Alot of people talking about the "mark of the beast". And what it means.
I am actually more fascinated by the description of what the beast is metaphorically in the vision that John had on the Island of Patmos.
Among many other things worth reading, John describes seeing in the future a multi-nation conglomerate which surrenders their respective sovereignty to a single centralized entity. Two things define it... a completely controlled, centralized monetary system, where no one can buy or sell unless they have an unspecified marking in their hand or hairline (forehead), and the ability to "call down fire from the sky" to enforce this economic system. (Space race to develop focused energy weapons anyone?)
But what interests me the most is the metaphor of the woman riding the back of the beast. Which is to mean the driving ideology, belief system, and worldview that drives this coming globalist political system. The beast itself has symbology of Babylon, Persia, Greek, and Rome. But the woman, or the ideology behind it, is called Babylon, the Great Harlot. Who in the text, is labeled as responsible for all the bloodshed, and corruption in the earth over the millennia.
This fascinates me because of the history of the concept of "Empire" in the earth. Or centralized tyrannical government. A direct line can be traced from Sumer which became Babylon, to Persia, to Greece, and then to Rome. But the seed bed of dictatorial tyranny in the earth, really began in Babylon. Personally, when I read this, I see a total condemnation of the concept of Empire itself. Its something that God is totally against, and hates. That is absolutely fascinating to me.
Perhaps most important is the small line in Revelation which rarely gets talked about, which is "God is bringing them forth to perdition." If you believe this vision, (which is astoundingly accurate), the reason the rise of this one world system is being allowed, is not so they can rule and reign, but so it can be completely destroyed once and for all.
Im not sure if this globalist system, which has been trying to birth itself into the world for a long time, will succeed this time around. In fact, I have doubts it will, and suspect a time after this of it retreating. But eventually it will succeed. But the point is, if the old vision is to be believed, it will not stay it power. In fact, it will not survive one decade before being completely destroyed.
Faith, Hope, and Love will remain.
