The United Nations in the book of Revelation?

ARGH! More research into this has led me to even more "scary" discoveries. As most know, the "mark of the beast", signifying the antichrist, is 666. I always believed that to be an identifying number for a certain man and perhaps it is. However, upon googling "666" and the "United Nations", I came across several "conspiracy theory websites, many of which were WAY out there. But, surprisingly, I came across http://www.fas.org/news/un/iraq/sres/sres0666.htm which is United Nations Security Council Resolution 666.

While the language in the resolution raises no red flags of an impending "antichrist" it is significant in that it deals with Iraq and addresses resolutions building up to the war with Iraq. Why did this bother me? I don't like too many coincidences surrounding something. First, Iraq is the home of Babylon. Babylon was destroyed centuries ago, but in the last days, Babylon again becomes a great city. It is described in Revelation 17 as a woman and Revelation 17:5 states This title was written on her forehead: Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Prostitutes and the Abominations of the Earth. Supposedly Saddam was in the process of rebuilding Babylon as a tourist attraction and cultural center. With Iraq now becoming a democracy, they have HUGE oil reserves that won't go into building a war machine or financing a corrupt government. They actually had a huge surplus as outlined in this story http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23578542/ In 2006, the UN stated their desire to restore Babylon as "one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World" as outlined in this article http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/13/news/babylon.php If this should happen, it could become the biggest attraction in all of the middle east AND Iraq would be the only prosperous democratically governed country in the middle east. This would make it a place where "all middle eastern countries can unite for the good of the world." Sounds pretty doesn't it? Peace, unity, and prosperity in the middle east. BUT, it sets up a seat of power for Islam. Islam shares many of the same testimony of the Bible, but strangely their version of the end of times is in DIRECT opposition to the Bible. I'll get into that in another post.

Secondly, upon googling "666" and the "UN", I stumbled across this article. http://www.assembly-weu.org/en/documents/sessions_ordinaires/txt/2000/jun00_txts_adopted.php Where the European Union defense is laid out. If the European Union is to be origin of the "beast," this is one more coincidence. Surprisingly, the Western European Union is made up of ten permanent member states as described here http://www.nato.int/docu/handbook/2001/hb1504.htm There are also associate members, observers, etc, but the number 10 is significant. The antichrist is to come from the "beast" which has ten horns as is Revelation 17:3 "Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns." The European Union continues to debate whether to elect a supra-president who would have powers above the leaders of individual member states. Reference is here http://www.historiasiglo20.org/europa/articulos16-01-03e.htm Could this be the beast who organizes and attacks Israel?

In Revelation 17:9, the writer interprets the dream "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits." Rome, coincidentally, was formed on a seven hill settlement as referenced here http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ancient_History/Rome/Origins Revelation was written in the first one hundred years after Christ's death. The writer had no clue that the Catholic Church would be established during subsequent years and would be seated in Rome. Again, this leads me to believe that there is a possibility the Antichrist will be in alliance with the Catholic Church. Will they sanction the attack on Israel?

I do have to say that my research has found MANY websites supporting the theory that the Antichrist will manifest himself as the Pope, however, I must say, for now I'm not too convinced. I'm leaning more towards the Catholic church unkowingly supporting the "beast" and am even more certain that the woman riding the beast is the Catholic church. It's a shame because I have family members an friends who are Catholics. Keep in mind I didn't say that they were all not saved. I'm just of the mindset that they may be involved in a religion which will assist the Antichrist.