The Beast of Revelation 17 (&13)
(continuation of post 7.2, a mid-2023 interpretation)
Not many interpretations address a clue given by the angel, who advises John in V7 that he will ‘tell him the mystery of the woman’ and the mystery of the Beast carrying the woman. Previously I had tried to understand Rev13 beast first before moving on to Rev 17. That tied me up in knots.
However, it’s Rev 17 is where we should start, because the verse 1-6 vision is followed by an explanation. Once we understand this explanation, then only can we move back to Rev 13. The Rev 13 puzzle pieces then fall into place much more readily.
7b) I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. carrying the woman
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Starting with the Rev 17:7 explanation given by the angel, we can list the following information about the Beast sequentially:
a) The Beast “was, is not, and shall ascend from the bottomless pit”… The phrase ‘..is not..’ indicates that there is a hidden phase of the Beast.
b) He goes into perdition.
c) Unbelievers (not written in the Book) shall ‘wonder’ when they behold the beast.
d) The Beasts seven heads are the seven mountains on which the woman sits.
e) There are 7 kings, 5 fallen, one is now (i.e. ~90AD) and one is in the future and will only ‘continue a short space’.
f) The entire Beast system is the 8th ‘king‘.
g) The 10 horns are 10 (other) kings with no power as yet, but will have power for 1 hour with the beast.
h) These 10 kings have one mind and give their power to the beast. (The Dan 2 (toes) suggest these kings are contemporaries)
i) They make war with the Lamb (Armageddon). Those with the Lamb are called, chosen & faithful.
Referring to the rest of the passage below…
j) Whore sits on many waters(v2), which are people tongues and nations.
k) The 10 kings hate the whore and destroy her.
l) The 10 kings agree to give their kingdoms to the beast.
m) The woman is that great city which rules over the kings of the earth.
We have already identified, in post 7.2, that the woman is the current continuation of the pagan priesthood through the catholic church. With regard to the beast, we know, for those who care to investigate, that a global elite, through their accomplices the Jesuits, freemasons, bankers, UN, WEF, etc., are currently involved in a power grab to control government actions globally. This power grab is designed to bring about a one world government consisting of ten partitions. Each partition will have a leader. It is likely that there will be five leaders controlling the western cultures and five controlling the Eastern/African/South American cultures (similar to those currently identifying as the BRICS nations).
It is important to separate the Beast system (i.e. global elite and accomplices), run through the 10 kings, from the whore, as the beast will end up hating/resenting the whore, i.e. resenting the Catholic pagan priesthood, and then destroying it. (v 16)
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.1
Note also that they also don’t give their power to the whore, but to the beast (v17). It seems that the pagan priesthood is taking the beast ‘for a ride’ to further their own pleasures and whoredoms. The kings do all the groundwork and the whore is on the gravy train. That would generate resentment.
So who is the likely to be this beast, which is at the same time the 8th king, and ‘of the seven’? Note that this is a beast with 5 historical heads (empires), the Roman Empire of John’s day, and a future 7th empire.
Is ‘the eighth’ the final one world government, composed of remnants of all the previous seven, something like the UN but controlled by the elite?
17 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.