This is a series of videos based on May 2022 Watchtower, where there is an update on where the GB stands considering recent developments as regards the book of Revelation.
In paragraph 4 of May 2022 Watchtower we read:"Before we can learn who these enemies are, we need to understand what this symbolic language means. The key to understanding it is to allow the Bible to explain itself. Many of the symbols found in Revelation are already explained in other books of the Bible. For example, the prophet Daniel had a dream in which “four huge beasts came out of the sea.” (Dan. 7:1-3) Daniel records their significance. These huge beasts represent four “kings,” or governments. (Read Daniel 7:15-17.) That clear explanation helps us understand that the beasts described in Revelation must also refer to political powers."
No one can argue with this reasoning.
So they will now consider the beast of Revelation 13:1-3, let's see what the Bible says:
"And it stood still on the sand of the sea. And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten diadems, but on its heads blasphemous names.2Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like those of a bear, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.3I saw that one of its heads seemed to have been fatally ²wounded, but its mortal wound had been healed, and all the earth followed the wild beast with admiration.4And they worshipped the dragon because it gave the authority to the wild beast, and they worshipped the wild beast with the words: “Who is like the wild beast, and who can do battle with it?”
So how do they explain this beast? In paragraph 7 we read.
PARAGRAPH 7
"We notice that this beast has the general appearance of a leopard but the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion, and it has ten horns. All of these are also features of the four beasts mentioned in Daniel chapter 7. Yet, here in the book of Revelation, these characteristics are combined into one beast, not four separate beasts. This wild beast does not represent just one government or world empire. It is spoken of as ruling “over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.” So it must be greater than any single national government. (Rev. 13:7) This wild beast, then, must represent all the political powers that have dominated humankind down through history.—Eccl. 8:9"
This last sentence makes absolutely no sense If that 7 headed beast comes into existence during the time of the End it must consist of powers that exist during that time. But they have to say that this beast is all political powers that have existed throughout their history because they have a major flaw at the heart oftheir prophetic understanding.To understand this we need to go to Daniel 7 where we see these different animal parts that will merge into one animal in Revelation 13.
The 7th chapter of the book of Daniel describes the rise of 4 beastly kingdoms right before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.Begining from verse 2 Daniel declares:
“I was watching in my visions during the night, and look! the four winds of the heavens were stirring up the vast sea. 3 And four huge beasts came out of the sea, each different from the others. 4 “The first one was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were plucked out, and it was lifted up from the earth and was made to stand up on two feet like a man, and it was given the heart of a man. 5 “And look! another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Get up, eat much flesh.
6“After this I kept watching, and look! another beast, like a leopard, but on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. And the beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 7 “After this I kept watching in the visions of the night, and I saw a fourth beast, fearsome and terrifying and unusually strong, and it had large iron teeth. It was devouring and crushing, and what was left it trampled down with its feet. It was different from all the other beasts that were prior to it, and it had ten horns"
The Watchtower teaches that these 4 beasts correspond to the 4 empires of Daniel 2. It is the famous image the king Nabuchodonosor saw in a dream that is made out of 4 different metallic parts, the golden head symbolizes Babylon, and then Medopersia, Greece and the Roman empire. So they say these 4 metalic parts correspond to the 4 beasts of Daniel. This is not correct for 2 reasons.
First, the empires described in Daniel 2 came and went succeeding one another in time.For example the Medopersians took over the Babylonian Empire, capturing Babylon.That was the end of Babylon never to rise again in power, in fact what is left today is just destroyed abandoned buildings in the middle of the desert. In Daniel 7 the four beasts all appear at the same time at the End and coexist.
Secondly, the 4 empires in Daniel 2 Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece and Rome have long ceased to exist as empires.On the other hand the 4 empires of Daniel 7 will still be around even after the battle of Armageddon. We read in Daniel 7:11,12:"“I kept watching at that time because of the sound of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking; I watched until the beast was killed and its body was destroyed and it was given over to be burned in the fire. 12 But as for the REST OF THE BEASTS(=that is thr lion thr bear and the leopard), their rulerships were taken away, and their lives were prolonged for a time and a season."
For these 2 reasons it is important to understand that Daniel 7 describes the rise of 4 kingdoms at the time of the End that will be instrumental in giving rise to the beast of Revelation with the 7 heads and 10 horns. In fact if we go back and read Revelation 13:1,2 we read:"And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten diadems, but on its heads blasphemous names. 2 Now the wild beast that I saw was like a LEOPARD, but its feet were like those of a BEAR, and its mouth was like a LION’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority"
ARE WE SEEING THE RISE OF THE BEAR?
Now the Bible is using animals as a way to symbolize world empires, I will go on to that on another video. It is of great interest that many of the symbolic animals described in Daniel 7 correspond to the animal images we use today to describe current world powers. For example Britain has been portrayed as a lion for quite few centuries in literature, newspapers and sculptures.United States is portrayed as an eagle with wings.There is more to say about them but I won't go into it now.The one I want to concentrate is Russia.
The Russian Bear is a widespread symbol for Russia used in cartoons, articles and dramatic plays since as early as the 16th century, seen here is an American political cartoon from 1904. So it would be justified for the Bible reader to associate the bear used in the prophesy of Daniel with Russia today. Daniel 7:5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a BEAR. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’ If indeed Russia is the Biblical bear and the three ribs are territories where this beast seeks to devour it would make sense that the RAISING ON ONE OF ITS SIDES corresponds to Russia's expansion taking place on only one of it's part that neighbours with Europe. With the recent developments in Ukraine that would seem to fit the picture. Now the reason why Russia rises only on its one side has to do with developments taking place in Europe during the time of the End.Dont forget that the Roman Empire of Daniel 2 never went away.In fact the Bible says that the final manifestation of the Roman empire will be a confederation of 10 kingdoms rising out of the ashes of out current establishments in Europe.In Daniel 2:43-45 we read:"
And as the toes of the feet(= that is 10 toes ,or 10 kings) were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 Just as you saw iron mixed with soft clay, they will be mixed with the people; but they will not stick together, one to the other, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed."
Is that what we are seeing today? I can not be dogmatic,only time will tell.The Bible instruct us to be Watchmen and always re -evaluate what we see in the world scene with Bible prophesy.
Now you will find the article of this link below. Also if you're interested in Bible prophesy you will find one of my books currently on Amazon , it's called "5 Planetary Disasters of the End" I will add the link to that too.
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