LEOPARD-BEAR-LION BEAST
In Daniel’s chapter 7 dream we find:
Daniel 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Daniel 7:4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings… Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear… Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard… Daniel 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly…
Later in the chapter we learn.
Daniel 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
So in the context of the figurative language of a dream or vision in prophecy we understand that…
BEAST = KINGDOM
There is broad agreement among Jewish and Christian scholars that the kingdoms represented by Daniel’s lion, bear and leopard, are the successive ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, followed by the fourth “terrible” beast, that is understood to be the Roman Empire.
By this we understand that the term beast = kingdom when used in the context of the figurative language of a dream or vision in prophecy. Because of the stunning job Daniel did of prophesying a series successive kingdoms that were to come in his future, Bible scholars – both Christian and Jew – understand Daniel’s lion, bear, leopard and fourth “dreadful”, “beasts”, to have been the successive kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire. A web search – “babylon medo-persia greece” – even in quotes returns over 29,000 results.
This conclusion is reached within the traditional continuous-historic context of prophecy. This is simply the view that bible prophecy is fulfilled steadily, as the era about which it is written gradually unfolds. This is the context in which virtually all Christians and Jews understand Old Testament prophecy.
Below are maps of these successive kingdoms. Each of Daniel’s beasts conquered the whole known world in it’s turn.
Daniel 7:4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings… lion – Babylon
Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear… bear – Medo-Persia
Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard… leopard – Greece
This is a link to a map of the way the leopard was eventually divided among Alexander’s four generals (four heads).
Daniel 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly…fourth “dreadful” – The Roman Empire
Daniel defined the term “beast” when used in the context of a dream or vision in prophecy: Daniel 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth…
BEAST = KINGDOM
Daniel’s lion, bear and leopard kingdom “beasts” were the successive ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, which reappear together in scripture only one more time – in Revelation Chapter 13 – but combined into a single composite “beast” – kingdom.
Revelation 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard,and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave himhis power, and his seat, and great authority. (Daniel’s beast is “his”)
The reverse order was perhaps because Daniel was forward looking at these kingdoms to come, while John was looking backward at their fulfillment. This leopard-bear-lion beast was to continue 42 months. The seats of the ancient successive kingdom beasts of Daniel’s lion, bear and leopard which are widely believed to be Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, are occupied today by the countries of Iraq, Iran, and Syria/Lebanon. The dragon in the verse above is Satan.
It is described “as a leopard” perhaps because while an individual Muslim can change, it is impossible for Islam to change, as long as the Quran (mouth) exists:
Jerimiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
While these countries and various sects of Islam may have differences, and some with national sovereignty, they are perfectly united spiritually through the false prophet Mohammed and his Quran. As a result they are filled with the spirit of antichrist because their belief that God has no Son, or “shirk”, is the most important fundamental in Islam. Iraq 97%, Iran 98%, Syria/Lebanon 90%/60% Islamic.
Sura 19:88 They say: “(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!” 89 Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous!Link to this image
Bible prophecy is ethnographic and therefore is largely about the Middle East. Terms like “whole world” are likely not about Peoria Illinois. “that deceiveth the whole world” – Strong’s explains: 3625 oikoumene {oy-kou-men’-ay} 1) the inhabited earth 1a) the portion of the earth inhabited by the Greeks, in distinction from the lands of the barbarians 1b) the Roman empire, all the subjects of the empire
The sketch map above is an illustration of the seat of the Islamic Empire “beast”, and the countries that compose that seat today. However the Lord’s interest isn’t likely to lie in the artificial boundaries of men, but rather in the spiritual condition of mankind. The spirit of antichrist, in this case. Each of Daniel’s successive kingdoms conquered the whole known world (Middle East area) in its turn.
(link to this spot) Below is a map of the composite leopard-bear-lion “beast” (kingdom) and the spiritual condition of the Middle East today. (from a map at Wikimedia Commons) Percentage of Islam by country: (scroll to bottom of this link page for % by country largest to smallest %)
Leopard-Bear-Lion – Islamic Empire
While some Muslims may be unaware that other Muslims mark the Quran with the number 666, former PLO terrorist Walid Shoebat also said that the moment he saw the GREEK symbol for 666, he read it as the ARABIC symbol for “Bismillah”, or “in the name of Allah”. There are ISLAMIC web sites that discuss how the number 666 demonstrates the perfection of the Quran, and that the Quran “is the 666”. This number association of 666 was prophesied in Scripture 500 years before Mohammed was born and is explored more completely on this page.
Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
On this link are videos of Muslims who have come to know the love of God.
For nearly thirty years, seventy-nine year old Ellis Skolfield has written about the central role of Islam in Second Coming prophecy, by studying within the traditional continuous-historic framework.
Here is a link to a verse-by-verse of the 13th chapter of Revelation
(link to a description of “John’s Eight Beasts” that includes the above four)
(link to next page “Mathematical Precision of Prophecy”)
Smaller scale maps to paste into chat forums click here.
NOTES ON THE LEOPARD-BEAR-LION BEAST
Some Muslims claim the Bible was corrupted to demonize Islam, but this would have been an impossibility since it had been copied thousands of times and translated into many languages over the hundreds of years before Mohammed was ever born. The Quran, on the other hand, was collected on stones and palm leaves, wasn’t even written until long after Mohammed died, and the current Middle East version was selected from among many versions – while burning the rest – twice. Here is an online book written by M. Ali – a Nigerian former Muslim – now Christian evangelist – that discusses the differences between Islam vs. Christianity and the Bible vs. the Quran.
With the understanding of the kingdom beast Islam, and the false prophet Mohammed, marked by the number 666, we can now exegete Chapter 13 of Revelation without trouble, and indeed the book of Revelation, reconciling it with the book of Daniel, as well as the Olivet Discourse, through this perspective – and confirm it all mathematically. The two horned beast of Rev chapter 13 is covered in chapter 12 of The False Prophet. It is manifest in the Crusades and the British mandate and the remnant of the Roman Empire, unto today. The False Prophet includes a sound hermeneutic study of FULFILLED prophecy, not guesswork theology. It may not fit some of the 20th century church’s pop-eschatological doctrines, but it fits scripture very well when we employ sound study principles, and is also manifest in the world around us.
This study employs a traditional linear historic, or continuous historic, view of prophecy. This is the view of ALL Christians regarding the Old Testament First Coming prophecy. That is, that those prophecies came to pass steadily, as that era unfolded. This was also the view of the Reformers in regard to New Testament Second Coming prophecy, and much of Christianity throughout the Christian era, until the 20th century.
Revelation 13:18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
“GOD made His Messenger a witness with the letter Qaf and the number 666.”
In Revelation 13:18 we find that “the beast” and “a man” are separate, but are nonetheless both designated by the same number – 666.
Revelation 14:9And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Imagine being in torment forever without rest! The world is setting up for the greatest tragedy in the history of mankind. It’s not yet too late for you – or anybody. WE ARE ALL going to experience eternal life. Are you going to spend it in the smoking or non-smoking section?
On this link are videos of Muslims who have come to know the love of God. Here is a link to a good sound bible teacher, where you can go to church online, anytime you want, to get into the Word of God.
Here is an interesting link with photos, for pondering the “mark” of the beast, however I believe the mark to be spiritual and not physical.
Does a mark need to be physical? Here is an excellent link regarding a physical as opposed to a spiritual mark.
Genesis 4:15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. Revelation 9:4: And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
While lots of folks speculate about how the mark of the beast will physically manifest itself, I haven’t heard much speculation as to how the “seal of God in their foreheads” will physically manifest itself. Jesus knows what is in the heart of each and every one of us and it is on that basis that He will judge us. We are all marked right now. John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
When we look to John’s “whole world” in the map above we see that his whole world almost universally carries the mark today. Revelation 13:17 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. Doesn’t this verse describe an ethnographic view of the condition of the Middle East today? The time is perhaps later than most Christians think. Death is the punishment for apostasy, or turning away from Islam. So what if a Saudi announced that they turned Christian in a check-out line, when they were buying or selling something?
There is certainly no shortage of people in the world today, particularly in the Western media, that proclaim that Christian fundamentalists, or Christianity, are “dangerous”. But, of course, fundamentalism is what the church can thank for our religion having been brought down through the ages relatively unscathed, until we entered this period of apostasy in 1948 – the “falling away”.
Search the Internet for Christian persecution at the hands of Islam, around the world, including the Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Indonesia and much of the rest of the non-Western world, to see how simply it works in practice. “We will murder 100 more Christian teenagers and their heads will be presented as presents.” The note accompanying 3 teenage girl’s heads that were left on the steps of a Church in Indonesia read. The girls were beheaded on their way to a Christian school. This is from Voice of the Martyrs, an organization that has been involved in this subject for 40 years.
Read Fox’s Book of the Martyrs or Martyr’s Mirror for free online, for examples as to how the mark vs the seal of God works in practice.
Originally posted on July 19, 2021 @ 6:07 pm