
Many may have read this passage but was unclear to the meaning of it. The book of Revelation is ofcourse written in symbols as stated in Revelation 1:1 by the word signified, which means to put into symbols.We will identify in this study the real meaning of this symbolic language.
What is a beast?
Who is the Beast of Revelation 13:1?
Let us take a look at some of the characteristics of that beast so we can better identify it.
- Rise up from the sea –
The sea represents multitudes, peoples, nations and tongues (Revelation 17:15).
- Name of blasphemies (Revelation 13:1) / Mouth speaking great things (Daniel 7:8)
- What is Blasphemy?
- Proclaiming to be God (John 10:33)
- Proclaiming to forgive sin (Luke 5:21).
- What is Blasphemy?
- Dragon gave him his power –
- Who is the Dragon primarily?
The old serpent called the devil and Satan (Revelation 12:9). - Who is the Dragon secondarily? We see here, “the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” (Rev 12:4). And we know that child is none other than Jesus (revelation 12:5). The Devil used a Kingdom which tried to destroy Jesus as soon as he was born and that was Rome, under the rule of Herod (Matthew 2:16).It is important to note also that the little horn comes out from the fourth beast before it, which represents the Pagan Roman kingdom (Daniel 7:8). This Power came from Pagan Rome.
- Who is the Dragon primarily?
- Continued 42 months (Revelation 13:5)/ 3 ½ half times (Daniel 7:25)
According to Bible reckoning
1 month = 30 days
42 Months = 1260 prophetic days
1260 days = 1260 years
Also a Time = A year
Times = 2 years
Half a Time = ½ a year
In total we have 3 ½ years = 1260 days = 1260 years
During that time also stated in Revelation 13:7, that it was given unto him to make war with the Saints, symbolizing the persecution of God’s people.
- Think to Change times and laws (Daniel 7:25)
This kingdom will also think to change the laws of God, for the traditions of men.
- Head were wounded
The head being wounded is a symbol of this kingdom losing its power. However the wounds are eventually healed, meaning it will only loose its power for a certain period of time.
The leader of this Kingdom will also be held captive (Revelation 13:10)
Can you think of a kingdom that rises up among a populated area? That has a man at the head that is seen as God and claims to forgive sins? Who gets his power from Rome, making it a roman power? Which rules for 1260 years during which he persecutes God’s people? Thinks to change the laws and times of God? Received a wound by being led into captivity?
My friends, only one power fits this description, and that is the Papacy (Roman Catholic System). We will refer to this power as The Vatican, Papacy, Papal Rome or the Roman Catholic system. We do not believe that the people under this system are the beast or are lost. To him much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). God winks (to overlook, not to punish) at our ignorance (Acts 17:30).
The Beast Unveiled
- Rise up from the sea-
We already know that the Vatican came up from a populated area. The Pagan Roman Empire was divided into ten Powers, represented by ten horns (Daniel 7:7). Daniel states that three of these horns were plucked up by the little horn, Papal Rome (Daniel 7:8). These three horns were represented by the Ostrogoths, Heruls and Vandals, which vanished during the rise of this new power. - Name of blasphemies
The following are statements made by the Pope; the head of the Vatican. Remember we established that blasphemy is one claiming to be God and able to forgive sins.- “We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty” – Pope Leo XIII, in an Encyclical letter, dated June 20, 1894.
- “The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, hidden under a veil of flesh” – The Catholic National, July 1895.
- Did he receive his power from Rome?
Well apart from the name being Roman Catholic, Emperor Justinian “gave” the power of Rome to the pope when he decreed that the pope should be over all the Christian churches of earth. The papacy was established in 538 A.D., when the Emperor’s general Belisarius drove the Ostrogoth’s from Rome. - Receive deadly wound but did live –
Now if the kingdom got its power in 538 AD. Going back to what we calculated before, it would be wounded 1260 years later. Let us do some math. 538 + 1260 = 1798 AD”In 1798 General Berthier made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal government, and established a secular one” – Encyclopedia Britannica, 1941 edition. The Pope was captured and taken to France where he later died.During that time period as well God’s people were persecuted, “…it is estimated by careful and credible historians, that more than fifty millions of the human family, have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy by popish persecutors, an average of more than forty thousand religious murders for every year of the existence of popery.” – History of Romanism - Think to change Times and laws –There is only one command which is both a law and a time, and that is the fourth commandment. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy (Exodus 20:8-11). However did the Papacy think to change this law?Here is what they had to say about it.”The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate (change) laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ” – Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop.Shocking! Shall I say more? The leaders have the belief that the church is over the Bible, even the precepts of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Q – Have you any other way of proving that the church (Roman Catholic) has power to institute festivals of precept?
A – “Had she not such power, she could not have done that which all modern religionists agree with her – she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance Saturday, the Seventh-Day, a change for which there is no scriptural authority.” – A Doctrinal Catechism, by Stephen Keenan, pg. 174.
Q – Which is the Sabbath Day?
A – Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Q – Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A – “We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 364), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday” – The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, pg. 50, third edition.
The establishment of Sunday worship was not based upon the resurrection of Jesus, neither the “nailing of the law” to the cross. With a little study into history we might save ourselves from the snare of keeping human traditions over the precepts of Christ. Why then the change to Sunday?
There were two obvious reasons.
- Such a change would have brought more pagans into the church, which at that time were the majority of the population. Seeing also that the pagans met on Sunday, called the venerable day of the sun, it would be a wise decision on their part.
- The Romans and the Jews did not get along very well. And the alteration of the day of worship to Sunday would separate them from the Jews who worshipped on the Sabbath day.
Did it work? Yes, the pagans came in by the thousands. The more followers one have the more power he receives. The acceptance of such followers allowed for even more changes in the law of God. The second commandment was basically eradicated, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…” (Exodus 20:4). And many of the statues which represented the gods of the pagans were given Christian names and brought into the church; I call it, “baptized paganism”. For example; the statue of Zeus took on the name Peter and Gaia, Mary etc. Pagan festivals were also given Christian names, like the popular Christmas. In this way there would have been no discordance when it came to the Christians and Pagans worshiping as one.
Since the omission of the second, do they keep nine Commandments? The last commandment was split into two and the forth became the third and so on.
- Healed wounds
The healing of the wounds of this beast or kingdom simply means the recovering of this kingdom to the power it had in the past. On February 11, 1929, the Italian government recognized Vatican City as an independent state, thus making the Pope once again a Priest and King. And the title of the article covering this event from the San Francisco Newspaper was “Healed Wound Of Many Years”. Did they know that they were quoting a prophetic statement right out of the Bible? However the wound of this power began to heal from that point and is still being healed. Its full recovery is when it is able to exercise the power that it had during the 1260 year time period. After which the preceding actions of this power would be repeated.
- The number of a man 666 – Revelation 13:18
And the last thing that we will cover is the number 666. Many believe this to be the mark of the beast; rather it is the identification of a man. The official title of the pope is “Vicarius Filii Dei”, which translated is, “Representative of the Son of God”. The Catholic newspaper Our Sunday Visitor of April 18, 1915 wrote: “The engraved letter on the pope’s Mitre is as follows: ‘Vicarius Filii Dei ‘”. Now the bible states, “let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man…” (Revelation 13:18). Let us count this title in roman numerals to see if it adds up.

Let us take a look at a few celebrities flashing this symbol. You may say they are just doing it for fun, or it means “A OK”. This is a sign or gesture that is connecting to the occult. An occult which has ties to the Jesuit order. May we all do our research, the bottom-line is who we pay homage to now, will determine our destiny. Whether unto life or death.

Amazing the accuracy of this “old book” called the Bible. Undoubtedly, we see how coherently the Papacy fits the description of the 1st beast. Why is identifying this beast important? Because we are warned about receiving the mark of this beast and we can identify its mark only if we know who the Beast is.
See Study, “What is the Mark of the Beast?“.