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Originally posted by clarkgoble: That's more a conservative American protestant interpretation. If you read the book it is couched in flowery symblic imagery and tying it to any particular world event is difficult. It says nothing about any "world currency" for instance. It speaks of the mark of the beast (typically taken to be Caesar) and that to buy or sell you had to have the mark of the beast. Even if one see the beast/Caesar as a type of the last days, one must quickly see that the Protestant interpretations are but one of dozens of possible readings. Take pretty much any period of the last 150 years and you'll find at least some Protestant theologian claiming Revelation talked about it in depth. |
True. Its all interpretation, which I couched what I said in speculative terms.
However, when the antichrist comes, I don't think he'll do much that is different. He will have to have access (I assume) to the largest arsenal in order to rule the entire world with a "rod of iron". At present, that's the US. He will also (apparently) wage war between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers (which is Baghdad, or Babylon). He will order the rebuilding of the Temple (have no idea how that would come about), and would fool the very elect (have strong christian support -- the right wing christian contingent would do nicely here in the equation).
As far as the Mark of the Beast, its said everyone must have a number written in their hands or their heads. Right now the technology exists to make implanted ID chips, and the only impediment to them is simply that Bush hasn't asked for them yet.
Under Homeland Security, I can easily see a situation where we are required to be implanted for "security".
but everything is open to interpretation, as always.