The COJCOM portrayal of the ‘Beast’ in Revelation 13:1-10.
by Leonard V Johnson
A couple of years ago now, WorldNetDaily wrote ──
August 13, 2024Finally emerging: The beast, mark and number of the beast revealedFor thousands of years, millions of Christians have been intrigued by mysterious Scriptures discussing the beast, the number of the beast, and mark of the beast.But what do these cryptic terms really mean? …[Joe] Kovacs said at the outset, “A lot of people tense up in anxiety when they hear the term ‘beast. There's no reason to fear. … The beasts are [in metaphoric fashion] mankind. It says it outright, a man is like the beasts … Because human beings, even though we’re in the image of God and look like God and have eyes and hands and all that, we’re in the form of a beast, in the body of a beast. We have flesh and blood, just like the beast. It’s especially referring to mankind in rebellion against God. If we’re in in [sic] rebellion against God, we’re gonna stay in the flesh, in this burning place, in this Sodom and Egypt that we’re in.“So WE are the beast. It’s that simple. It’s just not in the Bible, it’s in regular conversation. People are called beasts all the time,” he noted, such as when parents call their children ‘kids,’ which are young beasts. “Our sports teams are called Lions and Tigers and Bears.” …“If anyone [is] in rebellion against God, whether it’s a government, which is made up of mankind, or an individual person, that is the beast. We can see more proof when we talk abut [sic] the NUMBER of the beast, which is found in Revelation 13:18.Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the BEAST, for it is the number of a MAN. His number is 666” (Revelation 13:18 NLT). …“Why is the number 666? That’s a fascinating question,” he said. “Well, what day of the week was mankind made on?”“He was on the sixth day,” Laird responded.“And we were told to do our work in how many days?” Kovacs asked.“Six days,” Laird correctly answered.“Six days,” Kovacs confirmed. “This is not hard for people to understand. Everybody knows that mankind was made on the sixth day. Our work was to be done in six days. It’s repeated, though, three times: six and six and six. Why is it repeated? Because it’s what I mentioned early on about Hebrews 13:8. ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.’ There’s three days involved here. Three times. If you’re in rebellion against God in the past, the present or in the future, you have the number of the beast, because six is the number of man in rebellion against God. It’s as simple as that. …“Some people think there’s gonna be a mark on on [sic] our bodies, and there might be in the physical sense. But we’re talking here on the higher, spiritual, parable level of God speed.”“Let’s look at Revelation 14, verses 9 and 10. It says: ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his FOREHEAD or on his HAND, he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath’ (Revelation 14:9–10 CSB).
What a bunch of gobbledygook! It’s no wonder why there is such grave confusion regarding this subject ── worldwide! Mr. Kovacs, you are Unequivocally Wrong!
Let’s begin with the number: 666.
Right off the top of my head, it makes me think of the movie The Omen of 1976. In which his father finds a birthmark on his child Damien’s scalp: 666. Of course, there are several other movies, I’m sure, that have this same theme──but, to tell you the truth, I’ve never watched them. I saw The Omen when I was 7 and have never watched it since.
In a book I have in my home library, The Ultimate Victory by Stanley M. Horton, he speaks of a partial truth, but whether he knows that he is speaking a partial truth doesn’t appear to be apparent ──
“Others take the number 666 (Revelation 13:18) to refer to Nero. In the days of the Roman Empire, letters were used as numbers, for Arabic numbers had not yet come into use. For example, the first letter of the alphabet was used for the number one, the second letter for two, and so on. By putting “Neron Kesar” (Emperor Nero) into Hebrew letters, the letters do add up to 666. The Book of Revelation was, however, written in Greek. The use of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (alpha and omega) show that it has the Greek alphabet in mind, not Hebrew. Furthermore, the general situation of the book fits the time of Domitian, not Nero.” 1
Yes, in Greek it is not three sixes together like nearly everyone writes; rather, it is 600, 60, and 6.
Regarding this 666, let’s notice what God’s living word says ──
“He [a final end-time great and powerful religious leader; a false prophet] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on the right hand or on their forehead, 17) and that no one may buy or sell [speaking of international trade] except one who has the mark or THE NAME OF THE BEAST, or THE NUMBER OF HIS NAME.
18) Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.” – Revelation 13:16-18.
One of the first known writings that has been found suggesting that a ROMAN is 666 was by Irenaeus of Lyon, who wrote that he had listened to our beloved Polycarp when he was a young man. Irenaeus of Lyon wrote ──
“3. It is therefore more certain, and less hazardous to await the fulfillment of the prophecy, than to be making surmises, and casting about for any names that may present themselves, inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number mentioned; and the same question will, after all, remain unsolved. For if there are many names found possessing this number, it will be asked which among them shall the coming man bear. It is not through a want of names containing the number of that name that I say this, but on account of the fear of God, and zeal for the truth: for the name Evanthas (Εὐανθής) contains the required number, but I make no allegation regarding it. Then also Lateinos (ΛΑΤΕΙΝΟΣ) has the number six hundred and sixty-six; and it is very probable (solution), this being the name of the last kingdom [of the four seen by Daniel], For the Latins are they who at present bear rule. I will not, however, make any boast over this [coincidence]. …” 2
Indeed, it is true, the New Testament was originally written in the Koine Greek, and our beloved Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation on the Greek-speaking island of Patmos. On the island today, Modern Greek is spoken, and English is spoken in the tourist areas.
Let us notice what the Greek name Lateinos adds up to using the Greek alphabet ──
L = 30 – Lambda.
A = 1 – Alpha.
T = 300 – Tau.
E = 5 – Epsilon.
I = 10 – Iota.
N = 50 – Nu.
O = 70 – Omicron.
S = 200 – Sigma.
______
666
“ … I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.” – Revelation 13:11.
So, this NUMBER of the beast, 666, the first beast of Revelation 13, is not the second beast ── the beast of verse 11 ──
“Then I [the Apostle John] saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. … 13) He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from [the atmosphere] on the earth in the sight of men. 14) And he deceives those who dwell on the earth …” – Revelation 13:11-17.
So, this innocent-looking beast with two horns like a lamb, which actually speaks with the authority of the dragon, speaks for the seven-headed (and ten-horned) first beast of this chapter.
So, it is important to understand that the soon-rising final Catholic-led European ‘beast’ civic and military leader of the ten-horned ‘beast’ of Revelation 13:1-10, and the second ‘beast’ with two horns like an innocent lamb, yet speaking like a dragon, are two separate beasts. This mighty, powerful, and vicious beast, which rises out of the Mediterranean Sea having seven heads and ten horns, represents the final end-time ‘king of the North.’ This second beast, who exercises all the authority of the first beast, is a final end-time Roman Catholic Vicar of Christ. Let’s notice 2nd Thessalonians 2 ──
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away [the apostasy] comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4) who opposes and exalts HIMSELF above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
Also, what about Mr. Kovacs’ assertion that the ‘beast’ simply represents all of mankind?
Well … rubbish.
Let us look closely at exactly what the Apostle John, under divine inspiration, wrote concerning this ‘beast’ ──
“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS, and on his horns TEN CROWNS, and on his heads a BLASPHEMOUS NAME.
2) Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3) And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4) So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’
5) And he was given A MOUTH speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6) Then he opened HIS MOUTH in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7) It was granted to him to make war with the saints [God’s end-time prophets] and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
8) All who dwell on the earth will worship him, WHOSE NAMES HAVE NOT BEEN WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE OF THE LAMB SLAIN from the foundation of the world.
9) If ANYONE has an ear, let him hear. 10) He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience of the faith of the saints.” – Revelation 13:1-10.
Who the Symbols of Animals Represent
The FIRST like a lion (Daniel 7) ── that was equivalent to the HEAD of King Nebuchadnezzar II’s image in his dream. The Neo-Babylonian Empire was called “Babylon” after the name of its capital city (606-538 BC).
The SECOND, like the feet of a bear ── that was equivalent to its “chest and arms of silver.” The great Medo/Persian Empire (538 – 331 BC). It was composed of Medes and Persians.
The THIRD was like a leopard, which is known for speed and agility. The Greco/Macedonian Empire under King Alexander the Great (331 – 63 BC) conquered the Persian Empire (334 BC). However, King Alexander only lived a few short years after his blitzkrieg conquest, and his FOUR GENERALS divided the empire into four separate regions──Macedonia and Greece, Thrace and Western Asia, Syria and the territory east of the Indus River, and Egypt. So, symbolically, this represents the FOUR HEADS of the third beast of the prophet Daniel’s dream in Daniel 7.
The FOURTH is dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. The fourth empire, which developed into what is known as the Roman Empire (27 BC – 1453 AD), spread out and eventually absorbed one after another these four separate regions ── “dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong.” The “HOLY” ROMAN EMPIRE! Ruling the West and ruling all of the East, on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea.
God’s living word tells us that there is to be a SEVENTH REVIVAL of the so-called “Holy” Roman Empire! The ten toes “of its feet, partly of iron and partly of clay” will come to be TEN KINGDOMS that are in the process of becoming one in mind in Europe at this time. The Prophet Daniel saw in a vision “a stone was cut without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces” – Daniel 2:34. The glorious and powerful second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! □
1 Horton, M.S., The Ultimate Victory An Exposition of the Book of Revelation, Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO., 1991, pg. 18.
2 Schaff, P., Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. I, Irenaeus, Book V, Chap. XXX, V. III, Grand Rapids, MI., Christian Classics Ethereal Library, originally printed 1885, pg. 1374.