| There are two beasts in Revelation 13. The first uses the force of government persecution to oppress the church, the second uses false teaching. Both elements, of course, have figured prominently in the history of the papacy. Some Lutheran commentators have seen the first beast as typical of the way the papacy operated before the Reformation and the second as typical of how it has operated since the Reformation. This is true, but in Revelation 13 the image is probably wider than just the papacy. It is all use of government power and false teaching to oppress God's people. In chapter 17 the prostitute, who is the apostate church, rides on the beast. Certainly, the papacy is a manifestation of the beast, but "the beast" probably includes not only the Antichrist, but also antichrists.
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