Revelation 13:1 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.
What this means is not a mystery as God interprets for us.......
Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.This is the same beast but here we are told it is "scarlet coloured."
17:7 And the angel said unto me, "Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.The number seven means...."spiritual perfection." Here we have "seven heads" and we're told they are seven mountains. Are those literal mountains? No. Biblically mountains represent nations and hills represent smaller countries. We know that applies here as mountains aren't ruled by kings....nations are. So, this "woman" sits on seven nations (or continents).
17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.Biblically "horns" represent power and that applies here. The ten horns are ten kings.
17:15 And he saith unto me, "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.The whore (who we shall see is "that great city") covers the world.....everyone and everything except for God's elect.
17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.She is the great city....Not Jerusalem, not Rome, not New York, not Hollywood but Babylon the great the mother of harlots and abominations......the great city is not a literal city but is the mother of all idolatry, the mother of all false religion and she reigns over all religious leaders and the rulers of the earth (kings, presidents, chancellors, sheiks, prime ministers, financial heads, university deans, etc.) She controls the world through four hidden dynasties....Finance, Education, Politics and Religion.
There God explained what was meant by the various nouns....waters, beast, horns, heads, crowns, the woman, etc. With that we know what is being said when describing the first beast in the following scriptures:
13:2 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.
The first beast (from the sea of humanity) was given his power by Satan.
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.
"Wondered," meaning....."Admire, have in admiration, marvel." The world admired the first beast.
The first beast is from the sea (humanity) and he has seven heads (seven nations/continents) and ten horns (ten kings).....as interpreted by the angel. There is no speculation!
The first beast is a political beast that encompasses the world and that world wide political system is given it's power by Satan and ruled over by....the great city, the great whore....Mystery Babylon the Great, which is idolatry. So, the first beast is a political/religious system that gets it's power from Satan and rules this world....at present. Why is this first beast described as being "scarlet coloured?" It isn't mystery Babylon that is scarlet coloured but is the beast she sitteth upon. She however is "arrayed in purple and scarlet."
That IS NOT FUTURE BUT IS RIGHT NOW!!! I, for some reason, was waiting for a gathering of some sort which would be known as a one world system but it is right in front of our eyes. What still has not happened is.....the deadly wound which will cripple one of the heads (nations). Is it the present financial crisis? If yes, who will come forward to heal that wound? That is the part of this prophecy we await. For then we shall see.....
Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon
13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
The first beast is many....the second beast is one. He is Satan in the role of the false prophet, anti-christ (instead of christ)....all roles that Satan plays as deceiving the world into believing he is our Savior. He will have "two horns"....the power, "like a lamb," as he will be pretending to be the Lamb but...."he spake as a dragon," because....HE IS THE DRAGON.