Revelation 13:11
Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.

The previous beast was "out of the sea". This beast is "out of the earth" because it has to do with man’s preoccupation with what he can achieve and discover for himself.

"He had two horns"

The "beast out of the earth" has "two horns" because it also incorporates "the beast out of the sea". (See "which is the name of the beast or the number of his name" — later in this chapter). Revelation is about to explain the two aspects of the beast in two gigantic progressions of history.

The reader will not fully understand this now, but "spoke’’ incorporates all the various means of communication developed in the world today: radio, telegraph, television, etc. It is linked to the years 1906 and 1926. In other words world communication will promote the "dragon", that is the ultimate division between God and man. This is understandable, for in the twentieth century the media spread the idea that the rule of man would incorporate religious freedom worldwide.

What complicates this section, is that Revelation indicates that the "beast" consists of two parts: "the beast out of the earth" and the "beast out of the sea". Revelation then goes on to explain how the one contributes to the development of the other. Only at the end will the reader fully distinguish between the two parts.

For the moment it is enough to know that the "beast out of the sea" has to do with:

• the division between the kings and the Church;
• the persecution of the Church;
• the destruction of the monarchy, and
• the establishment of the "rule of man".

You will recall that the time 800 was a point in history where there was great unison between Christian Church and State in Western Europe. Differences between one king and the Pope, however, led to wars. Later the kings of Europe would all resist Church intervention in the State. That which started as a "lamb" developed into a world division of Church and State and man was led to believe that he can determine his own destiny. These aspirations would ultimately cause a rift between God and man.

This indicates the entire beast out of the sea. After the nations had risen against the Church, the influence of the beast spread across the world. As mentioned this coincided with the fall of Christian monarchs of which Charles I was one of the first. In a following chapter the entire progression of kings that constitute the "beast from the sea" will be established.

"The beast of the earth" develops separately, but relates to the "beast out of the sea". Revelation reveals this relationship through the fourth beast seen by Daniel.

This may be a little confusing, but what you must remember here is that the fourth beast had ten horns. The "beast out of the sea" also has ten horns. Later we will discover that these ten horns are ten kings.

It is important that "another horn, a little one " came up and "three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of man and a mouth that spoke boastfully." This "little horn" represents the concept of "rule of man" that was instilled in the thinking of the populations of Europe by the time of the French Revolution in the nineteenth century. So powerful had the voice of the ordinary man become, that the last three most powerful monarchs in Europe in the nineteenth century would also fall after the First World War.

As mentioned earlier "eyes" indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit (see Rev 5:6: "seven horns with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth"). Therefore "the beast out of the earth" indicates a time when the nations were placing the interests of man ("eyes of man") above that of Christianity.

Note that the beast out of the sea had "seven heads" and "ten horns". The "ten horns" are ten kings "who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast" (Rev 17:12). In other words they were no longer absolute kings for the "representation of ordinary men" in the Parliaments of the nations of Europe were beginning to be almost as powerful as the king himself. Very powerful men were coming up out of the ranks of the ordinary citizens. Revelation expresses these as the "generals" and "mighty men" (Rev 6:15 and 19:18).

"three of the first horns"

Revelation pays particular attention to the "three horns" that were destroyed by the "little horn" (the "rule of man" that was rapidly gaining ground in Europe), because a Holy Alliance was formed by three of the monarchs of Europe.

We must search for the origins of this alliance in the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Emperor promised before God that he would be the defender of the Church. Like Charlemagne of the Franks, the Holy Roman Emperors were kings of the Order of Melchizedek. As such, they had a duty to defend the Holy Lands. According to the Messianic Psalms this duty is the "heavenly" requirement of a king. The king was to be the supreme ruler and had to promote the goodwill of Christianity in his kingdom. This was an ideal arrangement. Revelation 10, however, states that the "dragon" caused "division" within the Church as well as between the Church and the State.

As the history of Europe progressed both Christians within and outside the Church toppled this entire structure (because the "dragon" was actively at work). Man was seeking "liberty" but instead, ‘blinded’ by the subtle action of the "dragon", he was moving away from Christianity.

After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the czar of Russia, Alexander 1, set up a Holy Alliance. By this document the rulers of Russia, Prussia (Frederick William III) and Austria (Francis I) formed a Christian union of charity, peace and love. They declared themselves members of one and the same Christian nation, merely delegated by Providence to govern three bodies of one family: Austria, Russia and Prussia. According to the Holy Alliance it was the duty of the European kings to defend the Christian Church. All the monarchs in Europe except the Prince regent in England, and Pope Pius VII endorsed the Holy Alliance.

The Holy Alliance weakened in the mid-nineteenth century, when revolutions devastated many European countries. In 1870 Bismarck saw that it could be profitably resumed for political reasons. The Triple Alliance or League of the three Emperors came into being. However, from 1888, Russia seemed to favour a French Alliance, rather than one with Prussia and Austria. The Russian-French Alliance was disclosed in 1895. This marked the end of the Holy or Triple Alliance, by which Germany could hold the balance of power in Europe and maintain peace. In the Russian-French Alliance, Germany had a formidable enemy on either flank.

It was therefore to a significant degree the break up of the Holy Alliance in 1895 (when Russia agreed to support France against German aggression) that caused the creation of two power blocks in the 1890’s. Repeated attempts for negotiations between Germany and Britain in 1898, 1899 and 1901 failed to produce a working agreement or to promote an alliance between the two countries. Britain therefore moved away from Germany, and Russia became the obvious country to approach. Two power blocks were formed, with Germany and Austria on the one side and Britain, France and Russia on the other. From 1896 crises in many parts of the globe were contributing to a firmer alignment of the powers of Europe.

These two power blocks were involved in both the First and Second World Wars. By 1947, the democracies and the Communist states exercised the authority of liberated man. The nations of the world, both democratic and communistic, accepted that man could revolt against the state to secure representation of the people.

The "ten horns" we shall later learn, were ten kings of ten countries "destroyed" by either division between State and Church (they were replaced by non-Christian rule) representative government or Communism. In Revelation the "three horns" (Russia, Prussia and Germany) are mentioned to indicate the time of the build up of very powerful armies that would be involved in the First and Second World War ("it had large iron teeth").

It is significant that by the twentieth century the nations had, by installing government of the people, progressed to the point where Christian nations could destroy the Christian Church, as happened in Soviet Russia and under Nazi Germany.

The rights of man

The revolutions that took place in Europe from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century, against the despotism of the king, were often by personal hatred of the king, and he became the victim. In France it was a revolution generated in the contemplation of the rights of man. The root of the revolution lies in the ideas of philosophers such as Montesquieu, Rousseau and others. In his writings Montesquieu challenged the divine right of kings and believed that through representative government and a constitution, 'men' could put in place an authority based on the law to rule the nations. He admired the constitution of Britain. Rousseau in his Social Contract believed that government was essentially a contract between the rulers and the ruled.

The thoughts of these philosophers inspired the National Assembly of France to draw up a Declaration of the Rights of Man. This declaration included a clause that no man ought to be molested because of his religious opinions, provided he does not disturb the public order established by the law. The Declaration opens with the words "in the presence of the Supreme Being" (not the Trinity), for the rights of men must give all men the right to "freedom of religion". This was the revolution's way of hoping to end religious conflict among men, but it caused the Christian Church to loose its authority in government.

As the nations of Europe came into closer contact with the non-Christian nations of the world, the conversion of new nations to Christianity was often achieved by harsh measures. It was found that trade relations could be established with greater ease if religious differences were placed in the background.

Early in the eighteenth century the Freemasons for the first time introduced the concept of freedom of religion to Western Europe. This secret society accepted all religions, but they did not allow discussion of this subject at meetings. Religion was accepted as the belief in an undefined Supreme Being. In this way it seemed that one could create a brotherhood of MAN.

As mentioned freedom of religion was one of the demands of the Third Estate in revolutionary France. In the first half of the nineteenth century, secret societies of Europe promoting the rights of man also accepted the concept of freedom of religion — an ideology that would bring all of Europe into rebellion. Later this concept of freedom of religion was included in the constitution of the United States of America in conjunction with other freedoms.

In the twentieth century, nations merged into the United Nations that promoted the idea that it is acceptable to revolt to secure representative government. This would ultimately lead to the separation of Church and State in the entire Christian world.

From the middle of the twentieth century, Christianity had to conform to the world. The rider on the pale horse is death, for Christianity is no longer carried out to the nations by the authority of the State. This is the one horn of the "beast out of the earth" — the one related to "the beast out of the sea".

The "beast out of the earth" is just as powerful as the "beast out of the sea". This means that the "beast out of the earth" would have as much power to influence the nations to move away from Christianity as the rebellions of the masses and the kings of Europe that moved against the Church. (As mentioned, Revelation is going to indicate the total fall of the Christian kings). In other words the "beast out of the earth" is going to enhance the concept of the acceptability of all religions and bring about the time of the rider on the pale horse (death of the desire to spread Christianity).

Revelation is now going to introduce the second aspect (the second horn) of the "beast out of the earth". It is going to do this through linking events in history (that will convey the identity of the "beast out of the earth) to certain "years"

The reader will recall (refer to p ) that there are four measurements of time in Revelation: hour, day, month, and year. We know at this point in Revelation that the hour, day and month are 'heavenly' measurements and that "year" is "man's measurement" (Rev 13:18).

By linking the words of Revelation 13:13—-18 to certain happenings in history, Revelation is going to prove to the reader that "year" is "man's measurement". In these verses Revelation is going to use the time 1266—2004, to link certain historical happenings to certain "years" to make quite sure that the reader realizes that this is unquestionably the time 1266—2004.

 

In the last generation (1932—2004) only the years 1952, 1972,1992 (possibly 1998) in which important events occurred, are added to this 'base' of 11 years.

Revelation indicates the time of the last 144 years (1860—2004) by mentioning three events that coincide with the years 1860, 1932 and 2004.

As one has to be very accurate here, I shall give the text of both the New International Version and the King James Version.

This refers to the year 1866 when Alfred Noble discovered dynamite and 1932 when nuclear fission by was discovered ("power" in the following verse). In 1932 Sir John Cockcroft, an English physicist succeeded in bombarding the light element lithium with protons and splitting the atom. This discovery would lead to the development of the atomic bomb.

Disguised in this verse is also the year 1926. This was the year of the discovery of the liquid-fueled rocket that was launched at Auburn, Massachusetts. It was emerging as a scientific tool for exploring space. It was also the year that television, the moving image of light and shade, was demonstrated in London, "in full view of men".

This might possibly means that men believe they would one day live in outer space because of the power of nuclear fission and because it looks so real on television. This of course is not true. The liberty of man made him think that he could go on indefinitely.

Revelation 13:14b—15 (NIV)
He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword an yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

This image is the Statue of Liberty that was completed in 1886. It was built to commemorate the alliance of the United States and France during the American War of Independence. It is also a symbol of French gratitude to the people of America for support and sympathy especially during the Revolution and the wars of the late eighteenth century. It is symbolic of the 'rights' of man to freedom, equality and to put a government in place of his own choice that were developed in France and transported to the United States. Unfortunately, as Revelation will indicate, by placing Christianity on a par with all other religions, in time man's regard for the Christian faith as the sure way to salvation would be undermined.

In 1906 the radiotelephone was demonstrated in the United States. The triode "Audion" amplifying valve, that would largely improve telecommunication, was patented in New York ("so that he could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed").

If we add 66 years to the year 1906, we reach the year 1972. This year indicates the end of the war in Vietnam that was fought and soldiers were killed for the "rule of man". The Christian nations had through propagating ("speak") the "rule of man" world-wide given the beast the "power to rule"( Rev. 17:17). By using the word "refused", Revelation seems to be conveying that the Western Nations, by 1972, did not realize to what degree they were overlooking the survival of Christianity, in their quest to institute the "rule of man" world wide. If a minority of Christians who believed that Christian principles should be the guidelines of state rule, would ultimately suffocate under majority non-Christian rule or the pressures of equality of religions, this would have to be accepted. The "rule of man" in the twentieth century was and still is heralded as the solution to lasting world peace. Christianity has in the latter part of the twentieth century become a minority religion in many populous countries of the world, but also a persecuted religion in some.

Revelation 13:16—17 (NIV) He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

This verse indicates the year 1932, the year of the Great Depression, but it also indicates the year 1566 when the foundation stone of the London Stock Exchange was laid. The Great Depression was caused by the fall of the Stock Exchanges of the Western World. Revelation is revealing the beast in relation to trade among the nations. (This includes the acceptance of the concept of the Supreme Being as indicated above.)

If 66 years are added to 1932, we reach the year 1998. It should be noted that the year 1998 was a year of international economic turmoil because of the economic decline in Asia. This could be an indication of a future time when there will be a great difference between the very rich countries of the world and the very poor countries (small and great). At the beginning of 1999, we are living in a time when great mergers of very large companies are taking place. This is creating a greater division between "rich and poor".

72 years

It will later be seen that the words "free and slave, small and great" (Rev19:18) relate to the last 144 years (1860—2004). We know that in 1860 the American Civil War was fought for the freedom of the slaves in the Southern States of the United States of America. The words "rich and poor" relate to the time of the Great Depression (1932) and therefore in the light of what has been said above, "great and small" may well indicate the world economic situation in 2004.

The reason why Revelation measures two periods of 72 years here, is to indicate the link of the year 1932 to the time 1860—2004 and also to the "the number of man". Therefore everyone who placed his political, moral and economic "freedom" above the laws of Christianity in the time 1860—2004, will carry the mark of the beast. As mentioned in a previous chapter, "great and small " are also used later (Rev 20:12) at the time of judgment.

If 66 years are subtracted from 1932, it brings us to the year 1866, the year that Bismarck came to power. Bismarck used the Prussian constitution of Prussia in his struggle with the Roman Catholic Church that claimed the Pope was infallible when he spoke on matters of religious faith. Distinguished German Catholics, some employed by State Universities, objected; they were excommunicated and the Vatican called on the government to dismiss them. Bismarck responded by referring to the constitution, which guaranteed civil and political rights irrespective of religious belief. He then published a set of laws that forbid the Church to intervene in the affairs of State, and the clergy to discuss politics from the pulpit. The Church was also excluded from the State Education System.

The Church pleaded in vain that religious conscience and Christian reasoning dictate qualities that are indispensable to State rule. The words: "the mark on the forehead" refer to man’s assumption that the State can successfully rule if it ignores Christian values when deciding on matters like education, politics and defense.

"no one could buy or sell unless he has the mark"

These words mean that traders of this generation (1932—2004) would have to obey the 'laws' that govern world economics, although they might be in conflict with Christian values. This would possibly include the buying up of shares in the stock exchanges of countries, by large consortiums of wealthy nations, in order to 'control' the market even if it would lead to the detriment of poorer countries.

These words are also used in Revelation 6:15 and in Revelation 19:18. This is to indicate the time 2004, 1932 and 1860. Note that, in the sequence of these words, Revelation is moving back in time. It seems as if it was predestined that from 1932—2004, the nations of the Christian world would largely be ruled by the dictates of international trade and economics.

The mark on the forehead has to do with man’s thinking. This has to be related to the year 1766, when the Pope issued an order that expelled the Jesuits from Mexico. The monarchs of Europe were afraid that their influence was becoming too extensive. They had established a moral and intellectual leadership there. Their expulsion would lead to many Indian revolts that were brutally subdued. This indicates the mark on the forehead where the interests of the spreading of Christianity were placed second to those of authority and commerce.

The "mark on the right hand" also relates to the 1860's. It was in 1859 that Charles Darwin published his "Origin of the Species". Since that day, the doctrine of evolution has made its way throughout the Western World. Within the ranks of the Protestants a debate developed between the "fundamentalists" who held to the Biblical version of creation and the "modernists" who wished to interpret the Scriptures from a scientific point of view. Christians could reconcile the two by accepting that no one could determine how long a "day" was in the eyes of Almighty God. This is only possible if Christians accept the scriptures as the Absolute Truth.

Other Christians would follow the thinking of the "instrumentalists" and the "pragmatists". Pragmatism was a way of thinking about philosophy rather than a philosophy. It regarded truth as relative and not absolute. Truth was in the making. It did not remain with philosophy, but was applied to the world of law, economics, politics, science, social thought, art and morals. It carried with it a irreversible shift from the intuitive (the power of the mind by which it immediately perceives the truth of things without reasoning) to the experimental, from principle to practice, from form to function. The law had to serve society. The child when educated should not learn by heart but by doing — by hand. The danger of this was that man could discard all the absolute truths of Christianity in his pursuit of doing. Here Revelation has accentuated man’s ability to create "life" (Rev 13:15 — which we shall later see includes cloning) and missile warfare "causing fire to come down from earth".

Revelation indicates that the history of Christian nations is predestined and we are on a course of no return. It seems that the Second Coming is at hand. Possibly we should contemplate how far, for example, a government can pursue a space program, if it does not even have the funds to build a space station and men are dying of hunger on earth. He deceives himself, for he cannot escape from earth if some catastrophe, like a massive earthquake, should strike. When the prophecy of Revelation is about to become reality, there will be no escape. If ever, it will be decades before we succeed in establishing a self-supportive existence in space. Those who believe in the cloning of headless bodies to provide an organic bank should, in the light of this interpretation of Revelation, think again.

Consider the words: "so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast and the number of his name". The words of the second section are related to the words of the first section, which indicate the year 1566. Here Revelation indicates the second horn — it links the "beast out of the sea" with the "beast out of the earth". The name of the beast in 1566, is Philip II of Spain, for he is one of the seven heads of the beast that is going to be established in a following chapter. Revelation also indicates why he is the beast: In 1566, Philip II officially declared war on Christian subjects in the Netherlands, because of religious differences. This will only be fully understood in a later chapter when the entire "beast out of the sea" is revealed.

Revelation 13:18 (NIV)
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight let him calculate the number of the beast for it is man’s number. His number is 666.

(KJV)Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six and threescore and six.

Revelation says that this calls for wisdom, for it is left to the reader to establish the last four numbers of man. From what has been said above, we must now try to determine the origins of the two beasts. What we do know at least, is that it will be found in the years 1266, 1366, 1466 and 1666.

The following four numbers of man can be related to the following particular names or works (for it is the number of a man):

The year 1266 is related to philosophy ("wisdom") and to the name of Thomas Aquinas. In 1266, he began writing his Summa Theologica, which is a scientifically arranged study of theological teaching and Christian philosophy. He never finished it, for it seems that Almighty God wished to intervene. On December 6, 1273, he experienced such a spiritual revelation at Mass that he could write no more. The revelation made all his writings appear like nothing to him. What is of importance is that although divine intervention stopped Aquinas from writing, his work was taken notice of. In fact, what he wrote was the beginning of the philosophy of man — in 1266 innocent as "a lamb" — but a philosophy that would develop into a "dragon". He said that faith was not essential to all knowledge. This was all very well in theory, but the result was that later philosophers would base their philosophies even more on reason and knowledge to the point that faith would be totally excluded.

Of importance in Revelation is that this way of thinking would be taken over by the political philosophers. John Locke (1632—1704) was one who partially based his political theories on faith. His argument was based on a pre-supposition that he himself knew was impossible to substantiate: the existence of a divinely ordained moral law. Locke was confident that one could demonstrate the existence of God, but did not believe that one could prove the immortality of the soul or the system of reward and punishment in this life and after. How do you 'prove' the immortality of the soul to a non-believer? Theoretically, that would be required to turn moral principles into moral laws. Locke knew that man's reason alone could not turn him into the perfect citizen. Christian faith is a necessity.

Other philosophers discarded the Christian faith and based their political philosophies totally on the secular. A code of law was seen as sufficient to ensure that the elected government could maintain moral order.

The revolution of 1642—1649 in England, which culminated in the execution of the king and the declaration of a republic, saw the formation of the first secular political party defending the inalienable rights of man, the Levellers. It gave rise to the first communist movement, with the strategy of effective social action, named the Diggers. It led to the formation of the first materialistic theory of historical change in the writings of James Harrington. The arguments of the later American, French and Russian revolutionaries can be traced back to the debates of mid-seventeenth century England.

At this time the idea of the right to revolt that would provide justification for revolts in England against James II in 1688, and the American colonists against British rule in the eighteenth century, emerged. The idea was influential in France, and philosophers such as Montesquieu, Diderot and Voltaire further developed it. Jeanne Jacques Rousseau’s philosophy of liberty, equality, and fraternity justified the revolution in France at the end of the eighteenth century.

In this way, secular philosophy influenced political thought and action. In the nineteenth century philosophers turned away from the abstract speculations of their predecessors and revived the theory of the Greek philosopher Socrates, that the role of the philosopher was to teach men how to run their lives. Ultimately the secular philosophies of Karl Marx would bring about a non-Christian Communist State.

1466

This year indicates the year that Leonardo da Vinci started studying the concept of perspective. He was apprenticed to the painter Verrochio, and invented ways of getting perspective right. It is indicated by the word "insight" in Revelation. It seems as if Da Vinci had insight into those things that would one day be invented by man. The many aspects of Da Vinci’s genius earned him the title of "Universal Man". Not only was he an outstanding painter, he was fascinated by the possibility of human flight and prepared many designs for flying machines. He thought of helicopters and flapping wing machines, and even anticipated shockabsorbers for a soft landing. His detailed sketches of the human body were far ahead of his time. His mind was full of new devices and startling inventions. He sought to improve and mechanize industrial processes. He designed an early dredging machine, a tank for warfare, and other devises such as transportable bridges, giant catapults, rapid-firing crossbows and a one-man battleship. The message Revelation seems to be conveying is that in time man's creative genius would make him rely on and believe in what he himself could achieve or discover and gradually take his attention and reliance away from the supernatural.

 

1666

This year indicates the discovery of calculus by Sir Isaac Newton. Indicated by the word "calculate" or "count’’ in Revelation. Calculus is a branch of mathematics that deals with infinitely small distances, areas or times. Mathematicians found it difficult to measure the speed of a falling body ( for example: an apple falling from a tree) or the moving of a planet in the skies. Newton developed mathematical methods to handle such problems. As Revelation has to do with progression this would include all the discoveries made in trying to mathematically determine quantities that are constantly changing, the rate of chemical reactions, weather fluctuations and population growth.

In 1366 Petrarch (1304—1374) and Boccaccio (1313—1375) were writing prose, sonnets and odes. A sonnet could be called a "song" of love. These works were new in the sense that they were more human and secular. Petrach would write of his love’s "gentle face", "rosy fingers", "lovely feet" and "milk-white bosom". As Revelation has to do with progression, this "lamb" would develop into the promiscuous literature published today — films and pop-music included.

All the years that constitute the "number of man" can be linked to the "beast out of the sea", but this will be done when that aspect of the beast is determined in a following chapter.