preview

What Are The Characteristics Of The Second Beast

Better Essays

The second beast And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ Characteristics of the beast. Regarding the second beast, we should consider the following: • The beast resembled a bear – that is it looked like a bear and it had the character of a bear. • It was raised up on one side. • Three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. • It was commanded to arise and devour much meat. A second one, resembling a bear - That is, after the lion had disappeared. The bear was a well known animal found in Media, a mountainous, cold and rough country, covered with woods. Its character is very much different from the lion or any other animal for that matter. There must have been a very good reason why the bear was chosen to represent the second kingdom – the one that would succeed the lion-kingdom. Bochart[4] says the bear is distinguished mainly for two things, that is its cunningness and its ferocity. Aristotle[5] said that the bear is a greedy, silly and foolhardy animal. In Hosea 13:8 God said to Israel: “I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, and I will tear open their chests.” Writers on the natures of beasts say that none is more savage than a she bear, when bereaved of her whelps [Jerome].[6] Another example of the bear's character is found in 2 Sa. 17:8 "You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field.” According to the great King Solomon, there is only one thing worse than a bear - “Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly” (Pro. 17:12). The characteristics of the second kingdom, therefore, would be things such as ferocity, roughness, fierceness in war, especially when provoked. One would expect to find that its actions would be less noble than that of the first kingdom. It would be, in other words, more severe in its treatment of those that would stand up against it. This kingdom would apply a mixture of brutality and savage cunning in its dealings with other nations. And it was raised up on one side - The

Get Access