posted December 03, 2003 07:12 PM         

While I'm not going to state that the papacy is or isn't related to the beast at this time, I WOULD like to dispel completely the notion that Revelation 13:18 shows that "the beast" is a man. It MAY point to the beast being a man, and it may not.

All Revelation 13:18 really does is state that there is a beast and there is a man and that they share a number. It also claims that the person who calculates that number has understanding.

This can either mean understanding of who the beast is, or it can mean true understanding from God, it could even mean understanding of the meaning behind the book of Revelation.

While the true meaning of that verse has been shown to some of us, by John, for the sake of the skeptics, we'll refrain from stating what we specifically KNOW, and deal only with the possibilities that it is appropriate at this time to demonstrate.

Here is the text of Revelation 13:18 -

Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.

(or if you prefer the King James Version)

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

At first glance, it DOES seem to indicate that the beast is a man whose number is 666, but let's look at it more carefully.

Let's take some of the main nouns of this verse and look at them:

There is "the beast", there is "a man" and there is a number, six hundred, sixty and six.

Let's do a quick substitution of nouns and see if we can, without changing the structure of the verse, come up with a reasonable scenerio where the beast and the man are NOT the same thing.

For this, let's replace "the beast" with "the event"..a noun for noun replacement.

Then, let's replace "a man" with, "a service"..again a noun for noun replacement.

Finally let's change the number from 666 to nine hundred and eleven..a three digit number for a three digit number.

Let's look at our new verse and see what we can see:

Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the event, for it is the number of a service. Its number is nine hundred and eleven.

(or if you prefer the King James Version)

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the event: for it is the number of a service; and its number is Nine hundred and eleven.

It doesn't take a wild imagination to see that the event was September eleventh in our example, and that the service is the 9-1-1 emergency service. Is the 9-1-1 emergency service the same thing as September 11th? No, of course not. The only thing they have in common, is that they share a number. (And perhaps that the emergency service was instrumental in saving lives from the effects of the September 11th attacks...but let's not take the comparison that far.)

Understand that I only use September 11th because it provides a clear example of how this verse could have been misinterpreted for many many years. All that Revelation 13:18 says beyond any rational doubt is that the author spoke of a beast and a man that shared a number. He did NOT state that the beast and the man were the same thing.

There are a few of us who have met "the man" in question, and we have seen the evidence of "the number" in question.

This man is not the beast, but he knows what the beast is.

If you haven't already, see the world's greatest fraud for more information. You might also check out testify to the father and The Awakener.

Good luck in your search for answers. There will be more information soon.

posted August 24, 2005 12:00 PM         

Best to you in your search for answers.

Love,

posted August 24, 2005 08:39 PM         

quote:

---

it must be played so that the local intelligence is taught or shown how it works in such manner that it comes to its own conclusions.

---