13 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. [SUP]2 [/SUP]Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. [SUP]3 [/SUP]And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. [SUP]4 [/SUP]So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
[SUP]5 [/SUP]And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. [SUP]6 [/SUP]Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. [SUP]7 [/SUP]It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. [SUP]8 [/SUP]All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
I believe all this imagery can be explained by using the meanings from the OT prophets as John wrote Revelation in code so that only Christians familiar with OT writings could understand. Most of the above passage uses symbols from Daniel.
First it is important to understand what a "beast" is:
Excerpts from Dan 7:
[SUP]17 [/SUP]‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.
These "BEASTS are KINGS or KINGDOMS. Now where is the REV 13 beast from?
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. [SUP]3 [/SUP]And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. [SUP]4 [/SUP]The first was like a lion... ...[SUP]5 [/SUP]“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear... ...[SUP]6 [/SUP]“After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard.
History tells us who these "BEASTS" were:
Lion = Babylon (Iraq)
Bear = Medo Persia (Iran)
Leopard = Assyria (Syria)
Thus the "Beast from the Sea" was like Syria, his feet like Iran and his mouth like Iraq (ancient Babylon, ancient Babel, the birthplace of idol worship which is false god worship). So, this is the region to watch and indeed is the region where all the trouble is coming from. We are told "they make war against the Saints and overcome them." This is happening right now as Christians in the region flee and are virtually non-existent in these three countries.
So, a Satanic power will arise which practices a false religion (ISLAM), who wages war against the Saints and defeats them who themselves nobody can (successfully) wage war against. Look at all the different nations who are trying to defeat ISIS yet have not succeeded.
Now here is where almost every modern scholar gets it wrong. It is NOT every nation on the planet that ISIS will have authority over, it is every Muslim nation. The Muslim people will become so impressed over the power that ISIS displays and over how ISIS is able to stand up against all the major world powers who come after her like the USA, Russia, France, etc. Thus ISIS will unite the Muslim world like we have not seen since the Ottoman Empire (the head that was mortally wounded).
What false religion does this beast carry? ISLAM of course which is Mystery Babylon, the great HARLOT (False religion) that John sees in the wilderness (Mecca, by the Red Sea). What does this beast do to ISLAM?
She hates it, she destroys it, devours it. She turns it from a peaceful faith to a killing machine faith on all those who will not follow.
Rev 17: [SUP]16 [/SUP]And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
Has ISIS taken over the ISLAMIC religion and turned it into something else? This something else is bent on murder. Friends we are now 1.5 years into the 42 month reign of ISIS. The worst is yet to come. The Man of Sin is only 2 years away from being revealed. We all need to pray.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. [SUP]6 [/SUP]Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. [SUP]7 [/SUP]It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. [SUP]8 [/SUP]All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
I believe all this imagery can be explained by using the meanings from the OT prophets as John wrote Revelation in code so that only Christians familiar with OT writings could understand. Most of the above passage uses symbols from Daniel.
First it is important to understand what a "beast" is:
Excerpts from Dan 7:
[SUP]17 [/SUP]‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.
These "BEASTS are KINGS or KINGDOMS. Now where is the REV 13 beast from?
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. [SUP]3 [/SUP]And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. [SUP]4 [/SUP]The first was like a lion... ...[SUP]5 [/SUP]“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear... ...[SUP]6 [/SUP]“After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard.
History tells us who these "BEASTS" were:
Lion = Babylon (Iraq)
Bear = Medo Persia (Iran)
Leopard = Assyria (Syria)
Thus the "Beast from the Sea" was like Syria, his feet like Iran and his mouth like Iraq (ancient Babylon, ancient Babel, the birthplace of idol worship which is false god worship). So, this is the region to watch and indeed is the region where all the trouble is coming from. We are told "they make war against the Saints and overcome them." This is happening right now as Christians in the region flee and are virtually non-existent in these three countries.
So, a Satanic power will arise which practices a false religion (ISLAM), who wages war against the Saints and defeats them who themselves nobody can (successfully) wage war against. Look at all the different nations who are trying to defeat ISIS yet have not succeeded.
Now here is where almost every modern scholar gets it wrong. It is NOT every nation on the planet that ISIS will have authority over, it is every Muslim nation. The Muslim people will become so impressed over the power that ISIS displays and over how ISIS is able to stand up against all the major world powers who come after her like the USA, Russia, France, etc. Thus ISIS will unite the Muslim world like we have not seen since the Ottoman Empire (the head that was mortally wounded).
What false religion does this beast carry? ISLAM of course which is Mystery Babylon, the great HARLOT (False religion) that John sees in the wilderness (Mecca, by the Red Sea). What does this beast do to ISLAM?
She hates it, she destroys it, devours it. She turns it from a peaceful faith to a killing machine faith on all those who will not follow.
Rev 17: [SUP]16 [/SUP]And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
Has ISIS taken over the ISLAMIC religion and turned it into something else? This something else is bent on murder. Friends we are now 1.5 years into the 42 month reign of ISIS. The worst is yet to come. The Man of Sin is only 2 years away from being revealed. We all need to pray.