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Mistaken
Identity
Many
people mistakenly assume the fourth beast in
Daniel 7 and the leopard-like beast in Revelation
13 are the same beast. This understanding is
incorrect for five reasons:
- The leopard-like beast
does not exist prior to 1798. When
the leopard-like beast rises from the
sea, John saw that one head on the
leopard-like beast “seemed to
have had a fatal would, but the fatal
wound had been healed.” (Revelation
13:3) For reasons that will be presented
later, this head represents the Roman
Catholic Church. History records that the
Catholic Church lost its authority over
the kings of Europe during the French
Revolution (1789-1799). The pope was
exiled to France in 1798 and the
authority of the church was badly
wounded. Now notice that when the
authority of the church was badly
wounded. Now notice that when the
leopard-like beast rises from the sea,
the deadly would is healed. This
specification forces the appearing of the
leopard-like beast after 1798
because the fatal wound cannot be healed
before the deadly would is inflicted!
- Earlier in this study we
learned that various parts of a beast’s
anatomy may or may not be functional when
a beast is introduced. This feature
exists with both the ten horns on the
fourth beast in Daniel 7 and the seven
heads and the ten horns on the great red
dragon in Revelation 12. Even though
Daniel saw ten horns on the fourth beast
in Daniel 7 when it rose out of the sea,
history verifies that ten horns did not
function in a prophetic sense until 600
years later. The leopard-like beast has a
similar feature. John describes the
leopard-like beast as having seven heads
when it rises to power and “one
of its seven heads seemed to have had a
fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been
healed.” (Revelation 13:3)
Some people read Revelation 13:3
and conclude that the leopard-like beast must
have existed prior to 1798 because one of the
heads on the beast was wounded in 1798, but this
is not the case. Read the specifications
carefully! When the leopard-like beast rises from
the sea, it comes up from the sea with a head
that “seems to have had a fatal wound, but
the fatal wound had been healed.” Did you
notice the past perfect tense? The past perfect
tense means action completed in the past. For
example, suppose I saw a new automobile roll off
the assembly line and I said to you, “The
car had a bad tire, but the tire had been
repaired by the time it had rolled off the
assembly line.” Does my
statement require the auto to be complete and
functioning before the bad tire was discovered or
does my statement mean the bad tire was
discovered and repaired before the auto rolled
off the assembly line? The latter meaning is the
intent of my statement.
The papacy existed before 1798,
but the leopard-like beast is not the papacy.
The papacy is only one part of the leopard-like
beast. The leopard-like beast has seven heads
– seven religious systems, not one! One head
is described with precise language that
eliminates any wiggle room on its identity.
Daniel 7 indicates that the little horn power was
empowered for 1,260 years (A.D. 538-1798). Daniel
7:11 states that the little horn power would
recover from its wound, and again speak
boastfully after 1798. History confirms this
prediction and recent history affirms the
recovery of the papacy. Today, the Roman Catholic
Church is again a respected world power. The
church has diplomatic relations with 170 nations!
God used precise language in Revelation 13:3 for
two reasons. First, God wants everyone to know
that the wounded/healed head represents the Roman
Catholic Church. If we can identify that one head
is a religious system, then the remaining six
heads must be religious systems, as well. Second,
God wants everyone to know that the rise of the
leopard-like beast has to occur after 1798,
because the language specifically states that the
wounded head is healed when the beast
rises from the sea.
3. Notice
that the leopard-like beast has body parts that
belong to a lion, a bear, and a leopard, and it
so happens that the first beast in Daniel 7 are a
lion, bear, and a leopard. Furthermore, the
fourth beat in Daniel 7 has ten horns when it
rises from the sea and so does the leopard-like
beast! Many people have noticed these
similarities and then make a big mistake. They
leap to the conclusion that the fourth beast in
Daniel 7 and the leopard-like beast in Revelation
13 are the same beast even though the
“head count” is different – one in
Daniel and seven in Revelation. This leap in
logic is not supported by the facts or the
specifications. The fourth beast in Daniel 7 and
the leopard-like beast in Revelation 13 are very
different beasts, and even more importantly, they
live at different times. Even though they share
certain similarities, they are separate and
distinct entities.
Consider the similarities between
the two beasts: Both beasts persecute the saints
of God for a specific amount of time. The fourth
beast in Daniel 7 persecuted the saints for 1,260
years. (Daniel 7:25) The leopard-like beast will
persecute God’s people for forty-two months
during the Great Tribulation. (Revelation 13:5)
These two time periods cannot be the same
time period. If they were, then the leopard-like
beast would have to rise to power along with the
fourth beast in 168 B.C. Of course, this is not
possible because John documented that when he saw
the leopard-like beast rising out of the sea, the
deadly wound had been healed!
(Revelation 13:3)
4. The
Bible predicts, “All inhabitants of the
Earth will worship the [leopard-like] beast….”
(Revelation 13:8, insertion mine) There has
never been a historical time when “all
inhabitants of the Earth” worshiped the
fourth beast of Daniel 7 and there never will be
a future time. The fourth beast in Daniel 7 was
given power to rule over Europe for 1,260 years.
The leopard-like beast will be given power to
rule over the whole world for a literal
period of forty-two months. If the forty-two
months in Revelation 13:5 and the time, times and
half a time in Daniel 7:25 represent the same
time period, then an insurmountable problem is
created. It would mean that both beasts are
powerless during the Great Tribulation because
their empowerment is limited to the Dark Ages
(A.D. 538-1798).
5. Finally,
the fourth beat in Daniel 7 and the leopard-like
beast in Revelation 13 have ten horns, but they
are not the same ten horns. The ten horns
on the fourth beast in Daniel 7 represent ten
tribal nations divided and conquered Rome by A.D.
476. The ten horns on the leopard-like beast
represent ten kings who will be alive at the
Second Coming! (Revelation 13:1; 17:12-14; Daniel
2:42)
Consider the math: The Bible
predicted that three of the original ten horns on
the fourth beast in Daniel 7 would be uprooted
and destroyed by A.D. 538. History affirms the
fulfillment of this prediction. Then, the little
horn (the papacy) became the eighth horn and it
ruled over the remaining seven horns until it
received a deadly wound in 1798. Therefore, the
fourth beast in Daniel 7 ended up having eight
horns for 1,260 years.
Notice the difference. When the
leopard-like beast rises to power during the
Great Tribulation, it will have seven heads and
ten horns – not eight horns! The ten horns
on the leopard-like beast represent ten kings who
will be alive at the Second Coming! The angel
told John, “The ten horns you saw [on
the leopard-like beast] are the ten kings who
have not received a kingdom, but for one hour
will receive authority as kings with the [great
red dragon] beast. They have one purpose and
will give their power and authority to the [great
red dragon] beast [the devil]. They
will make war against the Lamb [at the Second
Coming – Revelation 16:14-16], but the
Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of
lords and King of kings – and with him will
be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
(Revelation 17:12-14)
Bottom Line: When we
synthesize these five issues, it is impossible
for the fourth beast in Daniel 7 and the
leopard-like beast in Revelation 13 to be the
same beast. There are too many similarities
between them, but they are two different
creatures living in two different ages. They
share several parallels, which helps us
understand the future more clearly because the
behavior of the leopard-like beast will mirror
the behavior of the fourth beast in Daniel 7. For
example, consider these parallels between the two
beasts: both beasts persecute God’s saints;
both beasts are empowered for a specific amount
of time; both beasts will be destroyed with fire
at the Second Coming; both beasts are
blasphemous; and both beasts emphasize the role
of the papacy (that is, the papacy derives its
ruling power from each beast). Papal power will
soon flourish during the forty-two months granted
to the leopard-like beast just like it flourished
during the 1,260 years given to the fourth beast.
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