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How important is it that we know who the Beast is? It's number, name and image?
1. Revelation 14:9-10
  1. Does it depend on how we interpret the Scripture?
    1. We are told that the prophetic word is sure. 2 Peter 1:19
    2. Holy men of God were inspired.
    3. It is not for private interpretation. 2 Peter 1:20-21
    4. All Scripture is given by inspiration. 2 Timothy 3:16
  2. The scripture uses beasts to represent nations and kingdoms.
    1. Daniel 8:20-21
    2. This is not talking about people as individuals.
Eight points of Identification:
1. The Beast in Daniel 7. Revelation 13:1-2
  1. Mouth of a lion - Babylon
  2. Feet of a bear - Medo-Persia.
  3. Body of a leopard - Greece.
2. The Dragon gave power, seat and authority. Revelation 13:2
  1. The dragon of Daniel 7 was Pagan Rome.
  2. "To the succession of the Caesars came the succession of the Pontiffs in Rome. When Constantine left Rome he gave his seat to the Pontiff." [Labianca, Professor of History, University of Rome.]
3. Given Forty-two months. Revelation 13:5
  1. The rise of the Papal Power in 538 A.D.. "Bishop Silverius of Rome had been elected under the Gothic influence, and while Belsarius was besieged in Rome by the Goths, Silverius was accused of favoring the Goths. So in 537, Silverius was banished by Belsarius and the deacon Vigilius was then elected Pope. It is likely that Justinian never thought of Vigilius anything more than a docile head of a 'department of religion' in his imperial government, and intended to keep the reins all the more firmly in his own hands. Vigilus owing his pontificate to imperial influence, and bolstered by this new legal recognition of the Pope's ecclesiastical supremacy, marked the beginning of a long climb toward political power, which culminated in the reigns of such popes as Gregory VII, Innocent III and Boniface VIII. From this time on the popes, more and more involved in worldly events, no longer belong solely to the church; they are men of the state and then rulers of the state." [Le Roy Room, Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Vol. 1. p 516]
  2. "Day for a year principle." [Ezekiel 4:6, Numbers 14:34]
  3. 1260 Years of Papal Supremacy.
4. Receives a deadly wound. Revelation 13:3
  1. French Revolution
  2. Napoleon comes to power and takes the Pope prisoner - February 15, 1798.
  3. "In 1798, he [Berthier]…made his entrance into Rome, ABOLISHED THE PAPAL GOVERNMENT and established a secular one." [The Encyclopedia Americana, 1941 edition]
5. Speak great things and blashpemies. Revelation 13:5 The Bible identifies blasphemy as claiming to be God and claiming power to forgive sins. John 10:33, Luke 5:21
  1. "All the names which in the Scriptures apply to Christ…all the same names are applied to the Pope." [Robert Bellarmine, On the Authority of the Councils, Chap. 17, 1628, Ed. Vol. 1 page 266]
  2. "There is a man on earth who can forgive sins, and that many is the Catholic priest. Yes, beloved brethren, the priest not only declares that the sinner is forgiven, but he really forgives him." [Baltimore: Kreuzer Brothers, 1876]
6. A persecuting power. Revelation 13:7
  1. "Morally, they believed themselves to be saving thousands of souls by the burning of a single heretic. Politically, they believed if possible, by sufficiently persistent and ruthless persecution, to extinguish heresy altogether." [G.G.Coulton, The Death- Penalty for Heresy, p.24]
  2. Spanish Inquisition.
  3. Massacre of St. Bartholomew.
  4. Waldenses persecuted.
7. Deadly Wound is healed. Revelation 13:3
  1. The Roman Question settled by the signing of the Latern Pack 1929.
  2. Beast will come back to power.
  3. World will follow the beast.
  4. "Now it can be said that everything which took place in Eastern Europe in recent years would have been impossible without the Pope's efforts and the enormous role, including the political role, which he played in the world arena. Pope John Paul II will play and enormous political role now that profound changes have occurred in European History. [Mikhail Gorbachev, Toronto Star, March 9, 1992]
8. Seven Heads and Ten Horns. Revelation 13:1
  1. Ten Horns are also ten kings. Revelation 17:12 [Same as the ten toes of Daniel 2 and the ten horns of Daniel 7]
  2. Seven heads are seven kingdoms. Revelation 12:3, 17:3,7,9-10
Beast has seven heads. Revelation 13:3
1. Five have fallen. Revelation 17:10
  1. Babylon - Lion
  2. Medo-Persia - Bear
  3. Greece - Leopard
  4. Pagan Rome - Dragon
  5. Papal Rome - Nondescript beast of Revelation 13.
2. Two more heads - symbolizes our time in history.
3. It's during this time that Christ will come.