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Also See The Seven Kings.
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Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
Introduction
Although centuries apart, the first of the two beasts seen by John shared many characteristics with the four great beasts seen by Daniel. It would be especially hard to miss the similarities between the fourth beast seen by Daniel and the first beast in Revelation.
Comparing The First Beast of Revelation With Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts
The first beast John saw was a composite of the four seen by Daniel.
The Symbolism of The Four Beasts
They Represented four major kingdoms the first of which was in power at the time of writing. The other three would arise in turn, each becoming a dominant power until it was overthrown. The fourth beast
was so horrific that Daniel particularly inquired what it meant.
The Horns on The Fourth Beast
After telling Daniel that the fourth beast with ten horns would be a fourth kingdom that would devour the earth, the interpreting angel told Daniel that ten kings that would arise from the horns followed by an eleventh - the most deadly of them all. While we have no idea of his actual identity, Daniel's vision of ...
The Two Horned Ram and the Male Goat
tell us what he will be like and what he will do.
Antiochus IV - The Type And The Nature of Hebrew Prophecy
Hebrew prophecy was often a pattern that repeated itself more than once. The fact that Daniel had so much to say about Antiochus IV Epiphanes has to mean that he was very significant in some way. And so he was. Antiochus IV was what is called a 'type' in Hebrew prophecy - a rough draft or glimpse of someone yet to come. The question is who and what did he prefigure?
The Second Beast of Revelation
The most significant aspect of this second beast is the fact that it is said to have horns like a lamb.
Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue made from various metals (Daniel 2), Daniel's vision of the four beasts that came up from the sea. (Daniel 7), John's vision of a beast that came up from the sea. (Revelation 13), and the seven kings in Revelation 17:9-10 (Link at the top pf the page) Are ALL Related.
 See Comparison Chart
Introduction
Although the two men lived centuries apart, the first of the two beasts that John saw shared many characteristics with the four great beasts seen by Daniel. This should not be at all surprising. The New Testament is a continuation of the Old - literally built on its shoulders. Thus John's vision was an extension of the events seen by the earlier prophet.
However, Daniel had a distinct advantage. Not only was he divinely inspired to correctly interpret king Nebuchadnezzar's dream that was related to the visions but on more than one occasion was able to ask an angel who was present to help him understand what he was seeing.
The information he was given can then be used to help understand the beasts seen by John.
Comparing The First Beast of Revelation
With Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts
John: In Revelation 13:1-2 John described the first beast that came up from the sea.
And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. (Revelation 13:1-2 NASB)
Daniel: The seventh chapter states that in the first year of Belshazzar (king of Babylon) he saw "four winds of heaven" that stirred up the great sea and four great and very diverse beasts emerging from it. Daniel then went on to describe each of the creatures.
In summary, the first beast was like a lion with eagle's wings, the second like a bear, the third like a leopard with four heads and four wings on its back, and the fourth had great iron teeth and ten horns. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, . (Daniel 2:2-7)
Quite obviously the first beast John saw was a composite of the four seen by Daniel. Thus in order to correctly understand the beast in Revelation (that has yet to make its appearance on the world's stage) one needs to thoroughly understand what Daniel's four beasts represented.
The Symbolism of The Four Beasts
(What They Represented)
The First Beast. (7: 4)
"The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.
Babylon, a city world famous for its magnificent architecture often used a lion as a symbol. The Ishtar Gate constructed by Nebuchadnezzar in about 575 B.C., was the main entrance into the city. Both the gate itself and the 1/2 mile long main street called the Processional Way were decorated with blue glazed bricks which, in part, featured reliefs of lions. A lion, presently housed in the Royal Ontario Museum, even decorated the throne room in Nebuchadnezzar's castle.
Although the Assyrians also used the lion as a symbol of strength, the correlation between Daniel’s vision and the interpretation of king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream points towards Babylon being represented by the first beast - a lion with the wings of an eagle. This then means that Jeremiah was speaking about Babylon
“A lion has gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place To make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins, Without an inhabitant. (Jeremiah 4:7 NASB)
Also Daniel's Amazing prophecies - The Rise and Fall of The Empires
The Second Beast. (7: 5)
"And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, 'Arise, devour much meat!'
Again the connection between Daniel’s vision and king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream means that the bear represented the Medo - Persian Empire that succeeded the Babylonian Empire. The three ribs in the bear's mouth representing the three nations (Babylon, Egypt and Lydia) who were conquered by the Persians - the dominant ones.
The Third Beast. (7: 6)
"After this I kept looking, and behold, another one like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
A head in ancient days suggested a king or leader of some kind. The leopard that Daniel saw had four heads which leads us to the next world power - the Greeks.
In the light of hindsight, we know that by the time he was about thirty years old, Alexander the Great had conquered much of the known world creating one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to Egypt and into present-day Pakistan.
He even defeated the Persian king Darius III in 331 B.C. (Note: the fall of Persia and the rise of Alexander's Empire were about two hundred years in the future at the time of Daniel's vision). However, at the very height of his power he suddenly contracted a fever and died ten days later.
After his death, four of his generals divided the empire between them. This historical fact not only corresponds with Daniel's second beast in chapter seven but also with a subsequent vision recorded in Daniel 8. (See Daniel's Vision on THIS Page -Scroll down slightly)
The Fourth Beast. (7: 7-8)
"After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
Daniel, both alarmed and distressed by what he saw, then asked what the beasts meant.
I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.' (Daniel 7:16-18 NASB)
Unsurprisingly, it was the fourth beast that made such an impact on Daniel that he particularly asked about it.
(19) "Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, (20) and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. (21) "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them (22) until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. (Daniel 7:19-22 NASB)
In reply the angel explained that,
The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. (Daniel 7:23 NASB)
This explanation is entirely in line with the interpretation of king Nebuchadnezzar's dream as given Daniel some years earlier.
At that time, he was told that Babylon itself was represented by the statue's golden head. However, three more kingdoms would arise in turn after Babylon. The second kingdom would be inferior to Babylon, and it would be followed by a third kingdom of bronze that would rule over all the earth. The fourth kingdom, which represented the Roman Empire, would be as strong as iron crushing the others. See The Rise And Fall Of The Empires I.
Note: It is no coincidence that Nebuchadnezzar's statue had legs of iron representing the Roman Empire, and the fourth beast had iron teeth. The symbolism of the two legs was not apparent until many years later (in 286 A.D.) when, for administrative purposes, the Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into East and West.
In other words, some form or extension of the Roman Empire will become a dominant world power in the years to come. Under it's satanically empowered leader, this 'kingdom' will somehow 'subdue the earth' and wage war with God's people - even overpowering them until the Ancient of Days intervenes and passes judgment in favor of His followers who will then take possession of the kingdom. See Daniel's Amazing Prophecies
Some disagree with the idea that the fourth beast represented the Romans because, as much as they tried to, their empire did not devour the whole earth, nor break it in pieces. However, Daniel's fourth beast was not limited to the ancient Roman Empire. As Nebuchadnezzar's image clearly showed, the fourth kingdom did not end with the iron legs but mixed with clay continued into the ten toes.
Mixed With Clay - A Sinister Dimension?
However, there is a little more to this than first meets the eye. When it comes to the feet of the statue one unusual, but highly significant statement Daniel made brings up a very grim dimension.
"And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. (Daniel 2:43 NASB)
Note: The word they has been translated from the Hebrew le·he·won used seven times in the Old Testament and always indicated more than one person. See
The phrase certainly indicates that whoever it is that will 'mingle with the seed of men' are not themselves the seed of men. See Days of Noah
The Horns on The Fourth Beast - The Ten Kings
After telling Daniel that the fourth beast with ten horns would be a fourth kingdom that would devour the earth (7:23), the angel added some details regarding the ten kings that would arise from the horns and especially the eleventh that would come after them.
As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. (25) 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (26) 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. (27) 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.' (Daniel 7:24-27 NASB)
In Revelation John was told that the ten horns of the beast were ten kings who (at the time of writing) had not yet received a kingdom, but would "receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. (Remember that these two men - Daniel and John wrote hundreds of years apart)
(12) "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. (13) "These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. (14) "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." (Revelation 17:12-14 NASB)
Note: If they hadn't yet received a kingdom in John's day, they certainly hadn't received one in Daniel's time.
John was clearly speaking about the eleventh king when he said...
It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. (Revelation 13:7-8 NASB)
We should know by now that we are faced with the prospect of the rise of a 'beast' with ten horns that springs from the fourth kingdom (the dormant, not dead, Roman Empire). These ten kings will be the dominant force in the world in the time preceding our Lord return. However, three of them will be supplanted by an eleventh who will "speaks great things", blaspheme the Most High, and make war with the saints.
Since Revelation 13:4 tells us that it is the dragon or Satan who gives his authority unto the beast, it is obvious that this revived Empire will be under the leadership of Satan himself. However, although these kings will imagine themselves to be totally in control, Revelation 17 says God is using them to execute His purposes.
"For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. (Revelation 17:17)
On The Wings of Peace
Daniel's words "he will destroy many while they are at ease" (8:25) is very likely to mean that the antichrist will come under the guise of peace and security. This detail is very alarming because
A.) Many of the world's religions looking forward to a coming messiah. For example, many Hindus believe in the ten incarnations of the god Vishnu with one more (Kalkin) yet to come. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Prince Arjuna: "Whenever there is a decline of righteousness [dharma] and rise of unrighteousness then I send forth Myself. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being from age to age".
B.) The Imam Mahdi ("the guided one") is redeemer who, according to some Islamic traditions, will appear and rule for a few years (the exact number of years differ) before the Day of Judgment when he will rid the world of evil.
C.) A large portion of the New Age movement believes the present phase of human existence is one of transition, and there is a new age dawning. However, the utopian age will only come about under the leadership and guidance of a world leader/teacher. This makes it is easy to see how a charismatic leader who promises (and seems to deliver) utopia will be accepted, nay, even welcomed by much of the world.
Which brings us to the question of who these ten kings might be. The short answer is that we simply do not know - yet.
However, there is one strong possibility i.e The European Union?
If you are wondering what the EU has to do with Biblical prophecy and the Roman Empire, it is largely a federation of nations that were once a part of the old Roman empire. The article Seven Kings goes a long way in explaining the connection between what seems like two widely disparate worlds.
The Two Horned Ram and Male Goat
Daniel's vision of a ram and a goat deals with the overthrow of the Persian empire and the rise of the Greeks (Daniel 8:1-14). Note: The ram is said to have been widely used as a symbol. It wasl stamped on Persian coins as well as on the headdresses of Persian emperors.
The prophet saw a ram with two horns - one longer than the other. For a period of time, the ram remained supreme. However, his reign came to an end with the advent of a male goat with a conspicuous horn between his eyes. With none to rescue or aid him, the ram was attacked by the goat that shattered his two horns (Daniel 8:3-7).
The two horned ram represented the Medes and Persians who together overthrew Babylon. The male goat symbolized the Grecian empire that, under Alexander the great, defeated the Persian king Darius III in 331 B.C.
The prophet went on to write that the male goat magnified himself exceedingly but soon the large horn was broken and replaced by four others. (Daniel 8:8). This prophecy was fulfilled when, after Alexander's untimely and sudden death, four of his generals divided the empire between them. See The Rise And Fall of The Empires II
Which brings us to...
Antiochus IV Epiphanes - The 'Type'
Of the four generals, Daniel wrote,
Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land. (10) It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. (11) It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. (Daniel 8:9-11 NASB)
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, ruler of the Seleucid kingdom set up by one of Alexander's four generals, fit the bill remarkably well. His rise to power also corresponding with the following prediction by Daniel - "In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue (KJV- flatteries)". (Daniel 11:21 NASB)
Antiochus certainly was a despicable hated person. He was nicknamed Antiochus Epimanes (the madman) instead of his preferred appellation Epiphanes (God Manifest).
The "honour of kingship" was never conferred on Antiochus IV whose brother Seleucus IV was the rightful heir. Indeed Seleucus had actually ascended the throne but was murdered by one of his courtiers who attempted to seize the Syrian crown.
Antiochus obtained the kingdom by flatteries (or intrigue). According to Bible Commentator Adam Clarke "He flattered Eumenes, king of Pergamus, and Attalus his brother, and got their assistance. He flattered the Romans, and sent ambassadors to court their favour, and pay them the arrears of the tribute. He flattered the Syrians, and gained their concurrence.”
Note: The early verses in chapter 11 deal with Antiochus II, Antiochus III, and the latter's eldest son Seleucus III. They are so precise that many who do not believe in supernatural revelation, insist that it is history, written after the fact. See Was Daniel a Prophet or Historian?
That Daniel had so much to say (much more than noted here) about Antiochus IV had to mean that he was very significant. And yet again, history proved the prophet right. Antiochus IV became a vicious persecutor of the Jews who, at the time, were divided into two parties - the very religious Hasideans (Orthodox Jews), and the Hellenistic reform party (that admired and adopted Greek ideas and culture).
As relations between these two factions deteriorated Antiochus IV, who supported the reform party (very possibly for financial reasons), attempted to ban Jewish religious rites and traditions. His extreme steps demonstrated how evil the man was. He...
dedicated the Jerusalem Temple to Zeus, erecting an image of Zeus in his own likeness on the altar and, according to some sources, sacrificed a pig in the Temple. [02]. See More About Astioches IV on THIS Page - Scroll down to The Actual Facts of History
Eventually, the Jews revolted. A guerrilla war under Judas Maccabaeus resulted in the Maccabees defeating the powerful Greek armies in 165 B.C - this prophesied in Daniel 8: 13-14.
The extent of Jewish sentiment is illustrated by the fact that the Maccabees were joined by a company of Hasidæans who were noted for their uncompromising observance of the law, but who considered the cause important enough to even fight on the Sabbath. The rededication of the Temple is celebrated by the feast of Hanukah in November or December of each year. Note that, according to John 10, even Jesus celebrated Hanukkah.
However, to claim that Daniel's "little horn," prophecy was completely fulfilled by Antiochus IV would be to ignore ...
The Nature of Hebrew Prophecy
To our way of thinking, a prophecy is made and then fulfilled. However, Hebrew prophecy was often a pattern that repeated itself more than once. In other words, although there is one ultimate fulfillment, there often was one or more 'smaller' fulfillment along the way, each of which was a 'type' of the ultimate fulfillment. See Typology
Following this pattern, Daniel was seeing events that would not occur for some 400 years (Daniel was probably born around 620 B.C. Antiochus IV ruled from 175 B.C until his death in 164 B.C. Footnote I) In the angel Gabriel's words,
(19) "Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end. (20) "The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. (21) "The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. (22) "The broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.
John, writing close to the turn of the first century A.D., was given glimpses of these events that, even at his time of writing, were a long way away in the future. (However, more than two thousand years later we are on the brink of the final fulfillment of the events that both men prophesied).
Who and What Did Antiochus Prefigure?
As previously mentioned John's vision reflected, continued and added to Daniel's. In other words, someone is coming who will walk in Antiochus IV Epiphanes' footsteps. The following section of Daniel 8 contains some very telling details,
(23) "In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run their course, A king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. (24) "His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. (25) "And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, And he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency. (Daniel 8:23-25 NASB)
Part of this particular description well fitted Antiochus Epiphanes. According to the ancient historian Josephus, the king "fell into a distemper" that "lasted a long while" before he died, which would mean he was broken without "human agency". [03]
However, it was not at all unusual for two entirely separate events to be curiously intermingled in Hebrew prophecy. In this case, Daniel's words not only referred to Antiochus IV but also to the antichrist who, wielding someone else's power, will "oppose the Prince of Princes". He will "speak out against the Most High" and, just as Antiochus did, will wear down (make war with) the saints for a set period of time.
Is it any surprise that Paul called the antichrist "the man of lawlessness" and "the son of destruction" who would exalt himself above every god or object of worship and take his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being god (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), and opposing the Prince of princes" as Daniel said. However, this time it will not be the Maccabees who defeat him but, like Antiochus IV, he will be broken without "human agency" - by the Lamb Himself.
This defeat was also foretold in Nebuchadnezzar's dream in which the final scene was a stone cut "without hands" out of a mountain, which struck the statue on its feet and completely crushed it. In Daniel's words...
You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Daniel 2:34-35 NASB) See Daniel Sets The Stage in Seven Kings
Suffice to say, the stone that grew into a mountain and filled the entire earth is representative of God's kingdom that, after destroying all man-made kingdoms, will endure forever. [See The Antichrist]
However, it is John who presents us with more details about the antichrist, including how deceptive he will be.
The Second Beast of Revelation
In the book of Revelation after John described the first beast a second, said to have horns like a lamb, enters the picture.
(11) Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. (12) He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (13) He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. (14) And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life. (15) And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (Revelation 13:11-15)
This beast will be able to perform supernatural miracles including calling down fire from Heaven. This will cause many to erroneously conclude that he is the perceived savior of mankind who will lead humanity into a golden or 'New Age'. As a result, people will obey when he instructs them to make an "image" of the first beast which he then proceeds to give breath to causing the image to 'speak'.
Note: While we can only speculate as to what a 'speaking image' means, what we do know is that the second best then goes a step further causing those who do not worship this image of the first beast to be killed.
However, the most important aspect of beast number 2 is the fact that it is said to have horns like a lamb. The only person in the Scriptures described as a "lamb" is the Lord Jesus Himself. Ex. the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The fact that this second beast is described as being like a lamb seems to suggest either a false mild demeanor - evil disguised under a facade of peace and goodness - or something far more ominous.
The English word 'antichrist' comes from the Greek antichristos (an-tee'-khris-tos), Christos meaning 'messiah' or 'anointed one'. English speakers are accustomed to taking the word 'anti' to mean 'opposed to' however, in Greek the word can also mean 'instead of'. Therefore antichristos does not necessarily mean 'against' or 'opposed to' Christ, but can mean 'instead of' Christ.
This is another way of saying one who seeks to 'take the place of' Christ. In other words, the antichrist is a clever counterfeit of God's Messiah, which is why he is seen as riding a horse the same colour as Christ's in Revelation 6:1-2. When the First Seal is broken he, astride a white horse, will go out "conquering and to conquer" .
Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Revelation 6:1-2 NASB)
(See The End Of The Age Part II... The First Six Seals)
A Word To The Wise
Because end time events will mirror the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes, we need to study some of his atrocities. The books of Maccabees are non canonical because they endorse prayers for the dead and the doctrine of purgatory etc. (See The Canon of Scripture and The Apocrypha). However, they are very valuable in terms of historical details. For example the first and second books of Maccabees say this about Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Raging like a wild animal, he set out from Egypt and took Jerusalem by storm. He ordered his soldiers to cut down without mercy those whom they met and to slay those who took refuge in their houses. There was a massacre of young and old, a killing of women and children, a slaughter of virgins and infants. In the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost, forty thousand meeting a violent death, and the same number being sold into slavery.” (2 Maccabees 5:11–14)
He plundered the city, burned it with fire, and tore down its houses and its surrounding walls.... "He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lamp stand for the light, and all its utensils. He took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off. He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures which he found".... (1 Maccabees 1:21-23, 31)
Most Christians are looking forward to the return of Christ, which will be the single most sublime event in the history of the world. However, because much of the church believes that they be wafted away to 'heaven' before the going gets rough, it is going to be a harsh reality check when they find themselves being persecuted or even killed for what they believe.
See The First Six Seals that Exactly Parallel Matthew 24
And
The Rapture - Part V of The End of The Age
All the reasons the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a figment of the imagination. (
I have no doubt that, at that time, the faith of many will be sorely shaken because they will think that God has abandoned them, and the Bible lied about the timing of the Rapture. I wonder how many will realize that it was not the Bible that misled them, but that they, "wanting to have their ears tickled", accumulated for themselves "teachers in accordance to their own desires" (2 Timothy 4:3). In other words, they heed false teachers who tell them exactly what they want to hear.
If you are a believer be prepared to be severely tested, persecuted, betrayed and even to die for your faith. In fact, it is the slaying of His people that finally sparks the 'Great Tribulation' of God's wrath.
See
Overview of the New Age
The New Age has a very dark side. It is fueled by unholy forces that oppose both God and man, shepherded by humans outside the church who have no comprehension of the dark forces they deal with and, of course, by an 'evil and adulterous generation' inside the church who so easily ignore the warnings from the God they profess to serve.
Alice Bailey, Lucis Trust, and The Reappearance of "The Christ"
Alice Bailey, under the guidance of an ectoplasmic apparition from hell, who called himself Djwhal Khul ("The Tibetan"), wrote some 24 books and founded several organization that is centered around making conditions suitable for what they call "The Reappearance of The Christ". Except that this Christ has nothing to do with Jesus Christ of the Bible.
Footnote I - Was Daniel a Prophet or Historian?
King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem in 589 BC. He not only plundered the Temple and the palace, but carried away countless hostages, including Daniel and his three friends who were "nobles, youths in whom was no defect".
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; ... Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. (Daniel 1:3-4, 6 NASB)
If Daniel was 'a youth' around 590, he was probably born around 620 B.C. or even earlier. Antiochus IV ruled from 175 B.C until his death in 164 B.C. See More in Dating of Daniel {PLACE IN TEXT}
End Notes
[01] J. Hampton Keathley. The Beast and the False Prophet (Rev 13:1-18).
https://bible.org/seriespage/19-beast-and-false-prophet-rev-131-18
[02] http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes
[03] Concerning the Death of Antiochus Epiphanes.
https://biblehub.com/library/josephus/the_antiquities_of_the_jews/chapter_9_concerning_the_death.htm
[04] http://www.australiaoncd.com.au/faith/coming_Beast2.htm. Link is no longer active
[05] Don Closson. Millennial Cautions. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/millennl.html
[06] Irenaeus. Against Heresies (Book V, Chapter 30. Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL).
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.vii.xxxi.html
[07] Jewish Concepts: The Name of God. Copyright © 2016 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise;
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/name.html
[08] The Council of Europe's Relations with the European Union. http://www.coe.int/t/der/EU_en.asp
[09] 10 countries for a United States of Europe 20 June 2012.
http://www.voxeurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/2211991-10-countries-united-states-europe
[10] Umbauplan für einen EU-Staat.
http://diepresse.com/home/politik/eu/767263/Umbauplan-fur-einen-EUStaat?_vl_backlink=/home/index.do
[11] german-foreign-policy.com. All or Nothing. http://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/fulltext/58314/print
[12] http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-19/french-president-calls-creation-united-states-europe
[13] Nick Gutteridge. European Superstate to be unveiled: EU nations 'to be morphed into one' post-Brexit.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/683739/EU-referendum-German-French-European-superstate-Brexit
Comparison Chart
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Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue [Daniel 2]
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Daniel’s Vision.. The Four Beasts That Came up From The Sea. [Daniel 7]
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John’s Vision.. The Beast That Came up From The Sea. [Revelation 13]
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The Seven Heads Are … Seven Kings [Revelation 17:9-10]
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Five Are Fallen
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[1]
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Egypt: The world’s first great empire that enslaved the Israelites
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[2]
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Assyria: Took the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity in 722 B.C.
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[3]
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The statue's golden head represented King Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon)
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The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings:
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his mouth was the mouth of a lion
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Babylon: Babylon took the southern kingdom of Judah into captivity.
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[4]
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The breast and arms of silver was to be Medo-Persia
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A second, like a bear… raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
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his feet were as the feet of a bear
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Medo-Persia: Under this empire a remnant of Israel were allowed to return and rebuild the city and the temple.
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[5]
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The bronze torso and thighs represent the Greeks that followed the Medo/Persian empire...
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The third was a leopard that had four wings and four heads;
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And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard,
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Greece: Alexander the great and his four successors
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[6]
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The iron legs in the statue represent the Roman Empire that came after the Greeks.
The symbolism of the two legs was not apparent until many years later (in 286 ad), when the Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into East and West for administrative purposes.
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A fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns
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“One Is”
Rome: The sixth kingdom was the Roman empire, which at the time of writing was the ruling kingdom. Rome besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, looted and burned Herod's Temple and enslaved or massacred a large part of the Jewish population.
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[7]
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However there is yet another empire portrayed. The toes of the statue are partly iron and partly clay, symbolizing a continuity of the Roman Empire mixed in with ‘clay’. See Days of Noah
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“The Other Is Not Yet Come”
The Revived Roman Empire/ the Ten Horns/The Ten Kings, which in John’s time was very much a future kingdom, but one with it’s roots in the sixth…
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[8]
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"And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." [Daniel 2:43]
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And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy...and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority....
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The Beast That Was, And Is Not, Is Himself Also An Eighth And Is Of The Seven
The beast becomes an eighth kingdom while at the same time being one of the seven.
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