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The Worship of the “Wild Beast”—Why True Christians RefuseThe Watchtower—1976 | October 15
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That “wild beast” was seen in vision by the Christian apostle John back in the first century C.E. Describing it, John wrote: “I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.” (Rev. 13:1, 2) Regarding the extent of that authority, we read: “Authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And all those who dwell on the earth will worship it.”—Rev. 13:7, 8.
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The Worship of the “Wild Beast”—Why True Christians RefuseThe Watchtower—1976 | October 15
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This commentary is based on clues that the Bible itself provides. The Scriptures speak of the sea, or waters, as representing “peoples and crowds and nations and tongues.” (Rev. 17:15) We also read: “The wicked are like the sea that is being tossed, when it is unable to calm down, the waters of which keep tossing up seaweed and mire.” (Isa. 57:20) As to the beast that came out of that “sea,” the Bible book of Daniel provides helpful information to make positive identification. There we find a description of four beasts—a lion, a bear, a leopard and a creature that is terrifying in appearance. These four beasts are identified as kings or kingdoms. The lion represents Babylon; the bear, Medo-Persia, and the leopard, Greece. (Dan. 7:2-7, 17, 18) By the time the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation, the world powers of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece had fallen, as also had the great powers of Egypt and Assyria before them. Accordingly, the “wild beast” must represent the great political system that has ruled over mankind through its successive seven heads, starting with the world power of Egypt.
An event during the earthly life of Jesus Christ proves that Satan has indeed been the one behind the beastly ruling powers. The Bible reports: “The Devil took [Jesus] along to an unusually high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him: ‘All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.’” (Matt. 4:8, 9) By reason of his controlling “the kingdoms of the world,” the adversary could offer them to Jesus Christ. The Son of God did not deny that the Devil was in position to give him these kingdoms. In fact, Jesus later told his disciples: “There is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”—John 12:31.
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