Mark of the beast Revelation

Theology
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The text tells you who Babylon represents. She is a symbol representing a city on seven hills. That’s Rome. And she rides upon a beast, what’s the color of the beast? The imperial crimson. This is one of the few times the text goes out of its way to have the angelic escort explain the symbolism of the vision. The harlot is a city (Rome), the beast and its heads represent a sequence of kings.

Saying it’s “untaxed religions” is just playing the game of “my denomination can beat up your denomination”. Because, fun fact, the fact that churches and religious organizations are tax exempt is a pretty rare phenomenon that, in the United States, exists because of the separation of Church and State guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Look over at Europe, where churches are taxed, and that whole “untaxed” thing becomes kind of meaningless.

So your interpretation exists solely through a highly myopic America-centric lens, one in which you are merely attacking all churches that aren’t yours.

Not a particularly good way to do hermeneutics.

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@servant

The Gospel preached by my Lord JESUS has nothing to do with religion, but with a Kingdom, GOD’s Kingdom, understand? → Revelation 11:15-18 combined with 1Corinthians 15:24-28 and 51-55.
All religions of the earth are of the Devil and his adherents-> Revelation 12:7-12.-> My Lord JESUS left crystal clear, saying: Matthew 7:13-14 and 19-21 :->13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction(to perdition), and MANY there be which go in thereat(All followers of the religions of Devil): 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 19-> Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the FIRE.-> Matthew 25:41 and 46:->41 Then shall JESUS say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye CURSED->(yes, CURSED BY JESUS HIMSELF), into everlasting FIRE, prepared for the devil and his messengers->(the Popes, and Cardinals, and Priests, and esoteric and kabbalistic Rabis, and false Pastors, false Bishops, and so on):
46- And these shall go away into EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT: but the righteous into LIFE ETERNAL.

My Lord JESUS left crystal clear, saying:->Luke 17:28-30:
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it RAINED FIRE and BRIMSTONE from heaven(HEAVEN?Ephesians 1:3-10, and so on), and DESTROYED them all. ->(BRINSTONE?->Isaiah 30:33 and 32, combined with Revelation 21:8, take a look).-> 30 Even thus shall it be in the Day (the Lord’s Day) when the Son of man is revealed.

Get ready

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2Peter 3:7-14:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which ARE NOW, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto FIRE against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. → (THIS DAY ARRIVED).

Revelation 6:9-11:
9 And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of GOD, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not Judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Revelation 19:5-10
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our GOD all ye his servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord GOD Omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of GOD.

Revelation 11:15-18:
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

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Let’s talk about it. Acts 24:5 is a pivotal moment indeed. Because it marks the first time the followers of Jesus were legally and formally classified by the Roman authorities, and it wasn’t exactly a glowing review.

The lawyer Tertullus, acting on behalf of the high priest Ananias, presents his case against the Apostle Paul before Governor Felix:

“For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.”

The “Plague” Label: Calling Paul a “plague,” or “pestilence”, suggests that the authorities didn’t just see him as wrong; they saw him as contagious. They feared his message was spreading through the Roman Empire like a virus that couldn’t be contained.

By accusing him of stirring up dissension “throughout the world,” they were framing a religious dispute as a political threat. In the eyes of Rome, anyone causing riots or public unrest was an enemy of the Pax Romana, AKA The Roman Peace.

“The Sect of the Nazarenes”: This is one of the earliest titles for Christians. At this point, the Romans and Jewish leaders didn’t see “Christianity” as a new religion, but rather as a “sect” or “hairesis,” from which we get “heresy” or a breakaway faction of Judaism.

Jesus did not present himself as the founder of a new religion called “Christianity.” Instead, he presented himself as the fulfillment of the existing Jewish faith. Remember, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” Matthew 5:17.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

During his earthly ministry, Jesus focused almost exclusively on the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He worshipped in synagogues, kept the feasts, and interpreted the Torah. Interestingly also, Paul? Paul is often accused of “inventing” Christianity, but Paul himself would likely have been offended by that idea. In the verse we just looked at, Acts 24:5, Paul is called a leader of a “sect,” but look at how he responds later in that same chapter:

“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” Acts 24:14

Paul never stopped identifying as a Jew. He claimed he was on trial because of his hope in the “resurrection of the dead.” Paul’s “innovation” wasn’t starting a new religion, but arguing that Gentiles, us, non-Jews could be part of God’s people without first becoming Jews. Circumcision, dietary laws, and such. This is what eventually caused the “Way” to look like a separate religion. Paul’s writings, or the Epistles, are largely focused on the implications of Jesus’ death and resurrection. He saw himself as an ambassador for Jesus, not a founder of a rival system.

Again, Jesus came and died for us, not to create another religion, but that through Him we may be saved. Through a relationship, not a Hail Mary full of grace. Beads, or to follow any other tradition invented by man. Paul did bring the message to the Gentiles, us, but I would hardly call the Gospels a religion.

Peter

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Thanks for this. It is a beautiful insight. One we would think to have been made somewhere. This is the first I am hearing it put this way. And it is truly a beautiful rendering. Amen.

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There you are. Let me start by addressing this. I agree. Is it possible for God to call someone out and make them a seer of the future? Of course, He is God. Does God do this today? No. Why? We have His Word. Everything we would ever need to know now, or in the future, is right here in our hands. The Bible.

Back in the day, it was not common for anyone, except the priest, to have a Bible. There was no New Testament. Jesus had not come yet. However, now Jesus did, now we do. God can and does speak to each individual through His Word. Daily. If you read it daily. So there is no need.

Well, I would argue Isaiah 53. But there are many.

As for the midterms, I will not comment if I think that is a good thing or not. I do not want a political war to break out here. (smile) We will see. But I do understand your point. Or did I miss something? I tend to respond to things happening in the world as my Grandmother did. It is what it is.

Peter

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You do know Yisrael also has 7 hills brother @TheologyNerd ?

Jerusalem in Israel is traditionally described as being built on seven hills, much like Rome. These seven hills are Mount Scopus, Mount Olivet, the Mount of Corruption, Mount Ophel, the original Mount Zion, the New Mount Zion, and the hill of the Antonia Fortress.

Jordan
Amman:[27] the seven hills are Qusur, Jufa, Taj, Nazha, Nasser, Natheef, and al-Akhdar.[28][29]

J.

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I hadn’t heard this! :shaking_face::shaking_face:

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Symbolism, that your religionsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss has no clue about-there is no division in Jesus’ 1 religion( 1Cor 1:10)–Babylon the great is the harlot=false religions.

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Greetings in Christ JESUS, PeterC

Right.

All nations have a kind of Constitution that legislates and governs the country according to the laws they have established or constituted for the country.

The Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD, based on the two Covenants between GOD and men, that is, the Old Testament plus the New Testament, the Holy Scriptures as a whole, it is and will be, let’s say, the Constitution that will legislate and govern the Kingdom of GOD.

Revelation 2:25-29

5 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the END->(Matthew 24:14 combined with 1Corinthians 15:24-28 and 51-55, among other biblical references), to him will I give power over the NATIONS:->(Revelation 11:15-18)

27 And he shall rule them with a Rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

28 And I will give him the morning star.

29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

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Amen. Love the video. Thanks for sharing.

Peter

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Revelation 17:1-2 and 6-7 and 9:->
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of JESUS: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman(the apostate Roman Catholic Church which rides upon the Gentile MAN Beast of sea-tghe Popes), and of the Beast that carrieth her->the Papacy), which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9-:The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.->(the apostate Church of Rome developed and frew in Europe, and Asia, and Africa, and Oceania(Australia), and North America, and Central America, and South America.

Revelation 18:1-5 and :8-11 and 16-21->
18 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down,

and shall be found no more at all.

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When religions are done away with=no more religious holidays-thus the merchants stand at a distance and mourn because their shelves remain full–thus factory shelves remain full- thus worldwide layoffs all at once triggering the great tribulation.

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Yes yes, you’re the only one who is right, everyone else is wrong.

Yawn.

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There are millions who were taught by these=Matthew 24:45–Only the ones taught by them have Gods truth.

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Your thinking is from a human and demonic perspective, a stumblingblock,notg from GOD’s perspective. What does the Word of GOD say? Speaking of the great whore, the Roman Catholic Church, which rides upon the Gentile Beast of sea, the Papacy, Revelation 18: 8-10 and 18-21 say, as follow:
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord GOD who judgeth her.

9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

10 Standing afar off for the fear of her TORMENT, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Get ready

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When someone uses a single verse to determine who “gets to heaven,” they are often applying a very specific theological lens, sometimes one used by certain groups to establish exclusive authority. AKA JW.

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?”

The warning in the following verses isn’t about “interpreting the Bible wrong.” It’s about behavior. The “wicked servant” is the one who begins to beat his fellow servants and eat/drink with drunkards. The judgment is based on how he treats people, not how he parses a sentence.

“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.”

Historically, mainstream Christianity (and the original Greek text) hasn’t supported the idea that the interpretation of this specific parable is the key to heaven. Instead, the “servant” is usually seen as a model of faithfulness, someone who does what is right even when they think no one is watching.

Making the statement is moving away from the historical and linguistic context and into exclusivism. Just plain wrong.

Peter

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God will show all of us–You won’t like the results–In Ezekial many x about these last days in a real bible= They will have to know i( not we) am Jehovah.

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@PeterC 1 of 2

Well thanks for reading that. Ez 38 to me is actually 2 chapters. Pastor Andy Woods believes Ez 38 and 39 are two different wars. I would see them as one. In the event that is accurate, that is 12 verses in Isaiah 53. With a contrast of Ez 38 (23 verses) and Ez 39 (29 verses), totaling: 52 verses VS Isaiah 53, with 12.

So I imagine the reasoning I would include here is the organic weight God placed upon His sovereign choice over Israel as His chosen people and His irrevocable sense of the “prophetic” upon them. Not the church. We are loved and beloved. But a prophetic after thought in the sense of God’s intended purpose to use Israel as His primary witness to the gentile world. Because the church has been granted the mantle of His word in our winning people to Christ is not the same as the church inheriting Israel’s prophetic stature before God.

But as organic or inbred or baked in this notion of Israel as “the prophetic stature” of God’s intent may be, it might almost seem like some new theology today to perhaps presume that somehow God might magically use partially hardened Israel to be the coldesac by which all the gravity and weight of the prophetic leaneth unto. As if it were the belly of a barrel’s bottom (and all neighboring church eschatological insight roads merely its narrow wooden walls that all spill into and collapse unto her unapologetic gravity pulling center. But instead what we have is many running around explaining the book of Revelation and how things today refer to it. Which in some ways may be in general observable, yes. But to me the church in this way falls somewhat pray to the very same conditions Israel had in the 1st century. Relying too much on their/our sense of religious posture than in how that posture really mattered/matters before God.

I am glad to see efforts to sort things out biblically as far as we might exegetically unto eschatology. For i believe we do have a place in understanding how to approach such ventures. But to me there is something huge missing. Or like some huge elephant in the room in regards to that. And that is the seemingly inability of the church to proportionately understand her place in exegesis as it relates to eschatology. I believe it is most optimized when John 15:15 is lived out. And the best end time hermeneutic is not so much a principled formula as much as a living heuristic. And even as Jesus had told His disciples:

John 15

**14 **You are My friends if you do what I command you. **15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you…17 **This I command you, that you love one another.

i realize this is not an eschatological passage. But it interestingly demonstrates something. And that something is that as we love one another, it is likely our perspective of what the Father is doing improves. Because as we act in line with His family, we receive that which ruminates within His family. That which the Father’s heart heartily wants to share with us. Who He is and what He is doing. Perhaps similar to the operating principal in 2 Peter 1:5 through 11.

I realize (in John 15) this is primarily in regards to the affirming of the new covenant in the 1st century. But it does give us a window into a kingdom dynamic heart of the Father toward us. And as hard as it might have been for some to many in those days (having the Jewish faith escorted over unto a new testament and covenant…at minimum would have been very radical for them), their love for one another appears to be that which the Father (even as the tongues of fire rested above the heads of the Acts 2 saints–affirming God’s power to enter into temples of the human body) would want to most be recognized within…the love filled hearts of His saints.

So to me its not the best end time argument wins. Its the ability to see through the eyes of a living God living within His temple people where diversity exists but yet love all full much more doth exist. And through that genuine interest toward one another as His family, the eyes of our hearts enlightened. And it is His living and active joy to show us Himself and what He is doing. And the realization of that seems to be more related to our concern toward one another over and above our concern for exegetical perfection. Or which camp gets eschatology better. So it is under this kind of dynamic of living faith I believe we could likely see with 20/20 vision accuracy more so in our age forming so much before our eye–and that clear vision come best into focus as we love one another.

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@PeterC 2 of 2

As for political leanings, I understand. Trump is obviously a lightning rod of opinion. With strong views toward him from all sides. But to me I believe a super majority outcome for the midterms will likely occur not because I voted for Trump. In many ways i am perplex by the man. And then there is the whole NAR (Paule White) golden age theme that has the anticlimactic appeal to insist one thing be sure: there will be no golden age, then. If that is where this world thinks this is going. There is that sort of bias to overcome…and admittedly it is a huge and problematic one.

But I am just saying that seeing a potential super majority midterm is not necessarily needed due to political leanings. Just a perspective that the potential of timing and power seem to be forming reasonably to meet. A something that could be arrived at in the study of trends. I don’t believe America becomes powerful because God rides with Trump. Or Trump with God. I believe America is powerful because it genuinely represents the age of grace gentile church age. And Israel, the one to come. So it is only fitting God raise America to help Israel in this season. Seeing Israel this way or that way can be political too. That is why to me the wings of prophecy are likely hidden from sight in feathers of bias. So that seeing, we yet don’t see. Which is not exactly the point I think being made. But i would think that to the extent it not be considerable on the spiritual level might be to the extent our perspectives could be weighted down by the fleshy bias of our age. Just saying. Blessings.