Please Note: To save time and to avoid (possibly major) misunderstandings it is very important to read these chapters 1 through 9 in sequence. Thankyou.

Does the Bible have a prophecy which deals with the end-time events before the second coming of Jesus Christ?

Yes! This prophecy is in Revelation 17.

Chapter 17 of Revelation is of the greatest importance to God’s people who are living now - in the end-time.

This prophecy is written especially for the hour in which we are living. This chapter very clearly explains to us the latest current events developing in the world today. We must observe the activities of the Papacy, because they relate to the very last prophecy.

Revelation 17 is especially concerned with the latest activity and objectives of Pope John Paul II, who has been working to unite the world by the year 2000, and participating personally in the Great Jubilee which is the celebration of the New Millennium of peace in the year 2000.

To properly understand all these things, therefore we need to study Revelation Chapter 17.

We will first study verses 10, 11 and 8, which will bring us through history till the end. We will then be sure where we are in prophetic history where we are today and also we will know

Revelation 17:10 says: " And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short time." (NKJV)

Where will you find the seven kings or beasts? The answer is, in the books of Daniel and Revelation. In Dan. 7:1-8. (please read) you will find the four beasts coming from the sea.

What do these beasts or kings represent? The answer is: the world empires, nations and powers in history.

The FIRST beast represented Babylon - 605 - 539 BC, which was the lion, then Babylon fell to:

the SECOND beast which represented Medo-Persia - 539 - 331 BC, which was the bear, then Medo-Persia fell to:

the THIRD beast which represented Greece - 331 - 168 BC, which was the leopard, then Greece fell to:

the FOURTH beast which represented Rome, 169 BC - 476 AD which was the dragon, then Pagan Rome fell to:

the FIFTH beast which represented Papal Rome - 538 - 1798 AD, which we will find in Rev:13:1-10. This is the papacy who had the "deadly wound" (See Rev 13:3), then Papal Rome fell to:

the SIXTH beast which represented Atheism - started 1798 AD. When in this year Napoleon’s General Berthier arrested the Pope and put him in jail. At this time the era of Papal supremacy was finished and an apocalyptic prophecy was exactly fulfilled (see Rev. 13:3, "Deadly Wound" and also Dan. 11:40, "the King of the south shall attack him-papacy-the King of the north.") The Papal power came to its end and the atheistic power arose in France. Ellen White described this as: "A new manifestation of Satanic power"¹ and she says: "This is Atheism."²

She also says: "The power represented the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit."³

This beast we will find in Rev 11:7. This is the sixth beast mentioned "One is" in Rev. 17:10, part 2, which is atheism, which arose in France. From 1798, atheism began to grow strongly throughout the whole of the following nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, atheism, with its godless communism spread, not only ideologically, but started also to overturn governments in a growing number of countries and territories of the world. This began in Russia in 1917, then during the second world war, in 1941 communism took over the governments of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

After the second world war communism took the governments of Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, later China, North Korea, North Vietnam and Cuba.

Also this godless ideology - atheism - began to permeate all Government schools in the whole world.

Children and youth are taught the theory of evolution as a fact, not only in communist dominated countries, but in the western world as well. So, atheism in education as secular humanism has become the dominant philosophy in the whole world; promulgated by the media as well.

Ellen White predicted this, she says: "The world wide dissemination of the same teachings that led to the French Revolution - all are tending to involve the whole world in a struggle similar to that which convulsed France."⁴

This is why she described atheism as: "A new manifestation of satanic power,"⁵ and "the power represented as "the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit."⁶

This beast from Rev:11:7, represents atheism which arose in France and in communist Russia. This power was very strong and there was the possibility that it would overcome the United States of America and the whole world.

On 7th June, 1982 President Ronald Reagan visited Pope John Paul II in the Vatican. The Pope told him: "Though we may not have a lot in common between us, we do have a common enemy in communism. Let’s work together for its downfall." And so what Time magazine called the "Holy Alliance" was born (See Time, Feb. 24, 1992). In 1989 the atheistic communism began to collapse (see Dan. 11:40, "The King of the north shall come against him" - Atheistic communism - "Like a whirlwind."(see chart, at the end of the chapter for the full explanation). Communism in 1989 collapsed, first in Poland, then in other middle and eastern European countries. Eventually the headquarters of the communist party was abolished in August 1991 in Russia. Then came:

The SEVENTH beast which represented the United States of America. She became the only political and military superpower in the world." In a broad new policy statement that is in its final drafting state, the Defense Department (in the United States) states: "that America’s political and military mission in the post-cold war era will be to ensure that no rival superpower is allowed to emerge in Western Europe, Asia, or the Territory of the former Soviet Union."⁷

In other words it states they have taken a definite position that they will not allow another power in the world to rival them as the superpower. With the fall of communism the United States became the only superpower in the world.

This is her position after the fall of communism. Thus atheistic communism fell to the seventh beast represented by the United States of America.

In Rev 13:11, Scripture says about America: "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon."⁸ Notice, that the beast with the lamblike horns "spake as a dragon." There is a complete change of character from 1776 to 1991 - "He had two horns like a lamb" (Rev 13:11, KJV), but the last part of this verse states that he will speak as a dragon. This speaking like a dragon is the very last activity of the United States just before the second coming of Jesus Christ.

One of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence of the United States was Alexander Tyler, he said : "that the average period of any democracy was 200 years, and after that was dictatorship." If we start to count from the year of the Declaration of Independence which was 1776, America has gone beyond the 200 years to about 220 years.

After the collapse of communism, America became the only political and military superpower and began to speak as a dragon in the political and military context.

Since the collapse of communism we have already heard her voice at the time of the Gulf war with Iraq in 1991. Again in the middle of 1996 America bombarded Iraqi weapon storage facilities with rocket guns.

Bill Clinton, the President of America, has made the statement, "The world is looking to America to act as policeman to the world." We see that the United States plays the main role in the world. This is exemplified now as she is the main mediator in the Middle East peace process, she also played the main role in solving the ethnic war in Bosnia, Kosovo, and in all troubles, problems and conflicts in the world today.

Scripture says: The beast coming out of the earth which has two horns like a lamb and speaks as a dragon will make the image to the beast. (see Rev 13:11-17)

At the present time in America the church and state is separated, but when this separation is abolished, at that time the image to the beast will be established.

I would like to share with you the latest developments in the United States in order that we may understand what is happening at the present time, and how the end-time prophecies are beginning to fulfill before our very eyes.

This statement from the Washington State newspaper by the Moral Majority says: "Separation of church and state is a dangerous concept...wipe the phrase separation of church and state out of your vocabulary." This states - ‘wipe it out’ - don’t even talk about it.

W.A. Chiswell who is the pastor of one of the largest United churches in the U.S.A., and a speaker at the Republican Convention said: "I believe that this notion of the separation of church and state was the figment of some infidel’s imagination."

The situation in the United States with regard to separation of church and state is changing decisively today.

In the United States there is a strong movement called: "The Christian Coalition." The founder and leader of the Christian Coalition is Pat Robertson.

In 1988 he was a candidate for Republican nomination for the Presidency of the United States, but George Bush was selected. He then established an organization known as the Christian Coalition. He is a charismatic television preacher. He owns Regent University and seven hundred religious broadcasting outlets are under his control in the United States. He is one of the most powerful religious voices in the United States today.

The Christian Coalition is a gathering together of Protestants, Roman Catholics and Jews. These people have come together with a common goal and aim. The common purpose is to bring America back to God.

They have an agenda that includes traditional, Christian family values. They are against abortion, and special privileges for homosexuals. They want prayer in schools and no separation between church and state. They also want Sunday to be the family day when people go to church. They want to see the church controlling the government in the United States. They want the church to use the power of government to enforce moral values on society. They are already planning and speaking in this way.

The Christian Coalition is really moving mountains in the United States. During the last convention of the Republican Party (middle of 1996) the Christian Coalition were on TV and they said: "We control this party."

In the history of the United States there has never been a time such as this, in which the church has moved to control civil power.

I have a recorded interview between NBN TV Australia and an American TV station. The NBN broadcaster said: "This morning I heard Bill Clinton’s speech to the American people. I identified his main theme as reconciliation and unity. The American broadcaster answered: "That was his speech."

"Really Bill Clinton needs reconciliation and unity, because in the next four years he is facing a hostile Congress which is controlled by the Republicans (Christian Coalition)."

"If Bill Clinton wants anything done for the next four years he really needs to bring the Republicans alongside, and that was why he was referring to unity several times during his speech."

This is the situation. If Bill Clinton wants to achieve anything he must compromise with the Republican party. The Republican party is under the leadership of the Christian Coalition. From this we can see how easy it will be to pass the National Sunday law in America according to the last day Bible prophecy.

In the light of all this, and from study of end-time prophecy and events currently happening in America I believe soon, very soon she will make the image to the beast and will speak as a dragon in the religious context. The National Sunday Law will be issued in America. This is where we are at present. " God’s word outlines very clearly the course of earth’s history from the time of Daniel right to the time of the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. Our Saviour has revealed to us what will happen just before He comes to earth the second time and I believe we are seeing these events taking place right now."⁹

The United States of America is going to fulfill this last prophecy (Rev. 13:11-17) now. The foundation has been laid, the time is ripe and everything is in place for its fulfillment.

In Rev 17:10, the very last prophecy states that the seventh king or beast is the United States of America, which has risen to be the only superpower today, but prophecy says: "When he comes he must continue a short time."¹⁰ We have already studied about the sixth and seventh beasts.

We found after the communist party headquarters was abolished in August 1991 in Russia, then at this time the seventh beast represented the United States of America. She became the only political and military power in the world from the year 1991. It is already about six years (from 1991-1997) she has been the superpower on this earth.

But prophecy says: "When he comes he must continue a short time." ¹¹This is the seventh beast. This is where we are today. But this prophecy is not finished, the very next verse Rev. 17:11, says: "And the beast that was and is not, even he is eighth and is of the seven and goeth into perdition."¹²

The key to understand this and to identify this eighth beast, is first of all to know where John the Revelator was during the vision? We will find the answer to this in Rev. 17:3, "So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness."¹³ So we must remember that John is in the wilderness not on the island of Patmos. It is during the time of the sixth beast, the period of atheism in 1798, that John sees what is taking place. The last part of Rev. 17:8 says: "the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."¹⁴

"Was", is in the past.

"Is not", is in the present.

"Yet is", is in the future.

John is in the wilderness where the beast has been overthrown by atheism in 1798, but it will come back because the Bible says "yet is."

Rev 17:11 says: that the beast "is of the seven." This means it comes from among the seven beasts. When we read Rev 17:10, the first part says: "And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is."¹⁵

1. Babylon - 605-539 BC.

2. Medo-Persia - 539-331 BC.

3. Greece - 331-168 BC.

4. Pagan Rome - 168 BC-476 AD.

5. Papal Rome - 538-1798 AD.

In this case Papal Rome was the fifth beast, and it refers to his "deadly wound." This fifth beast (the Papacy) was in power from 538-1798 AD .

During this period Papal Rome had both religious and political power which was a unification of church and state. Papal power controlled all the states of Europe during those 1260 years, and this history calls, "Papal supremacy." But the very end-time prophecy predicted that this papal power which "was in power" (from 538-1798) and "was not in power," (from 1798 until today) but "will resume power" or become a "revived power," then comes the EIGHTH BEAST.

We find this prophecy in Rev 17: 8: "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is".¹⁶

Let us do an exegesis to find the Biblical explanation of this important verse.

The first part of this verse says: "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not." That is, the beast of Rev. 17:3. Scripture says: "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."¹⁷

"John was not shown the beast in either its ‘was’ or its ‘is not’ state, but in its ‘YET IS’ period with the revival of the beast when it becomes ‘THE EIGHTH.’"¹⁸

The second part of Rev. 17:8, says: "and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit." ‘The bottomless pit’ Greek abussos, literally, ‘abyss.’ implying vast, measureless space, place of the dead, commonly called Hades (see Matt 11:23; 2 Sam. 12:23; Prov 15:11, Isa. 14:9). Descent into the ‘abyss’ would thus be a fitting term to represent the death of a beast that appeared to have been slain."¹⁹

"And shall ascend out of the bottomless pit" (Rev.17:8). "At the time John saw this beast in vision, it had already ascended out of the bottomless pit."... In its "yet is" period, with the revival of the beast, when it becomes "the eighth."²⁰

The third part of Rev 17:8, says: "and go into perdition," or utter destruction; "annihilation" (see John 17:12). This indicates the utter end of the beast (see chapter 19:20; 20:10).

The fourth part of Rev 17:8, says: "and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder." When the beast revives again as "the eighth," they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, "whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."²¹

A remarkably similar statement is made in Rev. 13:3,8 "all the world wondered after the beast." "All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."²²

This shows the world’s attitude toward the beast of Rev 13, when "its deadly wound was healed" (Rev. 13:3). This refers to the same event as in Rev 17:8; it follows that the statement, "his deadly wound was healed" (Rev 13:3) is equivalent to the expression "shall ascend out of the bottomless pit" (Rev 17:8).

The above two expressions are equivalent to the expression "Yet is" and "he is the eighth" (see Rev 17:8,11, (KJV). This is a relationship between the beast of Rev. 13:3,8 and the woman and the beast of Rev 17:3, 8, 11.

The whole chapter of Revelation 17 is concerned with the beast during its "yet is" period, when it is "the eighth" (See Rev 17:8,11).²³

So, according to the above end-time prophecies (Rev 13:3 the second part, 8; 17:8, 11), the "eighth beast" will be revived or restored in the very end-time. The most important thing to understand is that this prophecy is going to be fulfilled in our time. The eighth beast, will soon, very soon, be a revived power and the whole world will wonder after the beast. We will show you how soon it will happen. This is why Revelation 17 is the most important chapter in the Bible for God’s people NOW. We must clearly understand this chapter. This is what we are going to do now.

The following two charts:

First, an illustration of the seven heads of Rev.17:10, 11, 8.

Second, an illustration of the Kings of the South and the King of the North, of Dan.11:40-45.

This understanding of Revelation 17: 10, 11, 8, came to my mind in 1989, when I was in Poland. I saw the collapse of Communism there, and in Czechoslovakia and other Eastern European countries. I realized then that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 11: 40, which talks about the King of the South and the King of the North. At that time the Seventh-day Adventist Church was not sure about the interpretation of this prophecy, who the King of the South, and the King of the North was. Uriah Smith in his book Daniel and Revelation, said that the King of the North was Turkey, but James White said it was the Papacy.

When I saw the collapse of communism with my own eyes I came to the conclusion that the King of the North was the Papacy and the King of the South was Atheistic Communism. With this as a basis, I came to an understanding of Revelation 17: 10, 11, 8. Before the collapse of Communism we did not have sufficient evidence for an understanding of this prophecy.

When I came to Australia from my trip to Europe in 1989, I met Dr. Ferch at Avondale College, and I told him about my understanding of these prophecies (Daniel 11: 40, and Revelation 17: 10). He suggested I write to the Daniel and Revelation Committee at the General Conference about this.

I was born into a Seventh-day Adventist family and I graduated from our Theological Seminary in Poland. While I was there I studied the prophecy of Revelation 17: 10, which I will present below. This was the generally accepted SDA position at this time (1962). With the understanding I received in 1989, I began to compare the two interpretations, which I would like to share with you now.

Following are two charts illustrating the first and second views.

The first view as you can see on the chart, how many heads are there? Lets count them:

(1) Egypt, (2) Assyria, (3) Babylon, (4) Medo-Persia, (5) Greece, (6) Pagan and Papal Rome, (7) the resurrected Papacy. The question arises: Is the resurrected Papacy another head? The answer is: No ! Because in Revelation 13 it tells us that one head received a deadly wound and his deadly wound was healed. Therefore in the first view we only have in Revelation 17:10 a six headed beast but prophecy says seven. This is the first problem in this view.

The second problem in the first view is: Revelation 17: 3, says: "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness…" John the Revelator is not in the spirit on Patmos Island. In what time period was this wilderness? Verse 8 makes it clear where John was located at that time in the vision: "The beast that was (past) and is not (present) and will (future) ascend out of the bottomless pit."

Therefore in the vision John was situated in the time of the " is not," where the beast had received the deadly wound in 1798 ( see Rev. 13: 3).

The third problem is, that when we study the books of Daniel and Revelation there is no mention of Egypt and Assyria as beasts.

The fourth problem is, not taking into consideration the prophecy in Daniel 11: 40 about the King of the North and the King of the South. In the year 1798 the King of the South (Atheism) attacked the King of the North (the Papacy) and wounded the first beast of Revelation 13: 1-10.

The question arises: Where is the King of the South (Atheism) mentioned in the book of Revelation? The answer is, in Rev. 11: 7. Ellen White described this as: "A new manifestation of Satanic power." (See The Great Controversy, page 269). And she says: "This is atheism" (Ibid.). This is the problem, the first view was not recognizing atheism as the beast, as the Bible and the Spirit of prophecy does.

The fifth problem is, the Papacy cannot be the seventh beast as the first view indicates, because in Revelation 17: 11. It says: "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth beast, and is of the seven." Did you notice? Not the seventh head, but one "of the seven." The eighth beast (Rev. 17: 11) is the resurrected fifth beast (healed). See Rev. 13: 3 and Rev. 17: 8. See also the chart which presents the second view.

The sixth problem is, this first view does not acknowledge the two beasts mentioned in Revelation , namely: First, Rev. 11:7 (Atheism), and second, Rev. 13: 11-17 (the United States of America).

What is the truth?

 

The second view says: There are only seven heads, only seven beasts in the book of Daniel and Revelation, namely:

1. Babylon
2. Medo-Persia
3. Greece
4. Pagan Rome
5. Papal Rome
6. Atheism or Atheistic Communism
7. America
8. Restored beast (Papal Rome).

This is the second view which perfectly fits in with history and prophecy in the books of Daniel and Revelation. Because prophecy is history foretold and history is prophecy fulfilled.