Judgment · The beast from the sea and the false prophet

Revelation 13:1-18

John · ~95 AD · Status: Future · Confidence: 60%
“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. 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.”
King James Version · the opening — all 18 verses are below
More of Revelation 13 on this siteRevelation 13:16-18

The beast from the sea (the blasphemous world-power) and the beast from the earth (the false prophet) who enforces its worship and mark — 666.

Study this passage in depth The Mark of the Beast →
Read the whole passage — all 18 verses (KJV)

13:1And 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.

13:2And 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.

13:3And 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.

13:4And 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?

13:5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

13:6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

13:7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

13:8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

13:9If any man have an ear, let him hear.

13:10He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

13:11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

13:12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13:13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

13:14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

13:15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

13:16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

13:17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

13:18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Fulfillment References

Daniel 7:1-8 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Revelation 17:9-11 Revelation 19:20

How Traditions Read This Prophecy

Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalThe beast demands the worship due God alone; the one Lord Jesus alone is worthy, and He destroys the beast (Rev. 19:20).
JewishThe composite sea-beast draws directly on Daniel 7's four beasts gathered into one blasphemous power.
CatholicThe beast as persecuting, idolatrous world-power; the second beast as deceptive false religion enforcing it.
ProtestantThe beast as antichristian political power, the false prophet as counterfeit religion; 666 as its mark of allegiance.
OrthodoxThe beast as the God-opposing tyranny the Church endures until Christ's victory.
DispensationalA future personal Antichrist and false prophet, with a literal economic 'mark' in the Tribulation.
Academic666 is widely read as gematria for 'Nero Caesar' (in Hebrew letters), and the variant 616 supports this; Daniel 7 is the primary source.

Scholarship & Sources

666 (13:18) is most often explained as gematria for 'Neron Kaisar' transliterated into Hebrew (nrwn qsr); a textual variant reads 616, matching 'Nero Caesar' without the final letter — strong support for the Nero reading. The beast composites Daniel 7's beasts; compare 2 Thessalonians 2's 'man of lawlessness.' Commentators: Beale, Koester, Bauckham.

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Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.