The Beast of Perdition

Right away, this description of the beast should be familiar to us. We’ve seen this language previously—in the description of the beast in Revelation 13: “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” (v. 3).

The beast, that is, the papacy, “was” the reigning power in the Dark Ages, but after it received its fatal injury in 1798, it “is not” anymore. Now that its wound has been steadily healing, it will soon reach its stage of “yet is”; its power is resurging, like a counterfeit resurrection.

At the height of its comeback, though, the beast will “go to perdition”; that is, his ultimate fate is to be destroyed. This is a telling and important detail. We see that the Antichrist will meet this end also, for he is called “the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), of whom Judas was a type (John 17:12).

And there is this vivid description of the fourth beast in Daniel’s prophecy: “I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame” (Daniel 7:11). The final destination of these three symbols, all representing papal Rome, will be utter destruction.

Now, compare today’s verse with both Revelation 13:3 and 8. They are like pieces of the same puzzle. The world will marvel at the beast, leading them to worship, or follow, the beast. Today, we are given the reason for the world’s great wonderment: the beast’s counterfeit resurrection. Its miraculous comeback will throw “those who dwell on the earth” into a state of stupefied awe.

The exception to this is a group of people whose names are preserved in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Scripture, as always, does not leave us without hope. There will be those who will not be deceived by the beast.

Righteous Judge, though the beast will once again reign supreme upon the earth, may I remember Your sure prophetic word.

For Further Study: Daniel 7:26; Hebrews 10:39; Revelation 9:1, 2

Key Bible Texts

The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Revelation 17:8 KJV)