Hi John and Doves.

Its been a while since I posted here.  This article comes as a result of some
writing on Rapture Ready recently.

Wishing you and all the Doves and very Blessed New Year.  Thanks again for all
your efforts on our behalf.

God Bless You All.  EAR

The Beast out of the Earth -The False Prophet

It is clear from scripture that the “Beast out of the Earth” is a man who exercises all the powers of a particular “revived” Kingdom/Empire, (i.e.The Beast from the Sea), Rev. 13:11-12.

But the question is - which one?

Most of the modern American prophetic writers believe that this man, (later called the False Prophet) exercises his power from a revived Roman Empire.

I totally disagree....

Daniel 7:1-8 lists the four great gentile Empires which would subjugate his people Judah (Jews). These are described as - Lion, - Bear, - Leopard, and Dreadful/Terrible Beast Empires)).  

In verses 11-12, Daniel gives a futuristic rundown on what will happen to those Empires.

“I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake:  I beheld even till the beast (4th Empire in context) was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.  As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time."

Daniel therefore tells us that at some period of time the 4th Empire and its little horn would be destroyed and be no more; but the previous three Empires (Lion/Bear/Leopard) although consigned to history as far as prominence or dominion is concerned, would still have a future purpose.  

They do - they reappear in Revelation 13 as a Composite Beast Empire –

Rev. 13:1-2  “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy 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 seat, and great authority."

This is the Beast Empire which rises up to prominence in the last days.    It is a composite Empire made up of the Old Testament Babylonian, Media/Persian, and Grecian Empires.

These three earlier Beast Empires were totally centred to the North and East of Judah.   They were Babylon (Lion), Media/Persia (Bear), and Greece/Macedonian (Leopard) Empires which preceded and had no connection with Rome, which was on a different continent sited to the West.

The Revived Empire

John states in Rev. 17:10-11, that there were five Kingdoms that had been – (Babel, Assyria, Babylon, Media/Persia, and Greece) - one is, (Rome in his day), - one is to come (Ottoman Islamic Empire) - and the eighth would be of the seven.   It is this 8th future empire which will rise in the last days and attempt to rule the World.  It is from this 8th Empire base that the “Beast from the Earth” the False Prophet will execute his powers.

John’s illustration of the Composite 8th Beast and its various parts, indicates that the 8th Empire will be a revived Islamic Empire which will be situated within the borders of Daniel's three earlier Empires, namely that of Babylon, Persia/Media and Greece, AND be of the seven. (i.e. come out of the same geographical area as all the others).   Six of the previous Empires were based on the ASIA MINOR continent while ROME was based in Europe (but also extended into ASIA).  

This 8th Empire is an amalgamation of those earlier Empires whose lives were to be prolonged for a season and a time.    Today, the areas covered by those three old Empires are the ten modern nations of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Libya.  Some of these nations are where "moderate Islamic” and “Western powers" are presently confronting radical/militant/Islamists for dominion.

The 4th Dreadful/Terrible Empire

The 4th "dreadful and terrible" Beast Empire (Rome) has had its day as such.   It was the colonial Western European powers which descended from Rome that conquered the whole World and "broke it in pieces" (Dan. 7:verses 7,19,23.) i.e. the British, Austrian, Spanish, Dutch, Belgium, French, German, and Portuguese Colonial Empires which cut the whole World up into pieces and added them to their territories. The last attempt at reviving the Roman Empire (which had many manifestations) occurred when the Nazis attempted to revive the Holy Roman Empire; as they annexed the surrounding Nations, and were finally defeated in 1945.  The 4th Empire (as such) has been consigned to history, even though the individual “toe” nations remain.

The scriptures specifically state that this conglomeration of individual European nations (ex. Roman Empire) will not cleave to one another, or adhere to one another, (Dan. 2:41-43)  so how could we possibly believe that there will be a revived Roman Empire?   Dan. 2:44 says that in the days of these individual “toe” nations, God will set up a Kingdom of his own that will never be destroyed.

God’s Kingdom will Rule

What’s more, God's Kingdom will eventually break in pieces and consume all of the previous Kingdoms, typified in the Babylonian, Media/Persian, Grecian and Roman Empires.   

God established his Kingdom base in the Holy Land of Israel in 1948, when the Jews declared and established the Nation of Israel.  That Kingdom base was strengthened when Jerusalem was unified in 1967, and the Jews obtained the Temple Mount.  Since 1948, the nations of the decapitated (1922) Ottoman Empire and reviving 8th Islamic Empire have repeatedly attempted to regain the Kingdom base for their own purposes.

The end of this age is depicted in scripture as being a battle over Jerusalem.  It is also the age-old battle for the Birthright and Blessing between Jacob and Esau.    The outcome of mans’ efforts to solve this problem will result in the Battle of Armageddon when all the surrounding nations gather against Israel.

The chief protagonist in this battle will be the “Beast from the Earth” the “False Prophet” who “exercises all the authority of the first beast (Empire) in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth...”  Rev. 13:12-14a.

This revived Islamic Empire is given authority to continue for 42 months (Rev. 13:5.)  Allegiance to worship their ruler is demanded at the point of death.   The Banking financial/economic system is controlled by Sharia law, and the main focus of its/his venom is to make war with the saints.

Fortunately, at the end of this period our Lord Jesus Christ returns to claim his Davidic Throne in Jerusalem, and establish his rule over the old Kingdom territories of Babylon, Media/Persia, Greece, and Rome, which rule will stand for ever.  (Daniel 2:44).   Good news for all believers!!