Bible prophecy can be understood by comparing Revelation with the Old Testament and the book of Daniel in particular. It is very important to understanding who is the major player in so much of the prophecy in Revelation.
Anti-messiah Power - Daniel 7 |
Anti-messiah Power - Revelation 13 |
| Four beasts from the Sea. Verse 3 | The Beasts from the sea. Verse 1, 2 |
| Lion. Verse 4 | Lion. Verse 2 |
| Bear. Verse 5 | Bear. Verse 2 |
| Leopard. Verse 6 | Leopard. Verse 2 |
| Ten horned beast. Verse 7 | Ten horned beast. Verse 1 |
| Mouth Speaking great things. Verse 8 | Mouth Speaking great things. Verse 5 |
| Makes war with the Saints. Verse 21 | Makes war with the Saints. Verse 7 |
| Power for 3.5 years = 42 Months. Verse 25 | Power for 42 Months. Verse 5 |
Do you see in the above the similarities they are not a coincidence. Elohim has concealed many things so that they would not be seen until the time of the end as this does apply to most prophecies which involve the book of Daniel.
Daniel 12:4 “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
Only one power has persecuted for 1260 years and only one power had the privilege of taking out three of the ten kingdoms from the collapse of the Roman Empire. It is no other than the Papacy on these two points alone, There are far more identifying points as well.
| Characteristics | The Little Horn (Daniel 7) |
The Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3) |
The Beast From The Sea (Revelation 13) |
Woman on Beast (Revelation 17-18) |
| Source | Comes out of the head of the 10 horned fourth beast (Rome) | Owes his rise to removal of a hindering power | Comes from the “sea” many people (meaning densely populated Europe) | Arises in a city with seven hills (Rome) and rules over many waters (peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues) |
| Time of Origin | Comes up among 10 horns (the divided successors of the Pagan Roman Empire) | Revealed only after the fall of the hindering Pagan Roman Empire | Receives power, seat and authority from the Dragon (Satan working through Pagan Rome) | Arises among the ten horns (divisions of Rome) that will hate her |
| Religious/political Church-State Power | Diverse power, blasphemes Elohim, exercises authority over the saints, changes times and laws of the most high | Political and demands and receives worship | Composite of Daniel's beasts, which are kingdoms, and wear crowns, that demands and receives worship | The woman is an apostate false church, the beast is the power of the state hence this is a religious/political power having a priest/king ruler |
| Blasphemous Presumption | In this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things and words against the most high | Exalts himself above Elohim. | Has a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies | Full of names of blasphemy |
| Time of Dominance | Given power over the saints for a time, times and a dividing of time. (1260 years) | ---------------------- | Given power forty and two months (1260 years) | ---------------------- |
| Warring against God's people | Made war with the saints and prevailed against them | ---------------------- | Makes war with the saints and overcomes them | This woman (apostate church) is drunk with the blood of the saints, in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. |
| Great Power | Looks more stout than his fellows | Has all power, signs and lying wonders | Who is able to make war with him? | The woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. |
| Demands Divine Homage | Sets himself over the saints, times, and laws of the most high | Sets himself up as Elohim, above all that is worshipped | Causes multitudes to worship him | This woman is the apostate "mother" of harlot churches |
| End | They shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end (the second coming) | Elohim shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: | Cast into the lake of fire | Utterly burned with fire |