Beast

“The Prophets do not declare that [they] saw a beast or beasts, but that [they] saw the image or figure of a beast. They did not see an actual bear or lion but the images or figures of those beasts. The translation should have been rendered image instead of beast in every instance where beasts are mentioned by the Prophets. But John saw the actual beast in heaven, to show to John that that being did actually exist there. When the Prophets speak of seeing beasts in their visions, they saw the images, the types to represent certain things and at the same time they received the interpretation as to what those images or types were designed to represent.”¹