The Beasts of the Apocalypse—Why Read About Them?
APOCALYPSE! That is one of the striking names given to the last book of the Bible. It is also called the book of Revelation. The book is full of vivid word pictures, outstanding among which are those of a dragon and of three wild beasts. Some find these beasts frightening. Others pass them off as the imaginings of an old man. Why, then, should you read about the beasts of the Apocalypse? Because your happiness is involved.
True, the apostle John was an old man when he wrote the book of Revelation almost 1,900 years ago. Does that mean, though, that the beasts it describes were hallucinations of a senile mind? No, and John was not the first old man to have such visions. A man named Daniel also saw visions of beasts in his old age, and these visions proved to be accurate prophecies of changes in human government. (Daniel, chapters 7 and 8) Further, Jesus Christ himself viewed Daniel as divinely inspired, calling him a prophet and quoting his writings.—Matthew 24:15.
Jesus indicated that his apostles would receive additional divine instruction after his death. (John 16:12, 13) And since many features of the book of Revelation have been fulfilled in a remarkable way, we can be sure that the apostle John’s visions of the beasts of the Apocalypse were also inspired by God.—2 Timothy 3:16.
The introduction to the book of Revelation says: “A Revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him . . . And he sent forth his angel and presented it in signs through him to his slave John.” (Revelation 1:1) Hence, the images in the book of Revelation, including those of its beasts, are symbolic, not literal. There is no need to fear reading about them. These symbolic beasts provide Christians with vital knowledge, enabling them to preserve their relationship with God. Thus, the apostle John could write: “Happy is he who reads aloud and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and who observe the things written in it; for the appointed time is near.” Yes, your understanding these symbols can bring happiness now and in the future.—Revelation 1:3.