THE BOOK OF REVELATION
CHAPTER 13
1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads.
The "beast" is the United Nations. It is a "beast" because it is secular, lacking the spirit. It was set up by Franklin Delano Roosevelt who died before he could spiritualize it with the Revelation of Baha'u'llah. Roosevelt was secretly a Baha'i. This was because it was politically unwise to let it be known that he was a Baha'i.
The "sea" is the sea of God's Revelations, beginning with Adam's Revelation, and including Baha'u'llah's Revelation.
The "ten horns" are the Oil Producing Exporting Countries (OPEC) which were formerly part of the dragon, most recently ruled by the Ottomans and known as the Ottoman or Turkish Empire. The countries in the Ottoman Empire gained their independence when the dragon was conquered by the beast in 1921. One by one, these countries then joined the beast or the United Nations. These countries are Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Saudi Arabia.
A "diadem" is a crown, so the "ten diadems" refer to the kings or rulers of these ten OPEC countries.
The "seven heads" represent the seven alive, revealed, apostate religions which exist in the world today. They are the Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian, Muslim and Baha'i religions.
Each of these religions carry a "blasphemous name," meaning each religion became corrupt through the interpretations of the clergies and governments of the nations which came into existence from these various religions. The Baha'i faith became corrupt through the interpretations of the Arch Covenant-breakers, Ruhiyyih Khanum and the Covenant-breaking Hands.
2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.
The description of the "beast" is symbolic. The "leopard" represents the Holy Roman Empire. The word "leopard" is a contraction of two words: the French word "pard," meaning panther; and the Greek word "leo," which means lion. Leo, the lion, was
317
originally the symbol of the Saxon people, and pard, the panther, was the symbol of the Franks. When the Saxons and Franks were amalgamated to become part of the Holy Roman Empire, their unification formed the body of the beast and their symbol became the leopard.
In the 11th century the Russian Orthodox Church broke away from the Holy Roman Empire. They have the "bear" as their symbol. Therefore, the "feet like a bear's" represent Russia after it became atheistic in the Soviet Union.
In the 16th century England, led by Henry VIII, also broke away from the Holy Roman Empire. England had once been ruled by the Saxons, so the symbol of England became the "lion", and the mouth "like a lion's" represents England.
Later this same "beast" will be described as having the wings of an eagle. The eagle represents the United States. Daniel, in chapter 7 verse 4, sees this eagle being plucked off the lion. This represents the United States' Declaration of Independence which took place on July 4, 1776, making this country independent of England.
The "dragon" again refers to the Bani Umayyed or Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, which in 1921 was conquered by the beast.
The "power" of the dragon is the oil. When these countries joined the United Nations they gave the beast "his power and his throne and great authority."
3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder.
The head with a "mortal wound" represents the Zoroastrian religion of Persia, which was once the largest empire in the world. In the seventh century the Muslims went into Persia and conquered the Zoroastrian people, almost completely obliterating that religion. A small fragment of believers did remain and that religion continues to exist, but these followers were never able to rebuild their dynasty.
4 Men worshipped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?"
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months;
The Islamic Faith, which had been taken over by the dragon, had almost conquered the entire Roman Empire and a lot of Christians were converting of their own free will from the Christian Faith to Islam. Part of this conversion was due to the fact that the Aramaic version of the Bible prophesied Muhammad by name. Also, a great deal of the conversion took place due to the people's realization that the Christians had become idolaters. In the churches and homes of the Christians were found icons, or statues and pictures derived through their imaginations of what Mary looked like with
318
the divine child in her arms. The Catholics prayed to Mary with the divine child in her arms, and the Christians said their prayers before statues and pictures of their imagination of the likeness of Jesus. This was pure idolatry, and idolatry is forbidden in the second commandment.
Leo III, who was the Emperor of Rome at that time, was very disturbed about this mass conversion to Islam that was taking place. He called a synod, or meeting, between a large number of senators and bishops from around Europe. The decision was made that idolatry had to go. Leo III then issued a decree that all the idols in the churches should be destroyed. He sent out an army called the iconoclasts to destroy all idols: statues and pictures, including murals, in the churches as well as in the cathedrals. They were successful in destroying all the idols in the Christian churches from Constantinople to Rome. However, when Leo the III's army reached the City of Rome they were opposed by a large army of Italians who had been raised up by Gregory II to drive these men back to Constantinople and therefore save the statues (idols) in the Roman Catholic Church and in Northern Italy. This same Gregory II later became known as the Pope Gregory II.
When the emporer, Leo III, issued his decree that all idols in the Christian churches should be destroyed, Pope Gregory II wrote a letter of rebellion to Leo III, separating the Province of Italy and the City of Rome from the Roman Empire. This act was prophesied in II Thessalonians 2:3, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." This man of sin is mythical Jesus, and statues or pictures of him were placed in the temple to be worshipped as God in the place of God.
After Gregory II sent this letter of rebellion to Leo III, a document known as the Donation of Constantine was sent to Stephens II at the Court of Pepin, in the year 754 AD. The document was said to have been written by Constantine the Great during the 4th Century. In truth it was a false document which had been forged in Rome by either a monk or by Christophorous, a papal notary who delivered the document to Stephens II. By this, another prophecy of Paul was fulfilled: "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (II Thessalonians 2:11).
The Constantine document proclaimed that "the Bishop of the Holy Roman Church should be higher and prince over all the Bishops in the whole world and that all things concerning worship of God and belief of Christianity to be undertaken or confirmed are determined by his judgment." In other words, the rights of Peter should be given to the Bishop of Rome.
One thousand years passed before the Catholic Church gave up the claim that the Donation of Constantine Document was valid. "Since the middle of the 19th century
319
the contents of the Constantine Grant have been considered fraudulent by the Catholic Party."
The beast had its beginning in 731 AD when Gregory II wrote his letter of dissidence to Leo III separating the City of Rome and the Province of Italy from the Byzantine empire and the Province of Italy and the City of Rome began their war of independence from the Roman Empire. In this war, the Papacy was aided by the Franks who were a Germanic tribe living in Gaul, which is now called France. These Franks were Trinitarians and had as their symbol the pard (panther). On December 25, 800 AD the Papacy crowned Charlemagne as King of the Franks, to be the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. By force, Charlemagne had conquered the Saxons, forcing them to become Trinitarians and to be a part of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Saxons were also a Germanic people, living in what is now Germany. They had the leo, the lion, as their symbol. When these two Germanic tribes were forced to become united under the Papacy they formed the body of the beast which now rules the world. Their symbol became the leopard.
From its beginning in 731 AD the beast is given power to "exercise authority for forty-two months." Using the time scale of the Holy Text, which is one day is as a year, these forty-two months are twelve hundred and sixty (1260) years. Thus the beast was given the same amount of time as the dragon had, to rule the world. By adding 1260 years to the year 731 AD, we see that the beast will come to its end in the year 1991 AD. This is the year that the establisher of the Baha'i faith, Dr. Leland Jensen, set up, on January 9, 1991, the second International Baha'i Council that will go through four stages to become the Universal House of Justice.
6 it opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
The "blasphemies against God" are the false teachings and lies invented by the clergy of this beast. Because of these lies the true religion of God has been made corrupt and is now apostate. The mass of mankind has been led astray by these lies which the beast invented.
7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation,
This started to take place at the time when the Holy Roman Empire was established.
The "saints" represent the one million Christians who were killed by order of the Papacy in the inquisition because they would not accept Trinitarianism and the lies which the Papacy had created.
320
8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
The "foundation of the world" is the second International Baha'i Council that was formed by the second coming of the Lamb on January 9, 1991 and will become the Universal House of Justice by the end of this century.
Those "who dwell on earth" are those who accept and follow the corrupt teachings of the beast; that is, those who don't accept the Lamb's explanations. They are deflected from this by following the theologies of the church, and the theologies of the Covenant-breaking Baha'is.
The foundation of the world also refers to God's purpose for mankind from the beginning. This purpose is explained in Genesis, chapter 1 verse 6: "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'"
"Our" refers to the Manifestations of God, i.e., Adam, Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah. These Manifestations were in the likeness of God because they were endowed with the Holy Spirit and reflected God, like a mirror reflects the sun. God's purpose for mankind is that man will also become created in His Image by turning to these Manifestations and acquiring the Divine qualities that They reflect.
Those people who "worship" the beast can never achieve that purpose which God has intended for them; therefore, their "name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain."
9 If any one has an ear, let him hear:
10 If any one is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if any one slays with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
All the nations of the world have established themselves with great force and the consequence is that they will fall by the sword. They are doomed to suffer their downfall in the same fashion in which they established themselves, and this includes America.
11 Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.
This "beast" represents what is left of the dragon when it came to an end in 1921.
The "two horns" symbolize the two main Islamic sects: the Shiite and the Sunni.
321
12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.
"The first beast" is the leopard beast described in verse two.
The Islamic nations will cause the thermonuclear war which is the first wind of destruction. This is now taking place with the UN's and the United States' devastating war on Iraq: their killing of innocent men, women, children and small babies in Iraq, where they were meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign democratic country, because Kuwait was once the nineteenth Province of Iraq. The United States (the big bully on the block) now is going to try and assassinate Saddam Hussein. The code name for this plot is "Jackhammer." Should they succeed in assassinating the president of this sovereign democratic country, Iraq will retaliate by bombing the UN building with a nuclear bomb. This would demolish the entire city of New York and the radiation would spread one hundred miles in all directions, killing millions. Madam Albright (who isn't too bright) said if Iraq should do this, the United States would utterly destroy Iraq with nuclear weapons. When any of the superpowers uses nuclear bombs in this fashion, we are into World War III.
13 It works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men;
The "fire [which] come[s] down from heaven" is the thermonuclear war which the Arab nations will trigger by their actions, in response to the big bully.
14 and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived;
15 and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
In order to get the Germanic people to accept the idols of the church, using sorcery, the priestcraft got the statues to come alive by having them bleed (goat's blood), making their eyes to move and even causing the idols to speak (with recording devices placed inside the statues). Thus, "it deceives those who dwell on earth."
The "image of the beast" is the crucifix. When the Holy Roman Empire was being established, Charlemagne carried the crucifix in one hand and a sword in the other. If the people did not accept the Trinitarian beliefs, which the crucifix represented, he had their heads chopped off. Thus, this image brought the beast into existence, with millions of people in northern Europe and among the Saxons (Germany) being put to death by Pepin's and Charlemagne's armies.
322
16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,
For the people of Islam it is customary to pray five times a day at specific times. When they pray they must touch their foreheads to the ground. In order to avoid breathing in the dust when they do this, they cover their mouths with their right hands. The result is a dust mark "on the right hand" and on "the forehead". This is the mark prophesied in this verse.
17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
In the corrupt Islamic faith, which had replaced the true religion of Muhammad, the rights of non-Muslims in the Islamic Empire were completely laid aside. These people were treated in the most cruel manner imaginable. For example, if a Christian should accidentally brush the coat of a Muslim as the two were walking down the street, the Christian would be put to death.
Because these people (non-Muslims) were not followers of this corrupt Islamic religion they did not abide by the law of prayer described in 16. Therefore, they did not bear the mark on their hand or forehead. Muslim merchants or traders would not do business with someone who did not have the mark. If he did so he would risk punishment, even possible death.
18 This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.
In most translations of this Holy Text the number of the beast is given as 666. However, as it states in footnote "G" of the Revised Standard Version to Revelation 13:18, "other ancient authorities read six hundred and sixteen (616)." Six hundred and sixteen is the correct "number of the beast." As explained before, this beast is the corrupt Islamic religion which began when Abu Sufian first opposed Muhammad. In 616 AD, Abu Sufian became Emir of Mecca. He was Muhammad's chief persecutor. His son Mu'awia brought the dragon into existence and laid aside the true Islamic faith. Therefore, the number of the beast is 616 AD, as that was the date it came into existance.
323