Posted on 12/22/2011 1:01:18 PM PST by Cronos
Apocalypse 13:16-18 is based on Ezekiel 8 and 9. The "mark" symbolized the spiritual condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The ones with the "mark" were in allegiance with God. However, in Apocalypse, the mark is reversed. That is to say, the mark was on those who were against God and had allegiance to the "beast."
John wrote that the number "is the number of a man's name; and his number is 666." This tells us that those who received the "mark" were actually in allegiance with a "man," an actually person of the first century. So, who was he? Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus! Better known as Nero Caesar.
John used a puzzle called gematria in which numbers are used to represent certain letters. John used this puzzle to reveal Nero without actually writing down his name. Remember, the early churches were being persecuted during this time—not only from the Jews, but also from the Romans. The numerical values of the Hebrew letters in Neron Kesar (Nero Caesar) are:
Nero Caesar fits the gematria code number "666." Using this code, his name would be rendered as "NRWN QSR." (NRWN QSR). The number values are:
N = 50
R = 200
W = 6
N = 50
Q = 100
S = 60
R = 200
which, when added together, equals 666. The fact that Nero fits the description of the "beast" is well documented. According to Suetonius, he murdered his parents, wife, brother, aunt, and many others close to him and of high station in Rome. He was a torturer, a homosexual rapist, and a sodomite. He even married two young boys and paraded them around as his wives. One of the boys, whose name was Sporus, was castrated by Nero. He was truly bestial in his character, depravity, and actions. He devised a kind of game: covered with the skin of some wild animal, he was let loose from a cage and attacked the private parts of men and women, who were bound at stakes. He also initiated the war against the Jews which led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD..
Nero’s persecution, which was initiated in A.D.64, was the first ever Roman assault on Christianity. Roman historian Tacitus (A.D. 56-117) spoke of Nero's "cruel nature" that "put to death so many innocent men." He records the scene in Rome when the persecution of Christians broke out: "And their death was aggravated with mockeries, insomuch that, wrapped in the hides of wild beasts, they were torn to pieces by dogs, or fastened to crosses to be set on fire, that when the darkness fell they might be burned to illuminate the night." Christians were crucified, beheaded, burnt alive, and used as torches to light the palace gardens. Historically, Nero is the one that persecuted Christians beyond all comparison. St. John’s banishment to Patmos (where he wrote the book of Apocalypse) was itself a result of the great persecution of Nero. The apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. The apostle Peter, who was crucified upside down, was another victim of Nero, .
As Church father Eusebius notes: "Nero was the first of the emperors who showed himself an enemy of the divine religion." Sulpicius Severus concurs: "He first attempted to abolish the name of Christian." In his Annals, Roman historian Tacitus points to those who were persecuted as "those who . . . were vulgarly called Christians." Roman historian Suetonius concurs, for in a list of the few "positive" contributions of Nero as emperor, he includes the fact that Nero persecuted Christians: "During his reign many abuses were severely punished and put down, and no fewer new laws were made:. . . . Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition."
Noted church historian J. L. von Mosheim wrote of Nero's persecution: "Foremost in the rank of those emperors, on whom the church looks back with horror as her persecutors, stands Nero, a prince whose conduct towards the Christians admits of no palliation, but was to the last degree unprincipled and inhuman. The dreadful persecution which took place by order of this tyrant, commenced at Rome about the middle of November, in the year of our Lord 64. . . . This dreadful persecution ceased but with the death of Nero. The empire, it is well known, was not delivered from the tyranny of this monster until the year 68, when he put an end to his own life." (L. von Mosheim, Historical Commentaries, I:138,139).
His bestial cruelty is evidenced in the writings of the Roman historian Suetonius (A.D. 70-160), who speaks of Nero's "cruelty of disposition" evidencing itself at an early age. He documents Nero's evil and states: "neither discrimination or moderation [were employed] in putting to death whosoever he pleased on any pretext whatever." Suetonius notes that Nero "compelled four hundred senators and six hundred Roman knights, some of whom were well to do and of unblemished reputation, to fight in the arena."
Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79) described Nero as "the destroyer of the human race" and "the poison of the world." Roman satirist Juvenal (A.D. 60-140) speaks of "Nero's cruel and bloody tyranny." Elsewhere, he calls Nero a "cruel tyrant."
Nero so affected the imagination that the pagan writer Apollinius of Tyana, a contemporary of Nero, specifically mentions that Nero was called a "beast": "In my travels, which have been wider than ever man yet accomplished, I have seen many, many wild beasts of Arabia and India; but this beast, that is commonly called a Tyrant, I know not how many heads it has, nor if it be crooked of claw, and armed with horrible fangs. . . . And of wild beasts you cannot say that they were ever known to eat their own mother, but Nero has gorged himself on this diet."
In Apocalypse 13:7, the Beast is said to "make war with the saints and to overcome them." Apocalypse 13:5 says that the beast would conduct such blasphemous warfare for a specific period of time: 42 months. The Neronic persecution was instituted in 64 AD and lasted until his death in June 68 AD, which is three and a half years, or 42 months! Nero fits the bill for the role of the beast!
Apocalypse 13:10 and 14 says the Beast not only slays by the sword, but ultimately is to die of a sword wound. Do you know how Nero died? According to Suetonius, he "drove a dagger into his throat, aided by Epaphroditus, his private secretary" (ch.49). Nero killed with the sword and was killed by the sword. That Nero did, in fact, kill by the sword is a well-attested fact. Paul, for example, is said to have died under Nero by decapitation by means of the sword. Tertullian credits "Nero's cruel sword" as providing the martyr's blood as seed for the church. He urges his Roman readers to "Consult your histories; you will there find that Nero was the first who assailed with the imperial sword the Christian sect."
Nero died in the middle of the war on June 8th, 68 AD, and Vespasian went back to Rome to fight to become the new emperor. During this time the Christians fled Jerusalem because they heeded the warning of Matthew 24:16; the Jews thought the respite was a sign from God of victory and they gathered in Jerusalem in great numbers. The Romans came back and destroyed the city.
Apocalypse 17:3 tells us that the beast is red. The red color may be indicative of the bloodshed caused by the beast. But Suetonius writes of the legend associated with Nero's ancestral parentage, which explains why he had a red beard, which was very unusual in those times.
Apocalypse 17:10 says, "And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." The five "kings" were not ruling at the same time, for the text stated "five are fallen," meaning that five of those kings had come and gone. Then "one is," meaning the "king" who was ruling at the time Apocalypse was written. Here, in this verse, we have one of the clearest proofs for Nero being the beast. If we simply examine the list of Roman Emperors, we will be able to determine who the sixth king was. Flavius Josephus clearly points out that Julius Caesar was the first emperor of Rome, followed by Augustus; Tiberius; Caius (Caligula); Claudius; and the sixth emperor was…Nero (Antiquities, books 18 and 19), who assumed imperial power upon the death of the fifth emperor, Claudius, in October, A.D. 54. The matter is confirmed just a little later in the writings of Roman historians: Suetonius (Lives of the Twelve Caesars and Dio Cassius, Roman History 5). Nero reigned from 54AD to June of 68AD. John informs us that the seventh king was "not yet come." That would be Galba, who assumed power upon Nero's death in June, A.D. 68. But he was only to continue a "short space." As a matter of historical fact, his reign lasted but six months until January 15, A.D. 69.
What about the Beast's death-wound and his subsequent resurrection? Let us now consider John's revelation of the Beast arising from the dead (Apocalypse 13:3-4). At this point we need to reflect upon a most significant series of historical events of the A.D. 60s. First, with the death of Nero, the Roman Empire's founding family vanished from rule. Following the death of Nero was the extinction of the Julian line. Immediately, the Roman Empire was hurled into civil wars of horrible ferocity and dramatic proportions. These civil wars would strike everyone as being the very death throes of Rome, the Beast generically considered. Before the world's startled eyes, the seven-headed Beast (Rome) was toppling to its death as its sixth head (Nero) was mortally wounded with the sword.
Tacitus's detailed account of the ruin wreaked upon Rome almost equals in psychological horror, cultural devastation, and human carnage that which befell Jerusalem during the Jewish War, as recorded by Josephus and Tactius. The Roman civil wars were the first fruits of Nero's death. Josephus records that the destruction was so horrible, that the general Vespasian, "was not able to apply himself further in other wars when his native country was laid waste." Josephus agrees that during this time Rome was brought near to utter "ruin." He notes that "about this time it was that heavy calamities came about Rome on all sides." According to 4 Ezra 12:16-19, written around A.D. 100, the Empire was "in danger of falling": "In the midst of the time of that kingdom great struggles shall arise, and it shall be in danger of falling; nevertheless it shall not fall then, but shall regain its former power."
But what eventually occurred at the end of these death throes? Suetonius informs us that: "The empire, which for a long time had been unsettled and, as it were, drifting through the usurpation and violent death of three emperors, was at last taken in hand given stability by the Flavian family." Josephus sets forth this view of things when he writes: "So upon this confirmation of Vespasian's entire government, which was now settled, and upon the unexpected deliverance of the public affairs of the Romans from ruin, Vespasian turned his thoughts to what remained unsubdued in Judea." Thus, after a time of grievous civil wars, the Empire was revived by the ascending of Vespasian to the purple.
The point is not that Nero’s name is the primary identification of 666. The point is, instead, what the number meant to the seven churches. St. John’s Biblically informed readers will have already recognized many clear indications of the Beast’s identity. Nero arrived on the scene as the first great persecutor of the Church, the embodiment of the "666-ness" of the Empire, and – Lo and behold! – his very name spells out 666! It is significant that "all the earliest Christian writers on the Apocalypse, from Irenaeus down to Victorious of Pettau and Commodian in the fourth, and Andreas in the fifth, and St. Beatus in the eighth century, connect Nero, or some Roman emperor, with the Apocalyptic Beast ." There should be no reasonable doubt about this identification. St. John was writing to first-century Christians, warning them of things that were "shortly" to take place. They were engaged in the most crucial battle of history, against the Dragon and the evil Empire which he possessed. The purpose of the Apocalypse was to comfort the Church with the assurance that God was in control, so that even the awesome might of the Dragon and the Beast would not stand before the armies of Jesus Christ. Christ was wounded in His heel on Friday, the sixth day, the Day of the Beast – yet that is the day He crushed the Dragon’s head. At his most powerful, St. John says, the Beast is just a six, or a series of sixes; never a seven.
It is charged by some that Neron Kesar is merely a convenient "misspelling" of Nero’s name in Hebrew. This objection overlooks the fact that before the modern introduction of dictionaries the world was simply not as concerned as we are about uniformity in the spelling of names. Alternate spellings were common (e.g. "Joram" and "Jehoram" in the Old Testament), especially in the transliteration of words into a foreign tongue. But the allegation of misspelling is wholly wrong anyway. The form Neron Kesar is the linguistically "correct" Hebrew form, is the form found in the Talmud and other rabbinical writings, and was used by Hebrews in the first century, as archaeological evidence has shown. As F. W. Farrar observed, "the Jewish Christian would have tried the name as he thought of the name-that is in Hebrew letters. And the moment he did this the secret stood revealed. No Jew ever thought of Nero except as ‘Neron Kesar,’ and this gives at once . . . 666" (The Early Days of Christianity, Chicago and New York: Belford, Clarke& Co., 1882, p. 540). Of some related interest is the fact that if Nero’s name is written without the final "n" (i.e., the way it would occur to a Gentile to spell it in Hebrew), it yields the number 616 — which is exactly the variant reading in a few New Testament manuscripts. The most reasonable explanation for this variant is that it arose from the confusion over the final "n".
It may now be pointed out that in an Aramaic document from Murabba’at, dated to the "second year of the emperor Nero," the name is spelled ‘rsq nwrn’ as required by the theory (i.e., that 666 signifies Nero). The last two consonants of ‘rsq’ are damaged, but enough is preserved to show that no vowel-letter was written between the ‘q’ and ‘s’ (Apocalypse 13:18 and a Scroll from Murabba’at). The evidence can be seen by consulting the French work edited by P, Benoit, J. T. Milik, and R. DeVaux, Discoveries in the Judean Desert of Jordan II (Oxford, 1961), page 18, plate 29.
The Christians of the first century were under the military authority of Rome, a nation which openly proclaimed its rulers, the Caesars, to be divine. All those under the jurisdiction of Rome were required by law to publicly proclaim their allegiance to Caesar by burning a pinch of incense and declaring, "Caesar is Lord". Upon compliance with this law, the people were given a papyrus document called a "libellus", which they were required to present when either stopped by the Roman police or attempting to engage in commerce in the Roman marketplace, increasing the difficulty of "buying or selling" without this mark. This is the
essence of Scripture’s warnings to the early Christians against taking upon themselves the "mark of the beast".
Then every Caesar who reigned during the Roman Empire was the Antichrist because there is no indication anywhere that the idea the the title "Caesar" was part of Nero's name applied only to Nero.
That wouldn't make Nero the beast of Revelation though. I would, however, support a historicist interpretation of Revelation.
As I said, Caesar was Nero's name. The title was Princep.
So, Nero Caesar's name was the same as say "Sarah Palin" -- Palin being the "family name" and Caesar in turn being the "family name"
As I said, Caesar was Nero's name. The title was Princep.
So, Nero Caesar's name was the same as say "Sarah Palin" -- Palin being the "family name" and Caesar in turn being the "family name"
however, none of them had a name that by gematria added up to 666.
And besides Nero, there were only a few who did the persecution of Christians.
“That wouldn’t make Nero the beast of Revelation though.” — hmmm... well I don’t think it would affect that — Nero, the beast would still be the beast.
Not according to what God tells us.
The European Union is rapidly fulfilling prophecy in becoming the prophesied revived Roman Empire, the final worldly kingdom of human history. According to prophecy, this kingdom will give rise to an ecumenical and apostate religion, a global government, and a global economy. Out of this kingdom will arise the most evil dictator ever known to man - the Antichrist.
"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast." Revelation 17:12-13
BACKGROUND
The Prophet Daniel, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, provides us with very detailed information on the rise and fall of four worldly kingdoms, from the time of his life, until that glorious day when Jesus Christ will return to reign His millennial kingdom on earth. From the Book of Daniel, the four prophesied kingdoms are as follows:
Daniel tells us that there will be a future revival of the Roman Empire in the area of Europe and parts of the Middle East. This revived Roman Empire, the fourth beast of Daniel"s prophetic vision, is portrayed as the ten toes of the great image in the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylonia.
These scriptures from Daniel reveal the fourth beast, or kingdom, of his vision:
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.""Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Daniel 7:23-24.
The fourth beast is the revived Roman Empire, and the 10 horns represent the Kings of its member nations. The little horn, speaking great words, rises up and conquers three of those nations and their Kings. The little horn is Antichrist, who will rise to power through the revived Roman Empire. Of the 10 horns, three are subdued, likely because these three will resist the rise to power of Antichrist, and will object to his far-reaching powers. From this kingdom, and the reign of Antichrist," a global system of apostate religion, politics, and economics will come to fruition. Antichrist will temporarily rule over the entire earth during the three and one-half years of the Great Tribulation.
A GLOBAL ECONOMY
THE EURO
On the first of January, 1999, the Euro, and the European Monetary Union (EMU) were born. The Euro became the legal currency in eleven EU nations, in addition to national currencies, but was not expected to go into cash circulation until some time later. These nations were Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. Greece joined the currency program on January 2, 2001.
By October, 2001, these twelve member nations required prices to be displayed in both Euros and the national currency. By December of that same year, advanced distribution of Euro notes and coins to the general public began.
The Euro was used, along with the traditional national currency until the end of February 2002. However, consumers only received change back in Euros. The national currencies were no longer valid for bank accounts or cashless transactions. Travelers in the "Euro zone" were no longer required to exchange money as they moved from one country to another. Prices were then required to be displayed in Euros only.
By the fifth year as a cash currency, (January, 2007) the Euro was trading at a rate of about $1.30. The Euro is modeled after the currency system in America. The European Union has a central bank called the European Central Bank, whereas the United States has its Federal Reserve Bank. When the United States ceases to exist as an economic and military power, perhaps through the rapture, the Euro, and its trade paper, will surely take over as the great new economic power of the world.
A GLOBAL POLITICAL SYSTEM
The United States of America has been a role model of freedom and prosperity for the entire world. As America began with thirteen colonies, and grew to become a republic encompassing fifty individual states, the European Union has used her example to rapidly become a geopolitical super power, a "United States of Europe," now encompassing some twenty-seven member nations.
Of its member nations, ten nations, known as the Western European Union, have a separate and special status as full members, while others only have an associate membership, or observer status. This is significant, prophetically, because the Bible tells us that it will be a 10 nation confederacy that Antichrist and his False Prophet will rule from. However, their days in power are numbered. Jesus Christ, the Lamb, will overcome them.
"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." Revelation 17:12-14.
AN ECUMENICAL AND APOSTATE RELIGION
The final form of the revived Roman Empire, in its spiritual birth, will take place after the time of the rapture, the disappearance of all believers in Jesus Christ. The rapture, will create an enormous spiritual vacuum on this planet. As those left behind suffer through the early months of the Tribulation, a great spiritual awakening will occur. This awakening will divide the remaining inhabitants on planet earth. It will bring many into the eternal Kingdom of God, known as the Tribulation Saints. But, it will also serve as the platform for a universal world church, the harlot, who will commit fornication with demonic religions for the sake of religious unity.
The Beast" Antichrist" and his False Prophet, will at that time claim that Jesus is a lesser deity. This will begin the time of persecution spoken of in Revelation and Daniel for all of the Tribulation Saints. In this time of their fiery trial, many will be martyred for their faith, yet in doing so, gain eternal life in Christ Jesus.
"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." Revelation 6:2.
,b>"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" Revelation 13:3-4.
If the European Union is the revived Roman Empire that will bring about the rise of Antichrist, then it is important to look at its religious symbolism. According to Revelation, Chapter 17, riding on the beast's back will be the harlot that represents a global pagan religious system that will unite the world and play a part in the persecution of the tribulation saints.
"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:3-5.
THE WOMAN RIDING THE BEAST
Der Spiegel: A demonic biblical symbol from the above scriptures is being used in conjunction with the European Union today. This is where the great harlot is depicted riding a beast. When Britain issued a stamp to commemorate the first European Parliament elections in 1979, the picture on the stamp depicted this symbol.
According to the Rev. Dr. Ian Paisley, a Northern Ireland Protestant minister and member of the European Parliament, the woman on a beast is now the official picture of the European Union. He points out that the multi-million dollar new parliament building in Brussels, Belgium, contains a dome with a colossal painting, three times life size, of a woman riding a beast.
In Strasbourg, France, the rival parliamentary building (which contains a large replica of the unfinished Tower of Babel) features a mural of a naked woman riding a beast. Likewise, the new Brussels headquarters of the Council of Europe contains a bronze statue of a woman riding a beast, and the beast is depicted riding on waves, just as described in Revelation 17.
THE ANTHEM
The anthem of the European Union, "Ode to Joy," also contains religious symbolism. This song is the prelude to the last movement of Beethoven"s Ninth Symphony, which has religious implications. European Union publications claim that the anthem really is an "ode to freedom, to a sense of community and to peace between the countries which have decided to unite, and to others which will freely decide to join them.
However, "Ode To Joy" is not quite that innocent. The lyrics, written by Friedrich von Schiller, concern the entering of the shrine of a pagan goddess and the uniting of all men in brotherhood, by the power of magic.
THE FLAG
European Union's FlagThe flag of the European Union consists of twelve stars, inspired by the halo of twelve stars appearing around the Madonna, as depicted in Catholic pictures of her. Leon Marchal, former secretary general of the Council of Europe, confirmed that the stars are representative of "the woman of the Apocalypse." With great enthusiasm, he explained, "It's wonderful that we have gotten back to the Introit of the new Mass of the Assumption. It's the corona stellarum duodecim (the crown of the twelve stars) of the woman of the Apocalypse." He is referencing the woman in Revelation 12, who appears with a crown of twelve stars. The Bible uses this symbolism to represent Israel. In contrast, the Catholic Church has always claimed that she represents the Virgin Mary, "the mother of God."
THE TOWER OF BABEL
Further evidence of a religious side to the European Union is a poster they issued, showing the tower of Babel, carrying the slogan: "Many tongues, one voice." Above the Tower of Babel were shown the eurostars, inverted, as in witchcraft, with the central points downwards.
As if the celebration of the pagan tower that led God to confuse the languages of a defiant people wasn"t enough (Genesis 11:9), a crane in the background is shown rebuilding the tower. Once again, a rebellious people are rebuilding mystery Babylon. As previously mentioned, in a parliament building in Strasbourg, France, you will find an enormous replica of the unfinished tower of Babel, whose significance didn"t even escape the secular press. They have named it "Eurobabel."
THE EUROPEAN UNION CONSTITUTION
The European Union constitution bans the mention of Christianity as part of Europe"s cultural heritage, while at the same time, including references to the civilizations of Greece and Rome, and the philosophical heritage of the Enlightenment. European Union government representatives defend this view of history by claiming any mention of Christian values would upset the Muslim population.
SUMMARY
Scripture is being fulfilled before our eyes, for those with eyes to see. The stage is being set for the emergence of a global political system through the European Union, a global economic system with the Euro, and a global religious system. The European Union would seem to fulfill many of the prophesies of the fourth kingdom that is to come, from which will arise the Antichrist of the end-times. Only time will tell, but we are encouraged by Jesus Himself, to watch, and be aware of the signs. We should all be looking up. We may soon be with our Lord.
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:28.
SOURCES:
Daniel, 2: 31-45
Daniel 7: 7, 11, 19-20, 23-24
Revelation 12:3; 13:1; 16:13; 17:3-5, 7, 12, 16; 19:20; 20:10
Ezekiel 38:18-23
Genesis 11:9
Luke 21:28
So, according to the Lord, the old Roman Empire will be revived, something that has never happened in history, and from that will arise a man known as the Antichrist who will rule over the earth.
As usual, whenever there is a conflict between what man believes and what God says, we always have to go with what God says.
Beasts who have been dead for 50 years don't really pose much of a threat. Also Paul, who was never afraid to name names, never put forth Nero (or any Roman) as the Man of Lawlessness. Finally several texts of Revelation, including the earliest one we have, put the mark of the Beast as 616 rather than 666. But, putting a name on the Beast has been favorite Christian parlour game for eons and that's not gonig to stop.
true. But note that Nero had died in 69 AD — 26 years prior if one takes the latter scenario. And there were 3 Nero imposters after Nero’s death — one in 69AD, one in 81 AD and on in 90~ AD, so yes he was still considered a threat
Sez who? Name one contemporary source that found Nero any kind of threat in 95 AD.
Nowhere does Rev 17:12-13 talk os any of these. That's a man-made statement you repeated
And, more reasons to say that isn't the EU -- the EU if anything is anti-religion, hardly ecumenical by any means. It also is a shrinking, closed-off economy, not a global one, and not a global government -- the Russians etc. would laugh to be joined to those weak states -- even Turkey is now calling the EU the weak men of Europe!
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.""Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Daniel 7:23-24.
1. neo-babylonian
2. Medo-Persian
3. Alexander's Macedonian-Greek
4. the Seleucid Empire
that's referring to Antiochus IV Epiphanes -- that already happened before the time of Christ.
Don't mix up Daniel and the Apocalypse
The Euro is modeled after the currency system in America.-- does that mean that the US is this global economy that your post refers to? The US has had much more power, political, military and economic than the EU could ever aspire to have.
When the United States ceases to exist as an economic and military power, perhaps through the rapture, the Euro, and its trade paper, will surely take over as the great new economic power of the world.-- news flash -- the eurozone is collapsing. Evidently the site you took this from was written before the financial crisis.
did you also know that the EU zone's share of the world economy has actually fallen since 1990? and from 1990 when it was 25 to 30% of the world economy, in 2020 it will be 15 of the World economy? hardly a global economical powerhouse.....
so, while the UK, Poland, Czechia are part of the EU, they are not part of the Eurozone and don't have this "global currency" (which is really good for them, as the euro is collapsing!) and none of them want to join this sinking ship
If you believe that Nero was the anti-Christ, and among other things, that most of the end-time scriptures have been fulfilled, you must then believe we are living in the 1000 year reign.
It is just that i can not fathom the idea that since John said these things will shortly come to pass that after 2 thousand tears nothing has come to pass yet.
John was told in rev 1:19
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter,
The ten kings who had received no kingdom as yet is a sure sign that there is still more to come but that does not mean that much has not already happened.
John wrote it all down, but i do not think there is any way for us to determine if even John understood it all.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.