Hmm. Is this the "official" JW position?
The first beast of Revelation 13 has the beast parts of the 4 kingdoms before it. It is an amalgamation of them.
It represents the new kingdom within the 2 legs of the image of Daniel 2. But this kingdom tho strong as steel is "partly broken." It becomes divided in two - the legs. Geographically it grows to comprise the land of Babylon, Persia, and Greece to become the beast of Revelation 13.
The image of the beast is not this same power but rises out of the wilderness rather than the sea and makes fire reign down from the sky ie bombs. This image of the beast is the United States which will become more corrupt, and causes persecution of the people of God. So although I appreciate your input, we differ in the interpretation of the law of Revelation.
Cheers
Many are like yourself that are independent in their view of the Bible, resulting in some 41,000 different denominations and sects of Christendom. However, those who are God's "sons" are taught by Jehovah God as an organization, being "perfected into one".(John 17:23)
Jesus told the Jews that "I do nothing of my own initiative; but just as the Father taught me, I speak these things."(John 8:28) Jesus was taught by the Father and on another occasion, Jesus said: "If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or I speak of my originality."(John 7:17) Jesus did not teach any thoughts of his own "originality", but always taught what the Father expressed.
And on yet another time, Jesus, after telling the Jews that he was "the bread that came down from heaven" and quoting from Isaiah 54:13, said that "It is written in the Prophets: They will all be taught by Jehovah. Everyone who has listened to the Father and has learned comes to me."(John 6:45) Jehovah's Witnesses are taught by the Father, Jehovah God, just as Jesus is. They are able to "mentally put the pieces together" (Greek
syniemi, used by Jesus at Matthew 13) and thus have the privilege of unveiling the Bible book of Revelation.
Hence, Revelation 13: 1, 2 says that the "dragon" or Satan "stood on the sand of the sea (the restless masses of mankind especially after the global deluge always seeking to establish their political government apart from God's sovereignty)", and is thus at the helm of seeing that political governments come into existence. He is the creator of the "wild beast", the entire political system of things on earth that encompasses every single political government from start to finish.
The "immense image" at Daniel 2 is only a part of the "wild beast" at Revelation 13: 1, for the "image" consists of the 7 world powers that has directly affected God's people (
1-Egypt,
2-Assyria,
3-Babylon,
4-Medo-Persia,
5-Greece,
6-Rome,
7-Anglo-American dual world power), while the political "wild beast" at Revelation 13: 1 is every political government (including the 7 world powers at Daniel 2) that has ever been formed under the composite name "wild beast" since after the global flood.
But it need be noted that the book of Revelation's setting is "the Lord's day" (Rev 1:10), the time period since Jesus was enthroned as king of God's kingdom in 1914. So, "the ten horns" are the political governments particularly existing after 1914, who "have not yet received a kingdom (at the time of John writing the book of Revelation), but they do receive authority as kings one hour (during the Lord's day from 1914 onward until their demise at Armageddon) with the wild beast".(Rev 17:12)
The political "immense image" (that looked like a man) at Daniel 2 is not spoken of as having an "image" of itself like the political "wild beast" at Revelation 13.(Rev 14:9) At the behest or lead of another "wild beast", the Anglo-American dual world power, it ' makes an image ' of the "first wild beast" (Rev 13:12), Satan's complete political system, by supporting the formation (by giving it "breath" or life, Rev 13:15) of the League of Nations in 1920 (that "mirrored" all political governments on earth like an "image"), which went "into the abyss" in 1939 and came "out of the abyss" in 1945 as the United Nations.(Rev 17:8)
True Christians remain politically neutral ("no part of the world", John 15:19), not involving themselves in any form or fashion with Satan's political system, not even in thought, having no symbolic "mark" on "their right hand or on their forehead."(Rev 13:16)