"They worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
Many pastors and writers interpret these verses as having something to do with the Roman Empire or the papacy, whether past or present, while other writers give a much wider historical interpretation. The writer at studylight.org draws parallels to the fallen Roman Empire and the current Vatican. Matthew Poole's commentary at biblehub.com gives this treatment to the verses in an even more detailed fashion.
In a sermon at biblehub, S. Conway gives a wider treatment to the characterization of the beast from the sea, saying, "Seven heads we read of, and they denote the multiplication and succession of hostile powers arrayed against the Church of God. Egypt and Assyria, Babylon and Persia, Greece and Rome, and by and by the final antichrist, - these may be the seven heads. But they are all but successive forms of the same God-defying world."
The author at intothyword.org gives a lot of very specific chronological information about what was going on in the world at the time of this writing and makes a more generalized interpretation, saying, "...this passage also applies to us on how evil and worldly people operate. It is a blueprint of how people are deceived and how governments and evil people can oppressed because the people let them. This is what Daniel and his friends experienced personally, what the nation Israel and the Early Church faced, and what we personally face too."
In writing these blogs I've found that interpretation of the verses tends to vary by what time period the interpreter is writing in; that is one reason there is some variation among authors and preachers in terms of the symbolism. The important thing to focus on is what is stated so eloquently in Ephesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." This verse drives home the entire theme of the Book of Revelation, for while (as Jesus says in Mark 13:32), only God alone knows the hour and the day of Christ's return, reading through the chapters in Revelation focuses our attention on the world beyond this one, in which powerful malevolent forces seek to do extreme damage to as many souls as possible. Only God and Christ can save us from Satan and his slew of bad actors, if we will accept the call to follow the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels by accepting Salvation from Christ.
A Prayer for Salvation from Christ:
Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer.
A more detailed step by step process:
https://www.wikihow.com/Accept-Jesus-Into-Your-Life
