Modern Day Beast Nations

An example of a modern day “beast” nation using its power to expand territorial control was exhibited when Russia, in early 2014, under the direction of President Putin, used its military might to capture the Crimean Peninsula, which is located south of Ukraine on the Black Sea. Russia’s “beast” leader, President Vladimir V. Putin, has also been active in the Syrian civil war and has built and/or upgraded two of their naval and air bases in Syria (Tartus and Khmeimim). Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in late 2017 stated, concerning Syria, “We have started to form a permanent presence there.”

Iran, Turkey and Russia are all actively competing for Syria’s oil fields and to establish hegemony in Syria, which just happens to be next door (adjacent) to the Golan Heights. The United States, under the direction of President Donald J. Trump, became the first country to recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel by issuing a Presidential Proclamation on March 25, 2019.

The Golan Heights was captured by Israel from Syria in the Six-Day war of 1967, and has been considered part of Israel since 1981. In December of 2014, Afek Oil and Gas began round-the-clock drilling in the Golan Heights and found large reserves of oil at three drilling sites in the southern part of the region.

“We are talking about a layer which is 350 meters thick,” Dr. Yuval Bartov, the chief geologist of Afek Oil and Gas told Channel 2 News. “On average in the world, strata are 20-30 meters thick, so this is 10 times as large as that, so we are talking about significant quantities.” ‘Afek, a subsidiary of American company, Genie Energy, estimates that oil production at the site could potentially reach billions of barrels. Currently Israel consumes 270,000 barrels of oil a day.’ ” ⁴

Russian President Putin’s close association with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, Iran’s Spirtual Leader Khamenei and Iran’s President Rouhani portend troublesome times ahead in the Middle East, especially concerning Israel, which all three nations strongly disdain.  In recent years, the Russian “bear” has been meeting frequently with Turkey (Grey Wolf) and Iran (formerly Persia—Ram), which most assuredly will generate nefarious plans concerning the land of Israel. The frequent meetings of this trio of nations in recent years is a harbinger of the Gog/Magog battle (Ezek. 38:1-23-39:1-29), where God intervenes on Israel’s behalf and decimates most of Russia, Iran and Turkey’s armies on the mountains of Israel.

The Rise and Fall of a Future Beast Nation

President Vladimir Putin’s current prime minister and former president, Dmitry Medvedev, along with the Russian Parliament leaders, recently resigned (January 22, 2020) in order to allow Putin to revise and consolidate his constitutional powers. Restructuring the Russian government will help Putin maintain control and stay in power after his term of office expires in 2024. Russia’s aggressive posture is like the bear described in Daniel 7:5 that is told to “Arise, devour much flesh.” Having the demeanor (outward behavior, conduct) of a bear which “devours much flesh” implies invading and conquering other “beast” nations, overthrowing their leaders and subjugating their citizens.

Russia’s offensive and hostile action in taking over the Crimean Peninsula, projecting its naval and air force military might into Syria and developing long-term strategic partnerships with many nations in northern Africa and the Middle East, most assuredly, qualifies Russia as a “beast kingdom/nation,” like those described by Daniel (7:1-7, 8:1-27). Russia’s provocative behavior throughout the Middle East is what would be expected from a “beast nation” that behaved like a hungry bear on the prowl, similar to the one described by Daniel (7:5).

Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 lay out in great detail, a future prophecy about a nation “Gog, of the land of Magog” (38:1-3) which is north of Israel (38:15, 39:2) that God puts “hooks in its jaws” (38:4) and brings down into the land of Israel (38:16-17) to show God’s power and might to the nations and the “house of Israel” (38:23, 39:25-29). For God to “put hooks into the jaws” of a nation and drag it down into the Middle East to the mountains of Israel, implies that it must represent a large beast that exhibits “beast-like” behavior. Many Bible scholars believe Russia “the bear” is the best candidate for the “beast” God is talking about in Ezekiel’s prophecy (38:2).

Although we do not know when the Gog/Magog war will occur or who “Gog” will be, the leader from “the land of Magog” who currently represents “Gog” is Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The rapid development of the Russian, Iranian and Turkish alliance in recent years, coupled with the more recent unveiling of  “The Deal of the Century” peace initiative by the Trump administration, should be a “wake up” call to those “watching” for Christ’s return in the air for his saints (Heb. 10:25, Luke 21:28). The prophetic “code words” given by the Apostle Paul, that were to be recognized by a future generation (Matt. 24:32-34, Mark 13:28-30, Luke 21:28-36), when the “day of the Lord” (God’s judgment) was near, are the words “peace and security” (also peace and safety).

Frequent use of the words “peace” and “security” in recent speeches, concerning the on-going Israel/Palestinian peace process, is unmistakable evidence of Bible prophecy that is currently in the process (happening now) of being fulfilled (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11). The code words “peace and security” (5::3) are closely linked with “the times and seasons” (5:1) of the resurrection (4:14-16), rapture (4:17) and beginning of “the day of the Lord” (5:2).  The Apostle Paul did not want his brothers in Christ (and future disciples) to be “ignorant” (4:13) of the order in which the “resurrection,” “catching up” of the saints and “day of the Lord” would occur.

Believers would not be “comforted” (4:18, 5:11) or excited to see “the day of the Lord” approaching (Heb. 10:25), unless they were confident “the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30, Luke 21:28) would occur before “the day of the Lord,” and they would not be left here on the earth when “the day of the Lord” was taking place. That is exactly the apocalyptic portrayal put forth by Paul (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11) with the “resurrection” and “catching up” of the saints preceding “the day of the Lord,” and both events surprising those left behind as “a thief in the night” (Matt. 24:43-44, 25:1-13; Luke 21:34-36; 1 Thess. 5:2-4; 2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 3:3, 10-11, 16:15).  The prophecy of the rapture, resurrection and “day of the Lord,” given by the Apostle Paul (5:3), is also the scenario we see unfolding in the world today, along with many other converging, prophetic harbingers.

Two Future Beasts that Control the World

The most famous “beast” combination in the bible is the coming Antichrist and False Prophet (first and second beast), that will reign over the earth for a brief season (time, times, half a time—Rev. 12:14) at the end of the age.  This final “beast” kingdom, which is described cryptically in Daniel and Revelation, will be the most ruthless dictatorship to ever exist on earth. (Dan. 7:7-12, 15-27; Rev.13:1-18).

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.  Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.  And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.  So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.  Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.  All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:1-8).

Revelation chapter 13 describes the kingdom the Antichrist and his partner, the False Prophet, will rule over during the last half of Daniel’s 70^th week, which will be three and one-half years (also 1260 days; 42 months; time, times and a half time). In Daniel, this kingdom is called the “fourth beast” (7:7), but in Revelation (13:1-2), it is described as a leopard with the mouth of a lion and the feet of a bear. In Daniel chapter two, this same, final Gentile kingdom is represented by the ten toes of the great metallic image (statue) that was part of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2:42).

The first beast (man of sin, wicked one, Antichrist) will “be revealed” after “the departure” of the saints ⁵ on the “day of redemption” when the Holy Spirit (He who now restrains) and the saints (who are sealed) will be removed from the earth (2 Thess. 2:3, 7-8; Eph.1:13-14, 4:30; Luke 21:28). After “the departure” of the saints, the Antichrist rises to power, confirms “the covenant with many for one week” and begins his sinister plan to take over and control the whole world (2 Thess. 2:4, Dan. 9:27). He is assisted by the second beast (False Prophet) who becomes the first beast’s chief enforcer, miracle worker, worship leader and propaganda publicist.  He requires all to “receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead” in order to buy or sell and forces everyone to worship “the image of the beast” or be killed (Rev. 13:11-18).

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.  And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.  He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.  He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,  and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666 (Rev. 13:11-18).

The scriptures tell us that the last half of the seven-year tribulation, when Antichrist and the False Prophet are active, will be a time of  “great tribulation,” and it will also be a time “such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21-22). At the end of the seven-year period (Daniel’s 70^th Week), the Lord Jesus Christ will return from Heaven with all His saints to the earth and establish His millennial reign (1000 years—Rev. 19:11-21, Zech. 14:5). It will also be at this time that the Antichrist (first beast) and False Prophet (second beast) will be cast into the lake of fire.

And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.  Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:19-20).

Satan: The Beast Master, His Master Plan and His Demise

We know that Satan, who is “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), has the ability to take control of an animal’s cognitive functions and behavior when he desires. He can also possess the minds and bodies of people and greatly influence their behavior in certain circumstances. A couple examples in the New Testament are when Satan entered Judas before betraying Christ (Luke 22:3, John 13:27), and when Jesus cast out demons from two men, who were possessed, into a herd of swine (Matt. 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39).

According to the scriptures, the beast of choice Satan indwelt after Adam and Eve were created was the serpent, which tempted Eve to sin against God. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’” (Gen. 3:1)?  The serpent was considered to be the most subtle and deceitful (sly, crafty) of the creatures God had created.

Due to the serpent’s cunning and manipulative nature, which the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees also exhibited (beastly nature), Jesus and His predecessor, John the Baptist, called the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees a “brood of vipers,” and “serpents.” After openly rebuking them in public about their “beastly” behavior, Jesus asked them: “How can you escape the condemnation of hell” (Matt. 3:5-8, 23:29, 33)?

Although Satan’s demons take advantage of people given over to alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography and other sins of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-21, Eph. 2:1-3, 1 Jo. 2:15-17), they especially operate in the corporate, political and religious world to influence wealthy business owners, people in positions of authority and other unsuspecting victims. When Satan and his demons influence or possess these high level leaders, they many times take on the characteristics of domineering and oppressive “beasts” (Rev. 17:1-18), rather than thoughtful, compassionate human beings.  God not only views many high level leaders in positions of authority as “beasts,” He views Satan as the supreme “beast,” who manipulates and controls all of the other beast-like personalities on earth (owners, bosses, presidents, prime ministers, kings, etc.).

Satan’s ultimate goal is to establish his own kingdom on the earth (the beast master) in order to rule and reign in place of Jesus during the millennium (1000-years, Rev. 20:6).  The description of Satan in the book of Revelation (12:1-17) is as a dragon who seeks to destroy Jesus after He is born, and then persecutes the Jewish people (the woman) who were responsible for bringing the “Savior” into the world.

When Jesus Christ returns back to earth, Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years (20:1-3). For the first time in history, people living on the earth will not be tempted or influenced by Satan and his demonic horde.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;  and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while (Rev. 20:1-3). 

The king over the human “beasts” on earth, Satan, will be defeated by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when He (Jesus Christ) returns with all of His holy angels and saints, and sets up His kingdom on earth.  At that time, all of the “beast” nations on earth will be subordinated to Christ (Rev. 19:15-21), and they will be judged, according to their behavior, at the judgment of nations where Christ sits on “the throne of His glory” (Matt. 25:31-46, Dan. 7:9-12). The Antichrist (first beast) and False Prophet (second beast)  will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone before the millennial reign of Christ begins (Rev. 19:20), and Satan (the dragon, that old serpent, the devil) will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone at the end of the millennial reign (Rev. 20:10).

“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.  They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.  The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:7-10).

Just as those who dwell in the heavens were told to “rejoice” after Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:10-12) at the middle of Daniel’s 70^th week (7-year period), the people living on earth during the millennial reign, and all those in heaven will also “rejoice” when Satan (accuser of the brethren) is permanently expelled from the earth and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.  The inhabitants of heaven and the earth will “rejoice” together when Satan (the beast master) is banished forever and will never again tempt, trick, torment, torture, vilify, slander or falsely accuse those on the earth and in heaven.  After the millennial reign, the first heaven and first earth will be replaced, and “the holy city, New Jerusalem” will come down to earth.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:1-4).

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Resources:

1)  Amplified Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631.

2)  Torture chamber, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_chamber

3)  From Stalin to Hitler, the most murderous regimes in the world, Nigel Jones for MailOnline https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2091670/Hitler-Stalin-The-murderous-regimes-world.html

4) Major reserves of oil found on Golan Heights,  Nicky Blackburn October 8, 2015, https://www.israel21c.org/major-reserves-of-oil-found-on-golan-heights/

5)  The “Departure” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Thomas Ice,  https://www.pre-trib.org/pretribfiles/pdfs/Ice-TheDepartureIn2Thess2-3.pdf

(Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are taken from the New King James Version.)

The Beasts of the Earth

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:24-25).

There are many different types of “beasts” mentioned in the Bible.  There are beasts (living creatures) in Heaven (Rev. 4:6-9), beasts that live on the earth (Gen. 1:24-25) and beasts that come up from the bottomless pit to torment men on the earth (Rev. 9:1-11, 11:7).  On the earth, there are beasts that are used for work, especially in underdeveloped countries (horses, mules and oxen), beasts that are raised for food (cattle, hogs and chickens) and beasts that are domesticated for pets (dogs, cats and birds).

There are wild beasts and creeping things that live in the forests, jungles and deserts that are carnivores (meat eaters), herbivores (plant eaters), omnivores (meat and plant eaters) and scavengers that eat dead and decaying organic matter (Gen. 1:30-31). There are also small, microscopic organisms, sometimes referred to as micro-beasts, such as germs, viruses, fungi and parasites that cause sickness, disease and death.

So I looked, and behold, an ashen (pale greenish gray) horse [like a corpse, representing death and pestilence]; and its rider’s name was Death; and Hades (the realm of the dead) was following with him. They were given authority and power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with plague (pestilence, disease) and by the wild beasts of the earth (Rev. 6:8).1

A Different Kind of Beast

There are several places in the prophetic scriptures where the term “beast” is used, but the description and context let us know that it is not talking about traditional animals and creatures that inhabit the earth (Gen. 2:19-20).  The term “beast” was originally used to describe any animal (living organism) that was not a human being. Later, the word “beast” was expanded to describe “a person who is gross, brutal, vile, etc.” When a “beast” is described in the scriptures, and it is not an animal in the normal sense of the word, it is probably a king or ruler on the earth who acts like a “wild beast” and rules over his “beast kingdom.”

The word “beast” is used in apocalyptic writings, especially the books of Daniel and Revelation, to refer to kings and kingdoms whose behavior is more like a wild beast from the wilderness than a human being created in God’s image (Dan. 7:17, 23; Titus 1:12). Carnivorous animals that live in the wild are aggressive, vicious, and predatory in their quest for survival. Their beastly nature and habits are self serving, and they have no regard for the life of other creatures. They prey upon other unsuspecting animals, sometimes to the point of devouring their own offspring.

Animals on the earth (beasts) do not know they are going to die. God has given them instincts to run, fly or swim in order to escape predators (beasts) that want to devour them.  Somewhat resembling the voracious behavior of predatory animals, people in positions of high leadership (kings, dictators, despots) sometimes develop “delusions of grandeur,” thinking they are god-like, immune to death and not accountable to anyone, including God.  They then begin to act like ravenous animals (beasts) and seek to destroy or maim anyone (even their own children) who might challenge their authority or get in the way of their quest for power and control.

A “beast” from God’s point of view, as described in Daniel and Revelation, is a person (and the kingdom he rules over) who has decided to live like a wild animal, who ignores and disregards God, takes advantage of other people, is only interested in themselves or those close to them, and does not regard the lives of other people, unless it furthers their own selfish, self-centered goals (Dan. 7:1-8:27, Rev. 13:1-18, 17:1-18, 19:11-21). Due to the temptations associated with their position, power, prestige, and possessions, it is rare that a “beast” leader sees the error of their way and turns to God for the redemption of their sins (1 Cor. 1:25-29). Rather, they operate as if there is no God and sometimes foolishly believe they are God (Psalm 14:1). The ultimate example of man thinking he is God will someday be exhibited by “the man of sin” (Antichrist).

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God  (2 Thess. 2:3-4).

Motivation, Methods and Manners of the Beasts

Beastly rulers do not usually implement their evil plans by themselves, but use surrogates and subordinates to carry out torture, mayhem and carnage in order to advance their position, power and possessions. Death camps (gulags—political labor camps) and the accompanying starvation, deprivation, medical experimentation and execution are many times the products of wicked “beast” rulers. Numerous means of torturing the victims of evil, “beast” leaders have been devised and specifically designed to induce “horror, dread and despair” to those who have challenged or opposed their wicked plans. Torture chambers have been around for centuries and were used frequently during the Middle Ages for religious, social and political persecution.

Historically, torture chambers were located in royal palaces, in castles of the nobility and even buildings belonging to the church. The medieval torture chamber was windowless and often built underground, was lit by a few candles and featured secret trap-doors which could be activated to throw victims into dark dungeons where they remained and eventually died.²  A notable torture chamber mentioned in the Bible was the lion’s den that the Medo-Persians maintained for their enemies (Dan. 6:16). The depravity (moral corruption; wickedness) of mankind towards other human beings appears to have no limit when evil men are given an excessive amount of money, power and authority.

Although dictators and despots have been around since the days of Noah (Nimrod, et al), the twentieth century saw more enslavement, torture and death under “beast” rulers than all the previous centuries combined. People who have accomplished much on this earth in business, sports, agriculture and other endeavors are sometimes inducted into a “Hall of Fame” for outstanding achievement in their chosen field. If recognition was given to the many evil “beast” rulers that have lived on the planet, and they were voted into a “Hall of Shame,” some of the top candidates, who have tortured, maimed and killed the most people in the world include: ³

• MAO ZEDONG, China (1949-76), Regime: Communist, Victims: Over 60 million
• JOSEPH STALIN, Soviet Union (1929-53), Regime: Communist, Victims: c. 40 million
• ADOLF HITLER, Germany (1933-45), Regime: Nazi dictatorship, Victims: c. 30 million
• KING LEOPOLD II, Belgium (1886-1908), Regime: Colonial Empire in Congo, Victims: 8 million
• HIDEKI TOJO, Japan (1941-45), Regime: Military dictatorship, Victims: 5 million
• ISMAIL E. PASHA, Ottoman Turkey (1915-20), Regime: Military dictatorship, Victims: 2 million
• POL POT, Cambodia (1975-79), Regime: Communist (Khmer Rouge), Victims: At least 1.7 million
• KIM ILSUNG, North Korea (1948-94), Regime: Communist, Victims: At least 1.6 million
• SADDAM HUSSEIN, Iraq (1979-2003), Regime: Ba’ath Party dictatorship, Victims: 600,000
• JOSIP BROZ TITO, Yugoslavia (1945-80), Regime: Communist, Victims: 570,000

Hell from beneath is excited about you, to meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, all the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.  They all shall speak and say to you: ‘Have you also become as weak as we?  Have you become like us?  Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, and worms cover you.’  (Isa. 14:9-11).

Who are some of the Beasts?

In addition to the infamous bunch of “beast” leaders, who created havoc (widespread destruction) during the twentieth century, many of today’s religious and political leaders, including kings, presidents, prime ministers, and high level government officials are considered “beasts” from God’s perspective. Deception and intrigue is prevalent among today’s politicians and will be a major trait of the Antichrist (Dan. 8:24-25, 11:21 23, 27, 32).

Rich and famous people, terrorists, murderers, thieves, liars, and ordinary humans who forsake God, and take advantage of others, are also referred to as “beasts” in the scriptures (2 Peter 2:12, Jude 10, Titus 1:12).

Some beast-like personalities in the ancient world include King Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 634-562 BC—Daniel 3:1-30), Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c. 215-164 BC—1 Maccabees, Josephus), Herod the Great (c. 73-4 BC—Luke 1:5), Attila the Hun (c. 406-453 AD), Genghis Khan (c. 1162-1227 AD) and many others. The four, great beasts (7:3-7), described in Daniel’s dream/visions, during the first year of Belshazzar’s reign (553 BC), are “four kings” (beast kings) “which shall arise out of the earth” and rule over their kingdoms (Dan. 7:17-23).

One example of God giving a “beast” king “a taste of his own medicine” and changing his thinking and behavior into that of a beast (insanity, madness), so that he acted like a beast and ate grass with the oxen (boanthropy) for seven years, was Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (4:1-37). Nebuchadnezzar was very fortunate, unlike many leaders with “beast” personalities, in that his punishment to eat grass and behave like an oxen for seven years caused him to awaken spiritually, experience God’s grace, perceive God’s sovereign rule over creation, realize that he had a haughty spirit and was full of pride, understand that his accomplishments were really God’s blessings and that he was not as important and autonomous as he once thought himself to be.

And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.  All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.  No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?”  At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down (Dan. 4:34-37).

Examples of Beast Kingdoms in the Bible

Daniel’s writings contain examples of dreams and visions he had about future “beast” kingdoms that would rise to power and battle with other “beast’ kingdoms for dominance.  The vision Daniel received of a “ram” and “goat” during the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule (551 BC) was so traumatic emotionally, that he fainted and was sick several days (Dan. 8:27). In Daniel’s vision, the Medo-Persian Empire was referred to as a “ram which had two horns,” and all the surrounding kingdoms were referred to as “beasts” (8:3-4, 20). The Grecian kingdom (8:21) of Alexander the Great was referred to as a “he goat with a notable horn between his eyes” (8:5-7).  The implication is that God views kingdoms and nations in the world as “beasts” (8:4), and their rulers (horns) and accomplices are also considered “beasts” (Dan. 7:17, Rev. 13:3-8, 11-18).

One rare exception, revealed to Daniel, is the lion with eagle’s wings, whose wings were plucked from the lion (7:4). Although the lion is the major component of the first beast, the eagle’s wings are also part of the first beast.  After the eagle’s wings are painfully removed from the lion, the offspring of the lion (the eagle) appears to become independent of the lion (a separate beast), is made to stand up like a man and is given a man’s heart. It remains an eagle, but its beast like behavior changes, so that it acts like a human being rather than a beast.

Modern day examples of world powers (beast kingdoms/nations) that have adopted animal symbols include England (lion), France (rooster), Spain (bull), Germany (black eagle), United States (bald eagle), Russia (bear) and China (dragon).

Rarely do kingdoms or nations give their citizens personal, political and religious freedom like the United States.  Rather, most “beast kingdoms/nations” in the world today, that have socialist/communist/Islamic governments, use military force and intimidation to oppress and limit freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, expression and access to a fair judicial system (Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, et al).

Modern Day Beast Leaders 

Some famous dictator “beasts” in recent history include Lenin and Stalin (Russia), Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Hirohito (Japan), Castro (Cuba), Amin (Uganda), Hussein (Iraq), Gadaffi (Libya), Chavez (Venezuela), Kim Jong-un (North Korea) and many others. Two notorious examples of human “beasts” that will rise to power in the future at “the time of the end” (Dan. 12:4-13) are the Antichrist (First Beast—Rev. 13:4-8, 19:20) and the False Prophet (Second Beast—Rev. 13:11-18, 19:20).

“Beast” leaders have goals and behaviors that are self-serving, and they are usually arrogant, boastful, charismatic leaders with narcissist personalities. They frequently have statues and pictures of themselves placed in public places for everyone to see, and they control the news markets so that they receive positive media coverage. “Beast” leaders are good at misleading and deceiving those they rule over through carefully crafted lies, distortion and propaganda.

Sometimes, “Beast” leaders suffer violent and tragic deaths when the populace revolts or stronger “beast” nations remove them from power. Examples include Belshazzar (Babylon—Dan. 5:30-31), Adolf Hitler (Germany), Nicolae Ceaușescu (Romania), Saddam Hussein (Iraq) and Muammar Gaddafi (Libya). God directly intervened to save the children of Israel when He took out the “beast-like” Pharaoh and his army by drowning them in the Red Sea following Israel’s exodus from Egypt (Exodus 14:5-15:19, Psalm 136:15).       

“Beast” leaders sometimes come to power by overthrowing an existing government (coup d’ état). They many times solidify their power base through corrupt elections or by taking advantage of an ignorant voter population through control of the media and using various propaganda schemes. “Beast” leaders sometimes build their military strength until they feel confident enough to overtake their neighbor(s). “Beast” leaders, especially the more powerful and aggressive types, follow their “beast like” nature and “devour” (conquer) other less powerful countries or provinces.

Before the advent of television and the modern-day news media, world leaders were not as concerned about their public image, since they could control what was released and what was withheld from public scrutiny. All that has changed with the 24-hour news cycle, where saying or doing the wrong thing can expose you to mockery or public (national and international) condemnation. It may seem unnatural to think of current world leaders as “beasts,” since they are usually seen in the public arena at international conferences with other “beast” leaders, wearing expensive clothing and taking advantage of photo opportunities.

Modern Day “beast” leaders are frequently seen smiling and shaking hands with other world leaders, especially when the cameras are on. However, if you look at their actions off camera when no one is watching and observe how their citizens, religious groups and political opponents are treated when they are back in their home country, it is no wonder God refers to these ruthless, wicked tyrants as “beasts.”

Our nation and the nations of the world have throughout recent history been on a collective course of anti-God thinking. It seems they’ve arrived at the same time at the destination to which such a course couldn’t do other than lead.

The COVID-19 or coronavirus is but the vehicle that has brought us swiftly to the end of this journey into madness. Every national governing body and the people they either rule with authoritarian dictatorship or govern democratically are bound tightly by an entity so infinitesimal as to require a microscope to detect it.

A worldwide, altered mindset has fully blossomed. All nations are bound up in fear. It is fear that seems to have a life of its own. It is paralyzing the freedom of action and movement of the most liberty-loving, liberty-endowed people to have lived upon the planet.

Fear is the symptom most manifest in this pandemic that sprang, apparently, from the center of perhaps the world’s most massive dictatorship. The fear continues to grow, not abate, despite all of the many draconian measures foisted on us by bureaucratic “medical experts” entrenched within government. “Shutdown” seems to be what these demand, no matter that this outbreak doesn’t come anywhere near the virulence of the various strains of flu that assault and kill hundreds of thousands each year.

It is, I think, a legitimate pondering to think on Paul’s warning about those who forget God, or turn against the Creator of all things. The apostle, under Holy Spirit direction, has some rather relevant wisdom for our current situation, in my view.

We’ve considered that wisdom many times within these commentaries. We are forewarned that when a person or people turn their thoughts from the governance of God toward doing what is right in their own eyes, the ramifications are dire. The ultimate results are…well, let’s let the Apostle Paul tell us once more:

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1: 29–32)

We back up to one verse before this list of accusations to see where all the rebelliousness leads.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. (Romans 1:28)

We think of these chilling, scriptural warnings as applying only to the most egregious sins—in our “looking through a glass darkly” view of things. Homosexual activity is the sin we most associate with God’s condemnation here. But, these represent things much more profound. These are characteristics of the whole of lost, sinful humanity as time progresses deeper into human history. These are, no doubt, things that prompted the Lord to end, then start things again, with the Flood of Noah’s day. These are the characteristics of the generations since that are going to bring about God’s final judgment and wrath during the Tribulation.

Certainly, in one way or the other, this generation exhibits these characteristics so anathema to the God of Heaven. We have witnessed these get worse, just as Paul predicted. “Men and seducers have grown worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

I believe just the last five years of the corrupt political process and all attendant to it prove Paul’s prophecy as moving toward fulfillment. The evil manipulations and collusion at the highest levels of America’s supposedly patriotic intelligence agencies make the point vividly and graphically.

The argument could be made that the great fear gripping the nation and the world is the result of pulling away from God at every level. Because of this virus that is nowhere near as virulent as the flu bugs that assault each year, the globe is suffering from a paralysis that has altered normal life as it’s been known to this time.

In effect, the global mindset has been altered. I think this has been done supernaturally. Most now act and interact from what Paul calls in the KJV a “reprobate” mindset. There is, observably, the inability of governments and peoples throughout the world to think straight in this COVID-19 matter. The collective fear that makes everyone act contrary to reason it has brought about is the true contagion that infects the planet. We’re continuing to see the rise of this altered mindset.

God’s prescription for the reprobate mind is as follows:

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. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 1:18–20)

Among any group of human beings there always arises a bully. We’ve all experienced it since our days in grade school, even in kindergarten.

My wife and I sometimes kept nursery and toddlers in church on Sunday mornings so that the younger parents could enjoy church service without the worry of riding herd on their little ones. I observed the same behavior among the very youngest. There was always one or two who bullied the others—took away toys or did other obnoxious things.

These, of course, didn’t really think or know that they were doing anything wrong. It was just a natural, human trait.

And that’s the problem. The natural thing amongst humans is the part of us that has brought forth the troubles throughout human history.

The natural in this matter stems from the sin nature intrinsic to the fallen, human creation.

“Progressing” up through junior high and beyond the bullying becomes more serious. It is done knowingly and with purpose. The purpose—to lord it over someone else for the bully’s own ego and sense of power and control.

It becomes even more evident in the business world, as people joust and elbow to climb the ladders of success within corporate structures.

Then we come to the arena of politics and government. We have witnessed this in a profound way within the last four years, in my opinion. We are seeing it even now, as far as I’m concerned, in the way the swamp-entrenched medical “experts” within Washington, DC, officialdom have caused the rest of us to completely give up our livelihoods and altered, perhaps permanently, the American way of life.

These have bullied even this president, in my view. They walked into the Oval Office and extorted him with the threat of 2.2 million deaths from the coronavirus, if he didn’t shut down the nation’s close interaction.

I admire Mr. Trump and believe him to be God’s man for the crucial hour so near the end of the age, as many who read our columns know. However, even such a self-confident, “Make America Great Again” president like Donald Trump is intimidated by the “experts” saying that 2.2 million Americans will likely die unless he follows their “expert” advice.

Now, I sense he is realizing the mistake of listening to the veiled intimidation and is trying to finesse America’s way out of this national economic nightmare. The doctors still hold the intimidating authority, though. To me, it is obvious in the way these “authorities,” through using barely comprehensible medical jargon, step to the microphones and coyly contradict the president’s words about starting the nation back up.

So the bullying continues even within this so-called pandemic.

Bullying has been, of course, powerfully manifested by nations throughout history.

The ancient rulers of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, Egypt, and all the rest literally beat their subjects and nations around them if those victims didn’t comply with the bully-rulers’ demands. This is seen in modern times by the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and even lesser tyrants like Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot, Idi Amin and many, many others.

To my way of observation, today’s most pronounced national bully is China. This monstrous dictatorship from the far reaches of the Orient has, through accident or deliberate perpetration, shown itself to be clearly the leading bully on the international block.

China is now seen as the prime culprit in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. They almost certainly, according to intelligence services from the UK and America, deliberately unleashed the disease after it, most likely, accidentally escaped biological laboratories near the Chinese city of Wuhan.

It is thought that the dictator-leadership of China determined that since it escaped, they would keep the fact from other nations—particularly from the Western nations, so their economy wouldn’t be the only one to catastrophically suffer if and when the pandemic developed—as it did.

Intelligence sources accuse Chinese President Xi Jinping of rounding up perhaps millions of coronavirus-infected Chinese people and having them murdered so that the disease wouldn’t appear to be so widespread in that country. This, of course, is the sort of thing that world-class dictators do.

We remember the more than 30 million murdered in the Stalin purges and more than 60 million killed in the genocide by Mao tse-Tung in the so-called Cultural Revolution.

So, the bullying by geopolitical tyrants continues—and in a big way. The following excerpt makes the case.

China is continuing to under-report the true levels of deaths from Covid-19, national security officials in London and Washington believe.

But European officials are wary about directly challenging China over the figures, sources told the BBC. That concern also extends to confronting Beijing over an information campaign to improve its standing and distract from blame in the crisis…

Governments in Europe have been wary of engaging in a diplomatic row with China at a sensitive time. One UK official, who like others declined to speak on the record, said there was a “nervousness” about confronting China and that relations were “delicate”. (Gordon Corera, “Coronavirus: Europe ‘wary of confronting China over deaths,’” BBC News, 23 April 2020)

Clearly, there are leaders in the European Union who are afraid to confront China. Governments and presidential administrations have shied away from confrontation from this behemoth state because of its feared military power and influence. Those same governments and administrations have given the Chinese dictators ever-increasing latitude to form and shape trade deals that have given the Chinese communists billions of dollars to build one of the world’s most powerful militaries.

Bullies must be confronted, and the United States now has a commander-in-chief who is doing exactly that. For the second time recently, American warships have sailed through the sensitive area known as the Taiwan Strait. This is an expanse of waters that separate the tiny island nation of Taiwan from mainland communist China.

The communist regimes in the mainland have always considered Taiwan to belong to China. It is an illegitimate government that rules in Taiwan, the Chinese government continues to declare, because rebels (in their view) broke away from China and fled to Formosa (the name of Taiwan at the time). The Chinese communists have been threatening since that break from mainland China to invade and take the people of free Taiwan back into their regime.

Bible prophecy, in my view of it, foretells—without mentioning the name of China—that this demon-possessed bully will be responsible for the deaths of fully one-third of human beings during the time of Tribulation. Almost without question, this evil state will be the king of “the kings of the east.”

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. (Revelation 9:13–16)

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. (Revelation 16:12)