Post by LejaOMG on Nov 2, 2010 8:58:02 GMT -5
Does anyone care to dissect this with me? Let's start with just a question: As far as you can tell, who or what does the wild beast represent?
...And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. (2) Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to [the beast] its power and its throne and great authority.
(3) And I saw one of its heads as though slaughtered to death, but its death-stroke got healed, and all the earth followed the wild beast with admiration. (4) And they worshiped the dragon because it gave the authority to the wild beast, and they worshiped the wild beast with the words: “Who is like the wild beast, and who can do battle with it?” (5) And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given it, and authority to act forty-two months was given it. (6) And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his residence, even those residing in heaven. (7) And there was granted it to wage war with the holy ones and conquer them, and authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. (8) And all those who dwell on the earth will worship it; the name of not one of them stands written in the scroll of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered, from the founding of the world.
...
(11) And I saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, but it began speaking as a dragon. (12) And it exercises all the authority of the first wild beast in its sight. And it makes the earth and those who dwell in it worship the first wild beast, whose death-stroke got healed. (13) And it performs great signs, so that it should even make fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind.
(14) And it misleads those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs that were granted it to perform in the sight of the wild beast, while it tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the wild beast that had the sword-stroke and yet revived. (15) And there was granted it to give breath to the image of the wild beast, so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed all those who would not in any way worship the image of the wild beast.
(16) And it puts under compulsion all persons, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, that they should give these a mark in their right hand or upon their forehead, (17) and that nobody might be able to buy or sell except a person having the mark, the name of the wild beast or the number of its name. (18) Here is where wisdom comes in: Let the one that has intelligence calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man’s number; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six.[/color]
...And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. (2) Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to [the beast] its power and its throne and great authority.
(3) And I saw one of its heads as though slaughtered to death, but its death-stroke got healed, and all the earth followed the wild beast with admiration. (4) And they worshiped the dragon because it gave the authority to the wild beast, and they worshiped the wild beast with the words: “Who is like the wild beast, and who can do battle with it?” (5) And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given it, and authority to act forty-two months was given it. (6) And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his residence, even those residing in heaven. (7) And there was granted it to wage war with the holy ones and conquer them, and authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. (8) And all those who dwell on the earth will worship it; the name of not one of them stands written in the scroll of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered, from the founding of the world.
...
(11) And I saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, but it began speaking as a dragon. (12) And it exercises all the authority of the first wild beast in its sight. And it makes the earth and those who dwell in it worship the first wild beast, whose death-stroke got healed. (13) And it performs great signs, so that it should even make fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind.
(14) And it misleads those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs that were granted it to perform in the sight of the wild beast, while it tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the wild beast that had the sword-stroke and yet revived. (15) And there was granted it to give breath to the image of the wild beast, so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed all those who would not in any way worship the image of the wild beast.
(16) And it puts under compulsion all persons, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, that they should give these a mark in their right hand or upon their forehead, (17) and that nobody might be able to buy or sell except a person having the mark, the name of the wild beast or the number of its name. (18) Here is where wisdom comes in: Let the one that has intelligence calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man’s number; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six.
