Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.
All throughout the ages, different kingdoms have come upon the stage of action, either by permission or ordination of God, but howsoever they came into power, The God of heaven was always in control of all such authorities. Most of these kingdoms fought their way into prominence, and much turbulence and bloodshed occurred, but God was, and still is in control.
The scripture tells us that the powers that be are ordained of God, and though at times it may seem as if nations are like a runaway train, yet the good purposes of God are still being worked out behind the scenes, and whenever the tenure of a kingdom is up, God installs another in its place, so that there is no earthly kingdom that will stand forever. Let’s read:
Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men.
Psalms 75:4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn.
5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another.
The same is true of America, for this nation came into being through the direct providence of God and even though some may not give credit where credit is due, America’s prowess in the world, and all of its military might, together with advances in scientific discoveries and inventions that are upright, are the result of God’s blessings and providence.
Thus, according to our opening passage America did not come upon the stage of action by chance. It was because of God’s direct intervention, in providing a place of refuge for those pilgrims, who were fleeing religious oppression in parts of Europe, why God’s providence opened the way for the new nation to be established.
Therefore, before we proceed, it is important that we trace from the scriptures how it was prophesied that America would come upon the world stage. In all of the play and counter-play of the human agent, it was prophecy being fulfilled as the young nation was being established.
Several words and phrases would be highlighted in the following passages, and explanations will then be given, so as to establish beyond all doubt, that America is definitely mentioned in Bible prophecy. Let’s read:
Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast.
The two important words in this excerpt are “beast” and “another”. The Bible explains what a beast is in prophecy, for it refers to a nation or kingdom. Let’s read:
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: 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 to a bear, 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, 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, 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.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by and asked him the truth of all this. So, he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the Most-High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for ever and ever.
But in our excerpt from Revelation 13, John said he saw “Another” beast. “Another” is a pronoun and it can mean one of two things: (1) an additional thing or person of the same type as the one already mentioned or known about. (2) a different person or thing from one already mentioned or known about.
If a man is at a tiki bar, and after having one or two Budweisers he asked for another beer, that request could mean one out of two things; either he wants another Bud or he desires an entirely different beer.
Question: In the context of the passage, which one is it? The first or the second meaning? The Bible is clear on the interpretation, for although the second beast mentioned in the chapter arises in apparent innocence and gentleness, yet it is predicted to take on, or morph into some of the characteristics of the first beast. Let’s read:
Revelation 13: 12 And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
But the prophecy identifying America as the second beast has more pertinent information, so that none should have any doubts as to which nation is being referred to. Let’s read:
Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth.
Question: What does it mean to come up out of the earth? The Bible tells us that wherever in prophecy the seas or the waters are mentioned that’s a direct reference to masses people and since the surface of the earth consists of 71% water and 29% land, then the nation that is coming up out of the earth will be arising from a sparsely populated area. Let’s read:
Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
In addition, according to Revelation 13: verses 11 and 12, the nation, or second beast will arise after the first beast mentioned in the chapter, receives a deadly wound. That deadly wound was inflicted on the first beast, which must now be identified, since the second beast comes into being around the same time.
John describes the first beast in the chapter as the persecuting power that made war on the saints, and which had exercised dominion over all the nations of earth. Without a doubt, John is referring to the papacy under whose reign during the dark ages, it is estimated that between 50 and 100 million persons were put to death for their faith. Let’s read:
Revelation 13: 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.
Therefore, the following is a brief breakdown of the identifying pointers of the second beast, according to the scriptures:
[1] It arises out of obscurity, in a sparsely populated area.
[2] It comes upon the world stage just around the time that the papacy receives its deadly wound.
[3] It exhibits gentleness initially, but later speaks like a dragon.
[4] It espouses the agenda of the first beast.
God is telling us that the nation being referred to in the passages must be America, for it came upon the stage of action just around the time that the deadly wound was inflicted on the papacy, and thus, we’ll have to look for a nation arising around 1798, the year when the French general Berthier took pope Pius captive.
No other nation on earth matches that description except The United states of America, which came into existence when congress approved the nation’s independence on July 4, 1776. It’s the one and only nation to arise in a sparsely populated area, and as we all know, it is the only super-power remaining upon the planet.
Now, we are not going to delve into the rest of the prophecy this evening for it is important for us all to understand that nations, and individuals are never bound in an iron destiny, so that they cannot free themselves of the cryptic predictions made by God. It is God’s will that the prophecy in Revelation 13 will cause America to track a different course if we are thus disposed.
The mark of the beast and its implementation which is mentioned later on in the chapter isn’t something in which our nation would have no other choice. On the contrary it is God’s will that all nations should as well as individuals should come to repentance, and if we do, God has no problem at all if the prophecy is not fulfilled as stated.
In fact, according to the scriptures, if Jesus has to choose between the exact fulfillment of prophecies, and the salvation of nations and individuals, He’ll let the prophecy fail in a heartbeat, because Jesus died to save persons, not prophecies. Let’s read:
Jonah 2:1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water.
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Now that America is about to turn a corner and now that there is the expectation of a soon changing of the guards, we wish America the best, for God has not forgotten us, and He is still willing, and able to turn the tide of current difficulties for good. One of the reasons why God bears so long with individuals and nations is that He takes no delight in our many troubles. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
2nd Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
His mercies are still extended over the nation, and if the incoming administration will do the right thing, if reforms are made in harmony with God’s revealed will, He will be more than pleased to help us reverse the many adversities and challenges we are facing.
The Bible makes clear which reforms and changes are necessary in order for us to have a reversal of fortunes, for just as the king and people of Nineveh took proactive steps in repentance and change, so should we as a nation, examine ourselves seriously.
And wheresoever we may discover departures from virtue, truth, and duty, if we make all the necessary changes, God would respond in the positive. Tough times scarcely occur in a vacuum, and thus, it will be well for us to reason soberly from cause to effect, because the benefits of physical and spiritual laws are contingent upon those actions and choices we make. Let’s read:
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Proverbs 26:2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
The following therefore are the areas that will need to be addressed, if we desire a return to God’s favor for the spiritual laws of sowing and reaping can only be reversed to some extent, if persons and nations track a righteous course. Let’s read:
Isaiah 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness.
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
As we head into unchartered waters with the new administration, there will be challenges to confront and there will be hurdles to be surmounted. There will be continuing dispersion of peoples, Covid and his brothers will still be around for many years, and the spirit of anarchy will be bubbling up from time to time.
In addition to this, the national debt will continue to spiral out of control, and the trickle-down effect is going to be seen and felt by individuals and families. Yet, in all of these things, if we keep our heads lifted to the skies and if deep soul-searching produces the needed reforms, America can still rise again.
Therefore, in the best interest of the country that is to be the last focal point of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, we wish our incoming leaders well, and we hope and pray that all duly elected officials will be humble and willing enough to let God lead. Let us then join hands and hearts in praying for the best good of the country, for if we do, there could be a reversal of fortunes.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which will encourage us to keep pressing forward in right lines, and those who are entrusted with the gospel are to be certain that well-directed efforts to save the lost are made in our neck of the woods, if haply, we might stave off for a while, the fulfillment of the second half of Revelation chapter 13. Let’s read:
Isaiah 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
God Bless!