The Beast of Revelation is a Political and Religious Entity.

[Hobie]

A Beast in prophecy is identified as a Kingdom which symbolizes a Nation.
Daniel 7:23
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

But at the same time this Nation which is demanding worship
Revelation 14:9
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

And we see what happens who accede to its demands..
Revelation 14:11
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

And it is pictured as a women on it which in bible prophecy symbolizes a church.

Revelation 17:3-6
3 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.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

This means that the Beast is both political and religious, and we find the following about the Church of Rome.

“No other religious system has [these] two powers, both political and religious.” -(The Godfathers, pg.3 Dr. Alberto Rivera)

"The Pope State, a unique entity within the heart of Rome, stands as a symbol of spiritual authority and historical significance. Encompassing the Vatican City, this independent city-state serves not only as the papal residence but also as a focal point for millions of Catholics worldwide."The Role of the Pope in Vatican City: A Political Perspective | Actualizado February 2025

"Vatican City, the world’s smallest independent state, holds a profound significance that extends far beyond its geographical size. Nestled within the city of Rome, Italy, this sovereign entity serves as the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church."Significance of Vatican City - Catholicism

“The Vatican is a government itself. It is a political state of which every Roman Catholic becomes a member at the time of baptism… Their allegiance should be to Rome first, then to the country in which they were born.” -Double-Cross, pg. 29

"Vatican City was established as an independent state in the year 1929 by the Lateran Treaty."The Vatican's government

"Vatican City is the smallest state in the world, measuring only 108 acres, and is located entirely within the city of Rome.'" 14 New Catholic Encyclopedia 555 (1981 edition).

"The Vatican City, often simply referred to as the Vatican, is the smallest independent city-state in the world, both in terms of area and population. Enclaved within the city of Rome, it stands out as a sovereign state that operates independently from Italy. The Vatican is the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as the residence of the Pope..."Why Is The Vatican Not Part Of Italy? A Historical And Political Explanation

The Beast of Revelation is clearly a Political and Religious entity and we see who it is if we discern what Gods Word gives us.

 

[tailgator]

The Israeli government is a political and religious entity.Its kingdom was founded for people who deny Jesus is the Christ.As of today 98 percent of Israel reject Christ as king of Israel and of the 2 percent that do ,the majority of those are Arab Christian.Almost all of the Knesset (synagogue of Satan)are religious Jews who reject Christ as king .

The nation of Israel received a deadly wound in 70 AD,but the deadly wound was healed in 1948.All the world marveled when the deadly wound was healed and multitudes from all nations ,tongues and peoples have followed after that nation.

Jesus spoke to the leaders of this nation and told them that they are responsible for the blood of prophets and saints and of all the righteous blood shed upon earth.He prophecied he would send them prophets and apostles and they will kill them.The righteous saints who are killed by the beast shall reign with Christ for they are worthy.

 

[Hobie]

And its been around how many years as a state, 70 some year, since 1948.... State of Israel proclaimed | May 14, 1948 | HISTORY

And how long has the Catholic Church of Rome been around, more than 1260 years and its still going.... From the Roman Empire to the Roman Catholic Church - GreekReporter.com

Need to discern and see the truth of who the Beast of Revelation is...

 

[tailgator]

And its been around how many years as a state, 70 some year, since 1948.... State of Israel proclaimed | May 14, 1948 | HISTORY

And how long has the Catholic Church of Rome been around, more than 1260 years and its still going.... From the Roman Empire to the Roman Catholic Church - GreekReporter.com

Need to discern and see the truth of who the Beast of Revelation is...

The beast existed before the Catholic Church.

As I said,the beast received a deadly wound in 70 AD.The deadly wound was healed in 1948.


Jesus prophecied of the beast killing his prophets and apostles before the beast received the deadly wound .Jesus said the beast was responsible for all the righteous blood shed upon earth .

"all the righteous blood shed upon the earth,"​

Mathew 23:35
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.



Here in revelation 20,we find all the righteous blood shed upon earth reigning with Christ after they are resurected .


Revelation 20
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

 

[ewq1938]

And its been around how many years as a state, 70 some year, since 1948.... State of Israel proclaimed | May 14, 1948 | HISTORY

And how long has the Catholic Church of Rome been around, more than 1260 years and its still going..

Well over 1600 years so no reason to mention 1260 years, which has no biblical significance..

The RCC is not the beast because the beast has only 42 months to rule. It will be a far larger and more powerful than anything similar of the past and it only will be in power a very short time. RCC and Papacy are not a match.

 

[Hobie]

Well over 1600 years so no reason to mention 1260 years, which has no biblical significance..

The RCC is not the beast because the beast has only 42 months to rule. It will be a far larger and more powerful than anything similar of the past and it only will be in power a very short time. RCC and Papacy are not a match.

Need to see it is also also learn what the Bible prophecies unveil as it shows it with almost pinpoint accuracy. We have been given much information regarding the 'Beast' power in Revelation and the 'Little Horn' of Daniel which are the same entity and we can see how it matches up.

• Daniel 7:25, "time, times and a half".
• Daniel 12:7, "time, times and a half".
• Revelation 11:2, "42 months".
• Revelation 11:3, "1260 days".
• Revelation 12:6, "1260 days".
• Revelation 12:14, "time, times and a half".
• Revelation 13:5, "42 months".

Now in the book of Daniel the 'Little Horn' power is the primary antagonist of the faithful with a time span set here, so clear that the 'Little Horn' is an earthly system through which Satan seeks to influence and deceive mankind. We see the same thing with the 'Beast' power, and this earthly system is also identified in many ways including as 'Mystery Babylon' or the woman (church) that rides the Beast, who would give its mark to those who follow it.
Revelation 17:3
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.

Revelation 17:5
And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

And compare on the Beast she rides...

Daniel 7:7
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.

Revelation 13:1
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns,

Now looking at Daniel 7, it help us to identify the little horn which grows into the antichrist entity.
It is a little kingdom which would come into being with great power and influence.
It came up among the ten horns on the head of the fourth beast which is the Roman Empire.
It would become powerful after Roman Empire and would arise after the ten horns. Therefore, it would arise after Rome fell in 476 AD.
Three Nations would be removed In Its rise. Three of the ten kingdoms were displaced by his rise to power. The Papacy subdued and destroyed three out of the ten kingdoms, Heruli, Ostrogoths & Vandals.
It would be different or diverse. "He was diverse from the former" . So it was different from the previous ten kings which were only temporal. This little horn would claim authority like God.
It has a Human element as it says would have "eyes like the eyes of a man," This horn has "eyes", not of God, but of man. It is guided by human intelligence, human leadership, and human authority. With a man as leader, it usurps God's leadership.
And it is blasphemous as it would have a "mouth speaking great things" and "shall speak great words against the most High" The little horn power would speak great, or pompous things, and would speak out against God.
Rules 1260 Years. It would last for "a time, times and the dividing of times". and we see the same in Revelation 12: 6. Describes this period as 1260 days and Revelation 13: 5. Describes this period as forty two months.
It would have dominion and also persecute God's saints for 1260 years as we saw in the Dark Ages.
it would changes times And laws as we see "think to change times and laws" .

So the little horn power would be both a political and a religious power and would also think to change "Times and Laws". If you look the only commandment in the Ten of the Law that deals with time is the fourth commandment which gives it for the Sabbath.
And finally it would be destroyed by God, so it would be powerful until the Second Coming.

So we can see that all of the identifying marks in Daniel and much of the same in Revelation, were fulfilled in the history of this apostate church.

 

[Hobie]

Now not only Daniel and Revelation, but Paul also wrote a warning to believers of the coming antichrist and his apostasy as we see in Thessalonians..
2 Thessalonians 2:3-8
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (the second coming of Jesus) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

We see it was restrained, and history shows it was the Roman Empire which had a restraining element, and then it began to arise after the empire fell. Then we see it revealed as 'that lawless one' and what happens to it at the end, 'whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.' So it has been since then and we see it over the 1260 years which began when the Arian Ostrogoths were driven away from Rome, allowing the bishop of Rome to assert control of Christian churches according to the decree of Justinian in 533. The period ended in 1798 AD, when the French general Berthier entered Rome, proclaimed a republic and took the pope prisoner.

This is a good study on the starting point of 538 AD for the 1260-year prophecy, and easy to grasp:

"But with the rise of Napoleon, and the exile into captivity of the pope by French general Berthier, there was a rare moment of near prophetic unanimity among Protestant expositors, who declared that this period ended in A.D. 1798. It was a matter, then, of running the period backward to find the starting point, which would be A.D. 538....A careful study of Daniel 7:24-26 and some related prophetic passages reveals that the decisive events of the terminal moments of the 1,260 years should be understood primarily legally, rather than militarily. Once this legal framework is understood and given its due weight it becomes clearer how the 538 event relates to the 1798 event. In a nutshell, the Justinian Code, which was completed in 534, 'enacted orthodox Christianity into law,' placed the pope as the formal head of Christendom, ?ordered all Christian groups to submit to [his] authority,? and gave him civil power of life and death over heretics.

This code, however, did not become legally promulgated and enacted on the ground until the siege of Rome was lifted in 538. Justinian's general, Belisarius, had entered Rome unopposed at the end of 536, but shortly thereafter the Ostrogoths came and laid siege to Rome. After about a year the siege was broken, and Belisarius had control of Rome and its environs.5 It was then that the provisions of the code elevating the Papacy could actually be implemented by Belisarius beyond the borders of Rome itself. The Gothic Wars continued, with the Ostrogoths being finally driven out in 553.

But these later battles and sieges did not nullify the papal-centered legal system that had been put into place in 538. Even when Rome fell again to the Goths, they did not control the Papacy, as at that time it was operating outside Rome. 'After 538,' Adventist scholar Jean Zukowski observed, ]the papacy never came back under the control of the Ostrogothic kings.'7 The papal system, placed at the head of Christendom and given the power of life and death over heretics by the Justinian Code, endured in the West for more than 1,000 years, being given a great boost in the legal revolutions of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, forming the legal scaffolding of many modern states.8 That is, until the secular revolutions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, where the code and its religious character were explicitly rejected.

These secular revolutions began with the French Revolution, which soon led to the capture and exile of the pope by Berthier in 1798. But again, more significant than the military/political event of the capture and exile was the replacement of the religious-centric Justinian Code by the secular Napoleonic Code. The secular code was implemented by the famous bill number 8 of February 15, 1798, where General Berthier declared Rome an independent republic and 'in consequence, every other temporal authority emanating from the old government of the Pope, is suppressed, and it shall no more exercise any function.'" Understanding the 1,260-year Prophecy | Adventist World

 

[Hobie]

Now what is really interesting is that the 1260 years of this antichrist entity, which is seen as the Papal Supremacy, is attested to by many sources, not just a few:

Long ages ago, when Rome through the neglect of the Western emperors was left to the mercy of barbarous hordes, Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection and asked him to rule them; and thus in this simple manner, the best title of all to kingly right, commenced the temporal sovereignty of the Popes. And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, the Vicar of Christ took up the sceptre to which the emperors and kings of Europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages, from sentiments of respect for the dignity of his office and because he was the only mediator whom they recognized in their almost interminable wars.

Source: Two Romes, by James P. Conry, in The American Catholic Quarterly Review, Volume XXXVI (36), edited by James Andrew Corcoran, Patrick John Ryan, Edmond Francis Prendergast, 1911, pgs. 193-194.

... the right to her Temporal Sovereignty is an integral right of the Church as constituted by her Divine Founder. It has prevailed de facto for more than twelve hundred years, and has been possessed de jure by Divine Natural Law from the beginning of Christianity,... Source: The Victories of Rome and the Temporal Monarchy of the Church, 5th edition, By Kenelm Digby Best, London, 1906, pg. xii.

Rome has been a government under the Popes for some twelve hundred years. Source: Complete Works of the Most Rev. John Hughes, Archbishop of New York, 1866, Volume 2. pg. 778

... In books of all sizes, and from the pulpit of every church, we have been taught from our infancy, that the "beast, the man of sin, and the scarlet harlot," mentioned in the Revelations, were names which God himself had given to the Pope; and we have all been taught to believe of the Catholic Church, that her worship was "idolatrous," and that her doctrines were "damnable.".... Now let us put a plain question or two to ourselves, and to these our readers; and we shall quickly be able to form a just estimate of the modesty, sincerity, and consistency of these revilers of the Catholic religion: ―they will not, because they cannot, deny, that this religion was the ONLY CHRISTIAN religion in the world for fifteen hundred years after the death of Christ. They may say, indeed, that for the first three hundred years there was no Pope seated at Rome. But, then, for twelve hundred years there had been; and, during that period, all the nations of Europe, and some part of America, had become Christian, and all acknowledged the Pope as their head in religious matters; and, in short, there was no other Christian Church known in the world, nor had any other ever been thought of. Can we believe, then, that Christ, who died to save sinners, who sent forth his gospel as the means of their salvation, would have suffered a false Christian religion, and no other than a false Christian religion, to be known amongst men all this while? Will these modest assailants of the faith of their and our ancestors assert to our faces, that, for twelve hundred years at least, there were no true Christians in the world? Will they tell us, that Christ, who promised to be with the teachers of his word to the end of the world, wholly left them, and gave up hundreds upon hundreds of millions of people to be led in darkness to their eternal perdition, by one whom his inspired followers had denominated the "man of sin, and the scarlet harlot"? Will they, indeed, dare to tell us, that Christ gave up the world wholly to "Antichrist" for twelve hundred years?

Source: History of the Protestant Reformation in England and Ireland, Showing How That Event Has Impoverished and Degraded the Main Body of the People in Those Countries, by William Cobbett, published in 1832 in New York by John Doyle, 12 Liberty-street; and Thomas Doyle, Market-street, Providence R.I., pages 6 and 7.

 

[Jay Ross]

@Hobie

Quoting other SDA sources does not mean that you have presented a strong case for your repetitive bandwagon of shaming other religious denomination that do not agree with the SDA theology that you adhere too.

Goodbye

PS: - You did not disclose that the linked article

 

[Truth7t7]

A Beast in prophecy is identified as a Kingdom which symbolizes a Nation.
burning with brimstone.

Your Ellen G. White SDA claim is "False"

It appears many lack wisdom, reformed eschatology hides the facts of (The Beast) being a future literal human man (Dangerous)

Revelation 13:18KJV
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The Beast, A Literal Male Human Being, Pronouns "1st Person Singular" "He" "His" "Him"

Revelation 13:4KJV
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth 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.

The Beast will have a living human body

"Cast Alive" "His Body Destroyed"

Revelation 19:20KJV
20 And 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.

Daniel 7:10-11KJV
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
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.

 

[ewq1938]

Now what is really interesting is that the 1260 years of this antichrist entity, which is seen as the Papal Supremacy, is attested to by many sources, not just a few:

The Ac doesn't even have 4 years, let alone over 1600 years which is the min amount of time the Catholic church has existed. You have no valid reason to quote 1260 except to deceive and mislead. 1260 is days, and that's for the two witnesses not the beast.

 

[tailgator]

Well over 1600 years so no reason to mention 1260 years, which has no biblical significance..

The RCC is not the beast because the beast has only 42 months to rule. It will be a far larger and more powerful than anything similar of the past and it only will be in power a very short time. RCC and Papacy are not a match.

The beast has 42 months after the arrival.of the false prophet
The deadly wound of the beast was healed in 1948 and Jews from.the nations followed after it.
It is described as little in the book of Daniel so don't make a big deal out of it.

Daniel 7
24 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.

25 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.

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

27 And 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.



The three horns which were subdued in verse 24 was Syria,Egypt and Jordan.That part of the prophecy was fulfilled in 1967.
After the beast is destroyed,the kingdom is given to the saints( seed of Abraham )which is who it is promised to.
It shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Exodus 19:6
you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

 

[tailgator]

Can you imagine how badly the ten horns would like to destroy the king of Babylon.He never lets an opportunity to humiliate his adversaries slip by.He is constantly flexing his muscle and showing his right to rule.

Netanyahu says Israel won't allow Syrian forces 'south of Damascus'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will not allow Syria’s new army or the insurgent group that led the ouster of former President Bashar Assad to “enter the area south of Damascus” as his government made clear Israeli forces would stay in parts of southern Syria for an indefinite

apnews.com

 

[CTK]

Now what is really interesting is that the 1260 years of this antichrist entity, which is seen as the Papal Supremacy, is attested to by many sources, not just a few:

Long ages ago, when Rome through the neglect of the Western emperors was left to the mercy of barbarous hordes, Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection and asked him to rule them; and thus in this simple manner, the best title of all to kingly right, commenced the temporal sovereignty of the Popes. And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, the Vicar of Christ took up the sceptre to which the emperors and kings of Europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages, from sentiments of respect for the dignity of his office and because he was the only mediator whom they recognized in their almost interminable wars.

Interpretation

Daniel 7:23

23Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces.

After the fall of Pagan Rome—the first phase of the fourth beast (Daniel 7:11)—something profoundly different took its place. Gabriel’s final interpretation of the vision focuses on this new phase of the fourth kingdom: Papal Rome, an empire unlike any before it. Gabriel explains how the little horn (the Papacy) would gradually rise in power:

First, it would gain control over the people of the world (Daniel 7:23).

Then, it would challenge and overthrow three kings (Daniel 7:24).

Finally, it would set itself against God, speaking blasphemies and persecuting the saints (Daniel 7:25).

This sequence deeply troubled Daniel because it meant that the fourth beast was not merely political but something far more dangerous—a kingdom that would blend earthly power with spiritual control. Daniel had already seen Pagan Rome in the first phase of the fourth beast (Daniel 7:7-8), but now, in verse 19, he is confronted with a second phase—a new version of the fourth beast that is far more dreadful than anything he had seen before.

The iron teeth remained, symbolizing continued strength and power, but something new had emerged: bronze nails—a feature not seen in Pagan Rome. This addition represented a different kind of oppression—one that went beyond military conquest. Papal Rome would not just conquer nations; it would seek to conquer hearts, minds, and souls.

Daniel had no reference point for such a kingdom. He had only ever seen earthly empires rise and fall through war, politics, and brute force. But this was different. This beast would not just crush its enemies—it would control them from within. While Pagan Rome ruled through military conquest, Papal Rome would present itself as a spiritual kingdom, using religious authority rather than swords and armies. However, its power structure remained strikingly similar.

Instead of an emperor or Caesar, it had a pope—the little horn.

Instead of military rule, it wielded doctrinal authority over the people.

Instead of conquering lands by force, it converted or persecuted those who did not conform.

For the next 1500 years, after 500 AD, the little horn would dominate Europe, claiming religious and political control over vast territories. The methods it employed, however, were far from the teachings of Jesus. While Christ refused to force anyone to bow before Him, the Papacy would force conversions through coercion, deception, and violence. Some estimates suggest that between 60 and 80 million people lost their lives as a result of Papal Rome’s inquisitions, crusades, and religious persecutions. Many of these acts were committed in the name of God, but they bore no resemblance to the character of Christ.

One critical distinction is that this fourth kingdom—Papal Rome—was never ordained by God. In Daniel 2 and 7, God reveals four kingdoms that would arise from the sea, meaning they were part of His plan of salvation history. But this final phase of the fourth beast does not arise from the sea—it emerges from within the fallen remains of Pagan Rome. Likewise, the little horn is not a king appointed by God, yet it rules over both political and religious matters until the return of the Messiah. Its power is real, its influence is vast, but it is not divinely sanctioned.

Daniel struggled to understand why this new beast was so different. He had seen kingdoms rise and fall, but never had he seen one transform itself from military dominance to spiritual dominance. This new beast didn’t just conquer through war—it sought to rewrite truth itself, twisting God’s Word for its own gain. The bronze nails, which gripped and tore at everything they touched, represented spiritual oppression, mirroring what Jesus warned about in Matthew 13:19:

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

This little horn would snatch away the truth, replacing God’s teachings with man-made doctrines. This was no ordinary kingdom—it was a deception, a counterfeit of God's true kingdom.

Within three centuries, the Roman Church had transformed the administrative organization of the Roman Empire into an ecclesiastical system of bishoprics, dioceses, monasteries, colonies, garrisons, schools, libraries, administrative centers, envoys, representatives, courts of justice, and a criminal system of intricate laws all under the direct control of the pope. His Roman Palace, the Lateran, became the new Senate. The new senators were the cardinals. The bishops who lived in Rome and the priests and deacons helped the pope to administer this new imperium. (Malachi Martin, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church, p. 105).

As Rome’s role in pagan history came to an end, she was destined to play another, a sacred one, in Christian history. . .. Rome’s part in ecclesiastical history had begun. . . Thus, a Christian Rome, destined, like its pagan predecessor on the Palatine, to conquer a large part of the earth, gradually arose on Vatican Hill. . .. While today the Palatine [the hill of the Roman Emperors’ palaces] is in ruins, St. Peter’s still draws worshipers from all parts of the world. (Walter Woodburn Hyde, Paganism to Christianity in the Roman Empire, pp. 6-7).

Long before the fall of Rome, there had begun to grow up within the Roman Empire an ecclesiastical state, which was shaping itself upon the imperial model. This spiritual empire, like the secular empire, possessed a hierarchy of officers, of which deacons, priests or presbyters, and bishops were the most important. . .. Another consequence of the fall of the Roman power in the west was the development of the Papacy. In the absence of an Emperor in the west, the popes rapidly gained influence and power and soon built up an ecclesiastical empire that in some respects took the place of the old empire. (Myers, General History for Colleges, pp. 348, 316).

Under the Roman Empire the popes had no temporal powers. But when the Roman Empire had disintegrated and its place had been taken by a number of rude, barbarous kingdoms, the Roman Catholic Church not only became independent of the states in religious affairs but dominated secular affairs as well. At times, under such rulers as Charlemagne (768-814), Otto the Great (936-73), and Henry III (1039-56), the civil power controlled the church to some extent; but in general, under the weak

political system of feudalism, the well-organized, unified, and centralized church, with the pope as its head, was not only independent in ecclesiastical affairs but also controlled the civil affairs. The church interfered in secular affairs on the basis of its theory of the relation of church and state, which was formulated in substance by Augustine (354-430) and given wider and more definite application by such popes as Gregory VII (1073-85) Innocent III (1198- 1216), Boniface VIII (1294-1303), and others. @ Carl Conrad Eckhart, the Papacy and World Affairs (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1937), p. 1).

 

[sheeplike]

I gave up, trying to know who or what Babylon the Great is. There are four major reasons for that:
1) If you check internet today, you will have 20 different answers to this question.
2) since this prophecy was made, 100 Billion people died - so the chances I will know or see it are very low (I am over 60 now)
3) if Babylon falls, the Bible is very clear about the results. You must be blind in this moment, not to see it and to know the meaning of 666.
4) In my 30 years, when I was a Jehovah's Wittness I was told, it is the worldwide kingdom of false religion (except only JWs) - what a nonsense.

So I live only as a simple christian, follow the rules, concentrate on what James 1:22-27, especially 27. Why make things always complicated? Sorry.

 

[Hobie]

@Hobie

Quoting other SDA sources does not mean that you have presented a strong case for your repetitive bandwagon of shaming other religious denomination that do not agree with the SDA theology that you adhere too.

Goodbye

PS: - You did not disclose that the linked article

It says "Adventist" right on it, not much more can be done if one can't accept truth because they don't like it.

 

[Hobie]

I gave up, trying to know who or what Babylon the Great is. There are four major reasons for that:
1) If you check internet today, you will have 20 different answers to this question.
2) since this prophecy was made, 100 Billion people died - so the chances I will know or see it are very low (I am over 60 now)
3) if Babylon falls, the Bible is very clear about the results. You must be blind in this moment, not to see it and to know the meaning of 666.
4) In my 30 years, when I was a Jehovah's Wittness I was told, it is the worldwide kingdom of false religion (except only JWs) - what a nonsense.

So I live only as a simple christian, follow the rules, concentrate on what James 1:22-27, especially 27. Why make things always complicated? Sorry.

Yes, but who has been around since the fall of the Roman Empire, and persecuted the faithful and claims it has God leading it as the "vicar of christ", not hard to discern..

 

[Jay Ross]

It says "Adventist" right on it, not much more can be done if one can't accept truth because they don't like it.

Yes, you are right that not much can be done if others will not accept the truth.

The truth of the matter is that the beasts of the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation both present that the Beasts and the Little Horn are heavenly hosts that stir up the sea of humanity such that manifestations of the respective heavenly host beasts rise up out of the sea that mimic the respective characteristic of the beasts and the Little Horn.

Yes, the people groups, kingdoms and empires that chose to inhabit the respective dominions of the beasts and the little horn, that we see rising up out of the sea of humanity over time, do appear to be political and religious entities, but what many commentators do not see are the wicked, rebelling, heavenly hosts that are behind the respective manifestations of the heavenly beasts inhabiting the dominions of the respective fallen heavenly hosts.

I have been presenting this observable observation of who the actual beasts and Little Horn are for over ten years now and the same misguided understandings from the time of the reformation leaders is trotted out as if they were right back then.

The prophecies about the five wicked heavenly host beasts are still being hidden from and not being seen by people even today since the reformation father's demonisation of the RCC over 500 years ago.

Hobie you are one of the people who are blind to God's truth on this matter.

 

[Hobie]

Interpretation

Daniel 7:23

23Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces.

After the fall of Pagan Rome—the first phase of the fourth beast (Daniel 7:11)—something profoundly different took its place. Gabriel’s final interpretation of the vision focuses on this new phase of the fourth kingdom: Papal Rome, an empire unlike any before it. Gabriel explains how the little horn (the Papacy) would gradually rise in power:

First, it would gain control over the people of the world (Daniel 7:23).

Then, it would challenge and overthrow three kings (Daniel 7:24).

Finally, it would set itself against God, speaking blasphemies and persecuting the saints (Daniel 7:25).

This sequence deeply troubled Daniel because it meant that the fourth beast was not merely political but something far more dangerous—a kingdom that would blend earthly power with spiritual control. Daniel had already seen Pagan Rome in the first phase of the fourth beast (Daniel 7:7-8), but now, in verse 19, he is confronted with a second phase—a new version of the fourth beast that is far more dreadful than anything he had seen before.

The iron teeth remained, symbolizing continued strength and power, but something new had emerged: bronze nails—a feature not seen in Pagan Rome. This addition represented a different kind of oppression—one that went beyond military conquest. Papal Rome would not just conquer nations; it would seek to conquer hearts, minds, and souls.

Daniel had no reference point for such a kingdom. He had only ever seen earthly empires rise and fall through war, politics, and brute force. But this was different. This beast would not just crush its enemies—it would control them from within. While Pagan Rome ruled through military conquest, Papal Rome would present itself as a spiritual kingdom, using religious authority rather than swords and armies. However, its power structure remained strikingly similar.

Instead of an emperor or Caesar, it had a pope—the little horn.

Instead of military rule, it wielded doctrinal authority over the people.

Instead of conquering lands by force, it converted or persecuted those who did not conform.

For the next 1500 years, after 500 AD, the little horn would dominate Europe, claiming religious and political control over vast territories. The methods it employed, however, were far from the teachings of Jesus. While Christ refused to force anyone to bow before Him, the Papacy would force conversions through coercion, deception, and violence. Some estimates suggest that between 60 and 80 million people lost their lives as a result of Papal Rome’s inquisitions, crusades, and religious persecutions. Many of these acts were committed in the name of God, but they bore no resemblance to the character of Christ.

One critical distinction is that this fourth kingdom—Papal Rome—was never ordained by God. In Daniel 2 and 7, God reveals four kingdoms that would arise from the sea, meaning they were part of His plan of salvation history. But this final phase of the fourth beast does not arise from the sea—it emerges from within the fallen remains of Pagan Rome. Likewise, the little horn is not a king appointed by God, yet it rules over both political and religious matters until the return of the Messiah. Its power is real, its influence is vast, but it is not divinely sanctioned.

Daniel struggled to understand why this new beast was so different. He had seen kingdoms rise and fall, but never had he seen one transform itself from military dominance to spiritual dominance. This new beast didn’t just conquer through war—it sought to rewrite truth itself, twisting God’s Word for its own gain. The bronze nails, which gripped and tore at everything they touched, represented spiritual oppression, mirroring what Jesus warned about in Matthew 13:19:

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

This little horn would snatch away the truth, replacing God’s teachings with man-made doctrines. This was no ordinary kingdom—it was a deception, a counterfeit of God's true kingdom.

Within three centuries, the Roman Church had transformed the administrative organization of the Roman Empire into an ecclesiastical system of bishoprics, dioceses, monasteries, colonies, garrisons, schools, libraries, administrative centers, envoys, representatives, courts of justice, and a criminal system of intricate laws all under the direct control of the pope. His Roman Palace, the Lateran, became the new Senate. The new senators were the cardinals. The bishops who lived in Rome and the priests and deacons helped the pope to administer this new imperium. (Malachi Martin, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church, p. 105).

As Rome’s role in pagan history came to an end, she was destined to play another, a sacred one, in Christian history. . .. Rome’s part in ecclesiastical history had begun. . . Thus, a Christian Rome, destined, like its pagan predecessor on the Palatine, to conquer a large part of the earth, gradually arose on Vatican Hill. . .. While today the Palatine [the hill of the Roman Emperors’ palaces] is in ruins, St. Peter’s still draws worshipers from all parts of the world. (Walter Woodburn Hyde, Paganism to Christianity in the Roman Empire, pp. 6-7).

Long before the fall of Rome, there had begun to grow up within the Roman Empire an ecclesiastical state, which was shaping itself upon the imperial model. This spiritual empire, like the secular empire, possessed a hierarchy of officers, of which deacons, priests or presbyters, and bishops were the most important. . .. Another consequence of the fall of the Roman power in the west was the development of the Papacy. In the absence of an Emperor in the west, the popes rapidly gained influence and power and soon built up an ecclesiastical empire that in some respects took the place of the old empire. (Myers, General History for Colleges, pp. 348, 316).

Under the Roman Empire the popes had no temporal powers. But when the Roman Empire had disintegrated and its place had been taken by a number of rude, barbarous kingdoms, the Roman Catholic Church not only became independent of the states in religious affairs but dominated secular affairs as well. At times, under such rulers as Charlemagne (768-814), Otto the Great (936-73), and Henry III (1039-56), the civil power controlled the church to some extent; but in general, under the weak

political system of feudalism, the well-organized, unified, and centralized church, with the pope as its head, was not only independent in ecclesiastical affairs but also controlled the civil affairs. The church interfered in secular affairs on the basis of its theory of the relation of church and state, which was formulated in substance by Augustine (354-430) and given wider and more definite application by such popes as Gregory VII (1073-85) Innocent III (1198- 1216), Boniface VIII (1294-1303), and others. @ Carl Conrad Eckhart, the Papacy and World Affairs (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1937), p. 1).

Very true description, and also you have to remember that Rome had emperor worship, where he was held as a god, which the Papacy also brought over and we see it with the Pope..