9. They Reigned with the Beast for One Hour
The ten toes in Daniel 2 were ten horns that came out of the fourth beast in Daniel 7—out of the Roman Empire. A little horn came up among them. It had two eyes and a mouth.Dan 7:20 This was the power of Satan that spoke through the bishop of Rome.
Beginning with Hildebrand in 1073, the popes exercised significant power over the states of Europe, even appointing their kings.
Jesus compared the time of a man to the twelve hours of daylight.John 11:9 The book of Revelation explained that the ten kings would reign as one hour with the beast.Rev 17:12 One hour represents about 533 years— one-twelfth of the human clock of 6,400 years.
The ten western kings reigned with the pope from the East-West Schism of 1054 until the sixteenth century.
10. The Number of the Beast
In the book of Revelation, the kingdoms against the saints were described as a beast of seven heads and ten horns. These were the four kingdoms explained by Daniel, preceded by Egypt and Assyria. John said the beast was “wounded by the sword and lived”Rev 13:14 as the power of Rome continued through the pope and ten states of Europe, which became the seventh head. It was a kingdom of ten horns.
John said the name of the beast with the wound of the sword was the name of an “anthropos,” a race of men whose letters added up to 666. Every letter of the Greek alphabet is a number. In 180, Bishop Irenaeus wrote, “Lateinos has the number 666; and it is very probable, this being the name of the last kingdom.”
11. The Image of the Beast
In Revelation 13, John described two beasts. The first was like the combination of three animals: a lion, a leopard, and a bear.Rev 13:2 The second beast had the power to perform great signs. It caused those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the first beast that had the wound of the sword and lived, and it caused the image of the beast to speak and cause as many as would not worship the image to be killed.Rev 13:14-15
The wound of the sword to the Roman Empire came by the Gothic War of 376 to 382. In 381, the Trinity doctrine was established—the image of a three-animal God, created by philosophers. It was enforced by capital punishment from Constantine and was ultimately responsible for fifty million deaths.
12. The Mark of the Beast
John said that the false prophet caused all men to receive a mark on their right hand or their forehead.Rev 13:16 The meaning was from Exod 13:9: “It shall serve to you as a sign on your forehead and a reminder on your hand that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth.”
In Daniel 6, we learn about the law that could not be changed, but in Chapter 7, we are told that the beast will intend to change time and law.Dan 7:25 There could be no greater change of time and law than the changing of the Sabbath day. John said that no one could buy nor sell unless they received the mark;Rev 13:17 no one could do business on the Sabbath day unless they received the mark of the beast.
13. Four Living Creatures and Four Horses
John described four living creatures:
- a lion, the apostolic saints, represented by Jesus as the lion of Judah,
- an ox, the saints who were martyred by the beast for a time, times, and half a time;
- a man, as Nebuchadnezzar became a beast until seven times passed over him and was given the heart of man;Dan 4:16 and finally,
- an eagle, representing the saints who are gathered up when Christ returns.
These four living creatures announce four horses given authority over a fourth of the earth,Rev 6:8 Europe, according to the times of the saints.
The first horse brings pestilence and wild beasts. The second brings war, as Rome falls, and the third brings financial collapse—beginning with the Medici Bank in 1494.
The fourth horse brings death and Hades.
14. He Shall Come against the Strongest of Fortresses
The four horses given authority over a fourth of the earth were the four colors of Islam: white, red, black, and green. Just as the city on seven hills in Revelation 17 points to Rome, these four horses pointed to Islam.
Daniel prophesied the crusades of the pope, saying, “He shall come against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign God, which he shall acknowledge.”Dan 11:39 His opponent Muhammad preached that the three-person God of the pope was unbiblical. The fortresses of Islam were the strongest in the world.
Daniel said the pope “shall exalt himself above all gods”Dan 11:36 and “shall have no desire of women,”Dan 11:37 describing the pope’s celibacy. He “shall divide the land for gain.”Dan 11:39 The Catholic Church is the largest non-government landowner in the world.
