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The title was supposed to be: The "beast" of Rev 13 through hermeneutics and the traditional historicist approach to prophecy. If admin can please change it, perhaps better to fit the space would be: The "beast" of Rev 13 through hermeneutics and historicism I authored all of the content of this post that comes from my website. The science of hermeneutics is used by scholars to interpret everything from literature, to poetry, to legal documents to scripture. Let's see if scripture can help us define and explain the "beast" of John's chapter 13 prophetic vision in the book of Revelation through sound hermeneutic principles. In Daniel's chapter 7 dream we find: Daniel 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. Daniel 7:4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings... Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear... Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard... Daniel 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly... In the verse below we are brought to understand, that at least in the figurative language of a vision or dream in prophecy, a "beast" is defined as a kingdom. 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. BEAST = KINGDOM Daniel detailed his kingdom "beasts" so well that there is a broad agreement among both Jewish and Christian scholars that the kingdoms represented by Daniel's lion, bear and leopard, are the successive ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, followed by the fourth beast, that is understood to be the Roman Empire. I left out a map of the Roman Empire because because it is not mentioned in Rev 13. The conclusion regarding Daniel's lion, bear and leopard beasts being successive kingdoms, is reached within the traditional historicist approach to prophecy. This is simply the view that figures in figurative language may represent actual people, places or things, and that bible prophecy is fulfilled steadily as the era about which it is written gradually unfolds. This is the approach through which virtually all Christians and Jews understand Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled, and for the first 1800 years including the Reformation, the church understood New Testament prophecy was being fulfilled. Taking a uniform approach to all bible prophecy. When we turn to the New Testament and John's prophetic vision we read: Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. Now we could go to the zoo to investigate those figures, or perhaps engage in unsupportable speculation and presumption, or we could apply an adjacent hermeneutic to see if the Bible might offer some clues. And as we already saw, we find three of the very same figures, and even mentioned together in the very same chapter in the figurative language of Daniel's prophetic dream, as we see in this composite of those kingdom beasts in the figurative language of John's prophetic vision. The reverse order could be because Daniel's dream was forward looking at these kingdoms to come, while the 1st century of John's vision was looking backward at their fulfillment. This leopard-bear-lion kingdom "beast" was to "continue" 42 "months" as confirmed in The seats of the ancient successive kingdom beasts of Daniel's lion, bear and leopard which are widely believed to be Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, are occupied today by the countries of Iraq, Iran, and Syria/Lebanon. With Muslim population in Iraq at 97%, Iran 98%, Syria/Lebanon 90%/60% Islamic. The dragon in Rev 13:2 is Satan. The power that Satan gave his "beast" is the sword, through which Islam was spread, and the threat of which for 1400 years has prevented people from leaving Islam and coming to Christ. Another part of the power of the Islamic kingdom "beast" is oil. No surprise we find western nations whoring themselves out to countries that are composed of up to virtually 100% antichrists (Saudi Arabia), that are even sworn to annihilate us (Iran), to keep the flow of oil going. Countries with statutes that call for the death penalty for "apostasy" and for the crime of "blasphemy" that we in the west would characterize as speaking openly and honestly about Muhammad as he is revealed in Islam's own books. Western nations even give weapons to these totalitarian countries, that will eventually be turned on Israel's democracy. Evermore compromising the safety and freedom of the citizens of the Israeli Jewish State, who are the only people in the Middle East, that share our western values. Who protect the freedom, liberty of Israeli Jews, Christians, non-Muslim Arabs - and Muslims. Indeed Muslims also enjoy more freedom in Israel, than they do in any Islam controlled state on earth. This Islamic kingdom "beast" is described "as a leopard", perhaps also because while an individual Muslim can change (against tremendous odds loosing family, friends, inheritance and in some places even their lives), it is impossible for Islam to change, as long as the Quran (mouth of the "beast") exists: Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. While these countries and various sects of Islam may have differences so great they even murder each other, they are perfectly united spiritually through the false prophet Muhammad and his Quran. As a result they are each and every one filled with the spirit of antichrist who are taught that to confess that Jesus is the Son of God, or even to pray in Jesus' name, would be to commit the single most "heinous" and only unforgivable sin ("shirk") in the false prophet Muhammad's counter-gospel anti-religion. Sura 19:88 They say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!" 89 Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! Quran Surah 9.29 Fight those.....(even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. 30 .....Christians call Christ the son of Allah. .....Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! 1 John 2:22 .....He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father