Gates of the City

Brothers and sisters, I apologize for the length of this post. If you wish to focus only on the timing, please skip ahead to the section titled “Time is Short.” Still, several urgent concerns compel me to write as I do. Foremost, is that many professing Christians I know are fearful, uninformed, lukewarm, and dangerously unprepared for the Lord’s soon return. This urgency becomes all the more serious when we remember that history is moving toward its appointed end.

Just as there was an ultimate beginning, there will soon be a grand consummation. Then God’s plan will be realized: His purposes secured, His redeemed perfected, and all made ready for everlasting life in a new heaven and a new earth. Everything and everyone deemed unfit will be purged and confined to an existence of regret, anguish, and torment—an eternal void without hope or reprieve. Scripture and history also reveal many lesser beginnings and endings in the recurring rise and fall of civilizations and nations, peace and war, and life and death. These patterns contain urgent truths humanity must learn before the coming wrath.

Ecclesiastics 12:13,14 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether evil.

Romans 2:4-6 – Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and your impenitent heart, you do treasure up wrath for yourself in a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to each according to his works. (see 1-16)

We see the first scriptural beginning in Genesis, concerning the present earth’s creation, or perhaps its environmental restoration, since it says, “the earth WAS [though] without form, and void, with darkness upon the face of the deep.” Not long afterward, everything created, born, or built was destroyed in the flood, except Noah, his family, the ark, and the animals within it, as recorded in chapters 6 through 8.

Noah and his sons marked another “beginning.” Yet only three generations after the flood, sin again gained a strong foothold when Nimrod built “Babel, Erich, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar.” The pattern repeated: God renewed the earth and commanded humanity to be fruitful—implying faith, righteousness, and holiness—and to replenish it. Instead, the people decided rather to build cities, to establish power, and make names for themselves. Thus Nimrod thus followed Cain’s sinful example; when after rejecting God’s warning about sin, killing Abel, and leaving the Lord’s presence, Cain also built a city and established a lineage and name for himself.

Genesis 4:16, 17 – And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bared Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, [the city of] Enoch.

Such is the nature of carnal man…

https://dspace.nplg.gov.ge/bitstream/1234/424937/3/National_Geographic_Magazine_1930_Vol-58_N5.pdf  – page 9/196

Responsibilities precede Rights

Genesis 2:15-17 – And the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.

Brothers and sisters, from the beginning God joined human privilege to human duty. He gave humanity the blessings of knowing Him, enjoying His creation, and being fruitful across the earth, but He first charged Adam to tend and keep the garden and to obey His command. Even after sin brought expulsion from Eden, God continued to provide the earth for humanity’s sustenance and enjoyment while requiring wise stewardship rather than abuse. Scripture therefore presents rights not as independent entitlements, but as blessings rightly enjoyed within faithful responsibility: when people submit to God’s will, love one another, and serve as He directs, they receive His provision of due rain and abundant harvest. The same principle of responsibility preceding rights continue into the coming reign of Christ on earth to come.

Revelation 22:14 – Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Yet, because of sin and rebellion, people seek to establish their own centers of power and dominance. They ignore God and define their own laws and boundaries, then use them to control and subjugate others. This is the nature of a carnally minded society that rejects God’s way of life in favor of its own will. The result is always death, war, and division. For this reason, history is marked by many endings – the end of a culture, a people, a lineage, a society, or nation.

We must not lose sight of what God intended for humanity: that we would become part of His family as godly children. Yet, in His wisdom, the law of the Spirit of life, the law of faith, and the nature of holiness also required the existence of the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:2 – For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

God desires all people to be free. He intended the earth to be their inheritance, where each person could own land and live free from oppression as a member of His family and Kingdom.

Psalm 24:1-2 – The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods. (See whole Psalm)

Isaiah 65:21-24 – And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat for as the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Yet because of sin, people hardened their hearts and became dull of hearing, and no longer responsive to what the Spirit was saying. For example, Israel worshiped the golden calf at Sinai despite witnessing God’s deliverance from Egypt. Therefore, God gave His Law in writing, first on tablets of stone and then more fully through the writings of Moses and the prophets so His will could be available and plainly known.

Galatian 3:19 – What purpose does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Romans 7:13 – Has then that which is good [the Law] become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

The truth is that both this world and our flesh have been corrupted and sentenced to death “because of sin.” Both therefore have a determined end, while all creation awaits a new heaven and a new earth in which only righteousness, holiness, and the love of God will dwell.

Recognizing that holiness must be perfected in the fear of God if one is to be made fit for the new heaven and earth, the Apostle Paul wrote soberly to the Corinthians: “If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha,” meaning, “Let him be cursed and forever removed; even so, come quickly, Lord” (Romans 8:10; 1^st Corinthians 16:22). Paul gives this solemn warning because genuine faith, the faith that saves and sanctifies, “works through love” (Galatians 5:6).

What, then, is the purpose of each person’s life between its beginning and end? It is to seek the Lord while He may be found and to draw near to Him while He still offers the grace and strength needed to enter the narrow gate and follow the difficult path that leads to life. Remember, we are urged to *strive—as if in *agony—to enter and to run the race with the determination of one seeking to win. Those who love the Lord Jesus Christ will receive an ever-expanding eternity, while the wicked will ultimately face a confined and unending end.

* (Same Greek word used for Jesus, Who “being in agony, sweated as it were great drops of blood” in His accepting the cup the Father gave Him to drink.)

Therefore, as stated at the beginning of this post, “there have been many new beginnings in particular times and places, each followed by an ending.” Biblical history records the world before the flood and its destruction, as well as the rise and fall of Babel, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media and Persia, Greece, and Rome. Even before Rome fell, Scripture also recounts how God’s people sought to become like the surrounding nations by demanding their own king, thereby rejecting God and suffering the consequences.

From its birth as a nation during the Exodus from Egypt, Israel failed to remain in the “old paths” of righteousness and justice. The people became corrupted by the idols and false gods of the surrounding nations, with whom they often intermarried. After barely surviving the period of the judges, they demanded a king. Although warned of the cost of human rule, they insisted. Having rejected God as their King, they received Saul, who likewise refused to obey or heed the word of the Lord.

Yet even during Saul’s reign, God raised up David, a humble shepherd, as a prophetic example of the only kind of man fit to rule others. Still, David’s own sins cost his people dearly in both their lives and resources. This helps explain why Jesus taught us not only how to pray in what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, but also to affirm, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power forever and ever.”

Against this historical backdrop, less than three decades after Jesus’s crucifixion—and after Israel and Judah had endured two captivities, lost their sovereign independence, and presently stood only a decade from their end as a geographically defined nation with physical boundaries and civil laws—the author of Hebrews reminds God’s people what it truly means to be a child of God and how God’s children ought to live in this world:

Hebrews 11:8-16 – By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude–innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Jeremiah 35 further shows that God intended His people to live as strangers and pilgrims in this fallen world. Before the Babylonian captivity brought the full devastation of Jerusalem and the temple, God commended the Rechabites for faithfully obeying their forefather Jonadab. He therefore promised, “Because you (Rechabites) have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you,” therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.” That means Jonadab the son of Rechab lineage shall not have an end – are you striving for the same blessing upon your own lineage? I strongly encourage you to prayerfully study this chapter and seek a clear understanding of its meaning for us today.

Sadly to many professing Christians are seeking their best life, here and now…

Time is Short

To address the central burden of this message, I will begin with a statement that I wholeheartedly believe to be true. However, because I am not presenting it as a “Thus says the Lord” declaration, I frame it conditionally with the word “If.”

“If President Trump is both the “Little Horn,” and the fulfillment of the second beast of Revelation 13 which has “two horns like a lamb” and “spoke as a dragon,” the time is much shorter than many are discerning.”

Therefore, I will present the scriptural basis for my conviction and fulfill my responsibility as a watchman by warning people of the sword that is sure to come upon the America. If people then fail to discern the approaching time and season and die in their sins, I know the Lord being just will not require their blood at my hand.

Ezekiel 33:2-7 – “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. But he which heard the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees [discerns] the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. So, son of man, have I have made a watchman for the house of Israel, [those who are called to prevail with God and men]; you shall therefore hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.

It is my conviction that scripture makes the assertion that “that day” will not overtake a Christians unawares; that is if their names are truly written in the Lambs book of life. Since we are expected to be “looking for and hastening the coming of the Lord, I am persuaded we ought to know the time and season of these things by what has been written.

Luke 19:41-44 – And when He came near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things which belong unto your peace! but now they are hid from your eyes.  For the days shall come upon you that your enemies shall cast a trench about and compass you round about, and shall keep you in on every side, and lay you even with the ground, and your children within you; and they shall not leave in you one stone upon another; because you knew not the time of your visitation.

1 Thessalonians 5:3-6 – For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober…

Revelation 17:8 – “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. All those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

(Note that underlined phrase, it is important and we’ll address it later.)

The Little Horn

Now to address my concern concerning President Trump as his being the realization of both first little “horn… coming up” out of the preceding ten horns mentioned in Daniel 7:8, and the ultimate fulfillment of the other “beast” with “two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon” of Revelation13:7, I intend to answer the questions outlined below the following two verses for context

Daniel 7:8 – As I was considering the [ten] horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

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

Questions for my presentation covered –

• What is the time of the ten little horns appearing, and where do they come from?
• Where does the little horn come from?
• When does he appear on the scene?
• Who is the second beast? Time of his appearing?
• Why are both synonymous with an endtime empire and its last leader?
• What do they have in common? Behaviour and fate
• What accomplishments do scripture attribute to the little horn and the second beast?
• What final duration is expressly spoken for the little horn?

What is the time of the ten little horns appearing, and where do they come from?

The ten horns first appear after the fall of Rome-

Daniel 7:2 – Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. ³ And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. ⁴ The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings [Babylon]: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. ⁵ And behold another beast, a second, like a bear [Medo-Persia], and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. ⁶ After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard [Greece], which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. ⁷ After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast [Rome], dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. ⁸ I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Notice that the vision portrays Rome as an iron power that breaks nations into pieces and, as Daniel says, “stamped the residue with the feet of it.” Rome did this to Israel: the nation lost its sovereignty and territorial boundaries, and the remaining Jews were scattered among the nations. In this sense, Israel that “was, was not… and yet is” today.

The beast representing Greece, the leopard, had four heads, while the fourth beast—described as “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly”—had ten horns. After Alexander the Great died, the Greek Empire was divided among four successors, represented by the leopard’s four heads. Likewise, after the Roman Empire fell, its territory was divided into smaller kingdoms which are commonly identified as those listed below. Some Protestant interpreters, however, have applied the ten horns to a succession of popes in their critiques of Roman Catholicism.

1. The Roman senate. 
2. The Greeks, in Ravenna. 
3. The Lombards in Lombardy.
4. The Huns in Hungary. 
5. The Alemans in Germany.
6. The Franks in France.
7. The Burgundians in Burgundy.
8. The Saracens in Africa and part of Spain. 
9. The Goths in other parts of Spain. 
10. The Saxons in Britain.

Thus, these ten kingdoms directly emerged as independent powers during the decline and aftermath of the Western Roman Empire, whose conventional end is dated to 476, when the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed. Although their precise identities of the ten do vary among interpreters, they are all generally understood within this historicist framework as peoples or political powers associated with territories formerly under Roman rule.

Where does the little horn come from?

Daniel 7:8 tells us three things about the little horn. First, it “came up among” the ten horns. Because those horns belonged to the fourth beast, the image suggests that the little horn arose later from within their shared political and geographic sphere, perhaps Europe and the Middle East. If Daniel’s “little horn” and Revelation 13’s “other beast” represent the same prophetic power, Revelation should therefore provide additional information about its identity and activity.

Second, we are told that “three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots.” Although this botanical image may suggest death or destruction to the three, that meaning does not apply here. In verses 11 and 12, “the beast” (the little horn) “was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” By contrast, “the rest of the beasts” (all ten horns) “had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.” This time element will be examined later.

The fact that the horns are now being reference as “beasts,” just like the previous four empires were, signifies the ten horns not only represent ten kings, but their empires as well. However, it must also be noted that the little horn is never referred to as a king or kingdom, which may be why the angel tells Daniel that “he shall be diverse from the first (ten horns), and he shall subdue three kings.”

  Thirdly, we see in Daniel 7:8 that “…in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” This shows the fulfillment of this prophecy is likely shared between both a nation and its leader which are yet to arise after the Roman Empire fell.

When does the little horn appear on the scene?

The little horn “comes up” after the other ten kings and kingdoms become established. However, the we are also told it well be just before “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him,” (verse 27).

However, we also see that “the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them,” that is “until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom,” (verses 21,22). This places the little horn in the end times, before the Lord’s second coming.

Who is the second beast, and what is the time of his appearing?

This question takes into Revelation13, where we see the rise of the first beast out of the sea, and the second beast comes up out of the earth.

Revelation 13:1 – Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

Revelation 13:11, 12a – Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence…

The first beast that rises from the sea represents not a single person, but an empire composed of many peoples, nations, and languages, as the angel later explains to John. I examine this interpretation more fully, with supporting Scriptures, in Chapters 5 and 7 of my book “The Eighth Beast.” Significantly, “the woman” is absent when the beast first appears in Revelation 13:1, but she is later shown in Revelation 17:3 seated upon the scarlet beast. Together they suggests that the first vision portrays the historical succession of empires, while the later vision reveals the eighth and final form of that beastly power.

The fact that this woman wasn’t mentioned in 13:1, when the first beast rises up from the sea, and is later revealed to be riding the beast and “drunken with the blood of the saints and… the martyrs of Jesus,” signifies an obvious transformation occurs in the evolution of the Eighth Beast’s empire.

Historically, the relationship between the civil and religious aspects of a society is very much like a marriage, each ministering accordingly to the needs and aspects of the community. Such is why we have the books of Nehemiah and Ezra in the Holy Scriptures, presenting the respective responsibilities of both the civil and religious leaders during the time of the Jews return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. Therefore, it is plausible this transformation is the result of an eventual departure within the Eighth Beast from its original religious foundation to the embracement of another.

When the Apostle John states, “I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,” we would do well to allow scripture to interpret scripture once again. For John’s vision, just like Daniel’s, was apocalyptic and therefore every part of it has significance. Fortunately, as with Daniel, God once again sent His holy messengers to provide a clear interpretation to the various aspects of John’s vision, like the “sea” and its prophetic implications.

Revelation 17:7 – The angel said unto me, Wherefore did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns… ¹⁵ And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

This passage in Revelation 17:15 is not the only place in scripture where the imagery of water has been so used. Below are several other passages where the Holy Spirit utilized the word “waters” to represent nations or people. 

Isaiah 8:7 – Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

Isaiah 17:12 – Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! ¹³ The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. 

Jeremiah 47:2 – Thus says the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.

Therefore, when the Apostle John states, “I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,” we can conclude with reasonable certainty that this first beast possesses historical heritages from many “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”

However, the second beast that comes “up out of the earth” is, in fact, a man, or a unique position held by a succession of men and ultimately fulfilled by the last of them. Just as Adam came from the dust of “the earth,” rather than from the sea, so this language distinguish this beast as an individual.

Now some studious bible readers may know that Daniel 7:17 states that the four beast-nations “arise out of the earth,” and therefore might be inclined to object. However, a careful examination will reveal that it is in fact the kings, not their empires, that arise up out of from the earth.

Daniel 7:3 – And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

Daniel 7:17 – These great beasts, which are four [kingdoms or empires], are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

Verse 17 repeats the number “four,” indicating four distinct kingdoms ruled by four kings. This distinction shows that the kings—not the beasts—rise from the earth, even though the terms are used interchangeably.

Scripture states that the second beast “exercises all the power of the first beast before him,” identifying him as a leader or ruler within the first beast’s empire. Revelation’s “second beast that comes up from the earth” may therefore represent either an individual or an office held by a succession of men, similar to the high priesthood. In this interpretation, the second beast could symbolize the presidency from the first beast’s rise, through its supremacy, and ultimately to its perdition. Although those who hold this office may appear lamb-like and continually speak of peace, history will reveal that they spoke with the voice of a dragon and promoted his agenda. The lamb-like symbolism suggests that, beneath the peaceful appearance, a concealed agenda seeks advantage and opportunities to wage war against God’s saints—the true spiritual “Israel.”

Revelation 13:2b – …and the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Galatians 6:14-16 – God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the [true] Israel of God.

Therefore, if the first beast “from the sea” can be shown to be America, then this second beast from “the earth,” can be none other than the office of the Presidency. Though seeming to be for peace, is really promoting the dragon’s agenda, especially when “…he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,” (verses 13:11-13)

Why I call America “The Eighth Beast”

The angel in Revelation 17 explains to John that this beast “that was, and is not, even he,” is a prophetic and historical representation of seven various empires in Israel’s past and present, and future. However, in context of John’s whole vision and the prophecy, the overall seven-headed beast first seen in chapter 13:1 ultimately represents that last and final empire that goes into destruction; whereby I refer to it as “The Eighth Beast.” This seven-headed beast represents a succession of spiritual Babylons from the birth of Israel all the way up to the rise of “the eighth” prior to the Lord’s return. So, once more, it is important to stress concerning this eighth and final manifestation of the beast system, that it is “the dragon [that] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority,” (Revelation 13:2).

The beast’s seven heads were simply intended to represent a historic succession of “seven mountains” which are prophetic of these kingdoms, four of which Daniel’s vision additionally confirms are “four great beasts [that] come up from the sea.”

Daniel 7:3 – And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

Revelation 17:9 – And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. ¹⁰ And there are seven kings: five [of which] are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. ¹¹ And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

It must be noted here that the angel does not refer to this “eighth” as a king, just like the little horn was not so referenced in contrast to the others. Therefore, readers will find it helpful to keep this final “eighth beast” in mind while reading through Revelation chapters 13-18.

 Why the seven heads on the first beast?

The beast’s seven heads provide prophetic imagery for “the mind which has wisdom” (Revelation 17:9). The angel identifies them as “seven mountains” and “seven kings,” inviting prayerful, watchful readers to discern them through both scripture and history. Because scripture is God’s “sure word of prophecy,” often given centuries or even millennia before its fulfillment, its witness is trustworthy. The first five empires identified in Scripture correspond chronologically with the nation of Israel. They are listed below.

1. Egypt 
2. Assyria 
3. Babylon 
4. Medes /Persia 
5. Greece

The sixth head, which the angel calls the “one is,” represents Rome, the fourth beast in Daniel’s vision. Egypt and Assyria are not included because they had already passed and were no longer relevant to Daniel and his people. The angel prophesied that this fourth beast would “be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.” Rome fulfilled this prophecy against Israel in A.D. 70, when Jerusalem was again destroyed, as Jesus had foretold.

Matthew 24:2 – And Jesus said unto them, “See you not all these things? truly I say to you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. “

Luke 19:43,44 – For the days shall come upon you, that your enemies shall cast a trench about you, and compass you around, and keep you in on every side, And they shall lay you even with the ground, and your children within you; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because you knew not the time of your visitation. 

Because many Jews had already dispersed among surrounding nations before Jerusalem’s destruction, they survived as a people. Israel, however, ceased to function as a sovereign kingdom in its inherited land. When Roman forces under Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, the nation of Israel and the practice of Judaism under the Levitical Law effectively ceased to exist and “was not.” 

Afterward, lawful sacrifices were no longer possible because the priests had been killed or dispersed, the genealogical records of the priesthood were lost, and the sanctuary, including the altar, the Holy of Holies, and its furnishings, had been destroyed or lost. Chapter 16 examines these matters further. Following the destruction in A.D. 70 and the Jewish dispersion, the Covenant Land did not return to Jewish sovereign control or receive recognition as a Jewish nation until after World War II.

Who controlled the land after Israel ceased to exist as a sovereign nation, and, more importantly, immediately before its reestablishment in 1948? The British Empire controlled the territory. By then, Britain had become history’s largest empire and had remained the foremost global power for more than a century, inspiring the saying, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” In 1948, by God’s wisdom and providence, Israel was “born again” as a geographically defined nation on land that had been under British control. Therefore, in this interpretation, England is the most likely candidate for the beast’s seventh head.

Revelation 17:9-11 – And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space.  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

Some may ask how a global power dominant for more than a century could fulfill the prophecy, “and when he comes, he must continue a short space?” To interpret the passage properly, one must consider the whole prophecy: the short duration applies not to the existence of the mountain or empire, but to its king once the prophecy of Israel’s being born-again is fulfilled. George VI, King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, lived only four years after Israel’s rebirth before his elder daughter, Elizabeth, succeeded him.

Because England controlled the land when Israel was reborn as a nation, both it and King George VI alone can qualify as fulfilment of this prophetic seventh head; of which the prophecy accurately predicted, “when he comes, he must continue a short space.” That is, only four short years after Israel which “was, is not, and yet is” as a nation born again.

As a result, we can see how, just like the beast, Israel too went through the prophetic stages defined by the angel and “was, is not, and yet is” a nation today. We must not ignore Israel’s importance here if we are to rightly divide these prophecies in both Daniel and Revelation; and John’s visions, since Gabriel told Daniel that all these things pertained to “your people and… your holy city.”

So, the complete list of those seven nations or empires which have had a direct relationship with Israel, either by taking her into captivity or having dominion over them and their land, it would be as follows:

1. Egypt 
2. Assyria 
3. Babylon 
4. Mede/Persia 
5. Greece
6. Rome (Which destroyed Israel, causing both the beast and Israel to answer to the prophetic expression of “was not”)
7. England

But once more look at what the scriptures says:

Revelation 17:11 – And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.

Because the passage says the eighth “is of the seven,” the eighth must either descend directly from the seventh or combine elements of all seven empires. In the latter case, it would be an end-time blending of peoples, languages, and nationalities—a cultural melting pot shaped by immigration. Either way, America alone seems to be able to comfortably wear this prophetic Cinderella slipper.

It is also worth recalling that England was a major reason President Roosevelt sought greater American involvement in World War II. The war then accelerated the British Empire’s decline, helped make Israel’s rebirth possible, and created the conditions for America’s rise to global supremacy. Therefore, it is because of this succession of nations in Israel’s history, and events around Israel today’s re-emergence into prophetic light, that I am persuaded that America is indeed “the eighth” and is destined to soon, very soon, “go into perdition,” and to suffer under the wrath of God its absolute annihilation.

Revelation 18:8,19 – Therefore her plagues will come in one day, death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. …Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.

Why are both “the little horn” and the “second beast” used synonymous with an endtime empire and its last leader?

Scripture and history often identify a ruler so closely with the nation or empire he represents that the two are described as one. Familiar examples include Caesar and Rome, Babylon and Chaldea, David and Jerusalem—the City of David—and national capitals such as New York City in the early United States and Washington, D.C., today.

Daniel 2 illustrates this principle. In interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the succession of kingdoms, Daniel told him, “You are this head of gold.” Nebuchadnezzar personally represented Babylon, the kingdom symbolized by the head of gold.

We also see it with the first beast from the sea, the nation empire, speaking to the world as a man, “He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven,” (Revelation 13:5).

This verse above I believe was fulfilled with President Franklin D. Roosevelt who cause America to get involved in World War 2, who unexpectedly died nearly three and a half years after making this famous speech,

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan . . . As Commander in Chief of the army and navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory… With confidence in our armed forces-with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God…”

Considering President Roosevelt’s expressed confidence in “the American people in their righteous might,” that they will surely “win through to absolute victory” due to “our armed forces-with the unbounding determination of our people,” I am compelled to ask just what does the word of God say about one who boasts in the strength of their flesh? Some may wish to immediately object and demand the direction of my attention to President Roosevelt’s inclusion of “so help us God…”

But I must simply point out that nowhere did he express his confidence to be in either God’s righteousness or His might, as if they were the foundation and strength whereby the American people, through their unwavering faith in God, would surely overcome their enemies. No, this short inclusion of “so help us God,” has actually been the last four words attached to many threats of revenge by proud and indignant people.

Those more devoted to their country than to God’s Kingdom or their own godliness may have regarded President Roosevelt’s speech as sufficiently religious because it used phrases such as “righteous might” and “so help us God.” Yet an honest critique suggests that this language merely gave religious cover to a strategic purpose: rallying Americans behind a foreign war and stirring patriotic willingness to send fathers, husbands, and sons into battle.

The pattern appeared again after the 9/11 destruction of the Twin Towers, when the United States went to war in Iraq over alleged weapons of mass destruction, and in the decades-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and the present conflict involving Israel. And now, only about one year and ten months after President Trump promised “No new wars,” he is now threatening the annihilation of the Iranian people as a race.

So, just what does the word of God say about such who boasts in the strength of the flesh?

Jeremiah 17:5,6 – So says the LORD, Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a juniper in the desert, and shall not see when good comes. But he shall live in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land that is not inhabited. 

It is therefore noteworthy that President Franklin D. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, nearly three and a half years after his December 8, 1941, address to Congress. He did not live to see the war’s conclusion and, in the language of Jeremiah, did “not see when good comes.” The elapsed period was three years, four months, and four days, excluding the end date. The Hebrew calendar was lunisolar: its months are 29 or 30 days long, averaging about 29.5 days, and an additional month is inserted seven times in each nineteen-year cycle. The 1,221 days between Roosevelt’s speech and his death equal approximately 41.39 lunar months. Although Jewish reckoning with often counts a partial day, month, or year as a whole in certain contexts, extending that principle to round this interval to forty-two months is admittedly an interpretive step rather than a precise calendrical calculation, it still fits their tradition. I also find it interesting that Roosevelt also actually occurred on the New Moon of April 12, 1945. Taken altogether, these correspondences certainly support—but do not by themselves prove—the prophetic connections I am proposing that these events helped prepare the way for Israel as “a nation to be born in a day,” (Isaiah 66:8).

What final duration is expressly spoken for the little horn?

Daniel 7:24-26 – And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

This time period is commonly understood as three and a half years. Because the passage does not define it more precisely as 1,260, 1,290, or 1,335 days, the duration of forty-two months need not be exact—just as, in this interpretation, the forty-two months in Revelation 13:5 were not.

If this period is applied to President Trump, who, like the beast and Israel, “was, was not, yet is,” the sequence is as follows: he “was” president from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021; he “was not” president from January 21, 2021, to January 19, 2025; and he “yet is” president again as of January 20, 2025. If the little horn’s proposed final period begins with his latest inauguration, adding three and a half years leads to July 20, 2028, only sixty-seven days after Israel’s eightieth anniversary as a restored nation.

Another conviction of time remaining comes from Psalm 90. Moses lived to be 120 years old, Aaron 123, Miriam approximately 126 to 130, and Joshua 110. Because these figures exceed the psalm’s span of “threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,” I believe the passage may have an additional application before time “is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

Psalm 90:7 – For we are burned up by Your anger, and by Your wrath we are troubled. 8 You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your face. 9 For all our days pass away in Your wrath; we finish our years like a murmur. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by strength they are fourscore years, yet their pride is labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of Your anger? And as Your fear is, so is Your wrath. 12 So teach us to number our days, so that we may bring a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O LORD! How long? And give pity to Your servants. 14 Satisfy us early with Your mercy, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad according to the days of our affliction, the years in which we have seen evil. 16 Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their sons. 17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be on us; and establish the work of our hands on us; yea, the work of our hands, establish it.

Thus, it is a strong persuasion to me that President Trump is the “Little Horn,” and the fulfillment of the second beast of Revelation 13 which has “two horns like a lamb” and “spoke as a dragon,” the time is much shorter than many are discerning.

Then, after that we would have the following duration before the Lord’s return –

Daniel 7:9-12 – I – watched until the thrones were thrown up, and the Ancient of Days sat, whose robe was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool. His throne was like flames of fire, and His wheels like burning fire. A stream of fire went out and came out from before Him. A thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The judgment was set, and the books were opened. Then I was looking because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched until the beast was slain, and his body was destroyed and given to the burning flame. And the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away. Yet their lives were made longer for a season and time.

A season is roughly three months and a year twelve, totaling approximately fifteen months which will be for the Lord’s gathering of the nations for the day of wrath –

Revelation 16:12 – Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.

Although the preceding text does not clearly separate these events or their timing, chapters 17 and 18 provide the angel’s fuller explanation of John’s visions in revealed to him in 3 thru16.

Revelation 17:1,2 – Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

Revelation 17:7 – But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

Revelation 17:12 – The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” 15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

 16 “And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

I have long held the view that this alliance formed between the Eighth Beast and the ten kings is not based on genuine unity nor their intended cooperation, hence the duration of one hour. Although initiated by the beast, the agreement among the kings represents a strategic and intentional tactic on their part; designed to project an appearance of alignment with the beast while concealing their actual motives. Through participation in this alliance, the ten kings secure the opportunity to discreetly organize and position themselves for an unexpected and sudden decisive move against the woman and the beast on which she sits.

The alliance between the ten kings and the Eighth Beast is built upon the outward appearance of shared purpose and unity. In reality, this facade is carefully crafted to mask the true intentions of the ten kings. By projecting an image of solidarity, the ten kings are able to coordinate their plans without arousing suspicion, working together under the pretense of supporting the beast.

The ultimate aim of the ten kings is clear: to bring about the sudden and complete destruction of both the Jezebelian whore and the Eighth Beast. This calculated attack becomes possible because the beast, captivated and deceived by the seductive influence of the whore, unwittingly allows her to overshadow and ultimately undermine its own authority.

I cover this and all these chapter in my commentary of revelation called Three Woes and Four Endings which can be reviewed and downloaded here.

What did the little horn and the beast have in common?

In short, the little horn and the beast share both behavior and fate: each is arrogant and blasphemous, and each ends in fiery destruction. The following verses describe them; my interpretive comments appearing in brackets.

Little Horn –

Daniel 7:8b – …and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

7:20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them… 23 And he [the angel] said, …24 The ten horns out of this kingdom [Rome] are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings [Spain, France, and England forfeiting strongholds on America’s contiguous states/land].  25 And he shall speak great words against [another gospel contrary to] the most High, and shall wear out [attempt to deceive and take the crowns of] the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand [Psalm 125:3] until a time and times and the dividing of time.

 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

Second Beast with horns like a lamb-

Revelation 13:5 – And there was given unto him [the eighth beast empire] a mouth [a spokesman] speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.  7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome [oppress and kill] them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men [the two events that ended WW2- Hiroshima and Nagasaki]. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived [Pearl Harbor – start of WW2]. 15 He was granted power [given technical knowledge – fallen angel technology] to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Revelation 19:19 – And I saw the beast and the [ten] kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered [or, united in a common resistance] together to make war against Him [the Lamb] that sat on the horse, and against His army.  20 And [Greek – “kai” – can be translated “but” or “even so”] the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  21 And [Greek – “kai” – “yet”] the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

(Note: the Greek word ‘kai” is not always used inclusively, and is often used definitively; “and these” versus “this or that,” and sometimes “so, even so, however, or regardless”)

Lastly, what accomplishments are attributed to the little horn and/or the second beast?

• three of the first horns plucked up by the roots, power given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
• beast from the earth [man] exercises all the power of the first beast from the sea [empire] before him
• causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
• doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
• deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast
• Tells “them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”

Comments welcomed, and for more information on my perspective, here are some other links for consideration and prayer –

Quick sidenotes –

• I am fully aware of the anxiousness of the Israel to rebuild the temple, and that it has been said it could be rapidly built since much of it and it utensils are already fabricated.  However, I think it is an intention false prophetic mile marker of the adversary to deceive Christians as to the timing of the Lord’s return. Concerning why I have this conviction, I will direct you to a chapter in my book,  “The Destruction of the Temple, Will There Really Be A Third?”
• I am also aware of the of the Trump-Cyrus-Third Temple coins that have been around since 2018.
• Also, concerning the “Man of Sin, Son of Perdition, who sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God,” spoken of by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, see “Giving Way to the Rise of The Son of Perdition” Btw, I am sorry it’s long, but I felt it necessary to present a thorough explanation in order break the stronghold of the common understanding of the passage. For on such a serious topic, one has to wonder why Paul elected to be so brief in his mentioning it, but rather encouraged them to remember what he spoken to privately face to face.
• A PowerPoint message on America in Prophecy that I gave at a church 11 years ago prior to moving to Costa Rica.
• A chapter of my book The Eighth Beast which was actually written in 2002shortly after the Twin Towers fell – “Is America Missing in Prophecy?”
• A message I gave about America at My People 2012 when I felt the need to literally go to the seat of America and to pray for our country. Feeling that I might not be the only one being so led of the Lord, I sought out any possible prayer events that might be happening in Washington DC, and found that there was indeed an organized prayer event happening in a couple of weeks. However, even more amazingly, without any action on my own part, the Lord amazingly worked things out so as to slip me into the My People Pray 2012 event as the final speaker.
• A message I shared with some men at a rehab encouraging them to “Laying Hold of Eternal Life”

Other old messages I have shared below

• If any man does not love the Lord Jesus
• Add to your faith…
• Which Jesus?
• Jesus the man
• A time for every purpose