Sign and wonders Archives » From Daniel to Revelation

Overview

The purpose of this article is to explain the throne of the Beast (Rev 16:10). It is not a literal Beast nor a literal throne. Its throne is a symbol of its authority. The question is what the nature of its authority is.

Some argue that the Beast’s authority is general, such as the power of money. But the Beast is not a general force. It is a specific entity that originates at a specific point in history (Rev 13:1-2).

A previous article concluded that Revelation’s three seven-headed beasts (the Dragon, the Sea Beast, and the Scarlet Beast) are part of the animals in Daniel 7:

- - The Dragon is the fourth animal of Daniel 7 (read), which and symbolizes the Roman Empire (read).
  - The Sea Beast is the 11th horn of Daniel’s fourth animal (read).

Therefore, since the Sea Beast received its throne from the Dragon, it received it from the Roman Empire. That empire was known for its military might, but this article argues that the Beast’s authority is religious. Specifically, it is a Christian organization because God’s people always were and are opposed and persecuted by false Christianity:

In the Bible generally, and over the centuries since Jesus, it always was the people who pretended to speak for God who persecuted God’s true people.

In Revelation, in the seven letters (Rev 1 to 3), the enemy is always inside the church.

The harlot Babylon persecutes God’s people, and she symbolizes the fallen church, in opposition to the pure woman, symbolizing God’s people.

The Dragon, the Beast, and the Land Beast oppose God’s people. Revelation describes them as performing signs and wonders. That means that they claim to speak for God/ It follows that they are religious organizations.

This is confirmed by the Land Beast’s description. It has two horns like a lamb, which implies that it looks like Christ, and it is called the “False Prophet” (Rev 16:13; 19:20).

The question is, then, how did the Beast receive Christian Religious authority from the Roman Empire? The answer is that the Beast is the continuation of the Church of the Roman Empire. [Show More]

What is the throne of the beast?

“The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast” (Rev 16:10). Consequently, “his kingdom became darkened,” and “they gnawed their tongues because of pain” (Rev 16:10-11).

It is not a literal beast and not a literal throne. A throne symbolizes authority. God’s throne represents His authority, and the throne of the beast its authority.

The question is, what is the nature of the beast’s authority? What gives it the power to rule? Is it military might, the power of money, or perhaps religious authority?

The answer to this question is important because it would indicate the nature of the end-time conflict. The authority of the Beast identifies what kind of power will persecute God’s people.

The Beast is not a general force.

Some preterist commentaries view Revelation as a general description of the war between good and evil. They do not think that the characters and events in Revelation were ever or will ever become real characters or events. Some such commentaries interpret the evil powers of Revelation as the power of money. It is true, particularly in Revelation 18, that economic power is prominent. For example:

Babylon is clothed in wealth (Rev 17:4), and in Revelation, clothes depict the nature of the entity.

Her merchants became rich from her (Rev 18:15). They “were the great men of the earth” (Rev 18:23).

However, the beast is not a general force such as economic power:

Firstly, the beast is a specific entity with a specific date of origin (Rev 13:1). It looks like a leopard, has the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion, and receives its power from the dragon (Rev 13:2). These are the four animals of Daniel 7, representing Ancient Babylon, Mede-Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire. The beast of Revelation, therefore, received something from each of these empires and came into existence after them.

Secondly, the Beast persecutes the saints and overpowers them (Rev 13:7). Economic power never persecutes the true people of God SELECTIVELY. It is not able to distinguish God’s true people from others.

Thirdly, the Beast’s authority is primarily religious in nature because its primary purpose is to oppose God, not to accumulate wealth. The Beast uses wealth as a tool, but it is not its ultimate purpose.

Christian Religious Authority

This article proposes that the authority of the Beast is religious authority; specifically Christian religious authority. That means that the end-time conflict is the persecution of God’s real people by the church. This is argued as follows:

The Bible

In the Bible, foreign nations never selectively persecuted God’s true people. In the Old Testament, God’s true people were always persecuted the Jews. In the New Testament, Jesus was killed by the Jews, who manipulated the power of the government. And it was the Jews who killed Stephan and also all the prophets of old; not foreign nations.

Christian History

Over the centuries since Jesus, it always was the people who pretended to speak for God who persecuted God’s real people.

Able to Identify

Only the Church is able to identify and persecute God’s true people because they are the people who oppose its blasphemous practices and doctrines. Applying this principle to the end time, God’s people will be persecuted by the Church for their ‘unorthodox’ teachings.

The Seven Letters

The seven letters in Revelation 1 to 3 serve as an introduction to the Book of Revelation. The nature of the conflict in the letters should, therefore, be the same as in the end-time. An analysis of the letters shows the powers that oppose God’s true people are always inside the Church. [Show More]

Harlot Babylon

In the Book of Revelation, it is the harlot Babylon who persecutes God’s true people (Rev 18:24). Babylon symbolizes the fallen church for:

Both Israel (in the Old Testament) and the Church (in the New Testament) are described as women, and as adulteress women when unfaithful (e.g., Ezek 23:8, 19, 27; Hosea 1:2; 4:12; 9:1; Isa 1:21-23; Num 15:39).

Revelation presents the true church as a pure woman (Rev 12:1) and the bride or wife of the Lamb (Rev 19:7; 21:9). [Show More]

Signs and Wonders

Jesus and His apostles performed signs and wonders. [Show More]

However, the New Testament warns that, in the end-time conflict, false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders. [Show More]

In Revelation, the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet will deceive by means of signs and wonders. [Show More]

By performing signs and wonders, the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet claim to speak for God, which means that they are religious organizations.

The Land Beast

It is the Land Beast that performs miracles to deceive the people to create the Image of the Beast (Rev 13:14). It is then the Image that persecutes God’s people in the end-time. The Land Beast exercises all the authority of the Sea Beast in his presence (Rev 13:12). It is, therefore, the Beast’s agent, but it is a Christian organization:

It has two horns like a lamb (Rev 13:11). The word “lamb” occurs 29 times in Revelation, and only in this one instance does it not refer to Jesus Christ. In other words, the Land Beast looks like Christ.

The Land Beast is called the “False Prophet” (Rev 16:13; 19:20).

War over Worship

The main word in Revelation 13 and 14 is “worship.” These chapters use the term five times. Four times it is used for the people worshiping the beast (Rev 13:8, 12) and his image (Rev 13:15; 14:11), and once the three angels warn the people to worship the Creator alone (Rev 14:7). This last conflict may, therefore, be described as a war of worship.

Tag: Sign and wonders

The Throne of the Beast is Christian Religious Authority.