Documentary Description
What is the real source of these ideas that so many people attribute
to the book of Revelation? Whoever wrote it sheltered in a cave on the
Greek island of Patmos, probably a refugee from Roman occupied
Palestine. He is also likely to have consumed the local hallucinogenic
magic mushrooms. So rather than taking these bizarre visions literally,
it might make more sense to try to understand them in their historical
context.
There are some 40 apocalyptic books from this era
but this was the only one that made it into the Bible. If the author
was writing about the hated Roman Empire, it could be that the seven
heads of the beast meant the seven emperors.
The mark of the beast could be the head of the
emperor on the coins. The dreaded 666 very likely represented three
letters indicating the Emperor Nero – representing letters by numbers
was, and is, common in Hebrew. If so, instead of being a description of
a world in chaos, it could be seen as a book of morality, optimism and
faith.
Let’s hope the End Timers start to see it like that before their actions really do bring about the end of the world.
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