13:2Revelation 13:2

The beast like a leopard with bear's feet and lion's mouth inherits the characteristics and power once held in turn by Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, and is the papacy succeeding to the power, seat and authority of the ancient Roman Empire.GC88 439.1+4 The dragon that gives it power, throne and great authority is primarily Satan working through earthly governments, and in a secondary sense pagan Rome, so that the papacy's throne is Satan's throne and its power is energized by the devil though it claims to represent Christ.GC88 439.1+4 That giving was fulfilled in the sixth century when the papal seat was fixed at Rome and paganism gave place to papal rule, beginning the 42 months or 1,260 prophetic days as 1,260 years of oppression from 538 to 1798 ending with the pope taken captive.GC 438.1–439.2+3 Its defining work is opposition to God's law by exalting human tradition above God's commandments, especially by changing the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first and setting up a counterfeit Sabbath as its mark of allegiance in mind and action against God's seal.4SP 505.2–3+4 The chapter therefore presents a last-day choice for every person between loyalty to God and enforced worship of the beast and his image under Sunday laws, proclaimed in the third angel's message, ending with the victory of the faithful, the destruction of the beast and false prophet, the binding of the dragon, and the final triumph of Christ.WLF 10.4+4

The vision was given on the lonely isle of Patmos when Christ Himself, the Captain of the Lord's host, came in person to John to show things that must happen, things of the highest importance to His people to be delivered straight, sharp, and clean from all mixture of human wisdom and tradition.18MR 33.2–34.1 The composite form of the beast declares inheritance, for its leopard body, bear feet, and lion mouth show it taking up the characteristics and power held successively by Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, whose beasts in Daniel 7 supply its features.4SP 502.4–6+1 The dragon's gift of power, seat, and great authority is part of that same inheritance from the four empires.4SP 502.4–6+1

The leopard-like beast is the papacy, which succeeded to the power, seat, and authority once held by the ancient Roman Empire.GC88 439.1+4 That identification was the general opinion of Protestants, and the prophecy of Revelation 13 and 14 gives the basis for teaching that all classes except the little flock will unite to exalt Sunday and enforce it upon all by stringent laws.4SP 501.3–502.1 Its defining feature is opposition to God's law by attempting to change the law, including replacing the seventh-day Sabbath with Sunday and thereby exalting its authority above God, with its worship enforced by the two-horned beast in contrast to keeping God's commandments, so that obedience to the papal change signifies allegiance to papal authority.GC 445.2–446.2 Its power was firmly established in the sixth century with its seat fixed in Rome after paganism gave way to papal rule, when the bishop of Rome was declared head of the entire church.GC88 54.2+1

The beast symbolizes a power existing through the ages in different forms, represented by its seven heads, and in the period represented by its dominant head it stands for the papacy.DA 837.3–4 Its persecuting power came from the union of church and state, which the Dark Ages showed to be harmful to both.DA 837.3–4 The dragon that gives it this authority represents Satan primarily and pagan Rome in a secondary sense.GC88 439.1+1 Satan acts on earth through governments he controls, and pagan Rome was his chief agent against the gospel in the first centuries of Christianity, so that when paganism gave place to the papacy Satan continued his opposition through a power professing allegiance to God though remaining his instrument.GC88 679.3–680.3

The transfer of the dragon's power shows the papacy's satanic source, and despite its claim to represent Christ it is antichrist.GC88 679.3–680.3 The papal throne is Satan's throne, and the pope is antichrist, with the dragon giving the beast power, a throne, and great authority.GC 141.3 In the last days antichrist appears as Satan's masterpiece of deception, the man of sin who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, energized by the devil with combined human and superhuman power, working through him with all power and signs and lying wonders to make void the law of God and to give the world a spurious Sabbath, the child of the papacy, to be worshipped as an idol.Ms 104, 1893, par. 15–20

The seat given is the city of Rome and the power given is civil power, with the beast representing the church.4SP 502.4–6+1 As the papacy it is a church power that gained control of civil government and used the state to advance its own ends, especially by punishing heresy.GC 443.2–5 Its rise followed the early church's departure from the simplicity of the gospel and its adoption of heathen rites and customs, an apostasy that led the church to seek secular support and prepared the way for the papacy.GC 443.2–5 This belongs to the time of the end, when antichrist power opposes God through a union of civil and religious authority by which Satan rules and human laws are put in place of God's law, with Sunday laws presented as religious observance while God's people show loyalty by keeping His day of rest, and it is through church and state together that Satan works and the counterworking against God's people will come.Ms 166, 1902, par. 1–2+1

The giving of power and seat and great authority was fulfilled in the sixth century when the papacy became firmly established, its seat of power was fixed in Rome, the bishop of Rome was declared head of the entire church, and paganism gave place to papal rule.GC88 54.2+2 That transfer of power marked the beginning of the 1,260 years of papal oppression foretold in prophecy.GC88 54.2+2 Its rise followed departure from the simplicity of the gospel and adoption of heathen rites and customs, and that apostasy led the church to seek secular support and prepared the way for the papacy.GC 443.2–5

This transfer marked the beginning of the 42 months, the same period as the three and a half times of Daniel and the 1,260 prophetic days, understood as the 1,260 years of papal oppression from 538 to 1798.GC 438.1–439.2+3 The leopard-like beast that received its power and seat from the dragon is the papacy, which succeeded to the power and seat of the ancient Roman Empire, the dragon representing Satan and in a secondary sense pagan Rome.GC 438.1–439.2 That period ended when the pope was taken captive and the papal power received its deadly wound.GC 438.1–439.2 During that dominion Christians were coerced, imprisoned, tortured and slain for more than a thousand years for refusing papal ceremonies and worship, until the papacy was at last deprived of its strength and forced to desist from persecution.4SP 57.2+1

The beast is to become prominent again in the last days, appearing in its power as the world stands on the borders of the greatest event in history.Ms 139, 1903, par. 22–25+1 Its restored power will again receive worship and homage, and that homage will be expressed especially through Sunday observance, which Rome claims as acknowledgment of its supremacy.GC 578.3 The dragon-given power is linked to Satan's effort to work through human agents, oppose God's will, and lead people to put human tradition above God's commandments, especially by changing the Sabbath to the first day of the week.Ms 139, 1903, par. 22–25

The leopard-like beast is an earthly government especially engaged in trampling upon God's law and persecuting His people, joining the dragon and the lamblike-horned beast in that opposition.ST Nov 1, 1899+2 Its war is against the people of God symbolized by the holy woman and her children, and it is carried forward till the close of time.ST Nov 1, 1899+2 What the beast represents, with its image and its mark, must be interpreted in order to understand the third angel's solemn warning against worshiping the beast and receiving his mark and the declaration that the saints keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.4SP 275.2–276.1

Its defining feature is opposition to God's law by attempting to change the law and exalting its own authority above God.Ms 139, 1903, par. 22–25+2 It leads people to put human tradition and human laws above God's commandments, especially by changing the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week.Ms 139, 1903, par. 22–25+2 Through a union of civil and religious authority in the time of the end Satan rules through this organized antichrist power, with Sunday laws presented as religious observance while God's people show loyalty by keeping His day of rest.Ms 139, 1903, par. 22–25+2 Energized by the devil with combined human and superhuman power, it works with all power and signs and lying wonders to make void the law of God and to give the world a spurious Sabbath, the child of the papacy, to be worshiped as an idol.GC 445.2–446.2+1 This power is to become prominent in the last days, and its message is to reach God's people straight and clean from all mixture of human wisdom and tradition.Ms 139, 1903, par. 22–25+1

The mark of the beast in the forehead or in the hand is a counterfeit Sabbath, the day of the sun, standing in direct opposition to God's Sabbath sign and seal.4SP 505.2–3+1 The forehead represents the mind and the hand represents power or action, so the mark signifies allegiance expressed in thought or in deed.4SP 505.2–3+1 The Sabbath signifies God's authority and power as Creator, while obedience to the papal change signifies allegiance to papal authority.GC 445.2–446.2+1 Compulsory worship is not acceptable to God, whose servants receive His seal in their minds, but wicked powers accept forced worship.4SP 505.2–3+1

The chapter reveals a worship of the beast and his image enforced by decree and by the two-horned beast.GC 445.2–446.2+1 Churches and the world are united in trampling upon God's commandments and in compelling worship through enforcement of a humanly instituted Sabbath opposed to the seventh-day Sabbath blessed as the memorial of creation and the sign of obedience to God.Ms 7a, 1896, par. 10–12+4 This lays out in clear lines the position of the people of God in regard to Sunday laws, for the prophecy applies to this time.Ms 23, 1889, par. 4–6

The chapter concerns every person, great and small, presenting a choice between loyalty to God shown by keeping His day of rest and submission to the beast in reverencing the false sabbath.Ms 7a, 1896, par. 10–12+1 Against oppressive power seeking to force disobedience, God's people stand in unyielding firmness for truth and the commandments of God, yet remain greatly in the minority, in the last days only a remnant.Ms 51, 1899, par. 1–3 All must now arouse and search the Scriptures, for God will make known to His faithful ones what shall be in the last time as the world stands on the borders of the greatest event in history, and the word of the Lord will come to His people in power.Lt 54, 1906, par. 9

Those who refuse the beast's mark keep God's commandments including the Sabbath, and may suffer persecution for it.4SP 505.2–3+1 All who obey His precepts are threatened with death, and those who refuse to reverence the false sabbath face imprisonment and death.14MR 90.3–91.4+1 Worshiping the beast and his image and receiving his mark in forehead or hand brings the wine of the wrath of God poured out without mixture and torment with fire and brimstone with no rest day nor night.Lt 183, 1902, par. 8–9

The chapter belongs to the closing scenes of this earth's history and is part of the third angel's message that combines the first and the second and binds them up with the third for proclamation to the world now.Ms 55, 1895, par. 14–16+1 It shows the great and last warfare between those who keep the commandments of God and those who make void the law of God, revealing perils when a people work counter to God and a company is deceived.Ms 55, 1895, par. 14–16+2 It is a communication for all who live in these last days, to be read carefully and prayerfully to be understood, distinguishing those who love God and keep His commandments and declare the message of truth from teachers who teach fables to counteract it.Ms 55, 1895, par. 14–16

The beast belongs to a connected chain of past, present, and future events in Revelation 12 to 18 that are being fulfilled now and must be heard as the last message of warning.WLF 10.4+2 That sequence leads to the very last call to the churches in Revelation 18 and to the victory of the 144,000 over the beast and his image before standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion.WLF 10.4+1 Then come the capture and destruction of the beast and false prophet cast into the lake of fire, the binding of the dragon for a thousand years, the resurrection and final destruction of the wicked and of Satan, and the final triumph and reign of Christ on this earth.Ms 75, 1906, par. 16+1