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Even the seven heads are to be found in Daniel 7; three of the beasts
were single headed, while one had four heads, making a total of seven. The
mouth speaking blasphemy is to be found in Revelation (see 13:5). Moreover
the length of time that the little horn continues his blasphemy in Daniel
7:25 is said to be 'a time, times, and the dividing of time' which is exactly
the period of the beast in Revelation 13 -- 'forty and two months'.
Let us now turn to Revelation 13, and consider more carefully the
record of this final antichristian beast. The Revised Version places the
opening of chapter 13 at the close of chapter 12, and follows the critical
Greek texts by reading 'and he stood upon the sand of the sea', instead
of the Authorized Version reading 'I stood'. Before attempting to analyse
the intricate details of this chapter it will be necessary to look at it as a
whole. It is divided into two parts closely related:
Verses 1 -10
speak of the beast that arises from the sea.
Verses 11 -18
speak of the beast that arises from the earth.
These two parts run parallel to one another in detail:
A
1 -.
And I saw.
B
-1.
A beast rise up out of the sea.
C 2 -.
Like unto a leopard etc.
D -2. His authority. Satanic.
E 3. The deadly wound healed.
F 7. War with the saints.
G 9,10. a 'Let him hear'.
b 'Here is patience'.
A
11 -.
And I saw.
B -11-.
Another beast rise up out of the earth.
C -11.
Like a lamb.
D 12-.
His authority. The first beast.
E -12 -15 -.The deadly wound healed;
the image worshipped.
F -15,17. Death for those who worship
not.
G 18.
b
'Here is wisdom'.
a
'Let him count'.
Those who have read Dr. Bullinger's Apocalypse* will have no difficulty
in tracing the origin of this structure. We have altered it in a few minor
details only. It will help us to observe these several features more
closely. The first beast rises out of the sea, called up by the devil who
stood upon the sand of the sea. The sea out of which the Beast ascends is
evidently the same as seen by Daniel in the vision recorded in chapter 7 of
his book.
*
Now published under the title Commentary on Revelation by Kregel.
'I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds ... strove
upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea,
diverse one from another' (Dan. 7:2,3).