The Beast

This post may be a bit of an anti-climax. I glanced through Revelation to refresh my memory of 'the beast' and realised that I have forgotten most of what I knew (or thought I knew). Which is sad, but also fun because it gives me a chance to read and discover it again. And maybe I'll see it differently.
The trick with Revelation is untangling the seemingly related images and getting a hang of when everything is happening. When is the beast/dragon/ other monster Satan? When is it a human 'thing', whether individual, organisation or social construct? Is the beast in this chapter the same as the beast of that chapter? What does the 'triumvirate beast' mean?
Seminary starts on Sunday and I suspect that the next two weeks will be quite full, but I will try to spend some time struggling with beasts.