How about the beast from the sea, the beast from the land, how about the powers that are controlling the whole world right now?

The sea beast of Rev 13 would be the whole Babylonian system with its seven heads -if we follow the empire interpretation. It is Babylon, (with it's mouth and first head) Persia (with bear feet, second head), Grecian (body of a leopard, third head). Imperial Rome, (terrible beast, fourth head) papal Rome, (fifth head) liberty/equality/fraternity power, (sixth head government systems while beast is wounded) finally the papal led coalition (seventh head).

The beast from the land with its two horns of Rev. 13,:11-15, is America which rose to power during the sixth head One of its horns representing the liberty/equality/fraturnity power, the other horn representing Protestantism. That beast turns into the false prophet in revelation 16:13; 19:20, renounces Protestantism, and joins the harlot woman spiritually and becomes the leading enforcing power in the last coalition

Beast in Rev. 11:7
Both the single headed beasts are last day beasts. Both built on the (liberty/equality fraternity common good,) political movement.
Spiritually the beast of Revelation 11:7 system is atheism, without God. In the end it will give up liberty and submit and support the papal led coalition

The land beast mixed it's liberty/equality/fraternity republicans with Protestantism, but it will also gives up liberty and renounce it's Protestantism and enforce papal mandates in the end.

Those two beasts don't have seven heads. They represent two sides of the liberty/equality republican type of government - the one from Europe, atheistic without God leading to anarchy and trouble (as demonstrated in the French Revolution).
The other with same republican principles but included God (Protestantism) rising into a blessed and prosperous nation; but once renouncing Protestantism and looking to papal Rome for leadership everything goes downhill into the terrible time of trouble

My last question was in response to, "What human agency did the dragon raise up and employ in Rev. 11."

Rev 11:7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.

Rev 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

What human agency did the dragon raise up and employ in Rev. 12:17?
What human agency did the dragon raise up and employ in Rev. 11:7?

But the title of this thread is, Who is the beast of Rev. 11:7, not who is the human agency the beast of Rev. 11:7 uses.
Do you ask, Who is the beast of Rev. 12:17? If not, why not? It's the same beast - the dragon.

He uses whatever is available and willing to do his bidding. The point of both verses is the dragon is against God and humans and will make war against them. He may use the sea beast, he may use the land beast, he may use the combined beasts.

Yes, the dragon of Revelation 12, is that old serpent the devil, he is behind this whole war against God, our Creator and Savior. The dragon uses the beasts and empowers and inspires them to do his bidding. The beasts themselves are earthly powers, they don?t have to do his biddings They can choose to follow God?s plan. After all we see God working through them at times as well

The land beast helped God?s people greatly in the past but in the last days it speaks with dragon tongue. Other beasts as well like the bear-media Persia beast liberated God?s people and helped them rebuild.
And yes in the end the dragon will use every all available beasts (earthly powers) for his big assault

So, Who is the beast of Revelation 12:17?

I think I answered this somewhat in the other thread



The beast the dragon works though in Revelation 12:17 is the restored "healed" papal beast with its coalition brought to view in revelation 17.



But now more on the beast of Rev. 11:7
The counter beast the dragon raised up to help bring down the American earth beast of Rev. 13.
Both being based on the "liberty, equality, fraternity" principles. One brings terrible trouble, the other was blessed.
One showed the dragon's character, the other was raised up by God to help His people.

Some have thought of the American beast as the sixth head -- but America was separate and independent of the sea beast, not one of it's heads.

Yet the beast of Rev. 11:7 is a continuation of the papal beast as we shall see as we study it further, and qualifies as it's sixth head when the papal beast "is not" "yet is".

I guess I disagree. The beast of 12:17 is the dragon.

Actually revelation 12 doesn't mention any beasts, indeed it is all about the dragon, which is that old serpent the devil and satan.
Alerting us that we aren't waring against flesh and blood, but against principalities and supernatural powers.
The dragon is NOT a human. He is a fallen angel --


But as you, yourself said earlier, the dragon works through the beasts?
Beasts are human powers. Kingdoms, empires, etc.
Beasts are his agents that he enlists, inspires and gets to implement his agenda.


And seems to me that Revelation (as well as Daniel) reveals those beasts.
The earthly powers.
They link these beasts as doing the work for (and with) the dragon.
Revelation 11:7 is talking about a BEAST (a human power) that has given itself to be used by the power from beneath.

Yes, this is the Great Controversy -- both sides have supernatural powers behind them.

Remember Revelation 12 also talks about the "child" - the Christ!
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
And they (those who believe in Christ) overcame him (the dragon) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Rev. 12:10-11

Revelation 12 draws back the curtain and makes it clear this is the great controversy between Christ and the dragon AND CHRIST WINS and those with Him win!

However, on both sides of this battle are HUMANS very actively involved.

The ones on the dragon's side will fight for and with the dragon and try to get the whole world on that side.

But always remember those with Christ, are on the winning side, even if all the powers on earth seem to have sided with the dragon, CHRIST WINS.

I always was under the impression that a dragon is a ferocious beast.
Guess you disagree.
Which is why you disagree about Revelation 11.

Chinese Dragons ? Facts, Culture, Origins, and Art
The green dragon is also called the azure dragon. It is one of the four great beasts in Chinese mythology
...
And, in Chinese mythology, the dragon was such a powerful beast that lived in rivers, lakes, and seas.


Seems I must have gotten that view from others. Get your artwork:
Red Chinese Dragon Beast

It's true dragons are rather common in mythology. One just has to go into a Chinese Restaurant and they'll see dragons depicted all around!
It tends to open the door of speculation as to why?

Were there actual dragons alive at some time?

The Bible and EGW talk about a real reptile serpent in Genesis 3, which was used by Satan to deceive Eve. It had legs and wings and was quite an impressive reptile.
The serpent (the actual reptile) was cursed, Gen.3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

So a person can speculate -- how soon after the fall did the wings and legs of the serpent actually disappear? Were there still winged and footed snakes/dragons around for awhile being used by satan to harass and plague people till they finally were eradicated? Or were the writers of these myths drawing on memory of stories from Eden, or just imagination????


But in Daniel and Revelation the words "beast" and "dragon" are used symbolically.
It's not talking about literal lions, bears, leopards, or buffalos --

The symbol of "dragon" fits satan perfectly.
And the Bible itself gives the meaning --

The dragon is that old serpent, the devil, Satan. (Rev 12:9 Rev. 20:2) We don't have to speculate.

Now some have treated the dragon of Revelation as just one of the many beasts, but I don't see the context supporting such a view. The dragon is not called a "beast" and it is identified in Revelation as being satan, and depicted as being in existence from before creation right up to the end of sin.

Daniel identifies beasts as empires/kingdoms. (Daniel 7:17; 8:20-21)

So yes, my point of view:
Dragon a symbol of Satan
Beasts a symbol of earthly powers (empires, kingdoms, etc)