my book, Revelation: Christ’s Final Message of Hope, the first beast in Revelation 13, emerging from the “sea,” is widely regarded as a symbol of pagan Rome’s civil power.

Beginning in the reign of Nero Caesar (A.D. 54-68), Rome inflicted waves of horrible persecution on the early Christians, continuing until the time of Constantine (A.D. 313). In that year, the “Edict of Toleration” was enacted.

Note that this sea creature is a pictorial collage of the animals depicted in the prophecy of Daniel 7. The beast is said to have derived its power and authority from “the dragon,” identified in Revelation 12:9 as the devil.

Who or What is the Second Beast?

The issue now is: who is symbolized by the second beast that arises out of the “earth”?

Roman Catholic scholars contend that the “second beast” is the same power as the first, namely pagan Rome, and that the chapter’s persecuting imagery also refers to the civil persecution of the old Roman empire. Thus, it is claimed that the events of the ancient Roman empire fulfill John’s prophecies.

This theory was conceived by the Catholic clergy and called the “Preterist” view (meaning, that which has gone by). It constitutes an attempt to nullify specific prophecies in the book of Revelation that point to the rise of religious persecution associated with early Catholicism and the brutality connected therewith.

But this “Second Beast” equals the “First Beast” theory hardly conforms to the language of the text. John says the second beast (v. 11) is another entity. “Same” and “another” are not compatible terms.

Scholars who have not been influenced by Catholicism’s preterist interpretation of Revelation (namely that the second beast is also pagan Rome) have vigorously contended that this “second” beast represents a politico-ecclesiastical movement that is a hybrid of pagan Rome and corrupt Christendom, evolving in the centuries following the apostolic age.

Eventually, this hybrid of religious and political power took shape as the “Catholic” religion, with its various branches: Western (Roman), Eastern (Greek Orthodox), and English (Anglican). This movement was among the most vicious persecuting forces of the ancient world, particularly during the “Middle Ages,” a period spanning about a thousand years, beginning with the fall of Rome in A.D. 476.

How, then, does Revelation 13:17 fit into this interpretation?

This text, employing powerful symbolism, speaks of the dire hardships that the civil/religious beast would impose on those who pledged fidelity to Christ.

A figurative mark on their right hand or forehead identified those who aligned with the beast. This vivid imagery appears to refer to those who give mental assent or the right hand of fellowship to this evil power, thereby enabling them to prosper economically.

In his classic, four-volume set of commentaries on the book of Revelation, E. B. Elliott noted that Pope Alexander III “passed a law that no man should presume to receive or assist the heretics, no not so much as to exercise commerce with them in selling or buying” (221; emphasis original). Elliott further noted that the execution of this policy “throughout the history of Popedom is notorious.” He argued that the practice was still employed in Ireland at the time.

By way of contrast, those who received not the mark (i.e., did not yield to the doctrinal corruption) were unable to buy or sell, and thus suffered persecution, as illustrated by economic deprivation.

This persecution is documented during the so-called “Dark Ages” following the fall of the pagan Roman Empire, also known as the “Middle Ages.” It was during this era that the evolving Roman church became a powerful political force. Roman Catholic authorities frequently refer to this as their Golden Age. However, the Protestant Reformation significantly curtailed Catholicism’s influence.

I will close with a quote from John T. Hinds in his excellent commentary on the book of Revelation: “the world’s greatest religious apostasy would not be overlooked in a book [Revelation] foretelling the enemies of the church” (xiii).

Burton Coffman, who produced a fine set of commentaries covering the entire Bible (40 volumes), once observed that the student who cannot find “Romanism” in the prophecies of the book of Revelation is afflicted with a serious exegetical “astigmatism.”