Revelation 13:11-12
Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

Revelation is one of the most difficult books of the Bible to understand. This is partly because it is symbolic, and partly because some (if not all) of its prophecies have not yet been fulfilled. We should be cautious about presenting any interpretation dogmatically.

Some interpreters identifiy the Beast of the Sea with the Papacy. This is because this Beast has ten horns, which associates it with Daniel’s fourth beast (i.e. Rome), but has crowns on its horns, which might indicate that it represents a later stage of the Roman Empire. If you see the Papacy as a direct successor of the Roman Empire then you might equate the Beast of the Sea with the Papacy.

Some interpreters identify the Beast of the Land with Islam. This is because the Beast of the Land is sometimes equated with the “false prophet” referred to elsewhere in the book (Rev 16:13). Since Christians do not accept the utterances of Mohammed as revelation from God, some may identify Mohammed as this false prophet and so identify Islam with the Beast of the Land.

However, as the questioner points out, these two interpretations cannot easily be reconciled as there is no sense in which Islam causes mankind to worship the Papacy. Therefore it is likely that either one or both of these particular interpretations is false.

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4 Responses to Why, or how, does the second Beast (Islam) cause the Earth to worship the first Beast (Papacy)?

  1. CHARLES SAFLEY says:

    DEAR SIRS,
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND INSIGHT IN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION.
    AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT QUESTION ABOUT REVELATION 13:12,

    COULD THE SECOND BEAST (islam) CAUSE THE EARTH TO WORSHIP ON THE FIRST BEASTS (papacy) COUNTERFEIT SABBATH.
    THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD (muslum antichrist) ENACT A SUNDAY LAW.

    THANK YOU AGAIN AND MAY GOD BLESS.

    SINCERELY, Charles Safley

    • Thomas Gaston says:

      As I said previously, I would find it very difficult to identify the First Beast with the Papacy AND identify the Second Beast with Islam. Therefore I do not see any prophecy in this chapter about some future Islamic figure enacting a law about Sunday worship.

  2. T. Maher says:

    The first beast is the so-called Christian West (looks like a lamb, Christ, but acts and speaks like the devil). The second beast is Islam. Also, there is no Antichrist (antichrists, but no Antichrist).

  3. Steve Edwards says:

    I have read Revelations many times and have attempted to see what world events could be signs of the end times. Not until now are things appearing to take shape that resembles Revelations 13. The first beast, I beleive, is the coming one world government, the horns and heads representing nations of power that will form it. I beleive there will be a law forebidding all religions except for the approved ‘World Unitarian Church’ that will be a mixture of all the major religions of Judeism, christianity, hindu, buhdism, shamanism, etc… . The reason is that the elite in power will say that this will end all religeous wars by only having one religion. Jesus will be presented as a great jewish philosopher and not the messiah. It will be considered a hate crime to dispute it. The muslims, however, will make a deal with the one world government to be exempt from the OWG laws and allowed to follow shariah law instead. Islam is the second beast with two horns representing the Shiite and Sunni sects of islam. It’s not clear how they will be given power to force people to worship the 1st beast, posibly in their aggreement for exemption, they are given power to find and report any secret christian, jewish, or other worships and force them to adapt to Islam or the teachings of the world church. Christians will be told to denounce Jesus as the Christ or suffer the Shariah punishment, which is death by stonning. Since muslims will be exempt, they legally can do this without interference from the OWG. Talks are already underway on forming the OWG. It is favored by Europe, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, and the left wing politicians in the United States. Islam is also spreading accross the globe at an exponential rate. Both are happening NOW!!! Christians be warned of the coming tribulation foretold by Lord Jesus “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” Mark 13:19,20.

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