Category: Book of Revelation

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The scarlet beast on which the harlot sits (Rev 17)

UNDER MAINTENANCE

THREE SEVEN-HEADED BEASTS

Ten horns of the beast

In the Book of Revelation, there are three beasts that each have seven heads and ten horns:

The Dragon from which the Sea Beast received its authority (Rev 13:1-2) has been identified as the 4th kingdom in Daniel 7, which was identified as the Roman Empire.

The Sea Beast – the beast that comes up out of the sea (Rev 13:1), whose mark in the end-time is put on the foreheads of his followers (Rev 13:1, 16-17), has been identified as the 11th horn of the 4th kingdom in Daniel 7. It is an organization that came out of the Roman Empire, meaning that it is one of the fragments into which the Roman Empire divided. These fragments are the nations of Europe. the 11th horn becomes stronger than the other fragments blasphemes God, persecutes His people, and will continue to do so until Christ returns. One may appropriately describe it as the Antichrist.

The third is the Scarlet Beast, on which the harlot sits (Rev 17:3). Since it also has seven heads and ten horns, it must be related to the other two beasts. The purpose of this article is to identify the Scarlet Beast and to explain how it relates to the other two beasts.

THE SCARLET BEAST

The beast that “comes up out of the abyss” in Rev 11:7 is the Scarlet Beast, for the latter will also “come up out of the abyss” (Rev 17:8).

Associated with the Harlot; not the Dragon.

The Beasts of Revelation present two different perspectives of Satan’s forces:

Three Parts – The Dragon, the Sea Beast, and the Earth Beast work together. The Sea Beast receives its authority from the Dragon (Rev 13:2) and gives its authority to the Earth Beast (Rev 13:12). Revelation often presents this evil trinity as working together (e.g. Rev 16:13; 19:20-20:2). They represent Satan’s forces as consisting of three parts.

Two Parts – The Scarlet Beast, in contrast, is never mentioned with this evil trinity. It is only mentioned together with the harlot Babylon (Rev 17:3-5). They exist at the same time as the evil trinity but describe Satan’s forces as consisting of two parts.

Subordinate to the Harlot.

In Revelation 13, people worship the Sea Beast (Rev 13:3-4). It receives “his power and his throne and great authority” from the Dragon (Rev 13:2), but then it becomes the superior power. There is no mention of a power controlling it. The false prophet is subordinate to it (Rev 13:12). The Dragon, identified previously as the Roman Empire, gives the Sea Beast its authority and power, but is not further involved in the end-time crisis.

The Scarlet Beast, in contrast to the Sea Beast, is a subordinate power. It is dominated by the harlot, symbolized as sitting on it (Rev 17:3).

Consists of seven phases.

The seven heads and ten horns are explained in Revelation 17 in the explanation of the Scarlet Beast; not when the Dragon and the Sea Beast are explained. This implies that the heads and horns are particularly relevant to the Scarlet Beast.

The beast as such is not explained but it has seven heads and the harlot also sits on the beast’s seven heads (Rev 17:9) and these ‘heads’ are explained as ‘seven kings’ (Rev 17:10). Since they exist one after the other (Rev 17:10), they represent the seven phases of the beast’s existence. By sitting on all seven phases, the harlot sits on the entire beast.

The Scarlet Beast, therefore, consists of seven phases. Since it is part of the kingdoms of Daniel 7, we must find the seven phases in Daniel 7. Another article identifies the seven phases as the four kingdoms of Daniel 7 plus the three phases of the 11th horn.

Sitting on these “seven kings,” and, therefore, on the beast, is explained as that the harlot “reigns over the kings of the earth” (Rev 17:18). So, the harlot reigns over the Scarlet Beast. The Scarlet Beast is subordinate to her.

Part of the animals of Daniel 7.

Just like the Dragon and the Sea Beast, the Scarlet Beast has seven heads and ten horns (Rev 17:3), implying that these three beasts are of the same species.

Since there are also seven heads and ten horns among the four animals of Daniel 7 (See – Overview the Daniel 7), the seven heads and ten horns of the beasts in Revelation imply that their species is defined by Daniel 7. Since both the animal-kingdoms of Daniel 7 and the beasts of Revelation exist until the return of Christ, the beasts of Revelation are part of the series of kingdoms in Daniel 7:

Dragon – As stated, previous articles have identified the Dragon as Daniel’s fourth kingdom, which has been identified as the Roman Empire.

Sea Beast – Since both the 11th horn and Revelation’s Sea are destroyed when Christ returns (Rev 19:20), and since both are described as the end-time Antichrist, the Sea Beast has previously been identified as that fourth kingdom’s 11th horn.

Scarlet Beast – The Scarlet Beast must also be part of the animals of Daniel 7. The purpose of this article is to help explain how it is related.

Always exists

The Dragon, the Sea Beast, and the Earth Beast do not always exist.

In the context of the War in Heaven, the Dragon is identified as Satan (Rev 12:9). As Satan (Rev 20:2) it continues until it is thrown into the Lake of Fire at the end of the Millennium (Rev 20:10). As Satan, the Dragon always exist. But, in the context of the war on Earth, the Dragon has been identified as the Roman Empire. As such, it did not always exist.

The origins of the Sea and Earth Beasts are described in Rev 13:1 and 11 respectively. In the end-time, the Dragon, the Sea Beast, and the Earth Beast form an evil trinity.

The Scarlet Beast, in contrast, seems to always exist. Revelation never describes their birth:

The Scarlet Beast comes up out of the abyss (Rev 11:7; 17:8) but that is not its origin. It has seven heads, described as seven consecutive kings (Rev 17:9-10), and .

 

Is described during the weak phase.

The Scarlet Beast is explained from the perspective of a specific point in history. At that time, it is said that it “is not.” (Rev 17:8) That does not mean that it does not exist, for the beast is described as “was and is not and will come.” (Rev 17:8), meaning:

    • In the past, it “was,”
    • Currently, it “is not,” and
    • In the future, it “will come.”

The “is not” is explained by the description of the beast as ‘currently’ in a wilderness, in the abyss, and by the lack of crowns (Rev 17:3, 8). While both the other two seven-headed beasts (the Dragon and Sea Beasts) have crowns (Rev 12:3; 13:1-2), the Scarlet Beast is not said to have crowns, perhaps indicating that it does not rule. All four of these things indicate that the Scarlet Beast is described at a time when it is weak.

 

 

It symbolizes the civil rulers of the world.

The Sea Beast, which is the same as the 11th horn that grows out of the Roman Empire, is a religious organization, for it persecutes God’s people, blasphemes God, and deceives the people through its assistant; the Beast from the Earth (Rev 13:14).

The Scarlet Beast is not a religious organization:

Many Waters – The harlot (Babylon) sits on both the Scarlet Beast and the many waters (Rev 17:3, 15). The beast, therefore, is related to the many waters, which are identified as the people of the world (Rev 17:1, 15).

Heads and horns – As mentioned, the beast’s seven heads are seven ‘kings’. The beast’s ten horns are also explained as ten ‘kings’ (Rev 17:12). Since the Scarlet Beast symbolizes “the kings of the earth,” it symbolizes the people of the world as they are divided into “nations” (Rev 17:15).

The Scarlet Beast, therefore, represents mankind that is ruled over by the harlot Babylon, which is explained as the false religious systems of the world.

 The harlot also “sits on many waters” (Rev 17:1), explained as “peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues” (Rev 17:15). 

The Scarlet Beast, therefore, symbolizes “the kings of the earth” (Rev 17:18)

 

 

It is not a specific organization.

In Revelation 12, “dragon” serves as a symbol for Satan’s forces at different times and places. That chapter uses “dragon” for Satan himself. In contrast, the Sea Beast and the Earth Beast are specific organizations that come into existence at specific points in time, namely when they come out of the Sea and the Earth respectively (Rev 13:1, 11). 

The Scarlet Beast is not a specific organization. The harlot is identified in the article on Babylon as ‘false religion’. She exists for all of human history because “in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth” (Rev 18:24), and because she is the “mother (source or origin) of harlots” (Rev 17:5). If she exists for all human history, then the Scarlet Beast, on which she sits, must also exist for all human history. 

The Harlot and the Scarlet Beast, therefore, depict a general principle, namely that the anti-God powers in all of human history consist of two parts; a political (beast) and a religious (harlot) component, with the religious component always reigning over the political.

The Sea Beast represents that same anti-God power, consisting of both the political and religious components, but limited to one specific organization in one period of human history. For example, the Sea Beast will “make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev 13:7) but Babylon is guilty of all martyr deaths of God’s people (Rev 18:24).

Babylon existed during all the empires of Daniel 7, corrupting the minds of the people (Rev 17:2) and killing the saints (Rev 18:24). This was also true during the Middle Ages and it will again be true during the end-time crisis, when the Earth Beast, also called the false prophet (Rev 16:13; 19:20) deceives the people to form an image of the Beast (Rev 13:14). It is that “Image” that will persecute God’s people (Rev 13:15).

Conclusion

The Sea Beast symbolizes a specific organization that comes into existence at a specific point in time. It receives its authority from the Dragon and gives its authority to the Earth Beast.

The Scarlet Beast, on the other hand, is never associated with this evil trinity. It is only mentioned together with the harlot Babylon. It symbolizes the people of the world as they are divided into “peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues” (Rev 17:15). It does not include religious authority, for the harlot Babylon—identified as false religion—reigns over it. 

The Scarlet Beast is not a specific organization but exists for all of human history. Babylon and the Scarlet Beast, therefore, represent a general principle, namely that false religion, in all ages, rules over mankind.

Final Conclusions

When the Dragon stands ready to devour the woman’s Child as soon as He is born, it represents the Roman Empire.

The Dragon represents both Satan and the Roman Empire.

The Sea Beast is the same as the 11th horn of Daniel 7.

The Scarlet Beast does not symbolize a specific organization but represents the people of the world, for all human history, divided into kingdoms.

The Sea Beast, which is the same as the 11th horn that grows out of the Roman Empire, is a religious organization. The Scarlet Beast, in contrast, since it represents mankind that is ruled over by religious forces, has no religious authority. 

Babylon and the Scarlet Beast symbolize a general principle, namely that false religion, in all ages, rules over mankind.

??Both the Sea Beast and the Scarlet Beast have seven heads and ten horns. As discussed, this means they are part of the series of kingdoms (empires) in Daniel 7.

OTHER ARTICLES

FOOTNOTES

  • 1
    The Antichrist in Daniel, which is the same as the beast in Revelation, arises out of the Roman Empire; it is not Antiochus Epiphanes.
  • 2
    Discussion of the prophecy and the four main interpretations
  • 3
    Critical scholars teach that Daniel was written after the events it claims to predict.
  • 4
    The ultimate purpose of this website is to explain the mark of the beast.
  • 5
    Does Revelation describe events chronologically? Must it be interpreted literally? The temple in heaven, Christ’s Return, Hear/See Combinations, and the Numbers in Revelation
  • 6
    There was a book in heaven that not even Christ was able to read because it was sealed up with seven seals. But, by overcoming, He became worthy to break the seven seals and open the book.
  • 7
    This is the apex of Revelation, providing an overview of history from before Christ until the end-time, with emphasis on the end-time persecution.
  • 8
    These plagues will follow after the end-time Christian persecution and will be followed by Christ’s return. What is the purpose of these?
  • 9
    Revelation has three beasts with seven heads and ten horns each; a great red dragon, the beast from the sea, and a scarlet beast.
  • 10
    Babylon is mentioned only once in the first 15 chapters but the seventh and final plague targets her specifically. Then Revelation 17 and 18 explain who and what she is.
  • 11
    The conclusion that Jesus is ‘God’ forms the basis of the Trinity Doctrine.
  • 12
    The decision to adopt the Trinity doctrine was not taken by the church.
  • 13
    Including Modalism, Eastern Orthodoxy view of the Trinity, Elohim, and Eternal Generation
  • 14
    Discussions of the Atonement – How does God do away with sin?
  • 15
    How people are put right with God
  • 16
    Must Christians observe the Law of Moses?
  • 17
    Must Christians observe the Sabbath?
  • 18
    Are the dead still alive and aware?
  • 19
    Will the lost be tormented in hell for all eternity?
  • 20
    And why does God not make an end to all evil?
  • 21
    Key events that transformed the church into an independent religion
  • 22
    When? How? Has His return been delayed?
  • 23
    I do not have any formal theological qualifications and I am not part of any religious organization. These articles are the result of my studies over many years.
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The purpose of the plagues is to show that God judges perfectly.

SUMMARY

The purpose of the plagues is not to save or to punish.  But then the question remains, why does God torment men with the fearful plagues? 

Revelation uses the literal Egyptian plagues as symbols for the end-time disasters.  This implies that the Egyptian plagues can teach us about the end-time plagues, namely:

God will right all wrongs. We complain that life is not fair, but God will ensure that life is eventually fair, except that God’s people receive mercy which they do not deserve. 

The plagues are a judgment on false religions.

That the purpose of the plagues is to teach.  God purposefully hardened Pharaoh’s heart for His purpose was to teach the Egyptians and the nations about the true God.  The end-time plagues will also serve as a lesson.

The plagues in Revelation 16 teach three lessons, namely:

That the people with the mark of the beast, although they appear to be Christians, are hardened beyond repentance, even WHEN THEY KNOW that they oppose God; This shows that, for the happiness of the universe, the only solution for them is the second (eternal) DEATH.

That the repentant sinners—the people with the seal of God—would rather die than disobey God, and are worthy of ETERNAL LIFE.

Consequently, God’s judgment (assessment) of people, as to who will inherit eternal life and who will suffer the second death, is without fault.

These concepts will now be discussed in more detail.

PURPOSE OF THE PLAGUES

Not to save – As indicated by the following, the purpose of the plagues is not to save, for nobody will be saved during plagues:

      • The empty temple (Rev 15:8), which symbolizes that salvation is no longer available; (See Introduction to the Plagues);
      • The repeated mention in the plagues that sinners do not repent (Rev 16:9, 11, 21).

Not to punish – Many believe that the purpose of the plagues is to punish, without any saving purpose. In other words, God will punish the wicked simply for the sake of punishment. This website does not support this view, for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). He loves even the people with the mark of the beast. 

Why then torment? – But then the question remains, why does God torment men with the fearful plagues if nobody will repent? The plagues start to fall after the eternal destiny of every person has been permanently sealed.  (See Introduction to the Plagues)  Why will Christ not return and end the reign of sin as soon as all destinies are fixed?

EGYPTIAN TYPOLOGY

Both the plagues on ancient Egyptian and the end-time plagues in Revelation 16 include sores, water turning to blood, darkness, and frogs (Exo 7:17-21; 8:2-13; 9:8-11; 10:21-23).  In fact, the disasters in Revelation 16 are called plagues because Revelation uses the literal Egyptian plagues as symbols for the end-time disasters. This implies that the Egyptian plagues can teach us about the end-time plagues. 

We can learn the following principles from the Egyptian plagues:

      1. That God will right all wrongs;
      2. That the plagues are a judgment on false religions; and
      3. That the PURPOSE of the plagues is to teach.

GOD WILL RIGHT ALL WRONGS

Israel was enslaved and subjected to harsh treatment in Egypt. In the same way, in the end-time, the persecution of God’s people (Rev 13:15) will serve as a catalyst for the end-time plagues. Revelation contains a strong theme of avenging the blood of the martyrs:

“The souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God” cried out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood?” (Rev 6:9-10). 

After the first three plagues, “the angel of the waters” commented, “they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it” (Rev 16:6). 

After Babylon was judged (Rev 17:16), “a strong angel” declared, “in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth” (Rev 18:21, 24). And the “great multitude in heaven” rejoiced, saying, “He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her” (Rev 19:1-2).

These statements imply revenge or punishment, but only the living wicked will suffer this punishment. Therefore, this should rather be understood more generally as that God will correct all wrongs. We complain that life is not fair, but in the end, God will ensure that life is fair, except that God’s people receive mercy which they do not deserve. 

JUDGES FALSE RELIGION

The Egyptians worshiped the sun, the river, and many other things, and the Egyptian plagues were a judgment on their gods:

‘I … will strike down all the firstborn …
and against all the gods of Egypt,
I will execute judgments”
(Exo 12:12)

Similarly, the end-time plagues will show how futile reliance on false religion is:

TO TEACH 

But the real main purpose of the plagues is to teach God’s creatures. 

In redeeming Israel from Egypt, God chose to act very visibly. But when He liberated Israel from ancient Babylon, but He acted invisible, except as seen through the eyes of the prophets. He sent pagan armies against Babylon and arranged these forces to be favorable towards Israel. Why did He act so visibly in Egypt?  God purposefully hardened Pharaoh’s heart for His purpose was to teach the Egyptians and the nations about the true God:

“I will harden Pharaoh’s heart …
and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”
(Exo 14:4; see also Exo 7:3, 7; 4:21; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8)

The deliverance from Egypt was to serve as a visible lesson to the peoples of the world.  In His mercy He wanted them to learn about His existence and power:

“I raised you (Pharaoh) up,
to demonstrate My power in you,
and that My name might be proclaimed
throughout the whole earth”  (Rom 9:17).

The end-time plagues will also serve as a lesson, for God will not let people suffer simply for the sake of punishment. But the question is: What is the lesson? To discuss this is the purpose of the current article. The next article discusses the questions: For who is the lesson and why do they need these lessons?

THREE LESSONS

The plagues in Revelation 16 teach three lessons, namely:

That the people with the mark of the beast, although they appear to be Christians, are in reality committed to Satan’s principles and are unable to repent, even when they know that they oppose God;

That the people with the seal of God would rather die than disobey God.

Consequently, the plagues reveal that God’s judgment (assessment) of people, as to who will inherit eternal life, is fully accurate.

MARK OF THE BEAST

Three times (16:9, 11, 21) it is said in the plagues that the people with the mark of the beast blaspheme God and do not repent.  This implies that the purpose of the plagues is to see whether they would repent. 

WHEN THE PLAGUES BEGIN

When the plagues start to fall, the people of the world are divided into two clearly demarcated groups.  For example, the people with the mark of the beast are allowed to buy and sell; the others are not (Rev 13:17).  Just like the seal of God is not a literal mark, the mark of the beast is also not a literal mark, but somehow it will be possible to determine to what group each person belongs, for the one group will persecute the other.

Both groups are Christians.  See, the throne of the beast is Christian religious authority.  People often ask what the mark of the beast is.  That question is unnecessary.  Irrespective of what the mark of the beast is, when we see a Christian persecuting another person, either physically or by verbal abuse, we see the spirit of the beast in action.

THE PLAGUES

The plagues only target the large group with the mark of the Beast (Rev 16:2).  These people must, therefore, become increasingly aware of some sort of supernatural support for the hated minority.  In the fifth plague, the mighty angel of Revelation 18 destroys Christian authority.  Through the plagues, therefore, the people with the mark of the beast increasingly realize that they themselves are opposing God.  

But instead of repenting, they curse Him even more bitterly than ever before (Rev 16:9, 11, 21) and become even more resolute in their opposition.  They refuse to admit that they are wrong, even in the face of these severe judgments. 

CONCLUSION

One purpose of the plagues is, therefore, to show that the people with the mark of the beast, although they present themselves as Christians, are hardened beyond repentance.  The plagues serve to reveal the spirit of rebellion that controls their hearts.  

Sin changed people.  There is a point where it becomes impossible for a person to turn to God.  That is the point at which the person receives the mark of the beast.  It means that that person cannot be saved; NOT because God does not want to save, but because something has changed in that individual which makes it impossible to become one with God again.

The plagues, therefore, are not some arbitrary punishment.  It has an eternal purpose.  Through the plagues, God provides abundant proof of the inability of the people with the mark of the beast to repent.  They confess to being Christians, but the plagues will show what they really are; unalterably committed to evil; that the only solution, for the happiness of the universe, is the second death (e.g. Rev. 2:11):

“The wages of sin is death, but
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:23)

SEAL OF GOD

The second lesson from the plagues that the people with the seal of God are willing to die rather than to disobey God.

“They overcame him (Satan)
because of the blood of the Lamb
and because of the word of their testimony, and
they did not love their life even when faced with death”
(Rev 12:11). 

The plagues follow and continue the period of the most intense persecution of believers in history.  Under the extremely difficult circumstances created by the plagues, the persecutors continue to blaspheme God (Rev 16:8, 11) and continue to persecute the saints.  God will withdraw His restraining Spirit, to allow the persecutors to do whatever they please with God’s people.  This will thoroughly test the characters of the saints, but they will rather die than disobey God.  It will show the changed nature of repentant sinners who were washed clean with the blood of Christ; that they are worthy of eternal life.

GOD’S JUDGMENTS

In the plagues, God is frequently praised for the righteousness of His judgments (Rev 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 19:2).  This implies that the third lesson from the plagues is that God judges righteously.  The plagues prove to the intelligent creatures of the universe that God’s distinction between the people that will receive eternal life and those that will die is without error:

It proves that the people with the mark of the beast are hardened beyond the possibility of repentance, even under the most difficult circumstances. 

The plagues also prove that the people with the seal of God are not willing to disobey God, whatever the cost. 

Together, these issues prove that God judged rightly.  This is, actually, the only purpose of the plagues.

OTHER ARTICLES

An article that is related to the current article asks why the Euphrates has to dry up to prepare the way for the kings from the east.  That article also concludes that the purpose of the plagues is to teach that God’s judgments are right, but it comes to that conclusion by analyzing the symbolism in the sixth plague specifically.

The current article does not explain why it is necessary for the accuracy of God’s judgments to be confirmed, and who needs that information.  Those questions are discussed in the next article.

 

 

 

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