What was the beast out of the sea and was it evil?

Answer 1

This "Beast" that comes out of the "sea" is found in Revelation 13:1.

Like Daniel 7's dream, Revelation 13 is full of the same "symbols" and written as a "parable," which is intended to "hide the meaning" from the general public, but revealed by Jesus to those whom God is calling out of the world [sanctifying] for His Holy use [Matt.13:10-15 & verses 36-51].

The "beasts" are revealed in Daniel 7 as "MAN's GOVERNMENTS" -- the world-ruling empires of mendown through the centuries: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome.

The "Beast" is first encountered in The Bible in Daniel's dream in chapter 7... where Revelation 13's Beast has Daniel 7's "beastly composition" [adopted combinations of the traits, traditions, customs and religious practices of all four of man's past empires]:

"...the Beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion..." (Rev.13:2; compare with Dan.7:4-6).

So, the "Beast" which John sees in his "vision" is a FUTURE VISION of a future government of men that shall rise to power on earth just prior to the time of Jesus' return to earth with HIS GOVERNMENT -- the Kingdom of God [the 'good news' {gospel} message that He preached and taught].

This prophesied time is called in the Bible, the "Day of the Lord"... the time of God's wrath on earth revealed from heaven. This is the setting and time frame of John's vision:

"I was in the Spirit [had my vision or dream] ON THE LORD's DAY..." (Rev.1:10).

Many people think John was speaking of a certain "day of the week" here... but nowhere else in the Bible is the term "the Lord's Day" used. But the prophesied "Day of the Lord" is used throughout; [Isa.2:12; 13:6, 9; 34:8; Jer.46:10; Lam.2:22; Ezek:13:5; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18; etc].

The "sea" out of which the Beast rises is "out of the populations of the nations of the world." The governments of man are composed of men... and from the multitudes of men they emerge to rule the world.

Revelation 17 reveals that the Beast is "straddled" or "ridden" or "guided and influenced" by a "woman" [which is a biblical symbol for a "church" or "worshipful religious power"].

God's church, for example, is referred to as His "WIFE" [see Eph.5:23-33].

The "woman" who rides the Beast, however, is called a "whore" [which is not biblically conducive to referencing God's church]... therefore, must be a "false church" or religious influence over the Beast government. This "woman" [whore]:

"...sitteth upon many waters: whom the kings of the earth [the governments of man] have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk..." (Rev.17:1-2).

These "many waters" upon which she sits atop the Beast is the "sea" from which it arose. And the Bible says of these waters [the sea]:

"...The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." (verse 15)

So, the Beast is a future world-ruling "GOVERNMENT OF MAN" that shall emerge from the "sea of humanity" and be ruled over by a "man" and a "religious organization" [the False Prophet] that will convince a desperate, panicky, distressed world through miracles and "lying wonders" that they are "God"... and to "bow down and worship them." [Rev.13]

That's what the "Beast" is... and that's what the "sea" is.

"...was it evil?" the question asks. Not WAS; "past tense"... but "past, present and future."

The Bible reveals this about "man's governments" or the "kingdoms" of the world; THEY ARE SATAN's!!!

"The Devil led Him [Jesus] up to a high place and showed Him in an instant ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD. And he said to Him, 'I will give you their authority and splendor, FOR IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME, and I CAN GIVE IT TO ANYONE I WANT TO. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.'" (Luke 4:5-7 NIV)

And as much as people might not like to hear the Truth of it: MAN's GOVERNMENTS ARE EVIL in the eyes of God.

Adam and Eve gave themselves and the future rule of the earth to "the serpent" ["...the great Dragon... that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world..." -- Rev.12:9] in the Garden of Eden, when they chose to obey and worship him instead of God, who created them, and commands; "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."

That's when the governments of the world became Satan's... in the beginning. God gave Adam and Eve and their children the whole world to rule -- and they gave it to the god of this world. And man was sold into his "bondage to sin" from which Jesus [man's Creator - John 1:3] had to redeem man back.

"...and THE DRAGON GAVE HIM [the Beast] HIS POWER, AND HIS SEAT, AND GREAT AUTHORITY." (Rev.13:2)

Satan gives the power of the governments of the world to whomever he wants... whoever will "worship him."

The Beast, then, is a great world-ruling church/state government power that will emerge in the world just before Jesus returns to earth with His Government... that Satan will raise up against Christ to fight Him:

"...three evil spirits... came out of the mouth of the Dragon, out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the False Prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out TO THE KINGS[governments] OF THE WHOLE WORLD, to gather them for the Battle on the Great Day of God Almighty [the Day of the Lord]... Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." (Rev.16:13-16 NIV)

The coming Beast of Revelation is not here yet... and it shall be evil. Satan will give it its power... and will deceive men into attempting to fight Christ's return with the Kingdom of God.

"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not received a kingdom [government power], but who for one hour will receive authority as kings with the Beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority [all of their military and economic resources] to the Beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings -- and with Him will be His Called, Chosen and Faithful followers." (Rev.17:12-14 NIV)