Revelation Chapter 13 Comments ...
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Thomas montgomery's comment about verse 10 on 11/18/2012, 8:55pm...
I submitted a post earlier and I may need to correct some information, the year for a day time prophecy is found in Ezekiel 4:6 and numbers 14:34, I’m not sure if I stated the verses correctly previously. Thank you.
Thomas montgomery's comment about verse 10 on 11/18/2012, 8:15pm...
Revelation 13:10 is a prophecy concerning the Papacy, in 1798 Napoleons General Berthier took the Pope Pius VI captive where he died in captivity, thus fulfilling the 1260 year "or 3 and 1/2 year reign of the Papacy" in Ezekiel 4:6 and numbers 3:4, GOD gives a year for a day concerning bible time prophecy.
BRIGHT OWUSU's comment on 11/11/2012, 2:45am...
My dear men and women, the time is near. The beast is working. People worship the beast by giving glory and thanks to prophet instead of God. Some people have the beast mark to pollute people. People are forced to sign gay and lesbian as law. The time is near.
Takirid's comment about verse 1 on 9/30/2012, 3:14am...
THE great dragon has been cast down to the earth! Our study of Revelation makes it clear that never again will the Serpent or his demon followers be allowed back into heaven. But we are not yet finished with “the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth.” The account next identifies in greater detail the means used by Satan to fight against ‘the woman and her seed.’ (Revelation 12:9, 17) John says of that serpentine dragon: “And it stood still upon the sand of the sea.” (Revelation 13:1a) So let us pause to examine the dragon’s means of operation.
2 No longer are the holy heavens afflicted by the presence of Satan and his demons. Those wicked spirits have been ousted from heaven and confined to the vicinity of the earth. This no doubt accounts for the tremendous growth of spiritistic practices in modern times. The wily Serpent still maintains a corrupt spirit organization. But does he also use a visible organization in order to mislead mankind? John tells us: “And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.”—Revelation 13:1b, 2.
3 What is this freakish beast? The Bible itself gives the answer. Before the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E., the Jewish prophet Daniel saw visions involving ferocious beasts. At Daniel 7:2-8 he describes four beasts coming out of the sea, the first resembling a lion, the second a bear, the third a leopard, and “see there! a fourth beast, fearsome and terrible and unusually strong . . . and it had ten horns.” This is remarkably similar to the wild beast seen by John about the year 96 C.E. That beast also has the characteristics of a lion, a bear, and a leopard, and it has ten horns. What is the identity of the huge beasts seen by Daniel? He informs us: “These huge beasts . . . are four kings that will stand up from the earth.” (Daniel 7:17) Yes, those beasts represent “kings,” or political powers of the earth.
4 In another vision, Daniel sees a two-horned ram that is struck down by a goat with a great horn. The angel Gabriel explains to him what it means: “The ram . . . stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece.” Gabriel goes on to prophesy that the great horn of the he-goat would be broken and be succeeded by four horns. This actually happened more than 200 years later when Alexander the Great died and his kingdom was split into four kingdoms ruled over by four of his generals.—Daniel 8:3-8, 20-25.
5 It is clear, therefore, that the Author of the inspired Bible regards the political powers of the earth as beasts. What kind of beasts? One commentator calls the wild beast of Revelation 13:1, 2 a “brute,” and adds: “We accept all the connotations that θηρίον [the·ri′on, the Greek word for “beast”] conveys, such as that of a cruel, destructive, frightful, ravenous, etc., monster.” How well that describes the bloodstained political system by which Satan has dominated mankind! The seven heads of this wild beast stand for six major world powers featured in Bible history up to John’s day—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome—and a seventh world power prophesied to appear later.—Compare Revelation 17:9, 10.
6 True, there have been other world powers in history besides the seven—just as the wild beast John saw was made up of a body as well as of seven heads and ten horns. But the seven heads represent the seven major powers that have, each in its turn, taken the lead in oppressing God’s people. In 33 C.E., while Rome was ascendant, Satan used that head of the wild beast to kill the Son of God. At that time, God abandoned the faithless Jewish system of things and later, in 70 C.E., allowed Rome to execute his judgment on that nation. Happily, the true Israel of God, the congregation of anointed Christians, had been forewarned, and those in Jerusalem and Judaea had fled to safety beyond the Jordan River.—Matthew 24:15, 16; Galatians 6:16.
7 By the end of the first century C.E., however, many in this early congregation had fallen away from the truth, and the true Christian wheat, “the sons of the kingdom,” had been largely choked out by weeds, “the sons of the wicked one.” But when the conclusion of the system of things arrived, anointed Christians again appeared as an organized group. During the Lord’s day, the righteous ones were due to “shine as brightly as the sun.” Hence, the Christian congregation was organized for work. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) By then, the Roman Empire was no more. The huge British Empire, along with the powerful United States of America, held the center of the world stage. This dual world power proved to be the seventh head of the wild beast.
Gloyd's comment on 9/04/2012, 9:23am...
Image is a one world system. The beast known as the antichrist leads the whole thing. The system rises up out of the people. Flesh men and woman. Satans spirit begins it with his power and then he heals a deadly wound of it so it turns out to begin to take over and then with more power and tricks it takes over as he claims to be a god. Looks just like the Lamb and has horns/powers but sounds like a dragon because it is the dragon. Don't buy or sell. Wait for the true Christ.
Gloyd's comment on 9/03/2012, 10:01am...
The first beast is a system. It rises from the people. Then the antichrist shows up to heal its problem. Then he plays a role of a god. Them that don't know this has the Mark inside their minds. He can't kill anyone because his role as Jesus wouldn't be suited for it. Most all death you read is spiritual death. He is death so people deliver up the elect who won't bow down.
Bill english's comment about verse 4 on 7/19/2012, 7:42am...
The image made with hands...internet...Dragon giving his power to it, to have it's own life. A MORMON will likely become President (look at their beliefs). Put together with world events...Got it? Don't panic...LOOK UP!
Amy's comment on 7/16/2012, 12:06am...
Well, first you have to apply the law of interpretation of the bible. Which is: When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; Therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary,usual, literal meaning
Unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light Of related passages and
axiomatic and fundamental truths indicate clearly otherwise. That said, here we have "The Beast" who is demanding worship of the image he sets up, and image that can be "seen by all" which in itself is an abomination as the Jewish temple worship system never allowed anybody but the "High Priest" to open the door to the "Holy of Holies" and go in. That said, it seems that people are actively worshipping the beast before they receive the mark IN their right hand or IN their forehead. It's either the number, his name, or his image. Be it an implanted chip, or a tatoo, it's IN their skin on their right hand or forehead. Meantime, people are being killed if they do not worship the beast. And, the beast is Satan, even though a "fallen" Cherubim, a Cherubim is a "beast", just like there are animals here on earth. I have to think that those who take the mark are already worshipping the beast, but it's Satans assurance of their allegience. and to be sure, he makes it so they cannot buy or sell (eat or live) unless they take the mark. Once the mark is taken, that person has reached the "Point of no return" and are destined for hell. By this time, how much of the population is even left? Either way, the tribulation is for UNbelievers. Many will still be saved during that time, but they will have to die for their belief in Jesus.
Harry's comment on 6/24/2012, 3:36am...
Many believe that the saints will be raptured and will not have to go through the tribulation, but this belief is something that has been handed down through traditional teaching that are not established on the word of God. Bible verses have been taken out of context and twisted to fit certain denominational beliefs. Jesus mentioned many times that God's covenant people will go through the tribulation. Just as the three faithful Hebrew boys were not taken out of the fiery furnace, but Jesus walked through their time of trail with them, so will Jesus be with the faithful with the hour of trail comes. We must always trust in Jesus' words and not the words of shepherds who preach for hire. Today some Pastors will tell the congregation exactly what they want to hear. False doctrines are being taught throughout the churches on planet earth and God is not pleased. Remember, judgment must begin in the house of God first. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin with us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17) Today the church seems to think that all is well and that God's people is doing exactly what God has commanded, but God is patient, but angry with his people because of their intentional and habitual violation of his law. Satan has unleashed an all out attack against God's law and God's people are blinded concerning this truth. There is a rapture, but not a secret pre-tribulation rapture. Jesus didn't run from his destiny and he told us that if we don't pick up our cross daily and follow him, then we are not worthy of him. The cross was an instrument of death, but today Satan will influence the beast organization to come up with an instrument of fear to be used against God's people, those who will stand for truth and not fall for Satan. "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4) God teaches us in the Book of Daniel and in Revelation that the issue is worship. Who will you worship? It is important to know the origins of how your church worship. All of the Protestant Churches adopted their worship from the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church adopted their worship from pagan worship and customs that they allowed when they converted pagans. They deemed it necessary to allow pagan converts to continue practicing some of their heathen worship practices. The worship of graven images were allowed and almost all of them had a male and female god and goddess so Mary was set up in the place of female goddesses, hence idol worship was accepted. Sun-worship was the main worship practice for the Romans. However, after they claimed to be Christians they continued to practice sun-worship. Today that is why Christians worship on Sunday, the first day of the week. But God's day of worship is the seventh day. The seventh day Sabbath has never been done away with as some Church leaders claim. Search the Scriptures and you will find in the Book of Daniel and Revelation, as well as Matthew Chapter 24, and the parable about the wheat and the tares that violation of God's commandments is the great transgression that is going on right now today; the mystery of iniquity that is already at work.
Jah1z's comment on 6/19/2012, 5:23am...
Beast - an ethnicity of a racial pride.
Dragon - The military-might of that ethnicity.
Heads, Horns and Crowns - Nations, Kingdoms and Kings
Given Unto Him a Mouth - Pagan gods the ethnicity professed.
Another Beast with Two Horns like a lamb - Kingdoms coming to God "in their own racial way."
Make An Image Unto The Beast - Erected statues, symbols, that recognizes "men" and their rule; even invoking their namesake in military campaigns.
The Mark or the Name or the Number of his name - the Identity of the racist ethnicity/citizen. The nation-members aligned with this racist ethnicity, claim "allegiance" with the racist ethnicity.
666 -
From Japheth to their recognition in 600 B.C.
To the time of 63 BC, as they came in contact with the tribe of Judah/Judea.
6 nations makes up their posterity.
666 is the Caucasian race. Their prophecy was announced early in Genesis - "I will out enmity between their seed and her seed."
Noah's 3 sons in birth order: Ham, Shem and Japheth. However, spiritually, its in this order: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham (the firstborn) lost his birthright to Shem, thus the reason Canaan was cursed to be slaved under Shem while Japheth's posterity was just enlarged as a blessing.
When you add up the Patriarch sons of civilization, Japheth is the 6th son after Cain, Abel and Seth (with Adam) and (Shem), Ham and Japheth (with Noah).
He lines up as the 6th son whose identity wouldn't be reveal until 600 BC as the enemy of the tribe of Judah and spiritually against Jesus in 63 B.C.
On a side note....the Woman clothed with Sun with the Moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars is representative of the birth of Israel with the tribe of Judah coming forth with the birth of Jesus Christ. And there, the Dragon is there to devour the child but the child was snatch up to God, to His throne.
Such the prophesy concerning Judah -- From the prey, thy art gone up. A lion's whelp. He crouch as a lion and as an old lion who can rouse him up. Thy hands will be on thy enemies throat.
This war (by Satan) started in 63 B.C. and still on-going --- when Judah fled to Africa during Rome's persecution of Judea, that's what Revelation 12 was talking about.
And its my view, the 3rd part of the stars in Heaven that the Dragon's tail drew, to devour the man-child (Jesus) was most likely the 3rd part of the stars on the Woman's crown; the12 sons of Israel in their birth order.
The bottom 3rd is Issachar, Zubulon and Benjamin, for Joseph (Manansseh and Ephraim) replaced Reuben as the firstborn birthright because Rueben defiled his father's bed. So, the bottom 3rd of the sons are the modern-day Mexicans, Panamanians and Guatemalains.
It was those 3 sons that mixed with the Romans, thus the reason you have the Greek and Latin written texts of the Bible instead of the original Hebrew language. And thus the reason the Spanish and the Greek culture so closely aligned.
Meanwhile, the beast open his mouth to cast out water after the Woman to carry her away. This speaks specifically to the Atlantic slave trade after a long period of protection from Satan....as the scriptures meant by " a time, times and time" before the Beast went looking for her.
The earth helped the Woman and swallowed up the flood. This precisely speaks to the slave ships arriving ashore the Americas and America rather then drowning at sea as Satan hoped.
So the very descendants of Judah, the ancient Hebrew Israelites are the Black Americans, or better known as: African-Americans.
And their hands had been on their enemies throats since slavery to now, and won a lot of concessions from the Caucasian power of the U.S. --- civil rights an important one and the Bible said, their brothers will praise them. The Latinos ( the rest of some of the tribes of Israel) are following the same path made possible by their brother, Judah, to get citizenship .... and they using the same method as their brother by peaceful protesting, marches, civil disobedience, the same way as their brothers did during the Civil Rights era. This is some of the praise for Judah for having made a way for their brothers to come to America.
The Puerto Ricans, Indians, Jamaicans, Cubans, Brazillians, Argentinians, Chileans, West Indies are the rest that makes up the 12 tribes of Israel.
Now, these are my interpretations of Revelation 12 and 13. In no way am I passing them off as facts but tried to match biblical events/prophecies with recorded history. You will see, for Chapter 12 and 13 is talking about a black nation Judea, invaded by a racial ethnicity, the Caucasian race --- the reason I refer to Caucasians as an ethnicity is due to the fact Japheth was a Black son, just like his brothers and all people of Genesis. It wasn't until prophesies and mixing between the people that the Caucasian came onto the scene. This is why they are referred as a "Beast coming up from the sea or ground" they are not part of the Black family of the Bible. Again, this is my interpretation.
Takirid's comment about verse 18 on 5/15/2012, 10:09pm...
The wild beast has a name, and this name is a number: 666. Six, as a number, is associated with Jehovah’s enemies. A Philistine man of the Rephaim was of “extraordinary size,” and his “fingers and toes were in sixes.” (1 Chronicles 20:6) King Nebuchadnezzar erected a golden image 6 cubits in breadth and 60 cubits high, to unify his political officials in one worship. When God’s servants refused to worship the image of gold, the king had them thrown into a fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:1-23) The number six falls short of seven, which stands for completeness from God’s standpoint. Therefore, a triple six represents gross imperfection. A name identifies a person. So how does this number identify the beast? John says that it “is a man’s number,” not that of a spirit person, so the name helps to confirm that the wild beast is earthly, symbolizing human government. Just as six fails to measure up to seven, so 666—six to the third degree—is a fitting name for the world’s gigantic political system that fails so miserably to measure up to God’s standard of perfection. The world’s political wild beast rules supreme under the name-number 666, while big politics, big religion, and big business keep that wild beast functioning as an oppressor of mankind and a persecutor of God’s people. What does it mean to be marked on the forehead or in the right hand with the name of the wild beast? When Jehovah gave Israel the Law, he told them: “You must apply these words of mine to your heart and your soul and bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they must serve as a frontlet band between your eyes.” (Deuteronomy 11:18) This meant that the Israelites had to keep that Law constantly before them, so that it influenced all their actions and thoughts. The 144,000 anointed ones are said to have the Father’s name and that of Jesus written on their foreheads. This identifies them as belonging to Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. (Revelation 14:1) In imitation, Satan uses the demonic mark of the wild beast. Anybody engaged in everyday activities such as buying and selling is pressured to do things the way the wild beast does, as, for example, in celebrating holidays. They are expected to worship the wild beast, letting it rule their lives, so as to receive its mark.
Takirid's comment on 5/15/2012, 9:31pm...
THE great dragon has been cast down to the earth! Our study of Revelation makes it clear that never again will the Serpent or his demon followers be allowed back into heaven. But we are not yet finished with “the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth.” The account next identifies in greater detail the means used by Satan to fight against ‘the woman and her seed.’ (Revelation 12:9, 17) John says of that serpentine dragon: “And it stood still upon the sand of the sea.” (Revelation 13:1a) So let us pause to examine the dragon’s means of operation.
2 No longer are the holy heavens afflicted by the presence of Satan and his demons. Those wicked spirits have been ousted from heaven and confined to the vicinity of the earth. This no doubt accounts for the tremendous growth of spiritistic practices in modern times. The wily Serpent still maintains a corrupt spirit organization. But does he also use a visible organization in order to mislead mankind? John tells us: “And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.”—Revelation 13:1b, 2.
3 What is this freakish beast? The Bible itself gives the answer. Before the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E., the Jewish prophet Daniel saw visions involving ferocious beasts. At Daniel 7:2-8 he describes four beasts coming out of the sea, the first resembling a lion, the second a bear, the third a leopard, and “see there! a fourth beast, fearsome and terrible and unusually strong . . . and it had ten horns.” This is remarkably similar to the wild beast seen by John about the year 96 C.E. That beast also has the characteristics of a lion, a bear, and a leopard, and it has ten horns. What is the identity of the huge beasts seen by Daniel? He informs us: “These huge beasts . . . are four kings that will stand up from the earth.” (Daniel 7:17) Yes, those beasts represent “kings,” or political powers of the earth.
4 In another vision, Daniel sees a two-horned ram that is struck down by a goat with a great horn. The angel Gabriel explains to him what it means: “The ram . . . stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece.” Gabriel goes on to prophesy that the great horn of the he-goat would be broken and be succeeded by four horns. This actually happened more than 200 years later when Alexander the Great died and his kingdom was split into four kingdoms ruled over by four of his generals.—Daniel 8:3-8, 20-25.
5 It is clear, therefore, that the Author of the inspired Bible regards the political powers of the earth as beasts. What kind of beasts? One commentator calls the wild beast of Revelation 13:1, 2 a “brute,” and adds: “We accept all the connotations that θηρίον [the·ri′on, the Greek word for “beast”] conveys, such as that of a cruel, destructive, frightful, ravenous, etc., monster.” How well that describes the bloodstained political system by which Satan has dominated mankind! The seven heads of this wild beast stand for six major world powers featured in Bible history up to John’s day—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome—and a seventh world power prophesied to appear later.—Compare Revelation 17:9, 10.
6 True, there have been other world powers in history besides the seven—just as the wild beast John saw was made up of a body as well as of seven heads and ten horns. But the seven heads represent the seven major powers that have, each in its turn, taken the lead in oppressing God’s people. In 33 C.E., while Rome was ascendant, Satan used that head of the wild beast to kill the Son of God. At that time, God abandoned the faithless Jewish system of things and later, in 70 C.E., allowed Rome to execute his judgment on that nation. Happily, the true Israel of God, the congregation of anointed Christians, had been forewarned, and those in Jerusalem and Judaea had fled to safety beyond the Jordan River.—Matthew 24:15, 16; Galatians 6:16.
7 By the end of the first century C.E., however, many in this early congregation had fallen away from the truth, and the true Christian wheat, “the sons of the kingdom,” had been largely choked out by weeds, “the sons of the wicked one.” But when the conclusion of the system of things arrived, anointed Christians again appeared as an organized group. During the Lord’s day, the righteous ones were due to “shine as brightly as the sun.” Hence, the Christian congregation was organized for work. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) By then, the Roman Empire was no more. The huge British Empire, along with the powerful United States of America, held the center of the world stage. This dual world power proved to be the seventh head of the wild beast.
Takirid's comment about verse 1 on 5/04/2012, 10:14am...
THE great dragon has been cast down to the earth! Our study of Revelation makes it clear that never again will the Serpent or his demon followers be allowed back into heaven. But we are not yet finished with “the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth.” The account next identifies in greater detail the means used by Satan to fight against ‘the woman and her seed.’ (Revelation 12:9, 17) John says of that serpentine dragon: “And it stood still upon the sand of the sea.” (Revelation 13:1a) So let us pause to examine the dragon’s means of operation.
No longer are the holy heavens afflicted by the presence of Satan and his demons. Those wicked spirits have been ousted from heaven and confined to the vicinity of the earth. This no doubt accounts for the tremendous growth of spiritistic practices in modern times. The wily Serpent still maintains a corrupt spirit organization. But does he also use a visible organization in order to mislead mankind? John tells us: “And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.”—Revelation 13:1b, 2.
What is this freakish beast? The Bible itself gives the answer. Before the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E., the Jewish prophet Daniel saw visions involving ferocious beasts. At Daniel 7:2-8 he describes four beasts coming out of the sea, the first resembling a lion, the second a bear, the third a leopard, and “see there! a fourth beast, fearsome and terrible and unusually strong . . . and it had ten horns.” This is remarkably similar to the wild beast seen by John about the year 96 C.E. That beast also has the characteristics of a lion, a bear, and a leopard, and it has ten horns. What is the identity of the huge beasts seen by Daniel? He informs us: “These huge beasts . . . are four kings that will stand up from the earth.” (Daniel 7:17) Yes, those beasts represent “kings,” or political powers of the earth.
In another vision, Daniel sees a two-horned ram that is struck down by a goat with a great horn. The angel Gabriel explains to him what it means: “The ram . . . stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece.” Gabriel goes on to prophesy that the great horn of the he-goat would be broken and be succeeded by four horns. This actually happened more than 200 years later when Alexander the Great died and his kingdom was split into four kingdoms ruled over by four of his generals.—Daniel 8:3-8, 20-25.
It is clear, therefore, that the Author of the inspired Bible regards the political powers of the earth as beasts. What kind of beasts? One commentator calls the wild beast of Revelation 13:1, 2 a “brute,” and adds: “We accept all the connotations that θηρίον [the·ri′on, the Greek word for “beast”] conveys, such as that of a cruel, destructive, frightful, ravenous, etc., monster.” How well that describes the bloodstained political system by which Satan has dominated mankind! The seven heads of this wild beast stand for six major world powers featured in Bible history up to John’s day—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome—and a seventh world power prophesied to appear later.—Compare Revelation 17:9, 10.
True, there have been other world powers in history besides the seven—just as the wild beast John saw was made up of a body as well as of seven heads and ten horns. But the seven heads represent the seven major powers that have, each in its turn, taken the lead in oppressing God’s people. In 33 C.E., while Rome was ascendant, Satan used that head of the wild beast to kill the Son of God. At that time, God abandoned the faithless Jewish system of things and later, in 70 C.E., allowed Rome to execute his judgment on that nation. Happily, the true Israel of God, the congregation of anointed Christians, had been forewarned, and those in Jerusalem and Judaea had fled to safety beyond the Jordan River.—Matthew 24:15, 16; Galatians 6:16.
By the end of the first century C.E., however, many in this early congregation had fallen away from the truth, and the true Christian wheat, “the sons of the kingdom,” had been largely choked out by weeds, “the sons of the wicked one.” But when the conclusion of the system of things arrived, anointed Christians again appeared as an organized group. During the Lord’s day, the righteous ones were due to “shine as brightly as the sun.” Hence, the Christian congregation was organized for work. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) By then, the Roman Empire was no more. The huge British Empire, along with the powerful United States of America, held the center of the world stage. This dual world power proved to be the seventh head of the wild beast.
Is it not shocking to identify the ruling political powers with a wild beast? That is what some opposers claimed during World War II, when the status of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as an organization and as individuals, was being challenged in law courts around the earth. But stop and think! Do not the nations themselves adopt beasts or wild creatures as their national symbols? For example, there are the British lion, the American eagle, and the Chinese dragon. So why should anyone object if the divine Author of the Holy Bible also uses beasts to symbolize world powers?
Moreover, why should anyone object to the Bible’s saying that it is Satan who gives the wild beast its great authority? God is the Source of that statement, and before him ‘the nations are as a drop from a bucket and as a film of dust.’ Those nations would do better to court God’s favor than to take offense at the way his prophetic Word describes them. (Isaiah 40:15, 17; Psalm 2:10-12) Satan is no mythical person assigned to tormenting departed souls in a fiery hell. No such place exists. Rather, Satan is described in Scripture as “an angel of light”—a master of deception who exercises powerful influence in general political affairs.—2 Corinthians 11:3, 14, 15; Ephesians 6:11-18. The wild beast has ten horns on its seven heads. Perhaps four heads had one horn each and three heads two horns each. Moreover, it had ten diadems on its horns. In the book of Daniel, fearsome beasts are described, and the numbering of their horns is to be interpreted literally. For example, the two horns on a ram represented a world empire made up of two partners, Media and Persia, while the four horns on a goat represented the four coexisting empires that grew out of Alexander the Great’s Greek empire. (Daniel 8:3, 8, 20-22) On the beast that John saw, however, the numbering of the ten horns appears to be symbolic. (Compare Daniel 7:24; Revelation 17:12.) They represent the completeness of sovereign states making up the entire political organization of Satan. All these horns are violent and aggressive, but as indicated by the seven heads, headship resides in only one world power at a time. Similarly, the ten diadems indicate that all sovereign states would exercise ruling power simultaneously with the dominant state, or world power, of that time.
Takirid's comment on 5/03/2012, 5:22pm...
THE great dragon has been cast down to the earth! Our study of Revelation makes it clear that never again will the Serpent or his demon followers be allowed back into heaven. But we are not yet finished with “the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth.” The account next identifies in greater detail the means used by Satan to fight against ‘the woman and her seed.’ (Revelation 12:9, 17) John says of that serpentine dragon: “And it stood still upon the sand of the sea.” (Revelation 13:1a) So let us pause to examine the dragon’s means of operation.
No longer are the holy heavens afflicted by the presence of Satan and his demons. Those wicked spirits have been ousted from heaven and confined to the vicinity of the earth. This no doubt accounts for the tremendous growth of spiritistic practices in modern times. The wily Serpent still maintains a corrupt spirit organization. But does he also use a visible organization in order to mislead mankind? John tells us: “And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.”—Revelation 13:1b, 2.
What is this freakish beast? The Bible itself gives the answer. Before the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E., the Jewish prophet Daniel saw visions involving ferocious beasts. At Daniel 7:2-8 he describes four beasts coming out of the sea, the first resembling a lion, the second a bear, the third a leopard, and “see there! a fourth beast, fearsome and terrible and unusually strong . . . and it had ten horns.” This is remarkably similar to the wild beast seen by John about the year 96 C.E. That beast also has the characteristics of a lion, a bear, and a leopard, and it has ten horns. What is the identity of the huge beasts seen by Daniel? He informs us: “These huge beasts . . . are four kings that will stand up from the earth.” (Daniel 7:17) Yes, those beasts represent “kings,” or political powers of the earth.
In another vision, Daniel sees a two-horned ram that is struck down by a goat with a great horn. The angel Gabriel explains to him what it means: “The ram . . . stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece.” Gabriel goes on to prophesy that the great horn of the he-goat would be broken and be succeeded by four horns. This actually happened more than 200 years later when Alexander the Great died and his kingdom was split into four kingdoms ruled over by four of his generals.—Daniel 8:3-8, 20-25.
It is clear, therefore, that the Author of the inspired Bible regards the political powers of the earth as beasts. What kind of beasts? One commentator calls the wild beast of Revelation 13:1, 2 a “brute,” and adds: “We accept all the connotations that θηρίον [the·ri′on, the Greek word for “beast”] conveys, such as that of a cruel, destructive, frightful, ravenous, etc., monster.” How well that describes the bloodstained political system by which Satan has dominated mankind! The seven heads of this wild beast stand for six major world powers featured in Bible history up to John’s day—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome—and a seventh world power prophesied to appear later.—Compare Revelation 17:9, 10.
True, there have been other world powers in history besides the seven—just as the wild beast John saw was made up of a body as well as of seven heads and ten horns. But the seven heads represent the seven major powers that have, each in its turn, taken the lead in oppressing God’s people. In 33 C.E., while Rome was ascendant, Satan used that head of the wild beast to kill the Son of God. At that time, God abandoned the faithless Jewish system of things and later, in 70 C.E., allowed Rome to execute his judgment on that nation. Happily, the true Israel of God, the congregation of anointed Christians, had been forewarned, and those in Jerusalem and Judaea had fled to safety beyond the Jordan River.—Matthew 24:15, 16; Galatians 6:16.
By the end of the first century C.E., however, many in this early congregation had fallen away from the truth, and the true Christian wheat, “the sons of the kingdom,” had been largely choked out by weeds, “the sons of the wicked one.” But when the conclusion of the system of things arrived, anointed Christians again appeared as an organized group. During the Lord’s day, the righteous ones were due to “shine as brightly as the sun.” Hence, the Christian congregation was organized for work. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) By then, the Roman Empire was no more. The huge British Empire, along with the powerful United States of America, held the center of the world stage. This dual world power proved to be the seventh head of the wild beast.
Is it not shocking to identify the ruling political powers with a wild beast? That is what some opposers claimed during World War II, when the status of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as an organization and as individuals, was being challenged in law courts around the earth. But stop and think! Do not the nations themselves adopt beasts or wild creatures as their national symbols? For example, there are the British lion, the American eagle, and the Chinese dragon. So why should anyone object if the divine Author of the Holy Bible also uses beasts to symbolize world powers?
Moreover, why should anyone object to the Bible’s saying that it is Satan who gives the wild beast its great authority? God is the Source of that statement, and before him ‘the nations are as a drop from a bucket and as a film of dust.’ Those nations would do better to court God’s favor than to take offense at the way his prophetic Word describes them. (Isaiah 40:15, 17; Psalm 2:10-12) Satan is no mythical person assigned to tormenting departed souls in a fiery hell. No such place exists. Rather, Satan is described in Scripture as “an angel of light”—a master of deception who exercises powerful influence in general political affairs.—2 Corinthians 11:3, 14, 15; Ephesians 6:11-18.
10 The wild beast has ten horns on its seven heads. Perhaps four heads had one horn each and three heads two horns each. Moreover, it had ten diadems on its horns. In the book of Daniel, fearsome beasts are described, and the numbering of their horns is to be interpreted literally. For example, the two horns on a ram represented a world empire made up of two partners, Media and Persia, while the four horns on a goat represented the four coexisting empires that grew out of Alexander the Great’s Greek empire. (Daniel 8:3, 8, 20-22) On the beast that John saw, however, the numbering of the ten horns appears to be symbolic. (Compare Daniel 7:24; Revelation 17:12.) They represent the completeness of sovereign states making up the entire political organization of Satan. All these horns are violent and aggressive, but as indicated by the seven heads, headship resides in only one world power at a time. Similarly, the ten diadems indicate that all sovereign states would exercise ruling power simultaneously with the dominant state, or world power, of that time.
The wild beast has “upon its heads blasphemous names,” making claims for itself that show great disrespect for Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. It has used the names of God and Christ as a sham to achieve its political ends; and it has played along with false religion, even allowing the clergy to take part in its political processes. For example, the House of Lords in England includes the bishops. Catholic cardinals have played prominent political roles in France and Italy, and more recently, priests have taken political office in Latin America. Governments print religious slogans, such as “IN GOD WE TRUST,” on their bank notes, and on their coins they claim divine approval for their rulers, stating, for example, that these are appointed “by the grace of God.” All of this is actually blasphemous, for it attempts to involve God in the sullied nationalistic political arena.
Takirid's comment on 4/30/2012, 10:34pm...
And I saw one of its heads as though slaughtered to death, but its death-stroke got healed, and all the earth followed the wild beast with admiration.” (Revelation 13:3) This verse says that one head of the wild beast received a death stroke, but verse 12 speaks as though the entire beast suffered. Why is that? Well, the beast’s heads are not all in the ascendancy together. Each in its turn has lorded it over mankind, particularly over God’s people. (Revelation 17:10) Thus, as the Lord’s day begins, there is only one head, the seventh, acting as the dominant world power. A death stroke on that head brings great distress to the entire wild beast.
14 What was the death stroke? Later, it is called a sword stroke, and a sword is a symbol of warfare. This sword stroke, administered early in the Lord’s day, must relate to the first world war, which devastated and drained Satan’s political wild beast. (Revelation 6:4, 8; 13:14) Author Maurice Genevoix, who was a military officer during that war, said of it: “Everyone agrees in recognizing that in the whole history of mankind, few dates have had the importance of August 2, 1914. First Europe and soon after almost all humanity found themselves plunged into a dreadful event. Conventions, agreements, moral laws, all the foundations shook; from one day to the next, everything was called into question. The event was to exceed both instinctive forebodings and reasonable anticipations. Enormous, chaotic, monstrous, it still drags us in its wake.”—Maurice Genevoix, member of the Académie Française, quoted in the book Promise of Greatness (1968).
15 For the dominant seventh head of the wild beast, that war was a major disaster. Along with other European nations, Britain lost its young men in traumatic numbers. In one battle alone, the Battle of the River Somme in 1916, there were 420,000 British casualties along with some 194,000 French and 440,000 German—more than 1,000,000 casualties! Economically, too, Britain—together with the rest of Europe—was shattered. The huge British Empire staggered under the blow and never fully recovered. Indeed, that war, with 28 leading nations participating, sent the entire world reeling as if by a deathblow. On August 4, 1979, just 65 years after the outbreak of World War I, The Economist, of London, England, commented: “In 1914 the world lost a coherence which it has not managed to recapture since.”
16 At the same time, the Great War, as it was then called, opened the way for the United States to emerge distinctly as part of the Anglo-American World Power. For the first years of the war, public opinion kept the United States out of the conflict. But as historian Esmé Wingfield-Stratford wrote, “it was all a question of whether, at this hour of supreme crisis, Britain and the United States would sink their differences in the realization of [their] overmastering unity and common trusteeship.” As events turned out, they did. In 1917 the United States contributed her resources and manpower to bolster the war effort of the staggering Allies. Thus, the seventh head, combining Britain and the United States, came out on the winning side.
17 The world after the war was vastly different. Satan’s earthly system, although devastated by the death stroke, revived and became more powerful than ever and so won the admiration of humans because of its recuperative power.
18 Historian Charles L. Mee, Jr., writes: “The collapse of the old order [caused by the first world war] was a necessary prelude to the spread of self-rule, the liberation of new nations and classes, the release of new freedom and independence.” Leading in the development of this postwar era was the seventh head of the wild beast, now healed, and with the United States of America moving into the dominant role. The dual world power took the lead in advocating both the League of Nations and the United Nations. By the year 2005, U.S. political power had led the more privileged nations in creating a higher standard of living, in fighting disease, and in advancing technology. It had even placed 12 men on the moon. It is no wonder, therefore, that mankind in general has “followed the wild beast with admiration.”
Takirid's comment on 4/30/2012, 10:27pm...
“And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.”—Revelation 13:1b, 2.
3 What is this freakish beast? The Bible itself gives the answer. Before the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E., the Jewish prophet Daniel saw visions involving ferocious beasts. At Daniel 7:2-8 he describes four beasts coming out of the sea, the first resembling a lion, the second a bear, the third a leopard, and “see there! a fourth beast, fearsome and terrible and unusually strong . . . and it had ten horns.” This is remarkably similar to the wild beast seen by John about the year 96 C.E. That beast also has the characteristics of a lion, a bear, and a leopard, and it has ten horns. What is the identity of the huge beasts seen by Daniel? He informs us: “These huge beasts . . . are four kings that will stand up from the earth.” (Daniel 7:17) Yes, those beasts represent “kings,” or political powers of the earth.
4 In another vision, Daniel sees a two-horned ram that is struck down by a goat with a great horn. The angel Gabriel explains to him what it means: “The ram . . . stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece.” Gabriel goes on to prophesy that the great horn of the he-goat would be broken and be succeeded by four horns. This actually happened more than 200 years later when Alexander the Great died and his kingdom was split into four kingdoms ruled over by four of his generals.—Daniel 8:3-8, 20-25.
5 It is clear, therefore, that the Author of the inspired Bible regards the political powers of the earth as beasts. What kind of beasts? One commentator calls the wild beast of Revelation 13:1, 2 a “brute,” and adds: “We accept all the connotations that θηρίον [the·ri′on, the Greek word for “beast”] conveys, such as that of a cruel, destructive, frightful, ravenous, etc., monster.” How well that describes the bloodstained political system by which Satan has dominated mankind! The seven heads of this wild beast stand for six major world powers featured in Bible history up to John’s day—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome—and a seventh world power prophesied to appear later.—Compare Revelation 17:9, 10.
6 True, there have been other world powers in history besides the seven—just as the wild beast John saw was made up of a body as well as of seven heads and ten horns. But the seven heads represent the seven major powers that have, each in its turn, taken the lead in oppressing God’s people. In 33 C.E., while Rome was ascendant, Satan used that head of the wild beast to kill the Son of God. At that time, God abandoned the faithless Jewish system of things and later, in 70 C.E., allowed Rome to execute his judgment on that nation. Happily, the true Israel of God, the congregation of anointed Christians, had been forewarned, and those in Jerusalem and Judaea had fled to safety beyond the Jordan River.—Matthew 24:15, 16; Galatians 6:16.
7 By the end of the first century C.E., however, many in this early congregation had fallen away from the truth, and the true Christian wheat, “the sons of the kingdom,” had been largely choked out by weeds, “the sons of the wicked one.” But when the conclusion of the system of things arrived, anointed Christians again appeared as an organized group. During the Lord’s day, the righteous ones were due to “shine as brightly as the sun.” Hence, the Christian congregation was organized for work. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) By then, the Roman Empire was no more. The huge British Empire, along with the powerful United States of America, held the center of the world stage. This dual world power proved to be the seventh head of the wild beast.
8 Is it not shocking to identify the ruling political powers with a wild beast? That is what some opposers claimed during World War II, when the status of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as an organization and as individuals, was being challenged in law courts around the earth. But stop and think! Do not the nations themselves adopt beasts or wild creatures as their national symbols? For example, there are the British lion, the American eagle, and the Chinese dragon. So why should anyone object if the divine Author of the Holy Bible also uses beasts to symbolize world powers?
9 Moreover, why should anyone object to the Bible’s saying that it is Satan who gives the wild beast its great authority? God is the Source of that statement, and before him ‘the nations are as a drop from a bucket and as a film of dust.’ Those nations would do better to court God’s favor than to take offense at the way his prophetic Word describes them. (Isaiah 40:15, 17; Psalm 2:10-12) Satan is no mythical person assigned to tormenting departed souls in a fiery hell. No such place exists. Rather, Satan is described in Scripture as “an angel of light”—a master of deception who exercises powerful influence in general political affairs.—2 Corinthians 11:3, 14, 15; Ephesians 6:11-18.
10 The wild beast has ten horns on its seven heads. Perhaps four heads had one horn each and three heads two horns each. Moreover, it had ten diadems on its horns. In the book of Daniel, fearsome beasts are described, and the numbering of their horns is to be interpreted literally. For example, the two horns on a ram represented a world empire made up of two partners, Media and Persia, while the four horns on a goat represented the four coexisting empires that grew out of Alexander the Great’s Greek empire. (Daniel 8:3, 8, 20-22) On the beast that John saw, however, the numbering of the ten horns appears to be symbolic. (Compare Daniel 7:24; Revelation 17:12.) They represent the completeness of sovereign states making up the entire political organization of Satan. All these horns are violent and aggressive, but as indicated by the seven heads, headship resides in only one world power at a time. Similarly, the ten diadems indicate that all sovereign states would exercise ruling power simultaneously with the dominant state, or world power, of that time.
11 The wild beast has “upon its heads blasphemous names,” making claims for itself that show great disrespect for Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. It has used the names of God and Christ as a sham to achieve its political ends; and it has played along with false religion, even allowing the clergy to take part in its political processes. For example, the House of Lords in England includes the bishops. Catholic cardinals have played prominent political roles in France and Italy, and more recently, priests have taken political office in Latin America. Governments print religious slogans, such as “IN GOD WE TRUST,” on their bank notes, and on their coins they claim divine approval for their rulers, stating, for example, that these are appointed “by the grace of God.” All of this is actually blasphemous, for it attempts to involve God in the sullied nationalistic political arena.
12 The wild beast comes out of “the sea,” which is a fitting symbol of the turbulent masses from which human government springs. (Isaiah 17:12, 13) This wild beast began to emerge out of the sea of turbulent humanity away back in the days of Nimrod (about the 21st century B.C.E.), when a post-Flood system of things, opposed to Jehovah, first manifested itself. (Genesis 10:8-12; 11:1-9) But only during the Lord’s day has the last one of its seven heads fully manifested itself. Notice, too, it is the dragon that “gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.” (Compare Luke 4:6.) The beast is Satan’s political creation among the masses of mankind. Satan is truly “the ruler of this world.”—John 12:31.
Robert's comment on 4/19/2012, 1:21am...
There are those that are dancing on the line that will trip this whole thing into motion to where there will be nothing to stop it. You would think that if you wanted to disprove the Word of God, you would do everything in your power to not make prophecy come to pass, yet they run up to the line and dance on it...
Timothy Wayne George's comment on 4/16/2012, 1:30pm...
This antichrist will receive a deadly wound to the head, and the false prophet with two horns, speaking by Satan the dragon will heal him. This is the unholy trinity, and all those who refuse to receive the 666 mark of the beast, and worship the image will be killed. The Church will not be on the earth at this time, because Jesus said in Rev. 3:10 because you kept the word of my patience I will keep you from the hour of trial that will come on all the world. We do not know when the end will come, and only God knows. We can know that it is soon, and even at the door. Christians are to provoke one another to love, and good works as we see the day of Christ coming.
Serge's comment on 4/16/2012, 3:31am...
No one knows the end of the world, bible say not even angels of God know it, only God him self knows it.
Jony's comment about verse 17 on 2/10/2012, 6:00pm...
"buy or sell" must mean the ability to work. (illegal immigrants are forbidden to work)Mark on the hand must be a fingerprint and mark on the head must mean some form of picture i.d.
Garyloyd's comment on 12/03/2011, 1:00am...
In the 3 verse we see that "one of his heads" takes a hit and is healed. Now to capture this in Rev. You will see 10 kings of earth or flesh. Political men in the flesh. One of them but all 10 of them are lead by satans spirit for that 2 and a half months or 30 minutes of the hour of temptation. The time was shorten not the deeds and program that is coming in the seals. So 10 flesh men come together to fix a worldly problem. Maybe peace or finance. If all the money failed and countries went broke and 10 countries came together to save the world or a peace treaty but then the deal didn't go through and the hopes of the world failed to fix the problem. But then a man and satan is a man the word says so,yeah, he is supernatural because he and his bunch didn't want to be born of the flesh,no,they wanted to take over. But this supernatural man shows up doing supernatural things. Lighting from the sky who he fixed the deadly wound and will by you and give you anything you want and need. All you have to do is Bow down and worship this man who says he is god. Listen to the two witnesses who the world hates preaching against their god. We wait for Our Christ.
Garyloyd's comment on 11/27/2011, 7:11pm...
666 is the number of man and "count" is a smoothing down of a stone as in a generation of people. Means kenites or children of cain the first murder`r. 6 seal,vial,trump, are lined up to happen at the same time. 666 is the number of the Anti-Christ. Not a mark on skin or chip in skin. Them that chase after the "instead of Christ" anti-Christ will have the "mark". The word says its "IN" your forehead Or in your brain. Wait for the true Christ,you know the one who flattens Jerusalem. Don't follow the one who comes with peace and flatteries. He appears to heal a deadly wound that ten men in the flesh "flesh kings" political type leaders, they try to fix something but can't and one of them pulls away and then a man shows up doing signs and wonders and calls himself god and fixes the problem and the whole world and churches follow after him and he buys souls for hell in peace. Wait for the true Christ.
Solomon's comment on 11/03/2011, 3:29pm...
take what the bible says as true, and what it means. the mark of the beast is real
Preston's comment about verse 8 on 9/15/2011, 6:45pm...
This beast has always been with us. This verse proves there is no Pre-tribulation Rapture. Verse 8- Everyone living on earth would worship the beast.(These are all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of Life. The Lamb is the one who was killed.)
Howard Shropshire's comment about verse 17 on 6/29/2011, 7:19am...
This verse is saying three things. The mark. What is the mark? The name. What is the name? And I know the number. It looks like this verse is saying you have to have at lease one of three things.
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Judah_Jake: hell? No such thing..but they are going into slavery tho... If you believe in the bible.. Isaiah 14:1-3.. Revelation 13:10.
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