Introduction
In the article “The Deadly Wounded Head of the First Beast and the Fourth Beast of Daniel 7“, I will explore the connection between the visions of Revelation and Daniel, focusing on the symbolism of the beasts and animals presented. I will analyze how the description of the first beast in Revelation 13, especially its mortally wounded head, relates to the fourth beast in Daniel 7. Throughout the text, I will discuss the similarities between the four beasts in Daniel and the beast in Revelation, revealing the meaning behind the seven heads and the importance of this mortal wound.
The First Beast of Revelation 13
One of the chapters in the book of Revelation gives us a vision of two beasts that John saw. The first beast is described as having seven heads, one of which received a mortal wound but was healed, and shortly after this healing, we are told that the whole earth marveled after the beast.
Revelation 13:1-2 – “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 diadems, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 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.“
In the text above we see a little about the description of this first beast. It is said that it has the following characteristics:
- It has 7 heads
- It has 10 horns
- Has 10 diadems
- Has 1 blasphemous name
- It was similar to the leopard
- Feet like a bear
- Mouth like a lion
Similarities to Daniel’s Vision
Among these characteristics, we find some similarities between the account of the first beast and the vision that Daniel had. Let us read the details related to each animal:
Daniel 7:2-3 – “Daniel spoke and said: I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts, diverse one from another, came up out of the sea.“
Daniel 7:4 – “The first was like a lion and had eagle’s wings…“
Daniel 7:5 – “…and behold, a second beast, like a bear, raised itself up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth…“
Daniel 7:6 – “…and behold another, like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird on its back; and the beast also had four heads…“
Daniel 7:7 – “…and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful, and exceedingly strong, which had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.“
As we read above, these were the four animals seen by Daniel in vision:
- A lion
- A bear
- A leopard
- An animal different from all the others
Analyzing the Similarities
What similarity do we find between Daniel’s vision and the first beast in Revelation? Notice that John describes the first beast as being “like a leopard, and his feet are like those of a bear, and his mouth is like that of a lion.” (Rev 13:2). This description shows us that this beast was similar to 3 of the 4 animals present in Daniel’s vision. Nothing is said about any similarity with the fourth animal.
But why is there no description of the similarity with the fourth beast that Daniel saw?
Here is the interesting point about the visions. When we read the text of Revelation 13:2, we really don’t find a direct description of similarity with Daniel’s fourth beast, but the fact that there is no direct description does not mean that this beast really does not have some similarity. When we look more closely at the text, we find similarities between them. Perhaps you may be thinking: “Yes, I really see it. They both have 10 horns.“, and this is true. The 10 horns are present in both beasts, but there is another detail that the 7 heads are also present in them!
The Number of Heads
You might be thinking that there are no 7 heads in Daniel, since none of the animals Daniel saw had 7 heads! And in fact, none of these animals have 7 heads, not even the fourth animal that was different from all the others. However, we need to see the description of all these animals as being one, and only then will we find the 7 heads present in the first beast of Revelation 13. So let’s count how many heads we find in these animals:
Lion – 1 head
Bear – 1 head
Leopard – 4 heads
Different animal – 1 head
Total: 7 heads!
There you have it! Here we find the similarity of the 7 heads found on the first beast of Revelation 13. But what does this mean? I believe that here we can see that there is a relationship between these 4 animals that Daniel saw and the beast of Revelation. They are all related, but the secret of this relationship lies in the fact that Daniel’s fourth animal is the seventh head with the description of the first beast presented in verse 3 of Revelation 13:
Revelation 13:3 – “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.“
Here, they say that one of its heads “was mortally wounded, but her mortal wound was healed“. This head that received a mortal wound is the seventh head of Daniel 7, that is, it is related to the fourth beast of his vision. The prophecy warns that they healed this wound and “the whole earth marveled after the beast“!
The prophecy tells us that the whole earth will be amazed at this beast. This means that it is extremely important to identify who the fourth beast in Daniel 7 is in order to understand what the first beast in Revelation 13 represents.
Conclusion: The First Beast and the Fourth Beast of Daniel 7
We therefore conclude that it is essential that we first study the prophecies of the book of Daniel in order to correctly understand the prophecies present in the book of Revelation, and this includes knowing who the first beast presented in chapter 13 is.
May God bless the reader.
