"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act...where no church or church school is granted any public funds... where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source...and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all" - John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America
I ended Part 1 by stating "Convincing SDA members to participate [in ecumenism] will pose a significant challenge, as we cannot compromise our observance of the Sabbath on Saturday, which stands in contrast to the Sunday worship practiced by other churches. This distinction not only forms the crux of Project 2025 but also represents the precursor to the emergence of the mark of the beast—a topic we'll explore in greater detail in Part II of our discussion."
To understand Project 2025, we must first understand the mark of the beast. We can find the mark of the beast in the books of Daniel and Revelation, but I will focus on Revelation, specifically the 13th chapter. I would like to note that if you are new to reading Revelation or are new to the prophecy on the mark of the beast, THIS IS FOR YOU! Please do not give up on understanding this. I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you understanding.
I will be referring back to this chapter a lot throughout this post, so be sure to give it a read. Click on the arrow icon below to read it in the King James Version:
Revelation 13 KJV
Before we dive in, I would also like to emphasize Isaiah 28:10 "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" There will be times when you will have to read this post over again, and maybe search the scriptures on your own after reading this. Nevertheless, most of what Chapter 13 of Revelation speaks about can be supported by other chapters in Revelation and Daniel, so please be aware.
The Chapter Begins with "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Are you scratching your head yet? John, the writer of Revelation sees a beast. And to put it into layman's terms a beast is a form of power. It is a form of power because if you re-read the first verse, it seems as though this beast has several things attached to its characteristics. But who is this power? John gives us many clues to lead us to our answer :
a. Rises out of the Sea
b. Has 7 heads and 10 horns
c. Has 10 crowns
d. Upon his head is the name of blasphemy
The sea here refers to over-populated, developed nations. We get this information from Revelation 17:15: "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Thus we get what Rev 13:1 says. This beast will arise from a place where people (nations; a large number of people) will dwell.
After it arises, it looks kind of weird. There are seven heads which represent seven mountains and 10 horns which represent 10 kingdoms. In Chapter 17 of Revelation, verses 9 and 12 say:
Verse 9: "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth".
Verse 12: "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast".
Now for the avid historian reader, I hope you are starting to unravel the great mystery. The beast arises out of a well-populated area, and sits on 7 mountains, but also has 10 horns (kings) that they (the beast) rule/control. Interesting.
Now verse 2 is where the real pushups are done. Where else in the Bible are various animals used to depict beasts? Daniel 7. However, a closer study of Daniel 7 reveals that the four creatures mentioned align with the prophecy that King Nebuchadnezzar received in Daniel 2. Thus, following verse 2 of Revelation 13, we find a timeline of the major nations and powers of our planet. To help you understand how the three chapters link to one another, I have arranged the biblical timeline for you below in the form of a mini chart :
Nation Sequence | Daniel 2 | Daniel 7 |
Nation #1 | Babylon (Head of Gold) | Babylon (A lion with eagle wings) |
Nation #2 | Medo-Persia (Breast and Arms of Silver | Medo-Persia ( A Bear) |
Nation #3 | Greece (Belly and Thighs of Brass) | Greece (Leopard with Fowl Wings) |
Nation #4 | Rome (Legs of Iron) | Rome (A "dreadful" and "terrible" beast (dragon) with Iron Teeth) |
Nation #5 | Rome Broken Apart (Iron and Miry Clay that shall never mix) | Rome Broken Apart |
"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." Lining up Revelation 13:2 to Daniel 2 and 7, it is clear where this power would be. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome are all in Europe. And since the last power (Nation #5) was created from Rome, we know that the ruler of Nation #5 has to be in its vicinity. Let's be real: A ruler can not rule without having housing nearby to rule.
"...and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Who is the Dragon?
"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9)
Notice that the Devil is referred to as the dragon. Thus the Devil, who deceives the whole world, gives this power HIS power, HIS seat, and great authority that is given by HIM. SO what shall we expect from this power? The same characteristics as the devil. If the Devil deceives, then we know this power deceives too.
In lines 3-10, we get to our answer. To keep it short, I will list the main characteristics of this beast:
"...his deadly wound was healed" (Verse 3)
"...a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given to him to continue forty and two months" (verse 5)
"...opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven"(verse 6)
"...to make war with the saints, and to overcome them"(verse 7)
"... all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him" (verse 8)
Leads some into "captivity" and/ kills "with the sword" (verse 10)
In summary, we observe a beast or power that suffered a wound but has since recovered. However, upon its recovery, it engages in blasphemy (one claiming to be God [John 10:33]) and warfare against the saints, demanding worship for itself. Let's illustrate this with a historical analogy. When King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine, it marked the end of the monarchy. Yet, this power is the total opposite as though it would fall, it would eventually heal, and power would be restored. Considering verse 3, this is exactly what happens to this power that was given its seat. Verses 6-7 give away who it is: the Roman Catholic Church and its Pope. But how? Didn't he have to be given power, a seat, and great authority? Didn't he have to have his head wounded? Well, history gives us proof:
"At the time of Constantine’s dictatorship, he decided that he would move the main city of Rome to Constantinople. By leaving, he left space for another ruler to take over. With the Roman Empire so vast, in times past it was already a feat to bring every citizen into subjection, so Rome became that place of power. However, when it moved to Constantinople, it left a large hole to be filled. And of course, the Roman Catholic Church took the position...The power that rises out of Rome is a power that commands worship. It is a religious power. Revelation 13:3 declares that “all the world marveled and followed the beast.” Verse 4 says, “They worshiped the beast.” The organization described here is a religious power that grows into a universal system of worship." (Understanding Daniel and Revelation; Mark Finley)
Thus, we know that the Roman Catholic Church took hold of its seat in Rome during the time of Constantine. It demanded that it be given power and be regarded as a greater authority than other rulers.
So that it is not just an opinion, let me give you some more evidence, based on the word of God and world history:
"Rises out of the Sea" (verse 1)
"Has 7 heads and 10 horns" (verse 1)
"Has 10 crowns" (verse 1)
"Upon his head is the name of blasphemy" (verse 1)
"...to make war with the saints, and to overcome them"(verse 7) & Leads some into "captivity" and/ kills "with the sword" (verse 10)
"...his deadly wound was healed" (Verse 3)
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