Bible Studies

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We continue the discussion of the beasts of Daniel chapters 2 and 7 here in Part 2 of this paper.

I'll quote Dan. 7:4: "The first [beast] was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it." I'll quote what I said under this verse in my "The Mid-Week Rapture": This first beast represents Nebuchadnezzar [who played a major role in Daniel chapter 2] and the Babylonian Empire, as did the head of gold (Dan. 2:32, 37, 38). Nebuchadnezzar is pictured as a LION in Jer. 4:7 and 50:17, and he is pictured as an EAGLE in Ezek. 17:3: cf. 17:12. I believe the rest of this verse is explained by Daniel chapter 4. After Nebuchadnezzar was humbled (as described in Daniel chapter 4), he was much better qualified to reign over the Babylonian Empire.

Baxter discusses the beasts of Daniel chapter 7 in more detail on pages 82-86. He discusses the third beast, which he says is Germany on page 83. I'll quote part of what he says there: "Note that the leopard has four heads. All the other beasts have one head each, but the leopard had four. ... Multiple heads on a beast, symbolize the number of times that nation will rise and fall. ...."

Rather, there is widespread agreement that the four heads prophesy that the Greek world-kingdom (which corresponds with the third kingdom of Daniel chapter 2) will eventually be divided into four parts under the leadership of four of Alexander the Great's generals after his death (in 323 BC). Daniel 8:5-8 with 21-22 confirm this interpretation. Alexander the Great is the "conspicuous/large horn" of Dan. 8:5, 8. Daniel chapter 8 is discussed in some detail in chapter 7 of my "The Mid-Week Rapture." The fact that this beast was "like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird" (Dan. 7:6) prophesies, at least for one thing, of the very rapid conquests of Alexander the Great.

I believe it is quite clear that the fourth beast of Dan. 7:7 represents the ancient Roman world-kingdom and the revived Roman world-kingdom, with all the emphasis on the revived Roman world-kingdom. It is very significant that the large IRON teeth correspond with the IRON pictured in Daniel chapter 2 for the Roman world-kingdom and the revived Roman world-kingdom. The fact that the beast of Dan. 7:7 has ten horns puts all the emphasis on the revived Roman world-kingdom, because the ten horns represent the ten rulers of that revived kingdom. Without getting into all the details, Baxter agrees that the fourth kingdom of Daniel chapter 7 prophesies of the revived Roman Empire with ten horns (but as I mentioned he speaks of the Holy Roman Empire) and that Antichrist will reign throughout the second half of Daniel's 70th week.

As I mentioned the misinterpretations of Daniel chapter 7 regarding the identity of the first three beasts undoubtedly is related to misinterpretations of the beasts of Rev. 13:2; Rev. 13:1-3 are very important verses. I'll quote Rev. 13:1-3, discuss the interpretation to some extent (see under these verses in chapter 22 of "The Mid-Week Rapture" for more details), and then briefly discuss Baxter's interpretation.

REVELATION 13:1-3

"And the dragon [the devil] stood on the sand of the seashore. [This scene will take place right in the middle of Daniel's 70th week, right after the devil and his angels are cast down to the earth (Rev. 12:4, 7-9, 12-17). The devil has an appointment with Antichrist.] Then I saw a beast [Antichrist and his world-kingdom] coming up out of the sea [the sea of mankind (cf. Dan. 7:2, 3; Rev. 17:1, 15, 18)], having ten horns [referring to the ten rulers of the revived Roman world-kingdom (Dan. 7:7, 20, 24; Rev. 12:3; 13:1; and 17:3, 7, 12, 16).] and seven heads [[(This double bracket goes on for two paragraphs.) The seven heads represent the seven world-kingdoms that the Bible speaks of. We have already discussed the last five of these heads. (See Daniel chapters 2 and 7.) The first two heads (of the seven) are the Egyptian and Assyrian kingdoms. Both of those kingdoms interacted with God's people in a very negative way, as do the five world-kingdoms that follow them. This is no surprise in that, as Rev. 12:3 shows, the devil is behind the seven world-kingdoms; he is the god of this world (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Eph. 2:2; 6:12; and 1 John 5:19).

I'll quote REVELATION 12:3, "Then appeared another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon [It is clear that this is the devil (Rev. 12:9); the red undoubtedly relates to the blood he sheds (cf. John 8:44).] having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems." The fact that the seven heads are crowned here helps communicate the fact that the evil reign of Satan continues through each of these world kingdoms (throughout the history of man after the fall). It is significant that in Rev. 13:1 the ten horns (not the seven heads) are crowned, because that word picture is limited to the time when the ten horns are reigning.]], and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. [The devil and his kingdoms blaspheme God, one way or another, on a consistent basis.] (2) And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. [[We can understand the mention of these animals here, because these same animals were mentioned in Daniel chapter 7. The idea is that something of those earlier world-kingdoms (the Greek, the Medo-Persian, and the Babylonian) remains and has been incorporated in the world-kingdom of the last days. The words that follow here in 13:2 are very important to understand the magnitude of Antichrist's super-evil reign throughout the second half of Daniel's 70th week.

It is very important to understand that Antichrist comes on the scene at the right time in accordance with the plan of God. See Dan. 8:19 (God's "indignation" against sin); 11:36; Zech. 11:15-17; 2 Thess. 2:8-12; Rev. 3:10. God is in control of every situation, and he uses the devil and Antichrist and the evil angels (cf., e.g., Rev. 9:14, 15) and the demons (Rev. 16:13-16), even though they hate Him.]] And the dragon [the devil] gave him [Antichrist] his power and his throne and great authority. [As I have mentioned, these words are very important for us to understand the authority and power of the three and one-half year super-evil reign of Antichrist that will start right after the rapture.] (3) And I saw one of its heads as if it had been slain and his fatal wound was healed. [[(This double bracket continues for two paragraphs. I'll be brief here. See "The Mid-Week Rapture" for the details.) One of its heads represents Antichrist and his world-kingdom, the seventh world-kingdom, the revived Roman world-kingdom, with all the emphasis on him. Antichrist will undoubtedly be assassinated (probably during the month between the abomination of desolation and the middle of Daniel's 70th week; I believe Dan. 12:11 shows that the abomination of desolation will take place a month before the middle of the seven-year period) and come back from the dead. (We'll discuss these things later in this paper. See the Contents of this paper.) We see Antichrist COME UP OUT OF THE ABYSS (come back from the dead) in Rev. 11:7 in time to kill the two witnesses three and a half days before they come back to life and are caught up (raptured) in the middle of Daniel's 70th week (Rev. 11:8-12). He probably won't be dead for very long, maybe a few days.

Revelation 17:8 also speaks of Antichrist being killed (when "he is not") and COMING UP OUT OF THE ABYSS. I'll give an excerpt from Baxter's page 141 that deals with this COMING UP OUT OF THE ABYSS which is quite different: "...this seven headed, ten horned beast will ascend out of the bottomless pit ["abussos" in the Greek]. This beast is the New World Order that is currently emerging upon the world scene, a world government structure under the United Nations. The United Nations is a godless organization that is led [by] Satan. ...."]] And the whole earth [excluding God's elect, whose names are written in the book of life (cf., e.g., Rev. 13:8; 17:8)] was amazed and followed after the beast...."

Baxter says (see his page 85 for example) that the beasts of Revelation chapter 13 are the same as in Daniel chapter 7. This means that for him the leopard of Rev. 13:2 is Germany; the bear is Russia; and the lion is Great Britain. As I have mentioned, I don't believe there is any possibility that Baxter is right here. He says four of the seven heads refer to Germany (on page 83 he lists the four heads: "the First Reich [or kingdom], the Second Reich, Hitler's famous Third Reich, and the Fourth Reich, which is rising"), one refers to Russia, one to Great Britain, and one to the ten-horned beast. I'll quote a paragraph from his page 86: "This prophecy [Rev. 13:1, 2] is saying that Great Britain, Russia, Germany and the final ten-nation union from the European Union, will join together in a one-world government that will most certainly be administered through the structure of the United Nations. The United Nations is the only body on the earth that has been purposely designed to be a one-world government."

Baxter has a one and a half page section on pages 88, 89 under the heading "The Healing of the Deadly Wound." I'll just list his key points. Commenting on Rev. 13:3 he says "Many people have thought that the Antichrist will be killed and raised from the dead, and, for this reason, the whole world will follow him." This will be one big reason they follow him. Baxter goes on to say that "It was the third head of the leopard or Hitler's Third Reich that was wounded nigh unto death." And "the healing of the deadly wound occurred when the Berlin wall fell, November 9, 1989. I cannot agree with any of this, and I don't believe you will hear many, if any, other end-time teachers agreeing with any of this.


THE SEALS

Baxter has two paragraphs on "The Seals" on page 174. I don't agree with much that he says here. After making a few preliminary comments, I'll quote what he says here on the first six seals. Then I'll include most of what I said on the first six seals in my paper on Revelation chapters 1-10 that will cover some nine pages. It is important for us to understand the seals. For one thing, I believe, in agreement with many, very much including the writers of the early Christian church, that the rider on the first horse, the white horse, builds on what Jesus said in Matt. 24:14 about the "gospel of the kingdom being preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." And I believe that the second and third seals build on what Jesus said in Matt. 24:4-8 about the beginning of birth pangs. The second seal of the book of Revelation with the red horse and its rider builds on the wars and rumors of wars and nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom of Matt. 24:6, 7. The third seal with the black horse and its rider builds on the famines in various places of Matt. 24:7.

I'll quote from Baxter (This excerpt covers two paragraphs): "The first seal, the white horse, is the symbol of Catholicism, which was born in 325 AD. The second seal is the symbol of Communism, the red horse, which was born in 1917 when the Communists overtook the Soviet Union during the Bolshevik Revolution. The Black horse is the symbol of Capitalism, which was born in the 1700s. It has become the dominant power in the Twentieth Century. The fourth seal, the green horse, is Islamism. [[The KJV, NKJV, and NIV translate "pale," not "green

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