Time of Distress (12) - Democratic Beast

The Beast emerges during the time of distress in a form that is totally different from previous empires. The people of the world will be amazed when they see it.

The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast (Rev 17:8).

This is a different type of empire. The key to why it is so different is that it seemed to have died and then come back to life again. When it came back to life, the entire world follows it.

One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast (Rev 13:3).

The beast is a form of government that once existed, was destroyed, but will come back in a way that will dazzle the world.

The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction (Rev 17:8).

This form of human government existed before John’s time, but had come such a violent end, that no one expected to see it again. It once existed, in John’s time it did not exist, but in the future it will come back into existence.

They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while… The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction (Rev 17:9,10).

Rome had a number of different types of government. The key is a form of human government that did not exit during his lifetime, but did exist previously. It is different from the sixth king, which exists at the time when John received his vision. When John was alive, Rome was the ultimate empire controlling a large part of the ancient world. This means that the Roman Empire is the sixth king. The key to identifying the awful beast is to identify the different form of human government that was brought to a violent by the Roman Empire.

The major form of human government that existed prior to the Roman Empire was the Roman republic. It was a copy of the democratic republic had begun in Greece much earlier. The Roman Republic began in 500 BC and lasted for nearly five centuries. Consuls were elected for a year. An elected Senate was responsible for passing laws and appointing government officials. Not everyone had the right to vote, but the Roman Republic was based on the principle of democracy.

Democracy in Rome came to a violent end about thirty years before Jesus was born. Julius Caesar and then his successor Caesar Augustus turned the Roman armies against Rome and destroyed the Republic. By the time Jesus was born, the Empire was fully entrenched in power. Ironically, Christianity began and democracy died at about the same.

Having received a fatal blow when Caesar August took control of Rome, the democratic republic appeared to be gone forever “The beast that once was, now is not” is the democratic republican form of Government. The beast with the “fatal wound had been healed’ and the “beast who was wounded by the sword and lived” represent the restoration of democratic government in a republic.

The idea that the beast of Revelation represents restored democracy is confirmed by John’ statement that the beast comes out of the sea (Rev 13:1). Throughout Revelation, the sea represents the people of the world.

Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw…. are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages” (Rev 17:15).

Most empires come into being when a few men seize control. This beast is emerges as the people govern themselves. The only way a great multitude of people can govern themselves through democracy.

This concept will be difficult for many Christians to get, because they have been taught that democracy is a Christian form of government. This is not true, as democracy is the opposite of the Kingdom of God. In democracy, authority resides with the people. In the Kingdom of God, authority resides with God. This makes them opposites.

If a group of people choose to obey God, they will not find his will by voting. They will find his will be listening to the Holy Spirit. They many even need prophets to declare his will. Democracy does not lead to the will of God, so it cannot produce his kingdom. There is plenty of evidence in scriptures that when the people got to vote with their feet, they walked away from God’s will.

Democracy is a form of adultery. People freely surrender to a democratically elected ruler, who is not their true king Jesusm in return for the pleasure and security. This adulterous relationship makes the Beast that exists in the time of distress totally different. Earlier empires mostly killed and stole to provide wealth for the emperor and his elite. A democratic empire has to provide benefits to everyone in order to keep getting their votes.