E. Fifth Vision: The beast from the sea (Rev 13:1-4) Interpreters Bible Exegesis Part 2

 E. Fifth Vision: The beast from the sea (13:1-4)

Revelation 13

King James Version

13:1 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.

13:1. The beast which John saw rising out of the sea was similar in appearance to the dragon: Like the dragon it had seven heads and ten horns, but unlike the dragon who had diadems on it's head, this beast had them on it's horns. In Dan. 7:6 the four heads of the leopard representing Persia symbolize the kings of Persia (cf. Dan.11:2) ; likewise the three heads of the eagle that stands for the Roman Empire in II Esdras 12:22-28 signify Roman Emperors. Following a similar pattern of picture language, the seven heads of this beast in revelation are symbolic of the Roman emperors, an identification which is made specific in 17:10. In addition, it had a blasphemous name upon it's heads (RSV) . Nestle's text usually followed by the RSV, has the plural "names," which agrees with the parallel section in 17:3. However the singular is supported by the Chester Beatty Papyrus and other good MSS, and is probably correct. What this name was is difficult to determine. Since the beast symbolizes the line of divine Roman emperors, it might be one of the Divine titles such as divus or augustus which they had assumed. Whatever the name was, it was blasphemous from the authors standpoint and was in direct opposition to that of the conquering Christ (19:13).

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.

2a There are other differences as well for this beast is not serpentine in appearance. Instead, it combines features of the four beast of Daniel 7. The author of Daniel writes that he saw four beast coming out from the sea: the first was like a lion; the second like a bear; the third like a four headed leopard; and the forth a terrible fierce beast with ten horns. Three of these horns were plucked out, and a little horn with eyes like a man, and speaking great things, took it's place. This little horn made war on the saints (Dan. 7:21; cf 7:8 LXX). These four beast represent respectively the kingdoms of Babylon, Media, Persia and the Greco-Syrian Empire. The little horn is Antiochus IV,  whose surname, Epiphanes (God manifest) , was blasphemous according to Jewish standards. It was he who persecuted the Jews, precipitating the Maccabean revolt and occasioning the writing of Daniel. The death of the persecutor and the end of this evil age were promised after three and a half years of persecution. The apocalyptic prediction of Daniel was not fulfilled, for obviously the age of human history was not terminated; but Antiochus did die soon afterward, and the Jews gained their independence and re-established the theocracy.

However, in 63 B.C. they were conquered by the Romans under Pompey. As a result, the forth beast of Daniel was reinterpreted to apply to Rome, or it's ruler or both. This identification is explicitly made in the Talmudic treatise Abodah Zarah 2b (cf II Esdras 12:11). Likewise, the concept of four world empires, the last one Rome as depicted in II Baruch 36-40, is probably another reinterpretation of Dan. 7, even though the symbolism used, the forest, the vine, the fountain, and the cedar, is quite different. Accordingly, it is not surprising that John has made a similar reinterpretation, but in his grandiose manner has combined all four beast into a single one, with seven heads, to signify the defiled emperors and through them the empire.

2b. The dragon gave this beast his power and his throne and great authority, signifying that the beast is satanic in character, is almost Satan incarnate. This is possibly a satire on the Roman belief that the empire and the emperors were divine in origin and character. This view differs greatly from that expressed by Paul, who wrote to the church at Rome that the empire is of God and those in office are God's ministers (Rom. 13: 1-7) . For Paul the empire and it's rulers are inherently good, though not divine, because they are under the direct control of God himself, not of Satan, as in revelation. Similarly, I Peter, like revelation written in a time of persecution, probably during Trajan's reign a few years later, commends the Christians for the Lord's sake to be subject to the emperor and his governors; they are to fear God and honor the emperor (I Peter 2:13-16) . However, for John there is nothing good about either the empire or the emperors; the rulers are not  ordained by God, but are agents of Satan himself, who has invested them with his own authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

3. Not only is the Beast symbolic of the emperors, but in a special way it is associated with Nero, the notorious matricide, in whose reign a number of Christians, probably including Peter and Paul suffered and died as martyrs. In July 68, Nero, condemned to death by the senate for his misrule and crimes, fled to a villa where he committed suicide by stabbing himself in the throat. Due both to certain mysterious circumstances connected with his death and to the character of his rule which was the first to give the Roman citizens and subjects the feeling that imperial authority, which could be awesome and terrible, as well as beneficent, was above the law, the believe developed that Nero had not died as reported. Instead , it was rumored, he had gone into hiding in the east, and would return with a Parthian host to invade and devastate the empire he had once ruled. In keeping with this rumor several imposters arose who had brief careers during which they created disaffection and disturbances in the eastern portions of the empire. The myth concerning a later emperor, Frederick II, who died in 1250, is comparable; for more than a century after his death it was believed that he was alive, and several imposters impersonated him.

The original rumor developed into the belief that Nero had really died, but that in due time he would be restored to life and lead an army, presumably from Parthia, to ravage the empire (cf. Sibylline Oracles 5: 361-67; 4:119-27, 137-39). A further stage was the identification of this Nero redivivus with the Antichrist, who is destroyed along with his invading armies from the king (the messiah) sent from heaven by God (Sibylline Oracles 5:106-10; cf. 5: 33-34). In the Christian Ascension of Isaiah 4:1-14 he is the incarnation of Beliar (i.e., Satan) , the Antichrist who will persecute the church. In a second-century Christian source Nero redivivus is portrayed as a purple dragon and a great beast. ( Sibylline Oracles 8:88-157)

This somewhat detailed presentation helps to explain the otherwise unintelligible statement that one of the heads of the beast seemed to have a mortal wound, but it's mortal wound was healed. he seven heads represent the emperors as a whole, as noted under vs.1. As for the head with a mortal wound which had been healed, this is evidently an allusion to the myth that Nero, who had died of a wound to his throat, would return to life to plague the empire and as the Antichrist to persecute the Christians. quite naturally, the marvelous restoration of Nero to life will fill all the world with wonder (cf. 17:8).

4. .And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

4. Instead of worshiping God, people worshiped the dragon, i.e., Satan, who had given some of his authority to this beast; they also worshiped the beast, i.e., the allegedly divine rulers of Rome, who are actually demonic and satanic. This is the most explicit reference to the imperial cult, which for John was so evil an institution that Satan alone could have devised it. Awed by the power of the beast, i.e. , by the unprecedented extent, might, and power of the Roman rule, people asked the question: Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? For the Christian the answer is obvious, since the lamb that was slain id far more powerful than the slain emperor who returns as the Antichrist and persecutor of the Christians. The Lamb will shortly overpower and destroy him.