Hint: The Beast is not an animal
Titus 1:
[SUP]10 [/SUP]For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, [SUP]11 [/SUP]whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. [SUP]12 [/SUP]One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” [SUP]13 [/SUP]This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, [SUP]14 [/SUP]not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. [SUP]15 [/SUP]To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. [SUP]16 [/SUP]They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
2 Pet 2:
[SUP]12 [/SUP]But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, [SUP]13 [/SUP]and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, [SUP]14 [/SUP]having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. [SUP]15 [/SUP]They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness...
Jude:
[SUP]10 [/SUP]But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. [SUP]11 [/SUP]Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. [SUP]12 [/SUP]These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves.
Gosh, who were Paul, Peter and Jude referring to in the above passages? What people did they know about in their days who fit the above descriptions and were utterly punished and destroyed in the first century? So, if these 3 disciples used the word "beast(s)" to describe evil men in their day, what are the chances that John used the same figurative language in Revelation?