The Beast is here.

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Dec 18, 2014 at 09:29

Hi, Tovey

I haven't checked up on the Kurdish situation lately. The last I read about Kobane, they seemed to be muddling through somehow.

Towards the end, you said,

"Then next; being American, the indication that (shudders for those who could not engage themselves to think such), your assertion of the little horn cannot be summarily dismissed even in spite of the 'Roman' roots so many eschatologists espouse. After all, America's original government model is republican in nature, just as Rome's originally was."

I don't doubt that the US is the "Little Horn". If the other (ten) horns were kings, after all, after the order of other horns in Daniel's prophecies, then this little horn represents a country. We started out weak, a collection of British colonies; but by the latter part of the 19th century we were carrying a big stick with the rest of them. "Them", of course, is the world as it was, earlier in this century, when the whole globe was dominated by exactly ten West European colonial powers. With the collapse of the Axis Powers (three horns plucked up by the roots) in 1945, the US replaced those formerly great empires (British, French, Dutch, etc.) with US-led NATO.

That's the easy part. I struggle with the statement by Daniel,

Daniel 7:
[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...

[20] And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
[21] I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
[22] Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
[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.
[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.

Rev. 19:
[19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
[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.
[21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

There's teamwork going on there. Remember that the "little horn" of Daniel 8 (a different "little horn") was Antiochus Epiphanes, a particular king of the Seleucid line. The "little horn" who overthrew Hitler, though, was Harry S. Truman, leading the American people. He's also the one who caused fire to come out of the sky, in the form of the Atomic bomb. He also was the President who was instrumental in leading the UN to accept the State of Israel. So much was wrapped up in that rather humble individual, who was neither a boaster against the Almighty nor an oppressor of the saints.

If Truman was the "little horn", he certainly was not an Epiphanes/ Epimanes. The BEAST, on the other hand, is not a king at all. He's an embodiment of earthly power, given that power by the Dragon. There is something odd about that; and yes, it may have something to do with our being a republic and, even more fittingly, a democracy -- a government of "the people". The promulgation of democracy is the hallmark of "the West", or "NATO", or whatever one wishes to call us. We also promulgated, under Truman's watch and by the pen of Eleanor Roosevelt, a sanctimonious UN charter that proposed to make peace by our own hands.

I am beginning to think that the time of the "little horn", and along with it, US power, has peaked; and that now a very sinister monster is forming. Democracy is certainly an important element of this monster; and note that in a "democratic" world, there's no distinction between the American masses and the European masses. That said, though, the "little horn" himself is supposed to oppress the saints, probably after the manner of Antiochus IV. Alas! Would that he were Harry Truman!

The acme of American strength was displayed by President George W. Bush, immediately after 9/11. At that time, he was able to marshal over 50 countries, including the Russians, to help him occupy Afghanistan and pursue Al Qaeda. There has never been such a coalition in the history of the world; but we have slid fast from that place, beginning under W's watch, but especially so under Obama. Meanwhile, the whole world has gone nutsy over the WTO, Free Trade Agreements, and enough treaties to strangle the breath out of sovereign states like the US -- and of course, the epicenter of this entangling is in Europe.

I think the False Prophet has something to do with Atheism and its brother, Dialectical Materialism. One thing's almost certain: when the world is all caught up in this movement of power, humanity will be oblivious to the awesome implications of it all. Jesus said as much in his "days of Noah" parable.

Watching and waiting... Shalom shalom :-)

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