September 20: IN BABYLON
Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. Revelation 13:2
Have no doubt the correlation between the sea beast in John the Revelator’s vision and the chronological depiction of ruling empires in Daniel’s dream. Daniel was in Babylon at the time of his dream, described in Daniel 7. From that vantagepoint, in Babylon, he was looking forward through history. The timing of the dream (the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon – 7:1) shows that Daniel’s dream came decades after Nebuchadnazzar’s dream recorded in chapter 2, also a chronological depiction of ruling empires. Daniel’s dream builds on the lineup of empires in Nebuchadnazzar’s dream and adds more detail. But even the rudimentary lineup of empires shown in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a metal man shows the certainty of the fourth empire lasting all the way through until the return of Jesus (see 2:34-35). Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel’s dream, and John’s vision together illustrate a biblical teaching method called “repeat and expand.”
Daniel’s dream began with the lion of Babylon, then to the bear of Medo-Persia, the leopard of Greece, and the dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong (7:7), difficult to describe beast of Rome. John was living in the days of Rome’s dominion, so his description of the beast that represents it goes in reverse order. John is looking back over centuries as this beast was developing under the power of the dragon. The beast of Rome is an amalgamation of the three beasts that preceded it.
The leopard-like qualities depict the direct influence of Greece upon Roman culture. Many of the statues of Roman Catholic saints are “repurposed” Greek deities. Though Greece was conquered by Rome in BC168, the pagan, Hellenistic, mythological culture continued to flourish throughout the entire Mediterranean region, and the Greek language was very prominent.
Rome’s feet . . . like the feet of a bear is briefly descriptive of the legislative practices of the Medes and the Persians being incorporated into Roman practices. Their law was known to be unalterable and, in a sense, this concept reveals a counterfeit pretense of godlikeness in the making of laws. Chapter 6 of Daniel is a window into such law, as is the book of Esther.
And now, we get straight to a very “telling” characteristic: his mouth like the mouth of a lion. Babylon rose to power circa BC1790, but its most famous symbol didn’t come into use until over 1000 years later: the lion with eagle’s wings (Daniel 7:4). Both of these symbols have been used in Scripture as metaphors for the majesty of God or for His watchcare over His people; and both have been co-opted by the dragon. The reader can ascertain in the context of Scripture which is being referenced. There are more than 120 mentions of a lion or lions in the Bible. Today’s opening verse is the last. The first (Genesis 49:9) alludes to Christ, the lawgiver (v.10). We see Jesus in His inaugural ceremony called the Lion of the tribe of Judah [who] prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals (Revelation 5:5). We see in 1 Peter 5:8 that your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Indeed, our adversary wants us to think he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:4)! Babylonian symbology is so prominent in Satan’s last-day strategy that the word of God in Revelation plainly refers to his worldly system—six times—as Babylon (14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2,10,21).
Rome’s Babylonian power and influence over the minds of people comes directly from the dragon [who] gave him his power, his throne, and great authority, for he may give it to whomever [he] wish[es] (Luke 4:6).
Peter cryptically shares loving greetings to the Diaspora from the church in Rome at the end of his first letter. Notice also his affection for Mark, who had been in trouble earlier—now restored by God’s grace!
She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. 1 Peter 5:13