Something that I noticed a couple of weeks ago regarding the identity of the wild beast. The DO said that the wild beast is the 'the world's failed political systems that do not acknowledge Jehovah's authority. I always understood that it was the UN. Off course I was 'encouraged' to do 'bible study', prayer and service.
WT 2/15/2009:“The wisdom from above” helps us to understand “the mystery of the woman and of the [scarlet-colored] wild beast that is carrying her.” (Jas. 3:17) This symbolic wild beast began as the League of Nations and was later revived as the United Nations. Should not the unraveling of this mystery move us to be zealous in preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom and proclaiming the day of Jehovah’s judgment.
It seems to me that this is 'the wisdom from above' aka directly inspired from the big man in the clouds. So this cannot be changed any further [sarcasm].
WT 3/15/2007: The apostle John was given a vision that provides the answer. John relates: “I saw the wild beast [the world’s political system] and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage the war with the one [Jesus] seated on the horse and with his army.”
WT 10/1/2005: “The wild beast and its image” are symbols of human rulership, which does not acknowledge Jehovah’s sovereignty.
IP-1 Ch 5 par. 14 (2000): including the United Nations, the “scarlet-colored wild beast” of Revelation chapter 17; references Revelation - Climax book.
Ch 25 par. 10: Notice that the scarlet-colored wild beast “is also itself an eighth king.” Thus, the United Nations today is designed to look like a world government. At times it has even acted like one, sending armies into the field to resolve international disputes, as in Korea, the Sinai Peninsula, some African countries, and Lebanon. But it is only the image of a king. Like a religious image, it has no real influence or power apart from what is invested in it by those who brought it into existence and worship it.
Revelation - Climax (1988) teaches that the wild beast whoms head was cut off and healed in Revelation 13 gave breath to the image of the wild beast which re-appears as the scarlet colored wild beast in Revelation 17.
The Bible Teach book (the book that's supposed to get you to baptism these days) doesn't mention it at all even though I think it would be important for JW Eschatology. What you can 'understand' until 2000 was the (scarlet colored beast === the image of the wild beast) and (wild beast != image of the wild beast) and (image of the wild beast == United Nations). Yet a head of the original wild beast was cut off which is explained as the League of Nations going into the United Nations. But if you still follow me and wrap your head around it, the head of the image (the LoN and the UN) wasn't cut off at all but the wild beast (the political system of this world) had a head cut off. 1 head was one of the 7 kings, not all it's heads were damaged and the UN/World Government of the Last Days is the 8th king which is the whole beast.
Any of you lying, cheating, mindclouding, poisonous apostates (that were some of the choice words in the 'warning against everything modern in this world talk' the DO had in another talk) or genuine JW that won't label me as apostate for questioning the 'logic' would like to explain.
For those that are interested, the United Nations as a 'bad' organization and the 'wild beast' hasn't appeared in publications since 2000 except for the regurgitated (copied from the WTLIB) content about what we can learn from Revelations in the 2007 WatchTower which might have been a goof by a youngling in Patterson.