I think Daniel 8 runs parallel to what America's currently doing to Iraq and Iran (Iraq being Media, Iran being Persia). After we attack Iran, we get attacked. Dan 7:23 says that beasts represent kingdoms. Then we make an alliance with Italy / Rome (the first beast in Revelation 13 seems to be Rome, the second one seems to fit the description of America). The beast with the deadly wound, Rome fell (Rev 13:10). The wound heals (the eighth is of the seven, Rev 17:11), Rome comes back. The seventh kingdom is America. After America issues the mark of the beast, the ten horns attack America (Rev 14:8, Rev 17:16) because they don't need us anymore. This leaves everyone free to attack Israel (1Th 5:3), and sometime during all this ( Mat 23:39, Luk 13:35) Jesus will come back and save his people.
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John Wesley founded the Methodist Church in England in the 1700s. Like most other Protestants in his day, he had absolutely no interest in the speculative fancies of Jesuit Futurism. In the 1750s, as Wesley was studying prophecy, he realized the 1,260-year period would soon come to an end. In 1754, he published his much-respected New Testament with Explanatory Notes. After applying the first beast of Revelation 13:1-10 to the papacy, he contemplated the rise of the second beast. Underneath verse 11, John Wesley wrote, "Another . . . beast . . . But he is not yet come, though he cannot be far off; for he is to appear at the end of the forty-two months of the first beast. And he had two horns like a lamb-a mild, innocent appearance" (John Wesley, Notes on Revelation, 1754. p. 457). The founder of the Methodist Church was right on target! His footnotes here were more reliable than many of C. I. Scofield.
http://www.endtimeinsights.com/America.html (Cached)
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/WesleysExplanatoryNotes/wes.cgi?book=re&chapter=013
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Now lets compare the second beast with America.
"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." (Revelation 13:11)
Has two horns of a lamb. Presented as a Christian nation. Spoke like a dragon. Isn't really a Christian nation.
"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men," (Revelation 13:13 KJVA)
Atomic Bombs. Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nuclear weapons. Which nation has enough nukes to destroy the world about eight times over?
"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." (Revelation 13:14-15 KJVA)
Which nation invented television? Which nation invented the technology to do all this? Which nation is the first nation to invent computer chips that can be placed in children (and animals) so that they can locate them using global positioning?
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17 KJVA)
Which nation is currently uniting the money using credit cards, debit cards, etc... so that people can trade over the internet (among other reasons)?
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"What was the precursor and facilitator of the national id card, or the internal passport, or "mark of the beast"?" ... "It's your "motor vehicle registration" and "driver's license." Where and when did it start? Massachusetts, 1903. It was a little piece of paper with your name and address on it. From the cradle of the American Revolution and freedom came the ball and chain of universal identification... Now some people might argue that the birth certificate was first or the social security card was the beginning of the end..."
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39c975013d67.htm (old)
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"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," (Revelation 14:6)
Which nation preaches the gospel the most?
"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." (Revelation 14:8 KJVA)
Which nation resembles Babylon the most?
If you ask me, we have a match.
"Another . . . beast . . . But he is not yet come, though he cannot be far off; for he is to appear at the end of the forty-two months of the first beast. And he had two horns like a lamb-a mild, innocent appearance" (John Wesley, Notes on Revelation, 1754. p. 457).
Wow, Coincidence! America came to power about the same time John Wesley predicted it would. Remember, this prediction was made before America came to power.
Possible Parallels
"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." (Revelation1 18:2).
"is fallen, is fallen"
Twin towers (two towers have fallen).
"is become the habitation of devils"
A nation that started off as a Christian nation, but is no longer a Christian nation. Ex: Isaiah 1:21.
"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." (Revelation 18:23 KJVA).
"the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee"
Power outage.
"And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you." (Leviticus 26:17).
"ye shall flee when none pursueth you."
Y2K
This could be symbolic of the trouble that's going to come.
Links
http://bibleprophecy.net/rev13.htm
http://www.666man.net/Revelation13.html
http://www.religiouscounterfeits.org/antichrist3.htm (Cached)
http://www.sundaylaw.net/books/other/standish/antichrist/aih20.htm (old)
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