In Daniel and Revelation, the beast imagery symbolizes political governments and empires, not literal creatures.
The beast rising from the sea represents a government emerging from the mass of humanity. Daniel's four beasts correspond to Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, and Revelation uses the same imagery to point to a revived Roman Empire headed up by the Antichrist.
Daniel 7:17 — This verse explicitly says the four great beasts are four kings, showing the imagery is about rulers and kingdoms rather than animals.
Daniel 7:23 — The fourth beast is identified as a fourth kingdom, confirming the beast symbol means an empire.
Revelation 13:1 — John sees the beast rise from the sea with seven heads and ten horns, just as Daniel pictured the empires in Revelation's future context.
In Daniel 7:2-3, Daniel sees four winds of heaven striving on the great sea and four great beasts coming up out of the sea. Daniel 7:17 says these four great beasts are four kings, and Daniel 7:23 identifies the fourth beast as the fourth kingdom upon earth. The first beast is like a lion, the second like a bear, the third like a leopard, and the fourth is dreadful and terrible with great iron teeth and ten horns (Daniel 7:4-7). In Revelation 13:1-2, John sees a beast rise up out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns, and the beast is like a leopard with feet like a bear and mouth like a lion — the same symbols Daniel used. This shows that Scripture consistently uses beast imagery to represent political empires rather than actual animals.
Les Feldick consistently stresses that the beasts in Daniel and Revelation are not eerie creatures or sea monsters; they are symbolic of governments and empires. He says Daniel and Revelation write in symbolic language, and you have to search the Scriptures to reduce these symbolisms to a literal thing. He identifies Daniel's four beasts as Babylon (the lion), Medo-Persia (the bear), Greece (the leopard), and Rome (the fourth beast, dreadful and terrible with iron teeth).
Les identifies the first beast as Babylon (the lion), the second as the Medo-Persian empire (the bear), the third as the Greek empire under Alexander the Great (the leopard), and the fourth as the Roman empire — dreadful, terrible, and exceedingly strong. He ties the leopard's four wings and four heads to the four generals who divided Alexander's empire. The Roman empire was diverse from all before it because it began a democratic form of government and was strong politically with great iron teeth.
Les says John sees the same things Daniel saw in chapter 7. The beast in Revelation is like a leopard, with feet like a bear and mouth like a lion, combining the characteristics of Daniel's empires. However, in Revelation 13 it is first and foremost the revival of the ancient Roman Empire, which reappears as a ten-horned consortium of nations during the end times. The seven heads and ten horns fit with Daniel's picture of the empire coming out of the sea of humanity.
Les explains that the sea in Daniel 7:2 and Revelation 13:1 is not a literal ocean. It is symbolic of the sea of humanity — the masses of the nations. Out of this mass of humanity, the final empire and its ruler will emerge. He notes that we're seeing it happen right before our eyes with the European community.
Les says the government will be so bestial in its operation that it is referred to as a beast in both Daniel and Revelation. It will have no concern about human rights or about the individual. Even though it is a government, it will be headed up by one man, the Antichrist, who will be corrupt and will achieve his end by lying, deception, flattery, and his charismatic personality.
Four wings and four heads — Greece divided among four generals
Les explains that Daniel's leopard with four wings and four heads pictures the Greek empire after Alexander, which was divided among four generals.
Beast is a consortium of nations, not a seven-headed creature
Les compares Daniel's seven heads and ten horns with Revelation's beast, showing it is a consortium of nations, an empire headed up by the Antichrist.
Beast as revival of ancient Roman Empire and bestial government
Les teaches that the beast in Revelation 13 is first and foremost the revival of the old Roman Empire, called a beast because its government will be bestial.
Beast has two-fold meaning: empire and Antichrist; sea = humanity
The beast means the Roman Empire, original and revived, as well as the man of sin who rules it; the sea is a symbolic statement about the masses of the nations.
Beast is a government, not an eerie creature
Les stresses that Bible writers use symbolic language and that the beast is a government, not a literal animal or sea monster.
Four beasts identified as empires from the sea of humanity
Les walks through Daniel 7:2-7, showing the lion, bear, leopard, and fourth beast are empires and governments rising from the mass of humanity.
Fourth beast returns as revived Roman Empire with ten horns
Les connects Daniel's fourth beast to the empire that faded off the scene and now reappears as a ten-horned empire, the revived Roman Empire.
Antichrist is corrupt; Daniel's empires match New Testament imagery
Les reminds readers that Daniel saw the same empires as wild beasts — Babylon as lion — and that the later beast of Revelation is corrupt and deceptive.
Daniel 7:2-3: Daniel spake and said, "I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another."
The foundational passage showing beasts coming from the sea, symbolizing empires.
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.
Describes the fourth beast, which Les identifies as Rome and the revived Roman Empire.
Daniel 7:17: These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
Explicitly interprets the four beasts as kings or kingdoms.
Daniel 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.
Clearly identifies the fourth beast as a kingdom, confirming the symbolic meaning.
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.
John sees the beast rise from the sea with the same imagery Daniel used for empires.
Revelation 13:2: 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.
Combines characteristics of Daniel's lion, bear, and leopard, linking Revelation to Daniel.
It is a symbol. Les Feldick teaches that the beast is a government, not an eerie creature. Daniel and Revelation use symbolic language, and the beast pictures political empires rising out of the sea of humanity.
They are four empires: Babylon (lion), Medo-Persia (bear), Greece (leopard), and Rome (the fourth, dreadful and terrible beast with iron teeth). Les explains that these are governments, not literal animals.
Les says the seven heads and ten horns are a consortium of nations, an empire — not a literal seven-headed creature. The beast in Revelation 13 is first and foremost the revival of the ancient Roman Empire, headed up by the Antichrist.
Because it will be bestial in its operation, showing no concern for human rights or the individual. In the end times, this government will be ruled by Antichrist, who is also identified as the beast.
Watch the Teaching: Daniel's Vision of 4 Beasts & the Antichrist Explained