The Book of Revelation is like a special agreement from God. It's a prophecy, similar to the old prophecies in the Bible. This means it's not trying to "predict" amazing future events. Instead, its main goal is about saving people and living rightly. It's all about God's special agreement with us.
The people who wrote the Bible definitely weren't trying to predict things that would happen more than 2000 years from their time, like the rise of the Papacy and its activities. They also weren't interested in telling the future of countries like the United States, the Soviet Union, or Luxembourg. It's not that these things aren't important, or that religious people shouldn't care about everyday life—we should. But the main point is that the Bible shows us God's covenant with His people. It wasn't written to answer our questions about things like world markets or interest rates. It was written to show how God saved His people and made Himself look great through them.
So, even when God talks about the Roman Empire in the Book of Revelation, He's not trying to give us exciting stories about life in Nero's palace. He only talks about Rome because it relates to His covenant and the story of saving people. The Roman Empire isn't shown for its own sake, but only in connection with:
1. "The Land" (Israel)
2. The Church
The Beast from the Sea
In the Book of Revelation, the Roman Empire is shown as a wild, fierce animal that can't be controlled and is under a curse. John says it looked like a "leopard, a bear, and a lion" (Revelation 13:2). These are the same animals used in the Old Testament book of Daniel (Daniel 7:1-6) to describe three powerful world empires before Rome: Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.
The Roman Empire, called the "Fourth Beast," shared the bad, animal-like traits of those earlier empires, but it was much worse. As Daniel 7:7 describes it, it was "dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong," with big iron teeth that "devoured and crushed." It was different from all the other beasts and had "ten horns." So, the "Beast" in Revelation clearly represents the Roman Empire.
However, this "Beast" isn't just a government or a system; it also refers to a specific person: Emperor Nero. How can one symbol mean both the empire and the emperor? Because, in a way, they were seen as one. Rome was defined by its leader; Nero was the living symbol of the Empire.
This means the Bible can talk about Nero and the Roman Empire as if they are the same thing. And both Nero and the Empire were involved in terrible, corrupt, and animal-like actions. Nero murdered many of his own family, including his pregnant wife (he kicked her to death). He was also a homosexual and enjoyed watching people suffer horrifying tortures. He even dressed up as a wild animal to attack and rape prisoners. He used burning Christians as "Roman candles" to light his parties. He also started the first official persecution of Christians to destroy the Church, influenced by the Jews. This cruel, animal-like ruler led the most powerful empire on Earth, and his actions set the example for his people. Rome became the most morally corrupt place in the world.
Now, let's look at what the Book of Revelation tells us about Nero/Rome, the Beast.
First, John saw him "coming up out of the sea" (Rev. 13:1)
In the Bible, the "sea" often represents life itself. But after humanity turned away from God, the wild, stormy sea became a symbol of the world's mess. It shows how people and nations rebel against God. Isaiah 57:20 says, "The wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud." Later in Revelation (17:15), John is told that the "waters" he saw are "peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues."
From this confused and rebellious mass of humanity, the Roman Empire appeared. It was an entire empire built on the idea of going against God.
Second, John saw that the Beast had "ten horns and seven heads" (Rev. 13:1)
The "Dragon" (which we see in Revelation 12:3) gives the "Beast" its strength, power, and high position (Revelation 13:2). The Beast has "ten horns," which Revelation 17:12 tells us represent the governors of the ten Roman provinces. The "seven heads" of the Beast, explained in Revelation 17:9-11, refer to the line of Roman Emperors, known as the Caesars. Nero is one of these "heads" (we'll talk more about him later).
Third, "on his heads were blasphemous names" (13:1).
As we've learned, the Roman Emperors were seen as gods. Each emperor was called Augustus or Sebastos, meaning "one to be worshiped." They also took on names like "Divus" (god), and even "Deus" and "Theos" (God). Many temples were built for them across the Empire, especially in Asia Minor.
The Roman Caesars received honor that should only go to the one true God. Nero, for example, demanded complete obedience and even had a huge statue of himself, 120 feet tall. This is why Paul called Caesar "the man of sin." Paul said he was "the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
John in Revelation highlights this part of the Beast: "And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies. . . . And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His Name and His tabernacle, those who tabernacle in heaven" (Revelation 13:5-6). Christians were persecuted precisely because they refused to participate in this worship of the Emperor.
Fourth, John saw "one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed" (13:3)
Some people have suggested that when Revelation talks about the Beast's "death wound," it's referring to the rumor that Nero would come back to life after he died. However, this explanation isn't very satisfying. John mentions the Beast's "death wound" three times in this part of Revelation (verses 12 and 14), so it's clearly an important symbol that needs a deeper, Bible-based explanation.
The Beast in Revelation looks like the Dragon. So, when the Beast gets a head wound, it reminds us of the promise God made in the Garden of Eden: that Christ would come and crush the head of the Dragon (Genesis 3:15). The prophet Daniel had also said that during the time of the Roman rulers, Christ's Kingdom would defeat and replace these evil empires, spreading across the whole earth.
Because of this, the early apostles announced that Christ's Kingdom had arrived, that the devil had been defeated, disarmed, and put in chains, and that all nations would start turning toward God. In the first generation of Christians, the good news spread quickly around the world. Churches popped up everywhere, and even members of Caesar's own household became believers (Philippians 4:22). In fact, Emperor Tiberius Caesar even formally asked the Roman Senate to officially recognize that Christ was divine. For a while, it seemed like a major shift was happening: Christianity was growing stronger and looked like it would soon take control. It was as if Satan's head had been crushed, and with it, the Roman Empire had been dealt a deadly blow by the "sword" of the gospel (Revelation 13:14).
But then things changed. Even though the gospel had spread everywhere, false teachings and people abandoning their faith also spread. Under persecution from the Jews and the Roman government, many Christians started to give up their faith. It seemed like most churches fell apart, and under Nero's harsh persecution, the Church appeared to be completely wiped out. The Beast had received a deadly head wound, but it was still alive. Of course, the truth was that Christ had already defeated the Dragon and the Beast. But the full impact of His victory still needed to happen; the believers still had to overcome and take their rightful place (Daniel 7:21-22; Revelation 12:11).
Fifth, "the whole Land" wondered after the Beast
And the people "worshiped the Dragon" because he gave his power to the Beast. They also "worshiped the Beast", saying, "Who is like the Beast, and who can fight against him?" (Revelation 13:3-4).
John isn't talking about the whole world following the Beast here. The word he uses should actually be translated as "Land", referring to "Israel". We know this because the passage describes these worshipers as those who live on the Land (Revelation 13:8, 12, 14). This phrase is used multiple times in Revelation to specifically mean Israel that has turned away from God.
In the Greek Old Testament (the version used by the early Church), this was a common way to describe rebellious, idol-worshiping Israel that was about to be destroyed and forced out of their land (like in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea). This idea came from earlier parts of the Bible where it was used for rebellious, idol-worshiping non-Israelites who were about to be destroyed and driven from their land.
Israel had become a nation of non-believers and was about to be destroyed, sent into exile, and replaced by a new nation. Nero was indeed well-liked throughout the Empire because he provided welfare and entertainment. However, it is Israel in particular that is criticized for worshiping the Emperor. When they had to choose between Christ and Caesar, they declared, "We have no king but Caesar!" (John 19:15). Their reaction to Caesar's seemingly successful war against the Church (Revelation 11:7) was one of awe and worship.
Basically, Israel sided with Caesar and the Roman Empire against Christ and the Church. Because of this, they were ultimately worshiping the Dragon. That's why Jesus Himself called their worship gatherings "synagogues of Satan" (Revelation 2:9; 3:9).
Sixth, the Beast was given "authority to act for forty-two months" (13:5)
The Beast was given power "to make war with the saints and to overcome them" (Revelation 13:7). The mention of "42 months" (which is three and a half years, a "broken" seven) is a symbolic number in prophecy. It represents a tough time when God's enemies are in control or when judgment is happening. This idea comes from the period of drought between Elijah's first appearance and the defeat of Baal.
While this number isn't usually meant to be taken literally, it's interesting to note that Nero's persecution of the Church actually did last for a full 42 months, from mid-November 64 AD to early June 68 AD.
Seventh, John provided his readers with a positive identification of the Beast
Here's the simpler explanation of the "number of the Beast," 666, from Revelation 13:18:
"This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666." (Rev 13:18 ESV)
This strange number has a few important meanings. Let's look at two.
First, the Old Testament already talks about the number 666. You can find it in the books of Kings and Chronicles, which are often overlooked. Interestingly, John gets many of his symbolic numbers from these books. For example, King Solomon, who in the Bible can represent both Christ and the Beast, received 666 talents of gold in one year when he was at the peak of his power (1 Kings 10:14; 2 Chronicles 9:13). This number marked both the high point of his rule and the start of his decline. From that point on, things went downhill as he turned away from God. Solomon broke the three rules for good kings found in Deuteronomy 17:16-17: he collected too much gold, too many horses, and too many wives. For the Hebrew people, 666 was a scary sign of turning away from God, marking a king and a nation that resembled the Dragon.
The second important thing about 666 is this: In both Greek and Hebrew, every letter of the alphabet also has a numerical value. So, you could find the "number" of someone's name by adding up the numbers for each letter. John clearly expected his readers at the time to be able to use this method to figure out the Beast's name. This shows that the message of Revelation was meant for his contemporary audience, not for someone trying to figure out a 20th-century official's name in a foreign country.
(Nero Caesar) Add up to 666)
It's important that all early Christian writers, even those who didn't understand Hebrew and were confused by the number 666, still connected the Roman Empire, especially Nero, with the Beast. There should be no real doubt about this.
John was writing to Christians living in the first century, warning them about things that were going to happen "shortly." They were in the middle of the most important fight in history, against the Dragon (Satan) and the evil Empire that he controlled. The goal of the Book of Revelation was to comfort the Church, assuring them that God was in charge. This meant that even the terrifying power of the Dragon and the Beast would not stand against the armies of Jesus Christ.
The number for humanity is six (from Genesis 1:27, 31). Christ was "wounded in His heel" (a reference to being crucified) on the sixth day (Friday), but that's also the day He defeated the Dragon. John is saying that even at his most powerful, Nero is just a "six," or a series of "sixes"—he's never a perfect "seven" (which represents completeness in the Bible). Nero's plans to rule the world will never come true, and the Church will win.
The Beast from the Land
Just as the Beast from the sea was like the Dragon, Revelation 13 also shows another creature that's like the Beast. John saw this second creature "coming up out of the Land" (Revelation 13:11), meaning it came from within Israel itself. In Revelation 19:20, we learn that this Land Beast is the False Prophet.
This False Prophet represents what Jesus warned would happen in Israel's final days: "Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.... Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many" (Matthew 24:5, 11). The rise of these false prophets happened alongside the antichrists. However, while the antichrists were people who had left the Christian faith for Judaism, the false prophets were Jewish religious leaders who tried to trick Christians from outside the Church.
It's important to remember that Judaism isn't the same as the Old Testament religion. Instead, it was a rejection of the true biblical faith in favor of man-made traditions from the Pharisees and the Talmud. Like other groups that claim to follow the Bible but rely on human traditions, Judaism denies Christ because it denies Moses. Only Orthodox Christianity is the true continuation and fulfillment of the Old Testament religion (see Matthew 5:17-20; 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13; Luke 16:29-31; John 5:45-47; 8:42-47).
These Jewish false prophets looked like a lamb (Revelation 13:11), just as Jesus had warned (Matthew 7:15), but they "spoke like a Dragon" (Revelation 13:11). How does the Dragon speak? He uses deceptive, subtle, and tempting words to lure God's people away from faith and into a trap (Genesis 3:1-6, 13; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9). He's also a liar, a slanderer, and a blasphemer (John 8:44; Revelation 12:10). The Book of Acts has many examples of the Jews making false accusations against Christians, which was a big problem for the early Church (Acts 6:9-15; 13:10; 14:2-5; 17:5-8; 18:6, 12-13; 19:9; 21:27-36; 24:1-9; 25:2-3, 7).
The Jewish leaders, symbolized by this Beast from the Land, teamed up with the Beast of Rome to try and destroy the Church (Acts 4:24-28; 12:1-3; 13:8; 14:5; 17:5-8; 18:12-13; 21:11; 24:1-9; 25:2-3, 9, 24). They led Israel in worshiping the Emperor (Revelation 13:12), and in their turn away from God, these false prophets even performed miracles (Revelation 13:13-15). Jesus had warned that "false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, the very elect" (Matthew 24:24). Again, the Book of Acts records instances of Jewish false prophets performing miracles, including some who, as Jesus foretold (Matthew 7:22-23), even used His name in their magic (Acts 13:6-11; 19:13-16).
The Jewish leaders forced people to submit to the Emperor. In fact, their charge against Christ Himself was that He was a rival to Caesar's all-powerful authority (John 19:12-15). Similarly, they organized economic boycotts against those who refused to accept Caesar as Lord, even putting some to death (Revelation 13:15-17). The Book of Acts is full of examples of organized Jewish persecution against the Church (Acts 4:1-3, 15-18; 5:17-18, 27-33, 40; 7:51-60; 9:23, 29; 13:45-50; 14:2-5; 17:5-8, 13; 18:17; 20:3; 22:22-23; 23:12, 20-21; 24:27; 26:21; 28:17-29; compare 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16).
The New Testament clearly shows that the Jewish leaders were deeply involved in a massive, organized effort to destroy the Church through both trickery and persecution. To achieve this evil goal, they conspired with the Roman government against Christianity. Some of them even performed miracles for Satan. And this is exactly what Revelation tells us about the Beast from the Land. The False Prophet of Revelation was none other than the leaders of Israel who had turned away from God, rejected Christ, and worshiped the Beast.
There's an interesting switch in the imagery. The Book of Job also talks about a Land Beast (Behemoth, Job 40:15-24) and a Sea Beast (Leviathan, Job 41:1-34). But John's visions expand on Job's descriptions, and the order they appear is reversed. First, we see Satan as the Dragon, the true Leviathan (Revelation 12). Then comes the Sea Beast, which looks like the Dragon (Revelation 13:1). Finally, following them and serving them, comes the Land Beast, which looks like the Sea Beast. By showing the Beasts in this reverse order, John emphasizes his point: Israel, which was supposed to be a kingdom of priests to the world, gave up its important position to Leviathan. Instead of positively influencing every culture and society, Israel was reshaped to look like the pagan, anti-Christian Roman State. Abraham's descendants became the "seed of the Dragon" (John 8:37-44).
During his three years of ministry in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul constantly suffered persecution because of "the plots of the Jews" (Acts 20:19). When describing his conflicts with them, he called them "wild beasts" (1 Corinthians 15:32). "The Jewish Beast" was the early Church's most deceptive and dangerous enemy, and Paul strongly warned the Church about these Jewish deceivers: "For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them severely that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed" (Titus 1:10-16).
Conclusion:
The core of the argument is that Revelation was written to first-century Christians about events that were "shortly" going to happen in their time. If the Beasts represented the Papacy or America, that would mean the prophecy was mostly about events far in the future, thousands of years later, and wouldn't have been directly relevant or understandable to the original readers.
Here's why, according to this perspective, focusing on the Papacy or America as the Beasts is seen as a "deception":
Diverting Attention from the Real Message: If the Beasts are about Rome and the Jewish leadership in the first century, then the Book of Revelation was primarily a message of comfort and warning to those Christians facing their specific challenges—persecution from the Roman Empire and opposition from apostate Judaism. If modern groups like Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) focus on the Papacy and America, this view suggests they are missing the original, immediate, and powerful message intended for the early Church.
Historical Context is Key: The interpretation presented here emphasizes the historical context of the first century. The Roman Empire was the dominant power, and emperor worship was a very real threat. The conflict between early Christians and certain Jewish leaders was also a significant issue. This interpretation believes that understanding these historical realities unlocks the meaning of Revelation.
Avoiding "Futurism" (looking only to the far future): This view generally falls into a category called "Preterism" or "Partial Preterism," which believes that most (or all) of Revelation's prophecies were fulfilled in the first century AD. Groups that identify the Beasts with the Papacy or America usually follow a "Futurist" interpretation, meaning they believe these prophecies are still largely unfulfilled and refer to events at the end of time. The argument here is that the Futurist approach misses the immediate relevance of the book.
The "Dragon's Deception": It means that, from this perspective, focusing on later entities like the Papacy or America as the Beast is seen as a trick by Satan (the Dragon) to make Christians misunderstand what Revelation is truly teaching. The true teaching, it argues, is about God's triumph over the powers that directly oppressed His people in the first century, offering comfort and strength then, and timeless principles for believers now.
In essence, the argument is that Revelation is not a detailed roadmap of distant future world powers, but a powerful message of hope and victory for Christians enduring severe trials in their own historical context, providing timeless lessons about faithfulness and God's ultimate control.
Reference:
The information presented in this article is based on David Chilton's Paradise Restored: A Biblical Theology of Dominion. While there are various printings and publication dates (some sources show 1987 or 2007 for later editions), the original publication year from Dominion Press is generally cited as 1985. This helps to understand the specific interpretational framework from which these ideas about Revelation are coming.
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