I posted this on Helium.com, in a contest that made the article limited to 400 - 600 words.  The contest requested opinion articles in the field of Christian eschatology (End Times prophecy), on the specific topic:  Will the upcoming US presidential election signify any end times events?  Let me first say, I was extremely limited by 600 words; but I made and effort to make a reasoned opinion, based on my understanding of the books: The Revelation and Daniel.

This contest was a private contest, with the winner being paid $24 by some End Times publication.  I never intended to write a 599-word abbreviated opinion for public consumption on Helium.  After I submitted the article I saw where a couple of corrections (for neatness) were necessary.  I used the Helium "leapfrog" editing option, which only allows 1 edit per article submitted.  When my article was not deemed the winner of the contest, I requested my article not be made public.  However, Helium is a voiceless, manageless entity, which takes and gives back very little.  My article is public, along with 18 other contest contributers.

Since my article has so far been rated 18 out of 19, between two lame articles that voice the opinion that they do not believe any end times result will come after this year's presidential elections.  This rating and ranking means my article will never be read by anyone on that site.  Therefore, I will let you see the brief version of what I see as possible when America begins 2009 with a new president.  Comment as you see fit.

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It is my opinion that the beast of The Revelation represents the United States of America. American has not always been a beast. This beast, like the fourth beast of Daniel, comes from the sea having ten horns. Daniel explained, "the fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth."1 It will be unlike any other kingdom, as it will dominate the whole earth. Daniel wrote, "The ten horns are ten kings,"2 and in the United States we name our "kings" Presidents.

John slightly differs from Daniel, saying, "I saw a beast come out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems (crowns), and on its heads blasphemous name (s)."3 If we count back from now, with George W. Bush being the seventh head on the beast, who has worn two crowns (elected twice as President), we see the first head belongs to Richard Nixon, and so on (remember to count Gerald Ford and his crown). Therefore, Daniel seeing ten kings with ten horns simply means he saw each election as the crowning of a new king.

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All of these presidents have followed the slaying of John F. Kennedy. That was when the dragon took control of American government.4 Lyndon Johnson knew the dragon for what it really was and decided he no longer wanted to serve this ruler. The dragon feasted in 1968, killing Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, on its way to having the beast rise from the sea in November 1968, with Richard Nixon the first head on a new beast. This was a beast subservient to the dragon and not the Constitution or the majority will of the people.

All have been disgraced through scandal, enough to warrant the name "blasphemer." This includes Watergate; the Iranian Hostage Crisis; the Iran-Contra Affair; Saddam Hussein left in power in 1991; the Monica Lewinsky investigation with impeachment proceedings; and Abu Ghraib, with lies about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. Included is the first President never to have run for the office (Ford) and the first President to be appointed by the Supreme Court (Bush II). We also can see Ronald Reagan identified, when John wrote, "one of its heads seemed to have been mortally wounded, but this mortal wound was healed."5

Realizing the United States as the beast, we can recognize the harlot as someone riding on the back of the beast while not being one of the heads.6 This can only be Hillary Clinton, a prostitute to politics, making a quest to get control of the beast. However, the beast hates the harlot and will leave her desolate. This is precisely what the Democratic Party has done, through their covert support for the Barack Obama campaign. Both the Republican and Democratic Parties are financed by the power of the dragon.

The result is: whoever wins in November will become the "eighth king," who "really belongs to the seven (heads) and is headed for destruction." John wrote that "the last (who) has not yet come must remain only a short while."7 Given the nature of the dragon to assassinate those who threaten its power over the beast, whoever will be elected could be in danger, if not a dragon ally.

For Senator Barack Obama to win, he could face literal or figurative (character) assassination. If John McCain wins, his age could mean a physically crippling ailment mysteriously overcoming him, making it impossible for him to continue in the role of President. With the Congress showing an unwillingness to impeach a sitting President, only an "accident" could lead to a short term in office.



Footnotes: 1-2 = Daniel 7; 3-5 = Revelations 13; 6-7 = Revelations 17.