The beast in Revelation 13 represents a government, not a literal animal — specifically a revived Roman Empire headed by the Antichrist.
Les Feldick explains that the beast is a symbolic picture of a final empire rising out of the sea of humanity. It is a consortium of nations, an empire, rather than a literal seven-headed creature or sea monster. The beast is also identified with the Antichrist, the man of sin who will rule this final world system.
Revelation 13:1 — This is the verse where John sees the beast rise up out of the sea — the central passage in question.
Daniel 7:7 — Daniel's fourth beast with ten horns provides the prophetic background Les uses to identify the Revelation beast.
Daniel 7:17 — Scripture explicitly explains that the beasts in Daniel are kings/kingdoms, supporting the non-literal interpretation.
In Revelation 13, John sees a beast rising up out of the sea. The beast has seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns and a name of blasphemy on its heads (Revelation 13:1). Later in the same chapter, a second beast comes up out of the earth with two horns like a lamb, and it speaks like a dragon (Revelation 13:11). In Daniel 7, the prophet likewise saw beasts emerge from the sea — a lion, a bear, and a leopard — and then a fourth beast that was dreadful and terrible, with ten horns (Daniel 7:3-7). The interpretation in Daniel 7:17 explains that these great beasts are four kings/kingdoms. Thus, the biblical imagery itself anticipates that the beast is not merely an animal but a ruling power.
Les Feldick teaches that the beast of Revelation 13 is a symbolic picture of a government — not a literal, strange-looking creature. He explains that the sea out of which the beast comes is the 'mass of humanity,' and what John saw rising from that sea is a consortium of nations, an empire. In his words, 'this isn't some seven-headed creature or anything like that.' He goes on to show that the beast's seven heads and ten horns intentionally match Daniel's vision. The same animal imagery John uses — leopard, bear, and lion — is what Daniel already used to describe Greece, the Medes, and Babylon. For Les, this confirms that the beast is the Roman Empire, both original and revived, and it is ultimately headed up by the Antichrist, the man of sin. Les also points to a second beast in Revelation 13 that comes up out of the earth. He identifies this one as a religious government, centered in a person, with two horns like a lamb but speaking like a dragon. This religious leader's power, Les says, comes from Satan.
Les Feldick is emphatic that the beast is not some seven-headed creature or sea monster. He points to the symbol of the sea as 'the mass of humanity' and says what rises out of it is a government — a consortium of nations, an empire. The beast's description, with seven heads and ten horns, fits Daniel's visions, and the one man heading it up is the Antichrist.
Les explains that the word beast has a twofold meaning. It can refer to the Roman Empire — both the original and the revived final form — and it can also refer to the Antichrist, the man of sin who will rule that final world system. He sees the ten horns as kings that form the base of operation for this world ruler.
According to Les, seven heads and ten horns are not the body parts of a mythical animal. They fit with Daniel's prophetic picture of empires. The ten horns, he says, merely refer to kings, and they are the base of operation for the Antichrist in the tribulation.
Les also discusses a second beast that comes up out of the earth. He describes it as another government, but this one is centered in a person and is a religious government. It has two horns like a lamb because it appears religious, but it speaks like a dragon, showing that its power comes from Satan.
The Antichrist Revealed: What Revelation 13 Really Says
Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
The Beast Is a Government, Not a Creature
Les teaches that the beast rising from the sea is not a literal seven-headed creature but a consortium of nations, an empire, headed up by the Antichrist.
The Beast Matches Daniel's Vision
This clip repeats the same teaching — the beast is an empire and its features match Daniel's leopard, bear, and lion imagery.
Beast's Twofold Meaning: Empire and Antichrist
Les explains that 'beast' refers both to the Roman Empire (original and revived) and to the Antichrist, the man of sin, who rules this final world system.
Second Beast as a Religious Government
Les describes the second beast coming out of the earth as a government centered in a person — a religious leader empowered by Satan.
Ten Horns as Kings and the Antichrist's Base
Les connects the ten horns to kings and shows that they serve as the base of operation for the Antichrist during the tribulation.
Ten Horns in Revelation 13
This clip repeats the teaching that the horns in Scripture refer to kings and that the beast is the base for the world ruler.
Second Beast from the Earth
This clip repeats the teaching about the second beast as a satanic religious system coming out of the earth.
Revelation 13:1: 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.
This verse introduces the beast in question and provides the key details Les interprets.
Daniel 7:7: 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.
This fourth beast with ten horns is the Old Testament parallel Les uses to connect the Revelation beast to world empires.
Daniel 7:17: These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
This verse shows that biblical beast imagery refers to kings and kingdoms, not literal animals.
No. Les Feldick teaches it is a symbolic picture of a government — a consortium of nations — not a literal creature. The sea out of which it rises represents the mass of humanity.
The sea is symbolic of the masses of the nations. Les says it means the final empire will rise out of humanity, not out of the ocean.
Les says the word beast has a twofold meaning: it can refer to the Roman Empire — original and revived — and also to the man of sin, the Antichrist, who rules that final world system.
Yes. Les distinguishes the first beast coming out of the sea — the political empire — from a second beast coming out of the earth, a religious government with satanic power.
Watch the Teaching: The Antichrist Revealed: What Revelation 13 Really Says