The previous discussion of the Woe Judgements established that Woe 1 is descriptive of the Oslo Peace Accord, which ended in the fall of 2000, shortly before the start of a Palestinian Intafada. Furthermore, it was also discovered that Woe 2 is descriptive of the 9/11 attack launched by Islamic terrorists against the United States. Consequently, the correlations of these two Biblical prophecies with known major historic events permits us to conclude that Woe 2 must have begun no later than that September 11, 2001. However, (Revelation 11.14) indicates that Woe 2 continues through the following two chapters right up to the blowing of Trumpet 7, thereby requiring that the time frame when the Two Witnesses testify must also fall within the period of Woe 2.

Attempts to identify the "two witnesses" have spawned a plethora of speculations, like those advanced by the following Bible scholars: Simcox holds that they are literally Moses and Elijah, while others like Seiss, Lang, and Govett propose that they are Enoch and Elijah. Milligan and Swete believe they refer to the Old and New Testaments, or to the Word and the Spirit.  Lange insists they represent the Christian Church. 

Episodes like the one depicted in the movie series "Left Behind", showed the "Two Witnesses" at the Wailing Wall literally breathing fire on their adversaries. Nonetheless, it is agreed that Moses and Elijah must be at least metaphoric representations of the "Two Witnesses", because verses 5-6 indicate that their testimony will bring "plagues" against their enemies like those plagues directed by God against the enemies of Moses and Elijah during Biblical times, e.g.

• Moses was commissioned to return to Egypt, to be used by God to bring Israel out of bondage, so they could be given a Covenant and their inheritance in the Promised Land. When the Pharaoh refused to release them, the Lord used the words of Moses to direct plagues of Judgement against Egypt.

• Elijah was sent to king Ahab of apostate Israel, informing him that there would be no rain for 3½ years. This prophet appeared suddenly, carrying a message by direct revelation from God. The message was that God's people in that northern kingdom had substituted Baal worship for that of Jehovah, and that such an apostasy was intolerable. That message reached its climax on Mount Carmel when the Lord produced a miracle to vindicate Elijah, causing the people to turn back to Jehovah and judge the prophets of Baal.

Some Bible scholars believe that the Two Witnesses represent direct forms of God's communication to mankind, like those indicated. However, there are two problems with the above possibilities.

• The Two Witnesses are "killed", after which they are given "life", and then taken up to Heaven in (Revelation 11.7-12). But it is not scriptural to associate either the "Word" or the "Spirit" with "death", because both of these are attributes of the "living" God, and cannot be "killed" by anything of Satanic origin.
  
  

• Moreover, this study in The Prophets Speak has revealed a continuing requirement for the Old and New Testaments following the blowing of Trumpet 7, in order to provide instruction for those who will remain on earth following the arrival of the Kingdom Covenant, and on into the period of the Millennial Kingdom. 

Consequently, such abstract interpretations of the Two Witnesses do not appear to be compatible with an understanding of the attributes of God, or of His continuing requirement to communicate His Word to mankind following the blowing of Trumpet 7.

If the Two Witnesses are intended to represent real people, it follows that they must be people indwelled by the Holy Spirit, for only then could they communicate God's Word (I Corinthians 2.6-16). Therefore, we will assert that the Two Witnesses must represent either the Church in its entirety, or at least select members of the Church, because these are presently the only persons on earth who were indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, let's examine the ways that  born-from-above Christians are depicted in the Bible in relation to the descriptions of the Two Witnesses.

(REVELATION 11.1-2):
The "Two Witnesses" TESTIFY AFTER THE "TEMPLE" IS MEASURED

The Body of Christ can also be associated with this word for "Temple".

The word for temple is the word (Naos - 3485), and refers only to the inner most part of the Temple, i.e. the Holy of Holies, and is the word always used by Paul in the Church Letters when referring to the Body of Christ. Therefore, the fact that everything outside of the Holy of Holies is excluded during the time frame in question suggests that the subject of the Two Witnesses will involve actions only by the Body of Christ. 

(Revelation 11.3):
The "Two Witnesses" prophesy clothed in sackcloth

Clothing in "sackcloth" denotes a time of mourning (II Samuel 3.31; I Kings 21.27; Esther 4.1-3; Jonah 3.4-9).

A prophetic word is being heard from modern-day Christians who recognize that the Millennial Kingdom promises to Israel are yet to be fulfilled. That message is that we are presently living in the End Times, and that it is now time for Israel to be released from their bondage to the Gentiles, so they can be given a new Millennial Covenant and their prophesied inheritance in the Millennial Kingdom. The Gentile world has stubbornly refused that message, thereby bringing on itself those plagues described in (Revelation 8-9).

(Revelation 11.4):
The "Two Witnesses" are the two olive trees and two lamp stands

• The general identity of the Two Witnesses appears to be confirmed by this verse, which relates them to the "two olive trees and the two lamp stands standing before the God of the earth." The following Bible scholars agree that these Old Testament symbols, which are described in (Zechariah 4), have their ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament Church.

• These interpretations also accord with the Apostle Paul's reference to the olive tree as being emblematic of the source of life, i.e. Christ, into which believers were grafted during the Church Age  (Romans 11.17-19). In fact, the 144,000 of the Body of Christ discussed earlier in connection with (Revelation 7.1-14, 14.1-5) are directly identified with those "of Israel". It is also consistent with John's vision of the lamp stands as being emblematic of the Church (Revelation 1.12, 20), as indicated by Keil & Delitzsch,  so these metaphors of the olive trees and lamp stands solidly connect the Two Witnesses with members of the Church.

(Revelation 11.5-6):
MOSES AND ELIJAH APPEAR TO DEPICT The "Two Witnesses"

• Moses and Elijah also appeared with Jesus Christ at the time of His Transfiguration on the mountain (Matthew 17.1-13).
  
  

• But the Lord indicated that the Transfiguration was a preview of the coming of His Kingdom (Matthew 16.27-28; II Peter 1.16-18).
  

• There are three reasons why Moses and Elijah would be the most appropriate individuals to represent the Body of Christ at the advent of the coming of the Kingdom.

1. Moses and Elijah represent the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. As such, it would be most appropriate that these two be depicted at the advent of the Kingdom, for it is here that all of those Old Testament promises pertinent to the coming of Israel's Kingdom would be fulfilled.
   
   

2. According to the way this study has developed in The Prophets Speak, the Rapture of the Body of Christ appears to become the vehicle by which Israel will be brought to their moment of redemption, and their Kingdom Covenant. Indeed, it was Moses who delivered ancient Israel out of Egypt, and brought them a Covenant of Law on tablets of stone, so it would most natural for him to depict Israel's final delivery out of sin, when a fulfilled Covenant will be written on their hearts (Hebrews 8.1-13, 12.18-28). In addition, it is proper that Elijah is also represented at the advent of the Kingdom, because it is he who will turn Israel to the Lord before the coming of the Kingdom and time of Judgement (Malachi 4.5-6).
   
   

3. Finally, Moses and Elijah would represent not only those who physically died, but also those who shall never see physical death. Likewise, some of the Body of Christ will "sleep", while others, who remain alive, will be "gathered up" later (I Corinthians 15.51-54).

We must not leave the subject of the Two Witnesses before a distinction is made between the Body of Christ and the Church in general. It seems clear from the above discussion that the Two Witnesses are connected, both with the "Body of Christ" and the "Church", suggesting that these terms may simply define the same group of people. However, a mass of evidence assembled both in The Prophets Speak and in Coming Glory, strongly disputes that view. This issue has been reserved until this point of time in our prophetic study, because the distinction is largely irrelevant prior to the advent of the final Rapture and coming of the Kingdom. Since the Church is composed of born-from-above believers who are destined to receive a Heavenly inheritance, the principal issue throughout the Church Age has been the matter of a believer's spiritual growth during their walk with the Lord. Indeed, any new Christian will soon discover that fellow Christians not only come in all sizes, shapes, and personalities, but also in various levels of spirituality. In fact, it often seems to be the case that Christians reach only some level in their spiritual growth, after which time they actually regress or appear to stagnate, never developing beyond that point. Surely it is true that most Christian teaching tries to address these obvious problems, by proposing various techniques and approaches designed to overcome them.

Nonetheless, those techniques and approaches often overlook a fundamental tenant of Christianity, which is taught clearly in the Church Letters, and which holds the answer to these problems. The following Scriptures from the Church Letters will reveal a critical requirement for continuing spiritual growth:

As you study these verses, notice first that they are all written to born-from-above believers. Yet, the highlighted verses are conditional, indicating that a person must make a second commitment, beyond the initial commitment to "believe", if that believer is to realize a fulfilled Christian life. Paul urges those who have already "died" with their Lord in His death, to also commit to "live" with Him in His new resurrected life, i.e. in the resurrected "Body of Christ". We become born-from-above Christians simply by "believing", i.e. trusting, Jesus Christ who God sent to be the Savior of the world (Ephesians 2.8-9). However, subsequent spiritual growth will occur only when a Christian strives to obey the Lord in those multitude of situations and circumstances confronted through life (Ephesians 2.10). It is certain that this will never be achieved perfectly while in the flesh (Philippians 3.12-16), but it is just as certain that it will never be achieved even in degree without a continuing commitment toward that end.

Although Paul's Church Letters never spell out explicitly the consequences of failing to so strive, they are implied by three other sets of Scriptures already studied in The Prophets Speak, and Coming Glory.

1. An earlier study in The Prophets Speak concerned the Seven Churches of Revelation. Recall that those Seven Churches could not be related to the Body of Christ described in the Church Letters, in spite of the fact that they were saved (Revelation 1.5-6). It was found in that study that there was no evidence that they would participate in the Rapture of the Body of Christ. The above Scriptures can now offer a possible explanation. Those Seven Churches were genuine born-from-above believers, but they never made that continuing commitment to spiritually rise with their Lord, and walk in newness of life.
   
   

2. An earlier study of the Song of Songs in Coming Glory concluded that the Shulamite maiden, who became the "king's" bride, will have its ultimate fulfillment when the King from Heaven takes His Bride at the end of this age. Furthermore, it was also discovered that the "Daughters of Jerusalem" in that poetic ode typified the Seven Churches of Revelation. According to that Old Testament prophetic metaphor of New Testament expectations, Shulamith was made the "bride" of the "king" before the "Daughters of Jerusalem" received their final rest in his company.
   
   

3. Another earlier study of the Synoptic Gospels in Coming Glory likewise concluded that the Rapture of the Body of Christ should not only occur prior to the Lord's Kingdom, but also that other Church Age believers will remain on earth until later. 

Therefore, there is substantial corroborative evidence from accompanying Old and New Testament studies, to support the view that the Rapture will not include all born-from-above believers, but will be restricted according to when and whether a believer has also committed themselves to live the "resurrected" life spoken of by Paul in the Church Letters.

In the Old Testament, Daniel was given a vision of four "beasts", with their meaning.

According to verse 17, these four "beasts" represent four kings or kingdoms that would exist sometime during history. Bible scholars have studied the characteristics of each against known history, and can now identify those ancient kingdoms/empires as the (1) Babylonian, (2) Medo-Persian, (3) Grecian, and (4) Roman empires, in that order. Of course, all of these empires have passed from the world scene many centuries ago, but the above Scriptures give us important facts. Prophetic "beasts" in the Bible refer to kingdoms/empires, each being a political/military/economic principality. Furthermore, all of these ancient kingdoms/empires were obsessed with a desire to dominate nations around them, and all came up from the "sea". Additionally, these four all oppressed Israel in one way or another.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS BEAST ASCENDING FROM THE "BOTTOMLESS PIT"?

(Revelation 11.7a):
THE "BEAST" RISES FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PIT

The "bottomless pit" comes from the word "abussos" (12), which refers to the abode of demons. It was also the place from which the demonic "locusts" came who directed an attack against Israel in Woe 1. The four beasts discussed above did not come from the abode of demons, but from humanity. Of course, they were indirectly subject to Satan's control, for he deceives the nations of the world, but this demonic Beast from the bottomless pit is under the direct authority of Satan, sent specifically to "kill" the Two Witnesses/Body of Christ. 

      

HOW COULD THIS DEMONIC BEAST "KILL" THE BODY OF CHRIST?

(Revelation 11.7B):
THE "BEAST" "KILLS" The Two Witnesses

• It is noted that the word for "kill" (615) in verse 7 does not necessarily mean physical death, but can also mean to extinguish, abolish, or render ineffective. In fact, this figurative meaning is supported by the description of this event in (Daniel 12.7), "that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time, i.e. 1260 days; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished." One commentator explains the situation in the following way:

• For almost 2000 years, the unending testimony of dedicated members of the Church has been salvation through Jesus Christ, for those who put their trust in Him. The specific promises for salvation during the Age of Grace appear concisely in the nine Church Letters written by the Apostle Paul. Only those Letters articulate the concept of the Body of Christ, and only those promise a Rapture for those "in Christ". Therefore, an attack on the testimony of the Body of Christ would have to involve an attack on the person of Jesus Christ Himself, and on Paul's revelation given to him by Jesus Christ, regarding the mystery of the unity of Jews and Gentiles in one "Body of Christ". 
  
  

• However, it is recognized full well that such oblique attacks on Christianity are really nothing more than superficial, and can do little to discredit the foundations of the Christian faith. Indeed, a far more effective attack would have to be mounted against the essentials of Christianity, as taught in the Church Letters, if it were to be brought into serious question in the eyes of the peoples of the world. 

 

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR BODIES LAYING WHERE THE LORD WAS CRUCIFIED?

(REVELATION 11.8):
THEIR BODIES LAY IN THE STREET OF THE CITY WHERE THE LORD WAS CRUCIFIED

This verse refers to unsaved Israel as "Sodom" (Isaiah 1.9-10), making reference to the place where the Lord was crucified, i.e. Jerusalem or more generally Israel. For the entire Church Age, the appeal for salvation through Jesus Christ has gone out to both Jews and Gentiles. After Israel's 1948 restoration in the Promised Land, it became apparent that the Kingdom was near, yet the appeal for Israel to repent and turn to the Messiah went largely unheeded. 

 

WHY DO THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH REJOICE OVER THEIR DEAD BODIES?

(REVELATION 11.9-10):
THEIR BODIES ARE LEFT "UNBURIED" WHILE THE WORLD REJOICES

Biblical Christianity has fallen into disrepute and even ridicule among many of the  peoples of the world in recent decades, with scarce acknowledgement of the notable accomplishments that Christianity has brought to the world over the centuries. Refusal to allow the burial of dedicated Christianity signifies distain and total disregard for their message, because it has preached a very selective salvation opposed by the religions of the world, that persons must first repent, and can have a relationship with God the Father only through Jesus Christ the Son.

 

WHEN MIGHT THIS RAPTURE OF THE BODY OF CHRIST OCCUR?

(REVELATION 11.11):
THE TWO WITNESSES ARE REVIVED

Our study of history and of the prophetic nature of the Bible itself indicates that events during the End Times have the characteristic of repeating patterns of similar events that have already occurred in Biblical history. Therefore, it is helpful to recall certain historic facts, and certain things discovered in this prophetic study that provide information potentially valuable in learning the correct timing for the Rapture.

1. A study of the Song of Songs suggests that Rapture should occur in the springtime.  

2. History, and the 1988-1995 seven year period for Daniel's People suggest that the Rapture should occur immediately following a Passover, either on a Sunday morning or an Easter Sunday morning. 

• Jesus was resurrected on First Fruits, the Sunday immediately following Passover, AD 32.

• According to the 70th Week for Daniel's People developed in The Prophets Speak, those of the Body of Christ who slept during the Times of the Gentiles apparently experienced their Rapture immediately following Passover, 1993, on a Sunday, which also happened to be an Easter Sunday.

According to a previous discussion on Daniel's 70 Weeks, the following two key time periods ended during the fall of 2005.

1. A 14000-day period, which began on the day that Israel was repatriated to Jerusalem during the six-day war, ended on Trumpets, 2005.
   
   In that study of Daniel's 70 Weeks, it was shown that this 14000-day period repeated a previous 14000-day period, which began when Messiah presented Himself as King on Palm Sunday at the completion of the 69th Week of Daniel, and ended when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. It was shown in that study that this second 14000-day period suggested the possibility of the Lord's return on Trumpets, 2005.
   
   

2. It was also shown in that discussion on Daniel's 70 Weeks that a modern-day 7½-year period, repeating the time period required to set up David's Old Testament kingdom, was completed at the advent of Tabernacles, 2005, just two weeks later.

These two time periods seemed to suggest that God's Plan for Israel's redemption should be completed during the fall of 2005, yet obviously that did not occur. Fortunately, this present study of the Two Witnesses now provides a subsequent time frame for Israel's redemption that may also be associated with the Rapture of the Body of Christ.

• (Daniel 9.24) indicates that a full 70 Weeks must be completed before Daniel's people are redeemed.
  
  Likewise, it would appear that a full 70 Weeks must also be completed before the Sons of Daniel's people can be redeemed. Since that full 70 Weeks was not completed until Tabernacles, 2005, the modern-day Sons of Daniel's people could not have been redeemed prior to that time.
  
  

• The existence of the Body of Christ is a present fact, independent of Daniel's 70 Weeks, or of a completed 7½-year period to replicate the 7½-year period when David's kingdom was originally set up. Moreover, the Rapture of the Body of Christ must occur before modern-day Israel is redeemed, otherwise two salvation Covenants would be in existence simultaneously.

However, all of the prophetic Scriptures in connection with the Rapture of the Body of Christ indicate that it should occur in the springtime of a year, and that it would be the event to trigger modern-day Israel's redemption. This means that the Rapture and Israel's redemption could not occur before the spring of 2006.

• However, an earlier study of the Psalter in The Prophets Speak indicated that modern-day Israel is progressing through the Psalms on a year-by-year basis, when they are viewed prophetically, and will not reach the period of the Deuteronomy Psalms until 2007.
  
  Historically, the book of Deuteronomy was written and began to apply to Old Testament Israel after they had completed their 40 years of wilderness testing, and a second generation was ready to enter their promised inheritance. Likewise, the Deuteronomy Psalms will begin to apply to Modern-day Israel after they have completed their period of testing, and are ready to enter their promised Millennial inheritance. Since the Deuteronomy Psalms do not begin to apply until 2007, this additional constraint suggests that modern-day Israel will not reach the time of their redemption before 2007.

The constraints just set down indicate that the Rapture of the Body of Christ and modern-day Israel's redemption cannot occur prior to the spring of 2007, at the earliest.

 

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR REVIVAL AND ASCENSION TO HEAVEN?

(REVELATION 11.12):
A LOUD VOICE COMMANDED THEM TO ASCEND TO HEAVEN

The previous study suggests that the "Two Witnesses" are the Body of Christ who remain. In fact, the following commentator identifies this present Scriptural account with the Church, observing the parallel between this event and the resurrection of their Lord in the first century. 

(REVELATION 11.13):
A TENTH OF THE CITY FALLS, 7000 PEOPLE ARE KILLED, BUT THE REST GIVE GLORY TO GOD

A Rapture of the Body of Christ would enable them to provide instruction to a spiritually revived State of Israel, thereby initiating Israel's restoration back to God. 

• The word for "killed" (615) is the same word used earlier in (Revelation 11.7), suggesting that the very same attitude of defeat and vanquishment that befell the Body of Christ earlier would now befall a group of people who remain on earth following the Rapture, but now associated with those of the "city" of Israel referred to earlier in (Revelation 11.8). It therefore seems reasonable to associate these "killed" with Jews who will fail to repent and receive their Messiah. 
  
  

• By this same reasoning, the rest of the "city" would have to be associated with those Sons of Daniel's People who respond positively to the Rapture. The circumstances surrounding these happenings are discussed more fully in that portion of the Song of Songs. 

These events would complete Woe 2, and prepare for the coming of the Kingdom at the blowing of Trumpet 7 (Woe 3) (Revelation 11.15-19).

Two other "beasts" become the subjects of Revelation in the following chapters. Since it will become clear shortly that these two "beasts conspire with the Beast from the pit to carry out its evil objectives, and that they also exist just prior to the coming of the Lord's Kingdom, it is important that their characters and identities also be studied. Admittedly, there has also been much speculation about the identity of these beasts over the years. Nevertheless, this study of the Two Witnesses has progressed to the point that we must conclude that all of these beasts exist at the present time. Furthermore, the beast with seven heads and the beast from the earth certainly did not come into existence overnight, so most probably were also present during the 20th century. Moreover, this knowledge of the time frame of their existence becomes a unique asset, providing the essential information needed to identify them. 

Accordingly, we will build on the earlier understanding that "beasts" in the Bible define kingdoms/empires, each being a political/military/economic principality, thereby allowing us to continue to pose questions designed to relate them to known history.

If we may extend our understanding of those ancient "beasts" in Daniel to the End Times, this modern-day beast also rises from the "sea", so it also must have had its origin among the people groups, and nations of the world. Furthermore, this End Time beast with seven heads has at least one other discernible connection with those four beasts in Daniel, because it is like a "leopard", with feet of a "bear", and mouth of a "lion", thereby possessing at least some of those features that were ascribed to the "Grecian", "Medo-Persian", and "Babylonian" empires.

WHY DOES THE FIRST BEAST HAVE SEVEN HEADS?

The "seven heads" of this beast do not appear on those four ancient beasts in Daniel, but they do appear on a "red dragon" mentioned in (Revelation 12.3), who is later identified as Satan himself (Revelation 12.9). In fact, (Revelation 13.2) specifically confirms this connection with the statement that this beast receives Satan's "power, his throne, and great authority". 

These associations give rise to a question. Just how many major empires/nations seeking domination over others, and who are obviously under the authority of Satan, have also oppressed the Jewish people from their creation until modern times. World history provides a definitive list of such kingdoms/kings:

1. EGYPTIAN EMPIRE: Thutmose III was most probably the Pharaoh of oppression during the time of Moses.
   
   

2. ASSYRIAN EMPIRE: Sennacherib who destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 723 BC, then arrogantly invaded Judah at the time of Hezekiah, was Israel's chief antagonist.
   
   

3. BABYLONIAN EMPIRE: Nebuchadnezzar was the king who destroyed Israel's southern kingdom of Judah, and carried the Jews into exile for 70 years.
   
   

4. MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE: Although Cyrus, Darius I, and Artaxerxes I, are all mentioned in the post-Exilic phase of Judah's existence, it was Ahasuerus who became party to a genocide attempt against the Jews, as described in the book of Esther.
   
   

5. GRECIAN EMPIRE: Alexander the Great was the driving force behind this empire, but it was Antiochus Epiphanes, one of his successors, whose hatred was directed against the Jews.
   
   

6. ROMAN EMPIRE: It is difficult to name a single Caesar who oppressed, for all of them did during Israel's New Testament existence, until they were finally destroyed and scattered among the Gentile nations in AD 70. For a period of almost 1900 years, the Jews were scattered among the nations. During those centuries, the Jews suffered many indignities and oppressions at the hands of various Gentile people groups, like those from Muhammadism during the rise of Islam, Christendom during the Crusades, Western Europe during the period of the "Black Death", Roman Catholicism during  Inquisitions in the Middle Ages, Protestant intolerance during the Reformation, and 19th century Russian pogroms when many Jews migrated to Eastern Europe. In fact, the pogroms marked the beginning of anti-Semitism at a government sponsored level, and undoubtedly became the prototype for national policies that later produced the final 20th century Holocaust against the Jews. 
   
   

7. GERMAN STATE: Adolph Hitler would obviously complete that list of those evil personages above, who directed that final Holocaust against the Jewish people, during the Great Tribulation.

This list highlights an extraordinary result --- There are precisely "seven" major world powers that have sought domination over the civilized world during their times of existence, and have all oppressed the Jews. This discovery suggests that we may be on the right track toward understanding the meaning of the "seven heads" of the beast, for this result directly links the beast from the sea with Satan, who would most certainly have authority over the entire world, and be hostile toward Israel. 

Lastly, what of the "head" mentioned in verse 3, which received a mortal wound, only later to be healed in a time frame contemporary with the Beast? Proponents of a "10" nation European Confederacy pick Rome as the one to be revived. However, the choice of Rome is frustrated by (Revelation 13.3,14b), which requires that the "head" in question first receive a deadly wound by the sword, i.e. war. Historian Francis A. Schaeffer made the following comment about this matter.

No, clearly the only one of the above world powers that received a mortal wound, later to revive, was Germany. Its death wound was delivered in 1945, when its material culture was first razed by saturation aerial bombing, then its armies and people devastated by a land invasion ending with destruction of its capital city, Berlin, and finally dissected into Eastern and Western fragments by decree of the victorious Allied powers. That division was considered to be permanent by the post World War II nations, and Germany's fate appeared to be sealed by the warlike rise of the Soviet Union, whose bellicose attitude toward the Western allies appeared to seal East Germany's fate as part of a Soviet Bloc of Communist nations. Nonetheless, that division was summarily ended in the fall of 1989, when Communism in Eastern Europe collapsed, the Berlin wall was dismantled, Germany was revived, and again "lived" as one nation.

WHY IS THE BEAST WITH SEVEN HEADS ASSOCIATED WITH "MYSTERY BABYLON"?

Additional vital information is gleaned from the following description of the beast with seven heads.

Let's review the verses in the above Scripture in light of recorded history.

• Verse 7: The beast with the seven heads and 10 horns spoken of here, is in some way related to the woman, Mystery Babylon.
  
  Although Mystery Babylon is not the primary object of this present study, she is a "harlot" who influences all the peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues of the earth, and with whom the kings of the earth have committed "fornication". 
  
  The Bible prophetically depicts a people group in a right Covenantal relation with God as a righteous "woman", e.g. the Church in its relation to Christ (Ephesians 5.30-32), and Israel under God's Covenant as the woman clothed with the sun (Revelation 12.1-6). Conversely, those who profess false religions not in a Covenantal relation with God are pictured as harlots, e.g. (Exodus 34.15; Leviticus 17.7; Deuteronomy 31.16; Judges 2.16-17; I Chronicles 5.25; Jeremiah 3.6; Ezekiel 23.30; Hosea 9.1; Micah 1.6-7; ---). Thus, Mystery Babylon must include the religions of the world who pursue false gods of one form or another. Accordingly, the association of the beast with seven heads with Mystery Babylon conveys the idea of a world principality that accommodates the worship of false gods, thereby not paying allegiance to the true God.
  
  

• Verses 8-10: It is now apparent that this beast  with seven heads has a very long history, spanning a vast period of time from the Egyptian Empire until the 20th century German State. Consequently these verses could be understood in the following sense.
  
  

  • The five kingdoms of the beast that had already fallen before John was given this first century vision would be the (1) Egyptian, (2) Assyrian, (3) Babylonian, (4) Medo-Persian, and (5) Grecian "heads".

  • The kingdom of the beast that "is" at the time of John would be the (6) Roman "head".

  • The other kingdom yet to come would be the (7) German State "head", albeit that kingdom would last only a few years.

  Indeed, none of the kingdom (heads) just mentioned worshipped or paid any allegiance whatsoever to the true God. However, two powerful principalities did exist during the Times of the Gentiles, prior to the German State. The Roman Catholic Church emerged from the crumbling Roman empire to become the predominant world order of the civilized world during the 6th-15th centuries. This was followed by the Napoleonic empire in the 18th century, which admittedly had strong designs for mastery over other nations, but both it and Roman Catholicism did differ from the previous six listed above in an essential way. Both of these world powers did pay homage to the true God, by acknowledging allegiance to Him.  In fact, Napoleon made Christianity the official state religion of his empire and is reputed to have said, "If there had not been a Roman Catholic Church, I would have had to create one." Napoleon saw the value of the Church as another instrument toward the furtherance of his aspirations for world domination, and also practiced official religious toleration toward the Protestant churches.

  Consequently, it would be improper to associate either Roman Catholicism or the Napoleonic empire with the beast carrying Mystery Babylon, who represents non-Covenantal religions and ideologies. On this basis, "the beast that was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition", is a beast that existed before the Times of the Gentiles, did not exist during that period, but once again will exist after those Times are past.
  
  

• Verse 11: The End Times Beast from the pit follows the previous seven beasts, and is here placed in the same general category with those previous seven, it being the eighth "head". As such, it must possess political/military/economic functions, a desire for dominance over other earthly powers or principalities, a hostility for Israel, but a unique overspreading authority that extends beyond any single nation, to include the entire worldly domain of Satan (Matthew 4.8-9). Since this final Beast would be the one that introduces Antichrist, his domain would also be religious.
  

 

WHAT MODERN-DAY ENTITY HAS CHARACTERISTICS THAT COULD BEST "IMAGE" THE BEAST WITH SEVEN HEADS?

That initial formidable task of identifying the beast with seven heads has progressively become more doable as the preceding questions have reduced the number of possibilities. Here we seek a modern-day entity that not only represents the character of the previous "heads" of the beast with seven heads, but also has risen to prominence in these End Times: 

What modern-day entity,

• Emerged from the "sea", i.e. the nations of the world?

• Came into existence after the conclusion of the German State, and World War II? (Revelation 17.10)

• Receives worldwide allegiance, albeit at times reserved, from the nations? (Daniel 2.40-44)

• Has a world-wide political/military/economic scope of authority?

• Has designs for world supremacy?

• Has an innate hostility for Israel?

• Does not worship or pay any allegiance whatsoever to the true God?

What modern-day entity fits this description, and better represents the world system than the United Nations? In the absence of a viable alternative, we will now identify the United Nations as the probable "Image" of that final Beast from the pit. 

With this supposition, let's look briefly at the organizational makeup of the United Nations. The six principal organs of the United Nations are displayed in the following chart.

These principal organs each contain committees, commissions, and specialized agencies with chartered programs to carry out the responsibilities assigned to each of them, but for this review only two will be highlighted. 

• The "General Assembly" is the organ that enables all of the duly authorized nation states in the world to represent their constituencies. It was composed of 191 member states as of April, 2003. 
  
  

• The "Security Council" is the organ that receives the greatest visibility on the world scene, and is also the most powerful organ among the principals. It is always composed of just 15 member states.

  • Five are permanent members, i.e.

    • United States

    • Russia

    • Britain

    • France

    • China

  • The remaining ten are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly, from five different regions of the world.

Each Council member has one vote. Decisions on all matters require at least nine votes, but those involving substantive matters also require the concurring votes of all five permanent members. This is the rule of "great Power unanimity", often referred to as the "veto" power. Under the Charter, all members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of the United Nations may make recommendations to governments, the Security Council alone has the power to make decisions, which all Member States are then obligated to carry out under the Charter.

There is a thought-provoking correspondence between the make up of the Security Council and the End Time Beast. Whereas the "Dragon/Satan" is depicted in (Revelation 12.3) with "10" horns, prophetically conveying the idea of world government over the centuries, the "10" horns of the End Time Beast have notable additions. Each of the "10" horns of that final principality has a "crown", thereby signifying specific kings/kingdoms during some short time frame, as indicated below:

Aside from the fact that the United Nations is organized into "6" principal organs, i.e. the number of man or Satan, is it not significant that a United Nations Security Council manifestation of the Beast from the pit would already have its Member States defined, to position "10" specific "horns" center stage at the advent of the Lord's Kingdom?

If the world had not already progressed to the advent of Trumpet 7 and the coming of the Lord's Kingdom, there would really be no convincing rationale for arguing that the United Nations must be linked with the eighth "head" of the principality in view in (Revelation 13.1-10). However, any Beast that could respond in the present time frame would have to be already in existence, ready to act, and the United Nations appears to be the only operational entity that could fulfill the remaining provisions of the prophecy.

WHAT MODERN-DAY PRINCIPALITY FITS THE BEAST FROM THE EARTH?

A positive identification of that second two-horned beast of (Revelation 13.11-18) would likewise have little hope of credibility, were it not for the fact that verses 14-15 pointedly say that it coexists with the final Beast, telling people to make an "Image" to it, give it life, and cause it to speak. Consequently, if the United Nations becomes the "Image" of the Beast from the pit at the advent of the Lord's Kingdom, and it is most certainly able to "speak", then the beast from the earth, pictured as a non-threatening "lamb", must likewise exist at the same time. Certainly, there is presently only one nation on earth whose authority contends with the United Nations, and whose history records bringing "fire down from heaven on the earth", as it unleashed the most fearsome weapon ever devised by mankind. Furthermore, it is evident, from even a cursory knowledge of the history of the United Nations, that an undeniable historic link exists between it and the United States, which most certainly spawned the United Nations and compelled the nations of the world to give it "life".

It was the United States under the leadership of President Roosevelt who acted as the prime mover during the early days of the conception of the United Nations, for it was first planned at Dumbarten Oaks in October, 1944, with issues finally ironed out in San Francisco in April, 1945. After the charter was officially signed on June 26, 1945, the United States provided land on the East side of Manhattan for its permanent headquarters. Indeed, the United States has not always agreed with positions taken by the United Nations, particularly in recent years, but it has remained the chief promoter and protector of that organization from its inception. 

This writer is personally saddened by what appears to be an inescapable conclusion that the United States must be that two-horned beast that rises from the earth, because he considers this nation to have begun with such high and noble goals. Its founding principles of freedom and equality for its people under God were steadfastly maintained for almost two centuries, as they became the basic reasons why so many people immigrated to this nation, seeking relief from totalitarian regimes in many other places in the world. Unfortunately, during the final End Times of the 20th/21st centuries, the United States has lost its moral footing, even to the extent of abandoning its underpinnings "in God we trust". Laws that sanction the killing of unborn children are now firmly in place, and the concept of homosexual marriages, which would have been ludicrous in former times, are in the process of being enacted into law. Can such Godless actions not only serve to guarantee that this nation, once founded on righteous principles, will find itself among those subject to the Lord's Judgement at the coming of His Kingdom?

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE "BEAST" FROM THE PIT?

The Antichrist introduced by the Beast from the pit will promote a false plan for world peace, because world tranquility can never be achieved without changing men's hearts, and that must begin with an attitude of true repentance. Therefore, Satan and his fallacious plan, fostered through the Antichrist and organizations composed of unsaved men, must be removed from the world scene, before God's Plan can be realized. (Revelation 19.17-21) indicates that this conflict will continue until the time of the Lord's Apocalypse when the Antichrist will be destroyed, and the Beast will be cast eternally into the Lake of Fire, shortly before Satan himself is chained, at the advent of the Millennial reign of the Lord. Incidentally, it is observed in those verses that the Beast is summarily cast into Hell without any prior Judgement. This accords with the finding in this study that the Beast is not a person, because (Hebrews 9.27; Revelation 20.11-15) prescribe that human beings must first be judged, prior to their consignment to the Lake of Fire.

This section dealing with the Two Witnesses raises two principal questions that still need to be addressed.

1. Why is it necessary for the Body of Christ to be "killed" before they are gathered up to Heaven?
   
   The coming of the Lord's Kingdom at the blowing of Trumpet 7 will introduce a new economy in God's Redemptive Plan. The "death" of the Body of Christ signifies the "death" of the Church as described by Paul in the Church Letters. Those Letters taught that Church Age salvation came by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, whereupon that believer received the birth-from-above (John 1.11-13). That new spiritual birth did not miraculously change the condition of the flesh, i.e. body and soul, but placed believers in a spiritual relationship with Christ, thereby providing a guarantee of an eternal  Heavenly inheritance. This form of salvation will be discontinued, because future believers in the new economy will receive an earthly inheritance, not a Heavenly one.
   
   

2. Why must there be an End Times Satanic Beast?
   
   Since the creation of Adam and Eve, mankind has moved through several economies or dispensations of God's Redemptive Plan, however they have all involved some men who were willfully obedient to God, while others were willfully disobedient to Him, both living on earth at the same time. However, the coming of the Lord's Kingdom would require a fundamental change from those previous economies. When that Kingdom is realized, willful disobedience against the Lord could no longer be tolerated, for such rebellion would make His righteous rule in a peaceful Millennial Kingdom impossible. Therefore, prior to that Kingdom, a means would have to be enabled to determine those who were willing to submit to the Lord's rule versus those who were not. The Satanic Beast would appear to be the means whereby this selection process could occur.
   
   Since the Millennial Kingdom will employ Israel as its centerpiece, it would be essential to determine which Jews would be willing to renounce earthly status for subservience to the Lord. Accordingly, it is logical that the Beast would be permitted to make his entreaty to Israel, tempting them to choose Satan's form of "redemption". Of course, it is also clear why God's response would come very quickly, thereby showing the remnant of Israel that Satan's "salvation" is a lie.
   
   The Gentile people of the world today have a plethora of beliefs, desires, and religions. A few have willingly submitted to the Lord, but most remain undecided, and an increasing number are living at the extreme, in total rebellion against God and His Christ. The coming of the Beast would force all of these people to make a decision, since his message, like that of the Lord's, would also be apocalyptic of the End Times. Until the arrival of the Kingdom, there has been no specific time limit when such a vital decision had to be made regarding subservience to either God or the world, i.e. Satan. The Beast would demand that choice, because he would present a "salvation" predicated on the world system under the control of Satan, and would threaten severe punishments for failure to accept that immediate future (Revelation 13.15-17). Thus, a time-limited choice would be imposed on all mankind who had not already received the Lord's way. This decision would require acceptance of a world government in conformance to Satan's kingdom.