“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon” (Rev. 13:11).
The entire verse is figurative as is most of the book with an underlying meaning to it. At first sight the verse fulfills its role of projecting a grave situation on the earth and the believers of Christ will witness. For man to get a deep understanding of it the nearest possible explanation has been employed by Christ in a graphic text. So, figurative language was necessary to the Book of Revelation to notify the harsh days ahead and help the believer to prepare himself, take guard and stand firm. Certainly, the power to rule the earth has been given to the dragon and the first beast whose subordinate is the second or another beast.
The second beast himself is very powerful than man and is a delegate of the first. To let the reader know the order and power that befalls man Christ described the first one as coming out of the sea and the second as from the earth in a vision to John. One always needs a subordinate, or in a sense a ‘disciple,’ in order to fulfill his desire. The subordinate does all the work with certain authority pointing to the power and authority of his master so that belief is caused among men (v.12-15). We commonly see this with false prophets, gurus and leaders. However, the second beast does it with greater power, fierceness and deception. It is something that a man has not seen before. When a man is apart from faith in Christ, he obliges to what he has seen.
The second beast is a ploy of Satan, who is the dragon and the first beast as one who came from him creating a notion similar to that of God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit to deceive as many as possible. Therefore, the second beast displays extraordinary acts. This is verified by the fact that he has two horns like a lamb and speaks as a dragon. Just as the Holy Spirit works for the glory of the Son, who in turn works for the glory of the Father so also the second beast for the first and the first for the dragon. Yet, Christ did not leave us without a way to decipher or discover them. He called them the beasts and dragon whose graphic meaning is wicked, dangerous and devouring. By nature they do not build, save or sustain as God would, but mislead and destroy. Their nature would be plainly visible to those who are of faith in Christ.
So, who then is the beast? He is not a man, but a power of Satan. It is a power which resides in a man of Satan’s choice.