“Here is the patience of the saints:
here are they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus.”  Rev. 14:12.
“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:…(1)
“Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the
thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.”  Dan. 12:12.










All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message
Will rise from their graves, to hear their God say
“It is done!”  Victory’s won!
On the one thousand, three hundred and thirty fifth day!

God’s people Delivered!  And they are set free
from the bondage of sin for eternity
In final atonement the blood was applied
Names retained in the  Lamb’s Book of Life
Sealed in His image in faith when they died.

Delivered from sin and their worst enemies
from death and the grave, with faces that shine
With the glory of Jesus, men fall at their feet
Satan‘s vast host in utter defeat

And looking up, they hear God’s great voice
Persecutions are finished, and they rejoice,
The covenant words roll ‘round the earth
The Everlasting Covenant “Blessing”
promised at “new birth”
Tells them, like a will, what they’re  going to get
A body incorruptible, a mind that won’t forget
Eternal life, eternal youth. And Immortality,
A country home to call your own, and mansion in the city.
And travel through the universes for all eternity.

They, with the hundred forty and four thousand
Just waiting for translation.
Are soon to know the meaning of the book of Revelation.
“Blessed is he that waits” counting out the days,
A thousand three hundred and thirty five, and they will leave their graves!
Dan. 12:12  (See  The Great Controversy  pp. 635-652.
Chapter 40  “God’s People Delivered.”

1335th day  Dan.  12:12.

This is the positive and glorious message of the third angel of Revelation 14:12.   It is given to encourage the remnant who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus to push on to be an overcomer that they may experience the rewards of the righteous.  As they view the fall of Babylon  (Rev. 18) and see the destruction of the forces of evil.  They will walk unharmed and glorified until Jesus comes to take them home with Him.

The warning or negative message of the third angel will follow:

Who or what is the “beast”?
The “beast” is described as follows:

Question No.  1.    Where did the prophet, John, see the beast coming from?
Answer:   The “sea.”   Rev. 13:1.
Note:   The “sea” is a symbol.   Unlike a river, the waters of a sea are subject to constant motion of tides, currents, waves, crashing, overturning and overturning where ships go down and lives are lost.  This action represents the upheavals of wars wherein empires rose and fell through centuries of time.
The “sea” is a symbol of the “Old Word” or Europe, Middle East, and Asia.

In contrast,  “another beast coming up out of the earth”  (Rev. 13:11)  not the “sea” represents the “New World”  or  the  USA.  

It is important to remember that the “seven heads” on the “beast” are from the old world, and are not referring to the new world or the USA.

Question 2.   Who is this “beast” from the Old World?
Answer:    The “beast” is described as a “composite” picture.  Composed of several components.
“And the beast which is saw was like a
leopard, …a bear…a lion.”  Rev. 13:2.

Question  3.  Where have the lion, bear, and leopard symbols been described in Scripture?
“And four great beasts came up from the sea,…
…like a lion…a bear…a leopard..”
A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible…”Dan. 7:3-5,7

Question  4.  What do the four symbolic  “beasts from the sea”  represent?
Answer:   These four beasts represent four kings or kingdoms  (Empires).
“These great beasts, which are four,
Are four kings…” (with their kingdoms or empires)   Dan. 7:17.

Question 5.  What kings or kingdoms or empires are represented?
Answer:   1.  Babylon, 2.  Medo-Persia, 3.  Grecia, 4.  Imperial or “pagan” Rome.

Question  6.  Did Jesus return to earth  when Rome fell?  Or  Did other empires follow?
Answer:   Jesus did not come right after the fall of Rome in A.D.  476.
A fifth empire reigned for 1,260 years from A.D. 538-1798 over Europe
Larger and longer than any before it.  It was the Papal Supremacy    
described in Dan. 7 and 8 as the symbolic “Little  Horn.”

Question  7.   When the 5th empire fell in 1798, did another empire rise and fall in the Old world?
Answer:    Yes.  A   6th empire rose in 1917 that was known as the USSR.  It encompassed 11 time zones (almost half the world’s surface) and in the “cold war” attempted to spread its domain over all of Europe, South and Central America and even the USA!   It was identified with Communism and penetrated into the far east, to China and sought for world dominion.  It is described in Dan. 11:36 -40.
It was a new attempt by Satan to set up a godless world government, but it fell in 1989 .

Question 8.   Are there just six empires brought to view in the book of Daniel?
Answer:  No.   There are seven empires described in Dan. 11 and 12..

Question  9   Where in the book of Daniel, is the 7th empire described?
Answer:    The 7th empire is described in the book of Daniel in chapter 12:7-11,
In verse 11, it reveals that the power to rule or sovereignty of the nations will be “taken
away” in order to set up an empire that is called “the abomination that maketh
desolate”—an evil government that desolates God’s work and persecutes God’s people.

Question 10  What is the name of that government or empire and how long will it reign?
The 7th empire will reign exactly 1,290 literal days until it falls.  Dan. 12:11.
The 7th empire has several different names:

A.     The New World Order
B.    The One World Government
C.    The New Confederation (of nations)
D.    The “Abomination that maketh desolate”
E.    Papal Supremacy No. 2.

We are now in the transition and formation of this new world dominion or empire No. 7.
Everything in our world today is being linked together:  communication, transportation, (your credit card will get you everywhere in this world ) trade, commerce, shipping, manufacturing, buying and selling at all levels, into one unit with one government, planning for one religion, one day of worship, with no freedom of individual choice.

Question 11.  What comes after the One World Order?
Answer:    No more earthly empires.  Jesus will come.  Dan. 2:34,35.
“…it shall be for a time, times, and an half (three and a half literal years)
(or 2360 literal days)  and when he shall have accomplished
To scatter (pulverize) the power of the holy people.
All these things (persecutions) shall be finished.”  Dan. 12:7

Question  12   Why study the book of Daniel, to identify the “beast” of Revelation?
Answer:      Daniel and Revelation are both classified as “apocalyptic” literature.
Both books are prophetic, describing events of the past, current events,
and the future.  The two books make up one “picture.”  Neither book will
give the whole picture by itself.  Daniel has four historical-prophetic outlines
that describe the rise and fall of seven empires that persecute the people
of God.  Revelation merges all seven persecuting empires into one picture
of a “beast” with seven heads…but focuses on the 7th head that is still future.

Question 13.  In what way were all seven empires persecuting God’s people?
Answer:  

1.   Babylon destroyed the temple, and the city of Jerusalem, taking many captive.
2.  Medo-Persia, under Haaman attempted to destroy all the Jews by one death decree.
3.  Grecia determined to wipe out the sacrificial system or “cult” and introduced sports
gymnasiums for the youth and lined the roads out of Jerusalem with crucifixions of
those who resisted their efforts.
4.  Imperial Rome nailed Jesus to the cross and purged early Christianity
5.  Papal Rome slew 50 million martyrs during the Dark Ages in Europe.
6.  Millions were  put death or made slaves under the USSR reign .
7. Already the advocates (ecologists) for the New World Order desire to reduce the population
on earth by the millions.

Conclusion: 

The “beast” of Revelation  13 is a composite picture of seven persecuting empires.
The “beast” is composed of seven empires as follows:   Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, ‘
Imperial Rome, Papal Rome, the USSR, and a final One World Order with Papal head.
All of these empires are in the “Old d World” of Europe and Asia.

The   Seven  Heads on the Composite Beast

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea,
And saw a beast rise up out of the sea,’
Having seven heads…
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;
And his deadly wound was healed:
And all the world wondered after the beast.”  Rev. 13:1,3.

Dr. Leslie Hardinge explained to his students in a class on Revelation, that each time the Bible teachers would meet they would discuss the “seven” heads.   Which empires did they represent?  Some thought  Egypt that enslaved God’s people should be included.   Some thought that Assyria that swallowed up Israel should be counted in.   Some thought that the Jews that put Jesus and early Christians to death should fit in somehow.   All were agreed that the “beast” was a composite picture of persecuting empires.   They all agreed that a “head” represented an empire.  (Dan. 2:38  “Thou, [O king of Babylon]
Art this head of gold, and after thee shall arise another kingdom [empire].” They also agreed that the “head” that received the “deadly wound” was the “little horn” Papal Supremacy.   They knew when that empire was set up  in A.D. 538 and fell in A.D. 1798.  

In those meetings, there were those that insisted that John’s description of the “beast” in its references to a “lion” “bear” and “leopard” were the anchor to keep the “ship from drifting” into strange waters.
They knew that in the book of Daniel, the lion, bear and leopard referred to Babylon, Medo-Persiea, Grecia, and that Imperial Rome followed but fell in A.D. 476.  So soon after that date, in A.D. 538 the Papal Supremacy reigned for 1260 years.   Many of those teachers then were settled on the first five heads that they referred to Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, Imperial Rome and Papal Rome.
But they were “prisoners of history” and could not identify the last two heads.

At that time, the western nations were struggling in what was called a “cold war” with atheistic communism as its ideology as it emerged from its geological setting to seek to swallow up all countries all over the world.  It was a quiet war!  We did not hear much about it, but the USA kept its planes in the air 24-7 guarding the north pole and Canada and Alaska.  There was a crisis under Jack Kennedy regarding threats to our security from Cuba.  European countries changed their railroad tracks to different sizes so that trains could not roll in with a take over!   Central and South America were vulnerable as the Soviet power grew for seventy years.

The USSR occupied 11 time zones of earth’s 24!    It was described in Dan. 11:36-40, but  those verses had been given  different applications by prominent writers and theologians.    Finally,  when the Berlin wall fell,  Time magazine had a cover picture of the Pope and Ronnie Regan, with the words, “Holy Alliance” revealing how they had worked together to bring about the fall of the USSR.  The year was 1989.    Many astute Bible students suddenly knew where they were in the stream of time and declared,  “This is the fulfillment of Dan. 11:40.”  

They knew then who the sixth head had been.   IT was the persecuting, godless empire that murdered and enslaved millions of God’s people.   The USSR was the largest of any Old World empire that went before it.   Its objective was to rule the world.   Yet, there is much resistance to identify it as the sixth “head” of the beast.   It lasted seventy years and fell around 1990.   The president of the USA, George Bush, Sr. stated that “We have now entered into the New World Order.”    Very few took notice of that statement but it was a clue that the seventh “head” was already  forming.

Between the fall of Imperial Rome  (A.D. 476)  and the rise of Papal Rome (A.D. 538) there was a transition period of  52 years,   Between the fall of the Papacy (A.D. 1798) and the rise of atheistic communism in the Bolshevic Revolution in the USSR  (1917) there was a transition period of 119 years.   Again, at this time we are living in a transition period waiting for the complete formation of the 7th head.

The seventh head on the “beast” of Revelation 13 is described,  first in Dan. 12:7 and 11.   It is described again in fuller detail in Revelation 13.

The above verses tell us that the seventh head of the persecuting “beast” will:
1.     Persecute the “holy people” who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.
2.    Persecution will last “time, times, and an half” or 1260 literal days, or 3 ½ years.
3.    Then all persecutions will be finished for the people of God.
4.    The sovereignty and protection of the nations will be taken away
5.    This seventh empire will last 1,290 literal days until it will be destroyed.
6.    He will have headquarters in old Jerusalem, but will come to his end. (Dan 11:45.)
7.    None will deliver him—(the political and religious head of the New World Order.)

Question:   How does Revelation enlarge and clarify,  and identify exactly who this last empire will be and who will be its head-man?

“and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months
(42 months =1260 days or three and a half years.)
Rev. 13:5
“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,
And to overcome them.  (Dan. 12:7)
And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Rev. 13:7.

The “Little Horn” 5th Empire that ended in 1798 never ruled over “ALL” kindreds, and tongues, and nations in the world!   It ruled mainly over the nations of Europe and sent out to explore the rest of the world in hopes of gaining world control, but never ruled over all nations.   This alone is a very good reason to understand that these prophecies in Daniel 12 and Revelation 13 are referring to future events and not to the past.  

These verses in Revelation correspond with Dan. 12 timelines, but Revelation adds an identification of that seventh head, explaining exactly who it will be!    These added insights are as follows:

There is a chronological series of events that can be dated:
1.    The “deadly wound”  A.D. 1798.
2.    The wound is healing          Now.
3.    (The New World Order” will continue the persecuting action of the “Little Horn” for
42 months or 3 ½ years  or 1260 literal days or “time, times, and an half.
4     Every kindred, tongue and nation will come under the New World Order.        

It is evident that the wound was inflicted on the Papacy.   The healing is that of the Papacy.   It will be the Papal power that will control the New World Order and bring all nations under its authority.   The Pope will be the head of the New World Order and by his authority, his laws will be forced upon the whole world.    Those who resist his rule will be the objects of persecution.   But “all the world (the wicked) wondered after the beast.”  Rev. 13:3.   

Note:   The “little horn” empire ended in A.D.. 1798.   It was the 5th head.   It is not the 7th head which is the future New World Order.”   But it is the healing that forms the new and seventh head.   The fifth head ruled mainly over Europe,  but the seventh head will finally gain control over all kindreds, tongues and nations.    

Revelation 13 has a dual application.   When looking at the symbolic context of “beasts”, “heads”, “horns” etc., the pioneers of Adventism were correct in applying Rev. 13 to the “Little Horn” Papacy that existed A.D. 538-1798.   But when looking at the chronological chain of events of a wounded head, a healed, head, a “continuing” action of persecution, and at last “all the world” following after the “beast” wearing its seventh head,  the major application for our day is all relevant to future events.  Head No, 1.    Babylon,   2.  Medo-Persia.   3.  Grecia.  4.  Rome    5.  Papal Rome.  6. USSR
8.    New World Order

In the book of Daniel, the consecutive empires are represented as symbolic “beasts.”   But on the last beast mentioned, there are horns.    It then brings to view the “Little Horn.”   By chapters 8-11 certain kings are represented as a “horn that was broken” and the symbolism changes from empires to kings.

In Revelation the symbolism moves from a persecuting composite “beast” of seven empires or “heads”
To “horns” and interprets them as follows.
“And the ten horns which thou sawest  are ten kings.”  Rev. 17:12.

“Crowns” are simply worn by kings to reveal power, seat, and authority.   If there are ten kings and ten crowns, it is a “double reference” to kingship.    The ten kings of Rev. 17:12 are ten rulers that will serve under the New World Order.   (They are not the ten horns (kings and kingdoms) of Europe that emerged after the fall of Rome.   The text in Rev. 17:12 plainly states that they have received “no kingdom or authority to act as yet.”

The New World Order has already divided the world into ten sections.   The USA,  Mexico and Canada are counted as one division.   (That is why the federal government at this time is unable to control the borders and there is an immigration problem.)   

The New World Order is not yet set up in place. It does not yet have a recognized “head” or administrator.   It is not yet able to enforce its laws, nor put so-called heretics to death.   It does not yet have all nations subject to it, now does it have Islam under its control, yet,  but it is working to break down the Constitutions and systems of law and order, and the sovereignty of the nations, before it can be “set up” as the one ruling force over the entire world.   It has not as yet established its mark of authority.

The “mark of the beast” is the mark or sign of its authority.   Roman Catholic literature readily admits that the Bible with the Ten Commandments reveals the Sabbath to be the seventh day of the week—Saturday.   But they claim that God has given the church the right to change the day of rest to Sunday, the first day of the week.   This very act of changing God’s law, they claim, and the fact that all the world keeps Sunday (in one way or another) is the sign or mark of their authority to reign on earth.

^Therefore, Sunday worship will become the “mark of the beast” while Saturday Sabbath will be the mark or sign of the authority of God and is called “The Seal of the Living God.”

Question 1.   Who or what is the “image of the beast”?
Answer:   An image is a sculpted, or painted, or reflected likeness to the real thing.
The “beast” of Rev. 13 is a composite of Persecuting empires.
The seventh “head” on the “beast” is the last or future persecuting empire
With headquarters in the Old World of Europe and Asia.
The “image to the beast” is not one of those seven “heads”
The “image to the beast” needs to be identified from Scripture.

Question  2.  Where in Scripture is this image brought to view?
Answer:    The “image to the beast” is described in Rev. 13:11 to 15.
It describes “another beast” in Rev. 13:11 and
finally calls it called the “image of the beast” in verse 15.

Question 3.   What does the “lamb” represent?  And what are the  “two horns”?
Answer:   Throughout Revelation the lamb represents Jesus Christ, and His attributes.
The “two horns” are also “lamblike” or harmless.  Horns in Scripture consistently
Represent kings or powers of government.
It is the USA that signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and
set up  a unique government, “of the people.”   Its two powers were built on freedoms,
Republicanism (political freedom) and Protestantism (religious freedom).  It was a new
experiment in governing without a Pope and without a king.   The USA was formed by
those who fled the persecutions of Europe and were from the Northern European
countries that had joined the Protestant Reformation in Europe.    They came to this
new land with honest hearts and a good work ethic.   It demonstrated what a country
can become that has the characteristics of Jesus Christ.  It became the leader in the
world and the envy of all who looked at it with awe and longing.  It is described in
Revelation 13:11 as “another beast”-- another empire that emherged as a lamb and
as  Protestant Christian nation.

But suddenly, the character of the USA changes completely!   Right in the same verse
that change is described thus:   “and it spake as a dragon.”    Rev. 13:11.

Question:   Who is the “dragon”?
Answer:
“And the dragon was cast out,
That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan.”  Rev. 12:9.

Satan has three symbolic names:  The serpent, the dragon, and the eighth “head” on the “beast.”  Rev. 12, 13, 17.  1.  As a “serpent” with its forked tongue, he is a deceiver,  2.  as a “dragon” a persecutor, and 3.  as the “eighth “head” in connection with  the seven-headed beast” as the very last ruler of the last empire or One World Order.   At the last empire is formed by the seventh “head” in the  very end, when Satan has become visible, rulership will be turned completely over to him..  (Rev. 17)

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast:…
Rev. 12:4
“And the beast that was [visible]
And is not [now vivible]
Even he is the eighth [head]
And is of the seven [persecuting empires]
And goeth into prediction.”  Rev. 17:11.


Question:   When will the lamb-like “beast”—the USA  “speak like a dragon.”  To form the “image to the beast’?
Answer:   We are now in the transition period.