End Time Prophecy

Two Beasts lead the aggression against Israel.
(Revelation 13:1 – 13:18)

Daniel foresaw the Roman Empire hundreds of years before it was established. In Daniel’s vision, the Roman Empire was to be the fourth and final great world empire.

DANIEL’S FOUR GREAT EMPIRES

Major Empire	Chapter 2	Chapter 7	Chapter 8	Identification
Babylonia 626 BC – 539 BC	Head of Gold	Lion		Daniel 2:38
Medo-Persia 539 BC –330 BC	Chest and Arms of Silver	Bear	Ram	Daniel 8:20
Greece 330 BC –167 BC	Belly and Thighs of Bronze	Leopard	Goat	Daniel 8:21
Rome 63 BC –The End	Legs of Iron; Feet of Clay	Terrifying and Frightening Beast		Daniel 9:26 (Rome, 70AD)

Beast Out Of the Sea

Thrown from heaven, an ancient serpent-dragon (Satan) travels to earth. Upon arrival, Satan immediately calls to his son, the Roman Empire beast coming up out of the sea. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. (Revelation 13:1)

The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. (Rev 13:1) Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.(Rev 13:11)

 

This end-time superpower beast must be from Rome. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:18) At the time Revelation was written, Rome was the great city that rules over the kings of the earth. That same city will rule over the kings (world leaders) during the end-times. Daniel also identified Rome as the final great empire. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. (Daniel 9:26) This prophecy refers to events that occurred in 70 AD. The people were Roman soldiers, the city was Jerusalem, and the sanctuary was the Second Temple. Accordingly, the Romans are the people of the ruler in the end times; the final empire must be Roman.

This son-of-Satan is described in detail. That the beast once was, now is not, and yet will come refers to the tendency of the Roman Empire to wax and wane (Revelation 17:8). For example, The Roman Empire remained alive far beyond the so-called “Fall of Rome” in 476 AD; the Eastern Roman Empire did not fall until 1453. The Holy Roman Empire was an alliance of western European nations ruled by Frankish and German kings; it prospered from 800 AD to 1806 AD.

The infamous beast out of the sea, first foretold twenty-five hundred years ago, is now in view (Daniel 7:7). In 1957, six nations signed the Treaty of Rome, which founded the European Economic Community. Marking the start of the present-day Roman Empire, this treaty was actually signed at Rome’s city hall. Then six other nations joined the European Economic Community. This 12-member group, called the European Community, joined with six European Free Trade Association nations to form the 18-nation European Economic Area. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht, also called the Treaty on European Union, created the European Union. Decades of nonstop integration have produced a contemporary Roman Empire.

Six charter members of the European Economic Community (EEC) – formed by the Treaty of Rome – came into force January 1, 1958.

Six additional nations join the EEC before it became the European Community, effective November 1, 1993.

Six members of the European Free Trade Association combine with the European Community—to form the European Economic Area. January 1, 2004

The great unfaithful church is a woman named “Babylon.” This woman is geographically collocated (sits) upon the empire’s capital city. “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. (Revelation 17:9) Romulus and Remus founded Rome on seven hills: Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine, Caelian, Esquiline, Quirinal, and Viminal. Even with the Seven Hills of Rome being common knowledge, spiritual mysteries take discernment. A mind with wisdom is needed, because seeing Rome as the preeminent city for deception requires unlocking perhaps the greatest delusion in history.

The ancient Roman Empire is widely believed to be a great civilization. History depicts the nations and tribes they conquered—as barbarian. Yet Rome boasts of an ancient coliseum where slave gladiators fought and died at the whims of the crowd. Roman pride in this coliseum is analogous to Germans being proud of Dachau, which is a World War II prison camp where Nazi rulers executed millions of Jews. Rome brought slavery, crucifixions, and the government that crucified Jesus.

Antichrist

The primary beast in Revelation refers to Antichrist and the Roman Empire that he rules. Antichrist turns his attention from Europe, to world domination at Temple Mount in Jerusalem at the 42-month point. In like manner, the authority (life span) of this beast is limited to the initial forty-two months of the end-times. The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. (Revelation 13:5)

The support the dragon (Satan) provides the beast (Antichrist, Rome) is impressive. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. (Revelation 13:2) However, remember that Satan first offered this kingdom to Jesus. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9)

This Roman Empire will eventually govern nations far beyond its initial eighteen members. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worship the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” (Revelation 13:3-4) This Roman Empire will devour the entire earth. “He gave me this explanation: The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.” (Daniel 7:23) And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (Revelation 13:7)

Beast out of the Earth

The False Prophet leads this second beast (Revelation 19:20). This fraudulent prophet is normally interpreted as being a religious leader; yet no scripture requires him to be religious. Any person who says, “God chose me to lead you to safety” then leads people to destruction, is a false prophet. A false prophet claims to possess authority from God, and then leads people to destruction. Like the European beast, the beast out of the earth consists of a political leader and his subordinate nations. Just as the beast out of the sea (Europe) follows the dragon (Satan), the beast out of the earth (America) will support Europe (Revelation 13:2, 12).

Logo: Organization of American States

Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon (Revelation 13:11). The American beast has two horns like a lamb. To those who are deceived this beast will appear gentle, like a lamb. Yet this beast spoke like a dragon—speaking with the authority of Satan, the consummate dragon. The American beast will require everyone to submit to European authority. This American beast exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast (Revelation 13:12).

The United States is the primary nation. One horn is Canada (or possibly French Quebec). The other is Mexico (or possibly Latin America). The North American Free Trade Agreement gave birth to this second beast. The strengthening of the Organization of American States or the Free Trade Area of the Americas could result in an American Union, much like the European Union.

Credible Deceptions

Satan is not so concerned with causing people to do evil acts, but to have them believe deceptions. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. (Revelation 13:13) Scripture states that the beast and false prophet deluded those who had received the mark of the beast (Revelation 19:20). Concerning a critical end-time moment Jesus instructed, “Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house.” (Matthew 24:17). Perhaps people are on the roofs to watch fire come down from heaven to earth in full view of men (Revelation 13:13).

The false prophet will also be a master of deception. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed (Revelation 13:14-15). Daniel and Jesus also spoke of this deception, as being an abomination at the third temple (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 24:15).

From a monetary standpoint, Antichrist and the false prophet will have the power to demand of everyone, “accept or perish.” Concerning the false prophet: He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark (Revelation 13:16-17). Life for believers will be horrific: He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. (Revelation 13:9-10)