The United States is identified as the seventh head of the beast of Revelation chapter 13. Compare Daniel 7:7, 8, 23, 24. The beast that Daniel saw represented the Roman World Power. In the fifth century C. E., the Roman Empire began to fragment. The ten horns sprouting from the head of that fearsome beast represented kingdoms that grew out of that empire.
Four of the horns, or kingdoms, received special mention. Three are plucked out by another horn, “a small one.” This was fulfilled when Britain, a former outpost of the Roman Empire, grew to prominence. Until the 17th century, Britain was relatively insignificant power. Three other regions of the old Roman Empire-Spain, the Netherlands, and France-were far more influential. Britain plucked those power out one by one, removing them from their positions of prestige. By the mid 18th century, Britain was on its way to become the dominant power on the world scene. But it had not yet become the seventh head of the wild beast.
Though Britain gained dominance, colonies in North America broke away. Even so, the United States was allowed to grow mighty, protected by British navel power. By the time the Lord’s day began, Britain had built the largest empire in history and the United States had become the greatest industrial power on earth. During World War 1, the United States forged a special partnership with Britain. The seventh head of the beast had now emerged as the Anglo-American World Power.
This relationship between the seventh head of the wild beast and the immense image-as described at Daniel 2:41-43-grew out of the Roman empire-would come to prominence. Just as an iron structure mixed with clay is weaker than solid iron, so too the Anglo-American World Power is weaker than the power which it emerged. This is evident, for example, because people have risen up too claim their rights trough civil rights campaigns, labor unions, and independence movements. The common people undermine the ability of this Anglo-American World Power to act with iron like strength. Also, opposing ideologies and close election results that do not end up in a clear majority have weakened the power base of even popular leaders so that they have no clear mandate to implement their policies.
This seventh head-Anglo-American World Power-is also identified at Revelation 13:3. As a result of World War 1, the symbolic “sword stroke” devastated and drained Satan’s political wild beast.-Revelation 13:1b, 2.
