The Beast out of the Earth Trivia Quiz

Answer: A woman

"A great and wondrous sign appeared in Heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth." (Rev 12:1-2)

Interpretation: This woman is a picture of the faithful body of believers, both in Old Testament times, and continuing all the way through into the gospel age in which we live, and until the end of time. The symbolism is like Joseph's dream in Genesis 37 "... the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me", which can be seen as the seed of Abraham, the father of all believers. The crown of twelve stars represents how the Church will share in the kingship of Christ. It was pregnant by being the body through which Christ, the Messiah, will be born into his human body in Bethlehem.

Answer: An enormous red dragon

"Then another sign appeared in Heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born." (Rev 12:3-4)

Interpretation: The dragon is Satan, the devil, the serpent of Genesis 3. According to the Bible, Satan is not a mythological bogeyman with horns and a tail. He is Lucifer, the greatest of the angels, a created being who has fallen from Heaven and taken a third of the angels with him. He is described here as a red dragon, imagery of something fierce and oppressive. The seven crowns on seven heads represent his rule over this world, but that rule is limited by what God will allow. The seven horns symbolise his ability to destroy. The child is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, whose work on Earth Satan wants to destroy. Satan wants to be the creator, but he can only destroy. The woman is the community of believers, the Church into which the Messiah is born.

Answer: Michael and his angels

"And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in Heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." (Rev 12:7-9)

Interpretation: These prophecies are like the visions of Daniel showing that there is a relationship between time and eternity. What happens on the Earth affects what happens in the heavenly realms. Michael the Archangel is described in Daniel 12 as "the great prince who protects your people". Satan has lost his position in Heaven as the accuser because of the work of Christ on earth: his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Michael's victory in Heaven is unleashed by Christ's redemptive work here on earth.

Answer: Two wings of a great eagle

"When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to a male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach." (Rev 12:13-14)

Interpretation: Satan has failed to prevent the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The crucifixion became defeat instead of victory for Satan, and a victory for the Church through Christ's resurrection and ascension. The Church is now the target of the dragon who is angry and looking for revenge. The image of the quotation of Rev 12 above is of the Lord protecting his Church. The Church will be persecuted, but not completely destroyed. The woman here is the Church. The time, times and half a time are the gospel age, that is the time between Christ's first coming and his second coming when He comes to judge the earth at the end of time. The desert here is a place of both adversity and protection as in the wilderness of Exodus.

Answer: He had given authority to the Beast out of the Sea

"The dragon stood on the shore of the sea, and I saw a beast coming out of the sea" (Rev 13:1)
"The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked 'Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?'". (Rev 13:3-4).

Interpretation: The Beast out of the Sea represents all the nations and persecuting powers of this world throughout history that the dragon (Satan) uses in his war against the Church. William Hendriksen describes this beast as the "hand" of Satan. The Beast out of the Sea also has seven heads. These represent different antichristian governments, but all these earthly rulers are subjects of the kingdom of Satan who blaspheme against God.

Examples of persecution in our day are listed on the Open Doors World Watch list (online). These are given as absolute persecution in North Korea, Iraq and Somalia, and severe persecution in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. There are reports and stories from all over the world in the monthly papers, Evangelicals Now and Evangelical Times. The actions of any state against the Church is the action of the Beast out of the Sea. In spite of all this persecution, there will still be a Christian Church, however weak, even up to the end of the age.

Answer: With patient endurance and faithfulness

"He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them." (Rev 13:7)
"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast, all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world." (Rev 13:8)
"This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints." (Rev 13:10)

Interpretation: Here we are taken back to the situation of the letters to the seven churches of Asia in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. What these churches are told applies to the whole Church throughout the gospel age with warnings and exhortations: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death." (Rev 2:11). Those who persevere in faith, those who do not compromise their faith, will have their heavenly reward in eternity. The second death (Rev 20:14) is the condition of eternal punishment.

Answer: The Beast out of the Earth

"Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed." (Rev 13:11-12)

Interpretation: There are similarities between these verses in Revelation and in the visions of Daniel chapter 8. The second beast outwardly is like the Lamb, but with two horns, unlike the first beast with seven horns. Being like the Lamb means that it has a religious role, but it is only false religion. False prophets are deceiving the masses of people on the earth. The Beast out of the Earth appears innocent on the outside, but it is Satanic on the inside. It assists the Beast out of the Sea. These forces work together to destroy the true Church. The fatal wound that healed is the image of each new empire, or government agency, rising up to take the place of those that have perished. There will always be false philosophies, and religious and political forces in the world. These are the two beasts making war against the Church.

Answer: Causing fire to come down from Heaven to earth in full view of men

"And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from Heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honour of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived." (Rev 13:13-14)

Interpretation: Satan has been given God's permission, but with limited power, to do his evil works using the two beasts. This is similar to Satan's limitations in Job chapter 1. These great and miraculous signs are those of the false prophets of religion, this Beast out of the Earth. Fire from Heaven here appears to be God's word, but it is counterfeit. Jesus prophesied that false prophets would come like wolves in sheep's clothing, and would show great signs and wonders. This will be both inside and outside the Church. They will encourage believers to compromise with the culture and zeitgeist of the day, so the second beast is aligned with the first beast, the Beast out of the Sea. Satan appears to be the angel of light, but he is really the angel of darkness.

Answer: Speak and cause those who refused to worship the image to be killed

"He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." (Rev 13:15)

Interpretation: In history, we can see how the believers were expected to bow down to false images and worship them, or face death. Nebuchadnezzar demanded that all people in his kingdom, including Daniel and his companions, should worship the false image. The authorities of ancient Rome demanded that their gods be worshipped at certain times. In our own day, we can see the evidence of persecution enforced by the State, the Beast out of the Sea, the first beast.

Answer: 666

"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand, or on his forehead, so that no-one could buy or sell unless he had the mark which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666." (Rev 13: 16-18)

Interpretation: The mark on the right hand, or on the forehead isn't a literal physical mark, but rather the spirit of antichristian thought and intentions (forehead) and of antichristian deeds (right hand). This is in contrast to the seal placed on the foreheads of believers. "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God" (Rev 7:3). The number 7 is symbolic of perfection in the Bible. The number 6 can never become 7, so it is imperfection. William Hendriksen writes, "The number of the beast is 666, that is, failure upon failure upon failure. It is the number of man; for the beast glories in man, and must fail!"

When we read further on in the book of Revelation into chapter 14, we are told about the ultimate triumph of the Church.