THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY

BEAST Part I

There is no doubt that the beast of the Book of Revelation is the Antichrist that the apostle Paul and John describe in their epistles. The word Beast ( Greek, theerion ) means “wild animal” and Revelation first mention this being in 11:7, Where he come from the abyss and kills the two witnesses of the Lord who convict the world of its evil. To say that he emerges from the depths may simply mean that his wicked motivations are inspired from the pits of Satan. Other passages of scriptures show him to be an evil and rational earthly being and not simply a demonic creature. When he arrives upon the world scene, he may become the most powerful and the most loathsome human being to reside on earth. He acts as the devils arch tool for the physical and spiritual destruction of humanity.

The Beast comes from the nations ( “the sea”, 13:1 ) and entices the world to follow after him ( verse 3 ). The religious False Prophet, who is also call a beast” ( verse 11-12 ), leads the world in worshiping the first beast and even makes an Image of him ( verse 15 ). He is identify by a mysterious number:666 ( verse 18; 16:2 ). The exact meaning of this number has escaped the many speculations of scholars. When the event of the tribulations take place, and the beast come on the scene, true christians will probably be able to recognize him by some feature that is identified by 666.

Towards the end of the tribulation, the beast controls the last great rulers and kings of the earth( 17:7 – 18 ). He lead them to overthrow and slay the great harlot of the Book of Revelation, who “is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.” At the very end of the tribulation, the beast leads the kings of the earth “to make war” against Jesus Christ, who comes against all of the nations that have assemble for the final conflict at the battle of Armageddon ( 19:11 – 19 ). The end of the beast is sudden, and at the end of the tribulation he is seized with the false prophet and “thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone” ( 19:20 ).