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UNDERSTANDING THE BEAST

THE BEAST OF REVELATION, AND ITS SEVEN HEADS

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

At the beginning of each page of the Prophecy Section of this journal I ask this question, and explain God's timetable for the second coming of Jesus Christ. That timetable is Daniel's '70th Week'.

The first four pages of my Prophecy Section correspond to four links in a divine 'prophetic chain':

And while I encourage my visitor to examine those pages individually, I also offer a condensed combination of these four links in the following document:

SECOND COMING TIMETABLE (PDF)

Here my two main points are that...

1) A side-by-side comparison of the three versions of Jesus' Olivet Discourse (from Matthew, Mark and Luke) reveal that the midpoint of Daniel's 70th Week is the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD.

2) When this first point is combined with an examination of the four visions of John's Little Book (in Revelation chapters 11-13), we are led to the undeniable conclusion that Daniel's 70th Week is the 'Great Week of the Abrahamic Covenant'.

If John's 'Little Book' did not exist, I myself would feel compelled to embrace one of today's three major views on Daniel's 70th Week; Post-Millennialism, A-Millennialism or Dispensationalism. But John's Little Book does exist. Its first three visions depict what God accomplished through the family of Abraham BEFORE the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD:

1)  Reveal God's way of salvation through the Temple and its symbolic animal sacrifices.

2)  Give the complete Bible to the world in both the Old and New Testaments.

3)  Give birth to a Child Who would provide salvation for all mankind while conquering Satan.

And the fourth and final vision of John's Little Book depicts a singular characteristic of world history SINCE 70 AD:

4)   A Satanically empowered Beast which began with the Roman Emperor Vespasian in 70 AD.

1) THE TEMPLE AND THE COURTYARD (Revelation 11:1-2)

2) THE TWO WITNESSES (Revelation 11:3-12)

3) THE WOMAN, THE CHILD AND THE DRAGON (Revelation 12)

4) THE BEAST FROM THE SEA (Revelation 13)

THE BEAST AND ITS THREE ASSOCIATES

This is the first in a series of four web pages in which I explain four 'prophetic characters' found in the book of Revelation; the Beast and its three 'associates'. And my pages present these characters in the order in which they are encountered in Revelation. And so after this first page about the Beast, in the following pages I discuss...

1) The False Prophet (Revelation 13:10-18)

2) The City of Rome (Revelation 17)

3) The United States (Revelation 18)

Although this first page focuses primarily upon the Beast of Revelation, it is not possible to explain the long history of the Beast without also discussing the three 'associates' connected with it along the way. And so I would encourage my visitor to read this page first, because it provides important background information for the three pages that follow.

A STATUE CALLED 'BABYLON'

Roughly 3000 years ago, around 1000 B.C., God made a promise to King David of Israel, telling him that someday one of his sons would establish David's Kingdom on earth forever:

The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you. When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you; your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever.'
2 Samuel 7:11-13, 16

When king David died he was succeeded upon his throne by his very famous son, Solomon. Solomon's kingdom represented the peak of Israel's ancient glory, as his wealth and power reached unprecedented heights and he built Israel's first 'house' for God; the first Temple in Jerusalem. But Solomon did not remain fully faithful to God, and David's Kingdom declined over the following 400 years. It was finally brought to an end by the armies of Babylon in 586 B.C., as king Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel, destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple, and brought an end to the dynasty of David's family.

One of the Jewish people who was taken captive to Babylon was a young man named Daniel. As Daniel witnessed Babylon's conquest of his homeland, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, the end of the kingdom of David, and the deportation of the Jewish people all the way back to where Abraham had first lived (before coming to Canaan), he could not help but wonder whether or not God still intended to fulfill His promises to the people of Israel.

ABRAHAM'S JOURNEY IN REVERSE

In response to his questions and prayers, God gave Daniel five prophecies that are recorded in the book of Daniel. Four of those prophecies share one common theme; describing how the promised 'Son of David' would not come to Israel again until after Israel had been dominated by four successive Gentile empires. At the end of that Gentile domination, David's promised Son would come to restore the Kingdom of David and rule the world.

The four empires in these prophecies are Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Daniel's first prophecy, in Daniel chapter 2, was not actually given to Daniel. It was given to king Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. Daniel then interpreted the dream for the king. In his dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a great statue representing the four successive Gentile empires; a head of gold symbolizing Babylon, a chest and arms of silver symbolizing Persia, a stomach and thighs of bronze symbolizing Greece, and legs and feet of iron symbolizing the Roman Empire:

Nebuchadnezzar watched God cut out a stone and cast it on the feet of this statue, destroying the entire statue. Then the stone grew larger, filled the earth, and ruled the world forever. This stone symbolizes the second coming of Jesus Christ to bring an end to Gentile domination over Israel, and to re-establish the kingdom of David.

There are two things that we can deduce from Nebuchadnezzar's dream:

1) God sees all four of these Gentile empires as ONE THING; they are all Babylon in His eyes. This is why He portrayed them as one statue. Persia, Greece and Rome have merely extended what Babylon started; the end of the David's kingdom in Israel.

This is why the city of Rome is called 'Babylon' in the book of Revelation. Because when the apostle John received the book of Revelation, Rome had already risen to power and the 'Roman phase' of Babylonian domination over Israel had begun.

2) We can deduce from Nebuchadnezzar's dream that THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST WILL OCCUR LATE IN THE HISTORY OF ROME. Since time moves forward as one moves from the head of the statue to it's lower parts, the stone falling upon the feet signifies that the second coming of Christ will occur late in Rome's existence, and bring the Roman phase of 'Babylon' to an end.

THE FOUR BEASTS OF DANIEL 7

In Daniel chapter 7 these same four Gentile empires are presented to us as four separate beasts. Babylon was symbolized by a lion, Persia by a bear, Greece by a leopard, and Rome by a beast unlike any known animal. It was dreadful, terrible and powerful; having great iron teeth and trampling and devouring the whole earth. This fourth Beast corresponds to the iron legs and feet of the statue in Daniel chapter 2.

BABYLON

PERSIA

GREECE

ROME

Daniel observed that this Roman beast had 10 horns. Horns symbolize concentrations of power in Bible prophecy. Daniel was told that these 10 horns represented 10 kings (or kingdoms) that would arise out of the original Roman Empire (Daniel 7:24). The original Roman Empire ruled most of the 'civilized' world, centered around the Mediterranean Ocean. From its center in the city of Rome, Roman domination radiated outward in a 360 degree circle, dividing the world into 10 primary areas. I believe that these 10 regions, beginning with the Italian peninsula itself, might be divided up as follows:

1. Italy

2. Achaia (Greece and the surrounding region)

3. Asia (an area now called Turkey)

4. Syria (an area including what is now Israel and the greater Middle East)

5. Egypt

6. Africa (northern Africa)

7. Spain

8. Gaul (now known as France)

9. Germany

10. Britain

DANIEL'S BEAST COMES TO REVELATION

The first New Testament appearance of the fourth Beast of Daniel chapter 7 is found in Revelation chapter 13:

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 worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the Beast. And they worshiped 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 for forty two months.
Revelation 13:1-5

Six traits of Revelation's Beast are revealed in this vision:

1) The Beast is comprised of human beings. It arises out of 'the sea of humanity'.

2) Seven blasphemous (God-hating) heads have been added to its 10 horns.

3) It is a continuation of the four Beasts of Daniel chapter 7.

4) The Beast is a servant of Satan, sharing Satan's throne, power and authority.

5) The Beast is militant or warlike.

6) The Beast has been authorized by God to continue for 42 months (the second half of Daniel's 70th Week).

Because these '42 months' represent the second half of 'Daniel's 70th Week'; from 70 AD to the present, Revelation's Beast cannot be a single man or nation. It is a Satanic creation with a much longer lifespan.

THE SEVEN HEADS ON REVELATION'S BEAST

The Beast of Revelation 13 is clearly the fourth Beast of Daniel chapter 7. It possesses traits of the Babylonian lion, the Persian bear, and the Greek leopard; as well as the 10 horns of the Roman Beast. But in Revelation this Beast also has seven heads. These seven heads are symbolic, and have been placed there by God. They represent very important information.

After first encountering the Beast in Revelation chapter 13, we encounter it again in Revelation 17. Only now it has a Woman riding upon its back. And here, rather than only its seven heads being 'blasphemous' (God-hating), the entire Beast is described as 'blasphemous':

So the angel carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet Beast which was full of names of blasphemy; having seven heads and ten horns.
Revelation 17:3

It is in this 17th chapter, as we first consider the identity of this Woman, that God opens up three mysteries that enable us to understand the symbolism of the seven heads, and the Beast's transition from Daniel chapter 7 to the book of Revelation.

Mystery #1) The Roman Empire would be destroyed, and yet live again:

And the angel said unto me "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the Woman, and of the Beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The Beast that you saw 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.
Revelation 17:7-8

John had already seen this 'death and resurrection' aspect of the Beast in Revelation 13:

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the Beast.
Revelation 13:3

Mystery #2) The seven heads are SEVEN HILLS or 'mountains':

And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are SEVEN MOUNTAINS upon which the woman sits.
Revelation 17:9

One needs to remember the historical context in which John received this vision. During John's day the city of Rome was already well known to the world as 'The City of Seven Hills'. And so we might reasonably expect that the apostle John would have concluded that this Woman was the city of Rome. But God did not leave this in doubt. In the final verse of Revelation 17, God confirmed that the Woman was the city of Rome, which ruled over the earth in John's day:

And the woman which you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.
Revelation 17:18

THE SEVEN HILLS OF ROME

Mystery #3) The seven heads are SEVEN KINGS:

And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are...SEVEN KINGS. Five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. And the Beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.
Revelation 17:9-11

The '7 kings' in this vision represent the Julio-Claudian dynasty of Rome; beginning with Julius Caesar, and ending with a man named Galba. The first five kings (who had already died) were Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. The sixth king, Nero, was reigning when John received the book of Revelation. And the future seventh king, Galba, would reign for only a brief time.

In this vision John was being shown what would happen after Nero's death, and the rise of Galba. It would lead to a Roman civil war that has come to be known to history as 'The Year of the Four Emperors'. This civil war would be the 'deadly wound' to the seventh head (Galba) of the Beast in Revelation 13:3. And God uses the seven heads to explain how the Beast 'was, and is not, and yet is' in Revelation 17:8.

Galba first came to power in June of 68 AD; as the legitimate successor to Nero. In January of 69 AD Galba was overthrown and put to death by a Roman Governor named Otho. Otho was then overthrown in April by a Roman general from Germany; Vitellius. Finally eight months later in December of 69 A.D., Vitellius was overthrown and replaced by the general of the Roman armies in Syria; a man named Vespasian.

VESPASIAN AS THE BEAST

In Revelation 17 God does not recognize Otho or Vitellius as emperors. Vespasian is the eighth king, described as being 'of the original seven', because he was Roman and had served under the first seven 'kings'. But there is something important about God's description of Vespasian that we must not miss. God describes Vespasian as the Beast:

And the Beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.
Revelation 17:11

Although he was just a single man, in this verse Vespasian is called 'the Beast'. Why? How does he qualify for this description?

1) Militancy: Vespasian was a very effective general.

2) Intense 'blasphemous' hatred for Israel and its God. As the Roman general who had been sent to subdue the Jewish rebellion in Israel (which had began in 66 AD), he had demonstrated a great capacity for hatred and violence toward the Jews.

3) Vespasian embraced the city of Rome, lavishing wealth and glory upon it in exchange for its political acceptance.

And so Vespasian is called 'the Beast' because he was the first in a succession of many military leaders, extending over the following 1950+ years, who would fulfill these three Satanic requirements for the job.

In early 69 AD Vespasian had paused his warfare against Israel, in order to return to Rome and take the emperorship. When he did so, he left his son Titus in charge of the war against Israel. Titus, who had thus become a prince of Rome, would complete that war in an incredibly vicious way. A brutal victory over Israel was necessary in order to:

1) Show Rome that his father's Flavian Dynasty was militarily competent.

2) Terrorize anyone who might consider rebellion against the Flavian Dynasty.

3) Confiscate all of Israel's wealth.

Titus' victory over the Jews, as a PRINCE of Rome's new dynasty, was foretold in the book of Daniel:

And after sixty-two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself. And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (Temple). And the end thereof shall be with a flood (of destruction and dispersion). And until the end of the war (against the Jewish people) desolations are determined.
Daniel 9:26

One of the first gifts that the Flavian dynasty gave to Rome was the Flavian Amphitheater; which is known today as the 'Roman Colosseum'. It was built through the wealth and slave labor of the Jewish people.

THE FLAVIAN AMPHITHEATRE
COURTESY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE

ROME'S METAMORPHOSIS

An idea that illustrates the events of 69 A.D. is 'metamorphosis'; like the transition of a caterpillar into a butterfly within a cocoon. But in the case of the Roman Empire two creatures emerged from the cocoon rather than one.

When a caterpillar forms a cocoon, it essentially 'dies' within the cocoon. Its body parts are completely broken down, and its chemicals are used to make something new. In a sense this is also what happened in 69 A.D.

Before the Roman Empire entered the 'cocoon' of 69 AD it had been unified; defined and ruled by one city. The Roman Empire was monolithic; it was the city of Rome. But after 'The Year of the Four Emperors', and the rise of Vespasian to power, what had once been a single Empire now became a combination of two things:

1) The city of Rome functioning as a religious capital.
2) A long succession of military leaders from throughout the original lands of the Roman Empire; all of whom would A) love war, B) hate the true living God, and C) support Rome's religion.

Prior to the rise of Julius Caesar, the Roman Republic had been governed by the Roman Senate, located in the city of Rome. Rome itself was the seat of power, and decisions about the administration of the Republic were made there.

But with the rise of Julius Caesar, and the wars that he fought with other Roman generals for supremacy, the city of Rome and its Senators decreased in relative power. The various generals of the Republic began to decide who would rule the Empire next.

This tension between the city of Rome and the Roman military continued until the 'Year of the Four Emperors', when a complete break between the city and its generals became a permanent fact of life.

When we consider this metamorphosis of the Roman Empire in December of 69 AD, we must not forget that 70 AD marks the onset of Satan's wrath against the Jewish people; after having been cast out of heaven. And so Vespasian's rise to power correlates with an authorization from Satan to resume warfare against Israel.

When he was cast out of heaven, Satan set about to combine two things that would allow him to dominate the world. And thus through the chaos of the 'Year of the Four Emperors', Satan created a TEAM; comprised of a religious Roman 'Woman', and a succession of international military leaders upon whose backs she would ride. This 'Satanic brainchild', of coordinated religious and military power, has continued to greatly impact the world ever since.

FEET OF IRON AND CLAY

This metamorphosis, from a single empire to a city riding upon the backs of many successive empires, is also revealed in Daniel chapter 2. In that prophecy the Roman Empire was first symbolized by the iron legs of the statue:

But in 69 AD the iron legs became the feet that are a mixture of both strong iron and weak clay:

This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, and his feet part of iron and part of clay. You saw until that a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.
Daniel 2:32-34

This transition from iron legs to 'iron and clay feet' represents the metamorphosis of Rome; from a singularly invincible military power into a 'clay Woman' riding upon the back of 'iron Generals'. This mixture of iron and clay symbolizes a policy that has been followed by the city of Rome ever since 70 AD; a policy of 'trading' its religious support to various military leaders throughout the world, in exchange for wealth, power and influence.

This is a policy that has come to be known as 'CLERICALISM'; a close cooperation or union between 'church and state'. From the very beginning, in 70 AD, the pagan religious leaders of the city of Rome dedicated themselves to the 'political science' of working with 'iron' military rulers. And it was a skill set that came in handy when a new Emperor (Constantine) came along, who wished to make 'Christianity' the religion of his empire.

In summary, the Beast of Revelation is comprised of military leaders and nations, beginning with the Roman Emperor Vespasian in 70 AD, who...

1) HAVE EMBRACED MILITARISM AND BLOODSHED

2) HAVE HATED THE ONE TRUE LIVING GOD; PERSECUTING JEWS AND OPPOSING TRUE CHRISTIANITY

3) HAVE ALLIED THEMSELVES WITH THE CITY OF ROME IN A 'CHURCH + STATE' RELATIONSHIP

The following list provides notable examples of men and nations who have met these three criteria, and have been 'the Beast' over the past 1950+ years:

The Roman Emperor Constantine; founder of Roman Catholicism in 312 AD. Up until the rise of Constantine, Rome had been the religious center of world paganism, and had sought relentlessly to destroy Christianity and its book. But with the rise of Constantine, Rome went from trying to destroy the Christian church, to proclaiming 'I am the true Christian Church' (for a further discussion of the Roman Catholicism, see The City of Rome in Prophecy).

Charlemagne (Charles the Great, 742-814), who was crowned as the first 'Holy Roman Emperor' by the Pope of Rome in 800 AD. Charlemagne imposed Roman Catholicism, at the point of a sword, upon those whom he conquered.

The Crusaders, first called to wage war in the service of Christianity by Pope Urban II in 1095 AD. The religious wars of the Crusaders were characterized, from the very beginning, by the persecution of Jews wherever they found them. Ultimately, after having conquered the 'Holy Land' of Palestine, and then having lost it back to the Muslim world, these crusading 'kings and nobles' focused their attention upon their homeland of Europe; supporting Rome in its battle against Jews, Muslims and Protestant 'heretics'. These wars against anyone deviating from Roman Catholicism began around 1250 AD, and are known as "the Inquisition".

Ferdinand II of Spain (1452-1516), known as 'the Catholic'. As king of Spain he promoted the Spanish Inquisition and began the conquest of the 'Americas' (the Western Hemisphere) for Spain and the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Ferdinand's grandson, Charles V, was a 'Holy Roman Emperor' who vigorously sought to unite Europe under the RCC. Charles V's son, Phillip II, sent the Spanish Armada against England in 1588, for the purpose of imposing Roman Catholicism upon Great Britain.

Ferdinand II of Austria (1578-1637), also declared a Holy Roman Emperor, was the initiator of the '30 Years War' against Protestantism (1618-1648). This war left countless Protestant Christians dead and Europe devastated. The war ended in the Peace of Westphalia, which laid the European foundation for the modern, secular nation-state; seeking to restrict religious meddling in the internal affairs of nations.

The European Axis powers of World War 2, comprised of Germany, Italy and Spain. These powers had all reached 'understandings' with the Roman Catholic Church prior to WW2. Together these governments of Hitler, Mussolini and Franco (along with the Vichy government of conquered France) facilitated the deaths of many millions, including the murder of 6 million Jews.

The United States, with a large Roman Catholic population and many Roman Catholic institutions. Today the United States and the larger Western Hemisphere are the primary source of the wealth, power and influence of the RCC in the world. A close connection between the government of the United States and the RCC existed at the founding of the nation, and continues to this day.

AMERICA: THE 'LITTLE HORN' OF DANIEL 7

In the third section of this page, titled 'Roots of the Beast in Daniel, I suggested that the 10 horns on Daniel's 4th Beast represent the 10 primary regions of the old Roman Empire:

1. Italy

2. Achaia (Greece and the surrounding region)

3. Asia (an area now called Turkey)

4. Syria (an area including what is now Israel and the greater Middle East)

5. Egypt

6. Africa (northern Africa)

7. Spain

8. Gaul (now known as France)

9. Germany

10. Britain

And in Daniel 7:8 we are introduced to a 'Little Horn' that rises up from among these 10 horns:

I considered the horns. And, behold, there came up among them another 'Little Horn', before whom three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great (boastful) things.
Daniel 7:8

I believe that this 'Little Horn' is the United States of America. The 'eyes of a man' represent the humanism of democratic government. And the three horns that the 'Little Horn' overcame are France, Great Britain and Spain. All three of these foreign monarchies had to be expelled from the lands of North America that would eventually become the continental United States.

AMERICA'S WAR AGAINST CHRISTIANS

In the vision of Daniel chapter 7, Daniel was told that the Little Horn would eventually become greater and stronger than the other 10 horns (Daniel 7:20). And this has come true. After World War 2, America became the greatest of two world super-powers in a bipolar world (the other 'power' being the Soviet Union). And after demonstrating its 'smart weapons' in the First Gulf War of 1991, along with the simultaneous downfall of the Soviet Union, America became the single super-power in a unipolar world.

It might well be said that America alone has constituted the Beast of Revelation over the past 30 years. And seeing this great power, Daniel requested more information about the Little Horn. And the information he received is found in two places:

I was watching, and the same (Little) Horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days (God) came. And a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High. And the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
Daniel 7:21-22

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 (until the end of) a time and times and half a time. But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever.
Daniel 7:25-26

Consistent with this foretelling of America's last days, there is now an ever increasing hatred and criminalization of biblical Christianity in the United States. And there is also a hatred for the Law of God written within every human heart (Romans 2:15). And so genuine Christianity, existing within today's 'rules based order' of the West, is suffering an opposition that King David foretold 3000 years ago:

Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed (Christ), saying “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”
Psalms 2:1-3

What is the World Economic Forum (WEF) after all, if not a venue where kings and rulers can take counsel together, and then 'set' themselves? Their agenda is now coming hard and fast against anyone who dares to describe them for what they are. And the Vatican is deeply and fully integrated with them.

IS AMERICA THE BEAST?

Does America qualify as Satan's Beast? Over the past 30 years we have watched the United States rise to become the unipolar 'hegemon' of the planet. It has used both soft (propaganda) and hard (military) power to do pretty much whatever it has wanted; for the sake of 'democracy' of course. And so, when I consider America's closeness to the Roman Catholic Church, and its ever increasing estrangement from Israel and 'Creationist' Christianity, I would say that 'YES', America has stood alone as the Beast of Revelation since the First Gulf War and the fall of the Soviet Union.

But now, as Russia has recovered from its collapse in 1991, and as America's economic and military dominance is challenged in a multipolar world, I expect that the Beast will be comprised of more than one nation in the future. The Beast may remain monolithic in the 'globalist' sense. But the United States may soon become only one of many nations; nations that will unify 'digitally' to comprise the Beast in these last days.

My expectation is that the United States will soon be compelled to withdraw from the Eastern Hemisphere, and to 'redefine' its 'sphere of influence' as the Western Hemisphere. And I expect that the Roman Catholic Church will be of great help in accomplishing this reorganization. I suspect that America's southern border was thrown open in 2021 in order to facilitate and expedite such a consolidation amongst Roman Catholic people of the Western Hemisphere. And so America now wears two hats due to its uniquely close connections with the Roman Catholic Church; as both the Beast and the Woman of Revelation 17.

THE 10 HORNS THEN AND NOW

The 10 horns upon the 4th Beast in Daniel chapter 7 explain the context of America's rise in the world, as the 'Little Horn'. But the 10 horns upon that same Beast in the book of Revelation explain the context of America's fall; as 'Babylon the Great'.

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet. But they receive authority for one hour as kings with the Beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the Beast. These will make war with the Lamb (at Armageddon, Revelation 19:19). And the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. And those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the Prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the Beast, these will hate the Prostitute, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose; to be of one mind and to give their kingdom to the Beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the Woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
Revelation 17:12-18

As the chief Roman Catholic nation in the world, and a nation that will soon economically dominate the 'Great Digital Reset' of the planet, I believe that an eventual sudden fiery destruction of the United States will fulfill Revelation 18's predictions:

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen. And has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”

"Therefore her plagues will come in one day: death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire. For strong is the Lord God who judges her. The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning. Standing at a distance for fear of her torment, they will say ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’"
Revelation 18:1-3, 8-10

So who are the 10 horns that will hate the 'Prostitute'? For starters I suspect that they will be found primarily in the Eastern Hemisphere. Secondly, believing that Babylon's destruction in Revelation 18 is a picture of a sudden nuclear attack, I expect that the 10 horns will all possess nuclear weapons, and the ability to deliver those weapons to the other side of the earth. So who will hate 'the Roman Catholic West', and have the ability to bring nuclear fire upon 'Babylon'? I leave that question for my reader to consider.

JUDGMENT OF THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET

As I have explained, a time will come when the 'Prostitute' will no longer ride upon the back of the Beast. The Roman Catholic Church and its 'World' will be gone. It is only the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet who will confront Jesus at Armageddon. Why do I take the trouble to explain all of this? Because the Beast is the main subject of this page. And so I am following the Beast to its end.

In Revelation 16 we are told that three demonic spirits will come out of the mouths of the Dragon (Satan), the Beast and the False Prophet; and that these spirits will then go forth to deceive the world:

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the False Prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles. Who go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Revelation 16:13-14

And in Revelation 19, both the Beast and the False Prophet are captured alive, and cast directly into the Lake of Fire:

And I saw the Beast, and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse (Jesus), and against His army. And the Beast was taken. And with him the False Prophet that worked miracles before him; with which he deceived those that had received the Mark of the Beast, and those that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 19:19-20

These two passages might seem to indicate that the Beast and the False Prophet are individual persons. But I would disagree with that. I believe that the Beast and the False Prophet will be comprised of many people, still alive on earth when Christ comes. These will be people who will have taken the Mark of the Beast and promoted it.

First of all as a reminder, the Beast is something that was authorized by God to continue in existence from 70 AD to the present; for over 1950 years. Secondly, this same Beast upon which the 'Woman' has sat, is described as the 'many waters' of worldwide humanity (Revelation 17:15).

Therefore the Beast and the False Prophet are not individual persons. They will be the many surviving persons who will bear the 'Mark of the Beast', and who will therefore constitute the Beast and the False Prophet, at Christ's second coming.

In order to understand this casting of the Beast and False Prophet directly into the Lake of Fire, we need to look at how Jesus described this same judgment in the gospel of Matthew:

When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations. And He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides His sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world".

Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand "Depart from Me you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:31-34, 41

At this judgment the living members of the human race will be brought before the Son of God. This judgment will occur at the beginning of Jesus' Millennial reign upon the earth. It should not to be confused with Jesus' judgment of the dead at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15), which will occur after the Millennium.

What is important to notice here is that wicked people will be cast ALIVE, DIRECTLY into the Lake of Fire. This is the capturing and 'casting alive' of the Beast and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire in Revelation 19. They are one and the same event.

Just as there will be Christians who will not die before the Lord Jesus comes, but who will be 'raptured' directly unto eternal life, so there will also be enemies of God who will not die either; but who will be cast directly unto eternal death.

As we consider this judgment, it is important to note the basis upon which the Lord Jesus will bless the righteous and condemn the wicked:

For I was hungry, and you gave Me meat. I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink. I was a stranger, and you took Me in. Naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came unto Me.

Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying "Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink? When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came unto You?"

And the King shall answer and say unto them "Truly I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me.
Matthew 25:35-40

This basis of Christ's judgment upon the nations corresponds perfectly with the circumstances that will precede His coming. It will have been a time when 'the Mark of the Beast' was imposed, and when those who rejected it and warned against it were hated, persecuted, imprisoned and killed.

On the other hand, among God-fearing people who refused the Mark and were compassionate toward others struggling with the same choice, there will be mercy. It will be within that context, and upon the basis of how people will have treated each other in those days prior to Christ's coming, that His judgment will be made. And within this context the righteous will have had their faith tested and proven:

And he said "Go your way, Daniel. For the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tested. But the wicked shall do wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand. But the wise shall understand.
Daniel 12:9-10

And this is the condemnation; that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3:19

For Jesus to have spoken to His disciples about the Beast and his Mark would have been confusing to them. They would not have known what to do with the information. It pertained to something that would not make sense until after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

But for God to finish the Bible and end the apostolic era with the book of Revelation, broadcasting a warning forward in time about the Beast and his 'Mark', makes perfect sense. This is why we have two different descriptions of Jesus' judgment of the world at His coming. Both are true and accurate descriptions of the same event. One was understandable to the apostles, while the other provides important additional information for our own post-apostolic times.

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