Revelation 13:17
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here the beast is clearly identified with commerce. Some say that the mark of the beast is the bar codes that are ubiquitous on all merchandise at checkout counters. Others say that this refers to implantable chips that we will all be required to carry soon, either under our skin or on our ID cards. In any case, we all have the mark of the beast- we buy from corporate stores, we depend on corporate gasoline for fuel and heat, we work for corporations, our health care comes through corporations, half of us depend on corporate drugs to maintain life and health.
Our worship of money is backed by churches that teach that material wealth is a mark of God's favor. People who buy into this system are rewarded with jobs in corporations, connections that help them in business, access to a network of services provided by these churches to their adherents. Meanwhile, the false prophets of the right wing churches- Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and their ilk, preach obedience to a punitive God who regulates sexual mores and how one votes, but ignores true spiritual values like truth and loving one's neighbor.
Daniel 7: 8I was considering the ten horns it had,
when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,
and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.
This horn had eyes like a man,
and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
Does this sound like "Bring 'em on" George? Could the arrogant little horn be the man that promises "freedom" to Iraq while he destroys it? Bush is a corporate man, through and through, and has shoved aside his father, Colin Powell, Brent Scowcroft and their ilk to fulfill his own vision of taking over the world.
The good news is, that prophecy condemns the beast to the fiery lake of public opprobrium. This is what we are seeing now.
Daniel 7: 11The court was convened, and the books were opened.
I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words
which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain
and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.
Daniel 7: 25 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing... 26 " 'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever.
The 19th chapter of the Book of Revelation describes the battle of Armageddon, with Jesus on a white horse confronting the kings of the earth and their armies, who are allied with the beast.
Rev 19: 19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.
The rider is the Prince of Peace, and his army is the international army of peacemakers, truthtellers and justice seekers.
20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
In the name of the Prince of Peace, Carol Wolman
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