Mission "new life" - studying the Bible. XIII.1–2

Question No. 696

Why did John the Theologian see the beast had seven heads and ten horns, and its appearance was like a leopard?

Alexei , Astrakhan, Russia
02/07/2003

Answer from Father Oleg Molenko:

The description of the "beast" of Revelation is symbolic and allegorical, and not real or natural. That is why comparison or likening to a leopard, a lion, a bear is not a description of external similarity, but of its spiritual essence and character traits. Thus, in the Gospel, the Lord calls King Herod a fox, not because he was similar in face or appearance to this beast, but because he was like that in character, i.e. feigned, cunning and crafty.

While listing the 7 heads and 10 horns, you failed to mention the 10 diadems (crowns) on these 10 horns and the blasphemous names on the 7 heads. But this detail immediately puts everything in place in understanding this image. After all, no beast in nature wears crowns or blasphemous names, and this cannot in any way be attached to the appearance of the beast. In chapter 12, verse 3, the red dragon is symbolically described (he is directly called Satan and the devil in verse 9). He also has seven heads and 10 horns, but there are 7 tiaras, not 10, and they are on 7 heads, not on the horns. It is clear that in fact the fallen cherub, called Satan and the devil, does not have 7 heads with crowns and 10 horns. Chapter 17 describes a scarlet beast, filled with blasphemous names, with 7 heads and 10 horns. Crowns are not mentioned, but a harlot appeared sitting on a beast. You didn't specify the keywords correctly. In fact they are like this:

Rev.17:
9 Here is a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are the seven mountains on which the woman sits,
11 And the beast that was and is not is the eighth, and from among the seven, and will go to destruction.
12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received the kingdom, but will receive power with the beast as kings for one hour.

It is not for nothing that there is a warning that here for correct understanding you need a mind with wisdom, i.e. the acquired grace of the Holy Spirit, and not just a sharp natural mind.

If in Scripture itself there is an interpretation of a symbolic image, allegory or parable, then it must be interpreted by them, and not by symbols. Here we have the Angel’s interpretation of the previously used symbols: 7 heads, 10 horns and 10 crowns. 7 heads has two meanings: 1st – 7 mountains, on which the city wife sits; 2nd – 7 kings. 10 horns mean 10 kings. Why are the kings divided into two groups of 7 and 10, designated by different symbols, heads and horns, respectively? Why are crowns indicated on only 10 horn-kings and not on 7 head-kings? But these 7 king-heads are associated with the city-wife on seven mountains (i.e. Rome).

To those who have wisdom, everything is simple and clear: the 7 king-heads are therefore tied to the seven mountains and the city-wife on it, because they were kings (emperors) of this particular city and state - Rome. They do not mention crowns for the reason that by the time the Antichrist-beast appeared, they had already all died and did not reign. 10 horn kings are yet to appear:

12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received the kingdom, but will take power with the beast as kings for one hour,

and they will receive power with the beast at the very beginning of his reign for a short time. That is why they are called horns, i.e. instruments of power that help the beast come to power, and are dressed in crowns, as if they have to rule, in order to transfer real power to the Antichrist-beast:

13 They have one mind and will give their power and authority to the beast.

Why are the former Roman emperors mentioned? In order to show the historical and spiritual succession of the beast from them. Historically, he will declare himself the Roman universal emperor and the head of a united Europe (for starters), and spiritually he will continue and complete the line of persecution of Christians by the first weapons of Satan - the 7 main emperors-persecutors of Christians. 7 here is a symbolic number, perfect, collective in relation to all the persecuting emperors (of whom there were more than seven) and selective, choosing the seven most fierce of them. Now it is also clear why in the description of the red dragon-Satan, seven heads are crowned, but 10 horns are not. This symbol describes the beginning of Satan’s persecution of the Church of Christ through 7 Roman emperors then ruling one after another, and 10 horn kings are still reserved for the future. With the release of the beast, everything changed and 10 horns were crowned, and the seven heads-kings were no longer there, but only 7 heads-mountains, i.e. Rome.

Phrase from Rev.17:
10 And there are seven kings, of whom five have fallen, one is, but the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he will not be long.
11 And the beast that was and is not, is the eighth, and from among the seven, and will go to destruction

refers to the Antichrist beast and his spiritual succession to the 7 Roman emperors. The symbol of 7 heads and 10 horns, which connects Satan, the persecuting emperors and the Antichrist, shows us that in history, Satan has always stood and stands behind all the persecutors of the Church and behind the Antichrist himself. In this sense, the image of the beast has not only a specific personal meaning, but also a spiritual, immoral and collective meaning. Taking this into account, we get: “And the beast” is the spirit of the Antichrist and the collective image of the persecutors of the Church, behind whom stands Satan. “Who was” – in the person of the first emperors of persecution. “And which is not” - after their death and before the appearance of the Antichrist, for there was no longer any universal persecution. “There is an eighth” - personally the Antichrist, who is the eighth in a row after the seven most fierce universal emperors of persecutors. “And from among the seven” - the Roman emperors who persecuted according to the historical succession of their throne and the spiritual continuity of their cruelty and universal persecution of the Church of Christ. And it is absolutely clear that “he will not last long” and that he “will go to destruction.”

It remains to find out why in one case it is said that the beast-Antichrist comes out of the abyss, and in the other that from the sea. The Beast from the Abyss, as a personal Antichrist, is mentioned in connection with the preaching of two prophets - Elijah and Enoch:

Rev. 11:
7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes out of the abyss will fight with them and overcome them and kill them.

This fact is accurately described by the Monk Nil the Myrrh-Streaming Athonite. who claims that the Antichrist will personally kill the prophet Elijah and Enoch. The beast from the abyss is mentioned as the Antichrist and as a collective image of the persecutors of the Church in the 17th chapter of Revelation:

8 The beast which you saw was, and is not, and will come out of the abyss and go to destruction; and those who dwell on the earth, whose names were not written in the book of life from the beginning of the world, will be surprised, seeing that the beast was, and is not, and will appear.

“The Beast” is a spiritual and historical manifestation of Satan’s struggle with the Church through universal persecutors from the first Roman emperors to the Antichrist. “Whom you (i.e. John the Theologian) saw” - in the person of Emperor Nero, who became a symbol of the Antichrist-beast. “Was” – in the person of the first Roman emperors, the persecutors. “And he is not” - from the time of the descent from the scene of the Roman emperors until the time of their appearance in the person of the Antichrist-beast. " Will come out of the abyss" - in this case, not only his historical exit from the abyss of the world thermonuclear war is indicated (and Satan will preserve him from radiation and other harmful effects and there will be no mutation), but also a spiritual connection with the hellish abyss and his father Satan. Satan will be unleashed to at this time he will come out of the hellish abyss in the person of the beast and dwell in it, so that it will be possible to say: “he who has seen the Antichrist has seen Satan; he who bowed to the Antichrist bowed to Satan; He who accepted the Antichrist accepted Satan." And will go to destruction" - to eternal torment in the lake of brimstone, along with the false prophet and Satan." The beast was, and is not, and will appear" - like a Roman emperor. The beast emerging from the sea is shown as the historically reigning Antichrist, who will emerge from the agitated sea of ​​post-war world turmoil, hesitation and sorrow:

Rev.13:
1 And I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast come out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns: on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were names of blasphemy.

We already know that the seven heads indicate historical continuity from the persecuting Roman emperors and the city of Rome, located on seven mountains, which will be the first historical capital of the Antichrist as king. 10 horns with diadems are 10 rulers of European countries who will reign with him and immediately give their power to the beast.

16-17. And he will make it happen that everyone - small and great, rich and poor, free and slave - will receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has this mark. , or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

UN document (Economic and Social Council)

– N E/1990/100, p. 3-4:“The current global crisis is further eroding living standards, impoverishing larger sections of the population, and poses a threat to the future. In many countries, what is at stake is not just the stability of democratic regimes, but also the survival of the system of social human existence, and the very viability of these countries... there will be a sharp drop in real wages, a decline in the average product per capita, and an increase in inflation rates... All this is a consequence of the structural restructuring of the world of TNCs (transnational corporations).”

Another UN document emphasizes that by the year 2000, a major energy and food crisis is expected, the victims of which will be 2 billion people (this includes the peoples of the USSR, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America). The documents of the UN international conference say that “if the population of the Earth exceeds 8-9 billion (currently 5.6 billion), then the living nature of the planet will die, and then humanity will degrade. This could happen in 20-25 years...” Dr. Mohamed Bedjaoui, a member of the International Court of Justice, said wistfully: “It makes our indifferent world dizzy when they talk about this” (UN G/A, XXXVI, vol. 1, 1986, p. 697).

To solve this problem in the future, in developed countries it is planned to establish control over the consumption of food and basic vital goods, which has been repeatedly written about in the modern Russian press.

“Zemshchina” No. 40, 52, 1991:

“Dr. Eldeman, head of European Market Analysis, reported that the system of worldwide computer installations is ready for action. It is located in Brussels and has the height of a 3-story building. The service offices of the main apartment are already in full readiness. This huge computer is called the "beast"... The computer has one hundred very sensitive receivers that can receive information from one hundred directions simultaneously. It will be a kind of world mind...

In order to subject each citizen to the power of world rule, each resident will be given a number. Only those who have this number will be able to sell or buy. Every citizen of the World State will have this number tattooed on their skin tissue through ultraviolet rays. This number will be invisible to the eye. It will be illuminated by the infrared beam of the device in the place where the person will sell or buy.

This number, like the mark of the beast, will be placed on the back of the hand or on the forehead. Thus, the payment process from the World Bank will be completed in a few seconds. This monstrous machine can not only instantly send the price of all purchased items to the bank, but also indicate whether you have money in the bank. In addition, if the buyer has committed any crime, he will be immediately identified when approaching the device. Money will no longer exist by then...

Well, what will happen to those who refuse to accept this “seal”? The former communications director of VISA International said: “Protesting too strongly against a card (or record) will only do you harm, because it will be recorded in your archive. And when the time comes that your life will have to depend entirely on this card (or other device), you may be left without it and without any means of subsistence.” Briefly and clearly".

It is clear that all these technologies (1991) have become somewhat outdated over the past 10 years. So, it is now obvious that the collection, transmission and processing of such statistical and computer information will be carried out using the Internet. But the main goals of these events remain in force. The latest achievements in the promotion of this technology are clear from the description of the Digital Angel project (Digital Angel) information about which we received in a letter from Lumila Lavalley from Boston (USA):

Lumila Lavalley, USA:

“My dears! You can't imagine how much information I was able to find about this on the Internet. Starting from personal and Christian sites filled with anger and indignation and demands for public discussion, and links to official sources. I am sending you a summary of what I came across in the period of the beginning of 2000. to July 2001 I don’t know what exactly interests you: purpose, device, latest achievements? To what extent? In what language? Primary sources?

Just like the social security number, which at one time was optional, this chip is proposed to be introduced as a product for those interested. This product already has a registered Trade Mark and an Applied Digital Solutions (ADS) company listed on NASDAQ, headquartered in Florida, which is already projecting $70 billion in revenue from the production of this chip. There are already customers from around the world, including Mexico, Spain and Uncle Sam. Dr. Peter Zhou, chief scientist for development of the implant and president of DigitalAngel.net, a subsidiary of ADS. The idea itself was born a long time ago, but in the last year it has advanced significantly: if last year the chip had the size of a 25-cent coin, today the size has decreased to the size of a grain of rice. This summer, tests were carried out on volunteer students at a US university, to whom it was not even clearly explained what was being tested. One of the purposes of its use is to replace a social security card. The chip will be implanted subcutaneously or intramuscularly and will contain all the necessary information. It will also be recharged from muscle work, and control over a person can be exercised through it (this is still in the project). It becomes especially scary if you consider that according to the Emigration Act (I don’t remember the number), this chip can be used as a mandatory tool, without consideration of this issue in Congress. The possibility of using it as a vaccination for children is also being considered. Now its appearance is compared with the advent of the cell phone, they say that this is a step forward and very soon everyone will get used to its use.

The materials on this issue that I have had to sift through in recent days also mention the involvement of major US political figures in this. I went to Google and the search results were stunning, both publications from major publishers and sites of Christian organizations protesting against this product. It's still very fresh. The latest materials date back to July of this year. According to them, if preliminary tests this year are successful, then mass production of this product is scheduled for next year. No matter how much you want to believe it, this is a terrible reality. Now I understand why the introduction of a social security number in Russia was met with such protest and alarm from Christian organizations and why you are so interested in the situation with a similar number in the United States.

I am also sending you excerpts from the last 2 publications:

“Digital Angel.net Takes 16.6 Percent Stake in MAS By Roy Mark Digital Angel.net, a subsidiary of Applied Digital Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSX) is acquiring a 16.6 percent stake in Medical Advisory Systems (AMEX:DOC) of Owings, Md. In addition, Digital Angel will gain control of the Medical Advisory Systems board of directors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Palm Beach, Fla.-based Digital Angel.net will be nominating four members to the board including Mercedes Walton and David A. Loppers, president and former chief financial officer, respectively, of Applied Digital Solutions, and two as yet unnamed outside directors with strong medical backgrounds. Ron Pickett will continue in the role of president and chairman and Dr. Thomas Hall will remain as chief executive officer. Medical Advisory Systems (MAS) operates a secure application service provider (ASP) facility under FDA guidelines for the tracking of clinical studies. MAS also offers a variety of services to individuals and Fortune 100 clients including a 24/7 physician-staffed Medical Telecommunications Response center, emergency/non-emergency medical advice for maritime customers, and emergency/non-emergency distribution of medical equipment and supplies under FDA and DEA guidelines. "This furthers our strategy to define the Digital Angel "product" in terms of both device and service. Through this transaction, we have added another facet to the service side of the Digital Angel products. Applied Digital will now have a secure, FDA approved ASP facility for managing sensitive data and a 24/7 physician-staffed medical call center for use by Digital Angel customers and end-patients,” said Walton. “In addition to location and bio-monitoring, Digital Angel will now be able to offer subscribers to the Digital Angel Delivery System the ability to have their medical needs and emergencies monitored and treated by a physician 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year from anywhere in the world. This additional layer of value-added service stands to further distance us from potential competitors." In December of 1999, Applied Digital Solutions announced that it had acquired the patent rights to a miniature digital transceiver, which it named Digital Angel. The device represents the first-ever operational combination of advanced sensor technology and Web-enabled wireless telecommunications linked to GPS systems. The company believes this technology will allow it to tap into a multi-billion dollar marketplace with a number of applications that will prove to be extremely popular. “We intend to fully leverage the interrelationship of our core businesses of applications and call center solutions with MAS. Moreover, the international operations of MAS are in lock step with our own plans for a global presence. Through this relationship, we will enjoy a first-mover advantage into key geographic markets,” said Walton. Ron Pickett, chairman and president of MAS, echoed Walton's comments: "This transaction is mutually beneficial to MAS and Digital Angel.net for a variety of reasons. For three years, we have been building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary to offer an array of healthcare services and assistance worldwide. This strategic alliance serves as the final pillar to our company's platform. We will not only be the backbone to ensure Digital Angel's customers receive the highest level of service possible, but we will also provide marketing expertise to our extensive international customer base . In addition, we believe that Applied Digital Solutions, the parent company of Digital Angel.net, will be instrumental in bringing potential customers to MAS." Applied Digital Solutions is a provider of e-business solutions. In recognition of its strong growth record, the company has been ranked in the top tier of the fastest growing technology companies in the “Technology Fast 500” listing compiled annually by Deloitte & Touche. With a ranking of 27 in the listing for the year 2000, Applied Digital was ranked in the top Ten of the Fast 500 in two of the past four years. Medical Advisory Systems can be found on the Web at http://www.mas1.com. February 9, 2001 Copyright 2001 INT Media Group, Incorporated All Rights Reserved.

July 2001 Science and Technology Digital Angel implant technology designed to thwart the evil spirits Mon Jul 2 17:27:42 2001

By James Cruickshank in New York 01 July 2001 A Nasdaq-listed company which claims its microchip can help find children who have been kidnapped has been attacked as being an agent of evil. A prominent US religious group has said the new technology is a prophecy of the coming of the devil, calling it the “mark of the beast”. Known as a Digital Angel, the microchip works in conjunction with GPS – military satellites positioned around the globe – and testing begins next month in Palm Beach, Florida. If successful its maker Applied Digital Solutions will start implanting them inside humans between the muscle and the skin on the forearm next year. Early shipments start in October for a $300 watch with the chip inside and comes with a thing like a beeper which clips onto your belt and holds the technology linked to the GPS. The angel pinpoints your whereabouts so that you could even be found in a cave in South America, bio-probes on the back of the watch also relay medical information over the internet so specialists can monitor your physical and mental health. “That information is collected and bundled with location coordinates provided by GPS and sent by wireless to a hosting center on the internet which allows access by authorized users,” said Bob Jackson, a spoken for ADS. “In kidnappings for ransom the child is sometimes not returned alive. With Digital Angel we can tell if the child is still alive while the parents are organizing the ransom,” said Jackson. “In certain requests people said they wanted this implanted and others said it"s not a good idea,” he added As the company registers orders for the watches in October they played-down the human implant development after the American Family Association, a right wing religious group, said the invention is the biblical “mark of the beast". A quote taken from the Book Of Revelation where no man can buy or sell without the mark on their forehead or arm. The inventor of the chip Peter Zhou, chief scientist for development of the implant said: "There are different interpretations of the Bible. Anything to improve the quality of life is from God." US soldiers were also thought of as a potential client in what analysts see as a $70bn market. The devil connection has done no good for ADS" share price. Its shares, traded on Nasdaq, have fallen from a high of $5 to just 50c. Mr. Jackson attributed this to the general market dislike of tech stocks rather than a message from God."

It has now become obvious that replacing paper money with “electronic” money will not cause protest among the majority of the population, because it will be justified in conditions of the economic and financial crisis. But the possibility of establishing a total system of electronic control over humanity is causing public concern, which is already being written about in the press and discussed on the Internet. When the time comes to implement this system, it will take a lot of effort to reassure the public. And persuasion will not help here. That's why Revelation says that “Whoever does not worship the image of the beast will be killed”(Rev. 13:15).

It is also clear that “electronic money” in itself, of course, cannot be evil. But Revelation forbids us to take it upon ourselves style(seal) because it will mean the voluntary submission of humanity to the forces of world evil: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: whoever worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will drink the wine of wrath God, whole wine, prepared in the cup of His wrath, and will be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever, and they who worship the beast and his image and who receive the mark of his name will have no rest, day or night. Here is the patience of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: Write: From now on blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; to her, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labors, and their works will follow them” (Rev. 14: 9-13).

Sergius Bulgakov wrote in 1944:

“A mark on the forehead or on the right hand means some kind of marking of spiritual decline. This in our time can be joining the party of Bolsheviks or racists - moreover, not out of conviction, if one can speak of such in cases of this spiritual brutality, but out of coercion, out of fear or for the sake of self-interest. What follows is another feature of the same enslavement of the individual to the state, which did not find full realization in ancient times, but is receiving truly prophetic confirmation now. This is enslavement of an economic nature, through a rationing system of distribution of economic goods to satisfy basic needs: “no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has this mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Everyone who preserves and asserts freedom from the despotism of the beast is declared an economic boycott, deprived of “food cards” with all its dire consequences - the threat of famine. “The mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” expresses a sign of citizenship and loyal feelings towards the beast. Such is this prophetic and terrifying picture of the future, which is being realized before our eyes in our days, and no one can say whether this is the end and peak, or only the beginning of the disastrous enslavement to the beast and the false prophet, organized anti-Christianity.”

About the consequences of this styles it is said in the 16th chapter of Revelation: “The first angel poured out his cup on the earth: and there were cruel and disgusting festering wounds on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image” (Rev. 16: 2). And one of the possible explanations for the appearance of these purulent wounds on people is that information from microchips implanted under the skin will be read using electromagnetic radiation. But even weak ultraviolet radiation, with constant exposure to a person, causes skin cancer, changes in the immune system and genes. It is possible that this will be the reason purulent wounds on people, about which it is also said in the 16th chapter of Revelation: “The fifth angel poured out his cup on the throne of the beast: and his kingdom became dark, and they bit their tongues from their suffering, and blasphemed the God of Heaven from their sufferings and their plagues; and did not repent of their deeds” (Rev. 16: 10, 11).

18. Here is wisdom. He who has intelligence, count the number of the beast, for it is a human number; its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

There are quite a lot of interpretations number of the beast 666, it makes no sense to analyze them here, since the authors of these theories themselves deny each other, and just listing them would take up quite a lot of space.

St. Hippolytus of Rome wrote in 230:

“As for the name of the Antichrist, we cannot say with accuracy exactly how Blessed John thought and knew about him: we can only speculate about this. When the Antichrist appears, then time will show us what we are looking for now.”

Andrew of Caesarea:

“A careful examination of the number (seal), and also of everything else that is written about it, will reveal to those who are sober and watchful the time of temptation.” [Word 13, Chapter 38]

Prot. Sergius Bulgakov wrote in 1944:

“If we recognize here the mystery of the revelation about this number of the beast, which was accessible to contemporaries, then for us it has long ago, or rather, from the very beginning, ceased to be accessible and only in vain disturbs the thought with its mystery. As far as the Lord wills, the mystery of this name will be revealed to the end in the fullness of time, but for now we only have to pass by the incomprehensible, and to that extent, the code that has already become mute for us due to the incomprehensibility of it. If our attention is attracted by mystery, then the riddle no longer attracts. Meanwhile, the “number of the beast” has turned into a mystery for us, and efforts to unravel it stem more from irritated curiosity than from piety....

It is now even becoming mystically, spiritually and theologically unhealthy for us to strive to decipher this code. There is a tendency in this to a kind of occultism, which is not theology, but may even be hostile to it.

So, we must admit that we are powerless to interpret the symbol of the “animal number” theologically. Here we need a new revelation, which is not extorted by guesswork and tricks until it is given from above.”

However, recently there has been an assumption in the Church that "the number of the beast is 666"(Rev. 13: 18) is directly related to digital personal identification carried out in a number of countries. This opinion is confirmed, by the way, by the fact that in the English Bible, for example, (The New Revised Standard Version Bible) the expression "this is a human number"(Rev. 13:18) translated as "it is the number of a person", which literally means: “This is a personal number.” That is "human number" - this is the number of the person himself or his personal number. Thus, "the number of the beast" is a personal number that will be assigned to each person in the future kingdom of the beast(Antichrist).

Andrey Mazurkevich

Hello.
I read the first book in the Expanse series by James Corey - Leviathan Wakes. In general, these are two people - Daniel Abraham and Ty Frank. They are like Oldie two-in-one. And although this is the opening novel of the series, it does not end mid-sentence and is quite a separate work.

Genre. “Awakening” also contains elements of horror (sometimes overwhelmingly disgusting body horror) and action and detective, but the main thing is either a space opera or hard science fiction.
The scale of the event is closer to a space opera, but the authors took the scientific basis so seriously and left so few fantastic assumptions that it turned out to be science fiction.

There are two serious assumptions - an engine running on a technology still unknown to us and a protomolecule plus everything it can do. Everything else is a natural development of existing technologies.

Let me give you examples:
in a vacuum there is no air resistance, so ships for flights in space without landing are flying bricks with absolutely no streamlined shape;
gravity is created either by Coriolis force (due to rotation) - the closer to the center of rotation the lower, or by linear acceleration;
information is not transmitted faster than the speed of light, the signal arrives over long distances with significant delays (quantum entanglement is not used in transmitters);
planets and stations are very vulnerable to any objects moving at sublight speeds;
people who grew up on Mars or on asteroids are much more fragile, have higher and worse tolerance to overloads.
There are many such details; many physical, physiological and social aspects of space have been thought out during human expansion.

A certain Martian genius invented a new generation engine thanks to which humanity conquered the solar system.
By the time the novel begins, there are three main active forces: Earth, Mars and the Outer Planets Alliance (OAP) - a community of asters (people who grew up on asteroids), which the two main forces do not take seriously at first.
Actually, the authors push these three sides together, using their hands... Oh, spoilers...
At the center of the collision is one Astaire detective, as if created for a space noir: cynicism, sarcasm, alcoholism and a hat are included, and the crew of the ship “Canterbury” (in fact, not quite) under the leadership of the first mate.


The plot twists very dashingly and there are a couple of impressive action scenes.
All events take place in space, but the parallels are very easy to trace - the cold war between Earth and Mars, “third world countries” - asteroids and stations, which were taxed, and “milked” using trade and technological advantages. Social inequality, xenophobia, discrimination. Everything is the same as what happens in the modern world, but a little differently.
Not discrimination based on skin color or nationality, but based on whether you grew up in a “gravity well” or among “asters.” New slangs and ghettos. All this is very well thought out and fits well with current realities.

The authors also conduct a very serious social debate about freedom of information. This question comes up several times. We know him from Snowden. Essentially: does society need to know about everything? One character defends the position that is needed, then, having all the information, people will be able to make the right conclusions and all disasters and social upheavals occur because people hide information. He courageously follows this credo and becomes the cause of a military conflict. There is a reason for the hero’s behavior, a very honest and open position, and if everyone followed it, perhaps it would really be better for society.

There is also a Christian background to the question: if everyone treats others the way they would like to be treated themselves, man and humanity will have no enemies left. But since not everyone is able to behave this way...
The second one almost quotes Agent Kay from “Men in Black”: “The man is reasonable. And the crowd is a stupid, panic-prone, dangerous beast,” and: “There will always be an Arquellian battlecruiser, or a Correlian death ray, or a plague designed to destroy all life on this miserable little planet, and the only way for these people to continue to live is - is not knowing about it!”
Now, look carefully at this item...


This is, of course, not the only interesting reflection, the theme of heredity in technology and development flashes through, the theme of redemption, the relationship between ends and means, and a lot of things flashes through... I'm just trying to say that this is not just an unprincipled space action game.

The world of The Expanse is similar to Sterling's earlier or realistic Schismatrix. There is practically no virtuality in him, which plays an important role in Swanwick, Simmons, Sterling, and Gibson. I read reviews where “Space” is called the new “Hyperion”. It seems to me that the authors are giving Simmons a slight bow; the opening novel of the tetralogy was compared to Chaucser’s “The Canterbury Tales”; one of the ships that appears at the beginning of “The Awakening...” is called “Canterbury”.
“Hyperion” is rather a parable about man, humanity, and post-man, reason and God. The opening novel of “Space” is devoid of this parable. But this is a very strong plot with a strong scientific basis.
The authors actively use biblical allusions (as if the title wasn’t a tease).

It’s interesting to watch the twists and turns, it’s interesting to read about “sworn friends” who are forced to work together and can’t stand each other’s spirits. There are two knights in the novel: Holden - in shining armor and Miller - in rusty ones.

At the same time, the second one, with all its inherent assholeism, appeals to me much more. He does what he has to do while others reflect.
Holden is definitely a reference to Salinger. Reflections, truth-telling, yes, this is Caulfield grown up.

An attentive reader, I believe, will easily predict the fate of the characters after the first third, if not earlier. But this does not become a disadvantage. While reading, it also seemed to me that there were several climaxes in the text (such an oddity), but the novel ended before these rollercoasters began to tire.

So, I recommend this book (everything will be extremely simple here) to everyone who loves science fiction: space opera, scientific, social, and to those who want to get acquainted with modern science fiction. It is definitely not worth reading for anyone who is not interested in space and science fiction, or who is scared by body horror.

So what do we see in life? Fear, dislike, and sometimes hatred of the number six hundred sixty-six and its digital image in the form of three sixes. What is this fear based on and does it have a real basis in reality?

Strange as it may seem, this fear is based on faith and on faith in the word of God, which is written in the 13th chapter of “Revelation” of John the Theologian in verses 16 to 18. Imagine for a moment that this place does not exist and never existed! How could fear of the number 666 then arise? What would it be based on? But it should be noted that this faith received a distorted, and therefore incorrect, object. That is, they began to believe in something that was not there, in Revelation.

The Holy Fathers of the Church, obedient to God, acted wisely in avoiding a clear answer to the question about the number of the beast. They did this out of obedience to God and His providence for the salvation of people. And this providence also concerns the prophetic passages of the Holy Scriptures, which must be revealed at the right time and pleasing to God. Therefore, the belief in the magical power of the number 666 is false.

So, there is an opinion that the number 666 itself does not carry anything negative or devilish and evil. After all, the Bible contains page 666, and in many other cases in life we ​​use this number simply as a number. Of course, when you see it, unpleasant sensations arise from memories of what is indicated in the Holy Scriptures, but the number itself has nothing to do with it. It is the same as other numbers. Moreover, God created exactly six days, and we also work six days a week, and on the seventh we rest.

It should be noted that neither in the book of Revelation, nor in other books of Holy Scripture, except for the 1st and 2nd Epistles of John the Theologian, there is the word “Antichrist”. In Scripture it is called: beast; the beast coming out of the sea; the beast coming out of the abyss; son of perdition; a man of sin; lawless. This beast is called the Antichrist by the holy fathers of the church and in the Tradition of the Church. That is why, when we call him the beast Antichrist, we seem to connect Scripture with Tradition, for one complements the other.

The name of the Antichrist beast will reflect this duality. One part of it will express opposition to the true God, and this will be the first part of its name. The second part is to express the bestial essence of the son of destruction. From the possible names of the Antichrist, the names of the holy apostles and all saints in general should be immediately excluded. All other common human names should be excluded from consideration, so it will not be possible to say: Antichrist Zhora, George, Bill, Michael, etc. The beast in its name will emphasize its uniqueness, inimitability and exclusivity, as was the case in the names of its predecessors: Napoleon Bonaparte, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin. His name will be invented and composed, and not a passport name, as was the case with the nicknames: Lenin and Stalin. Imitating Christ, the beast will take seven letters for its name, as we see in the name Christ.

Since in Scripture the Lord calls himself Alpha (and Omega), then the lawless one will take this letter first in his name, as if emphasizing his equality with God and primacy over everyone (he will also have O from Omega). We know that the book of the Apocalypse, like most of the books of the New Testament, was written in ancient Greek. Likewise, the Lord, calling Himself Alpha and Omega, used the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. That is why the name of the Antichrist beast will be composed of letters of the Greek alphabet, although it may have analogues in other main languages.

It is also important that the Greek language allows the calculation of the name of the beast, since numbers and numbers in this language have a letter expression, that is, they are depicted by letters of the Greek alphabet. This makes it possible to count each letter and express each word with its own number, as well as write letters with numbers, and numbers with letters. In addition to Greek, two more languages ​​have this ability: Hebrew and Church Slavonic. The Church Slavonic language almost coincides in translation into numbers with Greek. It was not for nothing that Saints Cyril and Methodius took many letters of the Greek alphabet for him.

Let's move on to consider the required text from the 13th chapter of Revelation. However, it will not be enough to focus on verses 16 through 18. To better resolve the question of the name and number of the name of the beast, the context should be expanded by adding the verses preceding the 16th, as well as a fragment from the 14th chapter, which also deals with the mark of the name of the beast.

Open 13:

11 And I saw another beast coming out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

12 He acts before him with all the power of the first beast, and causes the whole earth and those who dwell on it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed;

13 And he performs great signs, so that he brings down fire from heaven to earth before men.

14 And by the miracles which it was given him to do before the beast, he deceives them that dwell on the earth, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image of the beast, which had the wound of the sword, and liveth.

15 And it was given to him to put spirit into the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would speak and act in such a way that everyone who would not worship the image of the beast would be killed.

16 And he will cause everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.

So, we see that it is the second beast, coming out of the earth (i.e. during the times of firm order under the Antichrist) and called the false prophet, who will introduce into use a mark with the name and number of the name of the beast.

When, that is, during what period of the reign of the first beast—the Antichrist—will the second beast—the false prophet—appear? Having learned this, we will also know the time for the widespread introduction of the mark of the beast. To do this, let's go back to the beginning of Chapter 13:

Open 13:

1 And I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast come out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns: on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were names of blasphemy.

2 The beast that I saw was like a leopard; His legs are like those of a bear, and his mouth is like the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his strength and his throne and great authority.

3 And I saw; that one of his heads seemed to be mortally wounded, but this mortal wound was healed. And all the earth marveled as they watched the beast, and they worshiped the dragon, who had given power to the beast,

4 And they worshiped the beast; saying: Who is like this beast? and who can fight him?

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given to him to continue for forty-two months.

6 And he opened his mouth to blaspheme God, to blaspheme his name, and his habitation, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and overcome them; and authority was given to him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names were not written in the book of life of the Lamb, which was slain from the foundation of the world.

9 He who has an ear, let him hear.

From Church Tradition it is known that the worldwide reign of the Antichrist will be allotted seven earthly years. This is the last week that the prophet Daniel spoke about. For half of this period, i.e. 3.5 years, the Antichrist will rule in Rome as a world king. He will combine the title of Roman Emperor and Pope.

And then, halfway through his reign, he would be mortally wounded from an assassination attempt. In fact, he will not die, but will only freeze due to the action of Satan, who organizes this assassination attempt and the whole performance with the false revival, or false resurrection of the beast. The words seem to indicate this in verse 3. Satan, the father of lies, will resort to crafty deception here too. Moreover, he will deceive not only people, but also the Antichrist himself. Scripture calls the false resurrection of the beast “healing” so as not to demean the word “resurrection,” for only God can resurrect.

Satan will need this action with the “revival” of the beast in order to assure the whole earth and the Antichrist himself of the latter’s divinity, and through him, of his own. This performance will be followed by all media. And if the Lord Jesus Christ rose secretly, then the beast will rise in front of everyone. After recognizing himself as God, the Antichrist will move his capital from the political center of the world - Rome to the religious center - Jerusalem and declare it the capital of the eternal God, i.e. his own. In Jerusalem, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, he will sit in the Jewish temple that had been built by that time and declare himself God. He will have 42 months left to act as a false god.

Satan, knowing that he has little time left, will bring forward another beast to help the Antichrist beast - the false prophet. It is this second beast, which by demonic power will produce spectacular false miracles, and will put forward the idea of ​​​​the mark of the first beast.

Consequently, the mark of the beast with his name and the number of his name will be first introduced on earth no earlier than the appearance of the false prophet, that is, no earlier than three and a half years of the reign of the Antichrist and 42 months of his end. Waiting for the mark to be implemented before this date, and even more so in a secret way, is erroneous and is obvious demonic delusion or extreme ignorance.

It should be noted that nowhere in Revelation is the name “seal” used in relation to the mark of the beast. This word is used in relation to the servants of God:

Open 7:

2 And I saw another angel rising from the east of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four Angels, to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying:

3 Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

It is no coincidence that the word of God uses the name “mark” for the mark of the Antichrist. The root of this word is to draw. Mostly geometric figures are drawn. Here is one of these geometric figures, composed of two intersecting equilateral triangles, known as the Star of David, and will be taken by the Antichrist, at the suggestion of the false prophet, as the basis for the design.

Let's look in detail at verses 16 through 18 of the 13th chapter.

Open 13:

16 And he will cause everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,

17 And that no one may buy or sell except he who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Verse 16 only talks about the mark, but verse 17 adds the name of the beast and the number of his name. It would seem that in verse 17 it was necessary to put a period after the word “mark.” Or in the 16th add to the outline the name and number of the name of the beast. This really requires wisdom from God to understand.

In fact, there is no contradiction or disagreement, because in both cases we are talking about the same thing. We see a kind of trinity: one mark in three “persons”. In the first case, it is indicated folded into one outline, which contains the name and number of the name of the beast. In the second - in all three of its parts: the mark itself, the name of the beast and the number of his name. This connection is also helped by the passage from the 14th chapter, where in the 11th verse we read: “the mark of his name.”

This knowledge will help us understand the structure of this mark, i.e. that in addition to the geometric figure of the Star of David, it will contain the name of the beast and the number of its name.

Why, having great power, will the Antichrist demand emphatically voluntary acceptance of his mark? Yes, because, out of his insane audacity and pride, he wants to show the true God that people worship and obey him, the beast, consciously and voluntarily, and also that they have abandoned the true God.

The mark itself, according to a number of church fathers, will be applied to the right hand or forehead using a laser or other modern technical instrument. It will be something similar to current plastic cards. Places on the forehead and right hand will not be chosen by chance; this will help take away from a person the power of the sign of the cross and the very opportunity to sign the sign of the cross. That is why accepting the mark of the beast will, in addition to everything else, be a crusader heresy.

The image applied to the skin, in addition to the inscription with the name and number of the name of the beast (which alone gives the right to buy and sell), may also have information about the bearer’s bank accounts and other information about him. In this case, the design can perform the function of money (bank plastic cards), since all the financial information of the beast worshiper will be stored on it.

The false prophet will introduce mandatory worship of a “living” statue (robot) of the beast. These statues will be installed everywhere in antichristouariums (that is, in temples named after the beast; the mausoleums of some leaders are only prototypes of them). These temples of the beast will mostly be former Christian temples. Christianity as a religion will be prohibited under penalty of death. All crosses and holy images from churches and domes will be removed. The iconostasis will be removed and in the altar part of the temple, instead of the throne, a “living” statue (robot) of the Antichrist beast will be installed, speaking and capable of killing. Something similar happened during the capture of Jerusalem by the Roman troops of Emperor Titus Vespassian, when the soldiers brought the statue of Vespassian into the Jerusalem temple and installed it in the Holy of Holies as an image of their god. This desecration of Christian churches and altars is what the prophet Daniel calls the abomination of desolation in a holy place.

Open 13:

It turns out that any reasonable person can find out the number of the beast. So that there is no such false understanding, it is necessary to indicate in relation to what was said up to the 18th verse: “Here is wisdom.” It follows from this that an intelligent person will be able to calculate this number if a wise person (that is, one who has spiritual intelligence) gives him the initial data for the calculation.

But this is only possible for a mind that is immersed in the Holy Scriptures and Tradition of the Church. Remember the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the wonderworker, that the mind of a true Christian should swim in the word of God. Only such a mind will be able to calculate the number of the beast in a time blessed by God.

Why should one count the number of the beast if this number is already known as 666? And what does it mean in this case: to count? Counting in this case is not an arithmetic operation. Knowing the number completely eliminates the need for mathematical calculations. To count means to determine the literal value of a number known from Revelation and thereby determine the name of the beast.

The Great John the Theologian calls this number human. That is why it is inappropriate to give this number a satanic meaning, when the word of God and the beloved disciple of Christ call it human. Why is this number still called human? It is not of divine origin, but composed by man; it looks human and has a meaning that is understandable to humans; it is amenable to calculation and understanding by man.

Let us give further evidence from Scripture, convicting those who are now prematurely struggling with the number 666, as if with the number of the beast, as well as with its introduction into the tax system or into other systems of management and control. Scripture testifies that when the time comes (after the appearance of the false prophet), the real revelation of the mark and number of the beast will be given by three great messengers of God, called angels in Revelation.

Open 14:

6 And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people;

8 And another angel followed him, saying: Babylon is fallen, is fallen, the great city, because she made all nations drink of the wrathful wine of her fornication.

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

10 He will drink the wine of the wrath of God, the whole wine prepared in the cup of His wrath, and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb;

11 And the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever, and they will have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark of his name.

The first angel is the resurrected Great Apostle of Love, John the Theologian, who wrote the eternal spiritual Gospel. Why is his Gospel called eternal? Because it, in addition to relating to the earthly life of Christ the Lord (which is also present in the other three Gospels), has eternal spiritual laws.

The second angel is the great Old Testament prophet Elijah the Tishbite, who was taken alive to heaven in his old body (he must be killed and resurrected in a new capacity).

The third angel is the great righteous man and prophet from the antediluvian world, Enoch, who was also taken alive into heaven (and will also be killed by the Antichrist and resurrected with Elijah in a perfect body).

These great holy pillars of the Church and God's saints are destined by God's Providence to preach against the worship of the beast and against accepting its mark with its number. This sermon will be accompanied and witnessed by great wonders, signs and the power of God performed by these three angels of God.

Some believe that instead of Enoch there may be the prophet Moses, for he, along with Elijah and John the Theologian, was a witness and participant in the Transfiguration of the Lord on Tabor. This idea is not correct, for Moses participated, according to the interpretation of the holy fathers, as a representative of the dead, and was present only in soul. His presence was necessary in order to show that the law of Moses was a teacher to Christ, and Moses himself was a servant of Christ. He also assured the souls of the dead of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of men. Of the living ancient prophets, only two were preserved: Enoch and Elijah the Tishbite. They, according to Scripture, must be killed and after 3.5 days be resurrected and ascend into heaven. How can Moses, who is already dead, be killed? In addition, the Tradition of the Church (for example, the service and akathist to the prophet Elijah) and many holy fathers directly pointed to Elijah and Enoch, including the Venerable Nile the Myrrh-Streaming Athonite, who spoke after his death. We cannot doubt his messages brought from heaven.

The seer John sees a beast with seven heads and ten horns emerging from the sea.

St. Ephraim the Syrian, depicting, as he puts it, “the shamelessness of the serpent, who, like a thief, will come in due time with the intention of stealing, slaughtering and destroying the chosen flock of the true shepherd,” cites those features that depict the apocalyptic beast. Using these paternal testimonies, we can make the following few notes regarding the vision of John the Theologian.

John's Revelation speaks of three different beasts: the beast from the sea (13:1ff), the beast from the earth (13:11ff) and the beast from the abyss (17:8ff). If we compare 17, 3 and 8 with Ch. 13, 1-2, then the similarity in the description (both here and there “blasphemous names” are attributed to the beast, seven heads and ten horns) and the obvious relationship of one chapter to another (the angel in Chapter 17, Article 8 says to the Seer: “ The beast which you saw was, and is not...") are made to count the beast from the sea and the beast from the abyss as one beast.

Now the question is: what do the heads of this beast mean? The answer to this question is found in Revelation 17:9: the seven heads are the seven mountains on which the woman sits, and the seven kings. Thus, the heads mean bearers of worldly power who are hostile to God. Such a representative of worldly power will be the beast that was and is not, that is, the beast from the abyss.

The apocalyptic beast from the abyss, called the “eighth”, despite its close relationship to the four-part beast from the sea, at the same time has some differences from it. Having emerged from among the seven heads (or kings) of the beast from the sea (Rev. 17:10-11), he will also be a beast from the abyss, that is, he will have a connection with the kingdom of darkness, with the hiding places of the demonic forces of destruction (Rev. 17, 8; 9, 11; 11, 7).

Being the last representative of the worldly anti-Christian kingdom, he will depend on the devil, and in him his hostility to God is a sign of bloodthirstiness.

All these features attributed by the Seer to the beast from the abyss, don’t they remind us of the man of sin, who is presented by the Apostle Paul as the head of apostasy, and about whom it is said that his coming is due to the action of Satan (2 Sol. 2:9)?! Let us note at the same time that both apostles, Paul and John, speak of the defeat of the Antichrist in complete agreement with each other. Just as according to the prediction of the Apostle Paul, the triumph of the Antichrist will be short, and judgment will befall him soon (2 Sol. 2, 3, 8), so also St. John, as soon as he spoke about the reappearance of the beast, he already added that he would go to destruction (17, 8, 11). This similarity between the “man of sin” and the “beast from the abyss” leads us to the idea that the latter is also an individual.

So, if we recognize the “beast from the abyss” as the Antichrist, and to recognize him is encouraged, as we have seen, by the testimonies of some fathers and teachers of the Church and the context of speech, then it is also necessary to assume that he is a separate person, a specific individual, a separate person, gifted with great strength and power, which will combine in itself all the properties of worldly, hostile power that existed before it.

St. Ephraim the Syrian, depicting the cunning and revenge of the Antichrist, directly calls him a king: “When many classes see the virtues and strength of the apostate, everyone will have one thought towards him and proclaim him king. And soon his kingdom will be established, and in anger he will defeat three great kings. Then this serpent will ascend in his heart and spew out his bitterness, crush the universe, move its ends, oppress everyone...” The activity of the Antichrist depicted here does not relate to the religious or spiritual sphere, but to the external or political.

Recognizing the Antichrist as a political figure, we do not at all deny his religious activity; on the contrary, the Antichrist will be not so much a political figure as a religious one. The political sphere will serve as the most convenient ground for achieving his spiritual goals and for carrying out his satanic plans.

From the words “On the Antichrist” by St. John of Damascus: “And so the Jews did not accept the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Son of God and God, but will accept a deceiver who calls himself God. That he will call himself God, about this the angel teaching Daniel says this: he does not understand the gods of his fathers (Dan. 11:37). And the apostle: Yes, no one will deceive you in any way: for if the apostasy does not come first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, the adversary and exalt himself more than any spoken god, or venerator, as he should sit in the church of God, I show myself, for God exists (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The Apostle, saying: in the church of God, does not mean ours, but the ancient Jewish one. For he will not come to us, but to the Jews; not for Christ, but against Christ and Christians. That’s why it’s called the Antichrist.”

From the words of St. Irenaeus of Lyons “On the tyrannical kingdom of the Antichrist”: “When the Antichrist has devastated everything in this world, reigned for three years and six months and sits in the temple of Jerusalem, then the Lord will come from heaven on the clouds in the glory of the Father, and he and those who obey him will be sent into the lake fiery, and to the righteous he will give the times of the kingdom, that is, rest, the sanctified seventh day, and will restore to Abraham the promised inheritance, the kingdom, in which, according to the Lord, many from the east and west will come to lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Matthew 8 , 1.1)".

It is obvious that the Antichrist is a specific person who at the end of time will be possessed (inhabited) by Satan and who, according to the action of Satan, will be a short-term world ruler. It is clear that he will be a Jew from the tribe of Dan and will appear as their long-awaited messiah, who will confirm in his person their age-old aspiration for dominion over the whole world. The Antichrist will appear as an outstanding world genius, a religious leader and reformer, an autocrat and a political figure, a reconciliator and a public benefactor.

For the apostate world, including those who falsely continue to consider and call themselves Orthodox, the Antichrist beast will be the resolver of all questions and the satisfyer of all desires and aspirations. For apostates and unbelievers, this fiend of Satan will completely replace Christ, Who became for them a fiercely hated obstacle in their “progress and prosperity.” Thus, he will satisfy the aspirations of the Jews by declaring himself their messiah, and their post-Moses faith as dominant on earth. He will buy Catholics, Protestants and everyone who descended from them, as well as apostates from Orthodoxy, by becoming the head of the ecumenical “Christian” religion. At the same time, he will declare the primacy and primacy of the neo-Jewish religion and equality with Buddhism, Hinduism and other pagan cults.

He will prohibit and abolish the name of Christ Jesus the Lord, His Church and Her teachings in his dark kingdom. He will subject the Church of Christ to the most severe persecution in history with the merciless and most savage murder of Her faithful, who, as in the beginning, will be called saints.

He will please Muslims (Islam) by accepting the false prophet (a beast emerging from the earth) as his first and main assistant and declaring him the incarnate prophet Muhammad (Mohammed), who allegedly returned from heaven with a new name - Magdala or similar. This false Muhammad will convert all Muslims to the Antichrist, reconcile them with the Jews, apostates from Christ and pagans.

Thus, all religious discord will be formally eliminated and all earthly religions, cults and beliefs will merge into one world religion of the Antichrist and into one cult - the cult of his father, Satan. To finally resolve this issue, the devil and the Antichrist will play out on humanity through a performance with an attempt on the life of the beast, his false death and false resurrection. It is after this insidious deception, in the second half of his week (7 years), that the Antichrist will declare himself “God” and demand divine worship. This is where the false prophet, the false Muhammad, will come to his aid and lead all Muslims to worship, from among whom the most trusted and selected troops of the Antichrist and the false prophet will be created. The Antichrist will declare himself the common “God” of all religions and all people. He will say to people: “Come to me, all of you, for I am your “God,” “savior,” “benefactor,” and “reconciler”—and two-thirds of those living on earth will accept him and worship him as “God.” After this worship, as well as after receiving the mark of the beast, a person becomes a demon at heart, no longer capable of repentance and turning to the true God. Such demon people will share eternal torment with the demon spirits.

The beast that you saw was and is not, and will come out of the abyss and go to destruction; and those living on earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life since the beginning of the world, will be surprised, seeing that the beast was, and is not, and will appear - this is the man Antichrist, who desired divine honors and worship for himself as God. Whom you saw - St. John the Theologian saw the beast and the Antichrist in the person of the Roman emperor Nero, the first fierce persecutor of Christians. He demanded divine worship for himself, was the first Antichrist and was a prototype of the last Antichrist of the beast.

There was - there was an Antichrist in the person of the first Roman emperors, who persecuted the Church of Christ, brutally killed and terribly tortured Christians. They were driven to persecution by Satan, who will persecute Christians through the last Roman and universal emperor - the beast Antichrist.

Which was - it was in the person of the first Roman persecuting emperors.

And who is not - he is not among the emperors of Rome, for he will declare himself God in Jerusalem.

There is an eighth - he is the eighth in order after the first seven persecutors of the Roman emperors.

From the number of seven - in spirit and in continuity from the seven most fierce persecutors of the Roman emperors.

How quickly the scenes change in this panorama of the Apocalypse! John watches in admiration as the drama of the centuries unfolds before him. Now the prophet gazes intently into the troubling sea.

Suddenly, before his astonished gaze, a terrible wild beast rises from the water.

In a vision, Daniel also saw animals emerging from the sea, as symbols of powerful world states (See Dan. 7).

This was the power of the dragon that Rome gave to the beast of Revelation 13, his throne and great power. John tells us that this power of the beast will utter blasphemous words against God (Rev. 13. 1. 5). Dominician, who exiled John to the island of Patmos, issued state decrees under the blasphemous title: “Emperor Dominician, our Lord and our God.” This pagan power gave the beast his authority. Let us stand behind John and look at these stunning scenes in the great revelation of the atonement as he saw them presented at his trial.

Beast with seven heads and ten horns

Some theologians, due to the similarity of language in the descriptions of John and Daniel, argue that John only borrowed all this from Daniel. Daniel really looked forward to the history of events that had not yet come to fruition.

He saw consistency in the emergence of world states. The first kingdom was symbolized by the lion (Babylon), then the bear (Persia), then the leopard (Greece), and finally the beast with ten horns (Rome).

All of these characteristics are embodied in the one beast described in Revelation 13. Therefore, before us is a collective image of the kingdoms of this world, over which Satan has shown his power.

John, who lived 600 years after Daniel, saw these same authorities, but from a different side. He looked both deeper into these events and forward. Although Rome was the ruling power of the world, yet so much of the Greek civilization survived in the Roman Empire that we speak of it as the Greco-Roman Empire. The prophetic symbol connects the beast with ten horns - Rome - with the body of a leopard - Greece. But the beast also embodies all the features of the former kingdoms - Persia and Babylon, for it has the feet of a bear (Persia) and the mouth of a lion (Babylon). Both Daniel and John emphasize that the ten horns represent the subsequent collapse of Rome.

The dragon gave the beast his power, throne, and authority (v. 2). The dragon is the devil and Satan (Rev. 12:9), always acting through earthly authorities and institutions. Ancient Egypt is compared to a dragon (Ezek. 29:2). But the dragon of Revelation 12 definitely refers to pagan Rome, for this power tried to destroy the baby Jesus at His birth. Pagan Rome subsequently disintegrated and was replaced by a Christianized Rome or the papacy. The ancient city of Rome became the capital and center of this new growing power.

In 320, Constantine left Rome to build Constantinople, the new capital of the state. This can be called the beginning of the collapse of the empire. Constantinople later became the capital of Eastern Rome.

Many writers cover how the transition from pagan Rome to papal Rome took place. Eusebius in his book “Life of Constantine” says: “In order to present Christianity in a more attractive form to the pagans, the priests adopted external decorations in clothing, and decorations used in the pagan cult.

Pope Gregory, exposing Augustine, confidentially told him the following: “Destroy idols, but not temples.

Sprinkle them with holy water, decorate them with relics and let the people worship them in their accustomed places." "Cardinal Baronius expressed the following thought: "The Holy Church was allowed to appropriate the rites and ceremonies used by the pagans in their idolatrous cult, until the Church redeemed them with its dedication." These are the hallmarks of the Roman Church in our time.

Its constant characteristic was compromise while truth was tragically sacrificed on the altars of form and lithargy.

Pondifex Maximus Constantine, foreseeing the final triumph of Christianity, became its defender.

As emperor, he was already invested with the power and honor of paganism. He did not renounce all this, but introduced them into Christianity. He became the link connecting paganism with Christianity. Half a century later, in 375, the Christian Emperor Gratian abandoned the pagan decorations on clothing and the pagan title "Pontifex Maximus". But the Bishop of Rome, seeing an opportunity to exalt his dignity, appropriated the title and vestments of Pontifex Maximus. As we noted in the third chapter, "Pontifex" comes from two Latin words: "Pontis" meaning "bridge" and "fraxio" or "factor" - creator; "Maximus" means the greatest.

Adding these meanings together, we get the meaning of "Great Bridge Builder" or "Bridge Collector", as if having the right to levy a toll. This is the historical significance of the title and vestments of the pagan high priest. These titles and vestments perpetuated paganism in the church, but always under the guise of Christianity. A Roman Catholic priest, who was a professor of church history before his full faith in Jesus, pointed out at a theological seminar in Rome that one of the reasons for accepting the title was the tax required on all those entering Rome. It is said that this collection of duties continued until 1870 (see pp. 23-25). This mysterious number represents a system rather than an individual.

The dragon in the sense of pagan religion gave the beast “his strength and his throne and great power” (Rev. 13: 2).

Paganism is a religion that mainly proclaimed the worship of nature: the sun and moon - the main deities of Rome.

The sun is usually a masculine deity; and the moon is more often feminine.

In ancient mythology, the serpent was universally recognized as a symbol of the sun. Sun worship and serpent worship began simultaneously; the sun was hailed as the source of all physical life, and the snake as the source of all spiritual life. Asclepius, the ancient god of medicine, was often depicted as a serpent coiled around a dead tree trunk, a symbol of the restorer of life." (See Appendix, p. 215, No. 6) In ancient times, it was argued that God acts in a mathematical way.

Their religion was a mixture of religion, astrology, alchemy, physics, science and mathematics. Ancient astrology divided the sky into 36 constellations. They were represented by various amulets called "Sidilla Solis" or "Seal of the Sun". The amulets worn by pagan priests contained numbers from 1 to 36. They claimed that these numbers could predict future events.

These amulets were usually made of gold; yellow is the color of the sun. When worn, these amulets were wrapped in yellow silk, because it was believed that their owner in this way received beneficial powers, which, in their opinion, came from the precious stone.

Prints of these amulets, photographed in 1910, show actual images of the amulets that were in the Berlin Museum.

With the fall of the Babylonian Empire, the entire system of Egyptian and Babylonian mythology was transferred to Pergamon (Asia Minor - see page 24). Later it was moved to the capital of the Roman Empire - the city of Rome. It is not surprising that the Lord, in the message to the Pergamon church, says: “I know your works, and that you live where the throne of Satan is” (Rev. 2:13).

The Apostle Paul calls the vicious system of idolatry, through which the church departed from the faith, “the mystery of iniquity.” (2 Thess. 2, 7), and John - “Mystery, Babylon the Great” (Rev. 17, 5). This mystery had already been revealed in the days of the apostles, but the full revelation of such apostasy had not yet been revealed. The Babylonian mysteries, always surrounded by mystery, have challenged the truth of God since ancient times. Paul speaks of the “unfruitful works of darkness,” saying, “what they do in secret is shameful to speak of.” (Eph. 5:11-12).

When the Son of God was nailed to the cross, evil seemed to triumph. But our Lord “endured the cross and despised the shame” (Heb. 12:2). The cross was the symbol of this shameful cult. This mysterious god is mentioned by Plutarch "as a hidden god" (De Iside et Osiride - vol. 2 p. 354), and by other historians as a "hidden system"; he was worshiped and called "Saturn", which means "Hiddenly Hidden". In Chaldean and Aramaic the word is pronounced TUR. Chambers, in his Book of Days, speaks of the feast of "Saint Satur the Martyr" (see next page). This "hidden system" of shame and apostasy invaded the church in the early ages and left its mark of vice on every succeeding generation. The true God is not hidden. It is revealed in Jesus Christ.

Now let's note the meaning of the letters STUR:

U - 400 "Hidden God" of Babylon.

R - 6 (Aramaic language).

When this system was established in Rome - the "City of the Seven Hills" - Italy became a land of mysterious cults and for many centuries was known as the "Country of Saturn" or the land of mysteries. Saturn was also identified with Janus - the great mediator, Revealer and Completer. The pagan high priests were given the keys of Janus and Cybella.

Christianity Challenges Paganism In the early days of the Christian church, the simplicity of the apostolic faith was a striking contrast to the refined system of pagan sacraments.

That sinners could come directly into the presence of God and be saved without a mediator and the whole system of priests and spells seemed too far-fetched to be true.

This simple message represented the purity of life. People were different. They acted differently; they had joy and peace; which could not be denied. Paul spoke of the "mystery of godliness" (1 Tim. 3:16), which implies the incarnation of our Lord, His blameless life, ascension and His ministry at the throne of God. What a contrast to the “mystery of iniquity!” (2 Thess. 2:7). Apart from the Gospel of Christ, people could not achieve victory over sin. The Christian message was a call to emerge from the darkness of the entire system of pagan sacraments. “Do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness,” wrote the Apostle Paul, “but what they do in secret is shameful to even speak of” (Eph. 5:11-12). It was all very tragic. The secret of the sacraments was often a cloak for immorality.

The apostles, foreseeing that the pagan system would pervert the simplicity of the Gospel, warned the church leaders.

But gradually, despite their warnings, the church experienced a “fall” (2 Thess. 2:2), and paganism fully established itself in the apostate church.

This branch of Christianity finally became not the “daughter of Zion,” as God’s ancient church was called, but, on the contrary, the “daughter of paganism,” having its capital in Rome.

All the vestments of paganism became part of the so-called Christian system. For example, the "keys of St. Peter" that were on the upper sleeve of the pope's robe, which he wore as the head of the entire religious system, are not the "keys of St. Peter", but a modern duplicate of the pagan keys of Janus and Cybella. Many church holidays are pagan. So, for example, the feast of St. Satyr, the martyr, which is celebrated on March 29 (see R. Chambers, “Book of Days,” vol. 1, p. 435). One of the prayers in the litany of the Mass is: “The Hidden God and my Savior, have mercy on me” (In McKeown, “The Protestant,” vol. 2, p. 79). Saturn was the hidden deity of paganism. It is not surprising that God calls this whole system: “Mystery, Babylon the Great.” (Rev. 17:5).

To the student of the book of Revelation both the name and the number of his name are important, and it is only by the wisdom of God that we can recognize the apostate church. Therefore, we should seek guidance from the Lord to reveal this divine mystery. By accepting God's call to reveal the valuable meaning of this number 666, we are more likely to be like people seeking the hidden truths of God than children playing a puzzle. The value of the book of Revelation is that it requires our judicious study, as well as diligence, which is rarely revealed in commentaries and books on Revelation. This mysterious number was given to the prophet John by the Holy Spirit and its secret was to be revealed only to those who possess the wisdom of God. Many names have been proposed over the centuries; some of them were too ridiculous to deserve comment. This has led some to discount the original point as significant. But God says: “Whoever has ears (not the wisdom of the serpent, but the wisdom of God), let him count the number of the beast.” As obedient servants of God, we have sought "wisdom from above" (James 3:17) and our discoveries have led to some startling conclusions.

The sacred language of this church, by decree of the pope, for many centuries was not Greek or Hebrew, but Latin. Dad always spoke Latin at the pulpit. Until recently, all masses were also conducted in Latin. The ancient Greek word for "Latin speakers" is "Lateinos", which was recognized from ancient times as the name expressed in Revelation 13, 18.

I - 10 "Latin-speaking man"

N - 50 or “Latin Church” (Greek).

B - 2 "Latin Kingdom" (Greek)

E. V. Elliott in his work “Chora Apocalyptica” says: “But the only thing that absolutely precisely meets the requirement of the sacred riddle, and which I fully believe that it alone is determined by the Spirit, is Irenaeus’s interpretation of the word “Lateinos” (4th edition. t 3. p. 233) The letter "E" is usually omitted in more modern pronunciations of the word, but such authorities as Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Andreas, and others pronounced it as indicated here.

This title also has a numerical value in Greek.

As noted earlier, Italy has long been known as the "Land of Mysteries" or the "Saturian Land". When the Italian branch of the Christian Church rose to power and came to control the universal or Catholic Church, it became the Roman Catholic Church, or Church of Italy, and it is important to note that its name in Greek is "Italica Ecclesia" - "Italian Church" also in the total is 666:

L - 30 L - 30 "Italian Church"

I - 10 E - 8 (Greek)

The head of the apostate church became the ruler of a secular state when Pepin granted the first official gift of papal state status to Pope Stephen II in 755. The Pope then became a temporary monarch and remained so throughout the 11th century. But he lost this status in 1870, when Italy was united under Garibaldi during the reign of King Victor Emmanuel II.

Until February 11, 1929, the pope still remained in the Vatican as a pseudo-prisoner, but from that time Mussolini restored his rights as supreme bishop, giving him possession of 180 acres of land. This state of affairs made him ruler again and the number of his kingdom is 666. Greek scholars checked the names of 400 other kingdoms, but none of them add up to the absolute accuracy of this mysterious number 666.

Papal confessions But 666 is also the number of a person - a representative of power (Rev. 13, 18). In the Roman Catholic Bible, Dowey's translation is in the margins against Rev. 13, 18 a note that reads as follows: “The numerical letters of his name make up this number.” The Roman Pontifex had many names and titles, but one of the most important was “Vicarius Filia Dei,” which means “Vicar of the Son of God.” This title is included in the canon of law of the Roman Catholic Church. (“Beatus Petrus e terris vicarius filii dei videtour essay constitution” - Decree of Gratiani, part one, 96).

"The title Vicarius Fili Dei... is a very common title for the pope" (Dr. D. Queston, Professor of Ancient History and Christian Archeology, Department of Sacred Theology, Catholic University of America, Washington DC, March 5, 1943). This title, according to Binius, was approved by the church council. Binius - Roman Catholic dignitary of Cologne (see "Sacrosancta Concilia" vol. 1, pp. 1539-1541).

“The title of the Pope is Vicarius Fili Dei, and if you count the letters of his name, which are large printed Latin numerals, and add them together, they add up to 666” (Our Sunday Visitor, November 15, 1914).

It is pointless to just multiply names and count numbers; Although many names have been taken over the centuries in an attempt to interpret this prophecy, yet too often it has all turned out to be nothing more than mere speculation. We repeat, the challenge in Rev. Addressed not to the mathematician as such, not to the philosopher, with his worldly wisdom, but to the servant of God who zealously seeks the wisdom that comes from above (James 3:17).

The title below is important as the final point of our research. Please note the following calculations:

A - 0 I - 1 "Vicarius Filia Dei" -

R - 0 I - 1 one of the official

I - 1 D - 500 papal titles.

U - 5 E - 0 (Latin language).

It is indeed significant that throughout all the successive centuries, from ancient Babylon to the present day, the power that has profaned the truth of God is remembered by the number 666. When Babylon is mentioned in the Word of God, the number 6 has an amazing significance. For example, the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar was 60 cubits high and six cubits wide.

Six different musical instruments were in his "jazz band" when the faithful Jews refused to bow to this symbol of Babylonian greatness (Dan. 3). In the fourth chapter, a tree is mentioned six times, symbolizing Babylonian power. Belshazzar was sentenced when he glorified the gods of “gold, silver, copper, iron, wood, and stone” - six in all (Dan. 5:14). In Revelation the name Babylon appears only six times.

In Lucifer's open rebellion against God, the personal pronoun "I" or "Mine" is mentioned six times (Is. 14, 13-14). Also in the story of the construction of the Tower of Babel or Babylon (See p. 153) the personal pronoun "is mentioned six times" us" or "we".

In ancient times, the Jews believed that "fate lies in the number 6, even if it was mentioned only once. Triple it... and you get three mysterious sixes, one after the other (666) and we represent the power of evil incomparably great terrible fate, which nothing could be worse" (William Milligen. "The Interpreter of the Bible" vol. 6. 890 pp.).

For the Jews, 6 was the number of worry, or the number of man created on the sixth day; Seven was the number of perfection; and 8 is the number of victory. If the number tripled, it indicated the eternity of the symbolically depicted thing; for example 666 - meant eternal anxiety; 777 - eternal perfection; 888 - eternal victory. (See Antichrist 666, pp. 137-146).

So “hi pren” - “natural reason” -8. 500. 100. 8. 50 - equals 666 = number of constant worry. (King Solomon discovered this from his own experience, because his annual income was 666 talents of gold, a fabulous income, but it did not satisfy the heart at all.) See 1 Kings. 10, 14; Eccl.2, 8-11. 17.

"Stauros" - "cross" - 6. 1. 400. 70. 300 = 777 - the number of eternal perfection.

Ap. Paul found him like this. (Gal. 6:14).

“Jesous” - the God-given name of Jesus - 10. 8. 200. 70. 400. 200 = 888. This is the number of eternal, never-ending victories! The important thing is that the number of the pope's name is identical to the sacred number of the ancient pagan sun god. God has definitely spoken out against this system of lies.

He calls it "Babylon" or "confusion." And His message today: “Come out of it My people (Rev. 18:1-4). Only the true church will be victorious. They will stand on the sea of ​​glass, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, the song of victory “over the beast and his image and mark and the number of his name" (Rev. 15:1-4). They overcame sin thanks to the great name of Jesus: "For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). God “He gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (Phil. 2:9.10). Everyone will welcome the authority of the name of Jesus! 14