One should keep in mind that Revelation essentially has to do with the progress of time. The total beast of Revelation (the combination of the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth) is not static, but in a process of development as its influence on the nations increases. This chapter of Revelation relates a vast progression of the rule of the nations. It has one very distinct feature that has already been mentioned in Revelation 13, namely, the lawlessness that accompanies man’s endeavour to be free.

This chapter, through "the prostitute", "the kings" and "the hills", indicates how man in his eagerness to be free, set in motion an evolution that would move from the rule of kings of the order of Melchizedek to the rule of "kings of the earth". "Kings of the earth" being those who place the interests of man above those of Christianity. In this evolution both the Church and the kings played a role.

From the very first verse of this chapter, Revelation conveys that the "beast out of the sea" and the "beast out of the earth" are going to be combined in order to illustrate the total beast of Revelation.

The first thing that has to be established is which of the seven angels that cast the bowl of wrath is the one indicated here. To find clues, we have to look at Revelation 21:9,15,17 where Revelation repeats the words: " One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls".

"man's measurement"

The reader must refer to page , where it was explained that "hour", "day" and "month" in Revelation are 'heavenly' measurements, but "year " is man's measurement.

From the above extracts from Revelation 21, the following can be deduced: The wall of the New Jerusalem is 144 years thick. Therefore a cubit in Revelation is no longer just the length of a cubit, which is about eighteen inches, but it also indicates the time of one "year".

One of the angels that cast the bowls of wrath was measuring in years (using man's measurement).

We now have to go back to Revelation 16:2 where the first angel cast his bowl on the land (KJV:"earth"): "The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,
and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image."

We know from Revelation 13, that the "beast out of the earth" was measured in "years" from 1266—1932 and then by the addition of 66 years up to the year 1998.

The year indicated in this verse is 1266 (KJV:"on the earth") — about the time of the earthquake in Asia Minor (1264). It is also the time (1266) of the first number of man.

The words "ugly and painful sores" are related to the year 1494 when the venereal disease, syphilis, broke out in Europe. As this was the time when Columbus and Vasco Da Gama were seeking routes to India and China in order to increase trade relations with Europe and the East, it was generally accepted that the disease was spread by sailors who had contact with tribes in the New World.

Because of what was established in the first verse, the chart of the New Jerusalem at the end of this chapter is combined with the total "number of man" and will be used to reveal the message of Revelation.

The times of the chart of the New Jerusalem linked to the times of the number of man is as follows:

1068 1140 1212 1284 1356 1428 1500 1572 1716 1788 1860 1932

1266 1366 1466 1566 1666 1766 1866 1886 1906 1926 1932 1992 (1998)

The reason why this is done is verified in Revelation 13:16 (see the interpretation of this verse, p ).

In these words Revelation seems to indicate the beginning and end of the years 1860—2004 with 1932 as the central point. It has combined the last 144 years, "small and great" (2004 — this might indicate that there will be a great difference between the very rich and the very poor nations of the world), rich and poor (1932 — the time of the great Depression) and "free and slave" (1860 — the time of the Civil War in North America), with the "number of man", in order to indicate that the last 144 years and the number of man are measured in "years" ( man's measurement).

"the mark of the beast" and "worshipped his image"

In the interpretation of Revelation 13 (see p ) it was said that 1866 indicated the time that Bismarck held the Prussian Constitution superior to the ruling of the Roman Catholic Church in matters of the State. I believe Revelation regards the constitution of any nation that upholds the concept of the equality and the freedom of religions as the "mark of the beast". In doing so, Christianity is subtly undermined and the Christian Church prevented from rightfully claiming that it is the sure way to everlasting life. The "image of the beast" was established as the Statue of Liberty that symbolically represents the carrying of the European laws of freedom in ruling of the nations to the Americas.

Expansion

One of the main objects of Revelation 17 and 18 (on the fall of Babylon) is to show how the ruling of the nations of Europe would spread to the ends of the earth. The reader will recall that the first bowl of wrath had to do with expansion (1266 was the time that Marco Polo went to China, and in 1492 the New World was discovered). Revelation 17 also has to do with the development of trade between 1266—1932.

One thing that must be kept in mind is that in Revelation links are constantly made to indicate meaning, and everything that has been established before is used to give the full picture.

It should be remembered that when the bowls of wrath were measured, the year 1992 (1998) possibly conveyed the time of the escalation of the AIDS virus indicated by the word "sores". This was done because when the "number of man" was measured there was the link with 1992 (1998) through the words: "maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth, in the sight of men"(KJV). 1992 and 1998 were the times of Desert Storm and Desert Fox.

Revelation is indicating all of the above in order that the reader can now place what is said in this chapter.

Revelation mentions the "punishment of the prostitute". This chapter is going to show how Christian nations in the second millennium (measured in the times of the generations of seventy-two years and the "number of man") were heading for their destruction and ultimate fall.

This chapter is going to explain how man has to bear the consequences of the events in Europe from the thirteenth century (1266), hence "the punishment". A prostitute is a woman that has become corrupt.

"who sits on many waters"

In Revelation 17:18 it is said: "The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." Therefore the "prostitute" is also "the great city". This chapter is going to illustrate how trade and commerce would become the priority of the nations. Trade relations and the making of money would be placed above everything else. The "prostitute" is ultimately expanded to include all Christians who had become ‘free’ and in the process did not adhere to the laws of Christianity, for we are told in Revelation 17:15: "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages."

When the "hills" and "kings" (v 9 and 10) are named later in this chapter we shall see that the kings and the Christian Church played a role in the evolution of the corruption of Christians.

You will recall that Revelation 14:9 (KJV): "He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty …" was brought into relation with the persecution in Lyons in AD 17O. (Refer back to page .) The word "wine" here possibly indicates that a thousand years should be measured from the year 170, which is 1170. This was the year of the death of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. (See p .)

We must remember that in this chapter, when actual names have to be mentioned, Revelation does not judge any particular person, but is only indicating the years of villainies against Christians. It will illustrate through certain lines of kings of the nations of Western Europe, how it came about that Christians did not realize that in their quest for liberty, they were not only rising against the authority of the church, but actually making "war against the Lamb" (Rev 17:14). It is a long process that must ultimately lead to the fall of man and make the Second Coming inevitable.

The message that Revelation wants to put across by indicating the thousand years 170 and 1170, is that the Christian king, Henry II and the Church were quarrelling. This quarrel resulted in the death of a Christian, Thomas Becket. ( The reader may not understand why the death of Thomas Becket is mentioned here, but this is done because later in this chapter it will be seen how the times of the death of heads of the Christian Church seem to correlate with the text of Revelation.) As has been indicated in Revelation, God will at some point avenge the death of Christians. Revelation has overcome the historical controversy over who was right and who was wrong by merely indicating time.

This chapter makes it clear that history seems confusing, because of the constant interplay between man's misdemeanours and God’s retribution.

In Rev 14:20 the word, "wine" in "winepress" was linked to the very end time 1992—2004, the last twelve years of the of the "chart of the manner of fruits". The meaning of this is that because the Christian nations, under the influence of the "dragon and the "beast", sought to rise against the authority of the Church, they would be brought to a fall and the end result would be "confusion" at the end of the twentieth century. This can be seen today in trials where it is argued whether there are circumstances where a witness may lie under oath. So far have 'Christian' nations been removed from the Christian code that they do not want ANY 'law' to interfere with their political and personal "freedoms".

Through the establishment of the year 1170, the year of the death of Thomas Becket, we can, through what has been determined in the previous chapter, begin to understand what this chapter is conveying.

You will recall that in the time of the Roman Empire the dates of persecutions (see p. ) were related to the years, 170, c 250 and 303. If 1000 years are added to these dates, you will discover that they can be linked to what is going to be established in this chapter.

Wealthy cities, such as Tyre on the eastern Mediterranean, were established during the Middle Ages, and in northern Italy, during the eleventh and the twelfth centuries, with much wealth accumulated through trade and commerce. During the time of the Crusades, the Christians that went east were connected to the commercial enterprises of the trading Italian cities of Pisa, Genoa and Venice. When the Crusaders invaded the Holy Land, the merchants of these cities sent fleets to aid them, for they knew they would be compensated with trading points and warehouses in the conquered towns in the Middle East. In this way a link developed between the motives of spreading faith and commerce. Many would succumb to the temptation of using the Crusades to loot and plunder for economic gain.

In broad terms, the kings of Europe were fully aware of the great profits to be made in international trade, and were, as time progressed, compelled to compete with the trade enterprises of the cities, because with the rising costs, they could not afford to maintain their armies.

The reason why Revelation says that John was carried away in the Spirit to the "desert" is to link the meaning of the word "desert" referred to in Revelation 12:6 (see p )..The reader will recall that three kings took part in the second Crusade.They were Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, Richard the Lionheart of England, and Philip Augustus of France. It will be from these lines of kings that we will establish the "beast".

The rule of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, who was emperor of the holy Roman Emperor AND ruler of Jerusalem (see Rev 12:6, page ) came to an end in 1244. It will be seen that he is one "head" of the beast.

As Revelation has indicated the time of the "number of man" in the first verse of this chapter ("one of the angels …") which we know begins in 1266, this is where we have to start. We also have to refer to Revelation13:18: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count (NIV: "calculate") the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man …" ( See p for the interpretation of Rev 13:18.)

What Revelation 13:18 has said and what is going to be illustrated through the history in this chapter, is the following: The ideologies that would take away man's thinking from Christianity ("wisdom" linked to the year 1266), can through 'counting' ("calculus", discovered by Sir Isaac Newton in the year 1666) determine both the "number of man" and "number of the beast".

On the chart at the end of this chapter (see p ) the "number of man" is indicated in conjunction with the measuring of the temple. This is done because Revelation 21 combines the foundations of the New Jerusalem with the times 1266—1932 and 1992 (1998) that are indicated by "one of the angels that had the seven bowls filled with the seven plagues". Later in this chapter Revelation is going to mention the colours "purple" and "scarlet" that are also the colours of the foundations of the New Jerusalem. This means that the colours red and purple on the chart of the New Jerusalem must be used in order to determine the "beast".

Revelation 21:24 substantiates this by indicating that the foundations of the New Jerusalem have to do with the kings of the earth: "And the nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."

(The above verse conveys that the righteous rulers of the earth will be among the redeemed in the New Jerusalem after death.)

With the combined chart of the New Jerusalem and the "number of man" (p ), as well as using a method related to Newton's calculus, it is possible to establish the entire beast of Revelation.

The year 1068 in Revelation was about the time of the invasion of Jerusalem by the Seljuk Turks, but in the history of the Christian Church it was the time when the Pope did not wish to rule alongside the king in harmony, but wished to be "king of kings". This caused friction between the Christian kings and the churches of Europe.

Therefore, when Revelation says that Christ is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev 19:16), the second millennium and the struggle between the kings and states of Christian Europe with first the Roman Catholic Church and later the Reformed Christian Churches are indicated. This is to accentuate the oneness of Christ with the Christian Church.

The "scarlet beast" is the clue to the understanding of this verse. "Scarlet" or "red" has to do with the times on the chart of the New Jerusalem that are red.

The times indicated by the red gemstones sardonyx and carnelian linked to the times of the "number of man" are 1356 (linked to 1666), and 1428 (linked to 1766). These years relate to the times of the Hanseatic League (1356—1666) and the time of the beginning of European world wide trade (1423—1766). (See chart, p .)

The "scarlet beast" is also indicated by the colour of the jacinth stone (orange — red). In other words the beast is related to the times of the jacinth foundation which is indicated by the times 1788—1860, but is also connected to the year 1932 (part of the "number of man"). (Consult the chart, p ). The major events on the calendar in those years were the French Revolution (the curbing of the powers of the king of France and the equalising of the nobility and the Church to the Third Estate), and the revolutions that took place throughout Europe in the nineteenth century. 1932 was the year of the Great Depression. Revelation is therefore confirming the 'entire' beast of Revelation (incorporating "the beast out of the sea" and the "beast out of the earth").

How does all of this relate to the calculus theory? Calculus is a branch of science that deals with 'infinitesimals' - infinitely small distances, areas or times. The area of, say, a circle can be approximated by drawing many narrow triangles inside it, with their tips at the centre of the circle and their bases just touching the circle. The more triangles that are drawn, the closer their combined area come to the area of the circle. But an exact result is not obtained until we imagine an infinite number of intinitely narrow triangles that fill the entire circle.

What Revelation is saying in broad terms is this: There are three "red" or "scarlet" colours on the chart of the New Jerusalem. What took place in the time 1356—1428, the time of the sardonyx gemstone, is one point of a metaphorical 'triangle'. The time of the carnelian gemstone (1428—1500), is another point of the 'triangle'. Likewise the time of the jacinth (1788—1860), forms another point of the ‘triangle’. Therefore what happened in the early history of the second millennium would ultimately have repercussions in the later years of the millennium. Also, in broad terms, something that happened in 1068 (about the time of the death of Thomas Becket ) and 1266 (the time of Thomas Aquinas) is related to the years 1788 and 1932 (the time of jacinth, the French Revolution and the time of the Great Depression. (See chart, p ). In other words God will punish the death of a representative of the Christian Church by a king and the fact that Christians might have to pay the highest penalty in the course of political change in the twentieth century.

Revelation is going to indicate seven kings from seven countries and later ten kings from ten countries that constitute the "beast" in Revelation. But in conjunction with what has been said above, what happened in those countries apply to all the Christian nations. The link to Newton's calculus is that many small 'triangles' can metaphorically be drawn to include the whole 'circle', the entire earth. The many deaths of Christians that would occur in man's quest for freedom and liberty, accumulatively in all the nations, all little 'trianges' (infinitesimals), will lead to the fall of man, the whole world, in the twentieth century.

In the chart on page , it is indicated how the times 1356, 1666, 1428 and 1766 are linked by triangles to the times of the jacinth (1788 and 1860), as well as the year 1932 (part of the "number of man").

1266

This year is particularly notable for it was the time of death of the Hohenstaufen king Manfred that was brought about largely as a result of the feud between the Holy Roman Emperors and the Pope. It was also the time that king John IV, Lascaris of Byzantium, was trying to heal the differences between the Eastern and Western churches of Constantinople and Rome in order to establish a combined Christian force against the non-Christian aggressors from the East. In other words the year 1266 indicates great division between Church and State in Western and Eastern Europe — a division that would ultimately lead to the events indicated by the years 1788 and 1932 above. Revelation covers the entire time of the " woman sitting on the beast " here.

In Revelation, however, individual kings are not judged. It only indicates that numerous kings were the products of their time. This will be illustrated in more detail when the kings are mentioned. For the moment it should be noted that "the woman" (Christians who regarded wealth and trade of greater value than Christianity) was "sitting on the beast" ( an image of a rider on a beast — in other words almost like a rider going out and heralding a certain ideology). This is what is ultimately going to be seen: Nations heralding the idea that man should be free to trade and live his life unhindered by the regulations of the Christian Church. In Revelation it is indicated (as will be established later) that "the city" y (which is also "the woman") and the "beast" (which we are later told are seventeen kings and seven "hills") are linked in some way.

Another example of the progression from the 'innocent' to the 'corrupt' (as was illustrated in Revelation 13:1 — "two horns like a lamb, but he spoke (1906) like a dragon") is the "woman" developing in a "prostitute".

It is of the greatest significance here that in the fall of Babylon (Rev 18:16) these images are used in relation to world trade ("the great city").

"Pearls" are the gems that were placed at the entrance to the "gates".

In Revelation 21:12 it is said: "It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel." And in Revelation 21:21 we read: "The twelve gates were twelve pearls."

We know that the time of the "wall" is 1860—2004. As the original churches of Asia Minor were warned against the influence of eastern philosophies on Christianity, earlier in Revelation, it most probably has to do with the disbelief in Christ as the Son of God, and in the Holy Spirit. In Revelation the word "pearl" that is directly linked to the New Jerusalem is used to stress that only God will pass judgment in the end, and that we may not in any way judge anyone on earth. What Revelation wants to convey is where Christians stand today in relation to the concepts of the followers of Abraham. What is being indicated here is the trend that was introduced by the trading nations of the world to place all religions on the same footing in order to promote trading relations throughout the world. As explained on page , an adherence to a Supreme Being would ultimately be taken up in the ruling of the Christian nations.

1788-2004

The time indicated by the colours "purple and scarlet" is 1788 to 1932 (illustrated on the chart of the New Jerusalem p ) and 1980 -2004 ( illustrated on the chart of the "manner of fruits", p ). The total period indicated by the symbols in Revelation 17:4 is 1788 (the time of the French Revolution) to the year 2004. "Pearls" indicate the time of the "wall" of the New Jerusalem (1860 to 2004) "the twelve gates were twelve pearls" (Rev 21:21). Through the colour of "gold", which in Revelation is yellow, the times 1956-1968 and 1968 -1980 ( the times illustrated as yellow and yellow-green on the chart of the "manner of fruits") seem to be accentuated as a time of "abominable things". Refer back to Revelation 14:14-17 where the colours of "gold" and "time to reap" (yellow being the colour of ripe corn or wheat) are indicated as the time 1956-1980. The time 1956 to 1980 was the time that the Chrisian nations succumbed to the use of drugs and greater promiscuity, but also by the acceptance of religious equality, to the undermining of the meaning of Holy Communion with Christ and the partaking in the symbols of the bread and the wine ( "golden cup in her hand filled with abominable things").

• The word "golden" as used in Revelation. The word "golden" signifies the highest and noblest communication or oneness of man with God through the Christian Church ("golden lampstands" — Rev 1:1; "golden vials full of incense" — incense symbolic of that which makes prayer (intimate communication with God) acceptable; "golden censer" — Rev 8:3; "crown of gold" — Rev 14:14).

• The meaning of "cup" in the Old Testament and to the "cup" used in Holy Communion.

Revelation seems to be taking the replacement of the rule of the nations by an anointed Christian king by a government of 'man' a step further. When the Christian kings fell, the oneness (the "cup" of Holy Communion) of Jesus Christ with the Christian nations was critically harmed ("fatal wound" — Rev 13:3).

In man’s desire to obtain greater freedom, he began to accept the idea of the equality of religions. The main pursuit of the nations became economic gain, but man did not realise that he had already been caught up in the disintegration of the oneness of the Christian nations with the Christian Church and Christ himself. Corruption ("abominable things") would inevitably follow for man's worldly interest ("the prostitute") was breaking his adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Man came to disregard the communion and oneness of God with the Christian Church.

The fact that the mark is "on the forehead" or "on the hand" (up to this point in time — 1999) means that one will bear the mark in the way one thinks or believes (forehead ), or by what one does or in your vocation (hand). This is evident from Revelation 14:9: "If anyone worships the beast and his imageand receives the mark on the forehead, or on the hand, he too will drink of the wine of God's fury."

In other words, what we learn about the prostitute and what is going to be illustrated by the progressions of the seven kings and the seven hills, and later the ten kings, will signify "the mark of the beast".

"Mystery"
The word "mystery" can be understood from what is said in 1 Corinthians 2:8: "We speak of God's secret wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

We also have to refer to Revelation 1:20 (KJV): "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks …"

In other words "mystery" relates to the oneness of Christ with the Christian Church.

By using the word "mystery", and through the reference in Corinthians, Revelation wants to convey something which the kings of the Christian nations (1266—1932) and those Christians (some of whom were to be found in a corrupt clergy) who valued wealth and other worldly ventures above the interests of Christianity, did not realise: that Christ is one with the Christian Church. When a Christian king comes into conflict with the Church and Christians die as a result, the king is actually moving against the risen Christ himself. In their pursuits and crimes the kings were, as were the rulers of Judea, crucifying Jesus Christ.

"Babylon the Great"

In the following chapter we will learn more about Babylon the Great. It indicates the gigantic concept of the "prostitute". Revelation will also is going to reveal the "beast" that includes certain kings of all the major Christian nations of Europe. It is the rising of these nations against the Christian Church and the obsession of the kings and nations with the accumulation of wealth through trade ("prostitute").

These words mean that that which is going to be related as the "prostitute" will be conveyed to the following generations as a mother 'teaches' her children. The following generation will do the same and in this way the desire to advance man's worldly interests above his Christian inheritance would ultimately spread all over the earth. The sins of the Christians that constitute the "beast" and "prostitute" will in time again lead to the death of righteous Christians.

Verse 8 is of the greatest importance as regards the TIME of Revelation. It indicates that the beast at some point in time is not going to appear as ‘bad’ as he used to be. This means that man had become so brainwashed through the actions of kings and corrupt Christians, that he began to accept as essential the casting out the Church from the direct rule of the nations. Even the killing of Christians and representatives of the Christian Church were 'accepted' in the process of establishing the "rule of man".

In Chapter 8 (see p ), it was established that "smoke" came up out of the Abyss round about the turn of the twentieth century (1898). It was said that "smoke" conveyed the increased use of drugs, but it also conveys man's inability to see the power of the beast. The year 1898 was established as the end of the third night. When, at the end of this chapter, the beast is revealed, this measurement of time will be substantiated.

This was also the time of the rise of communist rule in Russia — a rule that had as its basis the philosophy that a country can be governed by ordinary people on economic principles.

According to Karl Marx's theory of history, generally known as the "materialistic conception of history", the order of society in each stage of social evolution was dertermined by economic factors. Religion, idealism, culture, and civilization were products of economic conditions. As we know from history this rule in Russia would lead to the destruction of the Christian Church.

Revelation 17:8bThe 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, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.

These words mean that the name of anyone who cannot assess the disastrous effect of the omission of the Christian Church from the rule of the nations, will possibly not be written in the "book of life". The beast is still to come "yet to come". It will be seen in Revelation 20:3, that the beast will be "set free for a short time" ( this is likely the time of the "short season" at the end of the twentieth century). Ultimately the rule of man will loose its hold on the nations, because the growing number of non-Christians in all countries of the world, will cause the Christian religious fibre of the nations to dwindle. This can already be seen in nations that have by revolt tried to bring about a rule of the people, and discarded the influence of the Christian Church in the rule of government. The result is chaos, confusion, destruction and an inability to put in place a stable government, for as soon as a large enough faction is dissatisfied, another revolt occurs. This can be seen in the increasing lawlessness in numerous African countries where citizens even revolt against those institutions that try to maintain law and order. In Southern Africa even Christian theologians are ignorantly trying to adapt to the customs of an increasing non-Christian majority by advising bigamy to overcome the hardships of the innocent in broken marriages. By instituting laws that are contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ, who knows the sinful nature of man, there can only be further choas. Christ set in place a social system how best to keep in check the lusts of men. Unfortunately, because of the influence of the "beast", man in his own strength cannot contain the forces of evil.

As darkness descends upon the world, people of Christian and non-Christian ancestry are reverting back and even supporting the beliefs in the spirits of the ancestors and gods of nature, characteristic of primitive religious thinking. Pagan concepts of salvation are even regarded by some as 'equal' to the message of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Revelation seems to be verifying that we must start at the time 1266. This was the year that Thomas Aquinas innocently stated that man could acquire knowledge without faith, little knowing that it would, at the end of the nineteenth century, lead to totally anti-Christian philosophy in the rule of nations.

The only other reference in the Bible that could relate to the meaning of the "hills" is to be found in Revelation 14:20: "outside the city" (see p ). When Christ was crucified he was taken to the hill, Golgotha, outside the city. Therefore the "hills "could signify places where Christians died for their faith at a place "outside the city".

Revelation is of course not going to allow us to choose kings at random, and is going indicate exactly which lines of kings are being referred to.

Three of the "heads" of the beast are of the lines of kings of the three countries that led the Second Crusade ("the angel carried me away in the Spirit into the desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast …" ). Revelation seems to be indicating the greater interests in trade and the accumulation of wealth, rather than in the ideals of spreading the Word during the Crusades.

These words indicate that we have to do with the time that kings "fell" by the sword, but also with the "fall" of kings. This will become clearer as we discuss the five kings of each country.

 

To indicate the "five have fallen", and the other sixth, seventh and eighth kings, five lists of kings of five empires will be given and indicated how they fit into the pattern above.(Refer also to chart, p .) Only a short summary of what constituted the development of the beast will be given.

The message Revelation wants to convey, is not the history of the kings, but that Christians died as a result of a struggle building up between State and Church.

Henry II who was involved in a dispute with the Church that ultimately led to the death of Thomas Becket in 1170, was from the line of William the Conqueror. However the seven kings that are indicated in Revelation are from the line that led up to the death of the Archbishop of Canterbury on Tower Hill in 1381, at that time outside the city of London.

In 1381 a crowd of peasants took the law into their own hands and dragged the Archbishop of Canterbury (Simon Sudbury) from the Tower Chapel and executed him on Tower Hill. His head was set up on London Bridge, his mitre nailed to his skull. The leader of the peasants, Wat Tyler, was killed, but the king rode among the rebels and by granting their demands induced them to disperse.

These words indicate that something happened to cause a break in the line of kings. This was the case in England after the death of Richard II.

In 1399 Henry IV of Lancaster usurped the throne from the last Angevin king. His reign was never secure for it was never free from rebellions and other claimants to the throne.

From the time of the first of the five kings (John) there was an ever—increasing conflict between the crown and the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Innocent III clashed with king John. Pope Innocent wanted the king to accept Stephen Langton as the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the place of one whose election John had sponsored. John was furious. He seized Church property and drove many of the bishops into exile. Pope Innocent retaliated by excommunicating John, deposing him and transferring the crown to Philip Augustus of France. To save his throne, John abjectly submitted and surrendered his kingdom to the Pope. He received it back, but became a papal vassal. For many years thereafter, papal legates were prominent in the government of England.

The English nobles also threatened the position of the English king. Defeats in France and the subsequent loss of territory undermined his position. His attempts to tax the knights and nobles who resisted joining these unsuccessful campaigns, further discredited the crown. In 1215 he was forced to make a significant compromise in his struggles with the nobles. After lengthy negotiations at Runnymede in Surrey, he sealed the Magna Carta Libertatum — The Great Charter of Liberties — that guaranteed the barons their feudal privileges and promised to maintain the nation’s laws. This was an early indication of the limiting of the power of the king.

Henry III mounted three disastrous campaigns in France. He was reluctant to oppose any decree of the Pope. The Pope, through his legates, had great power in the affairs of England. The Pope rewarded Romans with vacant benefices in England, which brought about a growing resentment against the Church. Henry agreed to finance papal wars in Sicily in return for the Sicilian crown for his son Edmund. The exorbitant sums that Henry demanded from his nobles aroused the barons’ fury leading to a period of civil war. This would lead to the curtailing of the powers of the king and the development of measures to create a Parliament.

Edward 1 took steps to install representative government. In 1295 he formed his "Model Parliament" by summoning representatives from the nobility, the greater and lesser clergy, the knights of the shires and the privileged class of the cities. Thereby bringing the Lords and Commons together for the first time.

Of importance here is the growing demand on the government for justice and general administration. For these expenses the feudal revenues were inadequate. The money was in the hands of the merchant class and to summon national Parliaments was the only way to get it. In this way Parliament became the established method of conducting public business. The need for finance lay behind the conflict with the Church and the barons over taxation.

Edward II married Isabella of France (daughter of Philip IV) and so joined the royal houses of France and England by marriage. (Later they were estranged, but their son would reign as Edward III of England.)

A feature of the long reign of Edward III was the opening stages of the Hundred Years War with France. Sluys (1340), a naval battle, gave England the control of the Channel. Edward, the Black Prince, achieved much glory for his part in the great English victories at Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), but neither were notable in the longer term.

It is important to note the involvement of Edward III and John Wycliffe. Wycliffe would lead the attack against the Catholic Church and was a staunch supporter of the crown’s interest. By 1374, Edward was in dire financial need. The war in France was not going well under the incompetent leadership of his son John of Gaunt. The king cast a greedy eye on the wealth of the Church and decided to exact a tithe from the income of the clergy to support the war effort. At the same time Pope Gregory XI was involved in a war against Milan, using mercenaries who had to be paid. In addition to the annual tribute that England as a vassal state had to pay to the papacy since the humiliation of king John, Gregory demanded that the English clergy send him a supplement of 100 000 florins. Neither the English clergy nor the king took kindly to this demand. A convocation between the Catholic Church and English representatives was arranged. Wycliffe took part up to a point in the proceedings, but was later left out, possibly because his stance was too unyielding. The representatives from the Pope (nuncios) outmatched the English who proved too vulnerable to temptation to successfully champion their cause. Their personal ambitions and greed conditioned them to seek a settlement on terms most favourable to Gregory. While the papacy made certain concessions, England came off second best. Those who had the power to veto the English surrender — John of Gaunt (Edward’s fourth son) and Bishop Sudbury — did not. However the biggest losers were the English people, who were quick to recognise that their representatives were bought off. Several men, including Simon Sudbury (who was made Archbishop of Canterbury), were provided with prestigious and lucrative positions in the English Church. Gregory paid his debts and the Concordat was affirmed and published by Edward III in 1377.

With this act Wycliffe’s disillusionment with ecclesiastical intrigue and papal politics was complete. He attacked the wealth and the worldliness of the Church and this gave him popularity among the rank and file. When the peasants revolted in 1381, they turned on the Archbishop of Canterbury.

John of Gaunt was not slow in recognising the growing popularity of John Wycliffe and saw in it a powerful weapon to advance his own designs on the estates of the prelates. Thus began an alliance between Wycliffe and John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster. The Duke set about stripping bishops of their wealth. Wycliffe insisted that the Scriptures were the supreme authority and sent out his "poor preachers". In contrast with the wealth of the Catholic clergy these preachers were garbed in russet robes of undressed cloth and were instructed to go without sandals and purse. Long staff in hand, they were to take only shelter and food that was offered them. The followers of Wycliffe and his preachers, the Lollards, were attracted to this new approach to religious teaching by the open denunciation of the corruption of the Catholic Church. Wycliffe also set about the translation of the Vulgate into English.

Richard II married Anne, the sister of the king of Bohemia, and as a result students of Bohemia were educated at Oxford in increasing numbers. The teachings and books of John Wycliffe influenced them. Richard tried to abandon Parliamentary government and later had those who opposed him murdered, banished or beheaded. His reign marked the beginning of a long struggle for the crown by the descendants of Edward III. It was led by John of Gaunt and then by Gaunt’s son Henry Bolingbroke. When Richard deprived Bolingbroke of his father’s estates in 1399, he provoked his downfall. When Richard was on a return journey from Ireland unaccompanied by his army, Henry advanced with his troops and Richard was obliged to submit to him at Flint. Richard resigned the crown and was deposed by Parliament.

By this progression of English kings Revelation indicates the widening rift between the State and the Church of Rome, from John’s submission to the Pope to the beginnings of the early Reformation in England led by John Wycliffe. It also indicates the development of the English Parliament and the gradual curtailing of the power of the king.

What must be kept in mind is that Revelation is revealing and not condemning — therefore this history should be seen as part of the process of man's struggle to contend with corruption within the State and the Church.

1138

This is the year of the third foundation of the New Jerusalem and the year of the advent of Frederick II, as the sixth king of the line of Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire.

It is known today that the Catholic Church had to contend with certain heresies through the ages, but it is also known that in the way the hearings of the Inquisitions were conducted it is not unlikely that the innocent perished. The crime of heresy was difficult to establish. The Inquisition not only used torture to extract confessions, it used procedures that were banned in secular courts. It contravened customary laws and almost every aspect of established jurisprudence. The names of hostile witnesses were withheld and anonymous informers were used. Accusations of personal enemies were allowed. The accused was denied the right of defence.

(It should be noted that the procedure of torture in the Italian Inquisition was introduced in c 1252, about one thousand years after the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire in 250.)

With the aid of his advisers Frederick Barbarossa of the Hohenstaufen family, designed a scheme of territorial fiefs, administered by agents of the king, a few years after he had become king. This plan would make the king completely independent of papal support.

Henry VI. In 1197 the Pope was engaged in a conspiracy to murder Henry VI, in conjunction with Henry’s estranged wife Constance of Sicily. The plot was detected and some of the conspirators were arrested. Henry ordered the death of the conspirators. Jordanus of Sicily was brutally killed.

The feud between the hereditary Hohenstaufen kings of the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope reached a zenith during the reign of Frederick II. Frederick made desperate efforts to establish defences against what he believed to be papal exploitation of spiritual power. The pope of Rome ( Clement IV -1265-1268) set about crushing his off-spring. Frederick’s son Manfred, who was killed in the battle at Benevento (1266), was buried without religious ceremony on the orders of the Pope. The papacy so wished to wipe out the influence of the House of Staufen that Manfred’s remains were dug up and reburied outside the Sicilian kingdom. Conradin, the last Hohenstaufen was only sixteen years of age when he was executed in Naples by order of Pope Clement IV.

This progression of the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperors indicated the beginning of the disintegration of the power of the Christian king in whom the ruling of the nation was vested. It also seems to indicate that a papacy that tried to be "king of kings" was not going to succeed.

Of importance here is the determination of the papacy to never again have a hereditary throne in Germany. The papacy did all that it could to destroy the house of Staufen and to have the kings of Germany elected in future.

Conradin went to his destruction, but he was also "destroyed" as he was the last of the Holy Roman Emperors to be king according to the Hohenstaufen hereditary line. After the death of Conradin there was an interregnum and the following Holy Roman Emperors were elected. Through the progression of these eight kings of the Holy Roman Empire, Revelation is indicating that there is a double meaning to the "one is yet to come". It has to do with the destruction of the hereditary king. More about this later when we come to the ten kings going to their destruction.

The two progressions of eight kings in England and the Holy Roman Empire indicate how the following progressions of kings are to be analysed. In the progression of English kings, there was the quarrel with the Church and the diminishing power of the king. In the Holy Roman Empire there was the quarrel with the Church and the destruction of the hereditary line of kings. Revelation gives the progression of the eight kings and through what has been established in the previous chapters, we can determine what is being conveyed. Revelation provides an answer to the gradual disappearance of the influence of the Church in the politics of the major countries of Europe and in the world today. Today people just shrug their shoulders and say that the history of the wars of religion is incomprehensible. I believe that Revelation wishes to give us insight into this history. It seems that it was an inevitable history, and that "the dragon" subtly played a role in misleading man. Man was unable to recognise the onslaught. Most important, the history of the nations was predestined and the Trinity was ever present.

 

FRANCE

Philip IV ordered the arrest of Pope Boniface VIII at Anagni outside Rome in September 1303. Boniface was beaten mercilessly and died in October. (Note that this date is one thousand years after the persecution of the Roman Empire in 303)

On 13 October 1307, Philip had the members of the Order of the Knights Templar arrested and tortured. Jacques de Molay died. Only two days previously de Molay had discussed a crusade with the Pope.

The time of these kings indicate the increased power of the French crown over territories. The first five kings established a powerful monarchy in France by conquering or inheriting most of the English possessions in France. There was also growing friction between the kings of France and the papacy, and growing enmity between the nobles and the king.

Philip Augustus took large sections of English territory in France: Vexin (1193); confiscated jurisdiction of Kingdom of France (Aquitaine, Anjou and Poitou) from John of England. He secured his possessions by the victory over the combined forces of King John of England and Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV, at Bouvines (1214). He strengthened royal authority by crushing rebellious vassels and allying with the towns and the merchants.

Louis VIII married Queen Blanche of Castile(Spain). The linking of the royal houses of Europe through marriage, that took place frequently through the centuries of the second millennium, enhances the concept of a 'total' beast.

Louis IX made war against Henry III of England. He further strengthened the position of the throne. He issued a new code of laws and set up courts of justice. (This is important for it would be the law court of the Louvre that would give Philip IV the legal right to arrest the Pope in 1303.)

The feud between the kings of France and the papacy reached its height during the reign of Philip IV. The Kings of France could not reign without taxing the vast properties of the Catholic Church in France. The Pope was also dependent on the revenues of the Church that were collected in France and sent to Rome. So the feud came to a head when Philip IV decided to ban the export of currency and the Church refused to pay its taxes to the crown. In 1302, Philip got the unanimous support of the French Estates-General (French Parliament) for his anti-papal policy. Boniface reacted by the issue of an ultimatum threatening to excommunicate Philip.

In June 1303 Philip accused Boniface at the court of the Louvre of illegal election to the papacy, heresy, irreligion, simony and violence. The court gave the crown the authority to seize the Pope.

In 1415 Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund ordered the death of John Huss. Huss was led out of the city of Constance in Germany to be burnt on a pyre.

This progression of kings again indicates the establishment of a strong monarchy under King Charles. Huss was condemned for his theological ideas, but the underlying motives for his conviction were political. He had spoken out against corruption in the Church, the selling of indulgences and the buying of offices. This made him a popular figure with the discontented poor and a threat to both Church and secular leaders. He identified with Czech nationalism that was a threat to the German dominated royal court. In 1444 George Podebrad formed the Hussite League which defied the Catholic Party in Prague and the rest of the country. In this progression religious reform and the death of a martyr gave rise to the establishment of a political party in 1466.

1466

It will be seen that the times of "the number of man", 1266, 1366, 1466, 1566, 1666, 1766, 1866, 1886, 1906, 1926 and 1932( beast out of the earth) can be linked to the beast out of the sea ( the beast with the "ten horns and seven heads"). As mentioned in a previous chapter, this is indicated by the words of Rev 13:17 "which is the name of the beast or the number of his name". This "link" of the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth is illustrated by the combined chart of the foundations of the New Jerusalem and the "number of man" on page . The year of the "number of man" that is the link to the beast out of the sea ( the lines of the Chrisian kings that illustrate the gradual fall of the authority of the Christian kings to the rule of men) in the progression of the kings of Bohemia is the year 1466. The year 1466 indicates that in the ongoing rebellion against the Church, political parties would be formed by Christian groups. This was significant, for later the motives of the political parties would be liberty from all forms of authority and the accent would be placed on the "rights of man". In this quest for liberty there would follow the French Revolution and the spread of its ideology. The nations of the entire world in the twentieth century in their quest for liberty ( like locusts eating green grass - Rev 9:3) would ultimately overthrow the power and rule of the Christian Church and State vested in the Christian king and the underming of the truths of Christianity would follow.

Ferdinand and his wife Isabella united Aragon and Castile and introduced the Inquisition into Spain in 1478. The Inquisition in Spain led to a multitude of deaths. Being under the control of the monarchs of Spain it was as much a political as a religious agency.

The main message in this progression of Spanish kings is the expansion of the kingdom of Spain to include new territories of the world. Of the utmost importance to us today is the fact that the form of government of the nations that was taking shape in Europe was going to be passed on to the new territories of the world, and eventually the "rule of man" would become the rule of the entire world.

Likewise the Inquisition spread to the new lands across the sea with devastating results on the local people and their descendants who were ignorant of the situation in Europe. They associated Christianity with terrors of physical torture and death.

It seems as if Revelation is extremely accurate here for Charles inherited a kingdom so large that it was said the sun never set on it. It included numerous territories across the seas. It was a kingdom therefore that had been conquered by kings of different nationalities and therefore the words "five have fallen" take on a new meaning here. It indicate that the time kings would personally lead their armies into battle was coming to an end.

The reader will recall that in Revelation 6:15 "kings and princes" were followed by "generals". These words are going to be repeated later in Revelation 19:18. What Revelation is conveying in the history of the "seven horns and seven hills" is that the authority of those actually waging war would pass from the kings to the ordinary citizens in the armies of the nations. Therefore Revelation is EXPANDING the concept of "five have fallen" to include five countries in which five beasts have already "fallen". The word "fallen" now also has meaning as part of the TOTAL fall of man.

Charles V is categorised under an expanded interpretation of Revelation 17:9—10.

"Five have fallen"

The five kings that were categorised under the words "one is" are the following: Richard II (England), Frederick II (Holy Roman Emperor), Philip IV (France), Sigismund (Bohemia) and Ferdinand II (Spain).

The enumeration of all the territories and titles that Charles inherited, would require pages. Through his mother he became king of Spain, of Naples and Sicily, and ruler of the Spanish dominions in Africa and America (Charles I). Through his father he fell heir to the German possessions of the house of Hapsburg and to the territories of the house of Burgundy. This comprised of Flanders and Artois, the county of Burgundy, Luxemburg and the provinces of the Netherlands (Emperor Charles V). It should be remembered that at this time every ruler in Europe dreaded the might of Spain and the Hapsburgs. The words of Revelation ("remain for a little while") are appropriate here with relation to Spain for Charles had such a vast kingdom that he could spend only a little time on the affairs of Spain itself.

The hill that is associated with Emperor Charles V could well be his institution of the Inquisition to search out heretics in the Netherlands in 1522. Subsequent years saw the publication of nearly a dozen edicts against heresy, each increasingly severe. The harshest was the Edict of Blood issued in 1550. It decreed death for all that were guilty of possessing, selling or copying heretical books. Hundreds of Protestants and Anabaptists were executed.

It seems as if Revelation is symbolically expanding the beast. Because Charles V, was king of such a vast empire world wide, the example that he set would be taken up by numerous countries of the world.

Charles found that the German Catholic princes were unwilling to aid him in stamping out the Lutheran heresy. The princes that had converted to Protestantism were alarmed by Charles’ attitude and on 31 December 1530 they formed the Schmalkaldic League. It would become a formidable force in Europe with devastating consequences.

As mentioned previously Revelation has to do with war. A number of the rulers of the states in Charles' empire were supporting the Reformation and others were Catholic. In other words the division within the Christian Church was leading to war between Christians.

"one is yet to come"

Charles V had an illegitimate son, Don John, who made his name as a commanding officer of the Austrian army, but never became king.

" remain for a little while"

As Revelation seems to be expanding the influence of the beast, it seems that the aspect of the beast that is going to make it acceptable world wide (Rev 17:11 "who once was and now is not") is soon going to become apparent. Emperor Charles V died in 1558 and in 1566 it will be seen how in the provinces of the Netherlands, would revolt against the Church. Religious and political motives ( demands to convene a Parliament) for rebellion would be combined.

Rev 13:17 the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Philip II (1556—1598)

Symbolically Philip II of Spain is regarded as representing both a king in the line of kings that constitute the "seven heads", but also one that is indicated as having made "war against the Lamb" (Rev 17:14). This is done through a correlation with history in a year indicated as " the number of man", the year 1566.

Philip ll succeeded his father as king of Spain and its vast dependencies. He did not inherit the German Empire. He believed that religious unity strengthened political unity and this ideal would bring him into conflict with the Reform movements in the Netherlands. In 1560 he introduced a "more effective" Inquisition in the Netherlands.

In 1566, some four hundred nobles from the various provinces of the Netherlands congregated in Brussels to present a petition to the regent. The petition requested that the Inquisition and the edicts against heresy be moderated and that the States General (Parliament) be convened. While the petitioners were waiting for an answer in Antwerp, Calvinist preachers agitated the mobs that then entered Catholic Churches and smashed images and statues. The revolt spread to other cities. Philip retaliated by sending 10 000 troops under the duke of Alva to the Netherlands.

This action by Philip II seems to conclude the "seven kings" and "the seven hills" for here we have to do with a Christian army moving against Christians because of religious differences. This action therefore indicates "war against the Lamb" and we now have to do with what later will be established as an aspect of the "ten horns" of the beast.

 

Links to the beasts seen by Daniel

You will remember that the first three beasts seen by Daniel were reversed in Revelation 13:2.

The third beast seen by Daniel "had four wings like those of a bird". As mentioned "four" indicates the four corners of the earth. The influence of the beast would therefore accompany the spreading of the Christian faith to the four corners of the earth.

The second beast seen by Daniel "was raised up on one of its sides". The beast of Revelation 13:2 "had feet like those of a bear". This seems to indicate that the beast was getting ready to "stand up on two feet like a man" (Da 7:4). In the discussion on the red horse in Revelation 6:4, it was said that the the beast of Revelation raised itself on one side in the first millennium and on the 'other' side in the second millennium (see p ). This likely refers to the fact that in two of the progressions of seven kings a new force or political movement developed from the division between Catholics and Reformers. This was the case in Bohemia with the Hussite party and the birth of Bohemian nationalism. The Protestant Reformers in the Netherlands fought against Philip II to gain religious independence but particularly for political independence. Later similar movements would develop in other nations of Europe in the time of the "ten horns". These forces combined to enable "the beast" to ultimately raise itself fully in 1932.

"Get up and eat your fill of flesh" was the other attribute of the beast that resembled the bear, as seen by Daniel. One only has to read the history books concerning the slaughter of human life during the Inquisition and Reformation to understand this.

The "wings were torn off" the lion as seen in the first vision by Daniel, indicates the progression of man’s motives away from the faith in Christ and the supernatural, to the philosophies of the humanists, science, liberation of man, economy, politics, etc.

There is a progression in the seven kings, Richard II, Frederick II, Philip IV, Sigismund, Ferdinand II, Charles V and Philip II from the absolute rule of the king to greater demand by the people for more representative government. There is also the progression from kings protecting the faith, as in the times of the Crusades, to kings taking advantage of religious fervour as a means of gaining political power. "Wings" are symbolic of the power of the faith that spread to the ends of the earth. "Torn off" is symbolic of the decrease in religious drive, when the motives of Christians were essentially for political and other worldly gains.

This was the year that Charles of Anjou defeated Manfred, the son of Frederick II and ended the line of Hohenstaufen (hereditary kings of Germany).

At Canterbury Hall, Oxford, Wycliffe allowed monks and parish priests to study together as fellows of the university. In this way the ideas of Wycliffe reached not only the Church, but were carried out to laymen in the parishes and ultimately to other countries of Europe, particularly Bohemia that had royal links with England at that time.

In this year the Hussite political party was formed in Bohemia under George Podebrad. The power of Podebrad’s political party, and the power of Bohemian nationalism, would eventually make him king of Bohemia.

The year in which the people of the Netherlands revolted against Philip II of Spain. This led to the religious war of the Catholic monarch, Philip II gainst the Protestants of the Netherlands.

Calculus

The chart of the New Jerusalem that is linked to the "number of man"( see p ) can graphically indicate three points of a metaphorical triangle that links the fall of kings ("beast out of the sea") to times of the "number of man".

For example:

Holy Roman Empire (which originally included Bohemia)

1212 — Time of "chalcedony" and time of Frederick II (first point of the triangle)

1466 — Time of the rise of the political party in Bohemia, called the Hussite League

1866 — King William I of Germany had little power because Otto von Bismarck actually ruled Germany in the "hour" of twenty-four years that he was king. (The ten horns of the beast will be discussed in the following chapter)

This is symbolic of the total situation in Europe in the second millennium. Kings would move against the Christian church and under the influences of the growing philosophies of man, that faith is not necessary in certain categories of man's endeavours, man would seek ever greater freedom. The quest for freedom brought about rebellions against the State and the Church, and the middle and lower classes of Europe formed strong political parties. Their demands put in place a rule of man that would destroy the powers of monarchy.

Metaphorically many 'triangles' could be drawn to indicate similar situations in other countries of Europe, although they would not necessarily indicate the years of the chart of the New Jerusalem and the number of man. They would, however, indicate:

• the rise of the king and State against the Church;

the revolt of the people against the State and the Church; and

the ultimate setting in place of a government of the people.

These 'triangles' could be extended to the ends of the earth where European colonies sought independence from the kings of Europe.

 

 

Revelation 17:12—14"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not received a kingdom, but for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings — and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."

 

In the explanation of the "eighth king", it was said that in the line of ten kings he could be the one that "is going to his destruction" (see p ).

"along with the beast"

The "beast" in Revelation 17:11 was defined as a line of eight kings. In Revelation 17:12, however, the "beast" is not only the king, but also an "authority" ("along with the beast") in the rule of the nations, that rules with the king. This augmentation becomes apparent once we realise that the development of the "beast" took place over a very long period of time. This great passage of time was conveyed in the explanation of the red horse of the apocalypse (see p ) where it was said that the "beast" that was raised on one side and was getting ready "to stand up on two feet", was linked to the time 1932, but extended over almost the entire second millennium.

The line of seven kings that formed the "seven heads" was the "beast", because at that time the power of the rule of the nations in those seven countries was vested in the king. Under his rule, the conflict with the Christian Church led to the deaths of Christians. In time, the power and authority would shift from the king to Parliament, or to a representative body of another group of people (nobles or ordinary citizens). This representative body would become the "beast" along with the king, because both these authorities were in favour of the ousting of the Christian Church from the direct rule of the nations.

"the beast who was and now is not"

These words indicate a change of opinion. What was once regarded as sinful or unacceptable became acceptable. Considering the tremendous progression of time, this is easy to understand. By the twentieth century most European countries approved the concept that the Christian Church should not be part of the direct rule of the nations.

It therefore seems that the "eighth king" in Revelation indicates a transition from the rule of the king to the rule of the king in conjunction with the rule of ordinary men. This transition would ultimately lead to the destruction of the authority of the anointed king, and the acceptance of the "beast". To pinpoint a specific king is very difficult, but Revelation helps us to overcome this hurdle in the following verse, by indicating ten kings that could be identified by the following directives:

This implies that until the end time, when the meaning of Revelation will become clear to us, the kings and their dynasties will never again have absolute power.

For a certain time, they will share the power with an authority that will move against the authority of the Christian Church.

"they have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast"

This implies that the kings are there for only one purpose, and that is to give their power to a body that does not represent the Christian Church.

The only way that the length of "one hour" in Revelation could be established, was to look for a span of time possibly relating to what we know as one hour, and to find out whether this number correlates with times of the kings of Europe that were the last of a line of kings. I discovered that several of the kings of the late nineteenth and twentieth century actually reigned for about twenty-four years, but were not necessarily the last of a line of kings.

Therefore, I had to look for ten kings who reigned for approximately twenty-four years and were actually going to their destruction.

Taking into account that the seven kings who were established as the "seven heads" in the previous chapter were of a line of seven kings of seven different countries, I tried to establish whether these kings were of a line of ten kings of ten countries. I discovered that this was the case.

TEN HORNS

In order to incorporate all the directives of Revelation the "ten horns" had to be linked to the "seven heads" as indicated in the preceding chapter (he belongs to the seven). This seemed to indicate the involvement of the death of Christians, or the enmity of the king against the Christian Church in the time of the rule of the ten kings. It could also mean that they were of the same hereditary line as the seven heads.

What amazed me was that certain events during the times in which the ten horns would "give their power to the beast", could be linked to some of the times of the "number of man" (1266, 1366, 1466, 1566, 1666, 1906,1926 and 1932). Some of the dates of the twenty-four years ("one hour") each of the ten kings reigned, could be linked to the times of the "generations" on the chart of the New Jerusalem.

As we have to do with prophecy, it is possible that other Christian kings could also be added to this list. I chose those kings who definitely indicate the end of a monarchy, or type of monarchy.

In eight of these countries, the king reigned for 24 years or approximately 24 years. In France the 24 years were calculated from the beginning of the reign of Louis XVI to the time of the leadership of Napoleon. This was the time of the French Revolution and the "beast" in France was the desire of the revolutionaries to free man, within the rule of the nations, from the authority of the Christian Church.

In Germany the "one hour" was the time when King William I shared his power and authority with Chancellor Bismarck, who promoted the separation of the Christian Church and State.

I name a sequence of ten kings in each country, because Revelation does not judge any particular king or country. It wants to illustrate the trend of the time and that all nations would at some point follow the same course.

Each of these ten kings, that are the "ten horns", belongs to a progression of ten kings in ten different countries. Each of these "ten horns" was the last of a line of hereditary Christian kings in his own country. After the culmination of his reign of about twenty-four years with the "beast", the power of the hereditary line of which he was a part, would never be restored. The reasons for the fall of these kings differ, but could be attributed to factors related to the "dragon" and the "beast". These factors are recognisable from what we have learned in Revelation about the "dragon" and the "beast".

We know from history that the overthrowing of Charles I in England, and Louis XVI of France during the French Revolution would inspire other countries to set in place governing bodies from the ranks of ordinary men. In the quest for freedom from the bonds of authority of the king and the Church, there was no prerequisite for representation by Christians and no guarantee that Christianity would prevail in the rule of the nations. The "ten horns" therefore did not only relinquish the power of the king, but also the power of the rule of Christianity and Christ. They gave the "beast" the power to rule.

In most European countries, the rule of Parliament gradually replaced the rule of the hereditary kings. Where the progress was too slow, people used violence, which led to revolutions and wars.

The times of the "ten horns", are the times when the kings of these countries finally surrendered their power and authority ("they have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast").

I cannot discuss the history of these kings in detail, because it would take up too much space. I will therefore focus on those aspects of history that seem to link the times of the ten kings, that are the "ten horns", and will clarify the words of Revelation.

In the combined chart of the foundations of the New Jerusalem and the "number of man", this line of Serbian kings relates to the time of the second foundation of the New Jerusalem (1140—1212) and the second date of the "number of man" (1366). The year 1366 was approximately the time of the fall of the Christian kings of Serbia (see chart, p ).

Serbia was situated between Rome and Constantinople. The decline of the Byzantine Empire in the latter part of the twelfth century weakened the hold of Constantinople on its domains. It enabled the Serbian prince Stephen Nemanja to subjugate most of Serbia. He was able to consolidate Serbia into a kingdom that would survive up to 1371.

During the time of the Namanjich kings, the monk Rastko, the younger son of Stephen Namanja who later assumed the name of Sava, founded the Serbian National Church. Under Sava, Greek Christianity adapted to Serbian traditions became firmly rooted. This resulted in a close association between the Church and the State of Serbia.

Today we know that the Christian Serbian kingdom of the Namanjich dynasty was not to survive. History tells us that the Namanjichs wished to establish themselves as the heirs of the Greek imperial rulers. In 1346, Stephen Dushan converted the archbishopric of Pec into a patriarchate giving its head the provocative title of Patriarch of the Serbs and the Greeks. Constantinople would not accept this step that threatened its pre-eminence in the Orthodox communion. Nine years later Stephen Dushan was killed on his way to make war against Constantinople. After his death, the kingdom broke up. After 1389, the Christian Church of Serbia had to survive under non-Christian rule. Only in 1878 was the movement for independence successful.

After the Nemanjichs, Serbia would never again have a united Christian Church and king with the power of that dynasty. Therefore, up to this day, almost six hundred years later (1371—1999), the king has "not yet received a kingdom". Could "the beast" have been the intense drive of Stephen Dushan to master Byzantine and dominate the Eastern Orthodox communion that would result in war? This is not impossible, for we know that the "dragon" wanted the division of Christians and "the dragon gave the beast its power" (Rev 13:2). This intense nationalism would continue to the twentieth century.

The Byzantinium kings desired a union between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople to strengthen Constantinople against aggression from both East and West. This union was never achieved, for although the two churches held the same truth, irreconcilable differences because of separate development through the centuries, held them apart. It is well known today that political difference between Rome and Constantinople also hindered union.

Could "the beast" in the case of the Byzantinium kings be the inability of the unionists and anti-unionists to overcome their differences and reconcile with Rome in the face of a non-Christian force? Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453. It should be noted that almost the entire reign of John VIII, who reigned for 24 years was devoted to conferences between the churches of Rome and Constantinople seeking to establish union. John VIII wished to achieve union, but the powers and the prejudices of the anti-unionists were too great.

On 13 April 1204 Constantinople fell to the Fourth Crusade. Rightly, historians regard this as the major catastrophe of Western civilisation. Christians, who were supposed to liberate other Christians in Egypt and the Near East, attacked Constantinople and made war against fellow Christians. They looted their possessions. The Byzantinium government, that had shown obvious weaknesses during the twelfth century, could only put up partial resistance. As time progressed, Byzantinium centres of resistance emerged in western Greece, Epirus and Thessalonica and in the Nicaean kingdom in Asia Minor. Some areas in Byzantine were more deeply involved in the struggle to expel the intruding Westerners. The result was Eastern Christians fighting off Western Christians. It was against this background that the kings of Byzantium kings sought union with the Church of Rome. Christians were fighting Christians, "war against the Lamb", before the destruction of the Byzantinium dynasty.

The link to the combined chart of the New Jerusalem and the "number of man" lies in the time of the first foundation (1068) that is linked to the year 1266, a time of ongoing differences between Rome and Constantinople (see chart, p ). In 1266, Michael VIII Palaeologus approached the Pope of Rome, Clement IV, urging the union of the two Churches. This ideal never realised because of the divisions between the two churches ("the beast" ) and Byzantine would fall to non-Christian rule.

During the progressions of the ten kings, both Serbia and Byzantine were empires comprising of a number of states. In the case of Poland, a great and powerful state developed. The nobility in Poland was so influential that they made economic and political arrangements with other governments of Europe, thus undermining the power of the king. By the time Sigismund II, who reigned for 24 years, came to the throne, the position of the king had considerably weakened. When the Jagiellon Dynasty died out after the reign of Sigismund the nobles were so powerful that they elected a foreign king and formed political alliances with foreign countries to advance their own fortunes. The "beast" here, was the desire of the nobles to weaken the authority of the Christian king for their material gain and power.

"War against the Lamb" would be the wars waged by some of these kings of Poland and the Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Knights adhered strictly to full co-operation between the Christian Church and State. Revelation is therefore revealing a growing secularism, which is an additional feature of the beast. After the Teutons had been conquered in 1410 and 1466, the Duchy of Prussia changed from a Christian state under the Teutonic Knights to a secular state under Poland.

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