DAILY TEXT, Today Saturday February 3, 2024,  He sent his angel and presented the revelation in signs (Rev. 1:1).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024

Saturday February 3, 2024

He sent his angel and presented the revelation in signs (Rev. 1:1).

In the book of Revelation, God's enemies are presented symbolically, as if they were wild beasts. For example, it speaks of “a wild beast that came up out of the sea” and “had 10 horns and 7 heads” (Rev. 13:1). This is followed by “another wild beast that came up from the earth.” He speaks like a dragon and “calls down fire from heaven” (Rev. 13:11-13). Then there is mention of “a wild beast of scarlet red color” on which a prostitute sits. These three wild beasts represent enemies who have long opposed Jehovah and his Kingdom. That is why it is important that we know who they are (Rev. 17:1, 3). We need to understand what these symbols represent. To do this, it is best to let the Bible explain it. Many of the symbols of Revelation are already mentioned in other books of the Bible. w22.05 8, 9 paras. 3. 4.

THE ENEMIES OF GOD ARE IDENTIFIED

What does the seven-headed wild beast mentioned in Revelation 13:1-4 represent?

What does the seven-headed wild beast represent? (Read Revelation 13:1-4). The Bible says that this beast looks like a leopard, but its feet are like a bear's and its mouth like a lion's, and it has 10 horns. The four beasts of Daniel chapter 7 also have these characteristics, but separately. However, Revelation speaks of a single beast that has all of these characteristics. So this wild beast does not represent a single world government or empire. Revelation says he has “authority over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation.” So his power is greater than that of any government in a country (Rev. 13:7). Therefore, this wild beast represents all the governments that have dominated humanity throughout history (Eccl. 8:9).b

What do the seven heads of the wild beast represent?

What do the seven heads represent? We find a clue in Revelation chapter 17, where an image of the beast mentioned in chapter 13 is described. Revelation 17:10 says, “There are 7 kings: 5 have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come.” ; but when he arrives he has to stay for a short time.” Of all the governments that Satan has used, there are seven that could be compared to “heads” because they have played a prominent role. They are world empires that have had a great impact on God's people. By the time of the apostle John, five of these empires had already ruled and fallen: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. The sixth, which was Rome, was in power when John received this revelation. What would be the seventh and last empire or head?

Who does the seventh head of the wild beast represent?

As we will see, the prophecies of the book of Daniel help us know the identity of the seventh and final head of the wild beast. What world power has been ruling in this end time, “in the day of the Lord”? (Rev. 1:10). The world power formed by the United Kingdom and the United States. So we can say that this is the seventh head of the wild beast of Revelation 13:1-4.

Who does the wild beast that has “two horns like a lamb” represent?

Next, chapter 13 of Revelation tells us how the power represented by the seventh head, that is, the United Kingdom and the United States, acts. He presents her as another beast and describes her like this: “she had two horns like a lamb, but she began to speak like a dragon.” This wild beast “performs great signs; He even brings down fire from heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind” (Rev. 13:11-15). And chapters 16 and 19 of Revelation call her “the false prophet” (Rev. 16:13; 19:20). Speaking of what the world power of the United Kingdom and the United States is doing, Daniel mentioned something similar, for he said: “It will cause great destruction” (Dan. 8:19, 23, 24, note). And that was just what happened during World War II. The two atomic bombs that led to the end of this conflict were the result of the joint work of British and American scientists. This is how the world power formed by the United Kingdom and the United States made “fire come down from heaven to earth.”

What does “the image of the wild beast” represent? (Revelation 13:14, 15; 17:3, 8, 11).

Now we see another beast. It looks very similar to the seven-headed wild beast, but this one is scarlet red. Revelation calls it “the image of the wild beast” and says that it is “an eighth king” (read Revelation 13:14, 15; 17:3, 8, 11).c This “king” is said to have appeared, to have then it disappeared and later reappeared. This fits very well with what happened with the United Nations, which promotes the interests of the world political system. In its beginnings it was called the League of Nations. It then ceased to exist during World War II. And over time it re-emerged as we know it today.

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