Okay so...

 

Did the "Heavy Hitters" bit from Revelation 13 Interpreters Bible Exegesis and pointed out the parts that support what was imputed to me about who(m)/what the beast from the land/sea are etc., so now I'm gonna go back and just pick out those pieces that hit a never, or "resonated" as it were but had no direct support of my line of thinking in the Heavy Hitters piece. 

Make sense? 

Clear as mud? 

Awesome :-).

"Likewise, the concept of four world empires, the last one Rome as depicted in II Baruch 36-40, is probably another reinterpretation of Dan. 7, even though the symbolism used, the forest, the vine, the fountain, and the cedar, is quite different."

(Think Western Representative Democracy not just Rome in Johns day.

Somebody wanna come argue that 

Western Representative Democracy

isnt in a state of decline that it will never come out from?

Interesting.)

"However, for John there is nothing good about either the empire or the emperors; the rulers are not  ordained by God, but are agents of Satan himself, who has invested them with his own authority."

(Think about your country right now are read that again.

Think a man or a woman is gonna fix this?

Really?

Again:

Interesting.)

"Due both to certain mysterious circumstances connected with his death and to the character of his rule which was the first to give the Roman citizens and subjects the feeling that imperial authority, which could be awesome and terrible, as well as beneficent, was above the law, the believe developed that Nero had not died as reported. Instead , it was rumored, he had gone into hiding in the east, and would return with a Parthian host to invade and devastate the empire he had once ruled.'

"The original rumor developed into the belief that Nero had really died, but that in due time he would be restored to life and lead an army, presumably from Parthia, to ravage the empire.

(The mortal head wound can apply to a wide variety of things. 

Think about a "political death" and rebirth of a certain individual this country who would most certainly come back with a vengeance after his enemies right at the worst possible time for our country.

Interesting parallels anyway.)

"Instead of worshiping God, people worshiped the dragon, i.e., Satan, who had given some of his authority to this beast; they also worshiped the beast, i.e., the allegedly divine rulers of Rome, who are actually demonic and satanic. This is the most explicit reference to the imperial cult, which for John was so evil an institution that Satan alone could have devised it.

(The imperial court still lives on, we just dressed it up a lil, modified it a bit but it's still the same as it was really. 

My son was texting me about something the other day and I said something to the effect of: "I dont even really concern my self with domestic politics anymore, (I'll always vote, I just no better than to think it's ever gonna change anything) it's like arguing over who is gonna rule the outhouse here in a bit, kinda pointless in view of world events.)

"Only those whose names are in "the Lambs book of life" are to be permitted to enter the new Jerusalem (Rev 21 verse 27)

(Amen!)

"...the words are a reminder to Christians that if they are destined to captivity, they will go into captivity, i.e., if they are destined to be persecuted and martyred, this will be their fate, for they have been chosen for the lamb's book of life before the world was established."

(It was written in 1966. It's a far cry from:  "The raptures gonna happen pretribulation and we're all not gonna have to endure that" that seems so prevelant in the WQestern church today, IF anybody even cares to bring it up and discuss it.

It's Baloney. I wouldn't have been living like I have to give you an example of what to expect here shortly if that was the case.)

"The period of persecution that lies ahead, in which Christians will be slain. calls for endurance and faith, two necessary prerequisites for martyrdom, for with out patient steadfastness in a time of persecution and death, coupled with a sublime faith in the final outcome, few would become martyrs."

(This one is more personal than most.

First of all lol...

as I was just saying above...:-) 

Etc.

Plus:

"calls for endurance and faith"

Check.

"patient steadfastness in a time of persecution"

Check

"a sublime faith in the final outcome"

Check

Without all that?

"few would become martyrs"

My translation?

When you know what awaits?

Then you know no matter how bad it gets?

Things are worth bearing in this realm

For the reward in the next.

"He may be the same beast that ascended from the "bottomless pit" to persecute the two heavenly witnesses."

(Sorry :-), had too.)

"but one that should not mislead the discerning"

(You are gonna need discernment on a scale you can not imagine in order to be able to tell real from fake humans, it's been here for years and this technology is currently being refined, it's not a decade out...not at all.)

 "The part is equal to the hole: the single head representing Nero redivivus now becomes the symbol for the entire line of Caesars who are worshipped as gods."

(Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Putin, Trump...

Whoever you wanna put in this modern day "cult of personality".

As stated previously, It's just a continuation of the Imperial Cult, and needs to be seen as such.)

"A considerable number of Christians, even, will turn aside and worship him."

(The  Pseud-Christ Anti-Christ that is.

Do not be Deceived!)

"This, of course, was the crux of the entire situations for the Christians: 

there were but two alternatives, 

one was to deny Christ and worship the emperor, 

the other was to confess Christ and refuse to worship the ruler. 

The first course led to 

temporal safety and security 

but to eternal damnation and punishment; 

the second led to 

persecution by the state and to death, 

but to a triumphant death 

and glorious immortality."

(Which one you want?)

 "More probably it was as invisible as the seal placed on the faithful. We are reminded again of the parallel in Pss. Sol. 15:8-10 where the mark of God is placed on the righteous so that they might be saved, while the mark of destruction is placed on the wicked so that they might inherent destruction and darkness. Accordingly, in revelation those who have the mark of the beast will be destroyed in the last days (19:20)."

 

" It is also unlikely that there was an official ban to prevent Christians from engaging in business."

(There may not have been but the states ability to kick you out of the economic system is fast approaching:

CBDC

Again, this exegesis was written in 1966.

CBDC wasn't even thought of then nor cell phones or lots of other things that we now take for granted, therefore; somethings need a reexamining/reinterpretation. I read somewhere that The book of Revelation is the only "Open" book of the bible and is therefore is the only one open to interpretation. As history moves along? We should do such reexamination would be my position. Especially right now at such a time as this.)

 "The verse in which it is found, but one a of a total of more than 400 in Revelation, has been given far more attention in popular thinking than it deserves. Indeed for many people Revelation is chiefly thought of as the book containing this mysterious number.

(The author just explained exactly how I feel about the over importance put on Rome in the book :-).

'...on the assumption that the name is personal, since the number is that of the beast symbolizing the imperial line, it should be the name or title of an emperor."

"as for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to perdition." 

(Brother Joe's bible study nailed it but that's for another day.

Think Ottoman Turks.

I'll just say that.)

HERE IS KINDA THE WHOLE POINT OF ALL THIS:

With the appearance of these two beast in ch. 13, the leading characters of the apocalyptic drama have now come on the stage, save for the scarlet woman, the bride of Christ, and Gog and Magog, who make their entrance later. On the one side, the evil side, are Satan, the beast representing the demonic Roman Emperors and the Antichrist, the Angels of Satan, the pagans who are generally grouped as enemies and persecutors of the Christians, as well as Jews and apostate Christians, who are also on Satan's side. On the other, the good side, are God, Christ, the archangels, and angels, the two heavenly witnesses, the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, and the faithful Christians, especially the martyrs. The forces of Satan and god are in battle array; the two sides of evil and good are about evenly balanced; and the cosmic war is reaching it's dramatic and inevitable conclusion. The struggle will be a desperate one to determine whether righteousness or evil is to rule. Through it all however, the reader is made conscious of the authors belief that God is more powerful than Satan, indeed, that he is all-powerful; and he is assured that despite temporary evidences to the contrary, God will overcome Satan and bring his evil reign to an end.

Were here.

Godspeed everybody.

Journey well my friends.