This same Anglo-American World Power is described earlier in the book of Revelation as a beast that has “two horns.” This two-part world power “tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image” to the political beast that represents all seven world powers.​—Revelation 13:11, 14.

The prophecy in Revelation revealed that a “beast” having “two horns like a lamb” would tell “those who dwell on the earth to make an image” to the wild beast, which has been headed by the seven great world powers of Biblical history.

Delegates from 50 nations signed the United Nations Charter in San Francisco on June 26, 1945. Its preamble began: “We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind . . . ”

Hopes that were built up for the UN exceeded all reality. Former U.S. secretary of state Cordell Hull said it held the key to “the very survival of our civilization.” U.S. president Harry Truman called it a “supreme chance to . . . create an enduring peace under the guidance of God.” The UN’s Charter was called “possibly the most momentous document ever produced by man” and “a turning point in the history of civilization.” Forty years later, Gregory J. Newell of the U.S. Department of State said: “The cause was oversold: disappointment was inevitable.”

Like the League, the UN has accomplished a great deal in social fields. But it has neither guaranteed peace nor stopped war. Former prime minister Harold Macmillan of Britain told the British House of Commons in 1962 that “the whole foundation on which the United Nations was built has been undermined.”

Originally many people viewed this organization with almost religious fervor. They believed that this “image” would do what the Bible says only God’s Kingdom will do: establish lasting peace, justice, and a truly united world. They strongly disagreed with Bible prophecies that showed that men’s efforts could not be the true source of peace.