Danger Posed by a Wild Beast

5. What was seen to be in the possession of the Lamb seated on the throne, and whose names are not written on the scroll of life?

⁵ Whose name will be found written on “the scroll of life” spoken about at Revelation 17:8? Yours? Mine? To sound out to us a timely warning, that verse says: “The wild beast that you [John] saw was, but is not, and yet is about to ascend out of the abyss, and it is to go off into destruction. And when they see how the wild beast was, but is not, and yet will be present, those who dwell on the earth will wonder admiringly, but their names have not been written upon the scroll of life.”

6. (a) When did the symbolic “wild beast” descend into the abyss, and in what form did it come out? (b) What perilous course needs to be avoided?

⁶ That symbolic “wild beast” was known at first as the League of Nations. It descended into the abyss of inaction during World War II of the years 1939-45 and then ascended out of the abyss in the form of the United Nations after that war. So since 1945 a perilous situation prevails that might affect the seeker after life eternal on a Paradise earth. He may be deceived into taking a course that will disqualify him for having his name written on “the scroll of life.” Hence, we now need to exercise “the intelligence that has wisdom” in our attitude toward the symbolic “wild beast.”​—Revelation 17:9.

However, these “ten horns” will be conquered by the Lamb, which means that “the image of the wild beast” will “go off into destruction.” (Revelation 17:8) The promoters, admirers and supporters of that wild beast will also suffer destruction. Their names are not found written upon “the scroll of life.”