Lesson Study 21 Copy

“And I saw a 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. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard.”

In Prophecy’s Super Powers (Lesson 4), we learned that this beast kingdom unmistakably represents the most influential religious geo-political kingdom in history—the medieval Roman Church. Christians down through the centuries have identified this antichrist beast with the Vatican. John Huss, Luther, Wycliffe, Calvin, Tyndale, Knox, and many others have identified this beast kingdom as the Papal system (not individual Catholic believers).

“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally and his deadly wound was . And all the world marveled and followed the beast.”

The medieval Roman Church gained political power in A.D. 538. It ruled for 1,260 years just as prophecy predicted and lost its power in A.D. 1798. In that year, Napoleon’s general Berthier captured the pope and took him to France where he died. This remarkable fulfillment of prophecy was heralded by Bible students around the world.

The predicted healing of the wound began when the papacy regained its political powers. In 1929, Italy restored to the Vatican its political and diplomatic standing in the Lateran Treaty. The Catholic Advocate reported that the treaty “healed a wound;” and the San Francisco Chronicle carried the headline, “Heal Wound of Many Years.” Prophecy correctly predicted the politically influential papacy of today.

“He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; . . . Then I saw another coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.”

A beast in prophecy represents a kingdom. (See Daniel 7:17, 23.) The first identifying point of this new kingdom is that it arises to power in the late 18th century as the papal the world marveled and followed the beast.

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the ”

The other beasts in prophecy came out of the “sea” which symbolizes densely populated areas of “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15). The second identifying point is that this nation doesn’t emerge in the more populated Old World like the other beast kingdoms, but it comes out of the opposite environment—the earth or a sparsely populated land in the Western Continent.

“But the earth the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood.”

A woman in prophecy represents a church (Revelation 19:7, 8; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Jeremiah 6:2). This nation is a haven for God’s people who flee religious persecution during the 1,260 years’ prophecy.

“Then I saw another beast out of the earth, and he had two horns like a .”

This nation’s third identifying characteristic is it doesn’t destroy another beast nation that previously occupied the land. Neither does it start as a global power, but it gradually comes up and takes the land. The fourth point is that it is a young nation like a lamb and not a mature ram.

“And he had two horns like a …”

The fifth point is this nation doesn’t have crowns on its horns. This is a nation without a king. The sixth point is this nation’s horns are lamb-like. Since a lamb symbolizes Christ (John 1:29), this nation is founded on Christian principles. It follows Christ’s teaching on how government and religion are to coexist: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

“And he exercises the authority of the first beast in his presence, and the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast.”

The seventh identifying feature is this nation grows into a global power to influence the earth. The United States of America is the only nation that fulfills all seven identifying features of this prophecy.
1. It came to power in the late 18th century.
2. It was birthed in a wilderness area and became a haven from religious persecution.
3. It emerged gradually in an area not controlled by another world empire.
4. It was a fresh, young nation that pioneered a new form of government.
5. It doesn’t have a crowned king, but is a representative form of government.
6. It is founded on the Lamb of God’s principles of freedom of worship.
7. It has grown to be a global superpower.

It should not come as a surprise to find the U.S.A. mentioned in prophecy. As the superpower of the 21st century it will help lead the way for the mark of the beast. Colin Powell says the U.S.A. is “a superpower that cannot be touched in this generation by anyone in terms of military power, economic power, the strength of our political system and our values system” (P.J. O’Rourke, “A Conversation with Colin Powell”, Atlantic Monthly, September 2004).

“Telling those who dwell on the earth to make an to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.”

Even though the U.S.A. was originally founded as a Protestant nation, it forms an alliance with the Vatican after its “deadly wound was healed.”

“And he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a “

Nations “speak” through their legislative and judicial authorities. The dragon is the devil (Revelation 12:9) and he speaks “blasphemies” (Revelation 13:5). Blasphemy is when a created being claims to be God (John 10:33). The U.S.A. speaks like a dragon when it assumes the prerogatives of God and passes laws that interfere with its citizens’ right to worship according to their conscience.

“And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”

The mark of the beast issue is over worship. The authority of the U.S.A. will be exercised in enforcing worship that will be an act of homage to the papal beast. This nation which began with an unheard-of level of religious freedom will eventually institute laws that enforce worship that honors the papal kingdom.

“He performs great so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs.”

Global unrest combines with deceptive miracles to convince people to “get back to God” or face more “judgments.” The result is “all the world marveled and followed the beast” and unites together to follow the papal beast (Revelation 13:3).

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

In the Mark of the Beast (Lesson 20), we learned the papal mark of authority is Sunday sacredness. The fact that the majority of Christians worship on Sunday, in spite of it not being in the Bible and it being a child of the papacy, is what the papacy uses to “prove” it is God’s vicar on earth. For centuries, the papacy has worked to regain world dominance. When it does, it will make sure everyone acknowledges it by going to church on Sunday.

“The church changed Sabbath to Sunday and all the world bows down and worships upon that day in silent obedience to the mandates of the Catholic Church.” (Hartford Weekly Call, February 22, 1884)

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who the commandments of God and the of Jesus.”

God’s people are known for two things: they have the faith of Jesus and they are obedient to God’s commandments which includes the fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath day. While the rest of the world receives the mark of the beast, God’s people do not compromise their faith in Jesus, and they refuse to break God’s commandments and worship in way that is counter to the commandments of God.