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UNDERSTANDING THE BEAST
THE BEAST OF REVELATION, AND ITS SEVEN HEADS
PROLOGUE: THE 'MARK OF THE BEAST' IS HERE!
STARTING: WITH DANIEL'S 70th WEEK
In the past, at the beginning of each page
I explained how that, after examining Daniel chapter 9 and Jesus' Olivet Discourse, we can realize that the
ADDING: CLARIFICATION ABOUT THE MARK
But now, after more recent Bible study and my continued monitoring of world events, I have concluded that another aspect of 'the last days' has come; the 'Mark of the Beast'. It is a 'Mark' that the False Prophet will impose upon the entire world:
The False Prophet causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a Mark FROM their right hand or FROM their foreheads. And that no one may buy or sell except one who has the Mark , or an official name from the Beast, or an official number associated with his official name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number from the Beast, for it is the (identification) number of a man: that number is 666. Revelation 13:16-18
Until recently I had suspected that the 'Mark of the Beast' might be a bar code or QR code tattooed upon a person's skin. Or that it might be an RFID chip inserted underneath a person's skin. But with more recent study I have discovered that, in the original Greek of Revelation 13:16, the words 'forehead' and 'hand' were not written in the
And the Greek word translated 'mark' can also be translated as an 'image' or 'impression' of something. And so I now believe that the Beast's 'Mark' is actually a scan taken from people's faces and hands. These comprise the biometric data being collected today by many nations. And it will all come together in a worldwide system of human registration.
This registration of people will be comprised of three things; all three of which are described in Revelation 13:17:
And that no one may buy or sell except one who has 1) the scan (mark, image or impression), and 2) an official name from the Beast, and 3) an official number associated with his official name. Revelation 13:17
I have not yet identified the Beast's official numbering system, based upon a 6-6-6 format. But God is just and fair. And so when the Beast's 'number' does come, I trust that it will be obvious.
My concern, however, regards the fact that most of us are already accustomed to using facial recognition and fingerprint technology. And so the Mark (
In Revelation God has warned that those who embrace this 'Mark' will suffer
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice “If anyone worships the Beast and his image and embraces his SCAN , taken from his own forehead or from his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God; which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever . And they have no rest day or night, who worship the Beast and his image, and whoever receives the SCAN associated with his own name.” Here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:9-12
CONCLUSION: WE NEED TO FOCUS
And so combining a knowledge of
DO NOT SUBMIT TO THE MARK ( SCAN ) OF THE BEAST!
So what is it that God is calling Christians to do in this hour? To prepare for death. God now calls upon Christians to follow the three young Hebrew men, who went into the fiery furnace rather than deny their God (Daniel 3). And to follow Daniel, who risked the lion's den rather than to cease worshiping the one true God (Daniel 6). God calls upon Christians to hear His word and to understand the choice that now confronts all of mankind:
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested. And you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death , and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death (the Lake of Fire and Brimstone). Revelation 2:10-11
And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11
As I explain in my four web pages about
This was the 'great falling away from the faith' that Paul said would accompany the rise of a 'man of sin' (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). And so a simple choice still confronts us. Do we want to share in Constantine's 'victory', or will we share in Christ's sufferings?
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs. Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him , that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16-17
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THE BEAST AND ITS THREE ALLIES
This page on the Beast is the first in a series of four web pages, in which I explain four 'prophetic characters' in the book of Revelation: the Beast and its three 'allies'. The Beast's three allies are the False Prophet, the City of Rome (the Roman Catholic Church) and the United States.
The Beast's cooperation with the City of Rome is by far the oldest alliance of the three. This connection goes back to 70 AD, the rise of Vespasian's Flavian Dynasty, and Rome's transition from an 'iron' military capitol to a 'clay' religious capitol (see Daniel chapter 2). And the church+state tactics of Rome (which began with Vespasian and continue to this day) are depicted as an Prostitute riding upon the back of the Beast in Revelation 17.
Therefore the thing that distinguishes the Beast of Revelation from all of the other major world military powers over the past 1950+ years is its uniquely close cooperation with the city of Rome. However, in this web site I do not present these 'alliances' in their historical order, but in their Biblical order:
A STATUE CALLED 'BABYLON'
The first question that we need to answer is this:
WHY IS THE CITY OF ROME CALLED 'BABYLON '
IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION?
And the answer is 'Because Babylon brought an end to Israel's kingdom of David in 586 BC'. And so in the Bible the name 'Babylon' doesn't just represent the Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzer (which ended David's kingdom in 586 BC), but a series of Gentile empires that would continue what Babylon began: the displacement of David's family and the domination of Israel until the second coming of David's promised 'Son', Jesus Christ.
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
But after David's reign the nation of Israel moved steadily farther and farther away from God. It became increasingly evil. And so God finally allowed King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to first dominate Israel around 605 BC, taking some of the Jewish people back to Babylon as captives. And then 20 years later Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Israel completely in 586 BC.
One of the Jewish people who was taken captive to Babylon was a young man named Daniel. And as Daniel began to serve in the government of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which Daniel was able to interpret for him. In his dream Nebuchadnezzar had seen a giant statue representing four Gentile empires.
The statue had a head of gold, symbolizing Babylon. It had a chest and arms of silver, symbolizing Persia. It also had a stomach and thighs of bronze, symbolizing Greece. And then finally the Roman Empire was symbolized by legs of iron, followed by feet made of a mixture of iron and clay.
Finally Nebuchadnezzar saw a 'Divine Stone' which was cast upon the feet of the statue, and destroyed the entire statue altogether. This stone symbolizes the second coming of Jesus Christ. There are two things that we can deduce from Nebuchadnezzar's dream:
There are two things that we can deduce from Nebuchadnezzar's dream:
THE FOUR BEASTS OF DANIEL 7
After Nebuchadnezzar died, Daniel was given another vision of these same four Gentile empires (Daniel chapter 7). But in this vision they were not portrayed as one statue, but 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.
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 4th BEAST COMES TO REVELATION
In Revelation chapter 13 the fourth Roman Beast of Daniel 7 makes its first New Testament appearance. And God is careful to identify Revelation's Beast as the fourth Beast of Daniel chapter 7, by linking Revelation's Beast to traits of the first three Beasts of Daniel 7:
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:
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.
SEVEN HEADS ON REVELATION'S BEAST
The Beast of Revelation 13 is clearly the fourth Beast of Daniel chapter 7. But Revelation 13 does not pay attention to the 7 heads that have been added to Revelation's Beast. That subject is addressed in Revelation 17.
But the angel said to me “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of 1) THE WOMAN and of 2) THE BEAST that carries her; which has the seven heads and the ten horns".
Revelation 17:7
And we are told that the seven heads upon the Beast symbolize two different things:
THE SEVEN HEADS AS SEVEN HILLS
Revelation 17:9 explains the Woman upon the Beast:
Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. Revelation 17:9
Throughout history the city of Rome has been known as 'The City of Seven Hills'. And each of those hills has had its own individual name.
THE SEVEN HILLS OF ROME
And to leave no doubt, in the final verse of Revelation 17 God makes it clear that the Woman riding upon the back of the Beast is indeed Rome:
And the woman which you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.
Revelation 17:18
As I explain in the next section, John was given the book of Revelation during the reign of the Emperor Nero. And Rome was the 'great city' that reigned over the kings of the earth at that time.
THE SEVEN HEADS AS SEVEN KINGS
Revelation 17:10-11 explains the Beast itself:
There are also 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.
Some would argue that Julius Caesar was not an emperor. But Rome declared him a 'Dictator for Life'. And it was because he had chosen his nephew Octavian to be his successor, that Octavian would enjoy the political support necessary to become the next Emperor of Rome: Augustus.
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 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, 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 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.
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 both a Roman and had served the first seven 'kings'. But there is something important about God's description of Vespasian that we must not miss. God describes Vespasian himself 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
VESPASIAN AS THE BEAST
Although he was just a single man, Vespasian is called 'the Beast'. Why? How does he qualify for this description? Because he incorporated three Satanically desired traits that would mark all of his successors in the future:
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:
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, and celebrated the victory of Rome's gods over Israel's god.
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 to Rome.
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. 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)
2)
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 the rise of Revelation's Beast in December of 69 AD, we must connect this historic moment with Satan being cast out of heaven by God's victorious Son. The downfall of Satan and the rise of the Beast are simultaneous events. It is Satan, in frustrated rage, who first authorized and empowered the Beast (Revelation 13:2,4). The Beast is Satan's brainchild, and Rome's metamorphosis in 69 AD is the product of Satanic cunning.
And the Beast's first service to Satan was the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in 70 AD. This coming of the Beast against Jerusalem was foretold as the Roman prince of Daniel 9:26, and as armies surrounding Jerusalem in Luke 21:20.
And Satan's involvement is described as a winged 'Abomination of Desolation' in Daniel 9:27, as well as in Matthew 24:15-16 and Mark 13:14. In God's wisdom the three versions of Jesus' Olivet Discourse, all describing the downfall of Jerusalem, bring Satan (in Matthew and Mark) and the Beast (in Luke)
FEET OF IRON AND CLAY
The metamorphosis of Rome, from a single empire to a city riding upon the backs of many empires, is revealed in Daniel chapter 2. In that prophecy the Roman Empire was first symbolized by the iron
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 an invincible 'iron' military power into a 'clay Woman' riding upon the backs of many 'iron' military powers. The mixture of iron and clay symbolizes a policy that has been followed by the city of Rome ever since 70 AD; a policy of 'selling' its religious influence to various conquerors who will ally themselves with her.
Rome's tactics have come to be known as '
In summary, the Beast of Revelation is comprised of military leaders and nations, beginning with the Roman Emperor Vespasian in
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:
AMERICA AS THE BEAST
In my page titled '
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
The 'eyes of a man' represent the humanism of America's 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, before those lands could become the continental United States.
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
At the same time the Roman Catholic Church moved away from its past connection to the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Spain), and toward a closer cooperation with the United States.
And after demonstrating its 'smart weapons' in the First Gulf War of 1991, along with the simultaneous collapse of the Soviet Union, America became the SINGLE unchallenged super-power in a
And Daniel noticed something else about the Little Horn:
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 attitude in the last days, there is now an ever increasing hatred and criminalization of protestant evangelical Christianity in the United States. I have more to say about this in my page titled
AMERICA AS 'BABYLON THE GREAT'
The 10 horns on the fourth Beast in Daniel chapter 7 provide the context for America's rise in the world to become the Beast in 1945. But the 10 horns on the Beast in Revelation 17 provide the context surrounding America's fall as 'Babylon the Great'. How will this happen?
Today, as Russia has recovered from its collapse in 1991, and as America's greedy attempts to militarily and economically dominate the Eastern Hemisphere have become unsustainable, a new version of 'the Beast' will arise. With America's acceptance and Rome's blessing, we may see the United Nations become the final form of Revelation's Beast. The Bible speaks of 10 horns (nations) that will join with the Beast in the final prophetic 'hour':
“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.” Revelation 17:12-17
Whereas the United States alone has been the Beast since 1945, soon it will become one of several nations which will unite to comprise 'the Beast'. And in these circumstances 'Roman Catholic Babylon' will be destroyed by the 'ten horns', while what then remains of the Beast will go on to confront the Son of God at Armageddon.
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'? I suspect that they will all exist in the Eastern Hemisphere, will all possess nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver them, and will all have reasons for hating the Roman Catholic West. And I would suggest that the nuclear powers of Britain and France should not be excluded from this list of possibilities; given that they have both been