Why Does the United Nations, and Not Other Kingdoms, Qualify as the Seventh Head of the Beast?

Following our recent exploration of the symbolism of the seven heads of the Beast, as represented by seven empires: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the United Nations (see article), we were met with a thought-provoking question from our readers. They wanted to understand why the Mamluks and Ottomans, both powerful empires with considerable influence over Israel and its neighboring territories, were not considered in the context of the Beast's heads.

This question provides an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into the shared characteristics and unique distinctions of these empires, and to clarify why we believe the United Nations, and not any other kingdom, qualifies as the seventh head.

All seven empires mentioned in this position have a common denominator - they held global influence or leadership. But more importantly, they profoundly affected God's people, the Israelites in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament. The first five empires, described by the Angel as: "five kings had fallen"(Revelation 17:9-11.), directly influenced Israel, while the Roman Empire ("the one who was by that time) had a significant impact on both Israel and the Church. The other one (seventh head) had yet to come, meaning after Roman Empire.

Following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Church was born and the prophetic focus shifted from Israel to the Church of Jesus Christ. It is within this context that the seventh head of the beast is to be identified—a global political entity that wields influence over the Church while embodying the legacy of the Roman Empire

From this perspective, no other global political entity after the Roman Empire has both held global leadership and influenced the Church to the extent that the United Nations has. While the Mamluks and Ottomans, and indeed the Byzantine Empire, have played significant roles in the history of the Middle East and influenced Israel and its surrounding territories, they lack the religious context and global influence that characterizes the United Nations. In fact, unlike the Mamluks and Ottomans, whose dominion primarily encompassed the Middle East and lacked religious context, the UN's reach extends across the globe, with a profound impact on religious affairs.

To further understand why the United Nations qualifies as the seventh head, we turn to the prophecy in the book of Daniel, where we see a passage that provides further insights into the transition of global powers. The prophecy presents the replacement of the Roman Empire as a divided kingdom, symbolized by two feet made of iron and clay (Daniel 2:40-43). This representation of a division into western and eastern kingdoms mirrors the split of the Roman Empire into the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. The United Nations is the only global entity that has mirrored this east-west division since the fall of the Roman Empire. Furthermore, the mixture of iron and clay, represents the presence of the Roman Empire's influence in the new Kingdom. The continuation of Roman Empire's legacy through the UN is evident in its role as a vehicle for perpetuating ideologies and agendas that oppose traditional religious values. The imagery of the beast with ten horns in Daniel 7 symbolizes the extension of Roman influence into subsequent global powers, culminating in the emergence of the Antichrist.

Moreover, the UN's influence extends beyond mere political realms into areas that profoundly impact religious institutions and values. It is evident in the phenomenon of secularization, the dilution of religious doctrine, and the compromise of moral principles, the trends that have been observed within societies influenced by UN policies and initiatives. It is also seen in the political agenda and ideological bias of the United Nations, and in the threats to religious freedom that have emerged under its watch. None of the kingdoms that rose after the fall of the Roman Empire have had such a profound and widespread influence on the Church.

It is also worth noting that Revelation 6:2 symbolizes the Roman Empire as the first Antichrist Kingdom after the resurrection of Christ, a kingdom given a mandate to conquer and conquer. This mandate is seen to be inherited by the United Nations, which Daniel's vision presents not as a separate entity from the Roman Empire but as the same beast (Daniel 7:7). In fact, Daniel's vision does not introduce a fifth beast subsequent to the Roman Empire; rather, the fourth formidable beast (representing the Roman Empire) is depicted with ten horns, from which arises the small horn (the Official Antichrist kingdom). In essence, the UN is regarded as an extension or a subsequent phase of the Roman Empire. The prophecy anticipates that the third phase of the Roman Empire will witness the official reign of the Antichrist, emerging from among the ten horns or ten toes (Daniel 7:24).

Revelation 13:3 further underscores this continuity, depicting the fatal wound suffered by one of the beast's heads—symbolizing the fall of the Roman Empire—yet its legacy persists through subsequent manifestations, such as the United Nations. This imagery suggests a seamless transition of power and influence from ancient Rome to the modern era. Verse 19 of Daniel 7 serves to emphasize this correlation: “Then I wanted to understand more about the fourth beast, the one different from all the others, exceedingly terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, devouring, crushing, and trampling what was left with its feet.” The imagery of the Roman Empire portrayed as iron legs depicts its use of force to oppress and subjugate. It was the entity responsible for the crucifixion of our Lord, the persecution of God’s people, and the secularization of the Church. Moreover, the mention of feet (which normally would refer to another kingdom - see Daniel 2:41-42) in the verse indicates continuity with the same kingdom, suggesting that it utilizes both iron and clay in its feet to crush what remains. This verse provides further support for the assertion that the United Nations is indeed carrying forward the legacy of the Roman Empire.

In conclusion, while powerful empires like the Mamluks and Ottomans have risen and fallen since the fall of the Roman Empire, none embody the biblical characteristics of the seventh head of the Beast like the United Nations. Its global influence, impact on God's people, and fulfillment of biblical prophecies mark it as the most likely candidate for this symbolic role. We hope this detailed exploration provides a satisfactory response to our readers' inquiries. We welcome further discussions and questions on this intriguing and complex topic.

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Why Does the United Nations, and Not Other Kingdoms, Qualify as the Seventh Head of the Beast?

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