THE SEVENTH and EIGHTH HEADS ON THE BEAST

As you will recall, the 21^st Century didn’t start with a whimper, but with a ‘bang’ on September 11, 2001; when radical Islamist Jihads piloted American planes and passengers into the Twin towers and the Pentagon, while the brave people on Flight 93 brought the fourth plane down in a field in Pennsylvania.

A month later, on October 14, 2001, I was asked to preach a sermon by our Pastor which I called ‘The Day That Changed the World,’ based on Revelation 13.

Thirteen years later, I, and many others who study prophecy, have recognised that the two symbolic (God opposing) Beasts depicted in Revelation 13 bear strong similarities to the Ottoman Empire, c. 1299–1922, and to the contemporary radical Islamic SUNNI Muslim Caliphate that suddenly re-appeared in 2014, called Islamic State or ISIS. This ISIS Caliphate brutally took control of two Middle Eastern Governments’ sovereign territories in Syria and Iraq, from where it launched a reign of terror and destruction that displaced millions of people.

Originally, Islamic Caliphates were inspired and authorised by the ideology promoted by the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in the 7^th Century. Major Caliphates were established after Muhammad’s death as successive ruling polities (i.e., Rashidun 632–611; Umayyad 661–750; Abbasid 750–1258; Ottoman 1299–1922; which led the Muslim community for 600 years, via the Quran and Hadith. Similar Salafist doctrines were endorsed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the early 20^th Century after the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire was destroyed at the end of WWI, and finally dismantled in 1922–1924. During following decades empires were disestablished and the age of multiple nation/states began.

The idea of a latter-day Caliphate was promoted by Osama Bin Laden at the beginning of the 21^st Century, but it was not recreated until Ramadan 2014, via ‘so-called’ Caliph Ibrahim, when the Islamic State (ISIS) was declared. This revived radical Islamic Caliphate came into being after a hiatus period of 90 years when empires ceased to exist! After ISIS completed its prophesied 42 months operation of terror and barbarism (cf. Rev. 13:5), from June 29, 2014–Dec. 9, 2017, the Islamic State’s ‘territorial’ Caliphate was destroyed after intensive bombing by a coalition of nations; but its Salafist ideology remained active within many of the numerous Islamist Terrorist groups, (designated as such, by the United States). These Islamist groups are based in many nations of the World. (See pages 3–4 for diagrammatic explanation of the beast’s polities mentioned in Revelation 13 and 17:8–11).

Then, in Revelation chapter 17:12–14, we see even more terrorist groups who are associated with the God-opposing Beast entity that is composed of 10 Muslim [horn] nations (Rev. 13:1), i.e., Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Libya; BUT this latter group is composed of men who are described as ‘ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet’ who rise up to make war against the Lamb, (Jesus Christ), and His followers.

These 10 kings without kingdoms remained un-recognised until recently, when (after the barbaric attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023), Iran and Hezbollah openly announced the re-formation of an ‘Axis of Resistance’ incorporating both SUNNI and SHIA Islamist terrorist groups—from Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Gaza and Palestine, that would act as proxies of Iran. They would be armed, financed and sponsored under Iran’s leadership, and act under Hezbollah’s umbrella of hostility toward Israel by presenting their power as a ‘unity of fronts.’

This ‘Axis of Resistance’ has lately been described as a ‘kind of NATO for militant groups in the region,’ giving support to each other.

Thus it was a combined force of Hamas, and (PIJ) Palestinian Islamic Jihad, (both of which are SUNNI Muslim terrorist groups that are supported by SHIA Iran), plus other smaller Gazan and West Bank terrorist groups that attacked Israel on October 7! They have been identified via the coloured head-bands worn by the terrorists.

As the most powerful of Gaza's armed groups, Hamas was the dominant force in a coalition which brought together 10 other Palestinian factions in a war games-style exercise overseen by a "joint operation room".

The American CIA calls these proxy groups ‘non state’ Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO’s). They sound remarkably like the ‘ten kings who have received no kingdoms as yet’ in Revelation 17:12–14! Some of these ‘kings without kingdoms’ (who have militant armies), aka ‘non state FTO’s’— have names familiar to us: like Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, IRGC (Iran’s special forces), Muslim Brotherhood, Boko Haram, Huthis and many others that are embedded in the Middle East who are supportive of Iran’s desire to wipe Israel off the map, and destroy the United States. Iran has called its perceived enemies... Little Satan and big Satan!

As Revelation 17:12–13 shows, there is a swapping of power and authority between these polities:

The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind and they will give their power and authority to the beast.

The CIA lists more than 60 Foreign Terrorist Organisations that have been designated—as such—by the U.S. These Islamist FTO’s are now coming together as a ‘unity of fronts’ or ‘being of one mind’ (cf. Rev. 17:13), to execute their agenda as they make war against Israel, and battle for supremacy over the western nations and Christianity.

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. (Rev. 17:14)

This explains why so many international diplomats are flying around the world frantically trying to prevent the Gaza-Israel war from escalating into a Middle-eastern cauldron of hatred and animosity toward Israel and the western democratic nations.

To conclude, Revelation 17 contains several verses that are very difficult to understand without a knowledge of history; they describe the rise and fall (i.e., the appearance, disappearance and reappearance) of these latter-day radical Islamist powers. My [personal interpretations] of these difficult verses (on the next two pages) have been interspersed with scriptures that integrate the information previously given in Revelation 13.

The beast that you saw [with seven heads Rev. 13:1–2, which opposes Yahweh God]

was, [it existed via a succession of 7 ‘heads’ or empires in the Middle East. The beast appears in its seventh iteration (during New Testament times), as the SUNNI Islamic Ottoman Empire Caliphate after it conquered Constantinople, Capital of Eastern Rome (Byzantine Empire) in AD 1453. At that time the SUNNI Caliphate became the 7^th head iteration (heir to Rome, the 6^th head), on the territorial land beast (that rose up from the sea) in Revelation 13:1. The dragon (Satan, Devil) gave the beast his power, throne and great authority.]

and is not, [when the Ottoman Empire was mortally wounded (cf. Rev. 13:3a), with the sword of war (cf. Rev. 13:14b] during WWI (1918); and abolished in 1922–24.]

and [after it had healed (cf. Rev. 13:3, 12b), it was authorised and revived via the ideology in the Quran, to be recreated; so after a hiatus of 90 years it reappeared as another SUNNI Caliphate.]

it will ascend out of the bottomless pit [history tell us it became a SECOND SUNNI Islamic State Caliphate (ISIS); as declared on June 29, 2014, during Ramadan.]

and go to perdition. [To damnation, when it was pronounced destroyed on December 9, 2017. That ended the latter-day SUNNI 7^th iteration of a Caliphate.]

Though the beast’s ideology and authority remains via the Quran…

And those who dwell on the earth [i.e., Muslims primarily, and non-Christians] will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world,

when they [1.8–2.2 billion Muslims in 21^st Century]

see the beast that was, [i.e., referring back to the dual-SUNNI seventh iteration of the Beast, via the Ottoman Empire, and the SUNNI Islamic State (ISIS) Caliphate, cf. the box above.]

and is not, [when the SUNNI Islamic State (ISIS) was defeated and destroyed in Dec. 2017), after which the dual SUNNI iteration was sent to perdition.]

and yet is. [i.e., when it reappears] for an unstated period time after Oct 7, 2023…]

See the eighth (head) iteration of the beast in the box at the bottom of the next page.

Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. [The woman is an idolatrous (religious) evil spirit called ‘Mystery, Babylon the Great’ (Rev. 17:5, 18), aka. that great city that has corrupted (the kings of the earth, [Rev. 17:2, 15], and peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues). She has ruled over the previous seven ‘mountain’ empires’ in Biblical history: from Babel, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Macedon-Greece and Rome, including the dual-SUNNI Ottoman and Islamic State Caliphates.]

[In Rev. 17:3–6 the woman/that great city, is sitting on and ruling over the SUNNI seventh iteration of the beast that opposes God. She and the beast are now located in the wilderness, on the seven mountains surrounding the great city, Mecca. She is drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus (cf. 17:6, 18:24; 19:2–3), who died during the Biblical era, especially via Rome and the Islamic Conquest.]

there are also seven kings. [these seven kings ruled over the seven Empires or kingdoms named above]

Five have fallen, [Five kings had been relegated to history (prior to 1^st Century), i.e., the kings of Babel, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia and Macedon-Greece.]

one is, [the Roman Emperor/Empire still existed, when Revelation was written]

and the other has not yet come. [i.e., the one that succeeded the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire in 1453; which was the SUNNI Ottoman Empire.]

And when he comes, [the Caliph/Sultan of the SUNNI Ottoman Empire endures for another 465 years until 1918. The title and role was made obsolete in 1922–24.]

he must continue a short time. [as Caliph Ibrahim—SUNNI Islamic State (ISIS)— reappearing as a substitute Caliph: June 29, 2014–Dec. 9, 2017, for 42 months.]

The beast that was [i.e., the dual-SUNNI Caliphates described above]

and is not [when the dual-SUNNI Caliphates went to perdition, and ceased to exist]

is himself also the eighth, [the eighth iteration ‘head’ on the God opposing beast that arises from the same source. It is the new SHIA Islamist/Iranian ‘Axis of Resistance’ arising from the previous Islamist beast, which includes the ‘ten kings without kingdoms’ i.e., ‘non-state’ FTO’s who are of one mind; i.e, ‘unity of fronts’ who give their power and authority to the eighth head on the beast. (Rev. 17:12–13). The beast and the ten kings without kingdoms make war with the Lamb.]

and is of the seven, [they are an accumulation of proxy terrorist forces, creating a ‘unity of fronts’ from the seven former Middle Eastern/Asian heads on the beast.]

and is going to perdition. [Will be sent to damnation, when the Lamb who is Lord of lords, and King of kings, overcomes them. Rev. 17:14]