Identifying the Beast-

The beast spoken of in Revelation 13:1 is not the so-called Antichrist. In fact, the word "antichrist" is not even found in Revelation. When the Bible speaks of antichrist, it speaks of " the spirit of antichrist" and speaks in the plural rather than the singular. There are several such references in 1 and 2 John. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that anti-christ shall come, even now are there many anti-christs; whereby we know that it is the last time" ( I John 2: 18).

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti-christ, that denieth the Father and the Son" ( 1 John 2: 22). "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of anti-christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" ( 1 John 4: 3). "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-christ" (2 John 1: 7).

Throughout the Scriptures, the word "beast" refers to a system, and not to a man. The beast is a system that rules the world; it’s an antichrist system. Daniel 7 speaks of beasts and identifies them as earthly kingdoms.

So the beast in Revelation is a beastly system that’s ruling the world (it’s a dictator beast). This beast is not just one human being, rather it is a system that has infiltrated every area whether it be politics, medicine, art or science; the beastly system is everywhere. This system is typically overseen by a powerful government with those in power making decisions that perpetrate the worldly system throughout mankind.

When Revelation 13:1 speaks of the beast rising up out of the sea, what is meant by the sea? The Scriptures speak of the sea as "masses of humanity." This beastly system is rising up out of humanity, out of all the people on the earth. When John, the author of Revelation, stood upon the sand of the sea, he was standing upon that which could not be numbered, among all the people of the earth.