The Beast from the Sea (Daniel 7:1–8)
1 UDB Then I saw a beast come up out of the ocean. It had ten horns and seven heads. On each of its horns there was a royal crown. On each of its heads there was a name that insulted God. BSB BSB: Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.
2 UDB This beast was like a leopard. But its feet were like the feet of a bear, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion. The dragon made the beast very powerful. He gave him the authority to rule over people as king. BSB BSB: The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3 UDB One of the heads of the beast looked as if someone had wounded it so that it died. But its wound had healed. As a result, all the people of the earth marveled at the beast and followed it. BSB BSB: One of the heads of the beast appeared to have been mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast.
4 UDB They also worshiped the dragon because he had given the beast authority to rule over them. They also worshiped the beast and said, "No one is as powerful as the beast! Who could ever fight against it?" BSB BSB: They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”
5 UDB God allowed the beast to speak proudly and to insult him. God also allowed it to rule the people for forty-two months. BSB BSB: The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.
6 UDB When it spoke, it insulted God, his name, the place where he lives, and all who live in heaven. BSB BSB: And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.
7 UDB God also allowed the beast to fight against his people and conquer them. It had authority to rule over every tribe, people, language, and nation. BSB BSB: Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
8 UDB All the people living on earth will worship it. Those who worship it are the ones whose names are not in the Book of Life. That is the book that God wrote and it belongs to the Lamb who was killed and whose death was known before the world was made. BSB BSB: And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.
9 UDB Everyone who wants to understand must listen carefully to this message from God. BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear:
10 UDB If God has decided that some people will be captured by their enemies, they will be captured. If God has decided that some people will die in war, they will die in war. So God's people must endure suffering and be faithful to him. BSB BSB: “If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.
The Beast from the Earth 11 UDB Then I saw another beast come up from the earth. It had two small horns on its head as a sheep has. But it spoke harshly as a dragon does. BSB BSB: Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.
12 UDB It rules people with power in order to do what the first beast wants. It forces the people who live on the earth to worship the first beast—that is, the beast that almost died but whose wound was healed. BSB BSB: And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.
13 UDB The second beast also did awesome miracles, even causing fire from the sky to fall to earth while people watched. BSB BSB: And the second beast performed great signs, even causing fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people.
14 UDB He did these miracles on behalf of the first beast. By doing them, he deceived the people on the earth so that they thought they should worship the first beast. But this happened only because God allowed it to happen. The second beast told the people living on earth to make an idol to represent the first beast, the one that was alive, even though someone had killed him with a sword. BSB BSB: Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.
15 UDB God allowed the second beast to breathe life into that idol so that the idol might speak. And the beast commanded that whoever refused to worship the idol should be killed. BSB BSB: The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.
The Mark of the Beast 16 UDB The second beast also required that people should write the first beast's name on the right hand or on the forehead of everyone, whether these were important people or unimportant people, rich or poor, free or slave. Everyone! BSB BSB: And the second beast required all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
17 UDB The second beast required this so that people could not buy anything or sell anything if they did not have the mark—that is, the name of the beast or the number representing its name. BSB BSB: so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 UDB You must think wisely to understand the meaning of the mark. Anyone who thinks wisely should understand that the number represents mankind. It is 666. BSB BSB: Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.