The vision given to John in Revelation 13 is difficult to understand unless God Himself chooses to reveal its mystery. I thank God for using me as a vessel to share what He has shown. He instructed me to make these things known to all. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I was given insight as we draw closer to the fulfillment of the prophecies that must take place before the return of Jesus. Everything that has been foretold must come to pass, and then the end will come. No one knows the exact day. Jesus said that even the Son of Man does not know, only the Father, who has appointed the time. Therefore, everyone must remain ready at all times.
Now I will share what God has taught me about this prophecy. Even John himself did not fully grasp its meaning; he was simply instructed to record what he saw. Afterward, he was taken up to heaven without experiencing death, fulfilling the promise Jesus had made to him. This is why Peter once questioned Jesus, many believed, especially the rest of the disciples, that John was especially beloved and would never die. Pointing to John, Peter asked, “Lord, is he not going to die?” Jesus answered, “If it is my will that he remain until I return, what is that to you? You follow me.” John recorded this himself in John 21:20–22.
Everyone knew John was the youngest among the disciples, likely still in his mid‑teens, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, and Jesus often brought him along wherever He went. John’s older brother James also tried to stay close behind. Jesus revealed many things to John, answering him whenever he sought understanding.
Some may wonder, “Does God show favoritism?” I have written about this before, but it is worth repeating: the apostle Paul said, “God does not show favoritism.” Yet God does grant special favor to certain individuals whom He chooses as prophets and messengers. These chosen ones were not given lives of luxury or ease. Their trials were immense, just so far beyond what words can fully describe. Still, God sustained them, delivered them, and prepared a secure place for them in heaven because they endured and remained faithful.
The real question is this: would you endure as those early Christians did, those who faced the flames, the sword, the arena, and the jaws of wild beasts? The first saints earned that title not through comfort or ease, but through a faith so unshakable that they lifted hymns to heaven even as Emperor Nero and other merciless rulers condemned them to die.
But what about you?
If you stood before the executioner’s blade, the instruments of torture, or the roaring lion, would praise still rise from your lips? Could you sing a hymn with death staring you in the face? Or would fear twist your voice into curses, bitterness, and denial?
Today, only a small remnant truly pauses to remember John the Baptist. He was executed by beheading, yet he received no grand memorial, no earthly honor—no crowds mourning his death, no officials offering tributes, no flowers, no donations, no eloquent speeches. And still, his faithfulness has outlived every monument this world could have built. John’s entire life was a trumpet in God’s hand, sounding the arrival of the Messiah. He understood his calling so deeply that he declared, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
And here lies the irony: though he died without honor, who today does not know his name? His legacy endures far beyond the reach of earthly applause. Jesus lived during John’s final days, and by earthly relation they were cousins—Mary, still a young teenager, visited her older cousin Elizabeth, who was already carrying John in her womb. Even before birth, John was set apart.
Yet John was not the only one whose faithfulness went uncelebrated. Consider the rest of the twelve disciples (excluding Judas Iscariot), or the great prophets, such as Daniel, Isaiah, Elijah, Jeremiah, and Elisha. Who builds monuments for them? Who pauses to thank them for their sacrifice, their courage, their unwavering devotion? Their names echo through Scripture, but the world rarely stops to honor them.
And even now, many preach the Word of God with mixed motives. As Paul wrote, “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preaches Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this, I rejoice.” (Philippians 1:15–18). Yet Paul rejoiced that Christ was preached regardless of motive. But Jesus Himself warned that not all who preach in His name truly belong to Him. “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name…?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers’” (Matthew 7:22). Why? Their preaching was fueled by money, fame, and the hunger for applause, but not truly by love for God.
We do not want to walk that path. We do not want our service to be hollow, our devotion to be performance, our faith to be a stage. The examples of John, the prophets, and the apostles stand as a warning and a call: true faithfulness is rarely celebrated on earth, but it is always honored in heaven.
Remember also that Jesus was alive during John’s execution, yet He did not intervene to stop the beheading ordered by King Herod. This became a test of John’s own faith, a sober reminder that anyone who accepts the responsibility of serving God must be prepared to face severe trials—whether persecution, fire, or even death. Those who envy the calling of prophets should pause and consider honestly: could you endure such a fate? As mentioned earlier, Mary—likely around seventeen—had visited Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John, to share the astonishing news that God had chosen her to carry the Messiah. It had already been prophesied that John would be a prophet, and his birth fulfilled that prophecy. From the very beginning, even before he entered the world, John was anointed for this calling. He did not appoint himself, nor was he hired, sponsored, or elevated by human authority. It simply does not work that way. I will explore this in greater detail in another topic.
But above all, consider Jesus Himself. The Son of God, who gave His life on the cross for the world, received no public mourning, no grand procession, no lavish memorial. As He hung dying, only His mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, the apostle John, and a few devoted women stood at a distance to witness His final moments, while the rest of the disciples, those who once vowed loyalty, fled in fear. If even they shrank back in the hour of testing, how much more do we falter when life is no longer comfortable, when faith is challenged, when circumstances turn dark?
Even at Jesus’ burial, only two men dared to take His body down from the cross, while the rest of the disciples were nowhere to be found. Only Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea found the courage to remove His body and lay Him in a tomb. No crowds gathered to mourn. No wreaths were offered. No ceremony marked His death. The Savior of the world was laid to rest in silence and secrecy. Yet today, many seek to glorify their own works for fame and profit, using the words of God as a platform to make themselves known.
Now, returning to John’s vision in Revelation 13, I repeat these truths often because they are not easy to understand. I myself did not comprehend them until God granted me insight. I speak only as a humble messenger.
John wrote: “The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?’”
In this vision, three animal features are emphasized: a leopard’s body, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. These symbolize major events within the larger prophecy. The leopard represents the Ottoman Empire because of its swift and relentless conquests. It expanded rapidly across the Middle East, much of Asia, and parts of Europe.
The beast’s feet, “like those of a bear,” symbolize the Ottoman Empire’s strength, ferocity, and capacity for forceful conquest, while the “lion’s mouth” reflects its fierce and intimidating power. The beast receiving authority from the dragon represents a symbolic granting of destructive influence. Each animal image contributes to the portrait: the bear’s claws signify raw power, the leopard suggests swift expansion, and the lion conveys dominant rule. Together, these symbols depict an empire that advanced rapidly, governed aggressively, and crushed resistance. John’s vision, interpreted through this imagery, points to the rise of the Ottoman Empire and its decisive role in the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453.
Historically, the Ottoman expansion unfolded through warfare, sieges, and the military practices typical of empires in that era. Many Christian communities were displaced, and numerous churches, especially throughout former Byzantine lands, were converted into mosques following the conquest. Traces of this history remain visible today in places like Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia or sites in Spain such as the Alhambra in Granada, which reflect earlier periods of Islamic rule on the Iberian Peninsula. I am grateful to God for allowing me to visit these places and witness their history firsthand. I have my own photographs, but the experience is far more powerful when you see it with your own eyes.
In the late 11th century, Western European Christians launched what became known as the Crusades, responding to centuries of Muslim territorial expansion. Their goals included halting the spread of Islam, reclaiming the Holy Land in the eastern Mediterranean, recovering formerly Christian regions, and converting or conquering pagan territories. Many who joined these campaigns viewed them as acts of penance and spiritual redemption.
In a symbolic interpretation, the “ten horns with ten crowns” are portrayed by God as blasphemous, representing the same barbarian rulers mentioned in John’s vision in Revelation 12—leaders who adopted Christianity and rose to power as monarchs, whether kings, queens, or princes. Although these monarchies professed loyalty to Christ, many were steeped in corruption, adultery, greed, brutality, immorality, and even incest, and their treatment of poor peasants was often too horrific to fully recount. For this reason, God condemns their practices and declares their claimed service to Him as blasphemy. Yet history books rarely speak plainly about their wickedness or the depth of their corruption. Likewise, many priests, despite their white robes, offered services that God Himself calls blasphemous and abhorrent, for their religious practices reflected the same abuses—corruption, irreverence, and dishonor toward the faith they claimed to uphold. Without tracing every historical detail, it is enough to note that as Byzantium declined, these Christian monarchies fought ruthlessly for dominance, even as the Ottoman Empire expanded and a new power—the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by the high priest known as the pope—rose rapidly in influence. This empire grew even stronger after the Byzantine Empire finally collapsed.
Within this framework, the imagery often associated with the Ottoman Empire—a leopard with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion—becomes, in this interpretation, a symbolic picture of its rise and power. Some preachers apply this imagery to Christian leadership, but in this view, John’s vision points instead to the emergence and expansion of Islam as a major world force. With this understanding, the symbolism becomes clearer, the mystery unveiled, and the meaning revealed.
I will now turn to the “little horn” that grew and became exceedingly blasphemous, was wounded, and later healed. In this interpretation, the little horn represents the unified influence of corrupt religious authorities within segments of the Christian church. This is difficult for many to accept because it does not point to an outside empire but instead exposes failures found within Christianity itself. According to this perspective, God intends to reveal and confront all the evil and blasphemous deeds committed under the guise of religious authority.
The rising influence of the Holy Roman Empire, once this mystery is fully revealed, will astonish many. I recognize that this may anger some readers, especially those whose religious loyalties are tied to the specific church being referenced.
I will address this in the fifth segment, as it marks the rise of another fierce and bitter persecution of Christians carried out by the blasphemous “little horn.” This is the same horn that rose and replaced three others in John’s vision.
