Revelation 13:1 and I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. Each of its horns was decorated with a royal crown, and on its heads were blasphemous names. 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.From Revelation 17:15 we can understand that the sea (or many waters) is the sea of nations.
The leopard, bear and lion remind of the beasts described in Daniel 7, that represent the Babylonian, the Persian, and Greek empires. The fourth empire in Daniel is the Roman empire and it is described like this:
Daniel 7:25 (KJV) And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.Both are blasphemous and the Roman Empire in Daniel will overpower Israel for 3,5 times (or years, 42 months or 1260 prophetic days) just like we have seen in the Visions of the Woman with 12 Stars and of the Two Prophets.
Revelation 13:2b The dragon gave it his power, throne, and great authority. 3 One of its heads appeared to have been slain and killed, but its deadly wound was healed. So the whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.From Revelation 17:9 we can understand that the seven heads are the seven hills of Rome as well as seven kings (or emperors). The first five emperors of Rome were August, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. Nero most likely had set Rome on fire in the year 64 and blamed the christians for it, killing many of them. He committed suicide in 68 and the Roman Empire entered a year of civil war (see Wikipedia). Vespasian was able to grab power and establish a new era of rule for the Roman Empire. Therefore he can be considered the sixth and his son Titus the seventh emperor or head of the beast.
The deadly wounded head is Nero, but amazingly the Roman Empire recovered from the civil war after his death.
4 They worshipped the dragon because it had given the beast its authority. They worshipped the beast and said, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?"Everybody worshipped the Roman Empire and the emperor was worshipped as a god. But this is just a cult to worship the devil behind the scene of all that.
5 The beast was given a mouth that spoke boastful and blasphemous things, and it was given authority to act for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God. It blasphemed God’s name and his dwelling place.Exactly as described in Daniel 7 about the Roman Empire. Again the 42 months are mentioned. That is the period where Israel is spread among the nations and not living in the land of Israel.
7 It was also allowed to make war on the saints and to gain victory over them.The saints are the Jewish people here. The Romans were allowed to overpower and destroy Jerusalem.
It was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 All who live on earth worshipped it, all whose names hadn’t been written—from the time the earth was made—in the scroll of life of the Lamb who was slain.The Roman Empire was ruling the whole (known) world back then.
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