The Beast (Revelation)
one of the two beasts described in the Book of Revelation; the first comes out of the sea, while the second comes out of the earth and directs people to worship the first beast; they are defeated by Christ and are thrown into the lake of fire
The Beast (Koine Greek: Θηρίον, Thērion) may refer to one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 12-13 describes these three beasts as follows:
The dragon (later revealed in the text to be Satan)
The beast of the sea (commonly interpreted as the Antichrist)
The beast of the earth (later revealed in the text to be the false prophet)
However, many people have different beliefs about the meaning of these beasts.
In Revelation 13:1–10, the beast of the sea rises "out of the sea" and is given authority and power by the dragon. It persecutes God's people in the 2nd part of Revelation 13. To buy and sell, everyone is required to have its name or number on their forehead or right hand (Rev 13:16-17). It speaks blasphemous words against God, will rule the world for 42 months (Revelation 13:5-7), and is described as resembling a leopard, a lion, and a bear—which are three of the animals in Daniel 7. It suffers a fatal head wound which is miraculously healed, bewildering the world's population and causing many to worship it.
In Revelation 13:11–18, the beast of the earth, later known as the false prophet, comes "out of the earth," exercises all the authority of the Sea Beast, forces everyone on earth to worship the Sea Beast, and convinces the people, through signs and wonders, to make an image of the Sea Beast.
In their fight against God, the Sea Beast and the False Prophet ally with the Dragon to persecute the "saints" and those who do not "worship the image of the beast [of the sea]" and influence earthly kings through three unclean spirits to gather for the battle of Armageddon. These two beasts are ultimately defeated by Christ and thrown into the lake of fire mentioned in Revelation 19:18–20, while Satan, the dragon, is imprisoned in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “The Beast (Revelation)” is one of the two beasts described in the Book of Revelation; the first comes out of the sea, while the second comes out of the earth and directs people to worship the first beast; they are defeated by Christ and are thrown into the lake of fire. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Beast, Revelation and beasts, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “one of the two beasts described in the Book of Revelation; the first comes out of the sea, while the second comes out of the earth and directs people to worship the first beast; they are defeated by Christ and are thrown into the lake of fire” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1191044. The Library of Congress control number is sh93003059. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “The Beast (Revelation)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow The Beast (Revelation) primary sources, The Beast (Revelation) archive and Beast research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “The Beast (Revelation)”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “The Beast (Revelation)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.