LAMB-LIKE BEAST WITH TWO HORNS
Revelation 13:11 - “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”
You already learned earlier in this study that beast in Bible prophecy represents a kingdom or nation. Now let’s study the clues of this nation to find out who it is.
Who is this nation that is “coming up out of the earth?” Going back to Revelation 13:1, the leopard-like beast representing Papal Rome came up out of the sea. Remember, “sea” in Bible prophecy represents, a multitude of people or territory that speak many languages. Papal Rome, as prophesied, rose up out of a highly populated area of several languages. So what does the earth represent here in Bible prophecy? If the “sea” in Bible prophecy represents a heavily populated region of the world we can conclude that the “earth” represents the very opposite. “Earth” in Revelation 13:11 symbolically represents a sparsely populated region of the world which mainly consist of wilderness or woods. The Bible also gives us clues on this in Revelation 12:6, 14, and 16.
Prophetic Symbol: Earth = Sparsely populated world region that is mainly wilderness
A lamb is a young sheep. Figuratively, a lamb is used as a symbol of meekness, innocence, or gentleness. The “like a lamb” description of this nation represents its youthful and meek character.
1 Peter 1:19 - “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
John 1:29 - “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Jesus Christ is depicted as a meek and innocent lamb that died for the sins of the world. Those who claim to be followers of the Lamb, Christ, they are known as Christians.
So based on these clues it can be concluded that this lamb-like beast represents a young and innocent Christian nation.
This lamb-like beast not only is young and innocent, but it has two horns on its head. Remember, horns in general in Bible prophecy also represent a nation.
Habakkuk 3:4 -“And his [God’s] brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.”
God’s power.
Based on world history, what nation on earth rose into power in a land that was a sparsely populated wilderness; started as a meek nation; historically known as a Christian nation; relatively a young nation; and has become a world superpower? Think about it. Could it be a country in Europe such as the Germany or France? No, because those countries have been in existence for a very long time, plus they are in very populated regions of the world and none of them profess to be a Christian nation. No nation in the ancient world, Europe or the eastern part of the world fits the characteristics of Revelation 13:11. The only nation that fits the characteristics of Revelation 13:11 is found in the western part of the world and that is the United States of America. The United States of America is relatively a young nation, less than 250 years old. America grew out of a sparsely populated wilderness. Historically, America was founded on Protestant Christian principles. Many of the first settlers to America were Christian Protestants who escaped religious persecution from the church of England and Papal Rome. They wanted to live in a land free from forced religion. They wanted to worship God according to the dictates of their own hearts in freedom. Though the United States started off relatively small it has now grown into a young world superpower.
Prophetic Symbol: Lamb-like beast with two horns = UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Galatians 5:1 - “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Liberty! Freedom is the main foundational principle that the United States of America was founded upon. America’s most cherished symbol of liberty is its Declaration of Independence. It states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In 1776 America declared its freedom from the monarch of England. Americans would rather die than be under the dictatorship of England. “Give me liberty or give me death” was the rallying cry for many who fought for freedom in the Revolutionary War against the monarch of England. Freedom is what gives the United States its power.
The power of freedom in the governance of the United States of America is outlined in its U.S. Constitution. Its basic principle is that it is a government “by the people and for the people,” a republic. A republic is “a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.” - Dictionary.com. Also, a constitution within a republic protects basic human and religious rights that cannot be removed by the government nor by a majority in order to protect the basic rights of a minority. The government of the United States was built on a republic. A republic is not a kingly power. The U.S. Constitution gives details on how its legislative power is spread out through a system of checks and balances between its three branches of government, 1)The Executive Branch – President’s Administration; 2) Congress – House of Representatives and Senate; and 3) Judicial branch. The Constitution builds a government that is designed to govern and protect things that all its citizens have in common such as freedom, justice, environment, and general welfare, but not to govern or force religion. The preamble of the U.S. Constitution says, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of American.” The Constitution establishes, the separation between church and state. A Republic and Protestantism are the two fundamental principles of the United States of America. They are the two separate horns on the lamb-like beast that give this nation its power.
Let’s briefly look at more historical details of why the founding fathers of the United States thought that it was important to separate church and state. In America’s humble beginnings it was known to the rest of the world as the “New World.” Many settlers from the “Old World,” Europe, such as the Puritans, also known as the pilgrims, came to America to escape the religious persecution from the Church of England. It is also critical to note here that the power that many of the Puritans were escaping from was a Protestant power. The Church of England that developed out of the reformation movement was a Protestant church which eventually became a part of the government of England. Remember, Protestants are those who protested against the power and religious doctrines of Papal Rome. In England, many of the church members practiced some of the truths that they were exposed to by Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther and John Huss, but they failed to continue to explore and live by the many other truths of the Bible. As as result, the Church of England held on to many practices of Papal Rome and began to institute laws in their government to force the Protestant Christian religion on its people. They thought that making laws that forced all its citizen to become a Protestant Christian or at least practice its principles would make it a great and “holy” nation. They were not tolerant to any other forms of religion. Those who refused to conform to the religious practices of the Church of England were persecuted by the government of England. At that time in England it was illegal to hold private religious meetings, they were only allowed to meet at the Protestant churches that England’s government approved. The Puritans in England thought this was wrong and refused to follow the unbiblical legislative religious laws formed by the Church of England. As a result, many were persecuted and many fled the country and settled in American to practice their Puritan Christian religion freely without the fear of the Church of England.
It is interesting that history records that when the Puritans began to settle in America and develop colonies, like Papal Rome and the Church of England, the Puritans developed laws and government policies that fined or imprisoned all its citizens in their colonies who did not follow the official Puritan religion. It was not until Roger Williams, a Puritan pastor who settled in America, protested and spoke up against the Puritan government enforcing Christian obedience that things began to change. Roger Williams believed that God gave all people the freedom to worship based on the convictions of their own mind. God does not force us to worship Him. He invites us to choose to serve Him freely. Roger Williams was ridiculed by the Puritans for his belief in religious freedom. As a result of his protest, he was not permitted to be part of the their colonies and expelled. Through God’s providence and leading, Roger Williams started a small colony known as Rhode Island. This young pastor created a colony in which all Americans are indebted. He established a colony in which all men and women had the true freedom to worship God or not. His government separated church and state. Roger Williams did not believe church or religious matters should dictate civil government. He believed that a church or religion should not control the government because it would endanger freedom of religion and infringe on the rights of others who may believe differently. So when the United States began to become a united body in 1776, the framers of the Constitution agreed and adopted the views of Roger Williams and created a nation in which one religion does not control how people are governed and how laws are made.
The foundation of the religion of the United States is based on Protestant Christian principles. Even though America was founded upon these principles, the government has no right to force all its citizens to be Christian. The founding fathers saw the disaster of a government that forced religion through lessons of Papal Rome and the Church of England. History shows that governments that force religion leads to bondage and persecution of its citizens. The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the freedom to worship according to the dictates of each citizen’s conscience without government interference or force. It says, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” This is the reason why millions flocked to the shores of America. This was the greatest power of America to the world, religious freedom!
The Everson v. Board, U.S. Supreme Court Decision makes the separation of church and state very clear. It says, “The ‘establishment of religion’ clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force nor influence a person to go to or to remain away from church against his will or force him to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion. No person can be punished for entertaining or professing religious beliefs or disbeliefs, for church attendance or nonattendance. No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activity or institutions whatever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice religion. Neither a state nor the Federal Government can, openly or secretly, participate in the affairs of any religious organizations or groups and vice versa. In the words of Jefferson, the clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to erect ‘a wall of separation between Church and State.” - US. Supreme Court Decision, Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 (Feb. 10, 1947), in U.S. Reports, pp. 15-16
How does the U.S. Government speak as a dragon?
The separation of church and state, a Republic and Protestantism, is the power that blessed America and has given it prosperity and influence worldwide. It is a young nation that has risen into the world’s foremost superpower. There is no other nation on earth like it, but Revelation 13:11 predicts that this lamb-like nation with two horns will speak as a dragon! Remember, the dragon is Satan himself. Satan uses nations such as Papal Rome to attack the true people of God through deception as a snake or persecution as a dragon. It is clear that Satan, the dragon, will use the U.S. to persecute God’s people. How does a nation speak? Through its laws.
During the 1260 years of the Papal Roman Empire, the papacy persecuted millions of faithful Christians based on its laws. In Revelation 13:11, the lamb-like beast, United States of