Is There a Beast in Your Future?

Preachers and prophecy buffs often try to shoehorn what they see on the world scene into Bible prophecy. Some have declared that Iran is the “king of the south” mentioned in Daniel 11—but, while the country certainly has been a leader of unrest in the Middle East, it hardly fits the biblical criteria. We at Tomorrow’s World continue to point out that Iran is not south of Jerusalem—the point from which the Bible determines direction and location.

Similarly, it is easy to see China as a rising superpower that will replace the United States, but Bible prophecy warns of a greater threat to the American and British-descended peoples. Media pundits, geopolitical think tanks, and the man on the street only see what is in current news, but Bible prophecy warns of coming trouble from Europe—specifically a federation of nations led by Germany.

Look to the Source

It all began with the ancient king Nebuchadnezzar, who had a vivid dream of a giant image of a man. The head of the image was of fine gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay. The king was told that these represented four kingdoms that would arise. His kingdom—the Chaldean or Babylonian—was the head of gold. After his kingdom, three more would arise, and the fourth would be replaced by the rule of the Kingdom of God on earth (Daniel 2:31–45).

Daniel 7 describes the same four kingdoms as four wild beasts—and the fourth kingdom as continuing, in one form or another, until God’s intervention at the end of the age. After Nebuchadnezzar’s Chaldean empire would come the Medo-Persian, Greco-Macedonian, and Roman empires. As seen in Daniel 2 and 7, the fourth, Rome, was to last until the Kingdom of God is set up—but it is generally agreed that Imperial Rome began in 27 BC and lasted until AD 476. Has prophecy failed? Not at all!

By the time John recorded Revelation in the last decade of the first century AD, the first three of these prophesied four kingdoms had come and gone, and the only one remaining was Rome—depicted as a seven-headed beast, a composite of the original four beasts of Daniel 7, in Revelation 13:1–5. We learn that one of this composite beast’s heads had a deadly wound that would be healed, and that it would continue for 42 months.

Note that Scripture commonly uses the “day for a year” principle (Isaiah 34:8; Ezekiel 4:6). Considering a biblical prophetic month of 30 days, 42 months brings us to 1,260 days or years. History confirms that Justinian restored the Roman Empire (healing the deadly wound) in AD 554, and that over the centuries it was revived four more times. The fifth revival was by the emperor Napoleon, whose reign was overthrown in 1814—exactly 1,260 years from Justinian’s revival in AD 554, thus fulfilling the prophecy given to us in Revelation 13:3–5!

Revelation 17 again picks up this subject, and we learn that, after Imperial Rome, there would be a total of seven revivals. Again, the first was under Justinian. However, these revivals would bear a marked difference from that of Imperial Rome; they would be “ridden”—controlled—by an immoral woman. “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters….’ So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:1, 3).

In Scripture, a woman often symbolizes a church (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:31–33), but this one persecutes true Christians and gives birth to harlot daughter churches (Revelation 17:4–6). What are we to make of all this? And what does it have to do with your world?

Thankfully, the Bible gives the answer, which has everything to do with near-future geopolitical events. “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains [rulers or kingdoms] on which the woman [harlot church] sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time” (Revelation 17:9–10). Over a span of 1,260 years, the great harlot church would exert its influence over five revivals of the Roman Empire led by Justinian, Charlemagne, Otto the Great, Charles V, and Napoleon. Then would come the rise of Mussolini and Hitler, followed by a seventh revival that will emerge only at the end of this age.

While much of the Western world fears the rise of China, the final revival of this German-led Beast power, along with the harlot woman who rides the Beast, will catch the world by surprise. Bible prophecy reveals what cannot be seen in today’s news. And Germany will not be alone as it takes on the role that Scripture indicates. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast” (vv. 12–13).

Two events will bring about this economic and military juggernaut. The leader of this combine of nations, known as the Beast, will be accompanied by a religious figure that the Bible calls “the false prophet”—often thought of as the Antichrist. Religion appears to be on the decline in most of the world, but that will change quickly when this charismatic, miracle-working deceiver shows up.

A powerful economic and military powerhouse of temporarily unified nations in Europe, coupled with a dramatic rise in religious fervor, looks to be impossible in today’s modern world—but it is not. This last revival of the Roman Empire will take the world by storm. Many will be caught up in the fervor and will be so deceived that they will fight the true Jesus Christ upon His return, having been misled to believe He is the Antichrist. “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

God’s Word Has the Answers

Make no mistake about this—we are living in the end-times. Many prophecies are being fulfilled, but only the righteous will understand them. When Daniel asked about the things he recorded, he was told, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:9–10).

Rather than take a few scriptural phrases out of context, reading into them what we think we see at the moment, we must be faithful with God’s word, trusting that what He says will come to pass. As we often say, don’t believe us just because we say something—prove it for yourself from the Bible. And we hope you value the resources we at Tomorrow’s World offer to help you understand the Bible more clearly.

Two of those resources may be especially helpful in this time of rising world tensions. To learn more about what to expect in the Middle East in the times ahead, order our informative, free study guide The Middle East in Prophecy or read it right here at TomorrowsWorld.org. And to learn more about the soon-to-rise European Beast power and the woman who rides it, order a free copy of The Beast of Revelation or read it at this website.