We must bear in mind that in Revelation 11:15 to 15:4 we are studying the "great parenthesis" of the book. In this section we have a description of conditions as they will exist in the middle of the Tribulation. These are given in order that we may understand the events as they unfold during the latter half of the Tribulation.

We have already seen that Jerusalem will be very prominent in the end time. The Temple will be rebuilt. The Antichrist makes a covenant with the Jews for seven years. Then he breaks it. At that time the faithful Israelites in the land of Palestine will flee to a place in the wilderness--probably in Transjordan, where they will be preserved and provided for during the latter half of the Tribulation. Satan will do all that he can against the Jewish people in order to exterminate them. He will use the Antichrist and vast armies of the nation in order to wipe out every vestige of Jewry from the face of the globe--but will be unsuccessful, because God providentially will intervene and will prevent the extermination of His Chosen People, whom He will yet use in the future.

As the panorama unfolds before our eyes, we next see the beast, who is mentioned in Revelation, chapter 13:11-18, and also in chapter 17:1-6.

In Revelation 13:1,2 we have the following language: "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. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority." When we look at this passage we see instantly that this is not a natural beast, because it is a composite one. It had seven heads and ten horns. Its body was like a leopard, and its feet were as the feet of a bear. Its mouth was as the mouth of a lion. There is no such monstrosity upon the face of the globe. When we realize that fact, we see that this beast is a symbol. Whenever such a use appears in the Scriptures, we ask ourselves, What is the significance of it? The answer to this question is to be found in such a passage as Daniel, chapter 7.

When we study this passage, briefly, here is what we learn: Daniel saw a sea, the waters of which were being lashed into a fury by the four winds of the earth. Under these conditions he saw coming forth from the troubled waters a lion-like beast that came out upon the land, and that was master of all he surveyed for a certain time. Then again, the waters were troubled by the winds. At this time a second beast emerged from the disturbed waters. This time the beast coming up out of the waters was like a bear, which came upon the land, took the place of the lion-like beast, became master of all it surveyed, and continued for a while. For a third time the waters were whipped into a raging fury. At this time there came forth a leopard-like beast, with four heads and the wings of an eagle. This third beast took the place of the second one and became master of all it surveyed, pushing its boundaries however, farther than those of its predecessors. For a fourth time the winds lashed the waters of the troubled sea. On this occasion a nondescript beast came forth out of the water upon the land and took the place of the third animal. This beast was entirely different from all the others and had ten horns upon its head.

Daniel was quite excited over what he saw. Then an angel came and interpreted the significance of these beasts. His words are: "17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth" (Dan. 7:17). From this verse we learn that these symbols signified kings--four beasts, four kings. Then again, in verse 23 of this same chapter, we read; "The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces." From this verse we see that a beast symbolizes not only the king of a realm, but the kingdom over which he reigns. Thus there is a twofold interpretation to the symbolic significance of a beast. Figuratively speaking, we say, in the first instance, the spotlight is used and is thrown upon the sovereign of the realm. We see him, but not the realm over which he reigns. In the second verse, we see the spotlight is no longer used, but the floodlight is turned on and the light is diffused upon the entire realm over which the king reigns. This twofold signification is of the utmost importance, if we are to understand and comprehend the significance of the passage which we have for consideration.

Who were the kings and what were the kingdoms symbolized by the four beasts that emerged from the waters in Daniel's vision? Prophetic students correctly interpret them as signifying the four world empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Daniel was, figuratively speaking, at a spiritual moving picture show. There passed before his vision on the "screen" the history of these four different empires from their rise until the consummation, when the Ancient of Days enters the courtroom of heaven, pronounces judgment of condemnation upon the last emperor of the final empire, and by a stroke of judgment he is cast into the lake of fire.

Daniel tells that he foresaw the rise and the course of this fourth empire, the one that had the ten horns. He declares that he "beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire" (Dan. 7:9). When, in this spiritual moving picture show, the fourth beast was thrown upon the screen, it remained there until the Ancient of Days, the Judge of the universe, pronounced its doom. This fact creates the conviction that the fourth empire, Rome, succeeded the third empire, Greece, and will remain upon the historic scene until it is overthrown by the Ancient of Days and by the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, when He returns at the end of the Tribulation.

That Rome succeeded Greece and has been in existence through the centuries and will continue to the very end of the age at the second coming of Christ is seen in my volume, The World's Greatest Library Graphically Illustrated.

The Beast of Revelation, Chapters 13 and 17

A careful study of Daniel, chapter 7, along with Revelation 13:1-10 reveals the fact that the beast which John saw is the fourth beast of Daniel's vision. Daniel tells us that this beast had ten horns. But John, in Revelation 13:1,2, informs us that the fourth beast had seven heads and ten horns. From the seventeenth chapter of Revelation we see that these seven heads are not contemporaneous, but that they come up in succession, throughout the entire life of the beast, or the career of the kingdom which it symbolizes. Five heads, however, had already come and gone by John's day and time. One was then in existence. He informs us in chapter 17 that there will yet come another one, a seventh, that that one will be smitten, but, but will be brought back to life again, and that it will have ten horns. The ten horns will be upon the seventh head, not scattered over the seven heads as some have supposed.

The significance of a horn, when used symbolically, is that it indicates a king or regal power. Thus the ten horns represent ten kings, who will reign along with the beast during the time of the Tribulation.

If we should study carefully Daniel 7:23-25, we would see that the world is to be headed up in the end time into one great, colossal, universal kingdom. Then, according to verse 24, that kingdom will collapse and fall into ten different segments. Over each fragment there will arise a dictator who will seize the power and reign in that section of the world. Then there will arise out of obscurity a man, unknown to the world, who will be able to help and advise each of these dictators how to solve his problems. He will thus assist in such a marvelous manner that power will gravitate into his hands. Finally, he will gain ascendancy among these ten king's and will eventually make a covenant with the apostate Jews for seven years. Whenever he does that, the Tribulation begins. He and these ten kings will reign contemporaneously for the first half of the Tribulation--the first three and a half years, although this little horn, the Antichrist, will have the ascendancy among the ten. In the middle of the Tribulation World War II of the Tribulation will sweep away three of these ten king's. Then the head man, the little horn of Daniel, chapter 7, the Antichrist, will gain such preponderance of power that he will reign as an absolute monarch. The rest of the kings will simply be rubber stamps, yes-men.

In the middle of the Tribulation the Antichrist will receive the death stroke, which means that he will be murdered. According to Revelation, chapter 17, his spirit will descend into the abyss; but he will be brought up out of the abyss and restored to life by satanic power. When he thus comes back to life, he seizes the imperial purple and reigns with a ruthlessness and a severity such as no one has ever exercised before in the history of the world.

The Supremacy of the Antichrist

When the Antichrist is brought back to life, he will show great signs, satanic power's, and wonders. Then approximately the whole world will wonder after him, being dazzled by the glamour and the show of this man. Of course, that which will blind the eyes will be the unprecedented display of supernatural power, which the devil will grant to the Antichrist: "And I saw one of his heads as though it had been, smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast" (13:3).

The Worship of Satan and the Beast

"And the whole earth wondered after the beast; 4 and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? and who is able to war with him?" (Rev. 13:3c,4). There will be no one man, or combination of men, able to match swords with the Antichrist, who will be backed up by all the power of the devil. But, praise God, there is one who will be able, as we shall see later in these studies, to make war against him! That one is the Son of God, when He comes in power and glory and wins the war of the great day of God the Almighty.

The Blasphemies of the Beast

Daniel, in chapter 7, informs us that this fourth beast, the Antichrist, will utter blasphemies and speak great swelling words. John informs us that "there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, even them that dwell in the heaven" (Rev. 13:5,6). It is absolutely beyond our comprehension to take in the blasphemies which the Antichrist, under the inspiration of the devil, will utter at this future time. He will continue pouring out his hatred and vengeance against God, Christ, and holy men of God, for the latter half of the Tribulation, forty-two months.

The World Kingdom of the Antichrist

As we have seen on former occasions in these studies, the world will be headed up under one great, colossal government. This is seen in Revelation 11:15, in the announcement that is made from heaven, which says: "The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever." Thus the world kingdom, at the end of the Tribulation, according to this announcement, is turned over to the Lord and to His Christ. In Revelation 13:7 we see that "it was given unto him [the beast] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe, and people and tongue and nation." This statement is in perfect accord with the one in Revelation, chapter 11, and other passages in the Word that show that there will be but one universal kingdom in the end time, over which the Antichrist will reign, with his subordinate kings about whom we have just learned.

All people of the world will, through fear, ignorance, and intimidation, worship the Antichrist. Much is said in the prophetic word concerning his forcing people to worship him. He will sit in the Temple of God at Jerusalem and set himself forth before the people as God. He will also oppose everything that is called God, or that is worshipped as God. Moreover, he will demand absolute worship from the inhabitants of the world.

Though he demands universal worship, there will be certain ones who will not bow the knee to him, just as seven thousand men refused to bow the knee to Baal in the days of Elijah. They had convictions and would not compromise or sell their spiritual heritage for a mess of pottage of popular favor. So there will be those, sincere, godly people, in the Tribulation, who will rather give up their lives than to bow the knee and worship this man who will be energized by Satan.

Those Whose Names Are Written in the Lamb's Book of Life

God foreknows the end from the beginning. He knows those who will be true to Him, and those who will not; those who will stand for convictions, and who will court the favor of the ruling classes. It is just as the Lord said in Acts, chapter 18. He told Paul to be of good courage, for He had much people in that city, that is, in Corinth. They were not His people in reality, but they were of such character that they would accept the truth when it was presented to them. God wanted Paul to remain there and to preach the gospel to them. This would be their call and election to eternal life. So there will be those in the Tribulation who will want truth, and nothing but truth. They will accept the truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ, as soon as it is presented to them. Hence, their names have, by anticipation, been written in the Lamb's Book of Life. There will be no erasures from that divine, holy record.

My friends, have you had your name written in the Lamb's book of life, by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as the atonement for your sins? If you have not, may you do so at this time.