The Moment of Truth - Lesson 35

The Beast of Revelation

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Let's ask God for His assistance:

Dear Lord,

We ended our last lesson wondering about the identity of the little horn, a power whose actions were foretold centuries beforehand by the prophet Daniel.

Today we ask You to show us what is the power symbolized by this little horn.

May this revelation help us to prepare ourselves for Your coming. In Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

2 Peter 1:19

Comments

We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns. In this lesson, we will continue our study of Bible prophecy, an activity strongly recommended by the Word of God.

We suggest you to review the previous lesson ŤThe Prophetic Zooť, in order to better understand all the elements that will be presented in this lesson.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:2,3

Comments

Daniel spoke, saying,

ŤI saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.

And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.ť In our lesson ŤThe Prophetic Zooť, we studied one of the visions of the prophet Daniel.

In this vision, four great beasts appeared in turn, symbolizing a succession of universal kingdoms, from the time of Daniel up to the end of the world. These four kingdoms were:

- Babylon;
- the Medo-Persian Empire;
- Greece;
- Rome.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:7,23,24

Comments

[The fourth beast] was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (...)

The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces.

The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. We also saw that ten horns came out of the fourth beast, that is, out of Rome, symbolizing the division of the Roman Empire into ten parts.

Indeed, ten nations arose at the time of the fall of Rome.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Here are the ten nations which arose at the fall of the Roman Empire:

1. The Saxons, originating the English nation.
2. The Franks, originating the French nation.
3. The Alamanni, originating the German nation.
4. The Visigoths, originating the Spanish nation.
5. The Suevi, originating the Portuguese nation.
6. The Lombards, originating the Italian nation.
7. The Burgundians, originating the Swiss nation.
8. The Heruli, who disappeared in A.D. 493.
9. The Vandals, who disappeared in A.D. 534.
10. The Ostrogoths, who disappeared in A.D. 538.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:8

Comments

I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them. Then, we witnessed the emergence of a last power, symbolized by a little horn.

By studying Chapter 7 of the book of Daniel, we found nine clues which will now enable us to discover the identity of this mysterious power.

(For more details on each one of these nine clues, please review the lesson ŤThe Prophetic Zooť.)

Lesson 35

Screen 7

The Beast of Revelation

Here are the nine clues to find the identity of the little horn:

1. It came up among the ten nations (DANIEL 7:8).
2. It rose after the ten nations, that is, after A.D. 476 (DANIEL 7:24).
3. It has a greater appearance than the ten nations (DANIEL 7:20).
4. A man sits at its head (eyes like the eyes of a man) (DANIEL 7:8).
5. It plucked out three nations (DANIEL 7:8,20,24):
         - Heruli, in A.D. 493;
         - Vandals, in A.D. 534;
         - Ostrogoths, in A.D. 538.
6. It blasphemed against God, speaking pompous words (DANIEL 7:8,20,25).
7. It made war against the saints (DANIEL 7:21,25).
8. It intended to change times and law (DANIEL 7:25).
9. It reigned during exactly 1260 years, from 538 to 1798 (DANIEL 7:25).

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Proverbs 23:12

Comments

Apply your heart to instruction. We may refer to any encyclopedia, any history book, and we will see that only one power perfectly corresponds to the characteristics of the little horn: the Papacy, also called papal Rome.

However, let's note this very important point: the little horn designates the papal system, not the people belonging to this system.

There are indeed many sincere people who belong to the papal system, and yet love Jesus Christ with all their hearts.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

John 10:16

Comments

[Jesus said,]

ŤAnd other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.ť Let's not be misunderstood: God really loves the individuals who are in the Papacy's system.

That is why He gave His Word to men, so that, by studying it, we may become aware of the warning God gives us and, responding to Jesus' call, we may leave this system and join the Savior's flock.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:8

Comments

I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them. Let's review the characteristics of the little horn one by one, to see if they really apply to the Papacy.

First, the little horn came up among the ten nations: the only power which came out of the ten nations, shortly after the fall of the Roman empire, is well and truly the system of the Papacy, having arisen in Rome.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:24

Comments

The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom.

And another shall rise after them. The little horn arose after the ten nations, that is, after A.D. 476, the year when the division of the Roman empire was completed.

Now, history teaches us that the Papacy imposed its religio-political supremacy from A.D. 538 on, only 60 years after the division of the Roman empire.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:19,20,24

Comments

Then I wished to know the truth (...) about the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. (...)

[This king] shall be different from the first ones. Different from the ten nations by the religio-political nature of its power, the Papacy has taken on, and still takes on a more impressive appearance than any other power on the earth.

Indeed, at all times, popes have always surrounded themselves with majestic pomp in all their actions and travels.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:8

Comments

And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. At the head of the Papacy stands only one man: the Pope.

Proclaimed infallible, his decisions affect the lives of millions of people around the world.

And, throughout history, the declarations of this leader have often been very pompous, as we will see in a moment.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:8,24

Comments

There was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. (...)

The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom.

And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. Exactly as foretold, the Papacy brought about the elimination of three of the ten nations which were opposed to the authority of the Bishop of Rome:

- the Heruli, in A.D. 493;
- the Vandals, in A.D. 533;
- and the Ostrogoths, in A.D. 538, the year when the Papacy began to reign freely.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:20,25

Comments

[That horn] had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words (...).

[This king] shall speak pompous words against the Most High. The Papacy's arrogance is reported in Daniel chapter 7. But arrogance isn't enough: it even goes as far as to Ťspeak pompous words against the Most Highť, that is, blaspheme against God.

Did the Papacy really blaspheme against God?

The Bible's definition of blasphemy will help us to answer this question.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

John 10:33

Comments

The Jews answered Him, saying, ŤFor a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.ť So, blasphemy is not only taking the name of God in vain.

According to the Word of God, when a man makes himself God, or claims to have power to forgive sins, he speaks blasphemies.

Mark 2:7

Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?

Lesson 35

Screen 17

The Beast of Revelation

The Pope claims to be God and to have the power to forgive sins:

ŤThe Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man (...) he is as it were God on earth, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief of kings, having plenitude of power.ť
(Lucius Ferraris, 'Papa II', Prompta Bibliotheca, Vol. VI, pp. 25-29).

ŤAnd God himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of his priest and either not to pardon or to pardon, according as they refuse to give absolution, provided the penitent is capable of it.ť
(Liguori, Duties and Dignities of the Priest, p. 27).

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

ŤIn this horn, [was] (...) a mouth speaking pompous words.ť (Daniel 7:8)

ŤThe supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires (...) complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself.ť
(Leo VIII, On the Chief Duties of Christians as Citizens, encyclical letter, 1890).

ŤGod separates those whom the Roman Pontiff, who exercises the functions, not of mere man, but of the true God (...) dissolves, not by human but rather by divine authority.ť
(Decretals of Gregory IX, Book 1, C. 7.3).

ŤHence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions (infernorum).ť
(Lucius Ferraris, 'Papa II', Prompta Bibliotheca, Vol. VI, p. 26).

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:21,25

Comments

The same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them. (...)

[This king] shall persecute the saints of the Most High. More people were killed by the Papacy, during its reign throughout the Middle Ages, than by Hitler during World War II.

In fact, about 50 million people, who refused to recognize its authority, were killed by the Papacy.

Historian W.E. Lecky wrote: ŤThe Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind.ť (ŤRise and influence of rationalism in Europeť, vol. 2, p. 32).

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:25

Comments

[This king] shall intend to change times and law. The Papacy removed God's second commandment which forbids carved images and idols.

And, in order to preserve the appearance of the ten precepts of the Decalogue, it divided the tenth commandment in two parts.

Moreover, as we have seen in the lesson ŤThe Great Trickeryť, it attacked the fourth commandment, moving the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday, thus changing Ťtimes and lawť.

ŤThe Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine laws.ť (Lucius Ferraris, 'Papa II', Prompta Bibliotheca, Vol. VI, p. 25).

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Daniel 7:25

Comments

The saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. The reign of the little horn was to last 1260 years (3˝ times = 3˝ x 360 days = 1260 days, that is, 1260 years, as we have seen in the lesson ŤThe Prophetic Zooť).

Now, the Papacy reigned exactly 1260 years: from A.D. 538, when the last of the three tribes rejecting its power, that is, the Ostrogoths, was eliminated, until 1798, when the Papacy lost its political power, as French general Berthier took Pope Pius VI prisoner.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Revelation 13:1

Comments

And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. If the Papacy lost its political power in 1798, then how is it that the Papacy is still a political power nowadays?

The beast of Revelation will give us the answer to our question.

First, let's note the beast of Revelation's description: we find some elements that are familiar to us, like Ťrise up out of the seať, Ťten hornsť, Ťblasphemousť...

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Revelation 13:2

Comments

Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. Surprisingly, the same beasts which were presented in Daniel 7 (the lion, the bear, and the leopard) make up the body of this beast.

Also, we can see that they had previously been listed in reverse order: whereas Daniel saw the fall of Babylon (the lion), Medo-Persia (the bear), and Greece (the leopard) in the future, the apostle John saw them in the past.

This explains the inversion of listing order.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Revelation 13:5,7

Comments

[The beast] was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. (...)

And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome theme. Does this description remind you of something?

Yes, you've guessed it. Both the beast of Revelation and the little horn symbolize the same power: the Papacy.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Similarities between the little horn and the beast of Revelation:

     The little horn (DANIEL 7)     |      The beast (REVELATION 13)
------------------------------------+------------------------------------
   Speaks pompous words (v. 8,20)   |     Speaks great things (v. 5)
   Blasphemes against God (v. 25)   |   Blasphemes against God (v. 5,6)
  Reigns during 1260 years (v. 25)  |   Reigns during 1260 years (v. 5)
(3˝ times = 3˝ x 360 = 1260 years) | (42 months = 42 x 30 = 1260 years)
Makes war against saints (v. 21,25)|   Makes war against saints (v. 7)
    Overcomes the saints (v. 25)    |     Overcomes the saints (v. 7)

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Revelation 13:3

Comments

I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed.

And all the world marveled and followed the beast. The apostle John then adds an interesting detail: the beast would be mortally wounded, but its wound would be healed. Then, the whole world Ťmarveled and followed the beastť.

Now, history reports that this is exactly what happened: the papacy, having lost its political power in 1798, recovered it in 1929, when Mussolini, by the Lateran Treaty, restored temporal power to the pope who has, since then, ruled over Vatican.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Revelation 13:3,8

Comments

His deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. (...)

And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Due to the numerous travels of Pope John Paul II, the Papacy has gained much prestige throughout the world, particularly in recent years.

But the Word of God foretells that very soon, all those who dwell on the earth will have to choose who they will worship: either God or the beast.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Revelation 13:16,17

Comments

And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark. Indeed, very soon, the beast will impose its mark on all the inhabitants of earth, including you and us.

Those who reject this mark will experience severe difficulties, threatening even their lives.

On the other hand, those who accept this mark will be regarded by God as worshippers of the beast, and will lose eternal life.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Revelation 14:9,10

Comments

If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation.

And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone. God warns us not to receive the mark of the beast, or our punishment will be eternal destruction.

But what is the mark of the beast?

This crucial question must obtain a very precise answer from the Word of God. This will be the subject of our next lesson.

Lesson 35

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The Beast of Revelation

Let's thank God for His prophetic Word:

Our Father,

You have revealed to us that both the little horn and the beast of Revelation symbolize the Papacy, a power which tried to change Your law, and which made war against Your people for 1260 years.

But we know that You love the people who are in the papal system, and that You call them to come out of this system, and join Your Church.

Please give us the courage we need to leave this system, in order to join Your people, take a stand for You, and worship only You.

In the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

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The Beast of Revelation

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