The Dragon stands upon the sands of the sea from which proceeds a beast with ten diadems on ten horns and seven heads which have names of blasphemy. The many waters are where the great harlot sits. Revelation 17:1, 15 reads, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters…….And the angel said to me, ‘The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.'” That these were still Jews is clear from the language taken in Acts 2:5 which reads, “Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.” He proceeds to list the nations represented at this Jewish festival.
Now, let’s examine the text’s description of the beast.
1. He has ten horns: Wicked commanders who were assured victory over the Romans by the beast and promised them territories or diadems in recompense for their loyalty. Of course, these were only lies that were never fulfilled.
2. Seven heads: Seven mountains on which the woman sits; and they are seven kings (Rev. 17:9-10). During the intertestamental period of approximately 400 years, the Jewish High priesthood rose in political power. There were seven high priests of the house of Annas who represented civil rule and were recognized as “kings.” They were Annas, Eleazar, Caiaphas, Jonathan, Theophilos, Matthias, and Ananus, who was the seventh. The seven kings are represented as the seven blasphemous heads. This describes the beast as taking over the power from the seven blasphemous heads.
(a) One of his heads had been smitten unto death but was healed and the whole earth wondered at the beast: Both the Dragon and the Beast had seven heads and ten horns (cf. 13:1). If it is correct to identify the seven heads as the house of Annas, then one of the heads who died but was made alive is Ananus, whom Josephus reports were killed and left without burial in the streets of Jerusalem. Revelation 11 speaks of the two witnesses (the High Priests, Ananas and Jesus, the son of Gamaliel) as having been killed and resurrected in Jerusalem. This head that the Beast wears is the seventh head which was cured. These aristocratic rulers were a deadly plague upon the nation of the Jews. Many wicked men used violence by beating landowners while taking tithes from them.
(b) When the Beast killed Ananus and ended the priestly rule, the event was perceived as a blessing and there was much rejoicing. The abusive power was over as the plague of this corrupt leadership from the House of Anas had ended. The effect of the death of the witnesses along with Eleazar’s prodding to honor one named John of Gishalah for curing the deadly plague (13:12), the whole earth wondered after the Beast. Even after the resurrection of the two witnesses, the explanation of events would be turned in his favor. The people could witness the miraculous events and know that he was a great person with great power.
3. Like a leopard which is known for its ability to camouflage itself (Jer. 13:23). The beast was especially gifted at disguising his true intentions.
4. Feet of a bear and mouth of a lion: The Beast hated the harlot city and a “wicked ruler over a poor people” is described by “a roaring lion” and a “raging bear” (Prov. 28:15). Josephus writes, “I venture to affirm that the sedition destroyed the city, and the Romans destroyed the sedition…so that we may justly ascribe our misfortunes to our own people” (Wars, V,vi, 1).
5. The Dragon (Satan) gave him his power, throne, and great authority: Similarly, the man of sin would come “according to the working of Satan with all power and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved” (2 Thess. 2:9-10). Satan would energize this beast so that he might deceive those who are perishing. These are they that John sees wearing the mark of the beast (Rev. 19:20).
6. The Beast was worshipped for his commanding presence and power (13:4). Early in the transition of power, it was not known what terror the Beast would bring to the people. Josephus believed that his John (1) who eluded Vespasian in Galilee, (2) escaped capture at the hands of Titus in Gischala and is (3) now in power, having killed the High Priests, “was the work of God, who preserved this John that he might bring on the destruction of Jerusalem” (Wars, IV, ii, 3).
7. He had a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: Compare the description of the man of sin who “opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sits in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God” (2 Thess. 2:4).
8. His season would only last 42 months, the time of the siege before the capture of the city (AD 67-70).
9. It was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them (cf. Matt. 24:15-17). This flight from Jerusalem was seen as a victory for John. They had run off to hide.
10. Everyone whose name is not recorded in the book of life worshipped the Beast. He thought it beneath him to receive honors that others had been given before him. If the Caesars could be worshipped or Jehovah be worshipped in His city, then so could he receive the praises and worship of men. The temple becomes his own personal cult.
The similarities between this description of the Beast and the man called John of Gischala are unmistakable. He is the Man of Sin, son of perdition responsible for the death of the High Priest, the eighth king who led the city to its destruction (17:3; 17:11-13). Furthermore, while Ananas had restrained John for a time, once he was taken out of the way, the real character of the Beast was revealed just as a leopard easily hides itself. One of the heads that he wears was Ananas, whom he killed and ended the rulers of seven heads from the house of Annas, the High Priest. John is the little horn of Daniel 7 who would not only speak words against Jehovah but would wear out His saints (Dan. 7:25). After the death of the High Priests and repositioning of himself, John sets up his headquarters in the temple as if he was king on a throne and accepted the praises of men.