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3 One of its [the Beast's] heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder. --Revelation 13:3 RSV
Many people see Revelation 13:3 as a prophecy that some world leader will be killed, maybe shot in the head, and then be resurrected. This leader will go on to become the individual Beast or Antichrist of Revelation.
Should we look for an event like this? Will this be a crucial clue in the rise of a modern antichrist?
The question that should be asked is, if this person, this leader, is to rise from the dead, by whose power does this happen? Satan has no power to raise anyone from the dead. No such event is reported in the Bible. For an antichrist to be raised from the dead, God would have to give a quick resurrection to the most evil man on earth. Why would God give a special resurrection to a man of remarkable evil? Would God do this to further Satan's plans? No, this scenario is absurd.
Simply put: Satan can't, and God won't.
Some might reason that this world leader might only appear to be mortally wounded. He will be injured but make a full recovery in an apparent miracle. Although somewhat more plausible, I believe this scenario is simply not needed.
The Beast in Revelation is an alliance of nations, that is the reason for the multiple heads. In at least one passage, the Beast is spoken of as an individual person, a person who is the leader or ruler of the alliance. The basic meaning of the Beast is that it is an alliance of nations, possibly identified with a future version of the European Union. What if the wounded head of the Beast is a split country, namely Germany?
What do we know about this alliance? Today's world order arose from the ashes of WWII. Europe was divided into western Europe and eastern Europe, separated by an "Iron Curtain," in Winston Churchill's phrase, for decades. International organizations like the United Nations, etc., the European Union, and military alliances like NATO, NORAD and ANZUS all came about after WWII.
Germany was first split back into Germany and Austria, after the two being united during the Nazi era. Then Germany was further divided into four zones by the Allies, with the zone controlled by the Soviet Union becoming East Germany. The zones controlled by the US, Britain and France became West Germany. Berlin, the capital of pre-war Germany, was divided into West Berlin and East Berlin. Germany was divided on a de facto basis in 1945. The allies approved a Constitution for West Germany in 1949 and Parliament met in Bonn for the first time in 1949. East and West Germany were divided in law by 1949. In the following years, the division between the two became more aggravated. In 1961, East Germany started building the Berlin Wall to stop its citizens from fleeing to the West.
Reasonable observers weren't convinced that the parts of Germany would ever be re-joined. A book on Germany published in the 1960's referred to "the chimera of reunification."
This strange situation continued until the late 1980's, when a loosening of Communist ideology in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe made a return to normalcy look possible. The Berlin Wall was opened to two-way traffic in 1989. In the next couple of years, it came down completely.
In 1990, the reunification of Germany occurred with remarkable speed for a world-changing event. In February of 1990, the leader of East Germany expressed support for reunification. In March, East Germany elections elevated candidates to office favoring reunification. East and West Germany signed a treaty authorizing reunification in August 1990. This is all happening in about six months. In September, the Allied Powers signed a treaty, On the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, giving up their remaining authority in West Berlin. This removed the last obstacle to reunification.
National elections for a united Germany were held in December of 1990.
If these incredible events don't qualify as the healing of an apparent mortal wound to a nation, part of the Beast, then what does?
Many people see Revelation 13:3 as a prophecy that some world leader will be killed, maybe shot in the head, and then be resurrected. This leader will go on to become the individual Beast or Antichrist of Revelation.
Should we look for an event like this? Will this be a crucial clue in the rise of a modern antichrist?
The question that should be asked is, if this person, this leader, is to rise from the dead, by whose power does this happen? Satan has no power to raise anyone from the dead. No such event is reported in the Bible. For an antichrist to be raised from the dead, God would have to give a quick resurrection to the most evil man on earth. Why would God give a special resurrection to a man of remarkable evil? Would God do this to further Satan's plans? No, this scenario is absurd.
Simply put: Satan can't, and God won't.
Some might reason that this world leader might only appear to be mortally wounded. He will be injured but make a full recovery in an apparent miracle. Although somewhat more plausible, I believe this scenario is simply not needed.
The Beast in Revelation is an alliance of nations, that is the reason for the multiple heads. In at least one passage, the Beast is spoken of as an individual person, a person who is the leader or ruler of the alliance. The basic meaning of the Beast is that it is an alliance of nations, possibly identified with a future version of the European Union. What if the wounded head of the Beast is a split country, namely Germany?
What do we know about this alliance? Today's world order arose from the ashes of WWII. Europe was divided into western Europe and eastern Europe, separated by an "Iron Curtain," in Winston Churchill's phrase, for decades. International organizations like the United Nations, etc., the European Union, and military alliances like NATO, NORAD and ANZUS all came about after WWII.
Germany was first split back into Germany and Austria, after the two being united during the Nazi era. Then Germany was further divided into four zones by the Allies, with the zone controlled by the Soviet Union becoming East Germany. The zones controlled by the US, Britain and France became West Germany. Berlin, the capital of pre-war Germany, was divided into West Berlin and East Berlin. Germany was divided on a de facto basis in 1945. The allies approved a Constitution for West Germany in 1949 and Parliament met in Bonn for the first time in 1949. East and West Germany were divided in law by 1949. In the following years, the division between the two became more aggravated. In 1961, East Germany started building the Berlin Wall to stop its citizens from fleeing to the West.
Reasonable observers weren't convinced that the parts of Germany would ever be re-joined. A book on Germany published in the 1960's referred to "the chimera of reunification."
This strange situation continued until the late 1980's, when a loosening of Communist ideology in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe made a return to normalcy look possible. The Berlin Wall was opened to two-way traffic in 1989. In the next couple of years, it came down completely.
In 1990, the reunification of Germany occurred with remarkable speed for a world-changing event. In February of 1990, the leader of East Germany expressed support for reunification. In March, East Germany elections elevated candidates to office favoring reunification. East and West Germany signed a treaty authorizing reunification in August 1990. This is all happening in about six months. In September, the Allied Powers signed a treaty, On the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, giving up their remaining authority in West Berlin. This removed the last obstacle to reunification.
National elections for a united Germany were held in December of 1990.
If these incredible events don't qualify as the healing of an apparent mortal wound to a nation, part of the Beast, then what does?