Revelation 13: Who Is the Beast of the Sea?

I’ve seen a lot of questions about Bible prophecy on Quora. One of the topics that comes up frequently concerns the beast of the sea described in Revelation 13. I will answer who is the beast of the sea in Revelation 13 in this article.

Daniel 7 & Revelation 13

We need to consider Daniel 7 to understand the beast of the sea in Revelation 13. Daniel 7 describes four beasts that emerge from the sea:

“(3) And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. (4) The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. (5) And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. (6) After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. (7) After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.” (Daniel 7:3-7)

The first three beasts in Daniel 7 represent different kingdoms that arose in the past. Here is what they represent:

  • First Beast (Dan 7:4): Babylon
  • Second Beast (Dan 7:5): Persia
  • Third Beast (Dan 7:6): Seleucid-Greece

The fourth beast of Daniel 7 represents the empire of the Antichrist. We can see this by looking at how Daniel 7 describes the fourth beast. The fourth beast represents a kingdom that will have a leader who will blasphemy God, make war with the saints for 3.5 years (time and times and the dividing time), and have an empire that will have a sphere of influence that dominates the world:

“(23) Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. (24) And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. (25) 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. (26) But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.” (Daniel 7:23-26)

The Beast of Revelation 13

The beast of the sea in Revelation 13 strongly parallels the beasts of Daniel 7. Look how Revelation 13 describes the beast from the sea:

“(1) And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (2) And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” (Revelation 13:1-2)

Like a leopard, a lion, and a bear-where have we seen this before? We saw this depiction before in Daniel 7 with the first three beasts from the sea. The imagery in verses 1-2 suggest that the beast of the sea in Revelation 13 also shares qualities that the three beasts of Daniel 7 possess:

  • Bear Feet: It’ll beat down its victims
  • Lion Head: It’ll instill fear in people
  • Leopard Body: It’ll emerge quickly like a leopard

Like the fourth beast of Daniel 7, the beast of the sea in Revelation 13 will blasphemy God, make war with the saints for 3.5 years (or 42 months), and have a sphere of influence that dominates the world:


Revelation 13 & Daniel 7’s Beasts

  • Blasphemy God
  • War With the Saints
  • Dominate the World

“(5) And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. (6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. (7) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:5-7)

“(23) Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. (24) And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. (25) 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.” (Daniel 7:23-25)


Also, the fourth beast of Daniel 7 and the beast of the sea in Revelation 13 each have ten horns (which represent kings (according to Daniel 7:24):

“(23) Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. (24) And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.” (Daniel 7:23-24)

(1) And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” (Revelation 13:1)

The Beast’s Identity

Given the parallels between Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, we can conclude that the beast of the sea in Revelation 13 represents the fourth beast of Daniel 7. We saw earlier that the fourth beast of Daniel 7 represents the empire of the Antichrist. Therefore, we can also conclude that the beast of the sea in Revelation 13 is kingdom of the Antichrist. More specifically, the beast emerging out of the sea in Revelation 13 represents the arrival of the Antichrist’s empire at the midpoint of the seventieth week of Daniel (or tribulation). It will be in power for 42 months or 3.5 years.

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Wayne Croley
Wayne Croley

Hi! I’ve studied and written about Bible prophecy since I was a teenager. My goal is to make Bible prophecy easy for you to understand while avoiding the sensationalism seen elsewhere. I am the author of several end time books, including Prophecy Proof Insights on the End Times, a comprehensive book about the end times. I hold an M.B.A. and degrees in Managerial Economics and Political Science.

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  1. One thing I notice about the majority of prophecy teachers is their inability to admit when they are wrong, adamant that only they are capable of understanding scripture.

    I’m going to ask you a question. You will most likely answer in the same vein as every other person teaching prophecy. Let us see where you stand.

    Q: What did the one who stood by tell Daniel about the 4 beasts?
    A: These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which SHALL ARISE out of the earth.

    Q: What else did the one who stood by tell Daniel about the 4th beast specifically?
    A: Thus he said, The fourth beast SHALL BE THE FOURTH KINGDOM upon earth, which shall be DIVERSE from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

    Q: How could Babylon be the lion with wings if Babylon was nearing the end of its dominion?
    A: The lion isn’t Babylon, the head of gold is. Neither is the bear w/ ribs in its mouth Mede/Persia, nor is Greece the leopard with 4 heads/4 wings.

    Q: Why do you ignore the future tense words “SHALL ARISE”?

    I will tell you how this should be understood.

    Lion with wings that are torn off is England, the eagle’s wings that were plucked off the lion is America in her youth when America declared her independence from England. That is why there are no wings on the beast coming out of the sea. Our national symbol is the eagle. England’s symbol is the lion.

    The bear with the 3 ribs in its mouth that directed the bear to devour much flesh is Russia. The 3 ribs are Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt who allied together against Germany and its allies, devouring much flesh. The bear is raised upon one side. Russia spans 2 continents, the majority of the population lives in western Russia, the seat of Russia’s capital is Moscow, also in the west. Hence the bear is raised up one side. The bear is Russia’s symbol.

    The leopard with 4 heads and 4 wings of a fowl is Germany, the 4 heads are the 4 Reichs, or realms. The 4 wings are the 2 Axis Powers, Italy and Japan. Those wings do not appear on the beast out of the sea either. The leopard is the unofficial symbol of Germany known for their leopard tanks.

    The 4th beast with 10 horns is America. It is this nation that the little horn will rise up from among the 10 horns. The 2 plucked wings. or (equal one bird) America started out like a lamb and turned into an evil, sadistic beast. It blows up the infrastructure of other countries under the guise of human rights violations to force those countries to accept western values such as feminism, homosexuality, kid trannies, race mixing, abortion, etc.. Our politicians are in bed with an evil system that has sat atop 7 kingdoms, that system is known as Babylon, that system sits in Washington DC. That system is “democracy”. You listen closely enough, you will hear the media spout over and over again these words: _______ is a threat to our democracy, that is not who we are. The 10 kings are who they are so afraid of and consider a threat to their “democracy”. The 10 kings HATE THIS WHORE (democracy/Mystery Babylon) and will devour her flesh and burn her with fire (spiritually speaking) because GOD is the one who puts it into the minds of the 10 kings to give their power to the beast. By giving their power to the beast, it will culminate with the system of Babylon implemented from Washington DC being destroyed. No more child trannies, abortion, race mixing, homosexuality, etc.. Whether one likes it or not, the 10 kings are the 10 northern tribes of Israel, who upon release from their Assyrian captivity, traveled over the Caucasus Mountains, settled into Europe and eventually America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and any other white nations. I realize this may not sit well with you, but truth is not hate and facts are not racist. America is the nucleus of where the majority of the true Israelites dwell. God scattered them among the nations and they lost their identity and became known as the gentiles among the gentiles.

    John 7:35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the DISPERSED among the Gentiles, and teach the (DISPERSED) Gentiles?

    Jas 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the TWELVE TRIBES WHICH ARE SCATTERED ABROAD, greeting.

    This is why white countries are being flooded with 3rd world illegal immigrants. God calls them his “great army”: Joe 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, MY GREAT ARMY WHICH I SENT AMONG YOU. The land before them is like the garden of Eden, but they destroy everything in their wake: A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: THE LAND IS AS THE GARDEN OF EDEN BEFORE THEM, AND BEHIND THEM A DESOLATE WILDERNESS; yea, and nothing shall escape them. God brought them into the countries of white people to punish them for their lawlessness. In the day of God’s wrath, these people will flee back to their own lands: Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the WRATH OF THE LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man TURN TO HIS OWN PEOPLE, and FLEE EVERY ONE INTO HIS OWN LAND.

    The little horn that comes up amongst the 10 tribes of Israel is none other than Donald J. Trump. Nothing is going to stop him, this is why the liberals hate him so much, because when the 10 kings give their power over to the beast the system of Babylon will be destroyed. Trump is the false prophet, the little horn, the 8th king and THE antichrist that is from the 7th kingdom. For many, he is their last hope to save America from the Godless liberals. He stands in the place of Yeshua. “Anti” not only means “against”, but it also means in “the place of”. Donald will stand in the place of Yeshua. However, anyone who will not worship the image of the beast will be killed. Only God’s elect will refuse to take the mark.

    In conclusion, America is the sea beast. The 7 heads are Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Mede-Persia, Greece, Rome and the United States. America is the revived Roman Empire, we are the feet of iron and clay, the feet extended out from the iron legs. Our government is based on the model of the Roman senate, the architecture in DC has a Roman flavor. Rome was destroyed from within, as will be America. The clay (God’s people) will not cleave with the iron (Godless people). America has the mouth of a lion (England) speaks English), has the feet of a bear (Russia) tramples other nations, and the body of a leopard (Germany) white nationalism. Most will find this offensive, but it is what it is. This does not mean that people of other races are excluded. The sheep and goat nations are judged on how they treated Yeshua’s brethren, the 12 tribes of Israel, not the impostor Jews living in the rogue nation of Israel who are trying to steel back what their father Esau sold to Jacob. Esau sold his inheritance to Jacob because he he despised his birthright when he married outside his race. The Jews descend from Esau, not Jacob. They are the ones causing all the chaos in the world through their policies and they use the blood of Gods saints to destroy other nations who refuse to bow down to their “democracy”. They won’t shed the blood of their people to implement their evil ways, they use the blood of God’s deceived people who believe they are the “chosen” ones.

  2. I believe the Beast just revealed himself. We spend so much time trying to understand Bible prophecy and we get it close sometimes, but we are still looking through a glass, and don’t have all the details…. until the prophecy is actually fulfilled. Then we say, “aaaahh, I see it now.” — Is the beast the UN? They just displayed the image of said beast infront of their buildings in NYC. This time though, the wings are not there. Will America’s power and influence be gone in the near future. Will the UN with its global kings take over? A pastor last year said God gave him a vision and he saw UN troops on American soil… I’ve always thought about that. How can that be possible? If UN is the beast with authority over the globe, then we can see that making sense. Blessings.

    • When Christopher Columbus set sail West towards India, he puked his telescope and as he advanced through the curvature of the planet, he observed this land rise out of the ocean. Roughly 300 years later, and the United States of America form an independent government, which later calls a Novus Ordo Seclorum. No more royal kings, but a government by and for the people. A New World Order. The US marks the beginning of the Iron and Clay toes of the prophetic statue. The USA is the most powerful nation in the World. The dollar is the trade reserve currency and English the World Trade Language.

      Ezekiel 37 has been 100% fulfilled. We are in front of the Magog War. Although we have a pro and an anti Israel parties. It is likely that the US will defend Israel in this attack and will destroy Israel’s attackers. Possibly, Europe will intervene, coming out of the Ukraine experience. A presidential advisor of Jewish descend may draw a cease fire agreement including very aggressive demands like eliminating Palestine and taking over the control of the Temple Mount, relocating or destroying the Done of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque.

  3. I’m thinking the sea beast, is the devil and the earth beast, is the government?! Then, the mark of the beast is everything to do with covid, like the covid vaccine and the chip in the hand?!

  4. Disagreeing without any explanation is suspect.
    There is no denying the fact, that Regan is the only man to ever meet the biblical characteristics of the Beast man.

  5. To understand chapter 13 of Revelation and chapter 17 you must think in terms of a (metaphorical beast) and a (first beast man) and a (beast image). Chapter 13 gives us three primary ways to identify the first Beast Man.
    First.) He must be a king/ruler.

    Second.) He must have as it were a deadly wound that was healed.

    Third.) The number of his name is 666.

    Let’s be clear, John is referring to a man, not a kingdom. We see in Rev. That John had no problem using the word kingdom, when indeed it was a kingdom that he was talking about. In addition to that, in reference to the first Beast man in ch. 13, the Greek word for our word man in that context, means human, or of the human race. And not only that, we are told that the first Beast man, has a name.
    Now; who in all of history and current times, meets the biblical description for the first Beast Man?

    Well; the fact is, there is only one man in all of history who meets that biblical description, and his name is, Ronald 6 letters Wilson 6 Reagan 6.
    And when the second beast / false prophet gives instructions to the people of Earth to create an image of the first Beast man, he will then be as the Bible describes the one that was and is not and yet is, the eighth, one of the seven.