Unfulfilled Revelation › Figures

Beast from the Sea / Antichrist

Beast with seven heads and ten horns rises from the sea; given power 42 months; blasphemes God; makes war with saints; worshipped by all whose names are not in the Book of Life.

Key Hebrew Terms

חַיָּה (chayah, H2423); קֶרֶן (qeren, H7161)

Key Greek Terms

θηρίον (therion, G2342); βλασφημία (blasphemia, G988); πόλεμος (polemos, G4171)

Linked Verses (31)

Daniel 7:7 source
KJV

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.

Daniel 7:8 source
KJV

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:9 source
KJV

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Daniel 7:10 source
KJV

A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Daniel 7:11 source
KJV

I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

Daniel 7:12 source
KJV

As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

Daniel 7:13 source
KJV

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Daniel 7:14 source
KJV

And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:15 source
KJV

I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

Daniel 7:16 source
KJV

I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

Daniel 7:17 source
KJV

These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

Daniel 7:18 source
KJV

But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Daniel 7:19 source
KJV

Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

Daniel 7:20 source
KJV

And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

Daniel 7:21 source
KJV

I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Daniel 7:22 source
KJV

Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Daniel 7:23 source
KJV

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.

Daniel 7:24 source
KJV

And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

Daniel 7:25 source
KJV

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

KJV

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

KJV

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

KJV

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.

KJV

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.

KJV

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

KJV

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

KJV

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

KJV

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

KJV

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

KJV

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

KJV

If any man have an ear, let him hear.

KJV

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Church Fathers

Irenaeus (Against Heresies V.25-30, c. AD 180) is the earliest detailed patristic treatment: he identifies the Beast as a future individual ruler, reads Daniel 7's four kingdoms as Babylon-Persia-Greece-Rome, and argues the Antichrist will arise from a divided Roman successor state. Hippolytus (On the Antichrist, c. AD 210) follows Irenaeus and adds that the Antichrist will rebuild the Jerusalem temple, be received as Messiah by the Jews, and reign three and a half years. Tertullian (On the Resurrection 24-25) links the Antichrist to 2 Thessalonians 2's 'man of sin' restrained by the Roman Empire. Augustine (City of God XX.19) is more cautious, emphasizing the spiritual reality over speculative identification while affirming a literal end-time figure.

Ancient Text Cross-References

Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 1
Testament of Dan 5:4-6
I know that in the last days ye shall depart from the Lord, and ye shall provoke Levi unto anger, and fight against Judah; but ye shall not prevail against them, for an angel of the Lord shall guide them both.
The Antichrist figure (elsewhere called 'Beliar' in the Testaments) arises during a time of tribal apostasy; shaped the early Christian reading of 2 Thessalonians 2.