“Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. (Revelation 13:2 NET).
Each predator mentioned here in Revelation 13:2 is a dangerous, carnivorous animal. For instance, leopards are one of the fastest creatures on earth, and no human being can outrun them. Bears relentlessly hunt their prey, leaving no hiding place safe from their destructive pursuit. As for lions, their dominant presence commands respect, thus earning them the title “king of the beasts.”
These creatures all possess a common denominator: they each pose a lethal threat to human beings. Taken together, these attributes highlight the violet, aggressive nature of the figure who is introduced to us here in the opening verses of Revelation chapter thirteen.
This passage goes on to tell us, “The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority” (HCSB). In other words, this individual will derive his power and authority directly from Satan. However, the following verse presents us with a curious bit of information: “One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast” (Revelation 13:3 NIV).
The events described in this verse seem to be consistent with an attempted assassination. Thus, it’s possible that an attempt will be made on this person’s life that initially appears to succeed, only to be followed by an astonishing (and presumably miraculous) recovery. In this way, the beast of the sea may appear to function as a Christ figure, even mirroring the narrative of death and resurrection.
This stunning recovery will have a profound effect on all who see and hear of it: “…The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. Everyone worshiped the dragon because he had given his authority to the beast. They worshiped the beast also, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can fight against it?'” (Revelation 13:3-4 GNB).
This represents a key passage in in Revelation chapter thirteen, for it offers an explanation for much of what will transpire. Note the response of those who worshipped the dragon and the beast: “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” Much like the distorted image produced in a carnival funhouse, those statements reflect a corrupt reimagining of Psalm 113:5, where we read, “Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high.”
It also reveals the dragon’s underlying objective, one that we’ll examine next.
Image Attribution : agracier – NO VIEWS, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons