|
Revelation 13
& 17
Revelation 13:1-10, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. [Again, that’s 3 ½ years.] And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” This beast is the political-military power through which Satan has brought on the world the culmination of the Red Horse, the Second Seal of Revelation 6. Its power, unseen, originates from Satan himself (Revelation 13:2). This is a super-power of immense military might, and it will partially achieve control over half the world, except for our friends the Russians in some kind of Eurasian confederation. Poor Russia, she’s been sucker-punched three times previously, Napoleon first, and twice by the Germans in World War I and World War II. Now, how to understand the symbol just given in Revelation 13:1-10. Where do we look in the written Word of God to identify it? Revelation 13 contains a composite of symbolic beasts we must look elsewhere in the Word of God to find, somewhere where each part of this beast is broken down into its constituent parts, and shows where its identity is given. These symbols represent something real. The Bible interprets its own symbols if we let it. Where in the Bible do we find similar beasts mentioned? Answer: The book of Daniel. In chapter 7 of Daniel we find the same symbols mentioned, but divided up into four separate beasts. We find in Daniel 7 the beasts, the seven heads, the ten horns, the lion, the bear, the leopard with four heads---all symbolic beasts, that when combined together make up the symbolic beast of Revelation 13:1-10. In Daniel 7:17 it says “these great beasts, which are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the earth.” In the Bible the word “king” can and is often synonymous with the word “kingdom”. So these four beasts, a lion, a bear, a four-headed leopard and a great iron beast represent four kingdoms that shall arise out of the earth. But in Daniel 7 these four kingdoms are not identified. Where in the Book of Daniel do we find four world-ruling kingdoms identified? Answer: Daniel chapter 2:31-44! Daniel 2 describes the same four universal world-ruling Gentile kingdoms that are described by Daniel 7’s four beasts. So we must go back to the book of Daniel in order to see the identity of the beast of Revelation 13:1-10, and the other one in Revelation 17. So this study will be of Daniel 2 and 7, then Revelation 13 and 17. This description in Daniel 2 & 7 helps us identify the beasts of Revelation 13 & 17.
A Second Beast Arises
Revelation 13:11-18, “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. And here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” This beast represents a great false religious power which is directly associated with the first beast, which as we saw was a great military-political force. This same religious power is mentioned and first identified in Daniel 7. Daniel 7:24-25a, “The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law…” As we saw a religious power was established in Rome by Constantine and Sylvester, the first pope in 325AD. This “little horn” in Daniel subdued three of the ten horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7, which historically happened under Justinian at the behest of the pope in 554AD. In the time of the end Revelation 13:11-14 reveals that this beast that has two horns like a lamb (i.e. like a ram, which is a male lamb) and speaks like a dragon, and performs great miracles, and it “deceives those who dwell on the earth.” This beast uses miracles, threats and economic boycotts in its drive to get people to worship this first beast, the political-military power that arises in Europe. Revelation 13:16-18, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” In Roman times the word “mark” was used for seals attached to commercial documents, stamped with the name and date of the emperor. So in past history this second beast with two horns ties in and is one and the same as the single horn in Daniel 7:24-25a, the little horn that removed three of the horns or kingdoms which we know from history the pope had Justinian do in 554AD. But as the beast of Revelation 13:1-10 comes into the Day of the Lord, the Seven Trumpet plagues, the false apostate church will come under attack from the beast and the ten kings under his authority (cf. Revelation 17:15-18). This apostate church will be destroyed. Revelation 13:15-17, “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” As we see above, he will also institute a powerful economic boycott on all who would not “receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.” And I image, to show its power, they dragged some poor unwilling people in front of this image, which I think is set up in this new temple in Jerusalem, and told to worship this image. Sadly, it may be some devout Jews brought in to worship it. The ones that don’t are somehow supernaturally killed on the spot by this image, that suddenly has the power to speak. So whoever the false prophet is, whether he comes out of that apostate church or not, he continues on, teamed up with the Antichrist, this beast personage ruling over the beast empire. This false prophet will be given demonic powers which will enable him to make this inanimate image or statue of the beast come to life, and be able to speak. This may be the abomination of desolation spoken of both in Daniel and quoted and warned of by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15-18. We have seen in Revelation 7 that the 144,000 and the innumerable multitude of Gentiles don’t receive this mark, often called by Christians as ‘the mark of the beast’. Until the beast empire goes into the time period just before the 7th trumpet plagues, these 144,000 and innumerable multitude can’t buy anything on the open market, clothing, food, medicine, nothing. The lives of anyone helping them out, feeding them or hiding them are in danger, just like Gentiles in Nazi Europe who helped their Jewish neighbors.
Number of the beast, 666
Verse 18, “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” There have been centuries of speculation on how to interpret this number, 666, from the very time John the apostle first distributed the Book of Revelation to the seven churches in Asia Minor. That’s all it is at best. We’ll have to see who was correct in their speculative guess after this event occurs, and hopefully not in the Tribulation.
Daniel 2 & 7
and
Revelation 13
& 17
History has successfully verified
over nine tenths of these two prophecies found in Daniel 2 & 7 as 100
percent accurate. Less than ten percent
are left to fulfill. These empires were
scary dictatorships for the most part, so these fulfilled prophecies are not
only a valid proof of God’s Word but also serve as a warning of what’s coming
on mankind---and the hope of a better world after Jesus returns. One thing this study will show is that one of
the ten prophecied revivals of the fourth major Gentile world empire, predicted
by God through Daniel, was the Hitler-Mussolini juggernaut that swept across
Europe and North Africa. How real are
these prophecies that prove God’s Word beyond a doubt? Let William L. Shirer answer that one. “The man who founded the Third Reich, who
ruled it ruthlessly and often with uncommon shrewdness, who led it to such
dizzy heights and to such a sorry end, was a person of undoubted, if evil,
genius…But without Hitler, who was possessed of a demonic personality, a
granite will, of uncanny instincts, a cold ruthlessness, a remarkable
intellect, a soaring imagination and---until toward the end, when drunk with
power and success, he overreached himself---an amazing capacity to size up
people and situations, there most certainly would never have been a Third
Reich” (“Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”, pp.20-21). “In keeping with the emphasis placed on speed
and mobility, the German Armed Forces in World War II were supplied with a
dazzling array of fighting vehicles capable of performing almost every
battlefield function. Taking pride of
place among German divisions were such excellent tanks as the Panzer III,
Panzer IV, Panther, and Tiger, ably supported by a range of self-propelled
anti-tank guns, infantry-support guns and heavy artillery. For the infantry there were armoured cars and
half-tracks, allowing them to keep up with the tanks in true Blitzkrieg style
(German Tanks & Fighting Vehicles of World War II). That’s a “tip of the iceberg” look into the
second to last prophecied resurrection of the Roman Empire---with one yet to
follow. Do you want to understand what
the next one will be like, but worse? Look into history. Read Shirer’s
“Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.” How
do I know there will be a next one, and that God’s Word is true and predicts
so? Read on. [Watching the movie “Schindler’s List” gives
a very good look at the dark side of this particular revival of the “Holy Roman
Empire”, and will take less time to watch than reading Walter Shirer’s “Rise
& Fall…]
The book of Daniel is
historically datable to the time of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian
Empire. And what follows is one GIANT proof of God and the infallibility of his Word the Bible, for what mortal, even
a righteous prophet, could, on his very own, predict all of these events, and
then bring them to pass as they have been fulfilled down through the
millenniums of time? This is one reason atheistic critics of the Bible
try to discount Daniel as the original author of the Book of Daniel. But the way these prophecies unfold and
continue to unfold, even if Daniel had been born at the time of Jesus Christ’s
birth, two thirds of the prophecies would yet be there to fulfill, many of
which are fulfilled today in the year 2010. These critics have been essentially blown away by any sensible reader
and researcher of God’s Word, and they know it. History accurately records that Nebuchadnezzar first came to power in
625BC. The first captivity of the Jewish
nation when Daniel was captured took place around 605BC. In Daniel chapter 2 king Nebuchadnezzar of
Babylon is shown as having a weird dream about a giant image whose head was
made of fine gold, with shoulders and arms made of silver, thighs of bronze,
legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay. The king was badly disturbed by this dream
and called all his astrologers and magicians together and demanded to know the meaning
of the dream. He told them that he had
even forgotten the dream and wanted them to recall it for him. If they didn’t he’d kill all of the wise men
in Babylon, including Daniel and his three friends. Obviously, this task was humanly impossible
for them to do. This event put Daniel’s
life on the line even though he had nothing to do with these astrologers
because he was a wise man (Daniel 2:3-7). The astrologers couldn’t interpret or recall the dream, so the king
ordered the death of all the wise men in Babylon (verses 8-13). Daniel then sought God for the meaning of the
dream so he and his friends wouldn’t be slain with the astrologers (verses
16-18). God mercifully revealed the
meaning of the dream to Daniel in a vision at night (verses 19-23). Daniel then revealed the dream and its’
meaning to the king. Let’s pick up the
story in verses 31-44, “You,
O king were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was
excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest
and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet
partly of iron and partly of clay. You
watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its
feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the
silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like the chaff from the
summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them
was found. And the stone that struck the
image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
“This was the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. You, O king are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, he has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them---you are this head of gold. But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters all things; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.” Historically Babylon came first, then came the Persian Empire which conquered Babylon. Then came Alexander the Great’s Empire, which conquered that whole section of the eastern Mediterranean all the way to India. Then came the Roman Empire, which later on was divided into two sections. The eastern half ruled from Constantinople, the western half ruled from Rome, and held in its power most of Europe, north Africa, and even the territory of the British Isles. Daniel lived into the very beginning of the time of the Persians, but he couldn’t have predicted so accurately the rise and fall of the two other empires to follow the Persians. Let’s read on. “Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet are partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. [vs. 44] And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” The last verse, 44, is a brief description of the Kingdom of God conquering the last resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, represented by the feet and ten toes of the image. Daniel chapter seven makes this clearer, showing the ten toes really do represent the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. It this vision by God to Daniel in the seventh chapter of Daniel, God shows us that the two legs of Daniel 2:31-44 not only represent the Roman Empire, but its’ successive resurrections down through European history. When Daniel chapter seven is added to Daniel chapter two, the complete meaning of the image is revealed. Daniel chapter seven, just as Daniel two, describes in prophetic vision by use of symbols, four main world-ruling empires. Letting the Bible interpret itself, these are the same four empires described in Daniel 2 but by different symbols. So the first beast [the lion] is Babylon, the second Persia, the third Alexander, and the fourth is Rome, the Roman Empire. This prophecy gets into a more thorough description of the fourth empire, Rome, and its successive resurrections down through history. Daniel 7:1-8,11, and 15-28, “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts. Daniel spoke, saying, ‘I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings [the winged lion was the royal symbol of the Babylonian Empire]. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words…I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time…” Verses 15-28, “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings (footnote: Representing their kingdoms (compare to verse 23)) which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and about the ten horns that were on its head, and about the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces. The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time [three and a half years]. But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’ This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.” To recap, Daniel 7 describes in prophetic vision, by the use of symbols, four main world-ruling empires, starting with the Babylonian Empire, and then prophesying that three more world-ruling empires would follow one after the other. These four main world-ruling empires are represented as four separate animals or beasts: a winged lion, a bear, a leopard with four heads and four wings, and a “terrible iron beast.” This last “beast” (the fourth empire) was predicted to have ten horns representing ten kings. Three of these kings, the first three, were to be “plucked up” by a separate “little horn.” Now let us look at what history tells us:
1) Including and starting with Babylon, these four empires were the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greco-Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great (and later his four generals, represented by the four heads of the leopard), and the Roman Empire. They spanned over 1,000 years of history from 600BC to 476AD.
2) Ten kings in the Roman Empire or Holy Roman Empire---after its fall in 476AD---NEVER ruled side by side. History also tells us that three kings (kingdoms) were “subdued” by Justinian the first real Emperor since the fall of Rome, thus the ten horns of Daniel 7:7,23-24, represented ten “restorations” of the Roman Empire, the fourth beast, “made of iron…dreadful and terrible.” This point is really important, because many Christians don’t understand about the succession of Holy Roman Empires that this prophecy in Daniel predicted. We have to look to history to see that ten kings never ruled side by side with three being plucked up. But history does show us three kingdoms were indeed plucked up at the behest of the pope, ordering the king of the fourth resurrection of the Roman Empire, the first Holy Roman Emperor, to destroy the first three kingdoms that were ruling in Rome after its’ fall.
no mere human
No mere human, even a righteous one like Daniel, could have predicted all this and made it come to pass right down through the centuries. These events spanned over 2,600 years! This is an infallible proof of God’s Word and of God himself, for Daniel couldn’t have dreamed all this up and then made it come to pass. He died in the 500s BC And the way the Jews maintain Holy Scripture, Daniel’s writings are verifiable right to the time when he lived. Here’s an interesting story gleaned from history---Alexander the Great, on his conquering march through the Middle East toward India was met by the Jewish high priest outside of Jerusalem. He was shown the scroll of Daniel and it was pointed out to him that his empire indeed was the third empire predicted by God to Daniel, to bear rule over the entire known world. Alexander was so impressed that he spared the city and moved on. I guess the high priest overstepped his bounds, too, when he let Alexander the Great help him make an offering on the alter before the temple (can’t really blame him, as the Jews must have been shaking in their boots, as Alexander had just defeated the impregnable city-island fortress of her longstanding ally, the city-state of Tyre. That is just one example of the literalness of these prophecies. Bible prophecy is history in advance, not intended to be spiritualized or allegorized away, as some “liberal” theologians attempt to do, distorting God’s Word.
So here are the four main world-ruling empires, and the restorations of
the last empire listed as they occurred historically:
The Chaldean or Babylonian Empire, “the winged lion”, 625-539BC
The Persian Empire, “the bear”, 539-330BC
Alexander the Great’s Greek Empire, “the four-headed, four-winged
leopard”, 330-31BC
The Roman Empire, “the terrible iron beast”, 31BC-476AD
Restorations of the Roman Empire: “the ten horns of the fourth beast”
1-3: The Vandals, AD 429-533,
The Heruli, AD 476-493,
The Ostrogoths, AD 493-554 (these three governments were removed by
Justinian in 544AD at the behest of the pope)
4: The “Imperial Restoration” of
the Empire by Justinian, 554AD
5: The Frankish kingdom of
Charlemagne. Charlemagne was crowned by
the pope in 800AD. His rule began in
774AD (the Franks were a Germanic tribe living in the area of eastern France
and western Germany.)
6: Holy Roman Empire of Otto the
Great. Otto the Great was crowned by the
pope in 962AD (German restoration).
7: Habsburg Dynasty of the Holy
Roman Empire. Charles the Great crowned
by the pope in 1520AD (Austrian restoration).
8: Napoleon’s Kingdom. Napoleon crowned in 1805AD (Napoleon was of
German lineage from Corsica, ruling over France).
9: Bonito Mussolini declared
Holy Roman Emperor AD 1935 (by secret Vatican Concordat, Italian-German
restoration, by Mussolini and Adolph Hitler).
10: Revived Roman Empire by 10
rulers or kings under one leader prophecied to come as the last restoration of
the “iron beast” in Daniel 7, cf. Revelation 13 & 17.
Now you can plainly see how 9/10ths of this major prophecy of God through his servant Daniel has been fulfilled quite literally. Napoleon and Adolph Hitler and Bonito Mussolini were real, just as Charlemagne and Justinian were. Thus the predicted 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and all the Millennial Kingdom of God prophecies about a restored literal Kingdom of God bearing rule over the entire earth---the wild predators dwelling with tame animals, and children playing with them, deserts transformed into luscious farmland---all this must be interpreted literally as well. You can’t switch in midstream on how you interpret prophecy, just to suit your own versions of Bible doctrine. The apostle Peter said that prophecy in God’s Word is of no private interpretation. And history shows us how we are supposed to interpret prophecy by showing us what has been fulfilled and how. Now we can see that over nine tenths of Daniel’s prophecies, prophecies of God given to Daniel to write down in the Bible, are fulfilled and part of the history books. What is scary, especially for non-Christians and yes, even nominal Christians, is that we can get a glimpse of what a recent ‘Holy Roman Empire’ was like by looking at the World War II history of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was a cruel and brutal empire in which Adolph Hitler tried his best to model much of the paraphernalia of the ancient Roman Empire. Bonito Mussolini was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in a secret Vatican Concordat in 1935. It was short-lived, but it was a real revival of the ancient Holy Roman Empires that preceded it. For our British brothers of the 1800s, Napoleon was their encounter with a Holy Roman Empire. The British of that day viewed Napoleon as much a threat as Churchill did Hitler.
Revelation 13 & 17,
The symbolism of the ten horns
The ten horns of the iron beast in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 symbolize the same thing---the ten stages of government coming out of the Roman Empire after its fall in 476AD. The seven heads on the beast of Revelation 13 stand for all the major Gentile kingdoms from Babylon to the Roman Empire in the apostle John’s day. They count thus: the Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, Alexander’s four kings (makes six), and the Roman Empire (seventh head with deadly wound). The ten horns are the same for Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. John sees the beast of Revelation 13 living in the days of its seventh head, the Roman Empire. And when that head of the beast was suffering from its deadly wound, his---the beast’s---deadly wound was healed. The horns now reign, one by one. The Roman Empire in northern Africa was overrun by the Vandals, who sacked Rome in 455AD. Then in 476AD Odoacer set up his government at Rome, called the Heruli. But it did not heal the deadly wound, for this was a government in Rome. It was not a Roman government descended from the past Caesars and Senate, but this was made up of foreign barbarians. From 493-554AD the Ostrogoths ruled, filling the span of time known as “the transition age” (see Myers’ Ancient History). This period of those three kingdoms, the Vandals, Heruli and Ostrogoths were a transition between the wound and healing. Now Daniel saw a little horn which came up among these ten horns, “before whom these first three were plucked up by the roots” (Daniel 7:8). That makes seven horns to come. It was the fourth kingdom (symbolized by the fourth horn of Revelation 13 and Daniel 7), succeeding the fall of the Roman Empire in 476AD, which really healed the deadly wound, and restored the Empire. All succeeding empires were now to be called Holy Roman Empires. Let’s see why. In AD 554, Justinian, Emperor of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire, from Constantinople, set up his government through an Imperial Legate at Ravenna, Italy, and brought about what is known in history as the “Imperial Restoration” of the Roman Empire. He was the acting Emperor of the eastern leg of the Roman Empire which had not collapsed in 476AD. Justinian recognized the supremacy of the pope in Rome and removed these three barbarian kingdoms at the behest of the ruling pope of his day. Now, notice verse 5 of Revelation 13. Power was given to this beast, once healed, to “continue forty and two months”. In the prophecies pertaining to the times of Israel’s punishment, each day represents a year in actual fulfillment (see Ezekiel 4:4-6 and Numbers 14:34). Thus the healed beast is to continue 1260 years. Following the healing, in 554AD, came the Frankish kingdom (Franco-Germanic), the German (under Otto the Great), the Austrian (under the Hapsburgs), and Napoleon’s kingdom (French). But when Napoleon was defeated in 1814, the healed beast continued no longer. Even West’s Modern History recognizes this, when West wrote, “So closed a government that dated from Augustus Caesar”. This government went into the abyss, so to speak. And from 554AD to 1814AD is exactly 1260 years! At that time, eight of the horns of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 have passed. The ninth horn, we shall see from history, was the Hitler-Mussolini military combine which swept through Europe, including all of North Africa and Europe to the Ural Mountains in Russia. Hitler made it a point to copy Roman regalia down to the finest details in banners and various paraphernalia. Even the Hitler salute was a copy of the ancient Roman salute for the Emperor. “Heil” in German means “Hail”. The Roman hand salute was followed by “Hail Caesar”. Mussolini was also crowned Roman Emperor in a secret Vatican Concordat in 1935. So in reality, this tiny resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire lived from 1935 to 1945, when Hitler and Germany fell to the Allied Forces in May of 1945.
Vital difference between the beast of Revelation 13
and Revelation 17
Now here is the key to the two beasts, mentioned in Revelation 13:1-10 and Revelation 17. The beast of Revelation 13:1-10 identifies, corresponds directly to the four beasts of Daniel 7, in that it has the body of a leopard (with four heads), the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. So the seven heads on the Revelation 13:1-10 beast represent the four empires listed in Daniel 7, which are identified in Daniel 2, the 7 heads represent Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the four heads of Alexander’s Empire, and then the Roman Empire making the seventh head. But in the beast of Revelation 17, all this beast’s seven heads are ridden by a “scarlet woman”, who is called a whore. She symbolizes a great false church. No such church of one same religion rode over Babylon, Persia, Alexander’s four separately ruled governments (after his death) or that of Rome. So the seven heads of the beast in Revelation 17 are one and the same as the last seven horns on the 4th beast of Daniel 7 and the last seven of the ten horns on the beast of Revelation 13. Since in the 17th chapter of Revelation the woman (false church) rode on all seven of the heads of the beast pictured here, and since she rode on none of the heads but only on the last seven horns of the 13th chapter beast, it follows that the last seven horns of the “healed beast” of Revelation 13 form the seven heads of the beast of Revelation 17.
“Five are fallen, one is, one is
yet to come”
Notice at the time John saw the beast, “five are fallen,” “one is,” and “one is yet to come” (Revelation 17:10). The “five are fallen” are the five during the 1260 years in which power was given, by religious authority, for the healed beast to continue. These five being Justinian, Charlemagne, Otto the Great, Charles the Great, and Napoleon. The “one is” is the kingdom that existed from 1935 to 1945 under Hitler and Mussolini. It was a frightening sample or foretaste of the next revival of the Holy Roman Empire which “is yet to come.” John speaks of it as the beast that was, and is not, and shall arise once more out of the bottomless pit.
“The seventh head with ten horns”
The seventh head with its ten horns in the 17th chapter of Revelation will be, as the 17th chapter explains, the revival of the beast, the Roman Empire “out of the bottomless pit.” It will be a federation composed of ten nations (ten kings). The ten horns of this seventh head represent ten kings who do rule side-by-side. Revelation 17:9-10, 12 states, “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” (Seven of the ten horns in Revelation 13 and Daniel 7 were ruled over by the authority of the pope in Rome, these horns correspond to these “seven mountains, or kingdoms” in Revelation 17.) “And there are seven kings: five are fallen [Justinian through Napoleon], and one is [Hitler-Mussolini], and the other is not yet come: and when he cometh, he must continue a short space…and the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet: but receive power as kings one hour with the beast” (verse 12). So we see by comparing the two beasts of Revelation 13 and 17, and with the comparison of the beast in Daniel 7 with the one in Revelation 13, the beasts of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 are identical. The beast in Revelation 13 is a direct composite of the four beasts in Daniel 7. Their horns both represent the continual reign of revived Roman Empires (called Holy Roman Empires after the first three) that span from the fall of the Rome in 476AD. This represents the legs in the image in Daniel 2. The beast in Revelation 17 is similar but the seven heads now represent the seven “restorations” of the Holy Roman Empire from 554AD (Justinian) to 1814 (Napoleon), and then through Mussolini-Hitler making six and then the ten horns (verse 12 of Rev. 17) making up the seventh head. The ten horns reign or rule side-by-side and make up this seventh head of the Revelation 17 beast, or you could say the seventh head has ten horns, representing ten kings or united kingdoms. These ten united kingdoms will be in the area all the Holy Roman Empires have occupied, Europe. This will be some type of United States of Europe, having the status of a super-power. Many evangelical denominations don’t understand this point and think the ten horns of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 are one and the same as the ten horns of Revelation 17. They make this mistake in interpretation by not putting the beasts and their descriptions side by side and accurately comparing them and matching them to the actual history of Europe. I sincerely hope this error is recognized so that we can all proceed, speaking the same thing with one strong voice as the end approaches. Not for our sakes alone, but for the sake of those we witness to in this dying world. A confused and disunited witness is not what Jesus wants. What follows are two separate charts listing the Beast of Revelation 13:1-10 and the Beast of Revelation 17. The chart listing the Beasts of Daniel 7 has already been given in this text.
Beast of Revelation 13
Revelation 13:1-5, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard [Alexander’s Empire], and his feet were as the feet of a bear [Persian Empire], and his mouth as the mouth of a lion [Babylonian Empire]: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death [the Roman head, 476AD, so these heads are the successive world-ruing Empires from Babylon through Rome]; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” Justinian restores the Roman Empire as the Holy Roman Empire, at the request of the ruling pope in 554AD. Justinian was the 4th of the ten horns which were revivals of the Roman Empire, seven of which are Holy Roman Empire revivals. “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” Day for a year principle, 42 x 30 = 1260 years (prophetic months in the Bible being 30 days long). 1260 + 554AD = 1814AD, the year Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington.
Beast of
Revelation 13:1-5, chart
THE SEVEN HEADS:
1. Babylonian Empire, head of lion
2. Persian Empire, feet of bear
3. Alexander’s Empire, leopard with four heads,
4. Roman Empire, seventh head wounded to death (476AD)
the ten horns:
1. Vandals
2. Heruli
3. Ostrogoths
4. Justinian, 554AD, removed previous three
horns
at
behest of pope, re-instating Roman Empire, now
called
Holy Roman Empires.
5. Charlemagne, crowned by pope 800AD,
Franco-Germanic kingdom.
6. Otto the Great, crowned by pope 962AD,
Germanic kingdom.
7. Charles the Great, Habsburg dynasty,
crowned by the pope
1520AD, Austrian kingdom.
8. Napoleon, grabbed the crown from the
pope and crowned himself Holy
Roman Emperor, 1805AD, French kingdom.
9. Mussolini-Hitler, Italian-German revival
of the Holy Roman
Empire, crowned by pope in secret Vatican Concordat
1935. Duration of empire, 1935-1945.
10. Revived Roman Empire, ruled by 10 rulers
under one leader. These ten rulers may represent 10 nations in Europe in a super-national
federation
Beast of Revelation 17
I want to make one point very clear. In Bible symbolism, a woman usually represents a church, or she can represent a nation. Remember in Ezekiel where the LORD said he was married to Israel and Judah, calling them his two wives? There, the House of Israel and the House of Judah were referred to as two women, sisters, married to the LORD. But in Revelation 17 we see a woman depicted, and European history shows us she represents a great false church. Because this is so, then the symbolism of the woman in Revelation 12 represents a church also. We discussed this in the section on Revelation 12, showing how this is Biblically accurate as well. Many Christian denominations are divided on this issue, some interpreting the woman mentioned as being the nation of Israel (in Revelation 12). Other’s say it represents the true Church, as opposed to the scarlet woman in Revelation 17, who represents the false church riding on the beast. But most, including J. Vernon McGee, believe the woman in Revelation 17 does represent a great false church, who guides this beast she rides on (and historically, this is accurate). Now let’s read Revelation 17:1-14. Revelation 17:1-14, “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters [“waters” here is symbolic of the peoples of the world]: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of the names of blasphemy, and having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of the abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is…” Now verse 9 gets into explanations. Verses 9-14, “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains [“mountain” in Bible symbolism represents a nation or kingdom], on which the woman sitteth.” So this false church is sitting on seven kingdoms. “And there are seven kings: five are fallen [Justinian, Charlemagne, Otto the Great, Charles the Great, Napoleon], and one is [Hitler-Mussolini], and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” [“he is the eighth”= 1) Babylon, 2) Persia, 3, 4, 5, and 6) Alexander’s Greek Empire, 7) Rome, 8th) the final resurrection of this system, 10 nations in Europe. That is how this “he is the eighth” is figured.] “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for his is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” “Called, chosen, and faithful” reminds me of something I heard Pastor Joe Focht say: “It takes a second to become born-again, and a lifetime to make a saint.”
The Scarlet Colored Beast of Revelation 17, chart
THE SEVEN HEADS:
1. Justinian, 554AD
2. Charlemagne, 800AD
3. Otto the Great, 962AD
4. Charles the Great, 1520AD
5. Napoleon, 1805AD
6. Bonito Mussolini-Adolph Hitler, 1935-1945
7. 7th Head with ten horns:
Federation of ten kings giving their
support to one leader (Revelation 17:12).
Revelation 17:15-18, “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” The ten horns are ten kings or rulers within the borders of the Holy Roman Empire, Europe. They turn over to the Beast (person, leader, the Antichrist) their kingdoms, nations. This solidifies the final resurrection of the “Holy Roman Empire.” For a time the Antichrist shares power with “the harlot” riding this beast empire, and who has ridden it since Justinian in 554AD. But as the two witnesses start calling down from heaven the Seven Trumpet plagues, this false church, called a whore riding the scarlet beast of Revelation 17, is powerless to stop these plagues. These ten kings and the Antichrist want all the power for themselves and the false prophet. As J. Vernon McGee says “The ten kings are one with him on this. This great hatred against the apostate church is so violent that the reaction is described as the cannibalistic picking of her bones, then burning them with fire! This great hatred destroys the false church.” [THRU THE BIBLE, Vol. V, p. 1035, col. 2, par. 3]
What
has been taking place in Europe lately?
Now
let’s get a peek into what’s coming around the corner, prophetically
speaking. The following is quoted from
Chuck Missler’s “Personal UPDATE.” But I
want to say this before you read this. One has to be very careful about speculating about who “that man of
sin”---the great leader who is to rule over ten nations, and their
dictators---is going to be. Current
events may prove certain things fit prophecy, but one must wait and see before
jumping to conclusions or embellishing on the prophecies, as the late Mr.
Walvoord warned against, interpreting these prophecies in a dramatic and
contemporary style. And the setting of
dates is just as dangerous and unproductive spiritually as well. While we may be close to these prophecied
events, it is far more important to be concentrating on the job Jesus gave us
all to do (Matthew 28:18-20). What
follows is one of those “contemporary styles”. It may prove accurate, or it may not. Time will tell, as it always does. One thing for sure, this super-state will come out of Europe, somewhere,
somehow, sometime in the future. That is
all we can know for sure. The rest is
pure speculation, at best, no matter how intelligently researched.
“…An Emergent Empire?
The Bible generally presents history---both historic and prophetic---through the “lens” of Israel. Notable exceptions occur in Daniel chapters 2 and 7, which summarize the Gentile empires that are to transpire between the Babylonian empire of that time until the final empire [Holy Roman Empire] that will be interrupted by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. There are to be four: the Babylonian, the Persian, the Greek, and the Roman...For centuries, Biblical scholars have been anticipating the re-emergence of this 4th empire in its final form.
New EU President
The entire European Union’s 20-member commission resigned in March [1999] due to extensive corruption scandals. The Council of Ministers unanimously voted to appoint the former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi as the new president of the commission. Romano Prodi is known in his own country for bringing down inflation and unemployment rates. He has also enthusiastically endorsed the rooting out of corruption within the ranks of the 17,000 employees of the European bureaucracy, and has garnered praises from the members of the European Parliament for his strong statements regarding reform. However, according to conservative members of the British Parliament, Prodi’s appointment may be more of a nightmare than a dream. [The British, understandably, are always looking over the European horizon for signs of future fanatical dictatorships.] It appears Prodi is an ardent federalist, who is ready, willing and able to expedite the formation of the EU superstate. Prodi has stated in no uncertain terms that he is in favor of giving the EU more power and curtailing the rights of the member nations’ veto power. He has also advocated the creation of a European defense force, calling for a new treaty to make this possible. He has said in speeches that he sees no other way for Europe to effectively handle foreign affairs without a military option. In addition, Prodi has called for the union to commit itself to further expansion into central and eastern Europe and to expedite the process by setting dates for the admission of new members, a move that is resisted by the heads of the EU governments. Prodi has applauded the progress made by the European Monetary Union in introducing the new super-national currency, the Euro. [Which is now Europe’s common currency, and has been for the past ten years in Europe.] He said in an interview with the Financial Times that the Euro currency was “not just a bankers’ decision or a technical decision. It was a decision that completely changed the nature of the member states.”
NATO Redefined
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949 as a defensive alliance in which each member was pledged to come to the aid of any of its members which were attacked militarily. However, at the 50th Anniversary Summit in Washington on April 23-24, 1999, NATO redefined itself in terms which appear to be a startling impetus toward the creation of a major new trans-global alliance…NATO is now an ideological construct which is now prepared to use force to impose its concept of world order on its neighbors and beyond.” [I might add, as of 2010, European forces have been operating under the NATO umbrella in Afghanistan for the past few years in support of the United States against terrorism. So they are getting legally used to operating as a force outside of Europe.]
The new definition states: The security of the Alliance remains subject
to a wide variety of military and non-military risks…These risks include
uncertainty and instability in and around the Euro-Atlantic area and the
possibility of regional crises at the periphery of the Alliance which could
evolve rapidly. Some countries in and
around the Euro-Atlantic area face serious economic, social and political
difficulties. Ethnic and religious
rivalries, territorial disputes, inadequate or failed efforts at reform, the
abuse of human rights, and the dissolution of states can lead to crises
affecting Euro-Atlantic stability, to human suffering, and to armed
conflicts. Such conflicts could affect
the security of the Alliance by spilling over into the neighboring countries,
including NATO countries, or in other ways, and could also affect the security
of other states.
And, if that does not give NATO a wide enough scope for military intervention in the affairs of its neighbors, the new strategic definition adds:
Alliance security interests can be affected
by other risks of a wider nature, including acts of terrorism, sabotage and
organized crime, and by disruption of the flow of vital resources. The uncontrolled movement of large numbers of
people, particularly as a consequence of armed conflicts, can also pose
problems for security and stability affecting the Alliance.
National Sovereignty Obsolete
The New strategic concept virtually declares national sovereignty obsolete. It is not just the sovereignty of the neighboring states that is threatened, but the individual members as well. The intention is to reduce the number of decision-making voices within NATO from 19 (and growing) to 3 or 4. To prevent the re-nationalization of defense policies, military structures are to be integrated for:
…collective force planning; common funding;
common operational planning; multinational formations, headquarters and command
arrangements; an integrated air defense system; a balance of roles and
responsibilities among the Allies; the
stationing and deployment of forces outside the home territory when required; arrangements, including planning, for crisis
management and reinforcement; common standards and procedures for equipment,
training and logistics; joint and combined doctrines and exercises when
appropriate; and infrastructure,
armaments and logistics cooperation.
These will tie each member state to the corporate whole and, ultimately, a single European voice on defense matters. “All European Allies should be involved…the progressive framing of a common defense policy…as called for in the Amsterdam Treaty.” (The Amsterdam Treaty, signed in June 1997, was a revision of the European Union’s Maastricht Treaty, and one of the most controversial elements concerned the strengthening of the European Union’s role in defense matters.)…
Having
totally bypassed the U.N., NATO has now become the self-appointed policeman of
the world. Stand back and watch global
events move us inexorably toward the grand climax which the Bible has laid out
in such detail. It is, indeed, time to
do our homework.
“Behold ye among the nations, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.” Habakkuk 1:5
Much of this has been excerpted from publications of Intelligence International Ltd., The Stoneyhill Centre, Brimpsfield, Gloucester, GL4, UK.
You may be interested in Chuck Missler’s briefing package (on cassette tapes), titled: An Empire Reborn? Order online at: http://www.khouse.org. (type in An Empire Reborn? in the search box), or call 1-800-KHOUSE1 or write: Koinonia House, P.O. Box D, Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, 83816-0347
Now don’t forget, that last piece was taken from a currently eleven year old article written in Chuck Missler’s Personal UPDATE, a prophecy/current events briefing package mailed out to subscribers. This one was dated 1999. As of the writing of this ‘commentary’ it is now 2010, eleven years later. It shows basically where and how the intelligence was gathered. Whether the intelligence is relevant to today has be ascertained by looking at the present situation, laws etc., that these same intelligence gathering organizations have been able to gain about the current state of affairs in Europe. Whether Romano Prodi is a current political figure of interest, or has gone by the boards, is totally irrelevant. What is relevant is that you have to keep looking “over the horizon” the way certain British organisations like “Intelligence International Ltd”. But the main thing is to put the urgency of this whole Revelation of Jesus Christ to good use as a motivator in your spiritual life and walk with Jesus Christ and God the Father through the Holy Spirit, otherwise all this is worthless information. Prophecy can be a book that is sweet as honey until you have to digest it, live through it. Hopefully, most of us, all of us who read this, will live our lives as Philadelphians, living by the Word of God, and evangelizing up a storm until it’s no longer possible to do that latter.
Links:
http://www.eurointelligence.com
An interesting article from the Torah-observant Sabbatarian Church of God side of the Body of Christ showing how the United States is slipping as a super-power, and Europe is about to take our place:
http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn86/america-superpower.htm
|
