Lesson 48 — The Ten Horns and the Beast Itself

1. 1 THE TEN HORNS AND THE BEAST ITSELF

THE TEN HORNS AND THE BEAST ITSELF

“The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth [from Daniel’s time to Christ’s coming] which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth . . . 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 [ten] and shall subdue three kings [of the ten, which are the other three divisions of Greece besides Syria, the one Antichrist shall come from]” Daniel 7:23-24, “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour [period] with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he said unto me, The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled Revelation 17:12-17Revelation 7:7-27Revelation 8:8, 9Revelation 9:26, 27Revelation 11:40-85Revelation 12:1-13Revelation 12:3Revelation 13:1-3Revelation 17:8-11Revelation 19:11-21.

The following points make clear the identification of the beast as a kingdom consisting of ten kingdoms, and also the extent of Antichrist’s reign.

1. 1 IS ROME TO BE REVIVED? If so, in what form is she to exist? The above-mentioned quotations, without comment, prove that there will never be a Revived Roman Empire as a single empire ruled by one man as in the old Roman Empire, but there will be ten separate governments formed inside this territory, as the seventh head on the beast. This kingdom could best be called the Revised Roman Empire. The following facts prove that Rome is to exist in the form of ten kingdoms in the last days before the revelation of both Christ and Antichrist. These kingdoms will still be in existence during the appearance of both and will be overthrown, first by Antichrist and then by Christ.

(1) In Dan. 2:40-45 we have the first picture of Rome symbolized by two legs of iron and ten toes of iron and clay. Rome never has existed yet in the form of separate kingdoms, as symbolized by the ten toes, so in order for all the prophecy to be fulfilled it must exist as such. However, Rome has existed as one kingdom, symbolized by the lower part of the body, where the legs are joined to the body. Then too, Rome has existed in the form of two divisions as symbolized by the two legs of iron, representing the eastern and western divisions of the empire. The time of the existence of the ten kingdoms is clearly stated in Dan. 2:44-45 as being in the day that the God of Heaven sets up a kingdom. God has not yet set up His kingdom and will not do so until the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ, who will reign forever Isaiah 9:6, 7Daniel 7:13-14Revelation 11:15. This proves that the Roman Empire will exist again in a new form of ten kingdoms at the time of the second advent, which will succeed old Rome as Rome succeeded the first five heads (kingdoms) on the beast. The ten toes of the two feet on the two legs of Dan. 2:38-45 represent ten kingdoms from the eastern and western divisions of Rome, five from one and five from the other. The phrase “the kingdom” is used twice in Dan. 2:40-45 and shows the unity of the ten kingdoms in some kind of loose federation.

(2) Daniel 7:7-27 shows that there will come out of Rome ten kingdoms which will exist at the same time as the above ten kings. The additional prophecy given here is that “another little horn,” called “the beast” in Dan. 7:11, will arise “after them” and overthrow three others. This little horn will continue “until the Ancient of days” comes, and judgment is given to the saints of the Most High, and the time arrives for the saints to possess the kingdom. This relates to the coming of Christ to destroy Antichrist and the ten kings and to set up His kingdom, and proves that these ten kings and the eleventh king will all exist at the time of the coming of Christ. The ten will give their kingdoms to the eleventh, or the beast, and they together will destroy Mystery Babylon, or religion in the middle of the Week, and then 3½ years later they will fight Christ at Armageddon Revelation 17:12-17. This beast of Dan. 7:11 is to be slain like the one in Rev. 19:20. Thus, we see that Rome is to be revised and exist in the form of ten separate kingdoms. Some have supposed that the ten kings have existed in succession as the seven heads have done but such is not stated of them as of the heads. The following points prove the ten toes and ten horns of Dan. 2 and 7 are to be the same as the ten horns and ten kings of Rev. 12, 13, and 17 and that all of them will exist at the second coming of Christ and be destroyed at that time.

A. The number of the toes and horns of both Daniel and Revelation Daniel 2:40-45Daniel 7:7-27Revelation 12:3Revelation 13:1Revelation 17:12.

B. The ten toes and ten horns of both books will all exist together and fight with Christ at His coming to the Earth Daniel 2:34, 35Daniel 7:8-14, 21Revelation 17:14Revelation 19:17-21.

C. They will all exist after the “fourth kingdom” or Rome and be a revision of that kingdom Daniel 2:4-45Daniel 7:7, 8Revelation 17:12-14.

D. They will all be connected with the same beast at the same time Daniel 7:8, 11Revelation 17:8-17Revelation 19:11-21.

E. The beast or “little horn” will be an individual as much as any one of the “ten horns” and will arise “after them” according to both Daniel and Revelation, therefore, the two accounts must be identical Daniel 7:8-24Revelation 17:12-17.

F. The ten toes and ten horns will become subject to the same beast Daniel 7:23, 24Revelation 13:1-10Revelation 17:12-17.

G. They will all be coexistent at the time God sets up His kingdom, which immediately succeeds theirs Daniel 2:4-45Daniel 7:7-27Revelation 17:12-17Revelation 19:11-21. If the ten toes and ten horns were to exist as a succession of ten kingdoms, then they surely would have risen one at a time as the four beasts did, and Daniel would not have seen them rise and exist at once on the feet of the image and on the head of the terrible beast of Dan. 2:31-45; 7:7, 8. Neither could the “little horn” rise among the ten horns if only one were to be in existence at the time he arose. Nor could the “little horn” overthrow three of them if they were not in existence at the same time. The “little horn” of Dan. 7:7-11, 23-27 will exist at the same time as the ten kingdoms, and it will continue the same length of time as does “the beast” of Rev. 13:1-8; 17:8-17; 19:11-21, as proven by these passages.

H. The “fourth kingdom” of Dan. 2 and 7 is the same as the sixth head of Rev. 17, and the ten horns in both passages come out of, and succeed the old Roman Empire, so they must be the same. The seventh head of Rev. 17 and the ten horns will be identical. The ten horns of Dan. 7 were to be the next kingdom after Rome and be formed inside Rome. It is the only kingdom mentioned as yet future, other than the “little horn” and his kingdom composed of the ten. The only kingdom seen in Rev. 17 that was yet future after John’s day, besides the beast, was the seventh head, which was to exist for a short space and then give its kingdom to the beast. They must be the same since the ten kings in both books are to exist at the same time and form the next kingdom succeeding old Rome, immediately preceding the beast. They are to become subject to him, help form the eighth kingdom, and fight under the beast against Christ.

I. The ten kings in Daniel, as well as Revelation, are to reign both before and after the beast, or “little horn.” Their reign before him is to be different from that after him. Before the beast rises, they will control their own kingdoms, but after he comes they will be subject to his supreme will. They will control the seventh kingdom, he will control the eighth. Therefore, we conclude that the ten horns in both books are the same. Thus, we see that Rome is to be revised and exist in the form of ten kingdoms before the rise of the Antichrist. Then, Antichrist will rise out of the ten kingdoms and in 3½ years subdue all ten kings. He will then form the eighth kingdom composed of all the ten, with perhaps a few other parts of the old Grecian Empire, which were not under Roman jurisdiction. Antichrist will come out of Syria and overthrow the other three Grecian divisions, which will make up four of the ten kingdoms of Revised Rome, thus reviving Greece and bringing the territory of both Greece and Rome under him as the eighth kingdom. The Revised Roman Empire will be composed of ten kingdoms throughout its short existence, whereas the Revived Grecian Empire will not only be composed of the same ten kingdoms, but also others which it will add to its domain during its short time of existence, as we shall see below.

1. 1 WHEN IS ROME TO BE REVISED? The ten kingdoms are to be formed in the near future. The time in which this event will take place is not known. Rome must be revised first and exist as ten kingdoms before Antichrist can arise, for he is to come up “after them” and “among them” Daniel 7:8, 24.

1. 1 HOW LONG IS REVISED ROME TO EXIST? Revised Rome is to exist as the seventh head only a “short space.” The exact time is not known for it cannot be known just how long it will be revised before the Seventieth Week arrives. It appears that soon after Rome is revised the Antichrist will arise and begin to conquer some of the ten kingdoms. This war will continue during the first part of the Week until Antichrist is given full power over the ten kingdoms thus forming his kingdom—the Revived Grecian Empire. However, the “short space” of Rev. 17:10 is the same as the “short time” of Rev. 12:12. It will be about 3½ years Revelation 12:6, 14. These ten kings will continue this short space before Antichrist arises out of one of them to get power over the whole ten. He will overthrow three of the ten kingdoms by the help of one of them, out of which he will arise Daniel 7:8, 20, and then the other six of the ten will surrender to him without any further war Revelation 17:12-17. Thus, if the ten kings continue about 3½ years before Antichrist rises, and he is here for only seven years Daniel 9:27, then there will be only about l0 ½ years between the formation of the ten kingdoms of the old Roman Empire to the second advent of Jesus Christ. How long it will be before the ten kingdoms will begin to be formed is not known; but if a war would break out in Europe, Asia, and Africa today, it would not be more than a few short years before the ten kingdoms could be fully formed. This age could terminate in ten to fifteen years if such a war would break out immediately. This we know, that we are in the closing years of this age, because of the rebuilding of Israel. The prophet said, “When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory” Psalms 102:16.

1. 1 HOW IS ROME TO BE REVISED? The ten kingdoms will be formed through wars and agreements. We must look for the ten kingdoms to be formed only from the territory of old Rome Daniel 7:19-27. Generally speaking, we may say that Egypt, symbolized by the first head on the beast, was the smallest of these seven mountain kingdoms in territory, the king having ruled from Egypt to Syria. Assyria, symbolized by the second head on the beast, ruled from Egypt to Armenia, part of Asia Minor, all of Babylon and the countries of Media and Persia. Babylon, symbolized by the third head on the beast, ruled over Egypt and all the Syrian countries west of the Tigris. Medo-Persia, symbolized by the fourth head on the beast, ruled over a greater territory than any of the preceding heads, ruling from the Indus river on the east, to a part of Thrace and Macedonia on the west, and from the Caspian and Black Seas on the north, to all of Egypt and part of North Africa. Greece, symbolized by the fifth head on the beast, conquered all of the Medo-Persian territory and added to it Greece, Macedonia, and Thrace, thus becoming the largest territory of all the first five heads on the beast. Rome, symbolized by the sixth head on the beast, reigned over all the territory of Greece except the countries east of the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, and added to this vast possession all countries west to the Atlantic, from the northern part of Africa on the south, to the Rhine and Danube rivers on the north, and some parts north of the Danube taking in Dacia and including England. It is from this territory that we are to look for the rise of ten kingdoms symbolized by the seventh head on the beast. The kingdom of the Antichrist, which will be the eighth kingdom or the beast itself, will succeed these ten kingdoms and will embrace not only all this territory, but also the far eastern parts of the Grecian territory and whatever countries these ten kingdoms will control outside the old Roman Empire.

II. The Beast Itself—the Eighth Kingdom

As we have seen in the previous lesson, the seven heads and the ten horns on the beast are entirely different from the beast itself. The beast is the eighth of a succession of world powers from the beginning of Israel as a nation in Egypt to the second advent when Israel will be delivered from the Gentiles and “the times of the Gentiles” will end. The beast as the eighth kingdom will be ruled by the personal, visible, and mortal human being, the Antichrist, and the personal, invisible, and immortal angel, the prince of Grecia. As we have also seen. This prince of Grecia will be liberated out of the pit during the existence of the kingdoms and will cause the human Antichrist to rise to power over the original four Grecian divisions, thus reviving the Grecian Empire, which was not in existence in John’s day, and which had existed before his day, and which will exist as the eighth kingdom in the day of the second advent of Christ to the Earth.

This Revived Grecian Empire will engulf the whole ten kingdoms of the Revised Roman Empire during the first part of the Week. Then by the end of the last half of the Week it will engulf the countries that are east and north of the ten kingdoms. But before Antichrist goes further in his world conquests, he is defeated by Christ at Jerusalem (Zech. 14). Thus, the Antichrist’s kingdom will be the greatest of all the eight Gentile world powers, but he will Fall short of total world conquest like all others before him.

Will Russia, Antichrist, or Christ Rule the Whole World

Communism will never rule the world as a whole and neither will any other “ism.” No earthly man will become the worldwide dictator before Christ comes to reign. Antichrist will come nearer to it than anyone, but before he even conquers all of Asia, Europe, and Africa, he will come to an end and none shall help him Daniel 11:45. Jesus Christ will be the world’s first literal worldwide dictator or ruler. He will be the one who will bring universal peace and prosperity and not Antichrist. Before this universal peace and prosperity arrives, certain wars must occur to fulfill prophecy.

There Must Be at Least Three More European Wars Before the Second Advent

1. The first war will be to form the ten kingdoms. That a war is necessary to form the ten kingdoms is clear because of the fact that at least twenty-two or twenty-three states are now inside the Roman Empire and they must be reduced to ten kingdoms to fulfill Dan. 7:24.

2. After the ten are formed, then and then alone will the Antichrist arise out of the ten, and in his rise to power he will overthrow three of the ten Daniel 7:8, 24. This event will cause another war.

3. The third war will be a war the last half of the Week between the ten kingdoms under the Antichrist and the countries of “the east and of the north” of the ten kingdoms to fulfill Dan. 11:44. (See Supplement Two, Question 1, and Lesson Thirty-nine for more details of these three wars.)

No World Peace and Prosperity Under Antichrist

The old theory of the Antichrist being a man who will miraculously bring world peace and prosperity is unscriptural. He is a man of war from the time he comes until he is destroyed at Armageddon Daniel 7:7-8, 23Daniel 8:20-25Daniel 11:40-45Revelation 6:1-2. The only peace he will cause is with the Jews for seven years. Then he will break this covenant in the middle of this period and seek to destroy the Jews, but he will war among the Gentiles all the time up to his death at Armageddon Daniel 7:11Daniel 8:25Daniel 9:27Revelation 19:11-212 Thessalonians 2:8.

III. The Extent of Antichrist’s Reign Revelation 13:5-18

The question often arises, “Will the Antichrist have power over all kindreds, tongues, and nations, and will all that dwell upon the Earth worship him?” While this can generally be answered in the affirmative, still much depends upon what is meant by “all.” If all is used in the most inclusive sense and is meant to include every individual in the known world today, we can say that he will not have this power. But if it is taken to mean all that God has in mind—the latter day ten kingdoms of old Rome—we can say that all will include all affected by the decree made by the Antichrist in his empire. The following points from Scripture prove that Antichrist will not rule America or be a worldwide dictator as many students of prophecy teach:

1. 1 The word “all” in Rev. 13 is simply part of the figure of speech called “synecdoche” in which a part is used for a whole and a whole for a part. It is frequently used in Scripture as in the following examples:

(1) “I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die” Genesis 6:17. If we took this as literally as men do Rev. 13, we would have Noah and his family and all the animals in the ark dead, for they were also under Heaven and in the Earth and yet they did not die.

(2) “And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both men and women,” referring to the people in Jericho when the wall fell, but the “all” here must be understood in a limited sense, for Rahab and her people were spared Joshua 6:21-25.

(3) “David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord” and “brought up the ark” 2 Samuel 6:5, 15, yet not all Israel did this, for many did not know how to play instruments and many were too young and still many were not even gathered at that one place.

(4) “Six months did Joab remain there [out of his own country] with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom” 1 Kings 11:16, 17. The “all Israel” referred to here is part of the army of Israel.

(5) “So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them . . . see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them” 1 Kings 12:16-19. Here “all Israel” means only the part of Israel that rebelled against Rehoboam. Ezra 10:5Ezekiel 21:4

(6) It is spoken of Nebuchadnezzar that God made him ruler over all men, but ancient Babylon ruled only over part of the Earth Daniel 2:37, 38Daniel 4:1, 11. He never reigned over Greece, Rome, and many other lands at that time. In Dan. 2:39 Greece is spoken of as ruling “over all the earth,” but Greece never reigned over Italy, Spain, and many other countries at that time. In Dan. 7:23, Rome is spoken of as ruling over the “whole earth,” but we all know that did not include many tribes and nations on the Earth, so “all” in these passages simply means all the people in part of the Earth ruled by these kingdoms.

(7) In Mt. 3:5, 6 we read, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins,” but we know that the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and many in all these parts were not baptized of John. Many women, children, the sick, and others of all classes never even saw John, much less were they baptized by him in Jordan. It simply means a great many from these parts were baptized by John.

(8) In Lk. 2:1-3 we read that Caesar Augustus made a decree that “all the world should be taxed . . . And all went to be taxed, every one to his own city.” We all know that any law made by a Roman emperor did not affect the many countries outside of his empire, so “all” here must be understood only in connection with the old Roman Empire that was under Caesar Augustus.

(9) In Rom. 1:8 Paul said, “Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world,” but we know that he meant only that the local church at Rome was known by many in the various parts of the Roman Empire. Multitudes outside of Rome, and even many inside of the Empire had never yet heard of the Christian faith, much less of the local church at Rome. The same thing is true of Col. 1:23 where we read that the gospel had been “preached to every creature under heaven” and in Rom. 10:18 it was preached “into all the earth” and “unto the ends of the world.” The gospel has not yet been taken to all nations, so we know the whole world was not evangelized in Paul’s day.

(10) In Acts 11:28 we read of a drought “throughout all the world” which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. That drought did not cover every part of the Roman Empire much less all continents and islands of the world.

Many hundreds of examples could be given to demonstrate that the word “all” is used in a figurative sense of a part, so we do not need to believe that Rev. 13 means that the Antichrist of the future will literally reign over all the Earth and kill everyone who does not take a mark. What are the various writers in the above examples trying to convey? It is evident that if we take what they say literally we would have to disbelieve what they say, for the empires mentioned above did not rule all the Earth, John did not baptize all men in all the regions round about, and the gospel has not yet been preached to all the world as Paul said. Should we discount these Bible writers and call them false teachers, or should we accept the literal truths conveyed by their figures of speech and believe them? Can we not understand them like we do today when men use such figures of speech? Shall we condemn them for using human language as all men do in their everyday life?

If one should say of some great gathering of people, “everyone in town” or “the whole county” or “all the people in the country were there last night,” we would understand that he is expressing the fact that a great crowd was at the meeting. If the United States lawmakers should make a law that all kindreds, and tongues, and nations and all that dwell upon the earth must register on a certain day, we would naturally understand that it refers only to the kindreds, tongues, and nations that are under the government of the United States, and not the same kindreds, tongues and nations in other parts of the Earth that are under other governments. Or, if they should make a law that all men and women must register on a certain day, we would understand that this word “all” refers to the men and women who are subjects of the government of the United States, and not to all other men and women under other governments in other parts of the world.

We must, therefore, understand the way the word “all” is supposed to be understood in a particular Scripture. If it means all in the all-inclusive sense then there will be no limitations to it in the passage itself or in other Scriptures on the same subject. If it means all of what it has reference to specifically and this is made clear in the passage itself (or in other passages on the same subject) that it means a part of something, then we must be sensible to recognize the fact that all is not inclusive of all men on Earth. For example, when Paul said of God that it was His will that “all men come to the knowledge of the truth” 1 Timothy 2:4, we know that this means all men without exception. But when we read of all men being baptized of John and in the same passage, as well as others on the subject, it is made clear that many were not baptized, then we take it as a figurative statement expressing that a great many in the region were baptized of John.

We have seen in both Testaments that God used universal terms in speaking of the extent of certain kingdoms and the power of certain kings. We have also seen that these terms show that only a great part of the Earth was ruled by these kings and empires. We can, therefore, logically conclude that the extent of Antichrist’s kingdom and power could likewise be limited to a part of the world. If we find a number of Scriptures limiting his power and authority to a part of the Earth, and if they plainly tell us what part will be under him and what part will not be under him, then we must limit the “all” of Rev. 13 to what territory he rules over and not make it as universal as many students of prophecy do.

1. 1 Revelation 13 itself limits the kingdom of the future Antichrist to ten kingdoms that are yet to be formed inside the old Roman Empire. “The ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings (that will be formed inside the old Roman Empire just before the second advent of Christ to the Earth to set up His kingdom, Dan. 7:23, 24], which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour [Greek, hora, meaning “a period of time” as in some places, Jn. 16:2, 4, 25; 1 Jn. 2:18; Rev. 14:15; Rom. 13:11] with the beast. These [ten only] . . . shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb [at Christ’s second coming, Rev. 19:11-21], and the Lamb shall overcome them . . . And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore [of Rev. 17:1-7, that sits on the many waters or peoples that make the beast, or the eighth kingdom], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and to give their kingdom [the ten kingdoms] unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled” Revelation 17:8-18.

If the beast has only “ten horns” and they are ten kings over ten kingdoms, then this is the extent of the reign of the Antichrist. We are then to understand that the “all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” that Antichrist will be given power over, refers to the kindreds and tongues and nations in the ten kingdoms and not the same races of these nations that are controlled by other governments outside the ten kingdoms. All that worship him refers to a great many in the ten kingdoms and all that receive his mark in Rev. 13:16-18 refers to a great many in the ten kingdoms that are under him. Revelation 13 predicts that he will make a law that all in his ten kingdoms must worship him and take his mark or be killed, but it does not say that this law is actually enforced literally even in the ten kingdoms, as we shall see below.

1. 1 In Dan. 7:7, 8, 17-27, we have statements limiting the Antichrist’s kingdom to the ten kingdoms that will yet be formed inside the old Roman Empire. In Dan. 7:7-8, this fact is symbolized by a beast with ten horns and another little horn which comes out of the ten horns and plucks up three of them. All eleven horns come out of the head of the same beast and from within it.

The ten horns and the little horn are explained to Daniel as follows: “The ten horns out of this kingdom [the fourth kingdom, the old Roman Empire] are ten kings that shall arise: and another [the eleventh horn, the little horn] shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High Revelation 13:5, 6, and shall wear out the saints of the most High Daniel 7:21, 22Revelation 13:7, 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 [3½ years, 1,260 days, Dan. 12:7; Rev. 11:2; 12:6, 14; 13:5]. But the judgment [of Dan. 7:9-14; Mt. 25:31-46] shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end [2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:7-12; Rev. 19:11-21; Zech. 14]. And the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” Daniel 7:21-27Daniel 2:44, 45Daniel 8:25Daniel 11:45Luke 1:32-35Matthew 25:31-462 Thessalonians 1:7-102 Thessalonians 2:7-12Revelation 19:11–22.

We have seen before that only “ten kings” will give their power unto the beast and continue as kings “with the beast” for a period of time, or forty-two months.

In Daniel 7 we see where the ten kingdoms will be located. They come “out of this kingdom,” the old Roman Empire, so the extent of Antichrist’s reign, at the time he makes a law that all must worship him and take his mark or be killed, is over ten kingdoms within the old Roman Empire.

America and all other countries outside the old Roman Empire will naturally not be affected by this law and will not be ruled by the Antichrist, because they are not inside the old Roman territory ruled by the ten kings. If God said that the ten kingdoms are “out of this kingdom” or from within the old Roman Empire, then that settles the question for those who believe that God knows what He is talking about. If God said ten horns only would be on the beast and He tells us exactly where the ten kingdoms will be located, surely it is very unwise of anyone to paste fifty-five other horns on the beast and suddenly extend the ten kingdoms of the old Roman Empire territory over the whole world. What is to be gained by changing Scripture? Would it not be best to believe what God said in preference to interpretations of men? Could not prophecy be fulfilled just the same if this is the way it is to be? Do we have to quit preaching on prophecy if the Antichrist’s kingdom is to be limited to what God said it would be? No statement in Scripture ever changes the ten horns to sixty-five horns.

1. 1 In Daniel 11:40-45 it is plainly stated that Antichrist will break his seven-years covenant with the Jews Daniel 9:27, enter Palestine in the middle of the seven years, and be given power over the ten kingdoms. He will make a law that all must worship him, that “many countries [not all] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.” If these countries escape the Antichrist and they are bordering states to Palestine where he has his capital during the last 3½ years of this age Daniel 11:45Revelation 11:1, 2, then it is certainly reasonable to believe that other countries across the vast oceans, which were never in the old Roman Empire, will also escape him.

1. 1 The main part of the nation of Israel in Judea will flee from the Antichrist when he breaks his covenant with them in the middle of Daniel’s Seventieth Week Daniel 9:27. They will flee into Edom and Moab where they have a “place prepared of God” and where they are protected from Antichrist during the time all men are supposed to be under him, according to some students. (See Lesson Forty-five.)

1. 1 In Dan. 11:44, 45 we have another definite prophecy telling of other nations that will not be under the Antichrist when power is given him over all nations of the ten kingdoms. After Antichrist has conquered many countries and has seized Palestine, “tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.” It is clear here that many countries of the north and east of the ten kingdoms of the old Roman Empire will wage war against the Antichrist and the ten kingdoms, and therefore will not be under him, and will not take his mark. (See Lesson Thirty-nine.)

1. 1 Zechariah the prophet also teaches that many people, even many of the ten kingdoms, will not take the mark of the beast and still will not be killed. He speaks of a battle between the Jews at Jerusalem and many nations under the Antichrist the very day Christ comes with the armies of Heaven to deliver Israel and set up a kingdom in the world Zechariah 14:1-5, 14. Zechariah said, “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that they have no rain . . . This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, holiness unto the Lord . . . Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts” Zechariah 14:6-21.

This is proof that even in the ten kingdoms under the Antichrist that all will not take the mark or be killed. In Dan. 11:40-45 we read that “the land of Egypt shall not escape” him, so if Egypt is under the Antichrist and there are some Egyptians left to go into the Millennium, as proven in Zech. 14:16-21, then they have not taken the mark of the beast. It is definitely stated in Rev. 14:9-12 that everyone who does take the mark will be damned to eternal Hell when Christ comes. The fact that they are left and will go into the Millennium and are permitted to go up from year to year to worship at Jerusalem proves that they have not taken the mark and that they have also escaped death at the hands of the Antichrist.

1. 1 The truth is that the Antichrist will make a law that all men in his ten kingdoms must take a mark and worship him or be killed, but there is a war with the countries of the north and east that keeps him so occupied until he cannot possibly enforce this kind of a law. It would be nearly impossible to stringently enforce this law in such a vast territory and in such a short time as 3½ years. Then, too, there will be ways of avoiding this law in certain localities, as there are concerning any law that man has ever made—corruption of local officials, power or influence of relatives’ money, etc. Also, from the standpoint of not being able to reach every person in the mountains, deserts, and rural sections of the vast empire there will be many that will escape taking the mark of the beast.

Not only this, but in all lands outside the ten kingdoms under the Antichrist, there will be some of all nations, kindreds, and tongues who will not be affected by this law. Even if Antichrist ruled all the world, as many Bible scholars teach, it can be understood that it would be utterly impossible to enforce such a law in every part of the Earth in forty-two months or 3½ years. Whole tribes of people in the interior of Tibet, China, Africa, Australia, South America, Mexico and other parts of the Earth never will get to hear about the Antichrist the entire time he is here, much less be conquered, forced to take a mark and change their religion.

Multiplied thousands have not yet heard of Jesus Christ, World War I and II, and many other things of great importance that the civilized part of the Earth has known. The same will be true in the days of the Antichrist, for he will reign only over the old Roman Empire which will cover only the northern part of Africa, the southern part of Europe, and the western part of Asia, and which will then be formed into ten kingdoms.

The Bible teaches that even in the Millennium there will be multitudes of people who have not heard of God through Jesus Christ, and who have not seen the glory of God until the Jewish missionaries go out from Jerusalem and tell them that Christ is reigning in Jerusalem. Then, many people will go and see for themselves that this is true Isaiah 2:2-4Isaiah 40:9Isaiah 52:7Isaiah 61:6Isaiah 66:18-21Zechariah 8:23Zechariah 14:16-21. If many people in various parts of the Earth have not heard of Jesus Christ in over 1,900 years of this Age of Grace, then it is certain that many people in parts of the Earth will not hear of Antichrist in only 3½ years at the end of this age.

1. 1 If all people of all nations cooperate with the Antichrist in the destruction of Israel during the Tribulation, there would not be any “sheep” nations to enter the Millennium under Christ, as taught by Christ in Mt. 25:31-46, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world . . . Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” Matthew 25:31-41.

This event takes place at the second advent of Jesus from Heaven at which time the armies of Heaven set up a kingdom in the world. This judgment follows “immediately after the Tribulation” of the last 3½ years of this age when Antichrist reigns and tries to exterminate the Jewish race Matthew 24:15-31Jeremiah 30:3-11Daniel 9:27Zechariah 12:10–14Revelation 12:1-17. This judgment is after the one-day Battle of Armageddon between Christ and His heavenly armies and the Antichrist and his earthly armies the day Christ comes to Earth Zechariah 14:1-9, 14Isaiah 63:1-72 Thessalonians 1:7-102 Thessalonians 2:8-12Revelation 14:14-20Revelation 16:13-16Revelation 9:11-21Revelation 20:1-3.

Immediately following the one-day Battle of Armageddon the Lord will gather living nations and judge them on the basis of their treatment of His “brethren,” the Jews, as in Mt. 25:31-46. Some of all nations will be called “blessed of my Father” and will “inherit the kingdom” thus proving that they have not taken the mark of the beast and yet they will escape being killed by the Antichrist because they did not take his mark. These include some inside the kingdom of Antichrist as well as those outside of his kingdom. Such kind treatment of Israel by some people could not be possible if they worshiped the beast and were directly under his control, for his main purpose is to exterminate Israel and be worshipped by all men on Earth. The beast is defeated in his purpose by the return of Christ when not all of Asia is conquered, much less all other lands that are not near his empire.

1. 1 Revelation 13:4 proves that there are nations that are not ruled by Antichrist, for otherwise it would be foolish for his followers to say, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” if there were no other governments to compare his power to.

1. 1 Revelation 16:13-16 also proves that all the Earth will not be under the Antichrist. What would be the need of unclean spirits coming from “the dragon” (the devil, Rev. 12:9), “the beast,” and “the false prophet” to endue false prophets with power to be sent to the kings of the Earth to get their co-operation at Armageddon, if all were directly controlled by the Antichrist and if they all loved him enough to worship him and take his mark?

As we have seen above, the beast has only ten kingdoms that have given their power to him, so such a program making use of supernatural powers will be necessary to get the co-operation of other earthly kings at Armageddon. The devil and the beast know when Christ is coming Revelation 12:12Revelation 19:19, so they put forth every effort to mobilize the nations and their vast armies to be present to stop Christ and His armies the day He appears. Thus, we see that many kings of the Earth will not be under the Antichrist and the ten kings under him, so such supernatural powers will be needed to get these other nations to cooperate with him at Armageddon.

1. 1 It is definitely stated in Rev. 14:9-12 that every person without exception who takes the mark of the beast and worships him will be damned to eternal Hell. If every person on Earth must either take the mark of the beast and worship the Antichrist or be killed, and if everyone who does take it is confined eternally to Hell when Christ comes, as stated in Rev. 14:9-11, who then will be left on Earth for Christ and the righteous resurrected saints to reign over in the Millennium and forever? It is certain according to Ps. 2; Isa. 2:2-4; 9:6, 7; Zech. 14:16-21; Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 14, 18, 27; 12:12, 13; Rev. 1:4-6; 2:26, 27; 5:10; 11:15; 20:1-10 and many other Scriptures, that all nations will be ruled by Christ and the saints forever. So if all who do not take the mark are to be killed by the Antichrist or sent to Hell by Christ if they do take it, from where are these nations to come that will populate the Earth when Christ comes to reign?

We conclude, that the Antichrist will be limited in his power over only a part of the Earth and that there will be plenty of people who will not be under him and who will not take the mark of the beast and worship him. It is these people who will be left here for Christ and the saints to reign over forever.

Finally, as Antichrist is to reign for only 3½ years and is only over the ten kingdoms that are yet to be formed inside of the old Roman Empire, we conclude that America will not be ruled by the Antichrist and that he will not be a worldwide dictator.