Anyone else here believe we are living in the end of the age described in the Bible? Obviously you have to be religious to believe this, so this is intended mainly for the religious crowd, but let me go over all the events lining up in our present day that I believe are fulfilling the prophecies from Daniel, Revelation, and Mathew 24:

- Economic globalization (bankers and corporations control the world, virtually all industrialized nations are members of the WTO, even Russia now, every nation is competing in the global economy)

- One world government (Nation unions, global coalition of the willing, global war on terror - nations are uniting under a false threat)

- Mark of the Beast (RFID chip implants are inevitable)

- Increasing natural and man-made disasters, global warming, huge increase in earthquakes. (from Mathew 24)

- People wil be concerned about "peace and safety" (national security propaganda is being used to justify totalitarian laws)

- Increase in violence, peace being taken from the earth

I could go on and give an in-depth detailed analysis of the whole situation but I am just going to be breif here, as I am just trying to poll the people on this forum for now to see what the general consensus is.

Yeah, I do think we are in the "last days".

Check 2 Timothy 3:1-7. And Matthew 24 gives a great explanation of the last days.

Although I got to say, I don't agree with you on the Mark of the Beast thing.

A thought here, if you want to poll the people of this forum, why not start a "poll".

J

So what do you propose it is?

IMO if the end were to come in the next few years, I can't think of anything other than RFID that could possibly fulfill that prophecy.

Too many people aren't informed. I just can't as a Christian believe that this is the end. .The masses out there are pitiful. God didn't plan for us to go out looking this bad and be this ill informed. Would be pointless to make us.

I have to disagree with you adroo inc., I think we are nearin' the end here.

What with corrupt politicians, espionage, terrorism, (Not to mention gas prices :P ) It's kind of hard not to think that "the end is near", from whatever movie that phrase is from.

The Tribulation's coming, so be prepared everyone. Maybe not soon, but it's coming. :mellow:

I say just live life likes theres no tomorrow... B) I also think that 2012 stuff is true! :unsure:

im as christian as they come but i dont no if the world might end


thatd be crazYYY

Oh absolutly the end time is near!


Bibically, check Ezekel 32 (or Isa 32?, I have to read it again) and think about the recent elections of women getting into office. I don't care who you are, it is upside down leadership.

But silent, where is the "one world government stuff?"

It doesn't actually mention one world government anywhere, but implies the world becoming smaller, and certain nations and people having global influence.

What if the world blew a big lava flow through China then Iraq...and then the Earth just crumble and we had 87 hours to life till' the whole world dies! That'd be crazy right there :lol:

The 666 has been of much confusion. Few Bible topics have evoked as much interest and concern as the prophecy about the mysterious mark, or name, of "the wild beast"—the number 666. On television and the Internet, as well as in movies, books, and magazines, the mark of the beast has been the focus of endless speculation.

For example, some believe that 666 is the mark of the Biblical antichrist. Others say that it signifies some form of compulsory identification, such as a tattoo or an implanted microchip with a digital code that identifies the person as a servant of the beast. Still others hold that 666 is the mark of the Catholic papacy. Substituting Roman numerals for the letters in a form of the pope's official title, Vicarius Filii Dei (Vicar of the Son of God), and manipulating the figures a little, they come up with 666. It is also claimed that the same number can be calculated from the Latin name of Roman Emperor Diocletian and from the Hebrew version of the name Nero Caesar.

These fanciful and contrived interpretations, however, are very different from what the Bible itself says about the mark of the beast. The Bible does reveal that those with the mark will experience God's wrath when he brings an end to the present system of things.(Revelation 14:9-11; 19:20) Understanding the meaning of 666, therefore, is much more than just solving an intriguing puzzle.

To understand what is the mark of the beast, let me post the whole verse that talks about it:

To understand this verse, we must look at four main lines of reasoning—vital clues—that will reveal the meaning of the mark of the beast. We should consider (1) how Bible names are sometimes chosen, (2) the identity of the wild beast, (3) what is meant by 666 being "a man's number," and (4) the significance of the number 6 and why it is written in triple digits, namely, 600 plus 60 plus 6, or 666.—Revelation 13:18.

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1) Bible Names—More Than Just Labels
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Bible names often have special significance, particularly when given by God. For example, because Abram would become the father of nations, God changed the patriarch's name to Abraham, meaning "Father of a Multitude." (Genesis 17:5) God told Joseph and Mary to call Mary's future child Jesus, which means "Jehovah Is Salvation." (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31) In harmony with that meaningful name, through Jesus' ministry and sacrificial death, Jehovah made possible our salvation.—John 3:16.

Accordingly, the God-given number-name 666 must symbolize what God sees as defining attributes of the beast. Naturally, to understand those traits, we need to identify the beast itself and learn about its activities.

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2) The Beast Exposed
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The Bible book of Daniel sheds much light on the meaning of symbolic beasts. Chapter 7 contains a vivid tableau of "four huge beasts"—a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a fearsome beast with big teeth of iron. (Daniel 7:2-7) Daniel tells us that these beasts represent "kings," or political kingdoms, that rule in succession over vast empires.—Daniel 7:17, 23.

Regarding the beast of Revelation 13:1, 2, The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible points out that it "combines in itself the joint characteristics of the four beasts of Daniel's vision . . . Accordingly, this first beast [of Revelation] represents the combined forces of all political rule opposed to God in the world." This observation is affirmed by Revelation 13:7, which says of the beast: "Authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation."

Why does the Bible use beasts as symbols of human rulership? For at least two reasons. First, because of the beastly record of bloodshed that governments have accrued over the centuries. "War is one of the constants of history," wrote historians Will and Ariel Durant, "and has not diminished with civilization or democracy." How true that "man has dominated man to his injury"! (Ecclesiastes 8:9) The second reason is that "the dragon [Satan] gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority." (Revelation 12:9; 13:2) Accordingly, human rulership is a product of the Devil, thus reflecting his beastly, dragonlike disposition.—John 8:44; Ephesians 6:12.

This does not mean, however, that every human ruler is a direct tool of Satan. Indeed, in one sense, human governments serve as "God's minister," giving structure to human society, without which chaos would rule. And some leaders have protected fundamental human rights, including the right to engage in true worship—something that Satan does not want. (Romans 13:3, 4; Ezr 7:11-27; Acts 13:7) Still, because of the Devil's influence, no human or human institution has ever been able to bring lasting peace and security to the people. —John 12:31.

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3) "A Human Number"
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A third clue to the meaning of 666 lies in its being "a man's number," or as The Amplified Bible puts it, "a human number." This expression could not refer to an individual human, for Satan—not any man—has authority over the beast. (Luke 4:5, 6; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 13:2, 18) Rather, the beast's having "a human number," or mark, suggests that it is a human entity, not spirit or demon, and that it therefore manifests certain human traits. What might they be? The Bible answers, saying: "All [humans] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) The beast's having "a human number," therefore, indicates that governments reflect the fallen human condition, the mark of sin and imperfection.

History bears this out. "Every civilization that has ever existed has ultimately collapsed," said former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. "History is a tale of efforts that failed, of aspirations that weren't realized . . . So, as a historian, one has to live with a sense of the inevitability of tragedy." Kissinger's honest appraisal testifies to this fundamental Bible truth: "To earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step."—Jeremiah 10:23.

Now that we have identified the beast and discerned how God views it, we are in a position to examine the final part of our puzzle—the number six and why it is written in triple digits—that is, 666, or 600 plus 60 plus 6.

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4) Six Repeated Three Times—Why?
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In the Scriptures, certain numbers have symbolic significance. The number seven, for example, is often used to symbolize that which is complete, or perfect, in God's eyes. For instance, God's creative week comprises seven 'days,' or extended time periods, during which God completely accomplishes his creative purpose regarding the earth. (Genesis 1:3–2:3) God's "sayings" are like silver that has been "clarified seven times," thus perfectly refined. (Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5, 6) The leper Naaman was told to bathe seven times in the Jordan River, after which he was completely healed.—2 Kings 5:10, 14.

Six is one short of seven. Would it not be a fitting symbol of something imperfect, or defective, in God's eyes? Yes, indeed! (1 Chronicles 20:6, 7) Moreover, six repeated three times, as 666, powerfully stresses that imperfection. That this is the correct view is supported by the fact that 666 is "a human number," as we have considered. Thus, the beast's record, its "human number," and the number 666 itself all point to one unmistakable conclusion—gross shortcoming and failure in the eyes of Jehovah.

The portrayal of the beast's deficiencies calls to mind what was said about King Belshazzar of ancient Babylon. Through Daniel, Jehovah said to that ruler: "You have been weighed in the balances and have been found deficient." That very night Belshazzar was killed, and the mighty Babylonian Empire fell. (Daniel 5:27, 30) Likewise, God's judgment of the political beast and of those with its mark spells the end of that entity and its supporters. In this instance, however, God will eradicate not just one political system but every vestige of human rule. (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 19:19, 20) How important, therefore, that we avoid having the deadly mark of the beast!

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The Mark Identified
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Immediately after disclosing the number 666, Revelation mentions 144,000 followers of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who have his name and the name of his Father, Jehovah, written on their foreheads. These names identify the bearers as belonging to Jehovah and to his Son, about whom they proudly bear witness. Likewise, those having the mark of the beast proclaim their servitude to the beast. Thus, the mark, whether on the right hand or on the forehead, figuratively speaking, is a symbol that identifies its bearer as one who gives worshipful support to the beastlike political systems of the world. Those having the mark give to "Caesar" that which rightly belongs to God. (Luke 20:25; Revelation 13:4, 8; 14:1) How? By giving worshipful honor to the political state, its symbols, and its military might, to which they look for hope and salvation. Any worship that they render the true God is merely lip service.

In contrast, the Bible urges us: "Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs. His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish." (Psalm 146:3, 4) Those who heed that wise counsel are not disillusioned when governments fail to deliver on their promises or when charismatic leaders fall from grace.—Proverbs 1:33.

This does not mean that true Christians sit back and do nothing about mankind's plight. On the contrary, they actively proclaim the one government that will solve mankind's problems—God's Kingdom, which they represent.—Matthew 24:14.

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SUMMARY
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Clues to the Meaning of 666

1. Bible names often say something about the bearer's traits or life, as in the case of Abraham, Jesus, and many others. Likewise, the beast's number-name encodes its characteristics.
2. In the Bible book of Daniel, the various beasts represent successive human kingdoms, or empires. The composite beast of Revelation 13:1, 2 symbolizes the worldwide political system, empowered and controlled by Satan.
3. The beast's having "a man's number," or "a human number," indicates that it is a human entity, not a demon. Hence, it reflects human failings resulting from sin and imperfection.
4. In God's eyes, the number six, being short of the Biblically complete, or perfect, seven, points to imperfection. The mark 666 emphasizes that deficiency by repeating the number three times.


I hope this can help you understand the real meaning of the mark of the beast. And, SilentKoala, also take into mind that "the dragon [Satan] gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority" (Revelation 12:9; 13:2) therefore the beast cannot be Satan.

J

trumpet.com

seek the truth, maybe it works differently on a windows comp then from a mac, but trumpet.com is an actual trumpet store...

Anyway about the mark of the Beast,

I think it means just that you are "owned" by the beast, which in this case is most likely Satan. There might be a mark, like in Pirates of the Carribean 2 when jack gets marked by davy jones, but i think it will just be an internal mark, that people who haven't been marked can see.

I don't think you will get branded with a hot iron or anything, I think it will just be like a strong emotion that shows what you are really like, and which Spiritual, Powerful being owns you.

http://www.thetrumpet.com/

I don't know if you read my last post. But on it I explained why the Beast is not Satan. Therefor, the mark of the beast is not the mark of Satan. Hence, the Beast must be something other than Satan.

Basically, the Bible says that "the dragon [Satan] gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority" (Revelation 12:9; 13:2). This means the beast is something different from Satan, which I explained in my last post.

This is a mistake many people make because they don't read the Bible and just say what they have read somewhere else or what someone else said.

Hope this clears up any doubts,

J

the Beast power is Germeny

I take that offensive! I am 99% German <_<

Anyways...if it is not the one called 'Satan' then who could it be? :blink: Couldn't it be like a much evil or something that 'Satan' couldn't fight and just lost to [it]? Makes you think :unsure:

Not ment to be offensive, it just is, histroy has, can, and will repeat itself.

My research:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...40-70c27f334d40

I read somewhere that a great nation to the East will rise up and attack Israel.

Somewhere I heard that that country might be China. They do have a strong army, and they are East of Israel... :mellow:




Anyways, Jarroyo I do read the Bible, I just don't read every last verse. But I can understand that, in the way that Satan would hand power down to someone else, and that makes sense. Could the one he gives power and authority to be the Anti-Christ?

Well, I am glad that you read the Bible. I hope you don't take me the wrong way, I do not mean to attack you, it's just that I've been studying the Bible for many years and I'm a devoted Christian and this subject in particular draws to my attention.

I explained on an earlier post what the beast is. I divided the post in 4 sections. The second one explains the beast:

Read 3 and 4 for a mor throughout explanation.

J