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Revelation describes a beast rising from the sea with animal features, crowns, and great power, language also used in 4 Ezra, which similarly describes a beast that represents an empire. Both reshape Daniel’s imagery of beasts as symbols of empires.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
4 Ezra 12:11
2 Esdras
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
8 strengthen me then, and show me, your servant, the interpretation and plain meaning of this fearful vision, that you may fully comfort my soul. 9 For you have judged me worthy to show me the end of time and the last events of the times.” 10 He said to me, “This is the interpretation of this vision which you saw: 11 The eagle, whom you saw come up from the sea, is the fourth kingdom which appeared in a vision to your brother Daniel. 12 But it was not explained to him, as I now explain it to you or have explained it. 13 Behold, the days come that a kingdom will rise up on earth, and it will be feared more than all the kingdoms that were before it. 14 Twelve kings will reign in it, one after another. 15 Of those, the second will begin to reign, and will reign a longer time than others of the twelve.
Date: 70–132 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
Revelation 13:1
New Testament
1 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, and on its heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. 3 One of the beast’s heads appeared to have been killed, but the lethal wound had been healed. And the whole world followed the beast in amazement; 4 they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?” 5 The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months.
Date: 92–96 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Older material is reused and updated in 4 Ezra, as in 1 Enoch and other apocalypses. The clearest example of this comes in the interpretation of the eagle vision ... A similar identification of the fourth beast of Daniel's vision with the Roman Empire is made in other contemporary apocalypses (Revelation 13:1-18; compare 2 Baruch 39:5). The account of the apparition of the man from the sea (13:1-13) may also draw on pre-existing sources, as the explanation given (13:21-50) does not exactly match the details of the vision ..."
Susan E. Docherty, The Jewish Pseudepigrapha: An Introduction to the Literature of the Second Temple Period (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2014), 139–141.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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