Riding the Beast

“The most dangerous sport on dirt,” bull riding is not for the faint of heart. Its participants must stay on the bull for at least eight seconds and hold onto the bull with one hand only.

But in today’s word picture, the rider, the harlot herself, is sitting in complete control of her beast. Let’s review: A beast represents a king or a kingdom (Daniel 7:17, 23), like a nation or some other political power. A harlot represents an unfaithful church. A harlot sitting atop a beast, therefore, represents an unfaithful church in control of a nation. In other words, it is a religiopolitical power.

Moreover, we know exactly which kingdom this particular beast represents. Look at the identifying marks Scripture gives: This beast has “seven heads,” “ten horns,” and “names of blasphemy”—the same three characteristics used to describe the beast from the sea (Revelation 13:1). The beast that the harlot is riding is Rome, which makes the harlot the papacy. The church is in control of the state. We’re seeing the infrastructure of the Catholic Church.

This beast is also a “scarlet” seven-headed, 10-horned beast—just like the dragon, Satan (12:3). Here is more evidence that the devil is the “authority” behind the papacy, just as Scripture told us in Revelation 13:4. Lastly, notice that its “names of blasphemy” are emphasized. The Bible is telling us, once again, on what we are to focus: This papal power blasphemes; it stands in opposition to God.

The fact that John is brought “into the wilderness” in order to see this vision is also significant. God’s people were driven “into the wilderness” (12:6, 14) to escape persecution from the papacy during the Dark Ages. Further back in time, the children of Israel wandered “in the wilderness” (Joshua 5:6) right before inhabiting the Promised Land of Canaan.

During the time of the seven plagues of judgment, God’s people will, in a way, repeat this wilderness experience, once more undergoing persecution immediately before the Second Coming, at which time they will then enter the antitypical Promised Land, the kingdom of heaven.

My Deliverer, help me to endure through the wilderness experience that I may follow You into the Promised Land.

For Further Study: Isaiah 40:3–5; Jeremiah 2:1–3; Daniel 7:23–27

Key Bible Texts

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. (Revelation 17:3 KJV)