From the Book of Daniel    87 

    The  consummation and the end  is the destruction of Antichrist, the 

Return of Christ, and the punishment of the wicked. God allows Antichrist 

and other evildoers to have power only for a limited time (Dan 9:27, 11:45). 

Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts (Dan 7) 

      `And four great beasts, different from one  another, ascended from the 

sea. The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle. I watched as 

its wings were plucked off, and it was raised from the earth and stood on its 

feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.'   (Dan 7:3 4). 

    The four beasts represent four kingdoms. They come up out of the sea, 

meaning that they rise up out of the peoples of the world. Here the sea is 

used to represent a great number of people, a sea of people. The four great 

beasts, described as coming out of the sea, represent four kingdoms which 

arise out of the peoples of the earth, from many different countries, 

languages, and cultures. Each beast is a kingdom which will have dominion 

over many nations for a period of time. 

    The first beast is the kingdom of the great monarch, which begins in the 

year  A.D. 2040.  First, the  great  monarch will free many nations from the 

oppressive rule of the Arab forces. These nations will unite in a single 

kingdom,  (including Europe, parts of Eastern Europe, Israel, the Middle 

East, and parts of northern Africa) led by the monarch. The eagles' wings 

refer to the United States. At first, the beast has eagles' wings, but later its 

wings are plucked off. Thus, the United States will help the monarch to 

establish his kingdom by the use of air power, but the United States will not 

become a part of that kingdom. 

    Holy Scripture refers to all four kingdoms as beasts; these kingdoms 

behave like wild animals without faith or reason. But the first beast becomes 

like a man:   and it was raised from the earth and stood on its feet like a 

man, and the heart of a man was given to it  (Dan 7:4). And so, when the 

war ends, this kingdom will act with reason and compassion; it will no 

longer behave like a beast, but like a man.  The great monarch's kingdom 

will be a Catholic Christian kingdom, based on faith and reason. 

     And behold, another beast, like a bear, stood to one side, and there were 

three rows in its mouth and in its teeth, and they spoke to it in this way: 

`Arise, devour much flesh.'   (Dan 7:5). 

    The second beast is a second kingdom, formed many years after the 

monarch's kingdom ends.  This kingdom is centered in Russia,  as 

symbolized  by the bear. This kingdom will not be like the monarch's 

kingdom. It will cause much harm and many people will die as a result. This 

beast has  three rows in its mouth and in its teeth  (Dan 7:5). The three 

rows symbolize three  branches of government, which encourage the