who is the beast ,as mentioned in the book of revelations?

Revelation 13:17-18 says, "Nobody might be able to buy or sell except a person having the mark, the name of the wild beast or the number of its name. Here is where wisdom comes in: Let the one that has intelligence calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man's number; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six."

The references refer to the Roman Empire of the time, and the number of the beast is a sacred or magical code system (gematria) that uses numbers for letters. It's highly probable that it refers to the Roman Emperor Nero, and the use of code was to avoid Roman reprisals.

There are other metaphors for Rome, like the ***** of Babylon. John prophesies the imminent fall of the Roman Empire in the 1st/2nd century, followed by a Judaeo-Christian theocracy (Kingdom of God); a prophecy that didn't materialise.

The mark of the Beast was described some kind of mark or tattoo on the head or hand enabling people to be economically active within the Roman Empire. But it might possibly be Roman coinage with the head of the emperor, or perhaps some kind of imperial documentation.

The Beast in Revelation likely referred to the Roman Emperor Nero.

In Hebrew, letters are also used as numbers; the figure 666 is reached by adding up the numerical values of the Hebrew letters "Qsr Nrwn", which transliterates the Greek "Kaisar Neron" ("Emperor Nero"):

Q = 100

S = 60

R = 200

N = 50

R = 200

W = 6

N = 50

Total:666

It's a thinly veiled reference to Nero. John of Patmos believe the Nero redivivus legend. In the Roman Empire, it wasn't safe to directly criticize the Empire or an Emperor. Even though Nero had died shortly before Revelation was written, the Nero redivivus legend was about Nero coming back to life and becoming Emperor again. Like back then, not hundreds of years later. The number is gematria of his name (its even a different number between the Greek and Latin texts, to match the different pronunciation of his name), and the description of the mark matches what the Romans demanded their citizens do in order to buy and sell things, a pagan ritual in which they pledged allegiance to the divine Emperor (and it's placement matches where they branded their slaves). Revelation 17:10-11 (among other verses) describe the beast as a former emperor of Rome who will return. Emphasizing the beast is a man is in response to the Roman claim that the Emperor was divine.

Nero didn't come back to life, John of Patmos wasn't living in end times like he prophesied. Revelation isn't accurate prophesy, but it does show how much fear the early Christians were living in. What actual persecution makes people fear, not "I can't force other people to follow Christianity so I think I'm being persecuted" persecution. Also, that it's an imposition to make people pledge allegiance to a god they don't worship, and to have its name on their money.

Politics.

Science and Technology.

There are 2 Beasts mentioned in Revelation, a Beast that Rises out of the Sea (of humanity), and the 2nd Beast that rises out of the earth(empiricism).

The fact of the matter, the beast is Satan the man of sin who deceives the whole nations with lies, because Satan has been a liar from the beginning and Satan will be a liar until the end when God Jesus Christ returns to judge the living and the dead and too destroy the heaven and the earth by fire, the second death, where the heaven and the earth shall be burned up, by the hell fires.

Politics

There are two

1st beast from the sea = ancient pagan Rome

2nd beast from the earth = papal Rome (esp. the Holy Roman Empire q.v.)

Daniel tells us clearly that a "beast" in prophecy represents a kingdom of men

Dan 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

the four "beasts" Daniel saw in his vision

Babylon>Medo-Persia>Greece>Rome

Dr Easton notes:

This word "beast" is used figuratively of an infuriated multitude (1 Cor. 15:32; Acts 19:29; comp. Ps. 22:12, 16; Eccl. 3:18; Isa. 11:6-8), and of wicked men (2 Pet. 2:12). The four beasts of Daniel 7:3, 17, 23 represent four kingdoms or kings.

In Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; and 18:2, "Babylon" is supposed to mean Rome, not considered as pagan, but as the prolongation of the ancient power in the papal form. Rome, pagan and papal, is regarded as one power. "The literal Babylon was the beginner and supporter of tyranny and idolatry...This city and its whole empire were taken by the Persians under Cyrus; the Persians were subdued by the Macedonians, and the Macedonians by the Romans; so that Rome succeeded to the power of old Babylon. And it was her method to adopt the worship of the false deities she had conquered; so that by her own act she became the heiress and successor of all the Babylonian idolatry, and of all that was introduced into it by the immediate successors of Babylon, and consequently of all the idolatry of the earth." Rome, or "mystical Babylon," is "that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (17:18).

Both the governments of the world and the United Nations they give power to.

Indeed there are two beasts.

2 Kings 2:24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

The beast is man made religion which ultimately worships the dragon or Satan. Anything from man, not from God, worships Satan.

ManBearPig