Chapter Twenty-Eight/Contending With Two Ferocious Beasts

 The wild beast comes out of "the sea," which is a fitting symbol of the turbulent masses from which human government springs. (Isaiah 17:12, 13) This wild beast began to emerge out of the sea of turbulent humanity away back in the days of Nimrod (about the 2oth century B.C.E.), when a post-Flood system of things, opposed to Jehovah, first manifested itself. (Genesis10:8. 12; 11:1-9) But only in the Lord's day has the last one of its seven heads fully manifested itself. Notice, too, it is the dragon that "gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority." (Compare Luke 4:6) The beast is Satan's political creation among the masses of mankind. Satan is truly "the ruler of this world." - JOHN 12:31. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Eight/Contending With Two Ferocious Beasts - The Death Stroke 

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 The wild beast has "upon its heads blasphemous names," making claims for itself that show great disrespect for Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. It has used the names of God and Christ as a sham to achieve its political ends, and it has played along with false religion, even allowing the clergy to take part in its political processes. For example, the House of Lords in England includes the bishops. Catholic cardinals have played prominent political roles in France and Italy, and more recently, priests have taken political office in Latin America. Governments print religious slogans, such as "IN GOD WE TRUST, " on their bank notes, and on their coins they claim divine approval for their rulers, stating for example, that these appointed "by the grace of God." All of this is actually blasphemous, for its attempts to involve God in the sullied nationalistic political arena. 

Note: This garbage is all disapproved of by God and Jesus Christ. Neither one of them had anything to do with being money hungry or political or garbage the Government is saying or doing. They are using his name for their own selfishness and greed and prestige and any other garbage they want to do. And in the right time, they will be dealt with. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Eight/Contending With Two Ferocious Beasts - Conclusion

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 The wild beast has ten horns on its seven heads. Perhaps four heads had one horn each, and three heads had two horns each. Moreover, it had ten diadems on its horns. In the book of Daniel, fearsome beasts are described, and the numbering of their horns is to be interpreted literally. For example, the two horns on a ram represented a world empire made up of two partners, Media and Persia, while the other four horns on a goat represent the four coexisting empires that grew out of Alexander the Great's Greek empire. (Daniel 8:3, 8, 20-22) On the beast that John saw, however, the numbering of the ten horns appears to be symbolic. (Compare Daniel 7:24; Revelation 17:12.) They represent the completeness of sovereign states making up the entire political organization of Satan. All these horns are violent and aggressive, but as indicated by the seven heads, headship resides in only one world power at a time. Similarly, the ten diadems indicate that all sovereign states would exercise ruling power simultaneously with the dominant state, or world power of that time.

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Eight/Contending With Two Ferocious Beasts - Continue

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