The Beast from the Earth

[Joe Knapp]

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Revelation 13:11

New American Standard Bible 1995

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.

The traditional interpretation of this verse is: 

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The Two Horns

After pointing the second beast of Revelation 13, let’s identify the horns. “Then 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).

In the Bible, horns represent kingdoms or governments (Daniel 7:24 8:21). In the second beast of Revelation 13, the horns represent America’s two governing principles: civil and religious liberty. America established freedom of worship.

The absence of crowns signifies a republican form of government. Lamb-like horns point to an innocent, non-oppressive, and spiritual nation. There is no other nation on earth that fits the description and time frame of the lamb-horned beast, except America.

Sadly, this blessed country will change in the last days and will “speak as a dragon” which means that the United States will force people to worship contrary to conscience or be punished by the Law.

Could there be another viewpoint? 

Lambs are baby sheep. Baby sheep do not have horns. Not any specie. Most sheep do not have horns. 

Could the Lamb here be referring to Christ? 

A country that claims to be Christian, but behaves like Satan? 

If so, what would the two horns represent in an alternate interpretation ?

 

[Challenger]

On 3/20/2026 at 1:49 PM, Joe Knapp said:

On 3/20/2026 at 1:49 PM, Joe Knapp said:

On 3/20/2026 at 1:49 PM, Joe Knapp said:

In the Bible, horns represent kingdoms or governments (Daniel 7:24 8:21). In the second beast of Revelation 13, the horns represent America’s two governing principles: civil and religious liberty. America established freedom of worship.

 

 

Joe, I will have to disagree with this statement for the following reason. In Rev. 5:6, John sees a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain. This is of course symbolic of Christ. And John says it had seven horns. I do not believe you think in this case the seven horns on the Lamb/Christ is symbolic of Kingdoms or governments. Thus your statement is an assumed truth that you might want to reconsider. 

In our SDA Bible Commentaries, vol. 7, pg. 772, under the heading "Seven Horns" it states," Horns may be understood as symbols of strength and glory (see on Lam. 2:3). Thus the seven horns of the Lamb would indicate that He is perfect in strength." This interpretation too, disagrees with your statement.

A question before I close. Do you believe that God is the author of Apocalyptic prophecy, thus the events within each of those prophecies are given in chronological order, since He knows the beginning from the end?

 

[Joe Knapp]

Yes I believe that within the prophecy, they are in chronological order. 

[Challenger]

Joe, sorry to have not responded earlier. I do appreciate you answering my question.  And based on your answer we are in agreement that all events within each apocalyptic prophecy are given in chronological order.  Because God the author of apocalyptic prophecy know the beginning from the end. In your first post after giving the Adventist interpretation of the beast from the earth you ask the question, "could there be another view point?" The answer of course is yes. And based on the fact that each event within each apocalyptic prophecy is given in chronological order disproves that the beast from the earth cannot be the United States. 

In our SDA Bible Commentaries, vol. 7, pg. 817, Is the following quote. "One of his heads Wounded. Adventist believe that this prediction met its fulfillment in 1798 when Berthier,...head of a French army, entered Rome...and took the pope prisoner to France, where he died."  Too, on the same page, we acknowledge that the wound began to heal in 1929 when the Lateran Treaty restored temporal power to the pope. Following the healing John saw, " all that dwell upon the earth," except a faithful few, worshiping the beast.  And it states, "This is still future."  I agree with these statements.

What Historicist do not understand is the "Law of Chronology" [Adventist are Historicist] Therefore, they don't always give heed to chronology. In this prophecy it is ignored. Thus the interpretation of the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth is incorrect simply because of the timing they appear on earth.

 Rev. 13:1-10, reveals facts that most overlook. Let’s consider those fact one by one, and please answer the follow up question in your own mind for your own benefit.

In reference to the seven heads it says, "one of the seven heads of the beast [from the sea] seemed to have had [past tense] a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been [past tense] healed, implying before it rises from the sea. Do you agree with this interpretation? Yes or No.

On each of the seven heads is a blasphemous name, which would imply they represent religions that teach things that are false. Agree, yes or no?

Do you think we as Adventist have correctly identified the head whose fatal wound is healed as the papacy, and some of their teachings are false? Yes or no.,

Does it make sense to you that if one head represents the papacy, and the beast has six others, plus ten horns/ten kings [According to Rev. 17:12] that this beast cannot possibly be the papacy? Yes or No.

The papacy came to be in 538 A.D., received a deadly wound in 1798, and that wound began a healing in 1929, and still exists to this day. Does it make sense to think it has a second birth when it comes up out of the sea? Yes or No.

After this beast comes up out of the the sea at a point in time when the fatal wound of the papacy is healed,it is given authority to exercise its power for forty two months. Agree or disagree?

Since the papacy has never had authority over every tribe, people language and nation. Then this beast from the Sea cannot be the papacy, or any other entity in existence today, but rather an entity that is still future. Agree or disagree?

If you agree with my last question above then you can see that timing alone rules out that the beast from the earth being the United States. Who then is this beast?  I believe the following is an accurate interpretation of the beast from the earth. Rev. 12:8,9 inform us that Satan and his angles were hurled to the earth. They are here in spirit form, unseeable to humans. At the beginning of the fifth trumpet, the first woe, (Rev. 9; 13:11) Satan and his angles are released from the Abyss/spirit realm. John saw a beast come up from Earth. This beast looked very similar to the Lamb that had been slain in Revelation 5, but it had only two horns instead of seven. Even though this beast looked like the Lamb, it spoke like the dragon. The “lamb-like” beast is the great red dragon wearing sheep’s clothing. Lucifer will personate Jesus. Lucifer will appear on Earth about two years after the composite beast appears.  Meanwhile, the 144,000 will deliver the third angles message warning everyone to have nothing to do with this beast for his appearing is the greatest deception ever created. 

The devil knows that “seeing is believing,” during the five literal months of the fifth trumpet, Lucifer and his angels will travel the world nonstop from one heavily populated area to another. Wherever he goes, millions  of people will go out to see him. He will claim to be God. He will claim that he sent the first four trumpet judgments upon Earth because of man’s degenerate and decadent behavior. His brilliant glory and awesome powers will appear to back up his blasphemous assertions. Physically, he will be larger than life. He will be a glorious being surrounded by thousands of dazzling angels (demons in disguise). Every day, the devil will put on a great show of signs and wonders to bedazzle his spectators. He will speak kind words and heal the sick. He will even appear to raise some dead people from their graves! His demeanor will seem genuine and generous. He will show sympathy for the suffering of mankind. He will miraculously feed millions who have been impacted by the severity of the famine in the land. When people consider this glorious being with all his generous actions, billions of people will easily accept his claims of divinity. 

To make this deception all encompassing, Jesus gave the lamblike beast greater miracle working powers than He had given to the 144,000/ servant prophets. To obtain loyal support from Babylon’s leaders [beast from the sea which is later called Babylon because it is diverse] the devil performed an assortment of miracles on their behalf. When he appeared in different world locations, he honored the leaders of Babylon/Sea beast  by telling the people that they must obey (worship) God as Babylon’s leaders dictate. This flattery, of course, made the leaders of Babylon very happy to think that God himself would endorse their legislative efforts to appease His wrath. 

God empowers Lucifer (the man of lawlessness) to come as “a strong delusion” because the wicked refused to believe the three angles messages and be saved. “The coming of the lawless one will [appear to be the work of God, but it will] be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They [those refusing the eternal gospel must] perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

 

Please share your thoughts.