The book of Revelation is a prophecy given to the apostle John from Jesus Christ after Christ's ascension to heaven (Revelation 1:1-2). This is not the same John as John the Baptist, because John the Baptist was beheaded at a birhday party during Jesus' lifetime on earth (Matthew 14:1-11). The Apostle John wrote it while exiled on the Isle of Patmos (Revelation 1:9).

(All scriptural quotations on in this article are from "The Bible in Living English" translated by Steven T. Byington)

INTRODUCTION TO THE BEASTS

Some of Revelation is devoted to the description and occurances of certain beasts:
1) A Leopard-like beast
2) A Scarlet coloured beast
3) A dragon-like beast with lamb's horns.
The first two, the Leopard-like beast ("leopard beast") and the Scarlet beast, seem to be the same entity, while the dragon-like beast with the lamb's horns ("lamb-dragon") seems to be working with the leopard beast. This is what Revelation states in relation to these beasts:

Revelation 13:1-17 Speaks of a Leopard-like beast that ascends out of the sea. It has seven heads with blasphemous names written on it, ten horns, a leopard's body with bear claws and a lion's mouth. A dragon/serpent gives this beast its power, throne and authority. One of its heads gets a death stroke which heals, and the earth follows this beast with great admiration. The dragon is worshipped for giving power to the beast, and the beast itself is also worshipped. A mouth speaking blasphemous things is given it as well as authority to act for three and a half years. This beast wages war with the holy ones, and all living on the earth must receive the beast's mark, name or number on their hands or foreheads.
Revelation 13:11-15 Introduces us to the "Lamb-Dragon". It ascends out of the earth with two horns like a lamb but speaking as a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the Leopard Beast in sight of the Leopard Beast, making people worship the Leopard Beast. This Lamb-Dragon performs great signs to mislead the earth while telling people to make an image of the Leopard beast, it gives breath to the image so that it will speak and kill those who will not worship it. It is also the one who puts people under compulsion to have the mark of the Leopard-Beast.

Revelation 17:3 Speaks of a Scarlet Beast that also has seven heads and ten horns and is full of blasphemous names. It has a harlot riding on his back, and the name upon her forehead is "Babylon The Great". Verse 8 states that this beast ascends out of an abyss. When it ascends, those on earth will wonder admiringly.

Now, here are the blatant similarities between the Leopard Beast and the Scarlet Beast:
1. Leopard beast has seven heads, blasphemous names, and ten horns. (Rev.13:1). Scarlet beast has seven heads, blasphemous names, and ten horns (Rev. 17:3).
2. Leopard beast emerges from the sea (Rev. 13:1). Scarlet Beast emerges from an abyss (Rev. 17:8). (In many cases the sea is referred to as an abyss).
3. Leopard Beast's revival from death stroke causes the earth to follow it in admiration (Rev. 13:3). Scarlet Beast's revival causes the earth to wonder in admiration (Rev. 17:8).
4. Leopard Beast's Lamb-Dragon performs signs and misleads people causing them to worship Leopard-Beast (Rev. 13:11-15). Scarlet Beast's false prophet performs signs and misleads people causing them to worship Scarlet Beast (Rev. 19:20). (This is carried over from chapter 17, because after the Scarlet Beast deals with the harlot, details concerning the harlot are written, and then there in chapter 19 it picks back up about the Scarlet Beast again) This also connects Lamb-Dragon and False Prophet as being the same entity.
5. Leopard-Beast wages war with the holy ones and conquers them (Rev. 13:6-7). Scarlet Beast wages war with the holy ones and conquers them (Rev. 11:7 and 17:8). (According to scripture the Holy Ones get conquered only once, therefore they must both be speaking of the same thing)
6. Leopard-Beast gets thrown into the fire (Rev. 14: 9-11). Scarlet Beast gets thrown into the fire (Rev. 19:20).

DANIEL'S PARALLELS TO THE BEAST

So here we can see that the Leopard Beast and the Scarlet Beast, though shown in different lights, are the same entity. Therefore, from here on we'll refer to these as simply "The Beast". Revelation isn't the only book that speaks of The Beast, as this entity is paralleled in Daniel's prophecy at Daniel chapter 7. This chapter describes a succession of four beasts emerging from a sea:
1 - Lionlike
2 - Bearlike
3 - Four headed, Leopardlike
4 - Ten horned (vs. 4-8).
Notice, these four beasts collectively have the same features as The Beast in Revelation: emergence from the sea, leopard body, bear claws, lion's mouth, ten horns, and seven heads collectively. According to vs. 17, these four beasts represent four kingdoms.

Now, this is interesting because there is also another prophecy of four kingdoms at Daniel 2:31-40 represented by a great statue made from four kinds of metal. It is possible that the four beasts parallel the four kingdoms of the statue. According to Daniel 2: 37-38, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was represented by the statue's head of gold. After him, a second, slightly inferior, kingdom would come as represented by the statue's silver arms and chest. After this kingdom would come a third kingdom, even more inferior, as represented by the statue's copper belly and thighs. The remainder of the statue was made of iron, representing a fourth kingdom. It is interesting to note that Daniel 2:40 describes this fourth kingdom as being of iron, strong and crushing and grinding, much like the fourth terrible beast with the iron teeth at Daniel 7:8 shown above. The iron legs of the statue terminate in feet and toes made of iron mixed with clay, showing that this kingdom will eventually become divided, as indicated at Daniel 2:40-42. At the end of this statue prophecy it is stated that God will put an end to all these kingdoms and establish His own Kingdom which will never be conquered (Daniel 2:44), symbolized by a great stone crashing into the statue's feet and toes, toppling and destroying the entire statue (2:45).

The ten toes possibly parellel the ten horns of the fourth beast in Daniel 7 and The Beast in Revelation, with each of these stating the toes/horns represent a collection of kingdoms gathered into one.

History coincides with the succession of Daniel's beasts and the metals in the statue: Since Nebuchadnezzar/Babylon was the head of the statue (Daniel 2:38) and thus the first of the four kingdoms in these prophecies, we can reason that Babylon would correspond to Daniel's first Lionlike beast. Babylon was eventually conquered by king Darius of Medo-Persia (Daniel 5:25-31). This would make Medo-Persia the second kingdom represented by the bearlike beast, the silver portion of the statue. Medo-Persia was later conquered by the Greek empire through Alexander the great, as foretold at Daniel 11:1-4. We believe this to be Alexander the Great because he is described here as a mighty king with extensive dominion whose kingdom is divided into four during his prime. This is represented by the four-headed leopard/Copper portion of the statue. Later, as is evident in the bible (Luke 2:1), the Roman Empire came along and swallowed up these other kingdoms, making it the fourth kingdom in the series. This Roman Empire crushed all the previous kingdoms, effectively eliminating them, much like the descriptions connecting the statue's iron legs with the fourth beast that trampled the earth.

Now, this fourth beast of Daniel and The Beast of Revelation each have ten horns originating from that final "kingdom", while the corresponding statue has ten toes coming from its final "kingdom". This seems to indicate that the ten political entities grow from the Roman Empire in some way. Here's a quick history lesson to see how this is connected:

The Roman Empire lasted from 31 B.C. - 1453 A.D. and covered parts of Europe, Northern Africa, and Asia, making it the largest/ longest enduring of all the kingdoms in this quartet of kingdoms. Roman Emporer, Diocletian, divided Rome into east and west, paralleling the two iron legs of the statue. Eventually the western portion of the Empire collapsed, leaving the east to continue as the Eastern Roman Empire/Byzantine Empire. From this sprang the Holy Roman Empire, dominated by the Papacy, which lasted until 1806 A.D. Vatican City, the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church are the few remaining traces of the Roman Empire today. Since Vatican City is its own sovereign government/political system, is still dominated by the Papacy, and Roman Catholicism is the largest Christian based group in the world, the influence of the Roman Empire hasn't been completely removed yet. Since it still exists in some fashion, we are on our way to the toes of the statue; and these represent the final political situation before God crushes them all and installs His Kingdom.

COMPARISONS BETWEEN DANIEL AND REVELATION

The ten toes of the Daniel statue and the ten horns of the fourth Daniel beast and The Revelation Beast mean the same thing, as can be seen by comparing them all together:

The Ten Horns and Ten Toes represent human rulerships :
Daniel 7:20 -- [speaking of a beast] and of the ten horns on its head and another came up and three fell before it, and that horn had eyes and a mouth talking big words, and the look of being larger than its mates;
Daniel 2:41-43 -- [speaking of the statue] And as to your having seen its feet and toes part potter's crockery and and part iron, it shall be a divided empire ...parts of the empire shall be strong and parts shall be brittle. ...they shall be mixing together by human seed, but they shall not cohere with each other, just as iron does not mix with crockery.
Revelation 13:1,5 -- And I saw come up out of the sea a beast with ten horns and seven heads, ten crowns on its horns and names of blasphemy on its heads... and it was given a mouth uttering big speeches and blasphemies....

Some of the Beast/human rulership makes war with God's Holy People:
Daniel 7:21 -- I had seen that that horn made war with holy ones and got the best of them,
Revelation 13: 7 And it was priviledged to make war with God's people and to defeat them

The Holy Ones eventually defeat The Beast:
Daniel 7: 22 -- till an Ancient One came and judgement was given for the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived and holy ones ruled the empire.
Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall defeat them, because he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings...

The Beast is an unusual, never-before-seen kind of rulership:
Daniel 7:23-24-- He said thus: The fourth beast is a fourth empire that there shall be on earth, which shall be different from all empires, and shall eat up the earth, and kick it to pieces and mangle it; and the ten horns, out of that empire ten kings shall stand up, and another shall stand up after them; and he shall be different from the preceding ones, and shall bring three kings down,
Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who had not yet received an empire, but they do receive dominion as kings for one hour with the beast.

The Beast utters blasphemies against God and dominates for 3 1/2 years:
Daniel 7:25 -- and shall talk in words pointing at God on high, and shall wear down the holy ones of the Most High, and shall think to change times and law; and they shall be given into his hands through a time, and times, and half a time [generally taken to mean 3 1/2 years].
Revelation 13:4-5 Who is like the beast? and who can war with it? And it was given a mouth uttering big speeches and blasphemies, and it was given dominion to act forty-two months [which is 3 1/2 years].

Thus we see a tight comparison amongst the beasts mentioned at Revelation and Daniel. As we continue to read in Revelation we also see more detail regarding this upcoming political system. However, we must realize that, at this point at least, these details won't be completely understood as of yet:

Revelation 17:8 -- The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and goes to destruction; and those who live on the earth shall wonder, those whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, as they see how the beast was, and is not, and shall make its appearance. (Some believe this to mean the change in the Roman Empire, others believe this to be the League of Nations which reincarnated into the United Nation.)
Vs. 9 -- Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills that the woman (at Revelation 17:3-6) is seated on;
Vs. 10 -- and they are seven kings -- five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come, and must remain a little while when he does come.
Vs. 11 -- And the beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth [king] and one of the seven, and goes to destruction.
Vs. 12 -- And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who had not yet received empire, but they do receive dominions as kings for one hour with the beast.
Vs. 13 -- These are of one mind, and give their power and dominion to the beast.
Vs. 14 -- These shall make war with the lamb, and the lamb shall defeat them, because he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and those who are with him are called chosen and faithful.
Vs. 15 -- And he said to me "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated
Vs. 16 -- are people and masses and races and languages. And the ten horns that you saw, and the beast, these shall hate the prostitute and make her destitute and naked, and eat her flesh, and burn her in a fire.
Vs. 17 -- for God has put it into their hearts to do what is in his mind, and to concur unanimously in giving their empire to the beast till God's words are all done.
Vs. 18 -- And the woman that you saw is the great city that has empire over the kings of the earth.

Why would God put this into their hearts to collect their rulerships together like this? Because, as the bible shows, God plans to gather the nations and people of the earth together in order to pour out his denunciation upon them, and afterwards installing pure worship into the world Zephaniah 3: 8-9:

So wait for me, quoth Jehovah, for my day of standing up as witness; for it is my judgement to bring nations together, to gather kingdoms, to pour out my hostility on them, all the heat of my anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. For then I will turn the lips of all the peoples clean, that they may all call on Jehovah's name and cooperate in his service.

Interestingly enough, the bible also speaks about a Dragon/Serpent (depending on the bible version you're using) also having seven heads and ten horns (just as the beast has) at Revelation 12 3-4:

And another portent appeared in the sky: lo, a great fiery-red serpent with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its head, its tail dragging a third of the stars in the sky and throwing them to earth...

This Dragon/Serpent is actually Satan himself as revealed at Revelation 12:9

And the great serpent was thrown down, the primeval snake, he who is called the Devil and Satan, the misleader of the whole world of men - thrown down to the earth, and its angels thrown down with it.

And this Dragon/Serpent is who gives authority to the seven-headed-ten-horned beast as shown at Revelation 13:2

And the serpent gave it its own power and its throne and its great dominion...

Since the beast and everything involving it is under Satan's authority, this explains why God will be destroying everyone and everything having to do with The Beast. This is why it is important that we do not take on the "Mark of The Beast" in later times.

MARK OF THE BEAST

What is this "Mark of the Beast"? Although it isn't clear yet exactly what this mark will be, it is still best explained from Revelation 13: 11-18

And I saw another beast come up out of the earth; and it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a serpent. And it exercises all the first beast's dominion in its presence; and it makes the earth and those who live in it do reverence to the first beast whose deathwound [at Revelation] was cured. And it exhibits great tokens, so as even to make fire come down out of the sky to the earth before men. And it misleads those who live on the earth because of the tokens that it is priviledged to exhibit before the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image of the beast that has the sword cut and has come to life. And it is priviledged to give the beast's image a spirit, so that the beast's image shall even speak and cause as many as do not do reverence to the beast's image be killed. And it causes everybody, small and great and rich and poor and free and slave, to have a stamp put on his right hand or on his forehead, and that no one shall be able to buy or sell except one who has the stamp, the beast's name or the number of its name. Here is wisdom: let him who has intelligence calculate the beast's number, for it is a man's number. And its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

Notice that it isn't only the mark/stamp of the beast that enslaves us; it is also its name and/or its number: 666.

Revelation 14:9-12 states all who worship the beast and receive the mark will be the target of God's wrath.

And a third angel followed them, saying in a loud voice "Whoever is doing reverence to the beast and its image, and taking a stamp on his forehead or on his hand, he too shall drink the wine of God's wrath that is mixed undiluted in the cup of his anger, and shall be tortured with fire and sulfur before holy angels and before the lamb; and the smoke of their torture goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night, those who do reverence to the beast and its image and whoever takes the stamp of its name. Here is the endurance of God's people, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 16:2 goes on to relate that those who received the mark of this beast would get a grievous disease.

And the first [angel] went and poured out his saucer on the earth, and it became a rank, malignant sore on the men who had the beast's stamp and who did reverence to its image.

Lastly, at Revelation 19:20 we are told that this Beast and its false prophet who performed signs that misled the people with the mark were to be hurled into the lake of fire.

And the beast was captured, and with it the pretended prophet who did before it the tokens by which he misled those that took the beast's stamp and that did reverence to its image; the two were thrown alive into the lake of fire...

Therefore, it would be in our best interest to be very careful of what we involve ourselves in so we don't end up being thrown into everlasting death along with the satanic beast. This Beast of Revelation may not be completely understood at this time, however it's important to keep ourselves awake to possiblities in order to keep our clean standing before God.