The book of Revelation Research Project:

This group would go through the book itself in an attempt to discover the truth about the prophecy and would include an analysis of the rise of the Antichrist, the mark of the Beast (For example, is it the chip ?), and a translation into contemporary language of the 'plagues' set into motion during the 'end times'.


GOAL/S:
To analyse the book of Revelation and translate it into contemporary language. To discover the physical possibilites of the happenings prophesied, including the plagues, the rise of the Antichrist, the mark of the Beast and the meaning of the number 666.

PURPOSE:
To translate Revelation and the physical happening mentioned therein. To use current events cross-referenced to Revelation to disover if the prophecies are relevant to the current times.

MEMBERS:
Shai_lene- The life of Christ, who was he? What he did? What his words meant? Was he a real god or Nephilim? Is there proof he will return?

Southern_cross3 - TL
Jehosephat -
southern_cross3 -
realorritt -
LadyV -
The_Final -

[edit on 27-4-2005 by ADVISOR]

[edit on 19-12-2006 by ADVISOR]

Thanks for the post, ADVISOR

Whenever anyone posts a thread regarding asteroid strikes, weird weather etc you can almost guarantee that someone will mention the 'End Times'

The recent 'Aussie Bloke' hoax was a case in point. At one point it was mentioned that people had considered selling their belongings and even suicide - all because they thought the end of the world was nigh.

The same occurs whenever anyone mentions the chip, (ok - I'm guilty of that one ), and of course there are any number of 'X is the Antichrist' (With X being everyone from George Bush to Boy George) threads around.

So - I thought it would be a good idea to create a research team purely to discover the 'Physicalities' of the events mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
What are the seven plagues and seven bowls mentioned in the Book - what do they mean - what are the physical attributes of the events ?
What is the Antichrist ?
What is the Mark and what exactly is the meaning of 666 ?
What are the 'signs of the times' and are they happening now ?

Although the Book of Revelation is a Christian writing, the religious affiliation (or not) of team members is irrelevant. Anyone with an interest in translation of ancient writings or prophecies is welcome. Basically, if you are interested in possibly working out the actual events and timeframe of Revelation, you are welcome.

IM Down!!!!!!!!!!!!

I truly we believe we "Are" in the end of times. Its about time someone did this!!! I do not consider myself any type of scholar, but I have been studying it own my own for the last two years. I am currently reading "Revelation Unveiled" by Tim Lahaye. You would have to seriously break down Scripture for this. I was working on an Exclusive for ATSNN about the end times and the views of different religion's, but alas my hardrive went poof and all info was lost (3 months of work) Sidenote-= Back all your pooh up

I wish to thank Pisky-
thank you for the opportunity to participate in a project involving understanding the book of Revelation (according to John).

As reference I will be using the King James Version and the annotated for primary material. Additionally I will use the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary, Mathew Henry's Concise Commentary, The People's New Testament, John Wesley's Explanatory Notes, Scofield Reference Notes, Treasury of Scriptual Knowledge, John Gills' Exposition of the entire Bible, Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible, Albert Barnes' Notes on the bible, 1899 Douay- Rheims Bible, Messianic Renewed Covenant, Smith and Van Dyke Arabic Bible, World English Bible, various on-line commentaries and on-line and off-line sermons.

For the sake of a little consistency I have excluded the Latin Vulgate as a primary source only because most of the material I have is more in concert with the King James versions than with the Vulgate.

The book of Revelations has affected all of our lives. Whether we believe in it or the religious doctrine(s) that it purports and that support this book there are so very many events within the last hundreds of years that man did or did not do because of someone's belief in this book that this in itself makes the book important.

The mark of the beast, 666, Armageddon and other things we all have heard of are either in the book of Revelation or referenced by the book. The list runs the gamete of human expectation from �the end times� to eternal damnation.

Varied views on the book of Revelation exist:

Sunday Mirror (London, England); 6/27/1999; Durkan, John

�CONTRARY to what many people may think, the Book of Revelations is not a book of doom and gloom.

It is a book which offers hope and encouragement - and I also have to say that it is not about the end of the world.

To properly understand this book it is important to examine the way the world was when it was written. It was a world where Roman emperors ruled supreme - or rather, they would have liked to.

The Emperors Domitian and Nero, for example, wanted to be worshipped as gods. If their plan had succeeded it would have united the Roman Empire - but it did not succeed as well as they hoped it would.�

To people believeibg they have a message to fulfill:

The Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids, MI); 3/31/2004

Byline: Lisa Falkenberg / The Associated Press

TYLER, Texas -- A mother who smashed her sons' skulls with rocks had delusions that she and Andrea Yates, who drowned her children in 2001, were chosen by God to be witnesses after the world ends, a psychiatrist testified Tuesday.
. . .
� She has said God told her to kill her children. �

Many and varied are the commentaries.

Presbyterian Record; 5/1/1998; Ted Siverns

Revelation 21:10; 21:22-22:5

Don't even consider looking at the Revelation to John if you are delirious, intoxicated, superstitious, caught up in conspiracy theories or one of the sad souls on the lunatic fringe. Don't read on if you think Hal Lindsay is a biblical scholar or that Wadie Faraq can explain the future of the world with his "dynamic seminar" featuring "incredible Last Day predictions." It could be said again, as G. K Chesterton observed 70 years ago, that while John saw many strange monsters in his vision, none is as wild as some of his commentators.

Not all are agreeable to everyone.

The New Republic

05-15-1995

Stupidity is cunning. When it loses its appeal to reason, it takes its appeal to the people, and frequently it flourishes. Politics is particularly kind to it. For ideas do not come to power because they are truths. Ideas come to power because they are beliefs. And the popularity of a belief has nothing to do with its truth. (Some people think that a proposition is true, said Lichtenberg, simply because they have understood it.) This is edifying to democrats, but it is exasperating to intellectuals. They do not wish to dignify stupidity, but stupidity is a fact. Stupid ideas have consequences. For this reason, in 1991, when it suddenly appeared on the best-seller list, I read Pat Robertson's stupid book The New World Order. (For this reason, too, I tried to peddle it to some writers for our pages. I failed. They all said it was too stupid.)

Then the all too cryptic messages play upon our mind:

Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

I intend to present 'chapter and verse' of the Book of Revelation. Every subject mentioned in the book will be addressed and dissected. Some more fully than others.

When through, it is my hope that we all can conceptualize this magnificent book in a new light and view this work �as a child.�

(Rev 6:3) And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

(Rev 6:4) And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

As Pisky will probably concentrate on the 'physicalities' relating to Revelation I intend to to concentrate on the historicty of the work. That is, to attempt to view the work from it's point in time forward.

Was the book prophetic?

During this work I am ever mindful of:

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

E-Sword.net
Religious truth is captive in a small number of little manuscripts which guard the common treasures, instead of expanding them. Let us break the seal which binds these holy things; let us give wings to truth that it may fly with the Word, no longer prepared at vast expense, but multitudes everlastingly by a machine which never wearies to every soul which enters life. � Johann Gutenberg

[edit on 15/9/2004 by PublicGadfly]

Hey all. This is my first ever ATS research project, so I'm pretty excited over this.

Anyway, I want to explore what effect the legend of the End Times has had on the modern world as we know it, what people think about it, and how events in the world today relate to the Book of Revelations.

The more you think about, the more critical and important the interpretation of the Book of Revelations seems to be. Yes, it is still on the surface just religious lore. But the Bible is a document that has been reverred for centuries. And there must be a reason for that, is there not? Thus, it is so important for people to try to understand the Book of Revelations, whether or not it pertains to their faith, because it could very well be true.

I would like to look at the entire book, a chapter at a time. I will be going to the Textus Receptus. I also will not be using the Vulgate in any way.

Reference materials will be standard, taking the time to research the classic orthodox, evangelical, reformed, and systematic views of the book.

I will also be adding Dr. Walvoord's works, using the Rapture Question, Revelation, and Book of Prophesies.

I will also be using Old Testament references to establish expositional constancy to interpret prophcies in Revelation, not limited to but including the book of Daniel, Ezekiel, Joel, and many others.

I have recently completed teaching Daniel for the 3rd time in 6 years, and am finishing my second teaching of Revelation in the same period of time.
I will be relying heavily upon the use of both Greek and Hebrew Lexicons to amplify the meaining of the text, as opposed to relying upon English.

I am excited to see the many different views in this forum, and look forward to some excellent discussion.

The Spider

My research will involve interaction with people, I will be conducting polls, talking with religious experts and scholars, which are easily accessible since I am in college at the moment.

OK, I have been appointed Team Leader, so drop and give me twenty .

As I see everyone has a huge intrest, and knowledge about the Book of Revelation. The question is how do we go about this without taking 5 years to do it? As many of you know, alot of backtracking and referencing throughout the Old and New Testament will be needed.

1. How do we want to base our research?

Do we want to use the more common theories, do we want to go all out and give our own interpretation?

2. How will we break it down?

Revelation is deep and tedious. We have claims of a pre-tribulation, which takes place in heaven, followed by Christ and The Church Age, The opening of The Seven Scrolls, The Rapture, The Seven Year Tribulation(which includes the Seven Seals, The Seven Trumpets, Prophecy of Christ's Future Reign, The Great Harvest, the 12 Tribes 144,000, Babylon as a religion Destroyed, The Seven Bowl's, The Anti Christ is established, The False Prophet and the Mark of the Beast, Babylon the Government Destroyed, The Glorious Appearing, Ressurection of the Saints, Battle of Armegeddon, Anti Christ and beast cast into lake of fire, Satan bound in bottomless pit, Satan deceives One Last Time, Judgement of the Great White Throne,Satan cast into lake of fire, The New Heaven and Earth and The New Jeruselam. Im sure I missed something

3. Which Version of the Bible do we use?

I would go with the King James Version.

4. Do we try to relate prophecy with what is going on in the world today?

I am one who believes we are living in the end times and it may be only a short time before the Rapture. I have my own personal beliefs as who it relates to today, but it is not in agreence with most.

OK I just re-read Advisors post and am to lazy to delete the above. We will be relating it to events in the world today. I would set a timeframe to use, maybe going back the last 20-25 years.

As I have let Advisor know, I currently have alot going on in the world of ATS/ATSNN. However this topic has intrested me since I was a kid. I will do my best to keep things going. If at any time anyone feels I am not doing this, please let myself and Advisor know. I do not want to hamper this research Project.

So I need some feedback.....
Just so we don't clutter up the thread, make one post only after here and just edit it over and over untill we can reach an agreement on the arrangement, then edit a final time with your first piece of research and post new ones thereafter. I am honored to be able to take the lead in this, but this IS a GROUP Project so everyones input is valuable.

Thank you to Pisky for bringing this project Alive and I look forward to working with everyone on this.

Trick.

Here are some thoughts I had on the structure of the study.

If we could first come to consensus on the structure of Revelation, and then move into chapter 4, we could begin to examin the prophesies in the boo and examine them against current events.

This would give Sweet the opportunity to survey students on campus with the set of prophesies to be examined. I will go in to more detail later in this thread.

First Concensus.

1. Revelation is a prophetic letter. We can apply two general rules of interpretation to the Book.
a. We know that the letter is to the seven churches of Asia minor. We also know that it is to the church of believers today.
b. We also know the purpose of the book. John is told to record the things that he has seen (past tense), the things that are (the letters to the churches) and the things that are to come. (Chapter 4- to end.)

2. Revelation was written by the Apostle John, as attested to by the Church Fathers.

3. John wrote the Book while in exile on Patmos.

4. John later was released from exile.

If we can accept that the first three chapters deal with the past, we can then focus on the part of the book that is prophetic.

We would then schedule the versus to be studied, so we can then allow time for Sweet to take a survey on the versus to be covered. We would wait until we have the feedback available to us before we each start looking critically at the prophesy.

Each person could use whatever interpretive method they wished, and develop an apology (argument) for their interpretation of the prophecy, while supporting or refuting the common view from the survey as it relates to current events. This will allow a wide variety of imput, and allow the apology to defend the point of view.

Interpretive methods can include exogesis, isogesis, literal, post literal, analagous, figurative, etc. All views can also be advance; A-millineal, millineal, pre-terist, historic, etc.

This will also allow each participant to make extensive use of the Old Testament as needed to develop a particular apology when needed. By having a more narrow focus, it will allow more time to develop each argument. It will take more time to cover all the ground necessary, but in smaller bites, the study time will be amplifed considerably.

All should use either the King James or New King James to keep things consistant.

This will also require numerous surveys.

Thoughts?

The Spider

Yes, I agree with the view of the churches. The letters had a two fold purpose. First, the letters were 7 literal letters to seven literal churches. The forward view is a prophetic portion. I like the school of thought that views the letters this way.

[edit on 24-9-2004 by spidergooch]

[edit on 24-9-2004 by spidergooch]

In response to the Churches, My experience is that they are broken down into seven stages:

1. Ephesus: Apostolic Church (A.D. 30-100)
2. Smyrna: Persecuted Church (A.D. 100-313)
3. Pergamos State Church (A.D. 313-590)
4. Thyatira Papal Church (A.D. 590-1517)
5. Sardis Reformed Church (A.D. 1517-1790)
6. Philadelphia Missionary Church (A.D. 1730-1900)
7. Laodicea Apostate Church (A.D. 1900-?)



UPDATE

PublicGadfly:
The Churches can have different meaning's, they could be historical, Present time, or Prophetical in John's Eyes. The problem is that none are ready assumed and arguements can be from all three sides. This is simply what I had been taught, that the Churches go in seven stages, with us currently in the Apostate church.

As far as the 20-25 years, I was just throwing out a numberto go back in time. Like 1970-75, as a starting point. Many people have argued that WWII was the end of the world, and numerous claims had been made for events thereafter.

You are currect about the editable post.

Sorry about the holdup, had some other things going on.
Im think that the easiest way is to just break it down as simple as possible, and eveyone grab sumthin up.

In no paticular order:

Anti-Christ: Phantompatriot
The Church Age
The Seven Seals:
The Tribulation:
The Seal Judgements:
The 144,000 (12 Tribes):
The Seven Trumpet Judgements:
The Rapture:
Babylon:
The Seven Bowl Judgements:
False Prophets PublicGadfly

If I have missed anything, or something needs to be taken out let me know.
Do we pull Mathew 24 out? This was Christ's description, which of course totally corelates with Revelation.




[edit on 28-9-2004 by TrickmastertricK]

[edit on 3-10-2004 by TrickmastertricK]

revalation research

Outline
I.antichrist
A.identity
1. maitreya
2. other candidates such as next pope etc.
B.what is the antichrist, and other information surrounding it.
II.mark of the beast
A.what is it and what are the possibilities?
1.VISA
2.other chip possibilities
3. Other
III.symbolisim
A.antichrist
B.mark of the beast

antichrist research
maitreya

who is maitreya

He has been expected for generations by all of the major religions. Christians know him as the Christ, and expect his imminent return. Jews await him as the Messiah; Hindus look for the coming of Krishna; Buddhists expect him as Maitreya Buddha; and Muslims anticipate the Imam Mahdi or Messiah.

Although the names are different, many believe that they all refer to the same individual: the World Teacher, whose personal name is Maitreya (pronounced my-tray-ah).
Preferring to be known simply as the Teacher, Maitreya has not come as a religious leader, or to found a new religion, but as a teacher and guide for people of every religion and those of no religion.

At this time of great political, economic and social crisis Maitreya will inspire humanity to see itself as one family, and create a civilization based on sharing, economic and social justice, and global cooperation.

He will launch a call to action to save the millions of people who starve to death every year in a world of plenty. Among Maitreya's recommendations will be a shift in social priorities so that adequate food, housing, clothing, education, and medical care become universal rights.

Under Maitreya's inspiration, humanity itself will make the required changes and create a saner and more just world for all.

maitreya



Other antichrist candidates.
The next pope,John Kerry, some other guys or girls I guess

George bush
nice site


[edit on 15-10-2004 by phantompatriot]

Trick.. in response to your questions..

1.I will leave that to you.
2. again... you are team leader.. you do and I will follow.
3. I am in agreement on the king james version
4.yes.

5... on a side note I think we should also check into comparisons between revelations and other works of its kind.
prophecies and ancient writings.

see what similarities we can find.

and on that I would Like to apologize for my absense in this thread thus far.. I have been pretty busy in the middle of a debate tournament but I am makeing time for this too.
I look forward to a very interesting research project here.

TrickmastertricK, I don't �get� the references to churches that you made. It reads like you're saying #'s 3 through 7 didn't exist when Revelations was written- I know that's not what you're getting at so enlighten me.

The 20-25 year time frame- explain that to me.

I don't agree we are in the �end-times� as within say the next twenty years. I think time needs to be part of the project as it may be elastic and not definable in simple terms such as years.

Anyway, I be ready- press on

I understand this to be a re-editable �lead-in� post.

TRICK
put me down for "False prophets" I kind of like that and have a few threaded ideas I need to sort out with you folks anyway. This could help me bounce some arcane 'what-ifs'

tks~

[edit on 2/10/2004 by PublicGadfly]

Here's an outline of my research.

-Effect Revelations has had on society over past millennia.
-Who believes in Revelations? Who does it most pertain to?
-Other religions with similar concept with Revelations.
-What relevance does Revelations have on the world today?

I will continue to add as I go along. Basically, I'm just seeing whether or not Revelations has any relevance on today's fast-paced society of material wealth and information. In other words, does Revelations "reveal" anything about the world we now live in?

False Prophets

What is false?

# Contrary to fact or truth: false tales of bravery.

# Deliberately untrue: delivered false testimony under oath.

# Erected temporarily, as for support during construction.

# Resembling but not accurately or properly designated as such: a false thaw in January; the false dawn peculiar to the tropics

What is a prophet?

# A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.

# A person gifted with profound moral insight and exceptional powers of expression.

# A predictor; a soothsayer.

When added together, false prophet could mean many things. Someone that temporarily is divinely inspired could be a false prophet.

Classic dictionary definitions are no help in this filed (religion). So the definition itself becomes false as in changeable or perhaps temporary.

Until some enlightenment drops into my screen I will then present some prophets and perhaps later decide which ones are false.

As background and foundation to modern prophets I present some historical prophets:

Crazy Horse was a Native American warrior and prophet. He believed that white men would take all the land (ownership) except for that which was useless.

Tecumseh was another Native American, much like Crazy Horse except that he also was a chief seeking to unite the Native Americans.
.
Geronimo was perhaps the last great native American warrior and prophet.

All these men were warriors and prophets believeing that the white man meant to destroy their peoples. All died at the hands of the white man and in every case their people were destroyed except for a few that managed to escape.

And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know The word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22 )

Even the great prophet Ezekiel once spoke something in the name of the Lord which the Lord had not sent him to speak bringing confusion to the people of Yahveh, so the Lord reproved him. (Ezekiel 18)

This isn't a lot of help. A prophjet could prophisis something ten years in the future and in nine years eleven months he would still not be incorrect.

Can a prophet hear and believe something that is false and then prophecise it as true?

Delphi Oracle of ancient Greece:
A consultation with Pythia began with the sacrifice of a goat. Pythia mounted a tripod and sat while awaiting divine inspiration, then conveyed her pronouncements to the seekers.

Nostradamus seemed to cover all the bases with his arcane �quatrains.� Most are so obscure numerous interpretations are possible.

In the Fatima apparitions three children received visits from a supernatural being providing warnings for the future. An interesting aspect of Fatima is that mankind realized his fate was truly in his own hands:

"If My requests are not granted, Russia will spread its errors throughout the world, raising up wars and persecutions against the Church. The good will be martryed, the Holy Father will suffer much and various nations will be annihilated."

One must remember that at Fatima the seers were Roman Catholic children. While many will state that this is irrelavant I contend that this element alone distorts the revelations of Fatima. Much of the revelations contend that Russia must change and accept the Roman Catholic belief system otherwise the world will suffer greatly.

"You saw hell where the souls of poor sinners go. In order to save them, God wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. If people do what I ask, many souls will be saved and there will be peace."

Nothing in the pronouncement should lead anyone to conclude life will be spared, this 'vision' deals specifically with souls.

�At the time that She confided the Fatima Secret to the three seers, the Blessed Virgin also promised that God would work a great miracle the following October "so that all may believe."
�On October 13th 1917, in the presence of 70,000 eyewitnesses, a miracle was worked in the sky above Fatima at the exact moment and in the precise spot that the children had announced earlier. Witnesses recounted that the sun appeared to actually "dance" in the sky and seemed to fall to the ground before resuming its normal place in the heavens.�

1917 Oct The Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional government on the eve of the meeting of 2nd All-Russia Congress of Soviets.

1917 26/27 Oct Soviet proclamations on land and peace. Death Penalty abolished.

1917 30 Oct Kerensky repulsed outside Petrograd.

Miracles or not?

Gen 37:19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Gen 37:20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

Coming forward in time we find Edgar Cayce who was a dreamer. In a semi-sleep state he was reknowned for his ability to provide answers to questions and prognosticate future events. Due to his uncanny abilities the Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc. (A.R.E.) was formed and hundreds of books were written regarding his prophecies.

Jeanne Dixon, a confidant of presidents and world famous 'dreamer' and 'seer.' Was she a prophet also?

�Stepping out of the brightness of the sun's rays, hand in hand, were a Pharaoh and Queen Nefertiti. Cradled n the Queen's other arm was a baby, his ragged, soled clothing in startling contrast to the gorgeously arrayed royal couple.
The eyes of this child were all-knowing," Jeane say softly. "They were full of wisdom and knowledge."
A little to one side of Queen Nefertiti, Jeane could glimpse a pyramid. While she watched entranced, the couple advanced toward her and thrust forth the baby, as if offering it to the entire world. Within the ball of the sun, Jeane saw Joseph guiding the tableau like a puppeteer pulling strings. Now rays of light burst forth from the baby, blending with those of the sun and obliterating the Pharaoh from her sight. Off to the left, she observed that Queen Nefertiti was walking away, "thousands of miles into the past." The Queen paused beside a large brown water jug, and as she stooped and cupped her hands to drink she was stabbed in the back by a dagger. Jeane says that she "distinctly heard her death scream as she vanished."

Ms. Dixon goes on the further explain this vision:

The time was 7:17 a.m.
What does it mean? What is the significance of this strange visitation on a dull February morning in Washington, a third of the way around the world from Egypt/ Jeane feels that she ha been shown that answer. A bit haltingly, she explains it this way:

"A child, born somewhere in the Middle east shortly after 7 a.m. (EST) on February 5, 1962, will revolutionize the world. BEfore the close of the century he will bring together all mankind in one all-embracing faith. This will be the foundation of a new Christianity, with every sect and creed united through this man who will walk among the people to spread the wisdom of the Almighty Power.

With the hindsight of 2004 we know that what Ms. Dixon interpreted was wrong. But was her vision faulty?

As a confidant to President Kennedy why did she not foresee his assassination? It has often been reported that she did, yet there also are numerable reports that she did not. She claimed she did not. Why didn't she?

"That a particular specified event or coincidence will occur is very unlikely. That some astonishing unspecified events will occur is certain. That is why remarkable coincidences are noted in hindsight, not predicted with foresight."--David G. Myers, Skeptics dictionary

So here we are- generations of seers, psychics and prophets yet not everyone is convinced.

Q. "When did you realize that you were God?"

A. "While praying. I realized I was talking to myself."

--The 14th Earl of Gurney (Peter O'Toole), who has the delusion that he is Jesus Christ in

[edit on 8/11/2004 by PublicGadfly]

Gog and Magog are referred to in the Revelation in 20:18. This is a research paper I wrote in 1996-97 about the possible identity of Gog.

*******************

In chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel a "King of the North" is described that will march down from the far north of Israel with a six nation coalition. This invasion from the north will mark the beginning of the battle that will culminate in the second coming of the Christ to prevent the total annihilation of mankind. This army from the north will be lead by a military leader "Gog" of "Magog".

The biblical references to Gog and Magog which are in question come from the 38th and 39th chapters of Ezekiel. In these chapters these two titles are connected to an "invasion from the north" of Israel and the beginning of the war which will culminate in the second coming of the Christ. These verses begin as follows:

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: Ezekiel 38:1-3 (KJV)

Looking at these two verses in the New International Version translation:

The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophecy against him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal..." Ezekiel 38:1-3 (NIV)

As can be seen from this second translation, Gog is a leader and Magog is the country from which he comes. So our first task at hand should be discerning where this land of Magog is.

Now these are the lines of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah: sons were born to them after the Flood. The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. Genesis 10:1-2 (JPS)

So Magog is first mentioned in the Bible as a grandson of Noah. What does this mean to us? How can we use this to determine where the "land of Magog" might be today?

Flavius Josephus, noted Jewish historian, wrote (c. 70 A.D.), in Book I, Chapter VI, Section 1 of his Antiquities of the Jews:

"Now they were the grand-children of Noah, in honor of whom names were imposed on the nations by those that first seized upon them. Japhet, the son of Noah, and seven sons: they inhabited so, that, beginning at the mountain Taurus and Amanus, they proceeded along Asia, as far as the river Tanais, and along Europe to Cadiz; and setting themselves on the lands which they light upon, which none had inhabited before, they called the nations by their own names; for Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galations [Galls], but were then called Gomerites. Magog founded those that from him were named Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called Scythians. Now as to Javan and Madai, the sons of Japhet; from Madai came the Madeans, who are called Medes by the Greeks; but from Javan, Ionia and all the Grecians are derived. Thobel [Tubal] founded the Thobelites, who are now called Iberes; and the Mosocheni were founded by Mosoch [Meshech]; now they are Cappadocians. There is also a mark of their ancient denomination still to be shown; for there is even now among them a city called Mazaca, which may inform those that are able to understand, that so was the entire nation once called...Now when I have premised somewhat, which perhaps the Greeks do not know, I will return and explain what I have omitted; for such names are pronounced here after the manner of the Greeks, to please my readers; for our own country language does not so pronounce them; but the names in all cases are of one and the same ending; for the name we here pronounce Noeas, is there Noah, and in every case retains the same termination."

It can be seen from this passage that Josephus believed his current day "Scythians" to be descendants of Magog. The renowned Roman writer, Pliny, is quoted as saying (c. 70 A.D.) "Hierapolis, taken by the Scythians, was afterward called Magog."(1) Hal Lindsey points out that in this passage Pliny shows that "...the dreaded barbaric people called the Scythians were identified with their ancient tribal name." Lindsey goes on to say that "Any good history book of ancient times traces the Scythians to be a principal part of the people who make up modern Russia."(2)

According to Herodotus, the Scythians lived in an area of approximately 250,000 square miles just above the northwest shores of our modern day Sea of Azov. Herodotus states in Book 4, Chapter 101 of his History:

"Scythia, then, is four-sided, with two parts reaching to the sea; and the frontiers that run inland and those that run to the sea are exactly equal. For from the Ister [Danube] to the Borysthenes [Dnieper] is a journey of ten days, and from the Borysthenes to the Maeetian lake [Sea of Azov] is ten days again; and from the seacoast inland as far as the Black Cloaks, who live above the Scythians, is a twenty days' journey. The day's journey I have figured out to be four thousand stades."

This pseudo-rectangle surprisingly matches the area enclosed by the boundaries of modern day Ukraine. Hal Lindsey, in his book The Final Battle claims that certain factions of the Scythians migrated as far east as the plains of Asia and that the Great Wall of China was originally known as "The Wall of Magog". This allegation is apparently based on the Koran passage of Surah Al-Kahf 18: 89-99:

Then he followed another way, Until, when he came to the rising place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We (All�h) had provided no shelter against the sun. So (it was)! And We knew all about him (Dhul-Qarnain). Then he followed (another) way, Until, when he reached between two mountains, he found, before (near) them (those two mountains), a people who scarcely understood a word. They said: "O Dhul-Qarnain! Verily! Ya'j�j and Ma'j�j (Gog and Magog) are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?" He said: "That (wealth, authority and power) in which my Lord had established me is better (than your tribute). So help me with strength (of men), I will erect between you and them a barrier. "Give me pieces (blocks) of iron," then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: "Blow," till when he had made it (red as) fire, he said: "Bring me molten copper to pour over it." So they [Ya'j�j and Ma'j�j (Gog and Magog)] were made powerless to scale it or dig through it. Dhul-Qarnain) said: "This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to the ground. And the Promise of my Lord is ever true." And on that Day [i.e. the Day Ya'j�j and Ma'j�j (Gog and Magog) will come out], We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another, and the Trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.

Now, let's look at the word Magog itself to see if it can shed any light on the subject. In Hebrew the word is spelled with the following letters: gimel, vav, gimel, mem (numerical values would be 3+6+3+40=52). Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament says the following about this word:

[Magog], is the proper name of a son of Japhet, Genesis 10:2; also of a region, and a great and powerful people of the same name, inhabiting the extreme recesses of the north, who are at some time to invade the Holy Land (Ezekiel, Chapters 38, 39). We are to understand just the same nations as the Greeks comprised under the name of the Scythians (Josephus, i.6, par. 1). The Arabs call them Yajuj and Majuj, and they have many fables about them. Their king is called [Gog]. See Koran, Sur. xviii. 94-99; Assemani Biblioth. Orient. t. iii. p. ii. pp. 16, 17, 20; D'Herbelot, Biblioth. Orient. art. Jagiugh. In the same manner are joined Chin and Machin, i.e. the Chinese. The syllable ma in these names denoting place, region, has of late been learnedly discussed by Frahn, De Musei Spreviziani Nummis Cuficis, page 95.

So here it is seen that the term Magog, if taken as separate from the proper name of Japheth's grandson, can be viewed as having the root of Gog. In other words, Ma-Gog would translate as the place of Gog, or the region of Gog. It would appear at this point we should turn our attention to Gog.

Gesenius' Lexicon says of Gog:

1.) Of the prince of the land of Magog, Ezekiel 38: 2,3,14,16,18; 39:1,11; also of the Rossi, Moschi, and Tibareni, who is to come with great forces from the extreme north (38:15; 39:2), after the exile (38:8, 12), to invade the holy land, and to perish there, as prophesied by Ezekiel...
2.) of a Reubenite, I Chronicles 5:4.

Gog is first mentioned in I Chronicles 5:4 where it is used as a name for one of the Reubenites (descendants of Reuben). There could be great importance to this reference, even though there is very little commentary on it. Israel (the man) - whose name was originally Jacob, but then changed by God to Israel - had twelve sons. From these twelve sons originate the twelve tribes of Israel (the people). The firstborn of Israel was Reuben and it was customary that the firstborn receive the "birthright". However, due to "carnal transgressions" that offended Israel, Reuben was denied his birthright.

Recounting the scene where Israel calls his twelve sons together at his deathbed:

And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch...

...Judah, thou art he whom thy brethen shall praise: they hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee...The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Genesis 49: 1-48,8,10 (KJV)

As can be seen here, not only did Reuben not receive the birthright but, instead of any kind of consolatory blessing, he received a sort of forewarning of ill fate. Instead, Judah, the second born, was told that the "kingship", or the "ruler of the Israelites" would ALWAYS come from his (Judah's) descendants. Now it was peculiar that this blessing was phrased this way because up to this point there wasn't, nor had there ever been, a "king" over any of Abraham's descendants. So this blessing was definitely a prophecy of things to come. And, in fact, all the Israelite kings were from Judah's lineage...and Christ was from Judah's lineage.

But this "past" Gog was from Reuben's lineage. What could this mean for a future "Gog" and any claim he might have to regain the birthright that was denied his ancestors, if, in fact, he were to be of the same lineage? Looking at I Chronicles chapter 5:

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's

The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. The sons of Joel; Shermaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son. I Chronicles 5:1-4 (KJV)

Notice that Judah was not given Reuben's birthright. This was passed on to the second son of the eleventh son of Israel (Israel's grandson). Judah was given the promise that "the chief ruler" would always come from his line. It is worth pointing out that this whole incident, from a human viewpoint, is very odd. First of all, at the time there were no "rulers" of the Hebrew people, so why this promise to Judah? Second, the power to rule the people (when it came eventually) was, from this moment on, disconnected from the birthright of the firstborn. In other words, the blessing of the birthright, no matter who received it, did not necessarily include the power to rule - and, in fact, from this point on, absolutely did not. So a future Gog, who claimed to be of the line of Reuben, could argue a claim to one or both of these two rights.

There can be found secular mention of Gog and Magog as well. Graham Hancock was the East Africa correspondent for the The Economist magazine. In comparing a recently discovered Ethiopic letter and an ancient Ethiopic manuscript he stated:

"...I noticed that mention was also made of 'King Alexander of Macedonia' in a context that linked him to 'Gog and Magog'. This caught my eye because I remembered that Alexander, Gog and Magog had been connected in an almost identical manner in a very ancient Ethiopic manuscript known as the Lefafa Sedek, the 'Bandlet of Righteousness', which was supposedly unknown outside Abyssinia until the nineteenth century."(3)

There are several intriguing aspects to this statement. First, some of the most ancient manuscripts of the Old Testament books were found in the custody of the Ethiopian Jews. Second, it is accepted by many scholars of Judaism that the Ethiopian Jews hold certain ancient Hebrew rituals in a purer form than any group of Jews anywhere on earth. Third, why would Alexander the Great be connected with Gog of Magog? The Jews of Alexander's time had no reason to connect him with such an evil force. In fact, the Jews of Jerusalem willingly turned their city over to Alexander to avoid having the Temple razed. In return, Alexander allowed Jerusalem to live as an autonomous state in the middle of his kingdom; free to worship and live as they had before his arrival. So there is no known motivation for the degree of animosity that would have to exist for an ancient Jewish writer to connect Alexander's name to Gog and Magog. There must be another reason.

When Alexander marched upon Jerusalem, the High Priest and company marched out to meet him on the road in hopes of surrendering their city and thereby avoiding damage to the Temple. Once Alexander had shown his respect for the God of Jerusalem and informed the people that he would not destroy their city, but instead give it back to them, the Jews offered Alexander the title "King of Jerusalem". (Please note the title...not "king of Israel"...not "King of the Jews"...but "King of Jerusalem".) Alexander the Great turned down this title, but reserved it for his posterity. So a descendant of Alexander the Great could argue a claim to the title "King of Jerusalem". Now if this is added in with the claim to the birthright of Reuben and the claim that this birthright should guarantee the title "King of Israel", we have a person (Gog?) who would have a very powerful claim. We currently have at least two powerful men in the world that claim decendancy from Alexander the Great. Hapsburg of Austria and Carlos of Spain. In addition, the "Club of Rome" (also known as the "Black Nobility" of Europe) is a group of families that all claim to have blood connections to the "thrown of David", which, of course, implies they are part of the lineage of Judah.

Now, looking back at Ezekiel 38:2 (NIV): "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal..." The NASB translation reads: "...prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal..." The word Rosh should now be investigated.

Rosh is the root of the modern word Russia.(4) The Hebrew word Rosh, translated as "chief" in the King James and Revised Standard version of Ezekiel 38:2,3, literally means "top" or "head" of something. Most scholars, however, believe this word is used in the sense of a proper name, not as a descriptive noun qualifying the word "prince".(5) The German scholar, Dr. Keil, says, after a careful grammatical analysis, that it should be translated as a proper name, i.e., Rosh. He states, "The Byzantine and Arabic writers frequently mention a people called Ros and Rus, dwelling in the country of Taurus, and reckoned among the Scythian tribes."(6) So Rosh leads back to the Scythians, creating a common link to Magog.

Dr. Gesenius states in his Hebrew Lexicon (c. 1857):

"Rosh: proper name of a northern nation, mentioned with Tubal and Meshech; undoubtedly the Russians, who are mentioned by Byzantine writers of the tenth century...dwelling to the north of Taurus, and described by Ibn Fossian, an Arabic writer of the same age, as welling on the river Rha (Wolga). (See Ibn Fosslan, Bericht von den Russen alterer Zeit, ubersetzt and erklart von Frahn. Petersburgh, 1823, especially p. 28, seqq. Compare Jos. de Hammer, Origines Russes, Petersburgh, 1827, who also here compares the nation...in the Koran, Koran xv.31:1.12.)"

Hal Lindsey states that men were foreseeing Russia's role in history long before it rose to its ultimate state of power. He quotes Bishop Lowth of England as writing in 1710, "Rosh, taken as a proper name, in Ezekiel signifies the inhabitant of Scythia, from whom the modern Russians derive their name."(7)

Looking at the last two names mentioned in Ezekiel 38:2,3, Meshech and Tubal, we find that both Meshech and Tubal were sons of Japheth and brother to Magog. Some scholars have found Meshech to be a variation in the spelling of Moscow and Tubal similar to Tobolisk - an area in the Ural section of Russia.(8)

Herodotus, the fifth century B.C. Greek philosopher has been quoted as mentioning Meshech and Tubal and identifying them with a people named the Samaritans and Muschovites who lived at the time in the ancient province of Pontus in northern Asia Minor.(9) (Pontus is the area around the modern day Black Sea). However, I have not yet been able to locate this particular passage in Herodotus' History. In fact, it would tend to contradict the implied geographic areas in which the descendants of Meshech and Tubal lived according to passages I have read in both Josephus and Herodotus.

As stated before, Josephus states that Tubal was the founder of the people referred to as Iberes during his time (70 A.D.). Herodotus' History clearly shows Iberes to be Spain. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance identifies Tubal as "Migrants to Sicily and Spain." As for Meshech, Josephus states that he founded the Mosocheni, who were known as the Cappadocians in Josephus' time. Clearly this is central to western Turkey.

Gesenius states:

"Tubal - proper name the Tibareni, a nation of Asia Minor, dwelling by the Euxine sea, to the west of the Moschi...

Meshech - proper name Moschi, a barbarous people inhabiting the Moschian mountains, between Iberia [Spain], Armenia, and Colchis, Psalms 120:5, almost always joined with the neighboring Tibareni...just as in Herodotus...A pronunciation more near to the Greek form is found in the Samaritan copy...Mosoch."

In conclusion, Gog is a military leader that will lead a six nation coalition against Israel sometime within the seven year tribulation period. Most scholars seem to agree it will occur prior to the mid-tribulation point which will mark the beginning of the three and one-half years of the "Great Tribulation". This march on Israel will culminate in the second coming of Jesus Christ. Concerning the identification of Magog, Dr. John Cumming wrote in 1864, "This King of the North I perceive to be the autocrat of Russia....that Russia occupies a place, and a very momentous place, in the prophetic word has been admitted by all expositors."(10)

As John Hagee states:

"And while no on knows the exact location of the land of Magog, going north from Israel will eventually land you in Russia. And even if it is later determined that the land of Magog is located in modern-day Turkey or the land bridge between the Black and Caspian Seas, this does not rule out he possibility that these areas are conquered by Russia in the days immediately before the Rapture (which I believe we are living in) or immediately after.

Whatever the identify of "Gog, of the land of Magog," it is leading many nations in the war against Israel and the Jewish people. Interestingly enough, a substantial number of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 an 39 have been allied with Russia in recent times: 'These include Iran ('Persia'), Sudan and northern Ethiopia ('Cush'), Libya ('Put'), and Turkey ('Meshech', 'Tubal', 'Gomer', and 'Beth Togarmah').'"(11)

End Notes

1.) Lindsey, Hal, the Late Great Planet Earth, pg. 53.
2.) Ibid.
3.) Hancock, Graham, The Sign and the Seal, pg. 110.
4.) Walvoord, John F., Major Bible Prophecies, pg. 391.
5.) Lindsey, The Late Great Planet Earth, Ibid.
6.) Ibid, pg. 54. Lindsey takes this quote form C.F. Keil, D.D. and F. Delitzsch, D.D., Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans Publishing co.: Grand Rapids, Michigan).
7.) Ibid.
8.) Walvoord, Ibid.
9.) Ibid. This quote comes from Walter Chamberlain, the National Resources and Conversion of Israel, (London, 1854).
10.) Ibid, pg. 52. This quote comes from Cumming, the Destiny of Nations.
11.) Hagee, John, The Beginning of the End, pp. 146-147.

Bibliography

Gesenius, H.W.F., Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament, Baker Books, 1979.

Hagee, John, Beginning of the End: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Coming Antichrist, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996.

Hancock, Graham, The Sign and the Seal, Touchstone Book, 1992.

Herodotus, The History, University of Chicago Press, 1987 - Translated by David Grene.

Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews, Baker Books, 1992 - Translated by William Whiston, A.M.

Lindsey, Hal, The Final Battle, Western Front, 1995.

Lindsey, Hal and Carlson, C.C., The Late Great Planet Earth, HarperCollins Publishers, 1970.

Strong, James, LL.D., S.T.D., The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995.

Walvoord, John F., Major Bible Prophecies, HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.

The Holy Bible, Thompson Chain Reference Bible, B.B. Kirkbride Bible Company, 1983.

The Torah: The Five Books of Moses, Jewish Publication Society, 1992.

Surah Al-Kahf 18, www.dar-us-salam.com... .

[edit on 10-23-2004 by Valhall]

Update

Yes, guys I'm still here, to review my target issue was the

1) rebuilding of the Roman Empire
2) the rise of the Anti-christ as ruler because of Roman Empire rebirth.


My outline:

1) Show the introduction of Jesus and the Anti-Christ in Revelation Events

2) Show the setting of the powers and authority of Jesus and Anti-Christ

3) show the introduction of the Roman Empire and concepts related

4) show the rise & fall of the Roman Empire of old to set a timeline and description both biblicaly and in World History, including territorial maps
and structural bases of the govermental policies, military doctrine etc.

5) show the location of the current world status of the new Roman Empire
and the policies, boundries,maps, etc to compare to section 4. timeline information.

6) identify all the issues and facts biblicaly and in the world as we know it to try to locate and establish wether or not the Anti-Christ is on earth and working to gain the position required to ascend to control of the rebuilt Roman Empire.

7) identify the location of the Anti-Christs home field , from which the New Empire for the greater part shall be controlled.

8) identify biblical references to the seat of power of the Old Empire and compare to #7 in the outline

9) show the timeline once the presence of the Anti-christ is firmed in the rule of the New Empire both biblically and in world events so as to try to set the path from beginning to the end.

10) finally show how at the end of the New Roman Empires rule it shall fall again, and what biblical and world events shall happen during the process by referencing the New Empires fall with the fall in biblical events
both under the old Empire and the Prophetic fall told of the new Empire in Revelation. And how the events shall lead to the defeat of the Anti-Christ.




Source: King James Bible

Scripture: Revelation 6:1-2

Subject: First Seal : False Christ

And, I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four living creatures saying, Come.

And I saw and, behold, a white horse; and e who sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Interpretation Subject : Revelation 6;1

It is seen here, that the setting of the environment, the key figures, and the things that are to take place are serious in nature. The elaberation of the sounds assist to set the take heed intent of these scolls as ones of judgements that shall befall those that have not become of Christ.

Interpretation Subject : Revelation 6;2

The rider on the white horse is shown not to be Christ very clearly in the words it was given unto him a crown, and he went forth conquering and to conquer....Now this will be important in the future to set the rule of the Anti-Christ on earth which is also seen by him being given a crown which is the sign of a leader as we know it in our minds.

This also sets the authority of Jesus who Is the one given all power even over the Anti-Christ who may not be loosed except by himself as a pure source of God's power as instilled in Jesus.


Relation to Present world conditions:

Although only the fact of Kings existing on earth the comparison on earth now has not been set.




[edit on 4/11/2004 by drbryankkruta]

[edit on 4/11/2004 by drbryankkruta]

[edit on 7/11/2004 by drbryankkruta]

In a few days I will post the first part of my own research, beginning with the various doctrines espoused by those who believe that the book of Revelation is a valid prophecy. Following that will be a general time-line, including the lead-up to the Tribulation and its aftermath. This will include an 'End Times Clock' based on that designed by LaHaye & Jenkins, authors of the 'Left Behind' series and believers in a Pre-Tribulation rapture.

A detailed explanation and scientific analysis of the various occurances will follow that, including of course the Mark of the Beast, the sores on the followers of the beast and sundry asteroid strikes.

Ah, thanks for letting me be on this project. I'll help in any way I can; aside from having a good knowledge of the scriptures, I have access to tons of books on the subject, as my grandfather was a minister and pretty much has a library on the Bible, and my father was almost a minister and has a good quantity of books on the subject as well. And of course I have a bit of the same, though it's mostly in a historical context.

I'll begin by just jotting down a few notes on the Mark of the Beast...

The False Prophet and his Mark:

"He required everyone--great and small, rich and poor, slave and free--to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed to understand this. Let the one who has understanding solve the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666."


There is a lot of information in this one paragraph and the preceding verses. We are told earlier of two beasts--a beast from the sea and a beast from the earth. The beast from the sea represents the Antichrist. We must assume that he will rise from the Gentiles, as the “sea” is used by the Jews to symbolize the Gentile world. More specifically, it is most probable that the Antichrist will be of Europe or America.

But then we are told of the beast from the earth, or the Antichrist’s false prophet. This prophet requires everyone to worship the Antichrist, and performs miracles such as causing fire to flash down from heaven. He builds a statue of the Antichrist, which comes to life.

Then we are told of the mark of the beast. But, this is not the mark of the Antichrist...it is the mark of the second beast, the false prophet.

The false prophet requires everyone to be given a mark on the right hand or forehead. It is interesting that with some of the microchips imbedded in patients today, either the right hand or the forehead is used.

No one will be able to buy anything without this mark. If we are to go with the idea of a microchip, then let us assume that all stores will have scanners. If the microchip is not detected, then one is not allowed to enter the store at all. At the same time, the microchip is required for all business owners and anyone wishing to sell goods. It is possible that all of a person’s wealth will be contained in the chip...no more cash money, no more checking accounts, savings accounts, bonds, etc. Rather a chip with all of the financial information of the bearer contained, and funds are automatically transferred via the chip during any business transaction. This is the most likely explanation for the mark of the beast.

Yet we are also specifically told that this mark will be either the name of the false prophet or the number representing his name. His name we are not given, however, John did give us his number. It is 666, or, in some older and rarer manuscripts, 616. This number is a sort of code, possibly, for we are told that one with understanding can solve the number of the beast.

One explanation has been given by history. The name of Nero, an emperor who viciously persecuted the Christians, can be equated via the Greek Alpha-Numeric system to an eerily familiar number: 666, or Chi-Xi-Stigma (600 60 6). Now, I'm not exactly sure about this--I only saw it on the History Channel, and it seems to me that it may instead by equal to 666 by means of the Hebrew Alphabet, which I have insufficient knowledge of, but back to what I was saying. This seems to fit. 666 is given as the number of a man, and Nero was a man. It is the number of his name, and Nero’s name equals 666. Yet the Emperor Nero, despite being a violent enemy of Christians, never required any to take a mark. As well, we must keep in mind that this is the mark of the false prophet, and not the mark of the Antichrist.

Using the number 616, or Chi-Iota-Stigma, we find the name of another Roman Emperor. He, too, was a hater of the Christians, and forced many to enter the arena to be slaughtered by gladiators and wild beasts. This man is Caligula, known to historians as the cruelest of all Roman Emperors. Yet, once again, Caligula did not require any to take a mark. The answer to the mark of the beast does not lie in history--the beast is yet to come.

Another bit of information is given. As well as being the number of a man, the verse can be translated as meaning “the number of man”, or “the number of humanity.” This is true and Biblical historians will agree that the number 6 is mankind’s number, while God’s is 7. Man was created on the sixth day, six days hath he to labor, Goliath was six cubits tall, the Anakim (a race of giants) of old had six fingers on each hand, etc.

So study the number. Wisdom is needed to understand it; one with understanding can solve it. If you are wise, if you have understanding, you may solve the number of the beast.

I'm in ,I have sent you all Private messages regarding the project thanks for the add ADVISOR!