Beast of Revelation

Who or What is the
BEAST
of Revelation?
by David C. Pack
Who or What Is the Beast of Revelation? 3
The world is nearing the “end of all

things.” The book of Revelation speaks of
a terrifying, great “beast” to appear at the
end of the age.
The Bible identifies this beast and
warns of his “mark”—while prophesying
civilization-shattering events leading to
Armageddon.
Here is what will happen to govern-
ments and nations from now on!
Herbert W. Armstrong led the Worldwide Church of God (formerly The

Radio Church of God until 1968) until his death in 1986. Hundreds of mil-
T he world is in confusion. War, famine, disease, poverty, ignorance, civil
unrest and misery are widespread and growing worse. Where are condi-
tions leading and why?
lions heard his voice and read his literature. God called him in the fall of The world is drifting along—sleepy, drunken and oblivious to what lies
1926 and he was converted in the spring of 1927. Over the course of Mr. ahead. The average person has no idea what the future holds—and many do not
Armstrong’s ministry, God revealed through him a great many true biblical care. Few are concerned beyond “tomorrow”—and fewer still remotely suspect
doctrines, which had been lost to the Church through the centuries. After his what is coming in our time.
death, his successors ceased to believe and teach these doctrines. Although When God’s Plan—His great over-arching PURPOSE—is understood, con-
copyright law prohibits The Restored Church of God from reproducing and fusion, mystery and misunderstanding disappear. Events become clear!
distributing literature produced while he led the Worldwide Church of God, Historians can only record what has already happened. They cannot see
we are committed to the preservation and teaching of all of these truths! into the future. Yet, one full third of the Bible is PROPHECY—history written in
advance! God foretells major events before they happen. He wants you to know
what the future holds—what lies ahead for the world. Over 80 percent of Bible
THIS BOOKLET IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE AND IN THE
prophecy remains unfulfilled. Many major events must yet come to pass.
PUBLIC INTEREST BY THE RESTORED CHURCH OF GOD. Conditions in Europe and around the world will soon dictate that a single
It is made possible by the voluntary, freely given tithes and offerings of the mem-
great authority must be given power for a short time. Much is written of the
bers of the Church and others who have elected to support the work of the
Church. Contributions are welcomed and gratefully accepted. Those who wish to beast, and events surrounding its appearance, but little is understood of what
voluntarily aid and support this WORK OF GOD around the world are gladly wel- the Bible actually reveals about this powerful, dominant governing system,
comed as co-workers in this major effort to preach the gospel to all nations. eventually united under two men.
Behind the scenes, enormous events are now taking shape. Prophesied
world trouble will culminate in events terrifying beyond description. They will
Copyright © 2009 The Restored Church of God soon stun—and SHAKE—every nation on earth!
All Rights Reserved. World history is the study of the rise and fall of empires. But few know
Printed in the United States of America why great “civilizations” ebb and flow—why governments rise and fall—why
4 Who or What Is the Beast of Revelation? Who or What Is the Beast of Revelation? 5
events move as they do. Most see these things as products of the normal cycle The Bible is: (1) A history book, (2) a prophecy book and (3) a book about
of economics, war, disease and natural calamities. essential, revealed knowledge that man could not otherwise discover for him-
This thinking is about to change—in a BIG WAY! This booklet explains self. If world history is the study of the rise and fall of past empires, then
how—and why. prophecy is primarily the study of the rise and fall of world empires before they
appear. Men cannot discover what the future holds without God REVEALING it!
Christ’s Grave Warning Early world history records little about nations, kingdoms and empires
that may have existed prior to the great Flood of Noah’s time. However, the
Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are parallel accounts of Christ’s greatest Bible does discuss the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon and various other
prophecy. In these chapters (including Matthew 25), Christ gives a detailed nations as they came into contact with His people, the nation of Israel, after
description of events that will precede His Second Coming. Each of these the Flood.
chapters adds additional details, completing the picture of what will happen The first great empire that God focuses on, both through history and Bible
from here on. prophecy, is Babylon. It was founded by Nebuchadnezzar in the 600s B.C., and
Luke’s account contains a strong warning to all who live at the end of the consisted of multiple nations and regions unified under his leadership. King
age. Christ explains that those who serve God must be careful not to be swept Nebuchadnezzar was perhaps the first great gentile leader—and Scripture
away by conditions that give a false impression of what is happening—or com- focuses on this man and his system all the way to the Return of Christ.
ing. Here is how He began: “And take heed [be careful!] to yourselves, lest at Paralleling this foretelling of the rise and fall of great gentile empires are
any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting [indulgence], and drunk- prophecies describing the nation of Israel—both ancient Israel and the modern-
enness, and cares of this life, and so THAT DAY [terrible, world-shaking events] day nations populated by its descendants.
come upon you unawares” (vs. 34). The role of the symbolic beast of Revelation has everything to do with
This passage pictures the values and lifestyle of most people. Almost no WORLD EMPIRES. Many know that it represents “BABYLON THE GREAT” (Rev.
one is “taking heed,” and “that day” will come on them “unawares.” Here is how 17:5) in some way, but are unsure how. And the nature and identity of this
Christ describes the sudden arrival of worldwide cataclysms: “For as a SNARE “wild beast” remains shrouded in mystery, even for those who profess to and
shall it come on ALL them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (vs. 35). think that they understand who or what it is. Yet, the REAL TRUTH of how the
Christ carefully chose this analogy. Snares catch unsuspecting victims, beast will eventually affect and change the earth will shock you beyond belief!
who carelessly step into them—and find themselves suddenly trapped, often Terrible plagues will strike the disbelieving and unprepared. Notice this
hanging upside-down, completely disoriented. This is a graphic picture of what blunt, stark WARNING to all: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and
will soon strike “the whole earth”! And these are the words of Christ, not of receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the
some “doomsday prophet” speaking without facts or authority. wine of the WRATH OF GOD, which is poured out without mixture [Greek: undi-
But this snare need not catch you—or anyone who heeds Christ’s words. luted]” (Rev. 14:9-10).
Calamity will not come without notice to those who are vigilant. Here is what This is serious! God is not a “respecter of persons,” playing favorites. He
Christ said to do: “Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be says, “If ANY man worship…” Woe to ALL who remain ignorant of the facts
accounted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that shall come to pass, and to surrounding this awesome prophecy. They will suffer horribly in ways God
stand before the Son of man” (vs. 36). describes most graphically. There is no room for misunderstanding on this
The snare that Christ spoke of will entrap the entire world. Despite His most sober of Bible warnings.
warning, almost no one is preparing for what lies ahead. But by following His So then, the following questions must be answered:
instructions, you can escape horrific events prophesied to soon slam into civi- • Who or what is the beast of Revelation 13 and 17? Is it a man?—a
lization like a speeding freight train! church?—a government?—an empire?
• Who is the “WOMAN” of Revelation 17 who rides it?
Stark Reality • What is the “MARK of the beast”?
• What is the “IMAGE of the beast”?
To “watch,” you must know WHAT to watch for. Otherwise, such watching is • Who is the “FALSE PROPHET” often spoken of in conjunction with the
useless—it has no value. Many will be deceived, fooled—because they will be beast?
watching in the wrong places for the wrong things, or expecting events to occur • When will these things occur—how long must we wait to see these figures
in a wrong timeframe. appear?
• How will world trends, conditions and events spawn the beast’s arrival? Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
• Why is it so important to correctly identify it, with all related prophecies? drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into
• How will it affect YOU? the ark” (Matt. 24:37-38).
The world does not know God. It is unaware of the plan and purpose that How did God view Noah’s time? “And God saw that the wickedness of
He is working out “here below.” Worldwide disobedience to His laws, and man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
rejection of His truths, will cause horrible—stupefying!—plagues to be poured heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).
out on a God-hating humanity. But the God of the Bible is a loving God. Before We are very close to that time again!
punishment takes place, He always makes certain His “watchman” (Ezek. When the first vial is poured out upon the earth, the Bible states, “there fell
33:7) sounds the alarm to those in harm’s way. He wants no one to have an a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the MARK of the BEAST,
excuse, saying, “I didn’t know” or “Why didn’t you tell me?” and upon them which worshipped his IMAGE” (Rev. 16:2). All those who
It is my responsibility to caution—to WARN—all who will yet take heed receive this plague belong to a universal, false church-state system.
of the seriousness and meaning behind world-shaking events and calamities, The second plague is equally terrible: “And the second angel poured out
lying just over the horizon. his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every liv-
The Bible speaks of several different beasts. To understand them all, each ing soul died in the sea” (vs. 3).
must be explained separately. Revelation 13 speaks of a beast in its first 7 vers- In the next three plagues, the rivers and fountains will turn to blood, the
es. Another beast, ridden by a woman, is described in Revelation 17. Daniel 7 sun will become so hot that men are scorched with fire, and darkness and pain
speaks of four separate beasts, with a reference to a “little horn” that appears will become unbearable. Yet, even after these plagues, men will continue to
during the time of the fourth beast. Revelation 13 describes a second “two- “blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and
horned beast,” beginning in verse 11. Daniel 2 describes a giant image of a man repented not of their deeds.”
composed of four separate metals. Relative to most of these descriptions, a spe- I have heard endless theories about what the beast’s mark may be. It is a
cific number of heads, horns and toes are mentioned. subject of almost unending opinion, and has become a veritable “cottage indus-
No wonder this subject is so confusing. It does require thorough explana- try” of speculation, debate and disagreement. For almost every person who
tion, and God must supply the CLUES—the critical knowledge to unlocking all reads of the mark, another idea is born. But all attempts to explain the mark,
of the above terms. the image of the beast and who will receive the plagues are fruitless unless one
God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). first establishes who or what the beast is!
This booklet will strip away the confusion, misunderstanding, wrong knowl- We must start with the Bible description of the beast.
edge and outright deceit that is now deluding so many who do not know the
PLAIN TRUTH of this prophecy. Every day, end-time conditions grow more omi- Revelation 13 and Two Beasts
nous—and YOU MUST UNDERSTAND!
Comparing Revelation 13, 17 and Daniel 7, with Daniel 2, brings full under-
What Are the Plagues? standing of the scope and magnitude of the beasts, and the SYSTEM they repre-
sent. Numerous Old Testament scriptures also refer to them, but these chapters
The Bible foretells a series of catastrophic events, which involve seven trum- are the most critical to understand. Combined, they explain a staggering—and
pets, to occur immediately prior to Christ’s Return. The seventh trumpet “fills profoundly sobering!—prophecy about latter-day events that will affect all
up” what the Bible calls “the wrath of God.” This last trumpet is comprised of humanity in your lifetime!
the seven last plagues (also called bowls, or vials), which punish a rebellious, Revelation 17:8 describes a “beast” that ascends out of a “bottomless pit”
sinning mankind. and is ridden by a “woman.” Verse 12 shows that this beast involves ten kings
Seven angels “pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth” (Rev. who shall receive power and unite to bequeath it to a leader who will take the
16:1). The seven trumpet plagues are not to be confused with the “seven last role of the final beast.
plagues.” These two sets of plagues are separate. This will be the seventh, and last, short-lived resurrection of the Holy
The Bible depiction of how this occurs is most graphic. This last genera- Roman Empire—arising RIGHT NOW in the heart of Europe. A United States
tion is so vile, so corrupt and contemptuous, that God will subject them to the of Europe is coming—and now lies just ahead. When it appears, the entire
worst punishment of all time. Christ compared these days to that of Noah’s world will stand in shocked amazement. Let’s establish, and then PROVE, these
time: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of stunning prophecies. It is vital that you grasp what they mean!
Revelation 13 contains a symbolic description of the “beast”—and a (2) Does it represent a single individual—a kind of anti-Christ, superman,
description of a second beast with “two horns” (vs. 11). The first beast represents world dictator? (3) Or does it picture something else?
the Roman Empire—a political kingdom. The two-horned beast represents the These all require answers.
headquarters of an influential, false prophetic “woman” that controls the first First, there is no living creature on earth that this could be describing lit-
beast. This chapter also describes both the image and the mark of the beast. erally. If there is, who has ever seen it? Where does it live? How did it come
The apostle John recorded the book of Revelation during his exile on the to be alive? How could three known creatures (a leopard, a bear and a lion)
Island of Patmos. But it is actually the Revelation of Jesus Christ, not of John. come together in the worship of a dragon, when there are no real dragons? This
He wrote what he saw in vision, offering significant detail in his description of passage does not remotely describe any known animal on earth. Obviously, it
the beast: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a BEAST rise up out must represent something other than a literal creature.
of the sea, having SEVEN HEADS and TEN HORNS, and upon his horns TEN Second, regarding whether it is some kind of human being—superman or
CROWNS, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw otherwise—similar questions arise. What kind of person looks like this? What
was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth man looks like a leopard, has feet like a bear and the mouth of a lion?—and
as the mouth of a lion” (13:1-2). has seven heads, ten horns and ten crowns on the horns?—and comes out of
These first one and a half verses of chapter 13 contain a physical descrip- the ocean? Again, the obvious answer is no one. This depiction cannot possi-
tion of what the beast looks like. This will be important to remember. But the bly refer to either a literal man or creature.
next three and a half verses tell more about the nature—the source of power, This leaves the third possibility.
size, scope and conduct or behavior—of the beast. The following verses give
important clues for later examination. These clues go far in telling us exactly How Bible Symbols Are Understood
who or what the beast is.
Now read: “And the DRAGON gave him his power, and his seat, and great There is only one other possible explanation for the beast. It must be symbolic.
authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his dead- Many recognize this, so it has produced an endless stream of human interpreta-
ly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they wor- tions for what the beast, and other descriptions in Revelation, represent. But it
shiped the DRAGON which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the is useless to try to assign an arbitrary meaning to such graphic symbolism.
beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? If the Bible does not explain who or what the beast is, then its identity is
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; subject to every possible human interpretation. No one would have a right to
and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months” (vs. 2-5). claim to be more correct than anyone else. Many others attempt to understand
Many mistakenly equate this last description of the beast with the papacy. the beast, but then give up in hopeless frustration, thinking that no proper
They fail to recognize that history is filled with accounts of its citizenry wor- explanation and meaning of this, or of the other two beasts, is even possible!
shipping the Roman Empire and its emperors. Here is what one source states: In other words, if God does not reveal the meaning and identity of the
“...the worship of the head of the empire, the emperor...In a word, the Roman beast(s)—then either anything goes, or one can rightly conclude that there is
government was not only wonderfully organized…Everyone was required to no correct explanation and this prophecy cannot be understood!
join in the worship of the emperor because he stood for the majesty and glory So then, unless one is to give up or choose to rely on human interpretation,
of the Roman dominion...all were obliged, as good citizens, to join in the offi- we must accept a basic principle:
cial sacrifices to the head of the State, as a god” (Medieval and Modern Times, What John records in Revelation is written in SYMBOL. While he speaks in
Robinson, p. 6-7). plain language, it is impossible to understand his symbols by merely re-read-
Notice that the question was asked, “Who is able to make war with him?” ing various passages again and again until their meaning suddenly “comes
It would not be difficult to make war with the papacy, because they only have clear.” Since John uses many symbols, we need to be able to understand the
a tiny group of guards around the Vatican. But making war with the Roman many actual events that these symbols represent. Otherwise, we will not know
Empire was always most difficult. Also, the papacy, as an institution, has last- what is being described. Therefore, John’s description must contain sufficient
ed far longer than 42 months, or the prophetic fulfillment of this period—1,260 clues that can be deciphered by examining other verses in the Bible.
years (Ezek. 4:4-6; Num. 14:34). So this is not a picture of the papacy, or Only God can interpret what He inspired John to record. One of the basic
Vatican. We shall soon see more proof of this. rules of Bible study is to always let the Bible interpret the Bible. This is most
John’s description of the beast’s appearance leaves many questions. true of the book of Revelation. Since it is God who inspired Scripture, He must
Perhaps the three biggest are: (1) Is John’s description that of a literal creature? always interpret its meaning.
Now let’s understand another related principle. Two New Testament pas- Remember, God interprets His own word. He needs no help from men.
sages, Mark 4:10-12 and Matthew 13:10-15, hold the all-important KEY to What has He told us?
understanding how Christ (the One who is the real Revelator behind the Daniel’s beasts, like the beast of Revelation 13, come “from the sea.” This
Apocalypse) teaches and interprets. In both passages, He explained that He is our first clue that what we are reading in Daniel 7 is a parallel to the beast.
spoke in parables so that His true servants would understand Him—but others Other obvious parallels exist between the description of the Revelation 13
would not! beast and those that Daniel pictures. Daniel’s four beasts have a total of seven
Carefully read: “And when He was alone, they that were about Him with heads (the leopard had four), as does the Revelation 13 beast. The Revelation
the twelve asked of Him the parable. And He said unto them, Unto you it is 13 beast had ten horns, and so does Daniel’s fourth beast.
given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are The most important parallel is that John and Daniel both describe beasts
without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and that involve a leopard, a bear and a lion. This cannot possibly be a coincidence.
not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time Both obviously describe related beasts! We will later see that the unmistakable
they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them” (Mark parallels continue.
4:10-12). But what exactly are the four beasts? In verse 16, we see that the “inter-
Note exactly what Christ said! Only His followers can understand His real pretation of the things” can be known. God’s immediate answer to Daniel’s
meaning. Others might think they do—but they cannot! Christ never leaves His question (vs. 17) is, “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which
servants in the dark about matters He wants them to understand. But He does shall arise out of the earth.” The term “kings” is often synonymous with king-
record them in ways that keep them hidden from the view of all others. God doms, which, of course, kings represent (vs. 18, 22, 24, 27).
wants you to understand—but you must be willing to accept His interpretation. From verse 19 forward, Daniel focuses particularly on the fourth beast.
So let’s understand! Carefully read his description, noticing verse 23: “The fourth beast shall be the
FOURTH KINGDOM UPON EARTH, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and
Beginning to Understand shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.”
And what are the “ten horns”? Verse 24 interprets them: “And the ten
Through a series of dreams and visions, God used the prophet Daniel to reveal horns out of this kingdom are ten kings [or kingdoms] that shall arise.” The ten
enormous prophetic understanding about how and when His kingdom would kings represent ten separate kingdoms, nations or governments.
come to earth (Dan. 1:17). Understanding Revelation is inseparable from, and It is now clear that this beast cannot be a human being or a church.
impossible without, understanding Daniel—and vice-versa. Remember, the kings all come out of a kingdom. The obvious meaning of the
Daniel reported big—tremendous—news that will affect you in your life- ten horns is that they are also ten separate and sequential kingdoms because they
time! But all that He was shown was to be “closed up and sealed till the time all come from the fourth kingdom, which is described as ruling “the earth.”
of the end” (12:9). His entire message is for us today! We are NOW in the time This is a basic scriptural explanation of terms, requiring no human inter-
of the end, and this prophecy was written to be understood IN OUR TIME. pretation to understand.
One of the most important visions Daniel recorded is in chapter 7, where,
inspired by God, he clearly explains and interprets the symbolism of the beast. Christ and Saints Replace Fourth Beast
This is actually where proper understanding of Revelation 13 begins.
Verse 3 speaks of “four great beasts that came up from the sea.” The four beasts of Daniel 7 span 2,500 years, from Nebuchadnezzar’s reign to
Verse 4 describes the first beast as “like a lion.” The verse contains other the Return of Christ. Here is how we know this. Recall that the fourth beast is
important descriptive phrases. described from verses 19 through 26. Prior to verse 19, in the introduction of
Verse 5 describes the second beast as “like to a bear.” The rest of this verse more detail about the fourth beast, it states in verse 18, “But the saints of the
also contains additional descriptive information. most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for-
Verse 6 describes the third beast as “like a leopard.” While this verse gives ever and ever.”
more description, make note that this beast had “four heads.” Many other prophecies in the Bible explain that the saints rule with Christ.
Verse 7 describes the fourth beast as unlike any creature or animal on I have covered this in many other books and booklets. But there are two other
earth. It states that this beast is “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; verses here in Daniel 7, which prove most emphatically that this is true. Notice
and it had great iron teeth.” It is important to note that the fourth beast had “ten verse 22: “Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints
horns.” of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”
Verse 26 concludes by summarizing what happens to the fourth beast after earth. Notice: “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God
it “shall wear out the saints of the most High” (vs. 25) when it says that the raised from the dead…This is the stone which was set at nought of you
saints then “shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and builders, which is become the Head of the corner” (Acts 4:10-11).
to destroy it unto the end.” Now verse 27, again speaking of the saints: “And This verse identifies Christ as the stone of Daniel 2. When God’s Kingdom
the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole is established, we have already seen that the saints “possess the kingdom” (of
heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose king- God). Again, many verses show that they rule with the returning Christ. This
dom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him” is proven and clarified in verses 44 and 45, which describe “the God of heav-
(vs. 27). en set[ting] up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…it shall break in
We have established that the four beasts continue until Christ’s Return pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” The end of
brings the last beast to an end. But who are the four beasts—the four king- verse 45 adds, “and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
doms? God leaves no doubt as to whether these prophecies will be fulfilled. He
has spoken them—and they will happen! This is why it is so important for you
What Are the Four Kingdoms? to comprehend—grasp—the identity and the meaning of the beast and the
events preceding Christ’s Coming. He will destroy the final kingdom and set
Now we must turn our attention to Daniel 2. up God’s great world-ruling government—supplanting all humanly-devised
The book of Daniel addresses many of the other great prophecies of the governments! Daniel 2:34 and 44 prove that these ten toes (ten final kings—
Bible. The second chapter contains a prophecy spanning over 2,500 years con- and kingdoms—united under one leader) exist at the time of Christ’s Coming,
cluding, as we will see, with Christ’s Second Coming. This prophecy pictures because the stone replaces them!
a giant man consisting of four metals (gold, silver, brass, and iron mixed with
clay), which represent four great, world-ruling kingdoms, with the first starting The Four Metals Explained
in Daniel’s time.
For several verses, Daniel discussed with the Chaldean (Babylonian) King Now, what do the four metals of the image represent? We will see that they are
Nebuchadnezzar certain matters that had come to the king in a dream. four gentile kingdoms. But, you do not need anyone, including me, to interpret
Nebuchadnezzar was king of an empire that he had established approximately them for you. Allow God to interpret the great image—and the meaning of the
600 years prior to Christ’s time. four elements of which it is composed.
The king’s court magicians were not able to interpret what only God could Verse 37 states, “You, O king [Nebuchadnezzar], are a king of kings: for
explain. God’s purpose was to reveal, through Daniel, that there is an Almighty the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.”
living God who rules the entire universe—and controls all kings, governments Verse 38 adds, “You are this head of gold.” The Bible has just interpreted itself.
and nations on earth. The humanly-wise King Nebuchadnezzar had no knowl- Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon represent the first kingdom.
edge beyond the existence of other human kings and their many false gods. But Verses 39-40 go on to describe three successive kingdoms that would fol-
it was God’s purpose to reveal to this human king the existence of His govern- low the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Here is how they are
ment and that it rules the universe. He also intended to make plain His great described: “And after you [Nebuchadnezzar] shall arise another kingdom [of
purpose in bringing that government to the earth “in the latter days” (vs. 28). silver] inferior to you, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule
Several verses introduce and describe the image (statue) of a giant man. over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as
Let’s read: “This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of sil- iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things: and as iron that breaks all these,
ver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and shall it break in pieces and bruise.”
part of clay” (vs. 32-33). This is clearly an image of a man, but one that is con- These verses show a succession of WORLD EMPIRES depicted by dif-
structed of four distinct parts. ferent metals composing the giant image. These were literal kingdoms. What
Then, verses 34-35 describe a great supernatural “stone that smote the you have just learned is vital knowledge that very few understand today. God
image [and] became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” Note that expressly reveals to us now that He is the One who establishes and removes—
verse 34 states that the stone “was cut out without hands.” This is because God, and establishes and removes again—earthly kingdoms. This has much to do
not men, had formed it. We will discuss this momentarily. with the identity of the beast.
Since the “stone” shatters the image and replaces it, eventually encom- The first kingdom, which was the head made of gold, represented
passing the entire earth, this can only be the government of God coming to Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian or Chaldean Empire (625-539 B.C.). In 539, the
Medes and Persians defeated the Babylonians. The silver breast and arms rep- a standing army of over one million men. This is why God depicted the Medo-
resent this second empire. The duration of the Medo-Persian kingdom was Persian empire as having the tremendous power of a bear, and as the chest and
558-330 B.C. The belly and thighs of brass represented the third kingdom, the arms of a man.
Grecian (333-31 B.C.) or Greco-Macedonian Empire. The city of Rome in particular, and the entire empire in general, also reflect-
The Greco-Macedonian empire was led by Alexander the Great. After just ed and held much of the splendor that Babylon reflected, as the head of gold.
a one-year reign, Alexander died and his generals (Lysimachus, Cassander, Rome embodied all the qualities of the bear, the lion and the leopard, yet
Ptolemy and Seleucus) divided his enormous empire into four regions: (1) was different in that it was unlike any other animal because it had “great iron
Egypt, (2) Macedonia and Greece, (3) Thrace and Western Asia, and (4) Syria teeth.” All of this is why John saw one, not four, beasts in Revelation 13. The
and all territory east to the Indus River. These are the four heads of Alexander’s four beasts of Daniel 7 had a total of seven heads. This is why John’s one beast
“leopard” kingdom. also had seven heads.
Finally, the fourth kingdom is depicted by lower legs of iron, with feet and The duration of the Roman Empire nearly covered the period of world
toes of iron mixed with clay. This represents the greatest of the four king- dominance of the three kingdoms it succeeded put together!
doms—the Roman Empire, which defeated and succeeded the Greco- The first period of the Roman Empire lasted from 31 B.C. to A.D. 476,
Macedonian Empire. when it collapsed after having been overrun by barbarians from the north.
These are well known facts of world history. Few dispute the basic histor- If we are to be honest, and reject the nearly endless stream of human opin-
ical accuracy of the timing, scope and greatness of these four kingdoms. ions and theories about the fourth beast being a church, a country, the Pope or
However, we must understand why God focuses on these gentile kingdoms. some mysterious final superman, then we are left to simply believe the Bible
In the greatest sense, the Bible is almost entirely a book about how God and the facts of history.
worked with the nation of ancient Israel. He chose, revealed Himself to, and The fourth beast represents the Roman Empire from 31 B.C. to the pres-
gave His Law to govern this nation. God had warned Israel that if they dis- ent. All other theories collapse under the weight of Bible clues and facts, pre-
obeyed him, they would be punished (Lev. 26; Deut. 28). After a long series of sented by God as proof to all minds that are truly open.
ups and downs, they rejected God, His leaders and His Law for the last time.
After sending most of the tribes of Israel into captivity in Assyria about 125 What is the “Deadly Wound”?
years earlier, God sent the last tribe, Judah, into captivity in Babylon under
Nebuchadnezzar. (Daniel himself was a young Jewish slave.) Recall that John, in Revelation 13, said that the beast would receive a “deadly
From the time of Judah’s captivity forward, starting with Babylon, God wound,” which would eventually be “healed.” After this healing, the beast was
raised up successive gentile world empires that He foretold would continue for prophesied “to continue forty and two months.” What did he mean? What was
the remaining 25 centuries before He established His Kingdom. he speaking of? The answer lies in understanding what happened to the Roman
Empire in A.D. 476.
The Fourth Beast Explained John wrote that “one of his heads” was “wounded to death” (vs. 3). This
has to be referring to the last of the seven heads of John’s beast, which is the
The Roman Empire, which began in 31 B.C., has existed and waned through a Roman Empire, because John was living in the time of the seventh head, when
succession of historic resurrections. Starting from Rome, the empire slowly the Roman Empire ruled. Since the other three beasts had passed into history,
expanded until it had absorbed the four pieces of Alexander’s kingdom. In time, there would have been no point in addressing them in a book intended to reveal
it became the largest and most powerful empire the world had ever seen. the future. Recall that Daniel explained that the “ten horns” were ten succes-
Eventually, it encompassed all of the regions of the three empires that preceded sive governments, which arose out of the Roman Empire and continue until the
it, and more. (Thus, the characteristics of Babylon, Medo-Persia and the four Second Coming of Christ. Daniel 7:24 stated, “And the ten horns out of this
Greco-Macedonian divisions of Alexander’s empire are reflected in our artist’s kingdom are ten kings [governments] that shall arise.”
rendering within the composite beast of Revelation 13—the Roman Empire. The Who are these ten kings (governments)? And how do they fit with the
nondescript other six heads of this beast carry no special meaning, individually.) wound that was healed? Start by recognizing that the kings must be successive,
Rome slowly took on the qualities of the kingdoms it replaced. It had the not contemporaneous, for how can they rule at the same time if they span a
lightning-speed, cruelty and striking-power of Alexander’s small leopard-like period from A.D. 476 until the time of Christ’s Return? Obviously, no single
army, which typically attacked like a World War II German blitzkrieg. But it human being can live this long and neither has any single government, empow-
also possessed the massive power of the Medo-Persian armies, which boasted ered by Rome, done this.
Let’s examine the first three horns of the Roman Empire, for they repre- Only the tenth horn of Daniel 7:7 (the same as all ten toes of Daniel 2) is
sent the period that encompasses the wound. The deadly wound was brought yet to appear. This will be the final great beast of Revelation 17 that will explode
on the Roman Empire by barbaric tribes from the north. Three Germanic king- upon an unsuspecting world with stunning speed and force (Rev. 17:12). With
doms from Northern Europe, called the Vandals, the Heruli and the Ostrogoths, the 1989 collapse of the Iron Curtain and the reuniting of Germany, the final res-
conquered Rome in succession. urrection, consisting of countries and kingdoms throughout Central Europe, will
Some brief explanation of these tribes and their timing is helpful. In 455, soon appear, as a superpower United States of Europe. But we have already read
the Vandals swept through Northern Africa, and eventually attacked and how Christ will smash this union of kingdoms at His Coming!
defeated the city of Rome itself. (This tribe was so barbaric and destructive that
the modern term “vandalize” is derived from their name.) Twenty-one years The Wound Healed
later, in 476, the Heruli, under Odoacer, established an occupying government
at Rome. Historians universally accept 476 as the official date of the fall of the Recall that John said, “the dragon gave him [the beast] his power, and his seat,
Roman Empire. and great authority.” Revelation 20:2 shows who the dragon is: “And he laid
The kingdom of the Ostrogoths, which lasted from 493 to 554, in turn, hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan.” Revelation
replaced the Heruli. Like the Vandals and Heruli, the Ostrogoths were eventu- 12:9, 12-13 adds, “The great dragon…that old serpent, called the Devil, and
ally driven from Rome, and together they represented what has often been Satan…was cast out into the earth…having great wrath…and when the dragon
called the “transition age” of the Roman Empire. But it is important to under- saw that he was cast onto the earth…”
stand that these three brief successions of Northern Tribes were not actually These verses leave no doubt as to the identity of the dragon and that the
Roman governments, but were governments in Rome. So they were still part devil empowers the system of government that culminates in the final beast
of the “ten horns.” power that Christ smashes.
Recall that Daniel 7:8 said that these “three horns” were “plucked up by The wound was prophesied to be healed, and, speaking of the beast,
the roots.” In fact, these three tribes did completely disappear from history. “power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” This requires
However, seven more horns were prophesied to rule this empire after them, explanation. The healing occurred in A.D. 554, when the Emperor of the East
until Christ returned. at Constantinople, Justinian, re-established the Roman Empire at Ravenna,
Beginning in A.D. 554, the Roman Empire became known as the Holy Italy. History records this as the “Imperial Restoration” of the Roman Empire.
Roman Empire. Historians almost universally acknowledge that the Pope’s The history of the Roman Empire changes entirely from A.D. 554. The
crowning of Justinian, after he had defeated the Ostrogoths, signaled this seven successive revivals all had something in common never seen in the pre-
change. Events in Europe, surrounding the Holy Roman Empire, rose and fell vious period of governments ruling from Rome.
for many centuries. Periodically, new rulers appeared—Charlemagne (the We may now read Daniel 7:8: “I considered the horns, and, behold, there
Frankish head in A.D. 800)—Otto the Great (the German head crowned came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the
in A.D. 962)—followed by the Hapsburg Dynasty of Charles V (the Austrian first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the
head crowned in A.D. 1520)—which, in turn, was followed by Napoleon’s eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Verse 20 adds of this “little
reign (the French head crowned in A.D. 1805)—with the sixth head being horn” that it “came up, and before whom three fell” and it had a look “more
that of Garibaldi’s united Italian head from A.D. 1870-1945! This sixth res- stout than his fellows.” Clearly, this is a distinct and different horn from the
urrection of the Holy Roman Empire culminated in the defeat of Adolph remaining seven of the ten horns that appear after the first three Germanic
Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Mussolini, after signing a secret agreement heads (horns) of the empire.
(Concordat) with the Vatican in 1929, united Ethiopia, Eritrea and Italian Let’s understand! It is the appearance of this little horn in 554—this time-
Somaliland back to Italy in 1935. He declared this union to be the Roman frame is established by Daniel’s two verses—that redefines the kingdom and
Empire re-established! allows it to continue for another “forty-two months.”
A regathering of power under one man is foretold to happen one more time! Here is what happened: The Pope crowned Justinian in this year!
Understand! The Roman Empire had two capitals—in Rome and What is the meaning of the forty-two months? Ezekiel 4:4-6 and Numbers
Constantinople. The ten toes on the two feet of Daniel 2 represent ten different 14:34 show that, in prophetic fulfillment, each day counts for a year. This is
nations or kingdoms in Eastern and Western Europe. This religious, political critical to understand in regard to many other prophecies. Without recognizing
combine of nations (also the 10 horns of Rev. 17) will unite under one final pow- this principle, all of these Bible prophecies have remained closed—sealed—to
erful leader. This united system is now quietly forming behind the world stage. those who sought to understand them. How does “a day for a year” apply here?
Forty-two months is three and a half years. God’s sacred years contain 360 the saints of the most High.” This “little horn” is precisely the same great uni-
days. 360 days times 3 1/2 equals 1,260 days—or 1,260 years in prophecy. versal counterfeit movement whose rise to power has been documented from
This defines the duration of the healing of the “deadly wound.” Church history. As we proceed, it will become evident how deadly this “little
Counting 1,260 years from 554 takes us to 1814. Why is 1814 significant? horn speaking great things” would become in regard to the true Church—and
This is when Napoleon abdicated, before his 1815 Waterloo defeat. As one his- to all civilization. (Read our free book Where Is the True Church? – And Its
torian put it, “So closed a government that dated from Augustus Caesar”—from Incredible History! and our free booklet Many Shall Come in My Name for
31 B.C. (Modern History, West, p. 337). The 1,260 years of the “healed beast” greater understanding of both the history of God’s Church and the work of the
had ended. The beast disappeared into the abyss of history—the “bottomless pit” counterfeit church that has relentlessly sought to destroy it.)
of Revelation 17:8—from this moment forward, until it suddenly reappears.
With eight horns of the fourth beast (five heads of Revelation 17 beast) The Revelation 13 “Two-horned Beast”
gone, it was not until 1870 that Garibaldi began to unite the many fractured lit-
tle kingdoms of Italy under one authority—thus beginning the revival of the The 13th chapter describes a second beast, this one having “two horns” (vs.
ninth horn (sixth head of Revelation 17 beast) that climaxed in Mussolini’s 11). We have seen that the first beast is a description of the Roman Empire—a
Fascist government. political kingdom. What is this “two-horned beast”?
The end of Revelation 17:8 also describes this beast as “the beast that was, Recall that Revelation 12:9 said, “Satan…deceives the whole world.”
and is not, and yet is.” This sixth resurrection (1870-1945) was so weak in Revelation 20:3 states that he “deceive[s] the nations.” Also recall that Satan
power, when compared to previous resurrections such as Charlemagne and (“the dragon”) gives power to the first beast of chapter 13. The devil has a civil
Napoleon, as a revival of the generally much more powerful Roman Empire, government headquarters on earth to which he gives “his power, and his seat
that it is described as “was, and is not, and yet is” (at least in name). [a city], and great authority.”
Satan does not usually speak directly to human beings. He works through
The Little Horn and the Saints his servants—his ministers. The Bible teaches that Satan has “his ministers.”
These ministers pretend to be ministers of Christ, but Paul calls them “false
We have discussed the little horn as it relates to the coronation of Justinian. apostles” and “deceitful workers,” who appear to be “angels of light” and
Each of the additional five revivals of the Holy Roman Empire (Frankish, “ministers of righteousness” (II Cor. 11:13-15). The vast majority of those who
Germanic, Austrian Hapsburg, Napoleonic and Italian Garibaldi to Mussolini claim to be true ministers of God are not. Christ said that His Church would be
kingdoms) were recognized, endorsed and, to varying degrees, directly guided little, and its faithful ministers few.
and steered by the Vatican.
There is another important aspect of the little horn to be explained here. The Bible Explains It
Daniel 7:20-21 states, “even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke
very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and There are many theories about the “two-horned beast.” Some have thought it
the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them.” is a grouping of Protestant churches, and others think that it is the papacy
Finally, verse 25 also states, “And he shall speak great words against the linked to the United States. Most, however, claim not to know what it is, and
most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change speak little of it. Therefore, we must let the Bible explain its true meaning.
times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and Now let’s examine the passage that describes this other Revelation 13 beast:
the dividing of time.” “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns
From 554, when the “deadly wound” of Revelation 13 “was healed,” the like a LAMB, and he spoke as a DRAGON. And he exercises all the power of the first
civil emperors in Rome began to honor (with power, gold and silver) a god that beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship
had been unknown to their ancestors or “fathers.” This “strange god” held a the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he does great wonders, so
high religious office and received great deference from Roman emperors (Dan. that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and
11:37-39). From the time of Justinian, this church/state system functioned deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he
together for 1,260 years, with the “little horn” using and guiding the civil had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth,
authorities to do its bidding. that they should make an image to the beast…and cause that as many as would
This system “made war with the saints [of God’s true Church],” “prevailed not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (vs. 11-15).
against them,” “spoke great words against the most High,” and did “wear out Some important points emerge.
This two-horned beast gives “power” to the first beast of verses 1-5. descendants of Israel are taken into captivity, many will see the bitter reality of
Daniel 7:17, 23 revealed that “beast” is a term for a civil government or king- its killing machine firsthand.
dom, or the leader of the kingdom. Therefore, our first important conclusion is This has been typical of this Babylonish church throughout the course of
that this beast must be a government or kingdom. Second, is that it gives power history. Millions have been put to death for not worshipping according to its
to the Roman Empire system. false beliefs and practices. (Take time to read our free book America and
It also appears like a “lamb,” but speaks like a “dragon.” This is critical to Britain in Prophecy. It reveals the remarkable story of who ancient Israel is and
understand. Here is why. Christ is depicted in the Bible, in several places, as a where they are found today—and prophecies explaining what will soon happen
lamb (John 1:29; Rev. 17:14). We have seen that the dragon is Satan. So this to them.)
beast, then, appears to be religious, but is really of the devil. In other words, Plainly, the “two-horned beast” is the headquarters of the great false
this is a satanic kingdom that appears on the surface to be the kingdom of God, church that controls the first beast. The description we have just read is an
and of Christ. Many scriptures reveal that Christ did not establish His kingdom unmistakable parallel with the “little horn” of Daniel 7:8, 20-21, 24-25.
at His first Coming. He carefully explained this to His disciples in Acts 1:6, We must know what is coming and be able to recognize it when it emerges
John 14:1-3 and Luke 19:11-27. We have already seen verses in Daniel 7 in full power. God warns of this system and we will continue to publish and
describing when Christ and the saints smash the fourth beast as they are given broadcast this warning as His watchmen (Ezek. 33:1-9).
rulership over earth.
When Revelation 13:12 states that “he exercises all the power of the first The Revelation 17 Beast and Woman Riding It
beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to wor-
ship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed,” it was the Roman Revelation 12 describes a “woman,” which is to marry Christ (Rev. 19:7; Matt.
Empire to whom he was giving power. This occurred from the time of its heal- 25:1-10; Eph. 5:23) at His Return. These verses, and others, show that the word
ing in 554. “woman” is a symbol for a church. The entire chapter 12 is devoted to God’s
For the full 1,260 years that the wound was healed, Roman emperors Church and how she has been persecuted by a false “Christian” church system
acknowledged the supreme authority of religion throughout the empire. This is throughout most of her 2,000 years. Many earmarks of this woman of chapter
one way it portrays itself as the kingdom of God on earth. Many encyclopedias 12 demonstrate and prove that she is God’s true Church.
state that the Holy Roman Empire was the “kingdom of God on earth.” Revelation 17 introduces another seven-headed beast, different from any
Actually, in 554, many felt that the Kingdom of God had officially arrived. mentioned previously, describing a very different woman riding it. Let’s
The second beast, however, has two horns. This is because it represents a examine this woman and the beast she rides. It is vital to understand her crit-
two-fold combination of church and government. But since it is an actual king- ical connection to seven revivals (resurrections) of the Roman system. She
dom, it does, in fact, have to be its own independent, sovereign state. never rode the first three heads of the Roman system. Rather, she only rode
Remember also, this two-horned beast possesses such awesome power that it it after the beast was “healed.” The now healed beast is the beast of
inspires the world to worship the beast, whose deadly wound was healed. The Revelation 17.
power to bring fire down from heaven and to perform miracles will win vast Chapters 17 and 18 are an inset to the book of Revelation, and describe the
numbers of people as worshippers of the beast. great Roman system that is destroyed at the end of chapter 16. These chapters
Verse 14 explains this: “And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the give a somewhat more detailed picture of the great, false universal church. The
means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast,” picture includes the woman’s “harlot” daughters (17:5), which have helped her
with verse 13 stating, “he does great wonders.” to deceive all nations (17:1-2; 18:3).
Recognize these facts: The second beast is able to perform miracles. He We have discussed the seven revivals of the Holy Roman Empire. Six
does this “in the sight of” the first beast—the Holy Roman Empire. These mir- have come and gone—and the last ten-horn revival, consisting of ten kings
acles are so extraordinary—so mesmerizing—that they allow him to deceive (of 10 governments), is now forming! The 17th chapter describes the final
the whole earth! Finally, the beast is worshipped as a result. revival of this religious-political system. This revival will last at least three
This future religious leader will lead the final resurrection of the Holy and a half years, coinciding with first the tribulation (Matt. 24:21-22) and
Roman Empire alongside a great civil leader. In II Thessalonians 2:3, this same then the time of God’s Wrath. It is prophesied to come “out of the bottomless
religious leader is called the “man of sin.” Revelation 19:20 refers to him as a pit, and go into perdition” (Rev. 17:8). The Holy Roman Empire has been in
“false prophet.” This false prophet embodies all that counterfeit Christianity the abyss of history, or bottomless pit, since Napoleon’s 1814 abdication
has represented through the centuries. In the near future, when the modern-day prior to Waterloo.
Chapter 17, verse 10, speaking of the heads, states, “five are fallen, and Daniel 7:19-20 sheds light on what happens when the saints return with
one is, and the other is not yet come.” The five “fallen” heads are those the Christ. Their first job is to replace the “fourth beast” (the final world-ruling
woman rode during the 1,260 years from 554 to 1814. The “one is” head was empire), which rules with the assistance of the “little horn” whose “look was
the sixth head, now past, which began with Garibaldi and culminated in more stout than his fellows.” This little horn is a religious kingdom, and is the
Mussolini. The “is” has become “was.” same as the woman who rides the beast of Revelation 17. Again, this religious
Now understand. This verse is written from the time perspective of when “woman” kingdom has ruled over all of the previous resurrections, or revivals,
God revealed this prophecy, and many others, to the leader of His Church, in the of the Holy Roman Empire.
late 1930s. This is the only time that this present tense representation of the The saints will have endured tremendous persecution at the hands of this
revivals of the heads could be accurate. It also reveals when God wanted Daniel’s “little horn”—“woman” church. But eventually the faithful saints will be
closed and sealed prophecy opened and taken to the world as a warning! rewarded in an incredible way. Notice: “I beheld, and the same horn [the
Understand another important connection to these resurrections of the Babylonish system of Revelation 17:5-6] made war with the saints, and pre-
Roman system. Revelation 17 describes each as having “a woman sit[ting] vailed against them; Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given
upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the
and ten horns” (vs. 3). The seven heads are seven separate revivals, with a ten- kingdom” (vs. 21-22).
horn (composed of ten kings) final revival. It is this woman who spreads the A final explanation should be made. The beginning of Revelation 17:8
“mystery of iniquity” spoken of by Paul in II Thessalonians 2:7. described this different beast as “the beast that was, and is not,” with verse 11
Of this woman, verses 5-6 state, “And upon her forehead was a name writ- similarly beginning with, “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the
ten, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS eighth and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.” This healed beast, now the
OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and Holy Roman Empire (the resurrections ridden by the “woman” since A.D. 554),
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” is both different—like an “eighth” system—and yet is “of the seven” heads of the
Verse 1 calls her a “great whore that sits upon many waters.” Revelation 13 beast and the Daniel 7 fourth beast, last seven of ten horns of each.
Let’s pause and ask: What are the “many waters”?
This is a classic example of allowing the Bible to interpret the Bible. Important Clarification
Fourteen verses later, the term is explained: “And he said unto me, The waters
which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, It is necessary and helpful to summarize what we have learned so far. Some
and tongues” (vs. 15). This shows that the influence of the whore and her har- believe the Revelation 13 beast is the woman who rode the Revelation 17
lot daughters encompasses the earth. This reflects truly enormous power! beast. This cannot be because the woman is a church and the beast is the gov-
In this case, the term “many waters” was not immediately explained, but ernment. Others believe Napoleon’s abuse of the Pope in 1798 was the “dead-
simply continuing to read revealed what it means. The Bible interpreted itself! ly wound.” While this is on the surface ridiculous, it is also impossible that the
Verses 5-6 are a graphic description of an immense gentile church that is Roman church will last another 1,260 years until A.D. 3058.
a modern-day descendant of Babylon. She is a “mother” of many “harlot” Now review and understand these points. The chart at the bottom of page
daughters, who came out of her in protest because they disagreed with a few of 28 complements and expands them:
her abominations. This is not a small church, but rather a “great” church ruling • The beast of Revelation 13 equals the 4th beast of Daniel 7 and is the
many peoples. Verse 2 speaks of her “fornication” with the “kings of the earth.” Roman Empire.
And verse 18 speaks of the woman as “that great city, which reigns over the • The (healed) beast of Revelation 17 is the Holy Roman Empire, from 554
kings of the earth.” This is a very large church that has sought to influence to 1814, and continues to Christ’s Return.
kings, nations and world events. Only one city and church fit this description. • The woman of Revelation 17, which rides the Holy Roman Empire, equals
Once again, this is a very different woman than that of Revelation 12. the little horn of Daniel 7 and the two-horned beast of Revelation 13—the
This great gentile false church has long persecuted God’s true Church great false religion and her little kingdom.
(17:6). God will destroy this great whore and her harlot daughters by turning • The last 7 horns of the Daniel 7 fourth beast equal the last 7 horns of the
the beast she rides against her (vs. 16). But first she must “ride” the final Revelation 13 beast’s 7th head, ridden by the woman.
revival of the Holy Roman Empire—with her Babylonian system! • These 7 horns equal the 7 heads of the Revelation 17 beast ridden by the
Little time remains before this last revival appears, with the wonderful woman. (This “horns equals heads” is where many go astray.)
Kingdom of God to appear soon after (Rev. 19:11-16). • The 10 horns of the 7th head of the Revelation 17 beast equal the 10 kings
24 Who or What Is the Beast of Revelation?
or governments united in the final future revival under the woman of the In Revelation 13, the
Holy Roman Empire, which Christ destroys at His Coming. apostle John describes
a beast with seven
• The 10 toes of the Daniel 2 giant image equal the same 10 kings or gov- heads, ten horns and ten
ernments (10 horns) of the 7th head of Revelation 17, and are on the crowns.
“feet” that Christ (as the Daniel 2:34, 44-45 “stone”) “breaks to pieces”
at His Return.
Identifying the Beast’s Number—666
There are endless opinions and theories about the number 666 and how it
relates to the beast. Seemingly, new ones arrive every day. But, like other
aspects of the beasts, we must let God reveal the answer to this mystery.
First read the only five references to the “number” and then we shall dis-
cuss them.
Revelation 13:17-18: “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had
the mark, or the name of the beast, or the NUMBER of his name. Here is wisdom.
Let him that has understanding count the NUMBER of the beast: for it is the NUM-
BER of a man; and his NUMBER is six hundred threescore and six.” Now
Revelation 15:2: “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and
them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over
his mark, and over the NUMBER of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having
the harps of God.”
These clear points emerge: (1) All who will are told to “count [add up] the
number,” (2) the number is 666, (3) the beast has this number and this is what
identifies it, if we exercise “wisdom” in properly counting it, (4) 666 is the
number of a kingdom, government or empire, or of the king who establishes or
leads it (Dan. 7:18, 22-24, 27), and (5) the terms—“the name of the beast”—“or In Revelation 17, a
woman “arrayed in
the number of his name”—“it is the number of a man”—directly identify the purple and scarlet”
number as both the name of the kingdom, government or empire and the king rides a seven-headed,
or ruler that leads it. If God says to count the number, He obviously intends that ten-horned beast.
we know how to do this.
Counting Names
There are a number of important and famous names that are linked to the
Roman Empire, and Rome itself.
The name Rome, and thus the Roman Empire, is derived from its first king
and founder—Romulus. Quite literally, this name is stamped on every man,
woman and child within the kingdom, as well as on all of its kings and the
kingdom itself.
Many have recognized this much but have failed to recognize that they
should not count the number in Latin, but rather in Greek—the language in
which God inspired the New Testament to be written. Remember, John wrote
Revelation in Greek.
PROPHECY UNFOLDS:
THE REIGN OF GENTILE KINGDOMS
THE IMAGE THE FOUR BEASTS THE RAM THE BEAST AND THE IMAGE BABYLON MEANING FULFILLMENT
Daniel 2 Daniel 7 AND THE GOAT Revelation 13 AND THE BEAST OF THE IN
(State) (Church) Daniel 8 (State) (Church) Revelation 17 SYMBOLS HISTORY
Head of 1st beast 1st Head Chaldean Empire

Gold (like Lion) of prophetic (Babylon)
vs. 32, 38 vs. 4 Babylon 625-539 B.C.
Chest and arms 2nd beast Ram with 2nd Head Persian Empire
of Silver (Bear) 2 horns of prophetic (Medo-Persia)
vs. 32, 39 vs. 5 vs. 3-4, 20 Babylon 558-330 B.C.
Belly and 3rd beast He-goat with 3rd, 4th, 5th Greece, led by
thighs of (Leopard) great Horn and and 6th heads Alexander the Great
Brass 4 heads 4 notable horns of prophetic and 4 divisions
vs. 32, 39 vs. 6 vs. 5-8, 21-22 Babylon 333-31 B.C.
Legs as 4th beast The beast 7th Head Roman Empire
Iron (strong like with 7 heads of prophetic 31 B.C.-A.D. 476
vs. 33, Iron) with and 10 horns Babylon, with In 2 divisions,
40-43 10 horns vs. 1-2 10 horns “Christianity”
vs. 7, becomes official
23-24 religion, A.D. 324
Deadly Wound Rome falls

vs. 3 A.D. 476
1st Horn 1st The Vandalls

3 horns
(plucked Horn destroyed A.D. 429-533
by roots) on the authority
2nd Horn 2nd of the Pope; The Heruli,
(rooted up) Horn this period is Odoacer’s govt.
later called the A.D. 476-493
“Transition
3rd Horn 3rd Age” The Ostrogoths
(rooted up) Horn A.D. 493-554
Little Horn 2-horned Scarlet False False Christianity

among “Lamb Woman Christianity rules and church
10 horns Dragon” and riding the the beast government, or
vs. 8, 20-22, “Image” beast —“Babylon “image” of Roman
24-27 vs. 11-18 vs. 1-2 the Great” Empire government
4th Horn 1st of last 7 1st Head “Imperial Restoration”
horns—Deadly of beast of empire by
Wound Healed (healed) ridden Justinian, A.D. 554; he
(to continue by scarlet- recognized suprema-
1,260 years) clothed woman The “Great cy of this world’s
vs. 5 Whore” did not Christianity
ride any of the
5th Horn 2nd of last 2nd Head 7 heads of the first Frankish Kingdom;
7 horns ridden by 4 beasts. But she began A.D. 774;
woman did ride the last Charlemagne
A.D. 554 7 horns of Daniel’s crowned A.D. 800
to 1814 = 4th beast. Thus,
6th Horn 3rd of last 1,260 years 3rd Head the last 7 horns of Holy Roman Empire
7 horns beast ridden by Daniel 7 and (German head);
continued woman Revelation 13 are the Otto the Great
7 heads of Revelation crowned A.D. 962
7th Horn 4th of last 4th Head 17 Hapsburg Dynasty
7 horns ridden by (“five have fallen” (Austrian head);
woman at Napoleon’s Charles V crowned
defeat). A.D. 1520
8th Horn 5th of last 5th Head Napoleon’s Kingdom

7 horns ridden by (French head),
woman crowned A.D. 1804
In A.D. 1814—1,260 years after the “deadly wound” was healed in A.D. 554—the “Holy Roman Empire” ended with Napoleon’s defeat.
9th Horn 6th of last 6th Head “One IS” Italy, united by
7 horns ridden by Rev. 17:10 Garibaldi, A.D. 1870,
woman (revealed in culiminating with
the 1930s Mussolini, 1945
10 toes on 10th and 7th and Beast ascends 7th Head One “NOT Revived Roman
2 feet of final Horn last Horn out of the pit and YET COME” Empire,
iron mixed 10 horns Rev. 17:10 led by 10 rulers
with clay under one leader
Who or What Is the Beast of Revelation? 29
Ignoring this point has caused many to apply 666 to the Pope, by claiming
that the phrase “Vicarius Filii Dei” is written on the Pope’s triple crown. While
the Pope has such a crown, these words are not on it. Besides, these are Latin
words, which do not apply to a kingdom or empire, but would only apply to a
man—the Pope. Also, these words are a title, not a name!
In the second century A.D., it was recognized that Romulus’ name was
originally spelled Lateinos, meaning “the name of Latium” or “Latin man.”
The Romans took their language and origin from this region.
Like the value of Roman numerals, the Greeks assigned values to letters. In
the Greek, L counts for 30, A is 1, T is 300, E is 5, I is 10, N is 50, O is 70, S is
200—totaling precisely 666! It is not then strange, or incorrect, to conclude that
every citizen, king and the kingdom itself, adds up to or “counts” to 666.
Now consider Benito Mussolini. He called himself “Il Duce,” which
means the leader or the chief. Everywhere he went, people proclaimed, “Viva
Il Duce,” meaning long live the chief. The Italians abbreviated this on signs
throughout Italy as “vv il duce.”
This time, let’s count the name in Latin, recognizing that the letter U was
commonly replaced with a V: V is 5 (twice), I is 1, L is 50, D is 500, V is 5, C
is 100, E has no number. The total—precisely 666!
The beast and Roman Empire have been identified!
Mass Worldwide Deception
Recall that the Revelation 17 woman is a false church that rides the beast with
seven heads and ten horns. We have established that the beast she is riding is a
great world empire that exists until Christ returns. Like one who rides a horse,
camel or elephant, the woman directs, controls and guides the animal to go
where she wants it to go and to do what she wants it to do.
Two individuals, known as “the beast and the false prophet,” will lead this
religious-governmental system. Revelation 16:13-14 describes demons as hav-
ing the power to “work miracles” through their system.
The embodiment of the final beast will be a charismatic figure who arrives
on the world scene shortly before Christ’s Return.
Also, the final, great false prophet will lead the world to worship the beast
as God (Rev. 16:2; 19:20)! This deception will be so great (18:3)—so wide-
spread—that they will actually deceive all mankind into fighting Christ at His
Second Coming (16:9, 13-16; 17:13-14).
Now notice II Thessalonians 2:3-4 and 8. Verse 3 refers to one called “the
man of sin” and “the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above
all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the tem-
ple of God, showing himself that he is God.” Recognize that the false prophet
also professes that he is God.
Compare this with Ezekiel 28:2 and the reference to the “prince of
Tyrus”—a man. Ezekiel wrote that this “prince” says, “I am a God, I sit in the
seat of God.” II Thessalonians 2:8 describes this “man of sin” as the “wicked he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the
[one]” who would “be revealed” for what he is when Christ returns and destroys earth in the sight of men, And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the
him with the beast in a lake of fire (Rev. 19:20). Isaiah 14:4 refers to the false means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; say-
prophet as the “king of Babylon.” This is the same man as the “prince of Tyrus.” ing to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an IMAGE to the beast
Continuing in II Thessalonians 2, verse 9 makes a startling statement about [first beast], which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power
the false prophet. It says that his “coming is after the working of Satan with all to give life unto the IMAGE of the beast [first beast], that the IMAGE of the beast
power and signs and lying wonders.” Verse 10 shows that he is able to deceive should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the IMAGE of
everyone who does not “love the truth.” Verse 11 reveals that God shall send the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and
“strong delusion” to all who willingly believe his lies. poor, free and bond, to receive a MARK in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
The leaders of this dominating false system will be directly possessed by And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the MARK, or the name of
the devil! This will give the false prophet tremendous power to deceive and the beast, or the NUMBER of his name” (Rev. 13:11-17).
perform miracles. Satan, having always wanted to replace God with himself, These verses speak four times of the image of the beast, which requires
will speak through this human religious leader and declare to the whole world explanation, and of the all-important mark of the beast, which does as well. We
that he is, in fact, GOD! shall examine them now.
This Bible warning is unmistakable. The miracles he performs will deceive
the vast majority! The Beast’s Image Revealed
The work of the false prophet will continue all the way to Armageddon.
Now read Revelation 16:13: “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come Before continuing, this crucial summary concluded the first portion of Herbert
out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], and out of the mouth of the beast [civil W. Armstrong’s booklet Who or What is the Prophetic Beast?:
end-time ruler], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [religious leader “So, notice: This two-horned beast not only caused people to receive the
guiding the beast].” mark of the beast (compare Rev. 19:20), but also perpetrated the forming of an
Verse 14 states, “For they are the spirits of devils [demons], working mir- image that caused the martyrdom of saints. As many as would not worship this
acles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to image were caused to be killed. This false church did not kill them—she caused
gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” These “spirits of them to be killed. History shows that the civil government martyred millions who
devils” are the fallen angels who followed Lucifer (now Satan) in his insurrec- were declared ‘anathema from Christ’ or ‘heretics.’
tion against the Creator (Rev. 12:4). “Compare with the woman who rode the Beast in Revelation 17: ‘And I
Here is how the Bible describes the beast (the civil Roman ruler) and saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the
false prophet working together: “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the martyrs of Jesus’ (verse 6).
earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him [Christ] “Certainly these are one and the same.
that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with “Now this ecclesiastical organization, which is a twofold government,
him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived the people by saying they should make an image of the beast. Note it
deceived them that had received the MARK of the beast, and them that wor- (Rev. 13:14)—that is how it deceived people. What is an image? Dictionaries
shiped his IMAGE. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with define it as a ‘likeness,’ or a ‘copy, representation, model, semblance, counter-
brimstone” (Rev. 19:19-20). part.’ So here is a church saying, ‘Let us make a model, or counterpart, of the
Now let’s read the full description of how the false prophet works. Let’s see civil Roman government’—for that is what the beast is.
the reach of his power, influence and ability, through miracles and lying wonders, “Jesus Christ proclaimed the Kingdom, or government of God—divine gov-
to bring the whole world to worship the beast—the final civil Roman ruler. ernment by will of God and by God’s law—not paganized human government
This following passage removes all doubt that the two-horned beast is the by will of man and man-made laws. His Church includes all Spirit-begotten
woman of Revelation 17, and the final false prophet represents it, working in saints who have and are led by the Holy Spirit. Christ is its only Head, and His
concert with the beast: Kingdom is not of this world!
“And I beheld another beast [second beast] coming up out of the earth; and “Where, then, did human church government derive its present form? ‘The
he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And he exercises all first pope, in the real sense of the word, was Leo I (440-461 A.D.),’ says the
the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, volume 7,
dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And page 629. To him the form of government of the Roman Empire was the most
marvelous thing on earth. He applied its principles to the church, organized the the subject. Let’s read it: “And he causes all, both small and great, rich and
church into a government, forming the papacy. poor, free and bond, to receive a MARK in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
“This church government or organization is the image of the beast. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the MARK, or the name of
“Says Myers’ Ancient History: ‘During the reign of Leo I, the Church set the beast, or the NUMBER of his name” (Rev. 13:16-17).
up, within the Roman Empire, an ecclesiastical state [government] which, in its This is a critical statement, for it speaks of some kind of a universal mark
constitution and its administrative system, was shaping itself upon the imperi- backed by authority in a way that controls people’s ability to conduct normal
al model.’ This church government, then, according to this historical authority, matters of commerce (“buying and selling”). Those who do not have the mark
is in fact a model, a counterpart, an image of the beast which is the Roman are isolated from the most routine matters of purchasing food, goods and serv-
Empire government. ices.
“The Britannica calls it an ecclesiastical world empire! Being able to buy and sell goods is certainly essential—something that
“This image—man-designed and man-ruled church government—com- everyone needs to be able to do. But understand. This is not speaking of
pelled people to worship the church! And since the church was organized into whether stores and retail establishments will be willing to sell goods to people
a worldly government, this was worship of the image—false worship—idola- without the mark, but rather whether people can earn a living—meaning a
try! wage and a salary—in order to have income, if they do not have it. The impli-
“But this church became a mother, and daughter churches came out of her cation of the Greek is that one will not be able to buy or sell—will not have
in ‘protest,’ calling themselves ‘Protestant.’ And all have worldly, political money in hand to do so—because he is unemployed!
church government ‘Upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, So then, the “mark of the beast” involves ability to obtain and hold a job
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS’ (Rev. 17:5). Her daughters are in order to make a living.
called ‘harlots.’ Together, they are called ‘BABYLON.’ They are pagan, teaching Obviously then, millions will have it—and it will have to be considered
pagan doctrines and customs, cloaked in the name of Christianity! And all desirable and attractive, or else the masses would not seek or accept it.
nations are deceived! But the mark will be a trap to those who are charmed by the surface of its
“Yes, human-organized churchianity, not Bible-designed spiritual-organ- attraction. For here is what will happen to all those who receive it: “And I saw
ism government, is the image of the beast. It is the pagan political counterfeit another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last
of God’s government. plagues; for in them is filled up the WRATH OF GOD…And the seven angels
“‘Come out of her,’ God says (Rev. 18:4). God help us to heed!” came out of the temple, having the seven plagues [vials], clothed in pure and
white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles…And I heard
The Mark of the Beast a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and
pour out the vials [plagues] of the WRATH OF GOD upon the earth. And the first
Few prophecies in the Bible are as fascinating to its readers as is the subject of went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and
the mark of the beast. As with other aspects of prophecies described in this grievous sore upon the men which had the MARK of the beast, and upon them
booklet, theories attempting to explain this mark abound. who worshipped his IMAGE” (Rev. 15:1, 6; 16:1-2).
This intriguing, mysterious mark is much talked about, but almost univer- This is serious! Terrible punishment will fall on all who have taken this
sally misunderstood. Some believe it is a computer chip implanted in people’s mark. However unwittingly they did this, the result will be the same—horrible
foreheads or right hands. Others have thought it was Hitler’s swastika and still plagues on all, including you or me, if we have this mark!
others have thought it has been this or that government program. Despite end-
less sermons preached and articles written about its possible meaning, millions God Must Explain the Mark
remain baffled by it.
Revelation 14 pictures three angels bearing three messages (vs. 6-11). To get a complete picture of the mark of the beast, we must study all of the vers-
These messages announce the fall of Babylon through the seven last plagues es that pertain to it. There are many, and studying just a few will not reveal the
and warn against receiving the “mark of the beast.” Many prophecies show that full truth. Using imagination and human reasoning to invent various silly—and
most—all who belong to the great false church-state system—will ignore the some are truly ludicrous—conclusions about what the mark of the beast may be,
warning, and will be deceived into receiving it! only serves to further deceive and confuse those with interest in the subject.
The prophecies that describe the mark are stark—and horrible! Sadly, most Ask: Would God foretell plagues on all those who receive the mark and
all preachers focus on just one passage to the exclusion of the many others on then leave mankind in the dark about what it is? Would He say, in effect, “I am
going to pour out terrifying, horrible PLAGUES—causing the death of mil- A few verses before explaining the tribulation, Christ explained that a ter-
lions—on those who receive the mark of the beast, but I will not tell you what rible martyrdom lay ahead for true Christians at the end of the age: “Then shall
it is or how to avoid it—so that you can escape”? they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of
Comprehend this vital point. Men cannot reveal the meaning of or explain all nations for My name’s sake” (Matt. 24:9). It is obvious that Christians will
the mark—only God can. Plain reality is that He must do this—and He does be doing something that identifies them as different from all those around
tell us most plainly exactly what it is! them. They will be hated with such intensity that they will be tortured (“afflict-
ed”) and martyred in great numbers (“killed”).
The Beast’s Mark Revelation 6 is a precise parallel of Matthew 24. (Read our free booklet
Revelation Explained at Last! for detailed understanding, and for how
Now understand this most basic point. The mark is plainly identified as one Matthew 24 interprets Revelation 6.)
pertaining to the beast. It is the “mark of the beast.” We have identified the In Revelation, John, in vision, was shown a preview of future events
beast as the Roman Empire. But the Revelation 17 beast exists at and just (“hereafter,” 4:1). Since John was “in the spirit” as the seals were opened (vs.
before Christ’s Return. We have seen that this is the Holy Roman Empire. 2), the events he witnessed were not actually occurring when he saw them.
Therefore, the mark of the beast is the mark of the seventh and last head of the They were heavenly previews of things that would happen later on earth.
(Holy) Roman Empire. Revelation 6:9-11 contains a description of the fifth seal, which is the great
The mark of the beast is not the mark of the Roman Catholic Church. This tribulation and future martyrdom of saints. Upon the opening of the fifth seal (vs.
is because the woman is the great church that rides the (Holy) Roman Empire. 9), John “saw under [at the base of] the altar the souls of them that were slain.”
The Bible does not speak of the “mark of the woman,” but rather of the “mark Here is John’s description of the fifth seal: “And when he had opened the
of the beast” that the woman rides. Is this clear? FIFTH SEAL, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word
Certainly the woman is also a small organized civil kingdom, or govern- of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud
ment, as well as being a church—and she does guide, direct and lead the far voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and AVENGE
greater kingdom that she rides. But, while the beast has much greater power our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto
than she has, like any horse, camel or elephant has greater power than its every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a lit-
rider, the rider—in this case, the “woman”—steers the animal to do its bid- tle season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be
ding. killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (vs. 9-11).
Remember what we read: “And he had power to give life unto the image Some cite these verses to validate both the pagan immortal soul doctrine
of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as and the belief that the saved go to heaven (which is not true)—and thereby miss
many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he the whole point of what Christ is revealing.
CAUSES all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a This description is not literal, but rather is symbolic, as is much of
MARK in their right hand, or in their foreheads” (Rev. 13:15-16). Revelation. No one believes that the four horses that precede it in context are
We can summarize in this way: This great false church steers, guides and literal horses. They are obviously symbolic and part of a vision. So are the
directs—“causes”—others to receive the mark. She does not directly adminis- souls under the altar.
ter it herself, but rather causes all in the empire to accept—“receive”—the The fifth seal portrays the martyrdom of true saints (along with vast num-
mark. She is the same woman that caused the martyrdom of saints throughout bers from national Israel and Judah). This occurs during the tribulation. The
the ages. The mark is received in the right hand and the forehead—and it is a context develops with the already-martyred souls asking God a question: “How
kind of brand of the (Holy) Roman Empire, not of the church. This mark will long, O Lord…” Verse 11 is a symbolic instruction to these martyrs of the
be brought—caused—upon the entire civilized western world! Middle Ages to await this latter martyrdom of the end time.
Remember, in the vision, John was shown the future. A long period of mar-
Martyrdoms—Past and Future! tyrdom, at the hands of the “woman,” who was “drunken with the blood of the
saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (17:6), will have already
In Matthew 24, Christ, in answer to a question by His disciples about when He taken place. Recall that Revelation 12 describes God’s true Church. There, this
would return, spoke of and clarified events that would precede what the Bible period is described as “a thousand two hundred and three score (1,260)
calls “the great tribulation” (vs. 21-22). This, followed by the wrath of God, days”—or 1,260 years, from 325 to 1585. (This does not parallel the 1,260
comprises the three and a half years preceding His Second Coming. years of the healed beast.)
Revelation 12:6 describes how the Church had to flee “into the wilder- be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
ness” to escape. Accounts from history indicate that more than 50 million time, no, nor ever shall be…For there shall arise false Christs, and false
human beings were killed during this time because of their unwillingness to prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders [we have seen that the false
compromise beliefs that were contrary to the Roman church. (Most of these prophet—the woman and two-horned beast—will lead in this]; insomuch that,
were not true Christians striving to hold to all of God’s doctrines, but were if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (vs. 10-13, 21, 24).
“protestors” holding to some few areas where they disagreed with Rome.) This is a very direct prophecy about tremendous deception that seduces
Again, a later martyrdom (the great tribulation) is yet to happen in our “many” at the end of the age, before Christ’s Coming (Matt. 24:3). The elect
time. The “souls” who were already “slain” were previously martyred must remain on guard—and remember to practice Luke 21:36, among many
Christians from past ages. These earlier martyrs were told to “rest yet for a lit- other scriptures—daily!
tle season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be At His Return, Christ will bring with Him the individual rewards of all His
killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (vs. 11). servants. They will have qualified for great glory: “For the Son of Man shall
The great tribulation is not God’s wrath. God’s wrath is the seven last come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward
plagues. The great tribulation is Satan’s wrath on God’s true servants—and on every man according to his works” (Matt. 16:27).
the modern descendants of ancient Israel and Judah. This wrath will be perpe- Your works in this life, your obedience to God’s plain commands, have a
trated by a final empire of ten kings in Europe, united under one powerful direct bearing on your reward in the next life!
leader—and done at the behest of Satan’s universal false church. Matthew 24:22
shows that God will have to cut “short” this persecution “for the elects’ sake.” Satan’s Wrath on Modern Israelite Descendants
The “souls under the altar” are now awaiting God’s punishment of—His
“vengeance” on—the great governmental power that persecuted them. God Let’s now take a moment to compare two critically important scriptures that
said that He would “AVENGE [their] blood” through the seven last plagues on shed much light on the tribulation. Doing this will give us a precise picture of
those who carry the mark of the beast. God will pour His vengeance on this who else receives the brunt of Satan’s wrath during this time. We have seen that
false Babylonish murderous woman and her daughter churches. But this can- lukewarm Christians will be martyred—but far more than these will endure
not take place until the second great and final martyrdom is past. this terrible time of trial.
First notice Matthew 24:21: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as
Elect Must Remain Fervent, Vigilant was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
This verse plainly establishes the tribulation as the single worst time in all
Many of God’s true people in the end time have partially drifted away from world history. Take this verse for exactly what it says.
God. They have not remained as close to Him as they should be. They have not Now let’s examine a second scripture that relates to this one. It is longer
zealously sought and obeyed God on a daily basis. This has allowed many to and more extensive, and is found in Jeremiah 30. The last phrase of this chap-
be deceived, and to fall into false doctrines and practices. This has been the pat- ter is “in the latter days you shall consider it.” Now what does this chapter con-
tern of history when false ministers capture the leadership of the flock. Only tain that we must “consider” in these final days?
the tribulation will awaken these brethren—and even then only about half Verse 3 establishes to whom God is speaking—Israel and Judah. Verse 2
(Matt. 25:1-12)! was instruction to Jeremiah to record in a book all that God had told him. Now
These “lukewarm” Christians will have to suffer this final martyrdom notice: “And these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and
(Rev. 3:14-22). The faithful Christians who were previously killed must con- concerning Judah. For thus says the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling,
tinue to “rest” (remain “asleep” in their graves – Eph. 5:14; I Cor. 11:30) until of fear, and not of peace. Ask you now, and see whether a man does travail with
others join them through this final martyrdom. child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman
During the tribulation, there will be extraordinary deception, unlike any in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! For that day is great, so
time in world history. Christ was very specific about this in Matthew 24: “And that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved
then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one out of it” (vs. 4-7).
another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And This is a shocking description of punishment prophesied to come on Israel
because iniquity [worldwide lawlessness] shall abound, the love [obedience to and Judah. Terrible fear and horror accompany this punishment.
human laws and God’s Law – Rom. 13:10; I John 5:3] of many shall wax cold. But focus for a moment on two phrases in verse 7 describing this time. The
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved…For then shall first is “that day is great, so that none is like it.” This is almost identical to
Matthew 24:21. They cannot be speaking of two separate times, because it is Christians of previous times were killed because they refused the mark of
impossible to have two periods in history that are both described as the worst of the beast and the worship of its image. They “obeyed God rather than man”
all time. These two scriptures have to be speaking of the same time. And remem- (Acts 5:29)—they obeyed the government of God rather than the Roman gov-
ber, these verses both depict events in the “end of the age” and the “latter days.” ernment guided by the woman riding it. They did not resist punishment, but
Now notice the second phrase: “it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble.” willingly yielded to their punishment—torture and death! These future rulers
This phrase unlocks vital meaning and explains who else suffers Satan’s wrath proved themselves faithful to God and have qualified to reign with Jesus Christ
in this time of great anguish and misery. when He comes, bringing “His reward with Him.”
Understand that the Old Testament patriarch Israel was originally named Also in Matthew 24, Christ foretold that the “gospel of the kingdom”
Jacob (Gen. 32:28). Prophecies referencing either name describe the same would be preached to all nations “and then shall the end come” (vs. 14). In John
peoples. 9:4, He warned His disciples that “the night comes, when no man can work.”
Many Old Testament prophecies describe the scope and severity of nation- Soon, deep spiritual darkness will descend on the whole world. The time
al punishment that God plans for these peoples. Their modern lands will be for announcing the coming of the kingdom of God will come to an end. Final
destroyed by the beast, and many millions will be taken into captivity at his opportunity to seek God and escape what lies ahead will be gone. It is our
hands. responsibility to preach—and WARN—before it is too late.
The great tribulation will be a time of terrible suffering for both physical Notice: “When I say unto the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give
Israel and the less vigilant, lukewarm “remnant” of spiritual Israel, the Church. him not warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save
But numerous verses in Revelation show that it will be a time of general pros- his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I
perity for many non-Israelitish nations—when the beast’s merchants bring require at your hand” (Ezek. 3:18).
much “buying and selling.” These nations will be punished during the time of We are doing our part in warning all who will listen now. Soon, you will
God’s wrath. have to choose who and what you will obey. Will you obey God or will you
obey the final revival of the Holy Roman Empire, governed by the great false
The Mark—Past and Future! “woman” church leading recognized, traditional “Christianity”?
But the Bible reveals that there will be three final warnings to the rebel-
Let’s return to the subject of the true Christian’s initial reward. It involves lious nations under the woman and beast’s deception. This will occur through
rulership, lasting 1,000 years. But the test has been the same for those of pre- three separate angelic messengers, referenced earlier. Again, these are found in
vious ages. Those who hold fast their convictions, in the face of impending Revelation 14.
martyrdom, when this test comes again, will be victorious even in death—but The third message states, “If any man WORSHIP THE BEAST [this final end-
they will truly be “gold tried in the fire” (Rev. 3:18). time revival] and his IMAGE, and receive his MARK…the same shall drink of the
Here is what God says awaits those who have been faithful unto death. wine of the WRATH OF GOD…He shall be tormented with fire and brim-
Read each word carefully: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and stone…in the presence of the Lamb” (vs. 9-10).
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were behead-
ed for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not wor- True Christians “Marked” by Obedience
shipped 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 We have not yet identified the exact nature of the mark. But we will see that it
years” (Rev. 20:4). has something to do with obedience—whether we will obey “God or man” (Acts
This is an astonishing verse. Did you notice that all those killed for hold- 5:29).
ing to the truth of God also refused to receive the MARK? In other words, those As we have seen, two churches are described in the New Testament. The
of all previous eras were required to withstand the enforcement of the mark as true Church that Jesus built (Matt. 16:18) is the bride of Christ, forsaking
well. But, because they would not yield to pagan beliefs, festivals, customs, involvements with this world and its customs in order to be pure when He
rank idolatry and worship of the Holy Roman Empire—and the “woman” comes to marry her.
church—they were killed. The mark of the beast was first enforced well over Throughout the New Testament are warnings that false teachers would
1,000 years ago. And, though it is not yet being enforced, for the plagues to fall creep in (Jude 3-4; II Thes. 2:3-11; II Cor. 11:13-14) and gain control of the
on those who have it, and for those who refuse it to be forced into martyr- church organization, forcing faithful Christians to flee from their original
dom—IT MUST BE ENFORCED ONCE AGAIN! congregations to continue to obey God. God’s true people were foretold to
remain a “little flock” (Luke 12:32), often scattered, never having political ten the victory over the BEAST, and over his IMAGE, and over his MARK, and over
power in this world. the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And
Despite continual persecution—even during periods of great martyrdom— they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, say-
by the large popular churches that have continually sought to destroy it, a deter- ing, Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are
mined remnant has always remained throughout the last nearly 2,000 years. Your ways, You King of saints” (Rev. 15:2-3).
The world has kept little track of this small, scattered Church, but Christ God likens those who have achieved victory to those who escaped Egypt
promised that He would never leave or forsake it, and that “the gates of hell and Pharaoh’s rule. Under Moses’ leadership, Israel escaped the plagues that
[the grave] shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Though it has periodi- fell on Egypt, which was a forerunner and type of the plagues to fall on those
cally been forced to flee for its life (Acts 8:1; Dan. 12:7), Christ has faithful- who have received the mark. Paul spoke of how Old Testament examples
ly kept His promise to remain with it, empowering and strengthening it “are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come”
through His Spirit. His true Church is loyal and obedient to His government (I Cor. 10:11).
structure, and no other! God’s saints are shown to “sing the song of Moses” standing on a sea of
Immediately after the third angel’s warning in Revelation 14:9-10, verse glass (before God), just as Israel stood on the shore of the Red Sea having
12 contains a description of God’s servants who will not take the mark. been delivered from oppression in Egypt. They sing Moses’ song because
Remember, there are only two categories of people—those who take the mark Moses reflects God’s commandments. They sing the song of the Lamb
and those who do not. (Christ) because, through faith (“of Christ”), they have conquered sin, and
God declares, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep received salvation.
the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (vs. 12). Now back to Revelation 12 and key events happening to the Church at the
In a disobedient world that has followed a system in rebellion against very end.
God, there are relatively few commandment-keepers. God’s little Church has Satan is angry, and directs his wrath against God’s people. But this is con-
always been willing—and determined—to obey Him. trasted to great joy in heaven because of God’s final victory through His ser-
This verse explains that only the “faith of Jesus” (not merely faith in vants. Notice: “Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them.
Jesus) gives them the strength to resist receiving the mark. Shallow human Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down
faith will be of no value in avoiding the mark! unto you, having GREAT WRATH, because he knows that he has but a short time”
When Jesus was approached by a young man seeking salvation, He was (vs. 12). The last phrase reveals why the devil is angry.
asked, “What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. Verses 13-16 explain that a very select few of God’s completely faithful
19:16). Christ answered, “If you will enter into life, keep the command- servants will be protected in the church’s “place” for three and a half years
ments” (vs. 17). (also see Rev. 3:10-11). But those who are less vigilant, less convicted and
It has always been this plain for all who would serve God! The com- lukewarm, and who have accepted certain doctrines of the Revelation 17
mandments of God must be kept. “woman,” while remaining generally faithful in keeping the commandments,
Regarding obedience to His Law, God has always had but one standard: will not be protected.
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is Here is what Satan does to this lukewarm group next. Read it carefully, for
guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. it is further proof that God’s people keep the commandments, and is proof that
Now if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you are become a transgres- they suffer Satan’s wrath as a result.
sor of the law” (Jms. 2:10-11). Continue with the final verse of the chapter: “And the dragon was wroth
Christians keep all the laws of God. They make no exceptions! with the woman [God’s true Church], and went to make war with the remnant
of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of
Disobedience is the Mark Jesus Christ” (vs. 17).
Christians are commandment-keepers, and the testimony of Jesus Christ
The above scriptures reveal that God’s people refuse the mark, keep His com- is God’s Word—the Bible. The “testimony of Jesus Christ” is also referred to
mandments and obey His government. Those of the world receive the mark, as the “spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). God’s servants understand the basic
obey something else, and thereby disobey God and reject His rule over them. framework of His overall prophetic timetable and plan. They are not con-
Now here is a description of those who have triumphed over Satan’s mark: fused about “what happens next,” once certain prophecies begin to take
“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had got- place.
However, just as God knows His servants, and they are marked by obedi- man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and
ence to Him, so Satan knows his servants, and marks them as his own, so that distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess,
they may be protected from his wrath—the tribulation! a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the
Understand this in the following way: Satan marks his servants and pro- fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men,
tects them from his wrath, while persecuting and martyring those who will not that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the
take his mark. On the other hand, God protects His most faithful servants (Rev. LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung”
3:10-11; 12:13-16), because they will not take the mark, or in any manner com- (1:14-17).
promise His way, but pours His wrath on those who do take Satan’s mark. (But Let’s now summarize what we have read.
even those who are lukewarm can, through death, triumph over the mark in the The mark of the beast is commandment-breaking, and he that breaks one
tribulation and receive salvation.) breaks them all. The mark is that of the Roman Empire—the beast—not the
Get this picture absolutely clear in your mind! woman who rides it. The false woman church “caused” the masses to receive
the mark through deception. The human government through which Satan
Those Who Receive Plagues Made Plain! deceives the world, the Roman Empire, receives its power, its seat and authori-
ty from him. Holding a job and engaging in commerce—buying or selling—is
There are other plain New Testament scriptures that tell us exactly why God impossible for those without the mark. Martyrdoms, past and future, occur
pours out His wrath on certain people. We will examine them shortly. because some refuse the mark, and keep the commandments of God instead. So,
We must first examine what God says sin is, for His plagues will be poured the mark is something the apostate church enforces, which is directly contrary
out on a sinning humanity. Once we understand how God defines sin, we can to God’s Law, and has a direct relationship to earning a living—holding a job.
better understand how Satan marks all those who are his servants.
Here is sin, defined by God: “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the What Would Satan Choose?
law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4).
In plain words, just as the faithful are commandment-keepers, those who Since Satan has “deceived the whole world” (Rev. 12:9; 20:3), how has he
sin are commandment-breakers. accomplished this? On what point has he seized, which he can most naturally
Now let’s examine for specific understanding about exactly what brings replace with a counterfeit. What command would Satan most easily change,
the wrath of God. Here is what Paul wrote: “Mortify therefore your members and then expect carnal human reasoning to conclude is merely an innocent
which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil adjustment?
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the Now understand. The carnal mind is “enmity against God: for it is not sub-
WRATH OF GOD comes on the children of disobedience” (Col. 3:5-6). ject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). Human beings are
There it is! God pours out His wrath on those who DISOBEY Him! There most agreeable to sin in all of its forms. People are perfectly willing to break
is no misunderstanding the plain meaning of this verse. every one of God’s commandments. Whether idolatry, stealing, adultery, mur-
But let’s consider another: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or cov- der, dishonoring of parents, coveting or lying, people willingly—and eagerly—
etousness…filthiness…For this you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean do these things. And, of course, Satan has certainly led people into all of these
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the king- practices.
dom…Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things But none of these represent, in any particular way, a test that directly con-
comes the WRATH OF GOD upon the children of disobedience” (Eph. 5:3-6). nects to how one might earn a living or hold a job—to whether or how one
Once again, this is most PLAIN regarding why, and upon whom, God pours could or could not “buy and sell.” And Satan must select a commandment,
out His wrath! And the next verse shows what Christians are instructed not to which affects this ability of those who will not compromise God’s Law.
do with those who practice what Paul describes: “Be not you therefore partak- There is only one commandment that Satan would see as a candidate for
ers with them” (vs. 7). such a test. It is a commandment that God has always said is a sign between
Those who “partake” of this conduct, or who fraternize “with them” (the Him and His people. We will soon learn it.
world and its ways), will partake of God’s plagues on a rebellious mankind. But first we should ask, “What is a mark, brand or sign?” What do these
The prophet Zephaniah speaks most bluntly of this terrible day when terms signify—what do they mean?
God’s wrath is poured out. Notice: “The great day of the LORD is near, it is In practical application, ranchers brand their cattle to signify ownership.
near, and hastens greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty In many cases, retailers hang up a sign above their establishment to show
whose hardware store, restaurant or shop it is. In Genesis 4:15, after he killed The Sabbath “sanctifies” those who keep it. They are set apart as belong-
Abel, Cain received a “mark,” signifying that he had sinned. This was also a ing to—as being owned by—God. Christians are told that “you are bought with
kind of brand or sign telling those who met Cain who and what he was. The a price; be not you the servants of men” (I Cor. 7:23) and “you are bought with
famous novel The Scarlet Letter is the story of a woman who committed a price: therefore glorify God…” (I Cor. 6:20).
adultery and had to wear a large “A” on the front of her clothing to signify Those who observe the Sabbath are signified as God’s people—and that
what she had done. He owns them. They are also publicly identified as people who keep the
It is no different with a church. God does not force anyone to obey Him. commandments. Civil laws require people to keep several of the other com-
But Satan, through his church, does force his brand on his people in the same mandments (against stealing, murder, lying [perjury], etc.), so obedience to
way that ranchers force their brand on cattle. most or all of the other commandments, which the world at least generally
Now what is the sign that God says identifies His people? What point of acknowledges in one form or another, does not identify one as a command-
obedience tells God that we are His people? ment-keeper!
The Sabbath does! It is a sign that people are of God, since no one would
What is God’s Sign? ever think or choose to keep this law without it having been revealed by God.
Notice that God established the Sabbath as a “perpetual covenant” to be
In Genesis 2, immediately after God had made man, He finished the week with kept “throughout your generations”—and “forever.” This is ironclad. God’s
one final creation: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the command is for all time. The Sabbath was to be kept forever! Doing this kept
host of them. And on the SEVENTH DAY God ended His work which He had people in touch with the true God. It was the way God intended that people
made; and He rested on the SEVENTH DAY from all His work which He had never lose sight of who He was (their God)—and who they were (His people)!
made. And God blessed the SEVENTH DAY, and sanctified IT: because that in IT If all peoples and nations kept the Sabbath, as Israel was commanded to do, no
He had rested from all His work which God created and made” (vs. 1-3). one would have ever fallen into idolatry and the worship of other gods—which
From creation, God established, “blessed” and “sanctified” (set apart) the has happened to all nations who have not kept it.
seventh day of the week as a day of rest. He never established any other day— Now we must ask: Which commandment would Satan choose to over-
and confirmed that this was His Law “forever.” He told ancient Israel to throw? Which commandment would he most hate—and why? Which com-
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy…the SEVENTH DAY is the sabbath mandment signifies that those who obey it do not belong to him?
of the Lord your God” (Ex. 20:8-9). The only commandment signifying (is a sign) that one belongs to God—
After a few generations in Egypt, God’s people, the ancient Israelites, lost and the only commandment that directly points to the true God of creation, thus
all knowledge of His Law. God had to teach it to them again. After freeing displacing Satan, is the SABBATH!
them from slavery, the first great law that He gave them was the command to Satan most hates the Fourth Commandment! There is no way to get
keep the Sabbath. around whether one does or does not literally observe the seventh day of the
The Sabbath originated before the Old Covenant was established. The Ten week as the Sabbath. You either do or you don’t! God and Satan are not con-
Commandments were not given as part of the Old Covenant. They had been in fused on this point. They know what is at stake. And the world can readily see
force since creation. (Read our free book The Ten Commandments – “Nailed whether one keeps the Sabbath or not.
to the Cross” or Required for Salvation?)
In Exodus 31:12-17, God made a special covenant with Israel regarding Israel and Judah Failed the Test
His Sabbath: “And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying…Verily My sabbaths
you shall keep: for it is a SIGN between Me and you throughout your genera- Israel would not keep God’s Sabbath for any length of time. From time to time,
tions; that you may know that I am the LORD that does sanctify [set apart] you. they would temporarily observe it, but they always fell back into the practices
You shall keep the sabbath…the seventh [day] is the sabbath of rest, holy to of the nations around them. The following summarizes how God says Sabbath-
the LORD…Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath…for a per- breaking brought His WRATH on disobedient Israel:
petual covenant. It is a SIGN between Me and the children of Israel FOREV- “In the day when I chose Israel…saying, I am the LORD your God…I gave
ER: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day them My sabbaths, to be a SIGN between Me and them, that they might know
He rested…” that I am the LORD that sanctify them. But…Israel REBELLED against Me…My
This last phrase proves that the Sabbath was established from the creation sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out My fury [God’s
week, over 2,000 years prior to Exodus 31. wrath] upon them in the wilderness, to consume them…Nevertheless Mine eye
spared them from destroying…But I said unto their children…hallow My sab- people were required to rest on Sunday, and work on Saturday, in order to engage
baths; and they shall be a SIGN between Me and you…Notwithstanding the in business or hold a job. This enforcement governed their “buying and selling.”
children rebelled against Me…they polluted My sabbaths: then I said, I would Now briefly back to the beast and “little horn” of Daniel 7. Verse 25 sheds
pour out My fury [His wrath] upon them, to accomplish My anger [His wrath]” important light on what happened in the Roman Empire. Daniel wrote, “And
(Ezek. 20:5, 12-13, 17-21). he [the little horn] shall speak great words against the most High, and shall
Because of their repeated disobedience and rebellion against God’s gov- wear out the saints of the most High”—now get this next point and do not mis-
ernment, God eventually did send Israel into captivity (by Assyria) and the understand—“and think to change TIMES and LAWS.”
Jews into captivity (by Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon). This is a remarkable statement about how the great false “woman” church
And lest any say, “Well, the Sabbath was only made for the Jews and sought to alter God’s LAW as it had to do with TIME. The single most obvious
Israel,” Christ answers, “The Sabbath was made for MAN…therefore the Son of way has been to change the time of God’s Sabbath to the pagan SUN’S DAY (the
man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). day long set apart by men for worship of the sun), thus altering the fourth great
Yes, Christ is Lord of the Sabbath, not the Lord of Sunday! The Sabbath law of God! (More and more people today speak of Sunday as their “sabbath.”)
was not made for the Jews or Israel only, it was made for MAN. It was made HOW PLAIN has been the work of this church in its efforts to “wear out
for all humanity—but humanity has rejected it! the saints”!—and to speak against “the most High”!
Is it any wonder that God will pour out His wrath without mercy on any
Where Did “Sunday Keeping” Come From? who would dare to do these things to His Word and to His people?
God has never authorized His Church or mankind to keep the pagan Sun’s day.
Since God commanded that the Sabbath be kept forever, how did Sunday keep- Nor did He ever command or allow His people to keep numerous other pagan fes-
ing originate? It certainly did not come from God or His Church. tivals and days of worship—and has always explicitly commanded against them!
Sunday is commonly referred to as “the Lord’s Day.” While the true Lord’s When people celebrate Sunday as the “Lord’s Day,” they unwittingly cel-
Day of the Bible is actually the Day of the Lord—the Day of His Wrath (Joel ebrate the very wrath that God will pour out on them for keeping this pagan
2:1-11; Rev. 1:10; 15:1, 7), the term, “the Lord’s Day,” has come to be syn- custom in place of His Sabbath! Astonishing, but true.
onymous with Sunday. Exodus 20:8-11 showed that Sabbath-keeping is the Fourth Commandment!
But why? The Sabbath has always been the seventh day of the week, and God never author-
The reason is simple. Many have assumed the unscriptural tradition that ized Sunday, the first day of the week. God hallowed the Sabbath at creation.
Christ was resurrected from the tomb on Sunday. If Sunday can be established Christ kept it (Luke 4:16). So did Paul (Acts 13:42, 44; 17:2; 18:4). And so did
as the day that Christ was resurrected, it can be a means of artificially validat- the New Testament Church.
ing and “authorizing” the keeping of Sunday by the churches of the world—in God has always said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex.
place of God’s true Sabbath. Then, the pagan Easter festival and celebration, 20:8). He has never said, “Remember Sunday to keep it holy—and just call it
with its Sunday sunrise services, become much easier to establish. the Lord’s day!”
Many pagan festivals, including Christmas (Saturnalia), Easter (the fes- Keeping the Sabbath as God’s command for true Christians is a big sub-
tival of Ishtar) and worship on the day of the Sun, were observed throughout ject requiring its own large booklet of explanation. (Carefully read our free
the Roman Empire long before Christ. The apostate church (the “woman”) book Saturday or Sunday – Which Is the Sabbath? for extensive and absolute
simply adopted them into practice, and enforced them on all citizens in the proof of which day is the Christian Sabbath. You may also read our booklet
empire through the civil government. Actually, the first one to enforce God’s Holy Days or Pagan Holidays? to learn more about God’s seven annu-
Sunday worship was not a Pope or a church, but was Constantine, the emper- al Sabbaths and how the false church has substituted these days with abom-
or. inable, pagan, counterfeit “Christianized” festivals.)
Here is what happened next. At the Council of Laodicea, in A.D. 363, the
following decree was passed: “Christians must not Judaize by resting on the What You Obey
Sabbath, but must work on that day, resting rather on Sunday. But, if any be
found to be Judaizing, let them be declared anathema from Christ.” Paul, in his letter to the Romans, explained that people are the servants of what-
Understand what this decree meant. When one was branded “anathema” ever and whoever they obey: “Know you not, that to whom you yield your-
(accursed or heretic) by the church, he was arrested by the state, tortured and, selves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin
unless he recanted, this continued until death. This was enforced so strictly that unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (6:16).
People either serve and obey God, and are given eternal life—or they serve What does this mean?
and obey sin and the “god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4), Satan, and earn eternal Let’s understand. What do people do with their hands? They work! So the
death (Rom. 6:23)! “right hand” referenced in Revelation is a symbol for working—making a liv-
In the Old Testament, Sabbath-breaking was punishable by death (Ex. ing. What about the forehead? The forehead is a symbol for what people
31:14 and 15). II Corinthians 3:7-8 describes the Old Testament administration believe. This is referring to one’s intellect or mind—specifically, what one
of a civil death penalty, which is no longer applicable, because God is now obeys.
building the nation of spiritual Israel (Rom. 2:28-29; 8:9; 11:24-26; Gal. 3:29; Again, God also has a “mark,” or a sign, He puts on those who follow His
Eph. 2:11-13, 19; I Pet. 2:5, 9). laws. In Exodus 13:9, God is explaining one of His annual Sabbaths to the
The Sabbath was to be kept perpetually, throughout the generations of nation of Israel. Notice this: “It shall be for a SIGN unto you upon your HAND
Israel. There are still generations of Israel today—and there is spiritual Israel, [they could not work on the Sabbath], and for a memorial between your EYES,
which keeps the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and the testi- that the LORD’S law may be in your mouth.”
mony of Jesus Christ. This could not be more plain! Let’s examine two more passages: “Now these
Take heed whether and how you will obey God. For “He that despised are the commandments...And these words, which I command you this day, shall
Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much be in your heart...And you shall bind them for a SIGN upon your HAND, and they
sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden shall be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deut. 6:1, 6, 8), and “Shall you lay up
under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, where- these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon
with he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deut. 11:18).
grace?” (Heb. 10:28-29). The Fourth Commandment, addressing God’s Sabbath, is the one com-
This is most serious! mand that professing Christianity outright rejects! This commandment sepa-
rates those who have the mark of the beast and those who carry God’s sign of
How the Mark Is Made Sabbath-keeping. It is the TEST command of one’s obedience to the true God.
God’s Law is not negotiable. If one breaks any of His laws, that person is
During the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire caused people to receive a guilty of sin. We saw that “sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). If
“mark.” What was this mark? Those who had it lived—those who did not, died. you break it, you earn a penalty—death (Rom. 6:23). So both God, with His
This mark protected all who received it. sign, and the beast, with his mark, identify their followers. And both bring
The Roman system “set” this mark on all who obeyed and submitted to its death—if disobeyed!
pagan religious practices. These included observance of Sunday as the day of You must CHOOSE which mark to take. Choose correctly. Your future
worship (instead of the true Sabbath), along with other pagan holidays depends on it!
(Christmas, Easter, New Year’s and others). History records that at least 50 Now notice again Exodus 31:13: “...Verily My Sabbaths you shall keep:
million people were killed for not obeying the Roman Empire in regard to for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that you may
Sunday observance. know that I am the LORD that does sanctify you.”
Notice this revealing verse in Daniel 7: “I beheld, and the same horn made So then, in plain terms, the mark of the beast is SUNDAY-KEEPING AND THE
war with the saints...” (vs. 21). This “war” is referring to the period that the KEEPING OF PAGAN FESTIVALS—in place of God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths!
Roman Empire, under the false church’s direction, put to death all those who The mark is disobedience to God’s Way!
would not worship on Sunday! Let me repeat: The universal church in Rome,
working with the civil government, caused everyone under the Roman system Not Yet Enforced
to receive this mark. Sunday became the official day of worship for all—
throughout the Empire. Sabbath observance was outlawed, and anyone observ- Today, there is no governmental power to enforce this mark. However, the final
ing it was killed! Millions lost their lives in this persecution, and God’s Word revival of the Holy Roman Empire is now forming in Europe. Soon it will rise,
tells us that it will happen again! and again have the POWER to force this mark on an unsuspecting world. The
We have already seen that the book of Revelation is largely one of visions great false church—the great whore—will once again ride this beast. Together
and symbols. We read that the beast “causes all, both small and great, rich and they will cause all mankind to carry this mark in their forehead (obedience or
poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right HAND, or in their FORE- submission), and without it, people will not be able to work (the right hand)
HEADS...” (Rev. 13:16). and ultimately feed themselves.
The Bible reveals that the whole world today is deceived (Rev. 12:9). All Jesus Christ promised to build His Church. Men have built their churches
nations, in one form or another, practice paganism. The physical descendants and Christ built His—just one! By now you know it is not, and never was, the
of Israel (the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and oth- great false system based on the practices of Babylon.
ers) unwittingly are already following these false ways of “Babylon”—a sys- I repeat: one full third of the Bible is prophecy. God foretells in His Word
tem of religious confusion. In Revelation 18:4, God warns all who will listen: a great deal about what the future holds. Many prophecies involve a tremen-
“Come out of her, My people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that dous amount of understanding that God makes available, and with all neces-
you receive not of her plagues”! sary details. He wants His servants to understand exactly what lies ahead for
If you take heed to what you have learned in this booklet, you can receive all mankind, and for themselves—if they are faithful, or if they are not.
DIVINE PROTECTION from the living God (read Luke 21:36). Obey God, watch, But also recognize that more than bad news lies ahead for the world, and
pray always and you shall be “accounted worthy to escape”! This also means this must also be understood. So many seem to think that all Bible prophecy
great reward: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was involves upheaval, disaster and devastation. This could not be further from the
given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the wit- truth! Remember, vast sections of God’s Word describe the awesome and per-
ness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the manent GOOD NEWS that lies ahead for the world—that of God’s coming,
beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their FOREHEADS, world-ruling supergovernment, under Christ and the saints, announced by
or in their HANDS; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” Jesus as the kingdom of God. We saw this, and that it follows almost immedi-
(Rev. 20:4). ately on the heels of the beast’s final appearance.
The identity of the beast of Revelation and all the biggest questions con-
nected to it, are now known to you. You have been warned. Now you must The Greatest Questions
decide what you will do with the knowledge you have received.
Take responsibility for where you are. Towering—truly COLOSSAL!—prophecies, concerning the most terrible calami-
ties to ever strike the earth, are now unfolding. You have seen them explained
Responsibility Is Personal in clear, plain detail. A spiritually darkened, blind and deceived world rushes
headlong toward disaster, now just ahead. They do not suspect that God’s
I cannot, nor can any man, make you act on the understanding within this book- wrath, poured out in full fury, and undiluted with mercy, will soon fall on a sin-
let, or make you obey God. I can only jostle you—shake you—but you must ravaged humanity that God has marked to receive it.
rouse yourself from the comfort zone of your life. Wake up! Throw cold water Be careful. Many almost seem to think that by hoping these things will not
on your face! Clear your vision! Don’t waste time! Get going! Start down the happen, or wishing them away, their certainty will be cancelled. How naïve—
road, one step at a time, to where you should be! Determine to keep your eyes and foolish! Prophecy does not turn on your or my agreement. God declares
on the truth of events! them in His Word.
A transcendent WORLD TEST is coming, and this will crash into an almost These prophecies are certain—they are SURE. They will happen!
entirely unprepared and unsuspecting world. And recognize that the current Will you be deceived when they come to pass? Will you be seduced by
popular idea of December 21, 2012 being the “end” is nonsense, since Christ miracles and lying wonders? Will you take the mark of the beast? Will you not
said that no man knows the day or hour of His Return (Matt. 24:36). resist worship of the beast and his image when the entire world is falling in
When asked about conditions that would precede His Return to Earth, line? Will you follow the masses and ignore God?
Jesus answered, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in Or will you obey God, watch and pray always—and ESCAPE?
My name, saying, ‘I am Christ [that Jesus is Christ];’ and shall deceive many”
(Matt. 24:4-5). Jesus goes straight to the problem that would exist at the end
of the age. There are many, many deceivers at work today. But how many peo-
ple are doing what Christ said, and taking heed about this? How many are
carefully doing their homework regarding men claiming to represent God?
How many are following through on claims made by preachers about the beast
with even minimal Bible study to see how ridiculous—how completely
ABSURD!—are the most popular ideas about the beast of Revelation and relat-
ed prophecies?
The following additional literature supple-
ments the material in this booklet:
• The True Origin of Christmas

• The True Origin of Easter
• Christ’s Resurrection Was Not on Sunday
• The Sabbath – Has Time Been Lost?
• Saturday or Sunday – Which Is the Sabbath?
101011
B
The Restored Church of God

P.O. Box 23295 P.O. Box 4064
Wadsworth, OH 44282 St. Catharines, ON L2R 7S3
USA CANADA
Phone: (330) 334-2266

Fax: (330) 334-6513
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.thercg.org

Beast of Revelation

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Who or What is the

The world is nearing the “end of all

Herbert W. Armstrong led the Worldwide Church of God (formerly The

Identifying the Beast’s Number—666

Head of 1st beast 1st Head Chaldean Empire

Deadly Wound Rome falls

1st Horn 1st The Vandalls

Little Horn 2-horned Scarlet False False Christianity

8th Horn 5th of last 5th Head Napoleon’s Kingdom

Mass Worldwide Deception

• The True Origin of Christmas

The Restored Church of God

Phone: (330) 334-2266

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