SHOP NOW with the MARK OF THE BEAST using PAYPAL on your SMARTPHONE

The Matrix Data Barcode - the Mark of the Beast

The Mark of the Beast money system for buying and selling is being introduced over here in Australia via the mobile phones. Moreover, this is happening without the average Aussie even being aware of what is going on.

For years and years, I was amongst the chorus of those who thought that the mark was an RFID chip. That is, until the Matrix Data Barcode started to appear everywhere I looked. As we have been buying and selling with barcodes for years and years anyway, it was at that point that I then came to the realization that the mark of the beast has been with us all for that amount of time anyway, but that is was just that we did not know that it was already here.

Can we then say the same thing when it comes to the correct identity of the beast; the suggestion is that he may have already achieved his power base without the average Christian even being aware that he is already in power. That may be the case even though there may be those who already suspect just who he is by naming who he is in some instances.

Data Matrix code is a two-dimensional matrix barcode consisting of black and white "cells" or modules arranged in either a square or rectangular pattern. The information to be encoded can be text or numeric data. Usual data size is from a few bytes up to 1556 bytes. The length of the encoded data depends on the number of cells in the matrix. Error correction codes are often used to increase reliability: even if one or more cells is damaged so it is unreadable, the message can still be read. A Data Matrix symbol can store up to 2,335 alphanumeric characters.

The 2D Matrix Barcode Scanner

Data Matrix symbols are rectangular in shape and usually square and are composed of "cells": little squares that represent bits. Depending on the coding used, a "light" cell represents a 0 and a "dark" cell is a 1, or vice versa. Every Data Matrix is composed of two solid adjacent borders in an "L" shape (called the "finder pattern") and two other borders consisting of alternating dark and light "cells" or modules (called the "timing pattern").

Within these borders are rows and columns of cells encoding information. The finder pattern is used to locate and orient the symbol while the timing pattern provides a count of the number of rows and columns in the symbol. As more data is encoded in the symbol, the number of cells (rows and columns) increases. Each code is unique. Symbol sizes vary from 10×10 to 144×144 in the new version ECC 200, and from 9×9 to 49×49 in the old version ECC 000 - 140.

Some us who like to receive what most would label as being junk mail in their letterboxes. Just the other day I happened to receive a Good Guys (a local electrical retailer) catalogue in the mail. On the front page was pictorial representation of a mobile phone with a clearly marked drawing of the mark of the beast right in the centre of the illustration. Around this illustration were the words SHOP NOW with PAY PAL via the mobile phone.

The mark of the beast is already then on the Smartphone in the form of an application with the next phase sure to be that it will soon start to appear on the skin. From that point onwards, once buying and selling begins, there can be no doubts at all that what will be looking at will be the Mark of the Beast.

The banking elitists, or the Jews behind the New World Order like to introduce dramatic changes slowly so that those who are having any new system foisted upon them do not become aware of what is taking place until after it is too late. That is exactly what is taking place right now, slowly but surely. After all, that was how the GST was brought into law over here, slowly but surely. Furthermore, there may yet be other infrastructure, such as the National Broadband Network, that still needs laid down before the mark can start to go onto the skin for buying and selling.

With a process like time setting one runs a distinct risk of any date that has been set of passing by without the predicated event-taking place. Knowing the scum of human nature, the only result of that can be is that I would be labelled as a False Prophet, terminology that passed the lips of so many quite frequently. Accordingly, I am then not going to pin point a date and say with without any doubts at all that this is going to be the time when we are going to see what now is nothing much more than a Smartphone application go onto the skin. It only those who are in the higher up echelons of the New World Order who are ever going to know exact dates and times. The rest of us will find out after the event has taken place.

A bizarre coincident? concerning the barcode is the Greek word charagma translated 'mark' in Revelation. Here's how Robert Van Kampen, in The Sign describes this coincident:

"It is interesting to note that the Greek word translated 'mark' is charagma which comes from the Greek word charax, which means 'a palisade, like a picket fence.' When one realizes that this specific word was used back in the first century, and we see today the use of the computer-related bar code, we find the possibilities becoming more than a reality in our day and age." (Robert Van Kampen, The Sign, 1992, p. 231)

Here's the explanation: The Greek "root" word for charagma (translated "mark") is charax. One of the meanings of charax is "a palisade" which is like a "picket fence, or vertical lines". The "idea" is, the reason John used the Greek word charagma, rather than stigma, etc., is because he was describing a 'mark' with vertical lines — a "bar code".

The barcode did something very important to help bring in 666: The mark of the Beast. . .

The barcode opened the door (in fact, it not only opened it, it kicked the door down) to the "digital world". Everything is now a number. Everything gets a barcode. As someone truly said, "If it exists, bar code it". I remember when barcodes first started appearing. I began telling people back then, the barcode was preparing the world for 666: the Mark of the Beast. Was I ever laughed at. . . even by the Christians. I can still remember their laughing and ridicule, "You mean to tell me, everything is getting one of those "marks". You mean, I'll go even to the local "7-Eleven" and they'll have laser scanners and they'll scan these "marks". No way. It would be too obvious what was happening. Everybody would know the mark of the beast is coming".

But isn't it amazing 25 years later. . . and nobody gives the "mysterious" barcodes even a "second thought".

Satan very carefully and subtlety (see Genesis 3:1 and 2 Cor. 11:3) indoctrinated us to our wonderful, convenient, new "digital world".

Take a close look at any electronic devices, whether it is an automotive keyless entry system or home audio equipment, and you will come across a unique coding standard called Data Matrix which is used by current product manufacturers.

The drive behind the integration of this standard is to help manufacturers build an automated tracking system which is long lasting, machine readable, and creates a unique identification of each product during its entire life cycle.

The ECC 200 2D Data Matrix codes are made through laser marking. They are a cost-effective method for distinctive identification and tracking of products during the manufacturing cycle, sales distribution and after-sale warranty verification stages.

All that I am able to do is to hazard a guess, as sheer speculation is all that it is going to be, I will say that we should see the matrix data barcode go onto the skin sometime within the next ten years or so.

That may sound like good news to those who are older. (I fit into the older category) However, to those who are still quite young that type of news is not so good, as what it then means that those same persons are going to see the Antichrist in full flight.

Furthermore, those same persons will also have to take the mark of the beast if they have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their saviour and deliverer. If there are those who reading this and have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their saviour there is no better time than right now to do just that by reciting the believers prayer of redemption out loud. See the HOW TO BE SAVED page below.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Raeptius and Harpazo

There would have been literally dozens and dozens of books written on the Rapture of the Church. In fact, there would have been so many it is therefore not surprising that there has been so many who have been thus far fooled by something that is not even mentioned in the word of God to begin with.

Most of those reading this would have a
basic understanding of the original meaning of the word Rapture. Nevertheless, there are those who say that when used in Biblical terms the word Rapture is supposedly an English word used in place of the Latin word raeptius, which is taken from the Vulgate version of the BIble, which in turn is a translation of the Koine Greek word harpazo, found in the early Greek New Testament manuscripts of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

As one may have gathered from the above there those who claim that even though the word Rapture is never mentioned in the word of God some claim that due to an incredible metamorphous the word Rapture has been handed down to us in this modern day and age.

HOWEVER IF THOSE ORIGINAL WORDS HAD THE MEANING IT IS CLAIMED THEY DO THEN WHY WERE THEY NOT TRANSLATED INTO THE MODERN VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE SO THAT THE WORD RAPTURE IS PRESENT IN THE MODERN VERSIONS. THERE IS A VERY SIMPLE REASON WHY THE WORD RAPTURE IS NOT PRESENT IN THE MODERN TRANSLATIONS. THE ORIGINAL MEANINGS OF THOSE WORDS RAEPTIUS AND HARPAZO ARE NOT WHAT THEY CLAIM TO BE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT MEAN A RAPTURE AT ALL.

I for one would have no idea at all when it comes to reading the original Greek or Latin versions of the Bible. Therefore, how can I take that as being the correct information that is really nothing much more than second hand information at the best of times.

Nonetheless, there are those who say that "The "Rapture" event itself is the name given to a Biblically revealed event in which Jesus Christ descends from Heaven, accompanied by the spirits of all the saints who have passed on prior to this event, and then the bodily remains of these saints are transported from the earth to meet the Lord and be rejoined with their corresponding spirits in the air.

Adding to that it is claimed in many modern English translations of the Bible, harpazo is translated; "caught up", or "taken away". The meaning of "harpazo"[ har-pad'-zo Koine Greek;] is= "forcibly snatched away", "taken for oneself". Christians, alive and dead, are therefore "forcibly snatched away" by Jesus at some time known only to God the Father, and taken to Heaven to be with Jesus forever. The Bible then says, "Comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess 4:18 KJV).

The word of God does not say that the Christians will be taken up into Heaven to be with the Lord forever. Quite clearly, the word of God says that the dead in Christ will be raised first and then we who are still alive will be gathered together to meet the Lord in the air, with there being a distinct difference between the air and Heaven.

There is a great deal of scriptural verse that so many quite commonly use to verify their rapture doctrine. However there is still nothing at all that describes anything other than the Day of the Lord which really has very little to do with a Rapture. Nevertheless, the Day of the Lord and the Rapture of the Church are one in the same event as there are not two separate events.

If there is anyone, out there in cyber land who would like to show me a verse that they claim refers to a Rapture of the Church then I would be quite happy to retract that statement. However, I won't have to because no such verse exists.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Windows 8 and Some Obvious Conclusions It Now Draws.

Just to gain some sort of an idea of a comparison between windows 7 and windows 8 I have installed the latest version on one of my computers.

What I have found is that there is very little or no difference at all between the either one of the operating systems but that there are a what they label as being apps (short for applications) on the start page of the windows 8 computer when it is first switched on.

The apps have been quite prevalent on other similar devices for quite some time and now and because of the latest Microsoft operating system, they are all prevailing in the world of computers as well.

That then beggars the question as to why we are having apps foisted upon us in the first place when there are those of us who have been quite happy to do without them.

The answer to that question just may lay in the reality of the mark of the beast being introduced over here in Australia via the applications on the iphone -- and that those of us who have resisted the Iphone are now having the apps foisted upon them anyway.

That statement does not seem to be all that far removed from the truth when a minimal price is being charged for windows 8 and that it can be installed on any computer hardware going right back to the early days of XP.

In the past whenever a new operating system came out from Microsoft it involved hundreds and hundreds of dollars, alternatively, the cost of a new operating system involved the purchase of a new computer with the latest operating system already installed.

Of course, there is no one who is forcing anyone to go out and buy this latest version of windows.

However, for the reasons mentioned above they are making it so attractive to do so that anyone with an old computer would be foolish not to do so.

The reality of what I have mentioned above verifies that the Mark of the Beast is an application tattooed onto the skin and that it is being very cleverly foisted upon us over here in Australia even as I write this piece.

What is taking place is also a true testament to the true cunning of Satan and to the foolishness of those who have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their saviour and deliverer.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Myths of a Muslim Antichrist

by Jeremy Stevens
Ever since the followers of Mohammad stormed across the Middle East in the 6th century, Christians have feared this aggressive religion. Aside from the three hundred year struggle of the Crusades, Christians and Muslims have clashed time and again. Wherever Islam grows, the established Christian society finds itself besieged by the resilience of Islamic culture, and occasionally by the power of Muslim armies.

Lebanon, Nigeria, Egypt, Syria – all of these countries have seen their Christian minorities oppressed as Islamic birthrates continue to dominate their Christian adversaries. In the 21st century, Americans are rightfully afraid of the terror wrought by radical Islamist groups. From the recent killing of our ambassador in Libya to the terror of 9/11, Americans are on the front line of the War on Terror.

With Muslim birthrates soaring across predominantly Christian strongholds from Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa some sociological experts have Islam replacing Christianity as the world’s largest religion soon—real soon. There are simply not enough Dugger families in the Christian world to keep up with the Duggers of “Islamistan”.

What does scripture say about Islam’s future? Should Christians be so fearful of the world’s second largest religion? Additionally, there has been a growing movement in evangelical circles to pin the ethnic/religious background of the future antichrist as a Muslim.

Arguments for a Muslim Antichrist
No, the antichrist was not Hitler. Neither was the antichrist George Bush or Barack Obama. It’s not even Lady Gaga. Some in the evangelical world believe the antichrist will come from the Muslim world, not the Western world.

In his book The Power to Make War, the late great evangelist Zane Hodges believed the antichrist would be a Muslim due to the reference of “the Assyrian” found in Isaiah. Because that particular reference was discussing the antichrist, the Bible must be indicating that the antichrist will be an Assyrian. Since the Assyrian empire was founded in the Middle East, the Assyrian antichrist must also be a Muslim.

Philip Goodman, in his work The Assyrian Connection, also points to the reference of “the Assyrian” in Micah 5:5 as evidence for an Assyrian antichrist. Goodman speculates that there will be a revived Assyrian Empire founded in the Middle East.1 This Assyrian Empire will spawn the antichrist and will invade the globe from the Middle East.

Joel Richardson, author of Antichrist: Islam’s Awaited Messiah, believes the fourth world empire of Daniel’s dreams was not Rome and its descendants, but rather, the Ottoman Empire.2 This revived Ottoman Empire will create a caliphate across the Middle East, and will lead a host of nations against Israel.

Richardson also cites the similarities between the Shiite last Imam in Islamic eschatology with the antichrist of Scripture -- beheadings, conquest, and an intense dislike for Christians and Jews.

Do these authors have valid arguments for an Islamic antichrist? Given the recent surge in Muslim population across the globe it may appear so. Despite their claims, there are many issues with this theory. I have limited these problems to six major flaws below.

Why the Antichrist will NOT be a Muslim
1. “The Assyrian” reference in scripture does not necessarily refer to the antichrist

Dr. David Reagan, of Lion/Lamb ministries explains in his article, "The Antichrist: Will he be a Muslim?" that the reference found in Micah 5:5 to the “Assyrian” is located squarely in a Millennium passage of Micah. During the Millennium, Dr. Reagan asserts that God will protect Israel from all their enemies (Assyria was the enemy of Israel at the time Micah was written).3

Similarly, references in Isaiah to “the Assyrian” are attributed more to the character of the antichrist rather than the ethnicity. Similar types of antichrists are found throughout scripture. Sennacherib the Assyrian king who besieged Jerusalem was certainly a type. As was the Egyptian pharaoh of the Exodus. The most famous antichrist type was Antiochus Epiphanes, highlighted in Daniel 8 and again in Daniel 11.

“The Assyrian” must be a reference to his character as an enemy of God’s people and a terrible person overall.

2. Assyrians are predominantly Christian anyway

Even if the “antichrist-will-be-Assyrian” crowd is right, Assyrians today are predominantly Christian and not Muslim. Yes, most of them reside in present day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey (all overwhelmingly Muslim nations) but Assyrians themselves are over 90% Christian today. This counters the claim that an Assyrian antichrist would have to be Muslim.

3. Daniel predicted a Roman antichrist not a Middle Eastern one

In the famous “seventy weeks” passage of Daniel 9 the Old Testament prophet predicts the coming Tribulation as well as the ethnicity of the antichrist. Daniel 9:26b states, “…and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary…”

Daniel prophesies that this same “prince” in verse 26 will make a treaty with Israel in verse 27. He will then break that treaty and set up the abomination that causes desolation during the middle of the Tribulation. The “people” of this prince (the antichrist) were predicted to destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary.

In 70 AD, almost five hundred years after Daniel’s prediction, the Roman Empire annihilated the Jewish people. A culmination of three Jewish uprisings, this last assault on Jerusalem would kill over a million Jews and send millions more into slavery across the Roman world.

Jerusalem has only been destroyed one time after Daniel’s prophecy and it occurred almost 2,000 years ago at the hands of the Romans. Therefore we can conclude that the antichrist, the prince of the Romans, will be a man of Roman descent -- not Assyrian.

4. The Fourth Beast of Daniel’s dream is Roman/Western, not Islamic/Middle Eastern

Daniel’s four world Gentile empires found in chapters 2 and 7 of his book describe four world empires in chronological order. Please look up these passages as you are reading this article.

a. Babylon (lion, head of gold)

b. Persia (bear, silver arms)

c. Greco-Macedonian (leopard, (bronze torso/legs)

d. Roman (iron beast of Rome, two legs (Eastern and Western Rome, and the future ten-toes/feet of antichrist’s rule)

It is plain to see in Daniel’s visions that neither Islam nor the Ottoman Empire were represented. Chronologically, there are no gaps in Daniel’s dreams other than the one separating the iron beast of Rome with its ten-toed counterpart during the Tribulation.

Babylon was quickly replaced by Persia in 538 BC, while Persia was swiftly routed by Alexander in 332 BC. After Alexander died, his generals divided the empires amongst themselves, only to eventually succumb to the power of Rome in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. Rome dominated the world for another seven hundred years until its eventual collapse in 476 AD. The East wouldn’t collapse until 1453 AD.

Islam is also a relatively modern phenomenon, arriving in the 6th century AD. Islamic warriors never conquered the globe, nor are they expected to do so. The Islamic world of today is a conglomerate of different cultures, governments, and peoples, not a united Gentile world empire like Babylon, Persia, Greece, or Rome.

The Ottoman Empire is even younger. The Ottoman Turks made their debut in the Middle Ages against the Christian Crusaders, but wouldn’t grow to their full height until the 16th and 17th centuries AD.

The Ottoman Empire was impressive during its time, but fell apart after WWI. Scripturally and geopolitically, Turkey is not predicted to conquer the earth any time soon. Yes, Turkey is making a comeback today. Turkey may be involved in the Gog/Magog fiasco of Ezekiel 38 and 39, but Turkey will not spawn the antichrist or conquer the entire earth.

Those who claim the two legs of Daniel’s dream represent the two legs of the Ottoman Empire (Shiite and Sunni) have forgotten to account for nearly 1,000 years of Roman domination, the basic chronological outline of Daniel, as well as the nature of Islamic society and culture itself. Ah yes, one more thing – the Ottoman Empire was predominantly Sunni and not Shiite. The vast majority of Muslims practice Sunni and not Shiite Islam. Unless Daniel’s end-times beast was hobbling around on one leg, his visions cannot represent Sunni and Shiite Islam. The end-times world government will be a Roman/Western government, not an Eastern/Islamic one.

5. Lots of people enjoy be-headings (not just radical Islamists)

British and French people beheaded their monarchs. Japanese Samurai preferred beheadings as an honorable death. Mexican drug cartels are also known for the gruesome practice. Yes, there is a similarity between the end-times Shiite eschatology and that of Scripture – both the Imam and the antichrist love lopping off heads. Then again, so do a lot of different peoples and cultures today.

6. Imagine a Muslim antichrist blaspheming Allah… and living to tell about it

The Bible doesn’t hold back when describing the personality of the antichrist. He will be the worst human being in world history. Think about that for a moment. Perhaps the most telling indication that the antichrist will not hail from a Muslim land is found in Daniel 11:37,

“He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.”

Could you imagine the response of a devoutly Islamic nation like Egypt or Iran after their leader says, “I am god, there is no other god but… me! You will now bow down and worship… me!” This declaration would be both a direct blasphemy against Allah and a death sentence. Even in secular Turkey a man who claimed to be god would find himself thrown in prison at best.

No, the antichrist will not come from a Muslim land. The biblical, cultural, and historical evidence is too strong against the prospect.

More likely, the antichrist will come from the heir of the Roman Empire – the Western world. Rather than declared a heretic and beheaded, the antichrist’s blasphemous opinions will be welcomed with open arms in post-Christian Europe as trendy and edgy. If you’re planning to take that once-in-a-lifetime getaway trip to Europe with your spouse, do it sooner than later.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Sandy the Super Storm and America's first ever-Mormon President, Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney will be Americas first ever Mormon President

Right now, there are going to be those who are going to accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist, but the facts of the matter speak for themselves when it comes to coincidences.

In this instance I am referring to the occurrence of the Sandy Super Storm right before the Americans were due to go to the polling booths on November the 6th to select who will be their next term president.

This storm as it came ashore as barely as Category 1 storm and quickly broke down into a tropical depression.

The incredibly low barometric pressure gave Sandy enormous ability to cause huge water surges.

The real damage from this storm is primarily from water, not wind.

Keeping in mind that the Americans vote electronically, power outages are so widespread that many polling areas will be shut down.

Alternatively, many people would be physically unable to get to their assigned polling place with the the result being the vast majority of Americans will never ever get their opportunity to vote as they would have liked.

As that is the case, it then looks very much to me like this so-called natural event has been deliberately planned and that the USA is going to have its first ever-Mormon president.

As the name suggests, a Mitt is a fist that is clenched in anger and it ready to seek revenge.

High-level Mormons take a bloody oath of vengeance, of revenge, against the United States of America. They also have always felt a fervent desire to win the Presidency so they can carry out their revenge.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

"Chuck Missler world war 3 -- is upon us!!! Rapture is Even Closer Romans 13:11"

As the title of the video suggests World War 3 is already upon us. Nevertheless, there has never ever has been a time when I have thought there was any such event as the rapture of the church. That false assumption remains a point of contention that I still do not concur with relative to the attached DVD. However, the rest of the DVD may still be worth a look and that is the reason why I have decided to upload it here.

In the following lengthy, (4-hour); but, also **Biblically excellent** video, there are **MANY subjects of End Times interest** that are discussed and explained in detail in this video.

Also, for those of you who are **spiritually searching for the REAL truth**, there are MANY, MANY times in this video where there is a **VERY CLEAR** Gospel presentation that is given about just WHAT that a person needs to do to repent of their sins and to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their very own personal Lord and Savior in order to have the TOTAL forgiveness of ALL of their sins, forever!

So, without any further explanation,here is the DVD entitled, "Chuck Missler world war 3 -- is upon us!!! Rapture is Even Closer Romans 13:11" :

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Who will collect Nobel peace prize for the EU?

The obvious choice, perhaps, is European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

Jose Manuel Barroso

The EU faces a major headache in deciding who will collect the Nobel peace prize. As Henry Kissinger famously pointed out, when he asked: "Who do I call when I want to speak to Europe?", there are several pretenders for the job.

The obvious choice is José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European commission, and/or Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European council. Also a possible candidate is Katherine Ashton, the EU's British high representative and its "foreign minister". Or Martin Schulz, the European parliament president.

Thorbjørn Jagland, the head of the Oslo-based Nobel committee refused to say on Friday who he thought should fly to Norway to receive the prestigious gong. He said merely: "It's up to EU institutions to decide who will collect the gold medal and make a lecture."

The EU may prefer a more symbolic heavyweight choice, dispatching to Oslo instead a former European head of state. The leading candidate is surely former German chancellor Helmut Kohl. Kohl, after all, presided over the peaceful reunification of Germany and was a driving force behind the euro and deeper EU integration. The only drawback is Kohl's health: following a serious fall in 2008 he is confined to a wheelchair and has problems speaking.

Alternatively, the EU might come up with a cutesy solution worthy of Tony Blair, an ex-EU leader who is surely not on any shortlist. With Croatia about to join the union next year, becoming its 28th member, what better than a choir of photogenic Croatian schoolchildren?

Or, perhaps, one child from each of the EU's states, dressed up in national costume, the UK representative coming as a mini-knight?

An unscientific appeal to Twitter yielded several interesting recommendations. Most were humorous. Some were unprintable. They included: "Nigel Farage", "Giscard d'Estaing?" "Golden Dawn" - the neo-Nazi Greek party - and "A weirdly shaped banana."

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

The president of the EU Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, calls for an EU 'federation of nation states'

The EU Commission President, Jose Manuel Barraso

The European Union needs to evolve into a "democratic federation of nation states" as a long-term solution to its economic and political crises, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said today.

Barroso – giving his annual state of the union address in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on a key day in the eurozone crisis – differentiated his vision from a super state but said it would require treaty changes. He said "explicit" ideas for treaty changes would be put forward by the commission ahead of the 2014 European elections.

Arguing that "in the age of globalisation pooled sovereignty means more power, not less", Barroso said: "We should not leave the defence of the nation just to the nationalists and populists. I believe in a Europe where people are proud of their nations but also proud to be European and proud of our European values."

The president added that this autumn could prove to be a turning point in the euro crisis if the Greek government "banishes all doubts about its commitment to reform" and other countries "banish all doubts about their determination to keep Greece in the eurozone".

At the same time, the commission published proposals for a supervisory mechanism for all 6,000 banks in the eurozone – and those in any other EU countries that choose to take part – giving overall responsibility to the European Central Bank. Barroso described the plans as a "stepping stone" towards full banking union.

Then minutes after Barroso spoke, Germany's Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe ruled that the European Stability Mechanism – the eurozone's new permanent bail-out instrument – was in line with German law and could therefore go ahead. It imposed some conditions, including that any additional German contributions to the fund would need the approval of the country's parliament, the Bundestag.

After the ruling Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, said the ESM's board would hold its first meeting next month.

Meanwhile elections are being held in the Netherlands today following campaigns that have been dominated by the debate over Europe. Opinion polls yesterday showed the mainstream pro-European parties – Prime Minister Mark Rutte's Liberals and the centre-left Labour party – were likely to prevail over the anti-European hard-left Socialists and Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom party.

In Strasbourg Barroso said: "I call for a federation of nation states. Not a superstate. A democratic federation of nation states that can tackle our common problems, through the sharing of sovereignty in a way that each country and its citizens are better equipped to control their own destiny."

He said moves towards a "deep and genuine economic and monetary union" could be made without treaty changes, but to complete the transformation a new treaty would be needed – while acknowledging "how difficult treaty change has become". But he added that this should not "distract" from solving the immediate crisis.

In addition he called for the strengthening of European political parties to tackle the "real disconnect between political parties in the capitals and the European political parties" in the EU parliament.

The commission adopted a proposal for a reinforced legal statute for European parties today, which provides for them to be given EU-level legal status where they currently have to register as Belgian non-profit making associations. Barroso called on all political groups in parliament to present a candidate for commission president in 2014 in order to "deepen the pan-European debate".

Responding to the speech, Joseph Daul, chairman of the centre-right European People's Party, agreed that economic integration had to go hand-in-hand with political integration. "It is unthinkable to create an economic union without a political union," he said. "Our credibility is at stake. Political union is legitimacy. It is more democratic control. It is more participation by our citizens."

And Hannes Swoboda, leader of the Socialists and Democrats, said: "We have to think about a more forward-looking structure for the Europe we share. And therefore we must organise a convention to draft a real constitution for Europe. But first we have to find solutions for today's problems."

But Martin Callanan, leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists, said Barroso was repeating the "same old, tired approach. The solution to every problem is more Europe rather than better Europe". He criticised the commission president for proposing "another long-drawn out academic debate about EU treaty change".

The proposals for a single banking supervisor will, if backed by the parliament and member states, hand the power to grant and revoke bank licenses to the ECB, working alongside national supervisors. The eurozone central bank issued a brief statement welcoming the move.

European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier, who presented the details of the plan at a press conference, said: "It will be the role of the ECB to make sure that banks in the euro area stick to sound financial practices. Our ultimate aim is to stop using tax payers' money to bail out banks."

Now I am not going to read too much into this at this stage, but it has already been touted that Putin and Barroso are going to run a confederation of the EU and Russia together, and that should start as early as 2013. So let us just see where all of this leads. If what has been suggested above ever becomes the reality then we will be looking at the most fearsome and terrible or empires to ever come to power here on the earth. That is not just scaremongering but is the fulfilment of the Bible prophecies that is sure to take place right before your very eyes.

Just as a footnote to the above, I really do hate to rain on the parade of those poor misguided individuals who think they are going to Raptured up into Heaven in a within the interim future, but they are really beginning to run out of time. So let us face reality and stop trying to bury our heads in the sand. The bottom line is that a Rapture of the church is never ever going to come to pass, so to those who think there is going to be a Rapture it may be time to wake up, or come to your senses, before it is too late.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

The introduction of the Mark of the Beast into Australia and surprisingly it is not "a microchip implant".

The Matrix Data Bar-code - the Mark of the Beast

Rather than to bore and frustrate those who are reading this with an overload of information I will try to keep this as brief as possible. Instead, I will just point straight at the Mark of the Beast and identify it for what it is and let those who read this article decide one way or another as to the correctness of the information presented here.

Firstly, eventually we all make mistakes and I am no exception to that rule of thumb. There was only one man who never did anything wrong and that was the Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect man. However, I am the only one who is making mistakes, and so in that sense I am not Robinson Crusoe.

As new and fresh information becomes known relative to the fulfilment of the remainder of the Bible prophecies information that I thought may have been correct today may not of necessity be correct.

However, whenever new and fresh information becomes known relative to the fulfilment of the remainder of the Bible prophecies I am one of the first ones to come forth with it, even though it may mean certain assertions that I, and so many others, may have made in the past were wrong.

The Mark of the Beast is now being introduced into Australia and even though I was one of those who had been saying for so long that it was going to be microchip implant, (or a conventional bar code) much to my surprise, it is not as I first thought it would have been.

Accordingly, those who had been saying (and are still saying) the Mark of the Beast was a microchip implant were wrong. As that is the case, I am no exception to that analogy.

The Verichip - a tracking and ID device

If the feedback that I am getting in my day-to-day activities is any indicator at all there is no one that I have ever spoken to who would readily accept a microchip implant under the skin anyway.

Certainly, there are now no doubts at all that a microchip implant under the skin is a very handy tracking device. A microchip is also an excellent form of identification when embedded under the skin.

Nevertheless, there is still nothing to indicate that a microchip implant is the mark of the beast otherwise buying and selling would have started with it a long time before now.

The mark of the beast is the iphone, or similar devices, and those applications that can be downloaded onto the iphone.

However, the problem has always been persistent now, just as it has in the past, with the fragility of human nature the phones can, and will be lost. There also may be the instance of those who do not have, nor have the desire to ever have an iphone.

To solve that problem the wallet application that is going to be initially used to buy and sell with on the iphones will be embedded onto the skin on either the forearm or the forehead and once there it will be able to be scanned for buying and selling with either the Iphone itself initially, or other specially designed devices.

The thought of taking a mark on the skin does not seem to faze too many people at all when tattoos have been around for centuries and centuries.

Be sure to pass this new and startling information onto your friends so that they may avoid taking the mark of the beast on the skin on either the forearm or the forehead.

Now here is an excellent article that explains the mark of the beast in its proper context and thanks to the writer at the following blog for his tireless work in its completion.

http://www.revelationversebyverse.com/2010/03/revelation-chapter-13-verses-16-18.html

Revelation Chapter 13 Verses 16-18
16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

Verse 16 tells us that the beast marked his own people. Just as God marked his people in Chapter 7 to indicate that they were his, the beast marks his people in Chapter 13 for the same reason. God knows his people. Satan also knows his people. Everyone on earth then and everyone on earth today is wearing one mark or the other. Each of us belongs to someone.

Verse 17 tells us that no one could buy or sell without the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. When we discussed the letters to the seven churches in Chapters 2-3, we discussed the economic persecution that Christians suffered at the hands of the pagan guilds. A confession that Caesar is Lord was often required before one was allowed to buy or sell. Those who refused to make that confession were perceived as unpatriotic and suffered severe economic hardships.

Verse 18 is one of the most famous verses in the Bible, ranking up there with John 3:16. It has entered the public consciousness to a greater degree than any other verse in this book. People who can’t even name the four gospels can still tell you more than you care to hear (from them, anyway) about 666.

Verse 18 begins with a call for wisdom, and yet that verse has spawned a great deal of foolishness. Did you know that the modern barcode is the mark of the beast and an indication that we are living in the end times? Some say so. The two bars that denote ‘6’ appear at the beginning, middle, and end of every barcode found on the back cover of most books. Terry Cook in his book The Mark of the New World Order writes that “the entire [UPC barcode] system is very deceptively designed around the infamous numerical configuration, Biblically known as 666, the mark of the Antichrist or devil.” Mary Stewart Relfe in her book The New Money System 666 writes that “the Prophet John identified this Cashless System of Commerce 1900 years ago as one in which business would be transacted with a ‘Mark’ and a Number; the Mark will obviously be a Bar Code; the Number will be ‘666;’ the combination of the two, about which you will read in this book, will be an integral part of the ‘666 System.” Ridiculous? Yes, extremely so, but sadly not uncommon when it comes to explanations of 666.

Verse 18 tells us that the number of the beast is 666, a human number. What does that mean? The number 7 means perfection. By contrast, the number 6 means imperfection. The number 6 denotes something that had fallen hopelessly short of perfection. Man was created on the sixth day, and he fell from perfection. The number 3 is the number of divinity. Thus, three 6’s depict something that has fallen hopelessly short of divine perfection. It had aspirations of being a 777, but it fell far short.

Does that symbol accurately describe this beast? Yes! No symbol could describe it any better! This beast represents the false perverted religious side of Rome. It represents the man-made Roman religion that worshiped the creature rather than the creator. God is 777! Rome is 666! It is a beautiful symbol that shows the stark contrast between God and his creation. Nothing man-made can ever be a 777.
Hailey: “666 stands for the complete and total failure of all human systems and efforts antagonistic to God and His Christ — all are doomed to ultimate and complete defeat and failure.”

But can this really be all there is to 666! Surely it must be something more than that! We need to view this symbol in the proper perspective. The 666 symbol is just another symbol in this book full of symbols. It may stand apart from the other symbols in modern consciousness, but it does not stand apart from them in the text. Yes, 666 is a wonderfully descriptive symbol, but there are many other wonderfully descriptive symbols in Revelation. We must remember that this book was primarily intended to provide comfort to the first century Christians who were suffering intense persecution by Rome. If our interpretation of the book ignores that fundamental fact, then our interpretation is almost certainly wrong. The church needed to know that Rome was a 666! (Let’s keep all of this in mind as we get closer to discussing the 1000 year reign with Christ in Revelation 20.)

And the church needs to understand today that there are many, many 666’s in our own world. We are surrounded by man-made churches, man-made religions, and man-made philosophies — and all of them are just 666. There are many so-called churches today that should have 666 printed on their signs out front because they are a man-made church proclaiming a man-made gospel. Nothing made by man can ever be a 777. And on that great last day, the last thing you want to rely on is a 666. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) That name is 777!

Last week we considered several possible reasons why there are two beasts in Chapter 13. There is an additional possibility that we should consider as well. According to Roman mythology, Rome was founded by the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. That same mythology tells us that Romulus was the first king of Rome, and that shortly after their birth the twins were ordered to be killed by exposure, but they survived and were nursed by a wolf — which is often depicted in Roman art and Roman coins.

Because Romulus was raised by a wolf, one early source called him “the son of the beast.” It is possible that the two beasts in Revelation 13 are pointing all the way back to the two mythological founders of Rome.

With regard to verse 18, one commentator has noted that “no verse in Revelation has received more attention than this one with its cryptic reference to the number of the beast.”

Last week we discussed the famous number 666 in verse 18, and we concluded that it depicts something that has fallen hopelessly short of divine perfection, which would be denoted by 777. As Lenski explained about 666:

In other words, not 777, but competing with 777, seeking to obliterate 777, but doing so abortively, its failure being as complete as was its expansion by puffing itself up from 6 to 666.

There is another possible significance for 666 that we should discuss, and it stems from something called gematria. Gematria refers to the representation of words by their numerical equivalents so that the number conveys a message.

We know that the use of gematria was common at the time. At Pergamum, inscribed stones have been found containing numerical riddles based on gematria. Graffiti from the ruins of Pompeii reads “I love her whose number is 545” and “Amerimnus thought upon his lady Harmonia for good. The number of her honorable name is 45.” A difficult passage in Suetonius is explained by noting that Nero is there numerically resolved into “matricide.” One commentator states that “gematria was widely used in apocalyptic [literature] because of its symbolic and enigmatic quality.”

Here are the questions we need to consider: (1) Is the reference to 666 in verse 18 an example of gematria? (2) If so, then to what or to whom does it refer? (3) And, again if so, is that meaning the primary meaning of the symbol or a secondary meaning?

Let’s start with the third question first. Earlier we discussed the symbolic meaning of 666 as something that has fallen hopelessly short of the divine 777, and we saw how that symbol perfectly depicted the second beast from the earth. That fit is so perfect and is explained so well in terms of the symbol 7 (around which this entire book is constructed), I am convinced that this symbolic understanding of 666 is the primary meaning behind the symbol. And so, if we determine that gematria is in use in verse 18, I submit it must be a secondary meaning of the symbol. And there is some additional evidence for that view — the verse itself begins with a call for wisdom, which may be an indication that a dual meaning is involved here. We have discussed before how difficult it is to determine secondary meanings for prophecies absent being explicitly told by God. There is no such explicit statement here, but there may nevertheless be a suggestion.

So, that leaves us with two questions — was gematria used, and, if so, to what or to whom does it refer?

Before we answer those questions, we should pause to consider an important warning. One has to be very careful when heading off into this direction in the Bible because right near the edge there is a very steep slope heading straight down into sheer speculation and utter nonsense. Those going down this road sometimes find themselves trying to read some numerical significance into every word of the Bible. Many books have been published that claim to have discovered a secret code in the Bible that predicts the names, locations, and dates of future events. What those books fail to tell you is that those same methods could be applied to almost any book to obtain similar secret messages.

We need to be particularly careful with gematria because, as we know, it is possible to prove anything with numbers if one is willing to twist the facts while ignoring the context and all other evidence to the contrary. Some people treat numbers and statistics in the same way that a drunk treats a lamppost — for support rather than for illumination!

Here are two quick examples: Here’s a numerical “proof” that Hitler was the antichrist. Let A = 100, B = 101, C = 102, etc. and note that 107 (H) + 108 (I) + 119 (T) + 111 (L) + 104 (E) + 117 (R) = 666! Or, consider the following numerical “proof” that Shakespeare translated the King James version of the Bible: How old was Shakespeare in 1611 when the King James version was published? 46. The 46th word in Psalm 46 is “shake.” The 46th word from the end of Psalm 46 is “spear.” Coincidence? Certainly. Silly? Yes. More silly than most of the crazy notions people have about 666? No. People need to quit looking for secret messages in the Bible and start obeying the message that is clear for all to understand.

But with that said, anyone who studies 666 and the history of its interpretation must be struck some strange curiosities. For example, we all know the six Roman numbers: I(1), V(5), X(10), L(50), C(100), and D(500). What do you get when you add up the values of the five Roman numbers? 666. Take the first seven primes numbers (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, and 17) and sum their squares: 4 + 9 + 25 + 49 + 121 + 169 + 289. What do you get? 666. Spooky! (and irrelevant!)

So, going back to the text, is gematria used in verse 18? Possibly. We know that gematria was common at the time, and we know that some of the earliest commentaries on Revelation have turned to gematria to explain this verse.
But then what could 666 denote? There are a number of words and names that could be represented as 666, depending on the language we choose (Hebrew, Greek, Latin) and how we then associate letters in that language with numbers. Having this many variables makes it very difficult to determine which (if any) was the word or phrase that God intended for us to associate with 666.

We should probably not expect a perfect fit. Why? Because in my view the primary meaning of 666 does not rely on gematria but rather relies on the symbolic meaning of 666 as falling short of 777. That is, the number 666 was not chosen to represent a name but was chosen for its symbolic significance. It may also represent a name, but if it does we should probably not expect the same perfect fit we would have had if the number had been chosen solely on that basis.

There is evidence that some have tried to change the text to make what they consider a better fit. Some of your Bibles may have a footnote that says some early texts have 616 in verse 18 rather than 666. Lenski describes that textual issue:

This is not a faulty transcription but a deliberate alteration that was made very early and against which the strongest protest was at once raised. The alteration was made so that by gematria the number would fit the emperor [Caligula]. This was the man who made the effort to have his image erected in the Temple at Jerusalem...

Thus, those early texts that show 616 in place of 666 most likely represent someone’s attempt to make the number 666 a better fit for someone’s name by changing it to 616. The correct value is 666.

But those early manuscripts with 616 do tell us something important. Those changes from 666 to 616 confirm that from very early in its history commentators have understood verse 18 to include an example of gematria. We should not be too quick to discount viewpoints that are closely related in time to the original readers of this book.

So what could 666 represent? There are numerous candidates, but, not surprisingly, the leading candidate is Nero, whose name could also be said to denote Domitian as Nero Redivivus. Various numerical representations will give you 666 from either Nero Caesar or Neron (the Latin form of his name that appears, for example, in the subscript in the KJV at the end of 2nd Timothy), but other names can be made to fit as well. In short, no one can be certain that gematria is used, and if it is used, no one can be certain who is represented, but Nero is a likely candidate because of the context of verse 18.

Let’s next consider the other side of the argument. A very good case can be made for the proposition that no gematria at all is involved in verse 18. For example, verse 18 omits a definite article before “man,” which may indicate that no particular man is in mind. Also, as one commentator notes, “what is not generally stressed is that [the most commonly given] solution [pointing to Nero] asks you to calculate a Hebrew transliteration of the Greek form of a Latin name, and that with a defective spelling.” Lenski gives us other objections as well:

It is surprising to note how many men think that “666” is the product of gematria. ... Yet nowhere is Scripture, nowhere in Revelation do we meet with another case of gematria. ... A number that is produced by gematria would remain an insoluble conundrum; yet the very title of this book is “Revelation.” ... Take some name and set down the value of each of its letters, add these, write the sum. A hundred other names may produce the same sum.

Those are all good objections, and some of them are even compelling. But with those objections stated, I still believe it is possible that 666 has a secondary significance based on gematria, and I would point to verses 17-18 for support as well as the view of ancient commentators on that subject.

So, in summary, my opinion is that the primary significance of 666 is that it falls hopelessly short of the divine perfection denoted by 777. That idea fits perfectly with the context of this second beast representing the false perverted religion of Rome. I also think there is possibly a secondary meaning in which 666 denotes Nero.

What then is the setting at the end of Chapter 13? A terrible dragon has given his authority to a seven headed beast that has arisen from the sea. The beast is killed but comes back to life. A second beast arises and looks like a lamb but sounds like a dragon. The second beast performs signs and wonders and causes the earth to worship the first beast. The chapter ends with the whole earth in the spell of the dragon and the beasts.

What does the church need at this point? The church needs comfort and assurance, which is exactly what Chapter 14 provides.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.