John’s beast from the sea is a sign.
The beast from the sea. The Apostle John saw something bizarre and recorded it in the Book of Revelation in chapter thirteen. Actually, that’s a bit of an understatement. He saw many bizarre and frightening things. But in this post, I’ll shine a brief light on just one, the beast from the sea. The Book of Revelation is a fascinating and challenging collection of visions, signs, and prophecies. And every one of them points directly to the end of this current age.
The Romans destroyed the Jerusalem temple in AD 70. John wrote Revelation in approximately AD 90. During John’s life, the fifth and sixth days of God’s end-time calendar had begun. But when John wrote his last book, no one understood it. Even he would have had trouble explaining what he saw. As time passed, the dust of confusion continued to collect upon that last book. But it’s near the time in which we need to wipe the thick layer of dust off the book and uncover the hidden secrets. To use a familiar phrase, the secrets were “hidden in plain sight.” The prophet Daniel was told that the secrets of his own prophecies would remain hidden until the time of the end. And the same is true of John’s words. The visions of both men are identical in many ways.
In fact, to understand the Book of Revelation, you must have a firm grasp of the Book of Daniel. John’s visions mimic the earlier signs given to Daniel. The beast from the sea is a perfect example of that truth.
Look at this verse in Daniel. At the end of Daniel’s book, the angel tells the prophet that no one will fully understand what he will write. At least not until the end of the age.
Daniel 12: 9-10
9He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. 10“Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.
So, what did John see? Well, it was a continuation of some signs and wonders he saw and began to record in chapter twelve. The beast was a conglomeration of ten horns with seven heads. The horns and heads represent leaders of future countries as well as historical nation-states of the past.
Side note: I won’t get too deep into explaining all of this now. As time permits, I will begin a running commentary on the Book of Revelation in the future.
The revelation 12 sign and the red dragon.
Revelation 12: The Red Dragon, Satan
3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
In the future, (so far, only the Lord knows when that is) John’s Beast from the sea will rise and lead the final kingdom of mankind against Israel and the Kingdom of Christ. This end-of-days scenario is one of the most anticipated events in Bible prophecy. But too many people aren’t aware that it’s happening right now. In plain sight.
Today, as I write this post, the beast of the sea has begun to rise. As the world’s attention is on Iran and the United States, The beast of the sea is on the move. The Apostle John saw a kingdom with ten horns rise up to dominate the world. Daniel saw the same vision. One of the ten horns will recover from a mortal head wound. That recovery will astound the world. They will wonder how it could rise to power since it had long been dead.
The Beast from the Sea: Turkey, Syria, or Iraq?
The Ottoman Empire–History
The Ottoman Empire was one of the mightiest and longest-lasting dynasties in world history. This Islamic-run superpower ruled large areas of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa for more than 600 years. The chief leader, known as the Sultan, had absolute religious and political authority over his people. While Western Europeans generally viewed them as a threat, many historians regard the Ottoman Empire as a source of great regional stability and security, as well as important achievements in the arts, science, religion, and culture.
When Did the Ottoman Empire Fall?
At the start of World War I, the Ottoman Empire was already in decline. The Ottoman Turks entered the war in 1914 on the side of the Central Powers (including Germany and Austria-Hungary) and were defeated in 1918.
Under a treaty agreement, most Ottoman territories were divided between Britain, France, Greece, and Russia.
The Ottoman Empire officially ended in 1922 when the title of the Ottoman Sultan was eliminated. Turkey was declared a republic in 1923.
The two previous paragraphs were taken from an article that helps to give a historical context to the prophetic visions. You can read the entire article at this link.
The video found below gives more compelling evidence for why we should focus our attention on the nation of Turkey. The Ottoman Empire officially ended in the year 1922. Will the Ottoman Empire rise again? Yes, I believe it will. Is it happening at this very moment? Again, I believe the answer is a resounding — YES!
What about you?
Do you still hold to the failed notion that this beast will rise out of Europe? The Bible never points to Europe, but it does point to the region of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.
The Beast from the Sea
Revelation 13:1-10
1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
The healing of the mortal head wound
3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.
4 They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”
5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.
The Beast from the Sea will blaspheme the God of Israel.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
Not everyone will worship the beast
But It will seem like the entire world has gone mad. The beast’s power will appear unstoppable. So, everyone will choose who they will follow. But, some will resist the beast. Some will refuse the mark of the beast. The persecution will stretch worldwide. It will seem futile to resist. But still, many will do so.
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.
And so we wait for the beast to rise.
If you look in the right places, you might be able to see it now.
White Stone Watcher
Hello readers,
I’ve served as children and youth pastor for over three decades. It was a great honor and pleasure to serve the Lord in that way. It’s been my prayer, that many of them will learn of Jesus’ love and decide to commit their lives to follow Him.
I wrote the fiction story, ‘White Stone Watcher’ for them and their parents. In the story, we see a young man, and his best friend, Amanda. They face the normal challenges that today’s kids face at school. But with one huge difference.
Their challenge is twelve feet tall to be exact with an enormous set of six wings. Just like the prophet Isaiah saw in the throne room of God. He’s a Watcher, an angelic being who is still invisible to Amanda. The messenger from God is about to lead both of them on a spiritual journey. They find they can’t escape the unseen war that rages all around them. They will become key players that God will use in the battle between the Sons of Darkness and the Children of Light.
I invite you to pray about a youth that might enjoy and benefit from this story. As the world grows darker, our youth must become aware that the Lord is calling them to join the Children of Light in the fight for what is righteous. We’re all involved, whether we realize it or not. If they won’t go to church, maybe they’ll read a book about someone just like them facing challenges at school.
God is calling them.
Praying for the youth, and spiritual awakening.
Pastor Doug
Let me know what you think.