(Revelation 13: 3a) “One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed.”
“Beasts” in Bible Prophecy are Empires
In Bible prophecy beasts represent empires. Of course each empire has a king; however, primarily a beast is an empire. In Revelation Chapter thirteen we are told that a beast empire arises out of the sea of the nations and constitutes an empire that has the marks of all previous empires before it. It has seven heads which historically represented seven empires before it. You had Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome combined being the Greco-Roman empire, followed by a seventh empire, the one that conquered the Greco- Roman Empire.
However, there is also an eighth empire which has within it all the features of the previous empires before it as it belongs to the seven, having the same spirit of rebellion against God. These are referred to as mountains which represent kingdoms or empires (Revelation 17:9-10). This seventh empire that conquered the Greco-Roman Empire was an empire that seemed to have received a mortal would but is resurrected in the eighth empire (Revelation 17:11).
In Revelation Chapter thirteen we have three empires specifically mentioned. You had Greece (the Leopard), Persia (the bear), and Babylon (the lion). In Daniel Chapter seven we see coming up out of the sea of the nations these same three empires mentioned but in reversed order.
You have the first one that was like a lion which was the Babylonian Empire, followed by one that looked like a bear which would be the Medo-Persian Empire, followed by one that looked like a leopard which would have been the Greco-Roman Empire (Daniel 7:3-6).
In Daniel Chapter seven we also see a fourth beast empire which is different from the other three empires before it, and out of this beast empire we see the little horn (ruler/king) arising and he is the Antichrist (Daniel 7:6-8). Horns in Bible Prophecy are rulers or kings over their respective beast empires.
The context of Daniel Chapter seven is prophetic in nature and relates to the end of this present age where we see the beast empire and its king persecuting God’s people but then he is judged by God and he along with his empire destroyed by the Messiah at His Second Coming to establish His Millennial Messianic Kingdom, a kingdom on earth that the saints of God (all true believers in the Messiah our Lord Jesus) will inherit (Daniel 7:9-27).
The Fourth, the Seventh, and the Eighth Beast Empires
In Daniel Chapter 7:7, 19 the fourth beast Empire corresponds to the eighth beast Empire in Revelation Chapter 17:9-11.
Historically, all of the ancient beast empires Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome all adopted the same two main deities but changed their names and adopted some of the customs and culture of the previous empires. Especially we see this in the Greco-Roman Empire. The empire of Rome absorbed much of the culture, the art, the literature, the traditions, the governmental system, the military tactics and the two main ‘gods’ from the Greek empire.
The two main deities of the Roman Empire, Jupiter and Juno, were equivalent to the Greek gods Zeus and Hera. In addition to Jupiter and Juno, other Roman gods closely aligned with Greek deities included Neptune (Rome) Poseidon (Greece) the god of the sea. Then you had Mars (Roman) Ares (Greek) the god of war. Then you had Venus (Rome) Aphrodite (Greek) the goddess of love and finally Minerva (Rome) Athena (Greece) the goddess of wisdom and craft.
The Greco-Rome Empire was the sixth empire which existed in the time of the apostle John. The seventh empire which was to come after the Greco-Romans Empire was the Islamic Empire which was the Turkish Ottoman Empire, yet there was an eighth empire to come (Revelation 17:9-11).
Historically the eighth empire would have to be the empire of Islam with its roots going all the way back to the Ancient Babylon of Nimrod the first major type of the Antichrist in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis we are told that “Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the LORD” (Genesis 10:9). In the Hebrew text of the Bible it reads; “Nimrod was a might hunter in the face of God.” In other words he was an arch rebel against God.
He was also the founder of the cities of Babylon (Capital of the future Babylonian Empire) and Nineveh (Capital of the future Assyrian Empire). In the Bible the kings of Assyria and Babylon were all major types of the future Antichrist to come at the end of this present age. He will be a Middle-Eastern despotic dictator whose empire will also expand into much of Europe. The whole Bible including the prophecies are all Middle- Eastern centric, not western centric. The Bible itself is a Middle-eastern Book.
It Cannot Assimilate
In Daniel Chapter seven we are told that the fourth beast empire cannot assimilate at all with the western culture of the Greco-Roman Empire, being the third beast empire. This fourth beast empire we are told will be one that is terrifying and frightening and very powerful, having large iron teeth by which it crushes and devours its victims and tramples underfoot whatever is left and is different from the other three former beast empires (Daniel 7:7, 19). This characterises Islam today! See also (Daniel 2:40).
When you look at the history of Islam it cannot assimilate with any other culture. It is different from the empires that came before it. Historically the Turkish Ottoman Empire would have to be the seventh king in Revelation Chapter seventeen and the fourth beast empire in Daniel Chapter seven, both being the one and the same empire.
In the case of the eighth king belonging to the seven other kings, is the seventh king and his empire resurrected in the eighth king and his empire. These are the two beast empires in Revelation chapter thirteen. The first beast empire comes out of the sea, representing the nations, and the other beast empire giving its allegiance to the first beast empire comes up out of the earth, in other words in Revelation Chapter thirteen the first beast empire is resurrected in the Second Beast Empire.
When Greco-Rome Fell
Historically, it was the Caliphate of the Turkish Ottoman Empire that toppled the Empire of Rome. The empire of Rome was divided into two legs of the empire. In the west the city of Rome was the capital and in the Middle-East with Constantinople the capital city of what became known as the Byzantine Empire.
The Western leg of the Roman Empire is commonly considered to have fallen in 476 AD when the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by the barbarian king Odoacer. However, the eastern leg of the empire called Byzantium with its capital in Constantinople (Istanbul in Turkey) lasted for approximately 977 years after the fall of Rome in the west. In 1453 AD the Byzantine Empire fell to the Islamic Turkish Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire lasted for over 600 years, from its founding around 1299 until its dissolution in 1922 after WW1.
At the Zenith of Its Power
At its peak, the Turkish Ottoman Empire controlled vast territories across three continents. The following modern-day countries were part of this empire. In South-eastern Europe you had Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and North Macedonia. In Western Asia you had Turkey, Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen. Then in North Africa you had Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
This extensive reach made the Ottoman Empire one of the largest and longest-lasting empires in history. The man from Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wants to resurrect the Turkish Ottoman Empire of his Turkish forebears. Undoubtedly he would like to see his caliphate extend into all of the countries mentioned that the Ottoman Turks controlled when at the zenith of their power.
The Prophetic Implication Today
The whole of the Middle East is a powder keg ready to explode. It is a situation as fragile as nitro-glycerine. Just like the decline of the Roman Empire, which was ‘Christianised’ by the Emperor Constantine, we see the same moral and spiritual decline of western democracy and the apostasy of the Judeo-Christian heritage today. Western nations that were historically and traditionally associated with a Biblical Judeo-Christian heritage are today neo-pagan.
It was the Turkish Ottoman Empire with its despotic caliphate that virtually destroyed Christendom in the Middle East. The territory of the Byzantine Empire with its Christian roots covered the following modern day Middle-Eastern countries. You had Constantinople, being modern day Istanbul the capital city of Byzantium, in Turkey. You had Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Lebanon and of course Israel.
All of these countries today are Islamic; all conquered by the Turkish Ottoman Empire, being the fourth beast empire of Daniel Chapter seven, or the seventh king of Revelation Chapter seventeen. While there remains a remnant of Christians and their churches in the Middle-East by and large Islam dominates the whole Middle-Eastern region with Israel the only exception of course.
The Invasion of the West
Today the seventh beast empire, historically being Islam, is being resurrected in the eighth beast empire which is also Islamic. In Revelation Chapter thirteen the allegiance of this second beast empire is given to the first beast empire, and the seemingly ‘mortal’ wound has been healed. From the human perspective it is an astonishing thing to see how Islam is infiltrating western Christendom, especially in the countries of France, Germany and Spain and Denmark as well as other European countries, in Great Britain, in America, in Canada, in Australia and in New Zealand and in Canada. All of these nations have a Judeo-Christian heritage.
Now you have Muslims in western countries holding political positions, working in educational institutions, in hospitals, in businesses, in every walk and level of society with Mosques being built and Islamic culture being embraced by western politicians. Muslims are also into banking and finance, technology, and forcing Sharia law and Islamic ideology and culture upon western democracy and pushing for more “no go zones” in western countries where Muslim communities can practice Sharia Law and the western governments do not interfere.
What happened to the Middle-Eastern countries traditionally connected to Judeo-Christianity in the Byzantium Empire which were conquered by Islam; is happening today within western Christendom. The four main “post Christian” countries that are being indoctrinated by Islam today are France, Germany, Great Britain and France.
How can you fight an enemy that blends in to a culture outwardly but inwardly cannot assimilate with any other culture than its own ideology and way of living? Who can wage war with such a beast empire? (Revelation 13: 4b)
The Origin of the Crescent Moon
Islam, that has its roots in the Babylon of Nimrod, is a way of life, a military power, a socio-economic power, an ideology of conquest by the sword, and religion a component which is a large portion of Islamic life and culture. The symbol of the crescent moon symbolised the ancient Arabic Mesopotamian moon-god of war that the Arabs revered long before Islam existed. The emblem of crossed scimitars, pointing upwards shown on all Islamic flags and banners signifies conquest by the sword. Islam was spread by the sword. It is interesting to note that after Gideon had defeated the Midianites that the Bible tells us that he took off the crescent ornaments off the necks of their camels (Judges 8:21b NASB).
Historically Speaking
Historically when the Turkish Ottoman Empire tried to invade Europe that there were Christian armies that withstood the attempted invasion of the whole of Europe by Islam. The Muslim invasions of Europe were significantly halted at the Battle of Tours in 732, where Charles Martel led the Frankish forces to victory against the Umayyad army, preventing further Muslim expansion into Western Europe. This battle is often regarded as a turning point that helped shape the future of Europe by stopping the advance of Islam into the continent.
When the Sun Sets on the West
Today the sun is setting on the western nations. Europe is weak and divided and the leaders of the Islamic world know this. Islam is invading Europe and the western democracies primarily through migration and intermarriage with western women. Also Muslims have lots of children. Islam has already established its Trojan horses in western democracies. While the western politicians are “Israel bashing” and by and large the mainstream media is playing down the militant malevolent agenda of Jihadist terrorists, Israel is the only nation in the Middle-East fighting Jihadist tyranny and resisting Islamic expansion.
While America is supporting Israel under the trump administration, if President Trump is assassinated, the LORD forbid, then the western democracies will be finished. “Rome” will fall again! The Islamic agenda is far broader in scope than just controlling Israel and the Temple Mount. They want to establish a caliphate of global proportions encompassing the same geographical boundaries that the caliphate of the former Turkish Ottoman Empire occupied. This is clear in the goal of the Muslim Brotherhood which both Turkey and Qatar embrace. In fact there is no “moderate” Islam, but only Islam and its ideology which every Muslim is compelled to adhere to.
At War with Israel and the West
History has a way of repeating itself. The Islamic Turkish Ottoman Empire, which sought to become a global power but failed, is being resurrected and spearheaded by the man from Turkey. In reality Islam is not a religion of peace. If anything validates this fact one just has to look back to 9/11 when the twin towers in New York were destroyed by Islamic terrorists, which in reality was Islam declaring war on the west. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, there have been numerous terrorist incidents attributed to Islamic Jihad minded terrorists targeting the West.
Between the years of 2001-2010 there were twenty plus attacks. The most notable one after 9/11 was the Fort Hood shooting in 2009. Then, between the years of 2011-2020 there were thirty plus attacks, the most notable being the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Then in San Bernardino there was a mass shooting and an attempted bombing in 2015. Then, between the years of 2021 and 2023 there has been at least five plus attacks across Europe and the US. Many individual attacks have occurred and are still occurring and increasing such as stabbings, shootings and vehicle ramming of pedestrians.
The most vicious attack that occurred since the Holocaust was the October 7, 2023 when Hamas terrorists accompanied by many Gazan citizens invaded southern Israel, massacring thousands of Israelis and foreign nationals and taking hundreds more hostage, launching Israel into an unprecedented year of threats, attacks, assassinations, protests, and war. Some 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 massacre. Over 250 people were kidnapped into the Gaza Strip.
Epilogue:
The Islamic beast empire is stirring and we see the Islamic giant starting to stir and to unite against Israel. Last week saw an emergency summit of nearly 60 Arab Islamic leaders that was held in Qatar on September 15, 2025, in response to Israel’s bombing of Hamas leaders in Doha by the Israelis. This unprecedented gathering aimed to address the escalating conflict and formulate a united response against Israel. Certain leaders condemned the attack as a “treacherous” act and a violation of international law.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani: Described the attack as “cowardly” and accused Israel of undermining peace negotiations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Israel’s actions as “genocidal” and called for economic pressure against Israel while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi: Warned that Israel’s behaviour could destabilize the region further. While military retaliation was not explicitly mentioned, these leaders expressed a strong desire for a unified stance against Israel.
If Islam is true to form a combined attack against Israel cannot be ruled out. In fact Israel is going to be attacked by the nations of the world. God will gather these nations in order to bring His people Israel back to Himself and especially to the Messiah our Lord Jesus to be saved by Him on His return (Joel 3:1-3,12) (Ezekiel 38:4) (Zechariah 14:1-2) (Zechariah 12:10-13:1).
We know that Turkey will lead the invasion of Israel by the armies of Islam including the armies of the other nations accompanying them (Ezekiel 38:1-6). Turkey will be a major player in this end-time scenario (Revelation 2:12-13). These will be the armies of the Islamic Antichrist which the prophet Joel describes metaphorically as locusts which will blanket the land of Israel. While the locusts metaphorically represented the future invasion of Israel by the Babylonians, which occurred in 586 BC, it also telescopes to the end of this present age to the armies of the Antichrist which will be destroyed by the LORD (Joel 1:1-4; 2:1-11, 18-20; 3:1-3,12-16) (Ezekiel 38:18-39:1-6, 17-20) (Zechariah 14:12-15). In fact the whole prophecy of Joel is Eschatological!
The beast empire is immerging. The stage is being set for the time of Great Tribulation unparalleled in past history and never to be equalled again in the future, the Time of the Big Trouble for Israel, for the Body of Messiah spiritually grafted into Israel and for the nations of the world (Matthew 24: 15-22) (Daniel 12:1).
Based on the past history of Islam and the Word of God, the last beast Islamic empire resurrected with its king the Antichrist will come to its end and that not by human power, but by divine retribution from the God of heaven for the persecution of His saints that, after the Messiah in His Second Coming has destroyed all opposition, will inherit the Messianic Kingdom of God! (Daniel 2:32-35, 44-45).
As the prophet Daniel writes…
“He (the Antichrist, the horn that had eyes like the eyes of a man and with a mouth that spoke boastfully) will speak out against the Most High (the Triune God of heaven) and wear down the saints (both Jewish and Gentile New Covenant believers in Messiah) of the Highest One, and he (the Antichrist) will intend to make alterations in times and in law (the Jewish laws and customs); and they (the saints) will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time (31/2 years, 42 months, 1,260 days). But the court (in heaven) will sit for judgment, and his dominion (the Antichrist and his empire) will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him’(Daniel 7:25-27) (Expanded version).
See “Who can make war with him?” on this website. See “The Two Beasts of the Apocalypse” on this website.
