Throughout History kingdoms & nations have used images of birds & beasts to symbolize their power and identity. It’s true today as well. Here in the United States of America our nation is symbolized by the bald eagle, because of it’s regal appearance, fierce independence, and strong mothering instincts. North of us is Canada which is symbolized by the beaver. Russia is symbolized by the Eurasian Bear & China by the Panda Bear. In the Land down-under - the Kangaroo is the symbol of Australia. And India is symbolized by the Bengal Tiger. Just about every nation on earth is symbolized by some bird or beast.
If the Original Christians saw a flag or a banner with an image of a She-Wolf suckling 2 little boys, they would instantly recognize it as a symbol of the Roman Empire, the 2 boys being Romulus & Remus, with Romulus being the namesake of the city of Rome.
So it shouldn’t be any surprise that the God of the Bible also uses wild beasts to symbolize kingdoms & nations. The prophet Jeremiah was inspired to write: “A lion from the forest shall slay them (Israel), a wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; a leopard will watch over their cities.” (JEREMIAH 5:6) A single lion, wolf, or leopard could not slay, destroy or watch over Israel’s many cities - but the kingdoms they symbolize could! The king of Babylon was symbolized by a lion with wings, a symbol preserved on the procession walls of the city ruins. God compares the Chaldeans to wolves in the first chapter of Habakkuk. And one of the gods of Greece was Dionysus, who wore a leopard skin hat & rode in a chariot pulled by leopards.
Almighty God gave a vision to the prophet Daniel of 4 Beasts which symbolized kingdoms present and future: “And 4 great beasts came up from the Sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings; I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth & made to stand on two feet like a man - and a man’s heart was given to it.” (DANIEL 7:3,4) As previously mentioned, the kings of Babylon were pictured by a winged lion, and Daniel had served the King of Babylon in his court of advisers.
Then we read: “And suddenly another (HEB. Ochoriy implies succession) beast, a 2nd like a bear. It was raised up on one side and had 3 ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh.” (DANIEL 7:5) The bear is slower than the lion, but more powerful. The Medo-Persian empire which succeeded the Babylonian empire, conquered 3 kingdoms (ribs): the Hittite Kingdom, the Babylonians, and the Egyptian kingdom.
Daniel’s vision continues: “After this I looked and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back 4 wings of a bird. The beast also had 4 heads and dominion was given to it.” (DANIEL 7:6) At the time Daniel received this vision he was living under the reign of the bear, or the Medo-Persian empire. The leopard which follows, is symbolic of Greece under Alexander the Great - which would divide into 4 kingdoms pictured by the 4 heads coming out of its back after Alexander’s death.
These same 3 beasts are included in the description of another beast written about in the book of Revelation: “I saw a beast rising up out of the Sea, having 7 heads and 10 horns… the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear & his mouth like the mouth of a lion.” (REVELATION 13:1) In a later chapter the symbolism of this 7-headed beast is made clear: “The 7 heads are 7 mountains (symbolizing kingdoms throughout the Bible) on which the woman (Harlot - false religion) sits. There are also 7 kings, 5 have fallen (the last kings of the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian & Greek empires), one is (John was living under a Roman king), and the other has not yet come (Islamic Empire).” (REV.17:9,10) This vision given to the Apostle John is a broader view of history than the vision given to
Daniel. It covers the 2 empires (Egyptian & Assyrian) that existed prior to the ones pictured by the lion, bear & leopard (Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek). It also mentions the empire that John was living under (Roman) and an empire to come (Islamic) which swallowed up 2/3 of the Roman empire.
Then John is told: “…The beast (7-headed) that was, and is not (all 7 would eventually fall), is himself also the 8th and is of the seven, and is going to perdition (destruction).” (REVELATION 17:11) This is a very important statement, because it shows us that the final world ruling empire is not some new one (Russian, American or the U.N.) - but rather a resurrection of one of the original seven! It goes on to say: “The 10 Horns which you saw are 10 kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the (8th) Beast… These will make war with the Lamb (Christ) and the Lamb will overcome them.” (REVELATION 17:11,12,14)
Notice that the 4th beast that Daniel saw (which we haven’t talked about yet) also has 10 horns: “After this I (Daniel) saw in the night visions & behold a 4th beast, dreadful & terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces and trampling the residue with its feet… And it had 10 horns …But the (heavenly) court shall be seated and take away his dominion, to consume & destroy it forever.” (DANIEL 7,26)
The 8th Beast of Revelation is clearly another description of the 4th Beast of Daniel, each having 10 Horns and each being destroyed by Christ at His 2nd coming.
Your Bible gives 7 identifying signs of which one of the 7 empires pictured by the 7-headed beast will be the 8th and final world ruling empire. To learn what they are - go to YOUTUBE and type in Original Christianity - and find our T.V. program entitled THE MARK OF THE BEAST.