When the Bible was written it was based
on views, rumours, stories that came God knows whence as well as deep ignorance. Then
it seems that Jews were conspiring with the state to persecute - that was in the
First Century. Some things never change.
The Beast
Of Revelations
QUOTE
The Beast is a figure in the
Book of Revelation, the last book of the
New
Testament. There are two beasts described in Revelation 13; the First Beast
arises out of the sea, having seven heads and 10 horns. The Second (Lamb-like)
Beast arises out of the earth, having the appearance of a
lamb while speaking
like a dragon.
This Beast exercises authority on behalf of the first beast, causing the
Earth-dwellers to
make an image of the First Beast, and worship him. It is able to give life to
this image so that it could speak and kill anyone who doesn't worship the First
Beast. This Beast is later called “The False Prophet” (Rev. 16:13; Rev. 19:20;
Rev. 20:10) and together with the Dragon and the First Beast forms the
unholy trinity.
UNQUOTE
Perhaps the most interesting thing is WHO the Beasts are.
Suggestions include:-
the Jewish religious system of the first century that conspired with the
Roman state to suppress and persecute the early church (this is the view of
several preterist interpreters)........
the priesthood of the
Roman Catholic Church
the religion of
Islam
the
Papacy (this is the view of the Protestant Reformers). The Very Reverend
Ian Paisley might well be one such.
The Unholy Trinity
The Unholy Trinity is seen in
Christian eschatology as the exact opposite of the
Holy Trinity that represents
God,
Christ, and
the
Holy Spirit. The Unholy Trinity represents
Satan,
Antichrist, and the
False Prophet. Alternatively Unholy Trinity would also mean that Satan,
the Antichrist and the False Prophet are all one and the same but separated
into different incarnations, just as God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are
all one entity in separate incarnations.
Antichrist
In
Christian eschatology, the Antichrist or anti-Christ means
a person, office, or group recognized as fulfilling the Biblical prophecies
about one who will oppose
Christ and substitute himself in Christ's place......
False Prophet
In
religion,
the term false prophet is a label given to a person who is viewed as
illegitimately claiming
charismatic authority within a
religious group. The individual may be seen as one who falsely claims
the gift of
prophecy, or who uses that gift for
demagogy
or evil
ends..... The term is sometimes applied outside religion, to describe
someone who fervently promotes a theory that the speaker thinks is false.
Satan
Satan is a term.. traditionally
applied to an
angel in
Christian belief...... While Hebrew ha-Satan is "the accuser" and Satan
itself means "to overcome" — the one who challenged the religious faith of
humans in the books of
Job
and
Zechariah — Abrahamic religious belief systems other than
Judaism
relate this term to a
demon, a
rebellious
fallen angel,
devil, minor god and
idol,
or as an
allegory for
knowledge
or the enlightenment of mankind - as in
Ignorance Is
Strength??
Number of the
Beast
is a concept from the
Book of Revelation of the
New Testament of the
Christian
Bible. The
Number is
666 in most manuscripts of the New Testament, and in modern translations
and
critical editions of the Greek text.......... Some scholars contend that
the number 666 is a code for the
Roman Emperor
Nero, others that 616 is a code for the
Roman Emperor
Caligula.
Blair is another possible.
Whore of Babylon
ex Wiki
The Whore of Babylon is one of several
Christian
allegorical
figures of supreme
evil mentioned in the
Book of Revelation in the
Bible. The
Whore is associated with the
Antichrist and the
Beast of Revelation by connection with an equally allegorical kingdom.
The Whore's
apocalyptic downfall is
prophesied
to take place in the hands of the beast with seven heads and ten horns.
There is much speculation within all religious perspectives on what the
Whore and Beast symbolize as well as the possible implications for
contemporary interpretations.
One nominee is
Maggie Thatcher, bless her cotton socks.
Here she is riding the Beast from Revelations.