Revelation 13:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Since in this world some come to the light and are united to God through faith, while others turn away from the light and separate themselves from God, the Word of God comes and prepares for all an appropriate dwelling. For those in the light, He prepares that they may enjoy it and its blessings. For those in darkness, He prepares that they may suffer its afflictions. Therefore the Apostle says: "Because they did not receive the love of God for their salvation, for this reason God will send them a working of delusion, so that they may believe the lie, that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but loved unrighteousness" (2 Thess 2:10-12). For when he, the antichrist, comes, he will of his own desire concentrate apostasy in himself.

By the beast some understand a certain lower power of Satan, ruling over the other demons, and by the one who later comes up from the earth, the antichrist. Methodius, Hippolytus, and others regard the present beast as the antichrist himself, coming up from the sea of life, shaken by storms and violently troubled. The ten horns with crowns and the seven heads indicate that the devil and the antichrist are one and the same, for this was also referred to him above. At the same time they indicate the division of the earth in the last times into ten kingdoms, and the seventh kingdom corresponding to this world. This kingdom is measured by seven days and, as we shall see below, is divided into seven periods. Therefore Satan, who acts in him, is called the prince of this age. His blasphemous name is written on his heads, that is, on his helpers and servants. For they blasphemed God unceasingly from the beginning of the world until the great and pious Constantine, after whom Julian and Valens were blasphemers.

"And I saw a beast rising out of the sea," that is, from an evil people. He said "rising," meaning being born, just as a flower arises for good from the root of Jesse. By the beast rising out of the sea he means impious people, who are the body of the devil.

In the preceding vision the divine Evangelist saw a sign in heaven: "Behold, a great red dragon" (Rev 12:3). Now he relates that he saw a beast coming up out of the sea, like a leopard. Then, in the following vision, he again sees another beast coming up out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb. Thus he saw three beasts in all. The first was in heaven, the second from the sea, and the third from the earth. But who the first and third beasts are is clear to all. The first is the serpent, the chief of evil, the apostate who lifts up his neck before almighty God, that is, Satan. The third is the antichrist. But who is this middle beast, now shown to us in the vision? I think he will come after the apostate dragon, that is, after Satan, the leader of the demons.

Sts Methodius and Hippolytus understood the present beast as an image of Antichrist, coming up out of the turbid and storm-tossed sea of this life.

Scripture has depicted the severity of the last persecution against Christianity and the cruelty of the persecutor by many traits. A decisive and definite trait is the name Scripture gives this dreadful man: he is called "the beast."

"Seven heads and ten horns." According to John's own explanation (Rev 17:9-10), this beast is Rome, situated on seven hills, and its seven emperors, evidently the first: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, and Vitellius.

This image of the last enemy of the Church of Christ is drawn in no less somber features than the image of the dragon himself, or Satan. He too is a beast, in general appearance like a leopard, but his feet are like those of a bear, and his mouth is like a lion's. Thus the properties and qualities of the fiercest animals will converge in the single person of the antichrist. He has seven heads, like the dragon. But these heads are covered with blasphemous names, visibly depicting his inner impiety and contempt for everything holy. His ten horns are crowned with diadems, as a sign that he will use his God-fighting strength and might with the authority of a king on earth.