This podcast explains the symbolic imagery used by John in Revelation 13:1, which states: “I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” In this verse, the image of a First Beast rises from the sea which represents the bottomless pit, the abyss, and hell. The disembodied spirit of Cain, who is perdition, is the spiritual head of this First Beast and he received his power from Satan (the Dragon).

The First Beast represents the Roman empire, as the earthly instrumentality of Satan. After rising from the sea, the First Beast stood upon the seashore symbolizing power and dominion in the Roman Empire. The image of a beast is used to symbolize the Roman empire because of its untamable ferocity toward the  ...