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| Apostle John |
João Cruzué
Revelation presents three figures of evil in alliance—the Dragon, the Beast that rises from the sea, and the Beast that rises from the earth (the false prophet)—forming a profane parody of the Trinity. These figures are not mere isolated characters, but articulated expressions of spiritual, political, and religious evil. Christian tradition has read these texts in different ways according to the theological method adopted. Below are presented, in a continuous and comparative manner, the interpretations of Stanley M. Horton, John F. Walvoord, Saint Augustine, and Saint Thomas Aquinas, with five paragraphs devoted to each Beast.
The Dragon, in Revelation 12, is understood by Stanley Horton as Satan, personal and real, the spiritual source of all persecution and deception. For him, the text does not allow a merely symbolic reading: it refers to the historical enemy of the Church, judicially defeated by the cross, yet still active in the present time. Horton emphasizes that the Dragon operates through systems and human powers, never in isolation.
John Walvoord interprets the Dragon in an equally literal way, but with strong eschatological emphasis. For him, Revelation 12 describes objective events connected to the end times, including the definitive expulsion of Satan from the heavenly realm and his concentrated fury against Israel and the saints. The Dragon is a personal, intelligent, and strategic being whose time is short and limited.
Saint Augustine sees the Dragon as the personification of spiritual evil that runs throughout history. In his theology of the two cities, the Dragon is the animating principle of the City of Man in opposition to the City of God. It is not restricted to a final moment, but acts continuously through pride, violence, and the idolatry of power.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, in continuity with Augustine, understands the Dragon as Satan as a fallen intellect, whose action occurs primarily on the moral and rational plane. For Thomas, the Dragon does not create evil, but parasitizes it, diverting the human will from natural and divine law. His activity is real, yet always subordinate to God’s providence.
Comparatively, the four agree that the Dragon is Satan as a personal being; they differ, however, regarding temporal focus. Horton and Walvoord emphasize his direct eschatological activity, while Augustine and Thomas see him as a permanent agent in human history. Even so, all affirm that his power is limited and already condemned.
The Beast that rises from the sea (Revelation 13:1–10) is interpreted by Stanley Horton as an anti-Christian political system, inspired by Satan and manifested in empires and oppressive governments. Horton admits the possibility of a final personal leadership, but insists that the Beast already operates historically whenever power absolutizes itself and persecutes the saints.
John Walvoord understands this Beast as the literal Antichrist, a future world ruler who will exercise real global authority. For him, the connection with Daniel 7 is direct and historical, pointing to a concrete final empire. Unlike Horton, Walvoord concentrates on the personal figure who heads the system.
Saint Augustine rejects the primary identification of the Beast with a specific individual. For him, the Beast of the sea is the Civitas Terrena in its maximum expression—the political power that rebels against God and demands absolute obedience. Pagan Rome was a historical figure of the Beast, but not its final realization.
Saint Thomas Aquinas harmonizes these readings by affirming that the Beast represents the moral body of unjust power. He admits the possibility of a final anti-Christian leader, but maintains that the essence of the Beast lies in the perversion of the purpose of authority, when government ceases to serve the common good and becomes tyrannical.
In comparison, one perceives that Horton and Augustine privilege the systemic and historical dimension, Walvoord emphasizes the future personal manifestation, and Thomas acts as a synthesis, integrating individual and structure under a moral criterion. All, however, agree that the Beast of the sea represents political power hostile to God.
The Beast that rises from the earth, the False Prophet (Revelation 13:11–18), is seen by Stanley Horton as a deceptive religious power that legitimizes the first Beast through signs and false spirituality. Horton warns that this Beast looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon, symbolizing religious leaders who maintain an appearance of piety while betraying the truth.
John Walvoord interprets the False Prophet as a literal and future religious leader, a direct ally of the Antichrist. For him, this is a concrete historical figure who will promote the worship of the first Beast and impose the mark with real economic consequences, even though it involves a conscious decision of loyalty.
Saint Augustine understands this Beast as the corruption of religion, when worship ceases to point to God and begins to serve human power. The mark of the Beast, for him, is not physical but spiritual: it lies in the mind and in the works of those who adhere to the values of the City of Man.
Saint Thomas Aquinas follows Augustine in interpreting the mark as intellectual and practical adherence to error. For Thomas, the False Prophet represents the misuse of reason and faith, when religion departs from the truth and becomes an instrument of moral and social domination.
Comparatively, Horton and Augustine emphasize present religious deception, Walvoord highlights the future literal figure, and Thomas provides the ethical reading that integrates both. All four agree that the greatest danger of this Beast is not violence, but spiritual deception disguised as piety.
The joint analysis reveals that, despite methodological differences, the four theologians converge on essential points: the three Beasts represent an organized, articulated, and temporary evil, always subordinate to the sovereignty of God. Horton calls the Church to spiritual discernment, Walvoord to eschatological vigilance, Augustine to an ethical reading of history, and Thomas to the moral order of reason illuminated by faith. In all of them, the final message of Revelation remains the same: the Dragon, the Beasts, and every anti-Christian power will be defeated, and the Lamb reigns forever.
SP- 21/12/2025.
