What does the beast symbolize?

Biblically speaking... man's governments are symbolized as "beastly."

Daniel's seventh chapter interprets his vision of four major world-ruling beasts this way:

"...These great beasts, which are four, ARE FOUR KINGS, which shall rise out of the earth." (Dan.7:17)

The angel then reveals to Daniel the "gospel" [good news] of the Kingdom of God, that shall eventually crush man's beastly governments and rule over the nations of the earth:

"But the saints of the Most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." (verse 18)

In prophecy, a "king" and his "kingdom" are synonymous with each other. If you are talking about the king... you are talking about his kingdom... and vice versa. They are the one and the same from a prophetic perspective.

So it is with the prophesied "beasts" [world-ruling empires] in The Bible. The "beast" is not just the government system... it is also its "leader."

"...The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces... he shall speak great Words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High [in the Great Tribulation]... but the Judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

"And the Kingdom and Dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him." (Dan.7:23-27)

The fourth "Beast" of Bible prophecy is the end time resurrection of the "Holy" Roman Empire in Europe, that will make one last desperate attempt to succeed where the empires of the past have always failed, beginning with the Tower of Babel -- to establish "one-world government" over all the earth.

It will be led by a "two-man" team: "the Beast" and the "False Prophet." A powerful, charismatic political/military leader [the Beast]... and a powerful, charismatic, miracle-working religious leader claiming to be "God" -- both of whom will be given their power and authority by Satan the Devil.

"...the Beast which I saw was like unto a leopard [traits of the Grecian Empire], and his feet were as the feet of a bear [the Persian Empire], and his mouth as the mouth of a lion [the Babylonian Empire]: and THE DRAGON [Satan: Rev.12:9] GAVE HIM HIS POWER, AND HIS SEAT, AND GREAT AUTHORITY." (Rev.13:2) (see also: Dan.7:4-6)

In the eyes of God... man's governments are "beastly." And He has symbolized them in His Word, accordingly.