I like to add if anyone interested to understand better who beast really is:
Satan is thee beast,
ruling through men, who are
as beasts. Just as Satan is thee antichrist, ruling in many antichrists, which are men. There is a principle here that many are missing in their misinterpretation of scripture. Why does God call wicked men serpents, and calls Satan the serpent? Why is Christ called the Star, and we, His servants, called stars? The point I am making is that just because you cannot recognize Satan as the beast, and natural or carnal man as a beast, doesn't mean God doesn't!. Get it Douggg? Even Paul himself wrote:
1st Corinthians 15:32
- "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die."
Did Paul wrestle with a bear, spar with a lion or tangle with a leopard? No, his fight was with men who were "as beasts" in that
they were without moral values, judgment, knowledge or wisdom. That is what the beast is!
If I might digress for a minute. What separates man from the dumb beasts of the field is his reasoning and intelligence. Man was created in the image or likeness of God so that (unlike dumb beasts) man was instilled with a certain intellect, reason and the inherent knowledge of His creator. Beasts have no reasoning, they have no knowledge, and they are not sensible. God often contrasts man with beast and even labels man a beast himself when he acts foolishly or without reasoning, or in a ravenous or vicious way. God even goes so far as to speak of man as a beast when illustrating man as unknowledgeable or simple (stupid, if you will). So the symbolism of a beast I believe is to illustrate man under the influence of Satan acting without reason or knowledge, or when lacking in wisdom and understanding, as one acting foolishly. E.g.:
Psalms 73:22
- "So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee."
Apparently, God thinks the foolish and ignorant man "IS" as a beast.
For example, look at this nation and the world for example...When God loosened the beast from bottomless pit, why do you see more and more wicked people with lack of moral values, judgment, knowledge or wisdom everywhere on Earth now? Why are there more and more "karens" out there? Why are more homosexuality out there? Where are there more transgenders out there where foolish people are giving them rights including play in women's sport? Why are there many political leaders without knowledge or wisdom but end up lying all the time than before? It is because God has removed his restraining hand so that there are many men, women and children with spirit of antichrist become more obvious and powerful. This is HOW God's people see Satan being REVEALED, through people!!! They are able to overcome and silence the truthful testimony of Elect (two Witnesses) and they do not care about the Truth dying anymore just as Revelation 11 warned.
That is the sign of Satan's loosening and works through men! But no, look at some people here, they are looking for one superman, a 7 years peace treaty with Israel, an army of literal locusts coming out of human's mouths, or a solar storm from sun that cause satellites to fall on Earth as "stars". They have no clues what God talked about while denying that unfaithful congregation all over the world are under judgment. Christ's coming is closer than we think?
@Spiritual Jew
Sad.