Unleashing the Beast

I DENTIFYING THE B EAST / 47

Constantinople. Both Constantinople and Rome were major cities in the Roman Empire. In the 10th century, the Holy Roman Empire divided into two parts. The Orthodox Church split off and formed its headquarters in Constantinople (now Instanbul), Turkey). The Catholic Church continued to be headquartered in Rome. The struggle for power has created tension between Rome and Turkey for almost 1,500 years. The Ottoman Turkish Empire ruled the Holy Land for 400 years—until the British liberated the area in 1917. In Daniel 2, there are 10 toes on the image, and they represent 10 kings that shall arise at the end of days. These 10 kings are seen in another vision in Daniel, when he writes, "the ten horns are the head of the beast" (see Daniel 7:20, 24). At the end of days, 10 kings will form this kingdom of the Beast. Five must be from the western branch (Rome) and five from the eastern branch (Turkey). According to Scripture, three major events will transpire in the days of these 10 kings. 1) The Antichrist will overthrow three of the 10 kings that will arise. l considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots and behold, in this horn were the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things (Daniel 7:8). The early church fathers believed that the three kings