Study No. 11
THE WORLD'S HISTORY
IN PROPHETIC SYMBOLS
Introduction
The purpose of this study is to show that the history of the world is contained in the sacred books of the Bible and particularly mapped out in the symbolical beasts seen in the visions of Daniel and John the Revelator.
Prayer Thought: PK 536
“The prophecies which the great I AM has given in His word, uniting link after link in the chain of events, from eternity in the past to eternity in the future, tell us where we are today in the procession of the ages and what may be expected in the time to come. All that prophecy has foretold as coming to pass, until the present time, has been traced on the pages of history, and we may be assured that all which is yet to come will be fulfilled in its order.” {PK 536.3}
1. Read Dan. 7:1, 2
What do the `four winds of the heavens' represent?
GC 440: winds represent strife and turmoil of nations.
What does the `great sea' represent?
Rev. 17:15: waters represent people and nations. The sea is the storehouse of all waters literally, so it must represent the birthplace of the nations, the Old Country.
2. Read Dan. 7:3
What do the `four beasts' represent?
Dan. 7:17: the beasts are four kings which shall arise. The four beasts represent four world empires that were to arise out of the Old Country.
3. Read Dan. 7:4.
Which kingdom does the Lion represent?
The lion is the king of beasts, or first in the order of animals. The lion corresponds with the head of Gold on Daniel's image. Thus, the lion represents Babylon.
What do the wings represent?
The wings of the lion are unnatural. The wings denote that Babylon was the second universal empire, (2nd from creation).
Do not the wings represent speed?
No. The Babylonian empire took over 1800 years to reach its height of glory. Certainly that cannot be speedy. If wings were to represent rapidity they should have been on the bear, for Cyrus and Darius conquered Babylon over night. The wings, therefore, must represent periods of time. The Adamic kingdom was the first universal kingdom, thus Babylon was the second, depicted by two wings.
The wings were plucked.
This phrase denotes that the Babylonian empire would pass away (see Dan. 5:26).
Man's heart was given to it.
The heart is the governor of the body. This makes the heart a fitting symbol of a king, the governor of a nation. Read Ps. 53:1 - "The fool hath saith in his heart " The "heart” is what the Bible defines as composing the human intellect. Thus, the symbol depicts that one king who would not acknowledge the Most High was removed (beast's heart) and one who did acknowledge Him was set up (man's heart).
4. Read Dan. 7:5
Which kingdom does the Bear represent?
Dan. 5:28: kingdom given to the Medes and Persians. The next universal kingdom after Babylon was Medo-Persia.
Why did it raise up itself on one side?
“The kingdom was composed of two nationalities, the Medes and the Persians. The same fact is represented by the two horns of the ram in Daniel 8. Of these horns it is said that the higher came up last, and of the bear that it raised itself up on one side. This was fulfilled by the Persian division of the kingdom, for although it came up last, it attained the higher eminence, becoming a dominant influence in the nation.” Daniel and the Revelation page 108.
What do the ribs represent?
The three ribs in the mouth (unnatural) denote the Medo Persian Empire to be the third from creation.
"Arise, devour much flesh".
This phrase denotes the opening of bloody, imperial wars during the Medo Persian Empire, the bloodiest of all time.
5. Read Dan. 7:6
Which kingdom does the Leopard represent?
Dan. 8:5-7, 20, 21: Grecia defeated Medo Persia and became the next universal empire.
What do the four wings represent?
The four wings denote the fourth kingdom from creation, as the two wings on the lion denote the second kingdom from creation.
What do the four heads represent?
The four heads represent the four generals who took over Alexander's kingdom after his death. Thus, the Leopard represents Grecia after the death of Alexander. Dan. 8:8, 22.
6. Read Dan. 7:7, 8
Which kingdom does the non-descript beast represent?
The kingdom that conquered Grecia was Rome.
What do the ten horns represent?
Dan. 7:24: The ten horns are ten kings that were to arise out of the Roman Empire.
Why non-descript?
The Roman system of government was a mixture of Pagan, Christian and Jewish laws. Thus, no one could describe what it actually was.
Who is the "little horn?"
This symbol points unquestionably to the rise of the Papacy (Dan. 7:25) which brought up the second phase of the non-descript beast. The first phase was Pagan Rome, the second phase was Ecclesiastical Rome.
What do the three plucked up horns (Dan. 7: 20, 24) represent?
Three kings: Heruli, the Vandals and the Ostrogoths – Daniel and the Revelation page 123
The Leopard-Like Beast
7. Read Rev. 13: 1-4
Where did the beast come from and what is its composition?
It came from the Sea (the Old Country) like the four beasts of Dan. 7: 1-8 and is composed of them in its head, feet, body and horns, showing it to be a descendant of these ancient empires, characterizing our world today.
What do the seven heads represent?
In Dan. 7: 8 the horn-head combination depicted the papacy, a religious body clothed with civil power, therefore the wounded head of Rev. 13: 3, depicts the papacy deprived of civil authority due to the Reformation. The six uninjured heads represent religious bodies also. They are the Protestant Denominations that wounded the papacy. These seven heads symbolize our multi-sectarian world, Christendom in its entirety.
Did not the pope’s imprisonment inflict the deadly wound?
Had it not been for the wounded state of the papacy due to the activities of the Protestant Reformation, the pope would not have been imprisoned: GC 155: Through Luther’s instrumentality Rome was already descending from her throne; GC 162: By the power of truth the papacy had sustained a defeat which would be felt among all nations and in all ages; GC 190: The word Luther preached overthrew popery; 1T 373: Luther dealt a most dreadful blow to the papacy.
What does the name of blasphemy depict?
Blaspheme means hypocrisy (Rev. 2: 9), to reject the messages of God and thus commit the unpardonable sin. By the decree of the Second Angel’s message (Rev. 14: 8) Protestantism fell, causing the deadly wound it inflicted on the papacy to heal and the world (inclusive of SDA) wondered after the beast or partake of the spirit of the beast (worldliness). These incidents brought the “blasphemy” over all seven heads, depicting Christianity under apostasy (Isa. 4: 1; GC 388).
Is that not calling the SDA church Babylon?
The SDA church being represented by one of the seven heads upon which “blasphemy” is written does not mean she can be called Babylon. Babylon is associated with the beast of Revelation 17, not with this beast.
What do the ten crowned horns represent?
In Dan. 8: 20, 21, horns represent civil powers. The ten crowned horns represent those crownless kings of Dan 7: 24 which took their crowns and reigned independent of the church after the disintegration of Pagan Rome and during the time of Ecclesiastical Rome when the papacy was wounded. Thus they represent the nations of today, civil governments in their entirety.
How do professed Christians worship the dragon?
Jer. 10: 1-5: Learn not the way of the heathen. They worship the dragon-inspired institution under the guise of Christianity. For example, Sunday, Christmas and Easter keeping.
8. Read Rev. 13: 5-10
What does its forty-two months of blasphemy reveal?
Its period of blasphemy is the same as that of Daniel’s fourth beast (Dan. 7: 8, 25) in its second phase, Ecclesiastical Rome. Therefore, before it received its deadly wound, it reigned contemporaneously or co-existed with the little horn-head. After the infliction of its wound, the horn and head were separated and the papacy was deprived of its civil power (horn) and relegated to a common religious power (head). Thus it depicts the world after the fall of Pagan Rome.
Daniel’s beast shows the rise of the papacy, John’s beast shows the fall of the papacy. The Leopard-like beast actually reveals:
(i)the fall of the Roman monarchy
(ii)the Reformation
(iii)the wounding of the Papacy
(iv)the rise of Protestantism
(v)the captivity of the Pope.
Thus it represents the world before the wounding of the papacy, during the wounding of the papacy and after the papacy’s wound was healed. GC 439 calls it the papacy while GC 442 says that it (and the dragon) represents the nations.
What does he meant by “he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity”?
This prediction was fulfilled in 1798 when the pope was made captive by the French army (GC 439). Inspiration declares that Rev. 13: 10, not Rev. 13: 3 was fulfilled.
The Two-Horned Lamb-like Beast
9. Read Rev. 13: 11
What is represented by "the earth?"
The "earth" being the opposite of the "sea" (the Old World) it must represent the New World, territory previously unoccupied (GC 440).
Who does the beast represent?
It represents the United States (GC 441, 442, 579).
What is represented by its two horns like a lamb?
Its two horns represent Republicanism and Protestantism (GC 441) or Republicans and Democrats. The lamblike horns indicate youth, innocence and gentleness (GC 441)
How will the nation speak as a dragon?
GC 442: The “speaking” of the nation is the action of its legislative and judicial authorities. It will exercise the spirit of intolerance and persecution similar to the Dark Ages. 5T 451: Legislators will yield to the demand for a Sunday law, thus it will change its constitution .
10. Read Rev. 13: 12
Who is “the first beast before him”?
The "first beast" here mentioned is the leopard-like beast before it was wounded, the papacy. The United States will implement the likeness of a church and state government that is as outdated as are the Middle Ages themselves.
11. Read Rev. 13: 13 - 15
Who is the character that does wonder in the sight of the beast?
In Rev. 19: 20: The false prophet is the one who wrought miracles in the sight of the beast. He must be a future charismatic religious leader who will work miracles through the power of Satan and deceive the world into accepting the mark of the beast. This reveals a national alliance of church (prophet) and state (beast). As his doctrines cannot be fully supported by the Scriptures, miracles are performed to secure the confidence of the masses. To complete the deception, Satan will appear as an angel of light, healing diseases and at the same time working as a destroyer (GC 589).
Is the false prophet the devil?
The false prophet is not the devil. In Rev. 16: 13, three unclean spirits came out of the mouths of the dragon (the devil), the beast and the false prophet, showing that they are separate persons. In Rev. 20: 10, the Devil, the beast and the false prophet are again seen as separate persons.
Is the false prophet the pope?
Neither the false prophet nor the beast can be the pope because they are destroyed at separate times. In Rev. 19: 20, 21, the beast and the false prophet are cast into a lake of fire, which is a type of the destruction of the wicked after the thousand years (Rev. 20: 9, 10), while the remnant, the rest of the wicked world after the destruction of the beast and the false prophet, are destroyed at the second coming of Christ. In 2Thes. 2: 8, the Lord destroys the pope with the spirit of His mouth and the brightness of His coming, showing that the pope is a part of the remnant that will be destroyed at Christ’s second advent with a sword that that proceeds out of His mouth (Rev. 19: 21).
What is “the image of the beast” that will be made by the US?
It is a likeness or copy of the Roman Ecclesiastical (church and state) system that was in existence during the Dark Ages. The US will re-establish this system when the leading churches unite and influence the state to enforce their dogmas (GC 443 -445).
12. Read Rev. 13: 16, 17
What is the mark of the beast?
The mark of anything is its identifying characteristic. The identifying characteristic of the Dark Ages papal system was the transfer of the day of worship from Sabbath to Sunday. Thus the mark of the beast is the enforcement of Sunday-keeping by law (GC 448, 449). “No one has yet received the mark of the beast. The testing time has not yet come.” (Ev. 234). When that time comes “the people of God will not receive it (GC 449).
What does the beast’s (US) decree concerning buying and selling reveal?
This beast is to control the world's market and economic system.
13. Read Rev. 13: 18
Who is the man with the number 666?
A Word to the Little Flock pp.8, 9 and 19 applies the number 666 to the two-horned beast, the United States. We must leave it there regardless of our ideas. The man with this number will be a political leader, standing at the head of the US, passing laws to persecute those who refuse to accept the mark of the beast.
Does not the Pope’s title equal "666", making the number applicable to him?
Yes, but since the numerical identification system is arbitrary, the number can be applied to many other names. The Bible places the number on the two-horned beast and we must leave it there.
The Woman and the Scarlet Colored Beast
14. Read Rev. 17: 1, 15
What is the meaning of the “many waters” that the woman is sitting upon?
In Rev. 17: 15, waters represent peoples and nations. This denotes that the "woman" ruled over many nations sometime before John the Revelator saw her.
15. Read Rev. 17: 2
What is meant by "made drunk with the wine of her fornication”?
Rev. 14: 6-8: “How is this done? By forcing men to accept a spurious Sabbath.” 8T 94.2
16. Read Rev. 17: 3
What does the `wilderness' represent?
The wilderness is the opposite of the vineyard, the house of the Lord (Isa. 5: 7). Thus it represents Gentile nations, showing that the Kingdom is in existence at this time.
Who is the woman?
The church is likened to a woman (Jer. 6: 2). Since this woman is vile, she represents an apostate church (GC 381), a corrupt counterfeit religious system.
Is not this woman the papacy?
No. The woman here mentioned produced the papacy. Rev. 18: 24 says the blood of all slain are found in her, showing that Abel was the first to fall victim to her wrath. Therefore, she symbolizes all false religions. Rev 19: 2, 3 tells of her destruction, at the time when the twenty-four elders and the four beasts worship God on His throne (Rev. 19: 4). This will be while probation is closing, before the out pouring of the seven last plagues, when no man will be able to enter the temple (Rev. 15: 1, 7, 8). The papacy, however, will be destroyed at Christ’s second coming (2Thess. 2: 2, 3; GC 356, 579).
What is symbolized by the Scarlet-colored beast?
The beast represents the world with civil (horns) and religious (heads) powers after the wound on the Leopard-like beast is healed. In the time when the two horned beast makes an image of the Leopard-like beast in its pre-wounded state. The names of blasphemy signify the multiplicity of blaspheming religions, and the color scarlet (full of sin), indicates that God’s people will be called out of it. The woman riding it denotes that the world of tomorrow will be controlled by a false religious system.
Is not the Scarlet-colored beast the papacy?
No. The papacy is depicted by the wounded head on the Leopard-like beast, while the Scarlet colored beast is an image of the entire beast after the healing of his wound.
17. Read Rev. 17: 4-6
What is "her golden cup?"
The "golden cup" represents her attractive presentations of false doctrines. Her costly garments of loud colors and precious ornaments vividly portray the magnificence of this most vile woman and her kingly pomp and vain glory.
18. Read Rev. 17: 7, 8
What is meant by “the beast that was, and is not, and yet is?"
This beast come on the stage when the deadly wound was healed in 1929. His career, however, is not fully developed until the woman sits on his back. Thus, the period, "was," extends from 1929 to the millennium. During the millennium he (the wicked world) "is not" (See Jer. 4:23-28, Isa. 24:1, 2). After the millennium he (the wicked world) ascends (is resurrected) out of the bottomless pit (the earth) where the Devil was chained (Rev. 20: 1, 2) and comes alive again, “yet is” for the second death. Thus he was: before the 1000 years; is not: during the 1000 years; and yet is: after the 1000 years.
19. Read Rev. 17: 9
What do mountains represent in prophecy?
Mountain represents church (Isa. 2: 2, 3; 56: 7; Mic. 4:1, 2). “The number 7 indicates completeness,” AA 585.3. Thus the seven "heads" being "mountains" or religious bodies, denote that, when the woman sits on them, she will unite all religions in one church or religious system (see GC 588; 5T 451). God’s church, being purified and separate, will not be a part of this system.
20. Read Rev. 17: 10
Who are the seven kings?
Beginning with the five that are fallen we have: the Antediluvian world, Babylon, Medo- Persia, Grecia and Rome. The one that is, would be our present world extending from the fall of Rome to the millennium. The other one that is not yet come, which, when he comes is to continue a short space, for 100 years (Isa. 65: 20) is the world after the millennium.
Are the "seven kings" synonymous with the "seven heads”?
No. Notice that the Bible says "and there are” not “and they are" showing that the heads are one thing, and the kings are another.
21. Read Rev. 17: 11
How is the beast that was, and is not, "the eighth”, and is of “the seven”?
We must count the number of prophetic beasts representing periods and nations. There are 4 in Daniel 7 (Lion, Bear, Leopard and non-descript), 2 in Revelation 13 (Leopard- like and Lamb-like) and 1 in Revelation 17 (Scarlet colored), which lives twice (before and after the millennium). Thus he, the Scarlet colored beast is the eight but is of the seven and “goeth into perdition”, the second death.
22. Read Rev. 17: 12 -14, 16, 17
What do the ten crown-less horns represent?
The number ten means universality. The ten horns are those kings who hate religion because they hate the woman, and make war with the Lamb. The only world-wide power that hates religion is Communism. They have no kingdom “as yet” i.e, while the woman drives the beast, but Jointly with the beast they will have power as kings for one hour (from the 11th to the 12th allegorical hour – Matt. 20: 6). The statement to “give their kingdom” (verse 17) implies that they have a kingdom to give. When this statement is put together with the one in verse 12, they say that the Communism could have a kingdom, could rule the world, but God puts it in their hearts to go along with the system. After the one hour they will receive their kingdom, i.e, destroy the church state system and take the kingdom to themselves.
23. Read Rev. 17: 18
How is the woman’s reign over the kings of the earth depicted?
This was depicted when she sat upon many waters, control many peoples and nations during the reign of the papal system. It will again be depicted when she sits on the seven heads, the seven mountains, controlling the churches. The final depiction will be when she sits on the beast, rules the world. This will be her last act.
Conclusion:
It is clear the world will next be ruled by an ecclesiastical head (Babylon the Great), not by Capitalism or Totalitarianism.