They stated that this was written by a Gnostic heretic called Cerinthus (1st century, contemporary of the Apostle John)
The Apocalypse was excluded by most Syriac Churches early on -- from the 4th century at least
Eusebius wrote "The Apocalypse is by some accepted among the canonical books but by others rejected" (Church History III.25).
and this was not included in the Biblical canon of St. Cyril of Jerusalem
I think we’re living in the book of REVELATION now.
The seventh, revelation says " his reign will be short" - Titus' reign was 2 years (AD 79 to 81).
The eight, Domitian is the one who started the second persecutions of Christians -- the book says "And the beast which was and is not: the same also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction". -- because many thought Domitian was Nero returned -- Juvenal, a Roman author (pagan) called Domitian a second Nero calvus Nero
And this is one condemnation that worked. From that day to this there have been no millenialists in the Catholic Church--neither on the right or the left. There is every other kind of deviation imaginable (on both sides of the spectrum) but the Catholic Church is 110% free of millenialism of any kind. It is opposed by liberals, conservatives, radicals, and reactionaries. No faction of any ancient liturgical church wants any troublesome messiah mucking things up.
It's a pity that the Church can't rid itself of other heresies as completely and as successfully as it has of millenialism.
“Martin Luther downgraded the significance of Revelation. It portrays God as inflicting horrendous punishments on humanity — a concept that is today sometimes called ‘Ambush Theology.’”
The Book of the Apocalypse is the Word of God, and so Luther had no authority to downgrade it. Revelation 9:21 states:”Nor did they repent of their murders”. Does this not describe the obstinate defense of abortion we have seen for decades? When a world unrepentantly commits the gravest sins, does not the final door, the door of God’s Justice have to open at some point? I’m not sure God will so much inflict punishment as get out of the way and permit countries who don’t respect human life to inflict it upon each other. Why would that be God’s fault? Martin Luther was probably a manic-depressive. His fear of damnation is probably what had him searching the Scriptures to find a way he could say he was saved once and for all. Sorry if I offend others, but I say throw his errors out, not the Book of Revelation.
666, THE ANTI-CHRIST:
[Dt 17:15-17] “He whom you set over you as king must be your kinsman....But he shall not have a great number of horses;
nor shall he make his people go aback again to Egypt to acquire them, against the Lords’ warning that you must never go
back that way again. Neither shall he have a great number of wives, lest his heart be estranged, nor shall he accumulate
a vast amount of silver and gold.”
So there are at least 3 major things a king must never do:
1) great number of horses -——————war chariots/large army.
2) great number of wives -——————worship false idols/gods
3) accumulate vast amt. gold/silver——gold/silver—> greed;
King Solomon was a prototype of a great King who had gone bad of which the entirety of 1 Kgs Chps 10&11 detail very nicely:
[1Kgs Chps 10 &11]
GREAT # HORSES: LARGE ARMY
[1 Kgs 10:26] “Solomon collected chariots and drivers; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand drivers.”
GREAT # WIVES: WORSHIP FALSE IDOLS/GODS
[1 Kgs 11:1] “King Solomon loved many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharaoh, from nations which the Lord had forbidden
the Israelites to intermarry, “because” he said “they will turn your hearts to their gods”. But Solomon fell in love
with them. He had several hundred wives of princely rank and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart.”
ACCUMULATE VAST AMT. GOLD/SILVER: GREED
[1 Kgs 10:14] “The gold that Solomon had received each year weighed six hundred and sixty-six gold talents.” (666 and listed first within 1 Kings 10&11)
666 WITHIN REVELATION
Look at the above quote, ‘this calls for wisdom’. ‘WISDOM’ is a reference to Solomon(Solomon was renowned for and prayed for wisdom) in [1Kgs Chps 10 &11] who
was a prototype for a king who went bad and whom in [1 Kgs 10:14] taxed his people 666 talents of gold per year. So it would seem that the beast or Anti-Christ
is typically a national or even a larger world stage figure(through conquest) with large armies, vast amt. of gold/silver or greed, and who is against(anti) Christianity
and/or worships false gods. This certainly applies to Nero. Moreover, this figures within the 20th century with Hitler, Stalin , Pol-Pot, and Mao.
Which are all anti-christs leading up to the final anti-christ of the end times. So thus, the general and precise meaning of what John and Revelation are getting at.
Consequently, what John wrote about in Revelations and 666 is not really about counting up letters in a name, that is rather an insignificant part.
Ping