The Beast with 7 Heads and 10 Horns – a Hermeneutics crash course
We need to break down the parable, or mystery, with the Beast with 7 Heads and 10 Horns.
While I won’t cover every single verse that may be used by Shincheonji for their parable dictionary, I will instead use a Biblical approach that can also be used by the audience reading this article.
When addressing Shincheonji’s interpretation of the Beast with 7 Heads and 10 Horns, we need to see their proof text.
A more specific example is how SCJ would come to the conclusion that the “Beast” was a metaphor for a person or organization that lacks understanding of God’s word.
One of the primary verses that Shincheonji would use would be:
Psalms 49:20 –
People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.
Be aware that groups like Shincheonji often respond to criticism by subtly adjusting their doctrine—a common tactic involving denial, adaptation, and manipulation; is a common tactic among high-control organizations. They may gather information on critics and “flip the script,” portraying exposure as persecution or misinformation. It’s essential to carefully observe doctrinal shifts rather than accepting new explanations at face value. Stay vigilant against gaslighting through evolving teachings designed to counter today’s realities and criticisms. (Read More)
The Beast with 7 Heads and 10 Horns – a Hermeneutics crash course
We need to break down the parable, or mystery, with the Beast with 7 Heads and 10 Horns.
While I won’t cover every single verse that may be used by Shincheonji for their parable dictionary, I will instead use a Biblical approach that can also be used by the audience reading this article.
In order to read the Bible, and even refute SCJ and other Korean cults that use the same methodology.
Psalms 49
- Read verses 1–4: the psalmist announces he is revealing wisdom for “all peoples.”
- Follow verses 5–12: the topic is misplaced trust in wealth, not hidden revelation.
- When you reach verse 20, “like the beasts that perish,” you already know what “understanding” refers to — humility and trust in God, not secret knowledge.
There’s a big difference between cross-referencing and force-linking.
- Proper cross-reference: find other passages using the same idea in a similar way.
- Improper force-link: import an unrelated verse to give a new meaning.
Here’s an example of a “correct use”:
Psalm 73:22 — “I was senseless and ignorant; I was a beast before you.”
- A support conclusion about the beast in this context can mean: “beast” = moral foolishness, not lack of revelation.
Example of a misuse:
- Jump from Psalm 49 to Revelation 13 and claim both “beasts” represent ignorant pastors.
This jump goes across different genres, authors, languages, and time periods. The connection must come from the text itself, not because of a “hidden secret”. Otherwise, we can easily get to the conclusion of a need of having to restore a “hidden Passover” and God the Mother.
Shincheonji Perspective on the Figurative Beast
Now that we have a better understanding of how to read the Bible without approaching the entire book as a giant metaphor that needs to be deciphered by a Promised Pastor, let’s begin using this framework to show why and how Shincheonji is incorrect theologically with their “figurative beast” interpretation.
Shincheonji defines the beast as a person who does not understand the word.
SCJ often cites:
- Ecclesiastes 3:18 – I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
- Psalm 49:20 – a man who has riches but lacks understanding is like the beasts that perish.
Shincheonji would also point to the following verses making a comparison between spiritual understanding versus fleshly or worldly thinking. Verses like:
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 – “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
- Used to say that without revelation, one is like a “beast” who cannot perceive spiritual things.
- Hosea 4:6 – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
- Interpreted as proof that lack of understanding equals spiritual destruction—identifying “beasts” as those who perish for lack of revelation.
- Interpreted as proof that lack of understanding equals spiritual destruction—identifying “beasts” as those who perish for lack of revelation.
- John 6:63 – “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”
- Supports their principle that “Spirit = Word,” and therefore one without the true word (revealed interpretation) is spiritually dead—i.e., a beast.
Then they would also make the claim that the “beasts” act by instinct rather than Revelation or logic. They use these passages to connect “beastly behavior” with acting according to instinct or fleshly thought, not divine understanding.
-
Jude 10 – “Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.”
- SCJ could interpret this to mean that those who interpret Scripture “physically” or by “instinct” (their own thoughts) are “beasts.”
-
2 Peter 2:12 – “But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed.”
- People who speak without true understanding (especially false pastors) are spiritually “beasts.”
SCJ extends the metaphor to organizational systems that oppose God’s work due to their lack of revelation.
Daniel 7:3–7
- They reinterpret these as organizations of men not led by God’s word—parallels to false churches or denominations.
Revelation 13:1–2
-
- → “Sea” = confused world of people (Revelation 17:15).
- “Beast” = religious organization rising out of spiritual confusion, teaching without revelation.
- Each “head” = a false pastor leading with his own thoughts.
Revelation 17:3, 7–9
- The scarlet beast carrying the prostitute.
- Used to connect “beast” to the false religious system (Babylon) that deceives believers with lies instead of truth.
Not Being Spiritually Blind
- Romans 8:5–7 – “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires… the mind governed by the flesh is death.”
- Philippians 2:5 – “Have the same mind as Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah and Spiritual Blindness
Making an emphasis on understanding the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven would equate to having the correct mindset of Christ.
When it comes to dealing and handling the Parables, and metaphorically language, Shincheonji has a really bad hermeneutic, below I will go through the verses that SCJ would use to proof text their claim, like a Beast is a person who lacks understanding, and then using the context of each verse, show why they are incorrect.
A Christian Response to the Parable of the Beast
In this article, I will go over the verses and concepts used by Shincheonji to point to how the “Beast” which is referenced in Revelation 13 is an organization that “lacks understanding” due to a lack of the fulfillment and word of testimony.
To do this, I’ll just use context to provide a refutation.
Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm contrasting those who trust in wealth versus those who trust in God. The “man without understanding” is not someone who merely lacks revelation knowledge—he is a foolish rich man who puts confidence in worldly security and dies like an animal.
It speaks of trust, mortality, and the folly of pride, not lack of spiritual revelation.
We can come to this conclusion by just reading Psalm 49 itself, without injecting into the Psalm a “hidden” revelation that isn’t actually there, outside of the claims of what Lee Man-hee says.
Breaking Down Psalms 49
1–2 Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together.
3–4 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
Meaning:
- The psalm addresses everyone, not a special spiritual class.
- The theme is wisdom about the human condition, particularly the futility of wealth.
- The “understanding” here is practical wisdom, not mystical revelation.
This sets up the psalm as a universal reflection on mortality and trust, not an allegory about biblical ignorance.
5–6 Why should I fear in days of evil, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7–9 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.
Meaning:
- The psalmist is contrasting trust in riches with trust in God.
- “Those who trust in their wealth” = the proud and self-reliant.
- “The pit” = death.
- The focus is mortality—wealth can’t buy eternal life.
This is the setup for the phrase “like the beasts that perish.” It’s about those who rely on worldly security, not lack of revelation.
10 For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.
Meaning:
- The key idea: Death is the great equalizer.
- Whether wise or foolish, rich or poor, all die.
- “Man in his pomp” (or “honor”) means one with high position, wealth, or pride.
- “Like the beasts that perish” = dies physically, returning to dust.
The “beast” here simply illustrates mortality, not ignorance. Even the wise are said to die, so it’s not about understanding or revelation.
13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Meaning:
- The “foolish confidence” is self-reliance, not failure to understand parables.
- “Sheol” = the grave.
- “Death shall be their shepherd” is the opposite of “The LORD is my shepherd.”
- The contrast is between trusting God vs. trusting wealth, not between revealed vs. unrevealed understanding.
This reinforces the mortality theme.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.
Meaning:
- Those who trust God will be redeemed from death—an early statement of hope in resurrection or divine deliverance.
- This contrasts sharply with those whose “trust” was in wealth.
The psalm distinguishes the faithful from the faithless based on trust, not comprehension.
16–17 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
18–19 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light.
Meaning:
- The rich may appear successful, but their prosperity is fleeting.
- The language returns again to death and decay (“he will carry nothing away”).
- The imagery of “never again seeing light” emphasizes finality of death, not blindness to revelation.
Once again, “beast” parallels mortality, not ignorance.
20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
Meaning in Context:
- The “understanding” refers back to the wisdom of the psalm—that wealth cannot save.
- To “lack understanding” means to fail to grasp that truth, not to lack mystical revelation.
- “Like the beasts that perish” repeats verse 12, closing the psalm’s message:
→ All humans die like animals if they trust in themselves rather than God.
It’s not about spiritual ignorance or lack of parabolic knowledge, but about pride, misplaced trust, and mortality.
Potential SCJ responses
Shincheonji may then argue that instead all scripture may have a spiritual meaning, quoting Hosea 12:10 and Matthew 13:34 and rely heavily on the revelation of their Promised Pastor.
They may point to verses like Isaiah 7:14, where a verse was taken out of context to eventually point to the virgin birth of the Messiah.In fact, Shincheonji may even make the argument that the Hebrew word for virgin isn’t the same word used in Isaiah 7:14, although, they rarely make this argument as they normally ignore the original language in which scripture was translated.
Christian Response – What Does the Bible Actually Say?
First, there are a few layers to peel away, as SCJ is relying on their concepts of the “Open scroll”, or a “Promised Pastor of the New Testament”, in order to justify their interpretation.
Is there a “Promised Pastor of the New Testament”?
Doctrinal Issues with the “Open Scroll”
Does Isaiah 7:14 point to a virgin or a young maiden?
Is Isaiah 7:14 taken out of context?
Second, Shincheonji is explicitly going against what the chapter in Psalms is claiming.
Psalm 49:12, 20
- “Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”
The psalm defines “understanding” earlier: “My mouth will speak wisdom” (v.3).
That wisdom is explained: “those who trust in wealth… will die” (vv.6–9).
Therefore, “without understanding” = trusting in oneself rather than in God.
The “beast” simile = mortality, the foolish pride of self-reliance.
The text already explains itself. It does not hint at a hidden, figurative layer.
To add a symbolic layer about “spiritual ignorance” is to add to the word of God.
How is this not adding and subtracting to God’s word?
Ecclesiastes 3:18–21
Shincheonji would also make the same error as in Psalms 49 to try to point to how a spiritual beast is a person who lacks understanding.
Ecclesiastes 3:18–21 (NASB)
- 18 I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”
19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath, and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.
20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.
21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?
Yet again, let’s use the context to determine if this is an honest interpretation.
The chapter contrasts human limitation with God’s sovereignty and timing (“He has made everything appropriate in its time,” v. 11).
Solomon reflects on how humans cannot grasp all God’s work and must learn humility.
Theme of Ecclesiastes 3
The Hebrew word for “tested” (barar or nāsāh in variants) means to prove, expose, or make evident.
→ God allows humans to see that they are mortal, not divine.
Verses 19–20 explain what “beasts” means: humans and animals share the same physical fate — death and return to dust.
It’s not about ignorance but mortality.
The entire comparison centers on breath and dust — the physical life shared by all living creatures.
“They are but beasts” = “they are finite creatures.”
It is a commentary on human limitation and dependence on God, not a spiritual insult about lacking revelation.
| v. 18 “God has surely tested them…” | God allows humans to realize their creaturely limits. | The “test” reveals mortality, not ignorance. There’s no mention of “word,” “understanding,” or “revelation.” |
| v. 19 “The fate of man and beast is the same…” | Explicitly defines what “beasts” means — shared mortality. | The text interprets itself; adding “spiritual ignorance” is adding to Scripture (Rev 22:18–19). |
| v. 20 “All go to the same place; all come from dust…” | Echo of Genesis 3:19; humans and animals both return to dust. | This is about physical death, not doctrine. |
| v. 21 “Who knows if the spirit of man ascends…” | Expression of human uncertainty about the afterlife. | Again, humility before God’s mystery, not a secret for the “Promised Pastor” to decode. |
Genesis 3:19 — “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
- Ecclesiastes 3:20 clearly alludes to this; it’s mortality, not revelation.
- No “Promised Pastor” needed
Psalm 103:14 — “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”
- Same theme of humility and dependence
- No “Promised Pastor” needed
Ecclesiastes 12:7 — “Then the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
- Confirms that the author distinguishes between physical death and spiritual destiny, not revelation knowledge.
- No Promised Pastor needed
How Shincheonji butchers the Bible
When Shincheonji turns the Bible into a giant allegory or parable, we can see the repeating pattern emerge, especially with Ecclesiastes 3
- Ignore the self-interpretation in verses 19–20
- Add an entirely new meaning (spiritual ignorance), and
- Re-contextualize the verse to fit their Revelation-centered system.
Ironically, this is exactly what Revelation 22:18-19 and Proverbs 30:6 forbid.
Psalm 49 doesn’t hide its meaning, instead it openly teaches that those who trust in themselves instead of God perish like beasts.
When Shincheonji adds a hidden layer, saying ‘beast’ means ‘person without revealed understanding,’ they go beyond what the Bible itself explains.
That’s exactly what Scripture warns against in Revelation 22:18–19 and Proverbs 30:6 — adding to God’s word.
I will continue doing this with the other verses, and I hope that at this point, the readers of this article can get the just of how to read the Bible after leaving Shincheonji.
1 Corinthians 2:14
“But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolish to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Let’s break this down yet again, using the established framework.
1 Corinthians 2:14
Audience: The Corinthian church — divided by pride, boasting, and competition over “wisdom.”
Topic: Paul contrasts human wisdom with spiritual wisdom revealed through the Holy Spirit (vv. 6–16).
Key Words:
-
- “Natural man” (psychikos anthrōpos) — literally “man of the natural soul,” i.e., one not regenerated by the Spirit.
“Spiritual” (pneumatikos) — one indwelt and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Paul isn’t teaching about a hidden symbolic code in Scripture. He’s teaching about spiritual regeneration — the unbeliever’s inability to grasp the gospel’s truth because they lack the indwelling Spirit.
- The “natural man” = an unbeliever who does not have the Spirit.
- The “spiritual man” = a believer enlightened by the Spirit to understand God’s revelation — namely, Christ crucified (1 Cor 2:2).
SCJ redefines “spiritual understanding” as knowing the hidden figurative meanings of Revelation through their “promised pastor.”
Thus:
- “Natural man” → someone reading the Bible literally or without “parables unlocked.”
- “Spiritual man” → one who learns SCJ’s figurative system.
The issue is that this reverses Paul’s intent:
Paul says the cross — not figurative knowledge — is the dividing line between spiritual and unspiritual.
“We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block…” (1 Cor 1:23).
The Spirit reveals Christ, not secret allegories.
So, the “natural man” is not someone who “reads literally,” but one who rejects the gospel.
- Always ask what the “Spirit” is revealing — here, it’s Christ and His crucifixion (2:2).
- Don’t detach the verse from the chapter’s theme (wisdom, humility, the cross).
- Therefore, anyone who reads this as a parable code verse is adding to Paul’s meaning (Rev 22:18–19).
Jude 10
“But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.”
- Audience: Early Christians warned about false teachers who distort grace into immorality (v. 4).
- Topic: These teachers reject authority, follow their own desires, and mock what they don’t understand.
- Imagery: “Unreasoning animals” — metaphor for being driven by base instinct instead of reason or truth.
Jude isn’t describing people without figurative understanding of prophecy — he’s condemning moral and spiritual corruption.
They “blaspheme” (speak evil of divine things) because they are dominated by instinctual sin, not by the Spirit.
- “Unreasoning animals” = people enslaved to corruption and arrogance, not ignorant of parables.
- SCJ merges Jude 10 with Psalm 49:20 and 1 Cor 2:14 to say:
- “Those who do not understand God’s word — because it’s sealed in parables — are beasts like Jude 10.”
However –
- Jude’s “beasts” = immoral, rebellious teachers, not uninformed believers.
- The contrast isn’t between “spiritual understanding vs physical reading,” but between submission to God vs self-rule.
Ironically, by rejecting biblical context and claiming authority above others, SCJ’s own leaders fit Jude’s warning more closely than the people they accuse.
2 Peter 2:12
“But these, like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in their destruction also be destroyed.”
- Audience: Christians warned about false teachers (same group as in Jude).
- Topic: Greedy, arrogant men exploiting believers with false words (v. 3).
- Parallel: Nearly identical to Jude 10 — moral and behavioral corruption.
Peter’s “unreasoning animals” are false teachers driven by greed and lust, not people who fail to grasp parables.
Their destruction is not due to ignorance of hidden truth, but due to willful rebellion and moral decay.
Of course, SCJ may try to say that the Christian’s have the false teachings, but when reading in context, we can see a crucial action of a false teacher of Jude 1:4 – secrecy and infiltration.
This is how SCJ recruits, especially with their heavy emphasis on the wisdom of hiding.
They read “reviling in matters they do not understand” as referring to “pastors who speak without knowing the spiritual meaning.”
But Peter explains exactly what he means in verses 13–19:
- They indulge in lust, greed, adultery, and arrogance.
- Their “ignorance” is ethical and spiritual rebellion, not “lack of revelation.”
Thus, SCJ swaps the moral dimension for an intellectual one — turning Peter’s warning against false prophets into a prooftext for their own elitist interpretation system.
The Repeating Pattern – SCJ is adding and subtracting to God’s word
I hope that you’re starting to see a pattern here, on how to read the Bible in context. General rule of thumb:
1. When a word like “animal” or “beast” appears, always check if the author defines it — here, Peter defines it by behavior (“creatures of instinct”).
- The meaning is moral and ethical, not symbolic or coded.
3. SCJ’s allegorization breaks genre and context, making them guilty of “adding to” the word (Prov 30:6).
| Verse | Biblical Meaning | SCJ Interpretation | Problem |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | Unbelievers cannot grasp gospel truth without the Holy Spirit. | “Natural” = literal readers; “Spiritual” = SCJ interpreters. | Replaces gospel context with parable decoding. |
| Jude 10 | False teachers act on instinct and reject authority. | Those without figurative revelation are beasts. | Ignores moral warning, adds intellectual layer. |
| 2 Pet 2:12 | Immoral, greedy false teachers compared to animals. | Pastors without SCJ revelation are beasts. | Misreads moral rebuke as symbolic prophecy. |
The Hermeneutical Lesson
Authorial intent first
Each author explains their own imagery – beast/animal = morally corrupt or spiritually dead, not ignorant of coded meanings.
Never merge unrelated texts.
SCJ constructs theology by combining verses from unrelated genres — wisdom, epistle, and apocalyptic — and forcing one figurative meaning (“beast = no revelation”).
This violates the principle of contextual unity.
The consistent biblical pattern
- Old Testament: “Beast” = mortal or proud man (Ps 49; Eccl 3).
- New Testament: “Beast” = immoral or rebellious person (Jude, 2 Peter).
Never used to mean “a person without hidden understanding.”
The SCJ interpretation is a systematic overreach — not biblical exegesis but theological reverse-engineering.
They start with a predetermined meaning (“beast = no understanding”) and force Scripture to confirm it, rather than letting Scripture define its own terms.
What does the “Beast” of Revelation mean?
In order to answer this question, we need to take a step back and look at how the Bible is categorized.
The Importance of Hermeneutics
Shincheonji has their own “hermeneutic” on how to read the Bible by splitting the Bible into four main categories:
- Prophecy (which is written in parables)
- Fulfillment (which is when the parables are explained)
- Moral
- History
They heavily rely on the concept of the “open scroll”, which can be refuted below:
The issue with this, is that they now collapse different genres of literature into the same bucket, for example, the poetry of the Psalms can now be injected into the Book of Revelation, because the Psalms contain metaphorical language.
When we turn the Bible into a giant metaphor dictionary, which is what SCJ and the other Korean cults do, then we can get it to say whatever we want it to say. To see a specific example, check out –
SCJ vs WMSCOG – The Trouble with Parables
Even staying within the lens of SCJ, we can see how ridiculous their interpretation can become.
By framing all Scripture as “sealed prophecy,” they collapse all genres — narrative, wisdom, poetry, prophecy, epistle, and apocalyptic — into one flat surface.
This leads to the following errors:
- Poetry becomes prophecy: e.g., “like beasts that perish” (Psalm 49) suddenly becomes a code for “pastors without revelation.
- Metaphors are universalized: a “cloud” in Psalms, Isaiah, and Revelation can mean anything — “spirit,” “flesh,” or “doctrine” — depending on the teacher’s system.
- Symbols are detached from context: every symbol becomes portable, able to migrate freely across books.
In other words, the Bible becomes a metaphor dictionary where each word has an assigned “spiritual meaning” that can be reused anywhere — a method shared by SCJ, WMSCOG, and other Korean new religious movements.
So then how do we approach the Bible? In the above dissection of the Beast, we can clearly see the repeating pattern of the importance of taking the verses in context. However; we all know that the Bible and each individual book and chapter isn’t meant to be read in complete isolation.
This is where a more nuanced approach to the hermeneutics of the Bible comes into play, so that we can still respect the poetic language of the book of Psalms, and at the same time, not redefine cloud to mean “spirit” as SCJ does, or cloud to mean “flesh” as WMSCOG does.
How to approach the Bible
Genres include:
- Narrative: historical events (Genesis, Kings, Acts).
- Wisdom/Poetry: moral reflection and imagery (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes)
- Prophecy: divine message to Israel or nations (Isaiah, Jeremiah).
- Apocalyptic: symbolic visions of divine judgment and hope (Daniel, Revelation).
Epistle: instruction for the church (Romans, Corinthians).
Each genre communicates truth differently. You interpret poetry as poetry, not as a riddle about apocalyptic events.
For example, a shopping list for groceries would be read differently than a poem about the fall of the Roman Empire.
Ask the following questions:
- Who is speaking?
- To Whom?
- When and why?
- What literary or historical situation is being addressed?
This guards against the “verse-hopping” that SCJ uses to stitch together symbolic equations like:
“Beast = person → seven heads = seven pastors → ten horns = ten evangelists.”
In Revelation 17:9–12, the angel explicitly explains the meaning of the heads and horns:
- “The seven heads are seven mountains… the ten horns are ten kings.”
We don’t need an outside teacher to supply a private code — Revelation interprets itself.
The Beast in its Proper Biblical Context
Now that we have this established, using the Bible, let’s go ahead and dissect what the Beast means using the more proper Biblical context.
Within Daniel 7, we can see the Beast arise, and this beast represented kingdoms or empires that opposed God.
Then, in Revelation 13 and 17, we see this same beast re-appear. The beast from the sea is an empire or political-religious power empowered by the dragon (Satan) to oppose the saints.
These beasts symbolize institutional rebellion and worldly power, not “pastors who lack revelation.” The imagery builds upon the prophetic tradition of Daniel, not poetic metaphors from Psalms.
Thus:
The Beast = empirical, systemic opposition to God’s kingdom — the political and spiritual powers that demand worship apart from God.
A Balanced Hermeneutic: Respecting Poetry Without Redefining Doctrine
We can appreciate the poetic language of the Psalms – “clouds,” “beasts,” “mountains” – as imagery that communicates moral or spiritual truths. But we must not transfer those images indiscriminately into Revelation.
In Psalms, “clouds” describe God’s presence (Psalm 104:3).
In Revelation 1:7, however, “cloud” takes on a distinct prophetic context:
- “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him…”
Here, the “clouds” are not figurative of “flesh” or “spirit” as groups like SCJ or WMSCOG claim, but rather they echo Old Testament theophanies — visible manifestations of God’s glory and presence.
Throughout Scripture, clouds accompany divine revelation and judgment (Exodus 19:9, Daniel 7:13, Matthew 17:5, Acts 1:9). They signify God’s glory and authority, not a symbolic disguise for a secret human messenger.
A balanced hermeneutic recognizes this pattern:
- Psalms use poetic language to express moral or spiritual reflection.
- Prophets and apocalyptic writers employ imagery to reveal divine mysteries within their own literary framework.
- Epistles interpret those truths plainly and theologically.
When we confuse these genres, we lose meaning. The poetry of the Psalms enriches our imagination and worship, but it cannot override the historical and eschatological realities described in Revelation.
So, while Psalm 104:3 pictures God “making the clouds His chariot” – a metaphor of majesty – Revelation 1:7 points to Christ’s visible, glorious return. The same symbol (clouds) operates differently according to genre, author, and purpose.
Respects genre — understanding poetry as poetry and prophecy as prophecy.
Traces usage within Scripture — how the image develops over time
Anchors meaning in context — not in imported “metaphor dictionaries.”
This approach allows us to honor the beauty of biblical imagery without redefining doctrine — keeping Revelation’s message about the triumph and return of Jesus, not about a hidden pastor or secret fulfillment.