Mortally wounded

[Lynx]

Revelation chapter 13:
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
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 him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Considering all the Roman Catholic Church has been enduring in the way of scandal and power struggles lately, is it possible the RCC is the beast referred to?  Just a thought, a theory, nothing I would insist is correct.

[Scott]

Here is another idea:

If you follow the book of Revelations through from beginning to end and read it like a story, with a beginning, a middle and an end - just like the other books of the bible.

By this point in the tribulation more than 50% of the worlds population (Human and animal) has been destroyed -

The power of this BEAST comes from the Devil himself. Things are looking bad, over half the population is dead, the planet and its infrastructure are in disarray and suddenly a leader raises from the rubble. He speaks great things and blasphemies.  The world knows that God has poured out wrath, they are angry, suffering and looking for someone to blame. This leader shows up and "feels their pain" and speaks blasphemy against God, his name, his tabernacle and all of heaven. He makes war with the saints (remember the two witnesses?) and overcomes them.

The first beast will come in a dark hour and people will receive him. He will be wounded, injured and that wound will be healed. Is this first beast an actual human or will it be a governmental system?

This makes sense in a way with all the damage and carnage for this wounded leader to stand tall - be it a man or government.

If this beast is a government he appears to look like a Leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a Lion.  If we were to speculate:

The Leopard is commonly associated with the following countries:
•   Iran
•   Afghanistan
•   Rwanda
•   Somalia

The Bear is commonly associated with the following countries:
•   Finland
•   Greenland
•   Russia
•   Taiwan

The Lion is commonly associated with the following countries:
•   Belgium
•   Bulgaria
•   Eritrea
•   Ethiopia
•   Liberia
•   Libya
•   Luxembourg
•   Macedonia
•   Morocco
•   Netherlands
•   Sweden
•   England


If you enjoy jumping to conclusions that you cannot verify – you could make the following association.
•   Leopard – Iran
•   Bear – Russia
•   Lion – Netherlands

The only reason I added the Netherlands is that the World Court is located there and this beast will have the mouth of a Lion.

Russia, Iran and Turkey will eventually form the Gog/Magog/Gomer alliance for a later battle against God.

Let's follow the assumption that the first beast is a governmental system and that the second beast is the "Anti Christ".  From the rubble of the death and destruction from the Seals and Trumpets – a government arises licking its wounds and taking control of the confusion and disarray the world is in. 
Now let's create an coalition located in Iran, using the military might of Russia and the legal authority from the world Court in the Netherlands. Is that too much to imagine?  Russia and Iran are already forming an alliance while the world court is trying to assert itself in many matters beyond their current scope.

The second beast becomes the leader of this governmental system and the Mark of the Beast is instituted and people who refuse to take the mark will die.

[Melody]

I agree that the animals represent countries.  In just that bit, the RCC doesn't quite fit as her power doesn't come by those sources. Also, the RCC is commonly referred to in the feminine.  I suspect the false prophet will be a pope or associated with the RCC though.  Imo of course.

[Scott]

For years people thought the RCC would be the Anti Christ Church/Religion; however there are those who are preaching that it could be Islam.

[Melody]

I've heard and wondered that.  I don't think it's Buddism however that is gaining unprecidented momentum in America.  The kids and I were amazed at the buddists section in the museum here and the growing similiar images in culture here. For instance, the giant hole earings.  I know it's other places in the world (which makes me wonder if it's similiar spirits) but I also know that the buddist temples that have gone up is almost parallel to the culture trend.  That's kind of off topic though, sorry. lol

Most Islamists decendency is considered from Ishmael, right?  Cause I know there is a lot of muslims that call themselves decendants of Abraham too but know they aren't the chosen people.  In fact I have heard and read about some muslims believing that they are to punish Israel specifically because she has fallen so much from following after God.  They literally feel they are God led.  Sounds crazy until you read some the OT that is worded that way.

Armegeddon is going to be one crazy show down.  Good thing we are on the winning side.  My pastor went to Israel this year and took a picture of the valley that Armegeddon is going to take place in.  It was SO vast and wide.  The scripture says that the blood will be to the bridle?  He said that the tour guide said that in that context, it could be interpreted that there is so much blood that it splashes up and covers to the horse's bridle. 

Exciting stuff!

[Scott]

Most Islamists decendency is considered from Ishmael, right?

Actually the Arabs descend from Ismael.  Islam is a 3rd century invention - however ''Allah'' was a minor moon deity in the religion that worshiped "Bel" or "Ba'al". 

Cause I know there is a lot of muslims that call themselves decendants of Abraham too but know they aren't the chosen people.

Depends on their teaching, most believe through Islam that they are the chosen and they are awaiting their 12th Imam (Islamic Messiah).

In fact I have heard and read about some muslims believing that they are to punish Israel specifically because she has fallen so much from following after God.  They literally feel they are God led.  Sounds crazy until you read some the OT that is worded that way.

Mohammed borrowed from the OT

Armegeddon is going to be one crazy show down.  Good thing we are on the winning side.

Indeed

My pastor went to Israel this year and took a picture of the valley that Armegeddon is going to take place in.  It was SO vast and wide.  The scripture says that the blood will be to the bridle?  He said that the tour guide said that in that context, it could be interpreted that there is so much blood that it splashes up and covers to the horse's bridle. 

Exciting stuff!

I like your pastor, he is so friendly and easy to talk to.

[World Traveler]

Just two comments that came to mind as I glanced through the previous posts:

1. I was always taught that Gog was Russia and Magog was China.

2. I was always taught that the catholic church was the mother harlot of Revelation.

[Raven180]

I, too, have thought that the RCC is more accurately represented by Mystery Babylon, and that the Beast was something else entirely, which at first covenants itself to her, then betrays that covenant and destroys her (Revelation 17 and 18).

As the mother of all harlots, Mystery Bablyon (which can roughly be translated to mean Secret Confusion), she represents the system that births and fosters all incorrect doctrine and lifestyle while still maintaining that she is in fact the Church, i.e. the Bride of Christ.

Regarding the Beast and its injury, one should consider Daniel's prophecy/vision in chapter 7. These four beasts rise out of the Mediterraean Sea (the "Great Sea") and, through the associated symbols, closely mirror real world empires of the ancient world, namely Babylon, Persia/Medes, Greece, and Rome.

So, when considering these four beasts, that in Revelation 13 they have somehow merged into an amalgamation, what I call a Superbeast, it would seem that traits carried over from the ancient empires find themselves again flourishing in this endtime system.

For example, you might say that we have:

1.) the religion of Babylon, which is confusion: aren't so many confused today with how they mix and match beliefs to their own liking (confusion means to mix together)?

2.) the government of Persia/Medes, which, among other things, allows for total religious tolerance (the U.N. uses as a base a clay cylindrical tablet from Persia for it's governing philosophy. It's called the Cyrus Cylinder, easily googled if one should want to do so).

3.) the lifestyle of Greece: complete hedonism, anything goes, with great helpings of homosexuality and pedophilia.

4.) the morality of Rome: complete disregard for the value of human life: brutal conquest through force of arms, infanticide and abortion, savagery in the Colesium, etc. and etc. The history of Rome reads like a horror story for those who have the stomach.

These all come together in the end of the world to form the prevailing, predominant worldview of the antichristian majority. And that's the Beast in a nutshell.

Now, the word Beast just means a wild animal, i.e. a creature that cannot be governed by reason, sense, or, in this case, God. And the world will welcome it with open arms (since the love of many will, by that time, wax cold).

With this in mind, one wonders, what does the mortal wound signify (if any of this speculation is accurate, that is!)