The "mouth of the lion" image comes up in Revelation 13:2, where it describes a beast that is like a leopard, with feet like a bear, and a mouth like a lion. This beast is given power and authority by the dragon (often interpreted as Satan). Many scholars believe this beast is a composite symbol of imperial power—drawing from the beasts in Daniel 7, which represented different empires (Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome). The "lion" there is often associated with Babylon in Daniel.
Maybe America, in its power and global influence (politically, economically, culturally), is functioning like that part of the beast—speaking with authority, dominance, and perhaps even deception. That would frame America as a kind of Babylon—a recurring biblical symbol of empire in opposition to God.
A hegemonic gospel, maybe America is spreading a version of the gospel shaped by nationalism, consumerism, militarism, or political ideology, rather than the radical, upside-down gospel of Jesus, a kind of counterfeit or "beastly" gospel. Something Paul warned about in Galatians 1:6–9.
America, the mouth of the lion? It’s interpretive, and different theologians and prophetic voices land in different places. But there is a rich and chilling tradition of seeing empire—ancient Rome, Babylon, and yes, possibly modern superpowers—as the beastly powers that oppose the Lamb.
Stephen D Green, with ChatGPT, April 2025
