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The title was supposed to be: The "beast" of Rev 13 through hermeneutics and the traditional historicist approach to prophecy. If admin can please change it, perhaps better to fit the space would be: The "beast" of Rev 13 through hermeneutics and historicism I authored all of the content of this post that comes from my website. The science of hermeneutics is used by scholars to interpret everything from literature, to poetry, to legal documents to scripture. Let's see if scripture can help us define and explain the "beast" of John's chapter 13 prophetic vision in the book of Revelation through sound hermeneutic principles. In Daniel's chapter 7 dream we find: Daniel 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. Daniel 7:4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings... Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear... Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard... Daniel 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly... In the verse below we are brought to understand, that at least in the figurative language of a vision or dream in prophecy, a "beast" is defined as a kingdom. Daniel 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. BEAST = KINGDOM Daniel detailed his kingdom "beasts" so well that there is a broad agreement among both Jewish and Christian scholars that the kingdoms represented by Daniel's lion, bear and leopard, are the successive ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, followed by the fourth beast, that is understood to be the Roman Empire. I left out a map of the Roman Empire because because it is not mentioned in Rev 13. The conclusion regarding Daniel's lion, bear and leopard beasts being successive kingdoms, is reached within the traditional historicist approach to prophecy. This is simply the view that figures in figurative language may represent actual people, places or things, and that bible prophecy is fulfilled steadily as the era about which it is written gradually unfolds. This is the approach through which virtually all Christians and Jews understand Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled, and for the first 1800 years including the Reformation, the church understood New Testament prophecy was being fulfilled. Taking a uniform approach to all bible prophecy. When we turn to the New Testament and John's prophetic vision we read: Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. Now we could go to the zoo to investigate those figures, or perhaps engage in unsupportable speculation and presumption, or we could apply an adjacent hermeneutic to see if the Bible might offer some clues. And as we already saw, we find three of the very same figures, and even mentioned together in the very same chapter in the figurative language of Daniel's prophetic dream, as we see in this composite of those kingdom beasts in the figurative language of John's prophetic vision. The reverse order could be because Daniel's dream was forward looking at these kingdoms to come, while the 1st century of John's vision was looking backward at their fulfillment. This leopard-bear-lion kingdom "beast" was to "continue" 42 "months" as confirmed in The seats of the ancient successive kingdom beasts of Daniel's lion, bear and leopard which are widely believed to be Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, are occupied today by the countries of Iraq, Iran, and Syria/Lebanon. With Muslim population in Iraq at 97%, Iran 98%, Syria/Lebanon 90%/60% Islamic. The dragon in Rev 13:2 is Satan. The power that Satan gave his "beast" is the sword, through which Islam was spread, and the threat of which for 1400 years has prevented people from leaving Islam and coming to Christ. Another part of the power of the Islamic kingdom "beast" is oil. No surprise we find western nations whoring themselves out to countries that are composed of up to virtually 100% antichrists (Saudi Arabia), that are even sworn to annihilate us (Iran), to keep the flow of oil going. Countries with statutes that call for the death penalty for "apostasy" and for the crime of "blasphemy" that we in the west would characterize as speaking openly and honestly about Muhammad as he is revealed in Islam's own books. Western nations even give weapons to these totalitarian countries, that will eventually be turned on Israel's democracy. Evermore compromising the safety and freedom of the citizens of the Israeli Jewish State, who are the only people in the Middle East, that share our western values. Who protect the freedom, liberty of Israeli Jews, Christians, non-Muslim Arabs - and Muslims. Indeed Muslims also enjoy more freedom in Israel, than they do in any Islam controlled state on earth. This Islamic kingdom "beast" is described "as a leopard", perhaps also because while an individual Muslim can change (against tremendous odds loosing family, friends, inheritance and in some places even their lives), it is impossible for Islam to change, as long as the Quran (mouth of the "beast") exists: Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. While these countries and various sects of Islam may have differences so great they even murder each other, they are perfectly united spiritually through the false prophet Muhammad and his Quran. As a result they are each and every one filled with the spirit of antichrist who are taught that to confess that Jesus is the Son of God, or even to pray in Jesus' name, would be to commit the single most "heinous" and only unforgivable sin ("shirk") in the false prophet Muhammad's counter-gospel anti-religion. Sura 19:88 They say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!" 89 Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! Quran Surah 9.29 Fight those.....(even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. 30 .....Christians call Christ the son of Allah. .....Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! 1 John 2:22 .....He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father

http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/05/20/pope-to-visit-palestinian-authority-mufti-who-endorsed-extermination-of-jews-video/ Watchdog Palestinian Media Watch on Tuesday warned that Pope Francis, as the most senior figure in the Catholic Church, is scheduled to meet with a leader who is renowned for his hatred of Jews. Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the most senior religious figure in the Palestinian Authority “has an ongoing record of vicious Antisemitic hate speech, which has been condemned internationally,” PMW said in a statement. The Pope will also meet with Israel’s two chief rabbis. PMW said that in 2012 the Mufti preached that it is Muslim destiny to kill the Jews. On another occasion, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, he taught that Jews were “enemies of Allah,” and in another speech he said that the souls of suicide bombers “tell us to follow in their path.” PMW cited a speech, broadcast in PA television in January 2012 from a Fatah celebration in East Jerusalem, where the Mufti linked the extermination of Jews to “Palestine,” and claimed that Israelis know that religious war, “Jihad,” is coming and are trying to protect themselves by planting a special tree that will hide them from Muslims when they come to kill them. The moderator at the Fatah ceremony said, “Our war with the descendants of the apes and pigs (i.e., Jews) is a war of religion and faith. Long Live Fatah! [i invite you,] our honorable Sheikh.” The Mufti began his speech by saying, “47 years ago the [Fatah] revolution started. Which revolution? The modern revolution of the Palestinian people’s history. In fact, Palestine in its entirety is a revolution, since [Caliph] Umar came [to conquer Jerusalem, 637 CE], and continuing today, and until the End of Days. The reliable Hadith (tradition attributed to Muhammad), in the two reliable collections, Bukhari and Muslim, says: “‘The Hour [of Resurrection] will not come until you fight the Jews. / The Jew will hide behind stones or trees. / Then the stones or trees will call: ‘Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.’ / Except the Gharqad tree [which will keep silent].’” “Therefore it is no wonder that you see Gharqad [trees] surrounding the [israeli] settlements and colonies,” the mufti said. “[Gharqad trees] surrounding, surrounding and surrounding. That’s the Palestine we are talking about, with the beginning of the Jihad and the continuation of the Jihad with the struggle and the procession of the Martyrs.” PMW said it was uncertain as to whether the Mufti knew that the moderator would refer to the Jews as “descendants of monkeys and pigs,” and declare that the Palestinian – Israel conflict “is a war of religion and faith.” However, as shown in video of the speech, the Mufti did not hesitate, retract or condemn the statement, asserting instead that Palestinians are destined to exterminate the Jews. PMW said that when it publicized his hate speech, the Mufti’s words were condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the British Foreign Office, the European Union and many others. In another speech, broadcast in May 2012, the Mufti praised suicide bombers who had murdered Israeli civilians as an “elite group of Martyrs.” He added an explicit call to murder: “The souls of the noble Martyrs envelop us, and their souls tell us to follow in their path.” In another sermon at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, broadcast in June 2010, the Mufti called the Jews “enemies of Allah” who “have even deviated from their humanity.” PMW said the Mufti also promoted hatred by rejecting Jewish rights in Jerusalem by denying that a Temple ever existed in Jerusalem: “In truth, there never was a Temple in any period, nor was there, at any time, any place of worship for the Jews or others at the Al-Aqsa Mosque site (built on the Temple Mount, 705 CE),” the Mufti said on PA television in January 2012. PMW said that, in addition, the Mufti makes a point of publicly rejecting Christian tradition, teaching that Jesus was not a Judean, but a Palestinian who preached Islam, calling Jesus “a Palestinian par excellence” and claiming that Jesus and his mother Mary were Palestinians, not Jews. The Mufti has also issued religious rulings presenting women as subservient to their husbands, declaring on PA TV that “in general, a woman must [only] leave home at the discretion of her husband,” and that a woman must not refuse her husband’s demand to have sexual relations:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25711953 I was scared and he took the vest back from me and he hit me hard, and I felt scared. Then [he gave me back the vest and] left me near the checkpoint where he said I had to operate it. I realised it was a suicide vest because it was heavier than a normal one. He said: "If you operate this on the people at the checkpoint, they will die - you will not die." But I knew it was a suicide vest and I would die too. Then he went back home - the checkpoint is just near our house. After my brother left me… I slept in the desert and didn't see anyone that night.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/fatwa-al-azhar-university-cairo-women-swimming-in-sea-adultresses/1/326883.html This is just crazy.

Easy to find your god in just about anything, when his name is little more than a squiggly line! http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=477534

A good view of the End Times from Walid Shoebat. http://youtu.be/RQ8C-qe3qSM

Ok, who is responsible? Did Assad do it? Did the rebels do it? Did anyone do it at all? Why is is that in the World of Islam, nothing is straightforward?

The despair of living under the strict regime of an Islamic Republic without the assistance and hope that can only come from Jesus. This is a video shot on a street in Tehran, that shows the human side of ordinary humble people living in the brutal state of Iran. The people were asked one simple question - 'If you could wish for something that would come true by the end of today, what would it be?' It's not a well-known fact but many Iranian people despise Islam and they despise the Mullahs that oppress them, but many are afraid to speak out. Most of them make the best of it and appear quite happy under the circumstances though, others, well... you can see the despair in their faces. We need to pray for these people. You may need to check that the English subtitles are on.

The religion of peace doing what it does best - unadulterated, sadistic evil! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2434278/Kenya-mall-attack-torture-claims-emerge-soldiers-Eyes-gouged-bodies-hooks-fingers-removed.html

http://za.news.yahoo.com/russian-muslim-clerics-warn-unrest-over-ban-translation-212618321.html Make of this what you will.

http://www.examiner.com/article/syrian-rebels-slash-throat-of-christian-taunts-fianc-e-jesus-didn-t-save-him Oops, I kind of put a misleading title here. Murderer of Christian mocks - 'Jesus didn't save him.'

By the Christian Broadcasting Network

http://rt.com/news/syria-foreign-fighters-mercenaries-706/

I would say that at least half of the refugees whom we (lovingallpeoples) work with are Muslim. They come from all over Africa, Burma, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Muslims have become a huge part of our life. We love Muslims. They are some of the most hospitable and generous people that I have ever met. I know many Americans simply just do not understand them because most Americans are not in relationship with Muslims. And after 9/11, I am sure Americans are a little weary of them. I understand this, but we should still try to make more of an effort to befriend Muslims. In the media, you are only seeing a fraction of the Muslim population in this world. You are only hearing the bad stories about Muslims. But most are like you and me; just people trying to take care of their families and make it through life. And just like in our culture, there are some people who do really bad things. Turning on our local news could make you fear walking out the door in Dallas. Am I right? Don’t get sucked in by the media. Create your own perception of the world by engaging in it and with people. Do we have the right to judge a world or people we do not truly know? Our experience is very different from what you see in the media. They treat us with great respect. Again, they are so generous and hospitable. If you go to their home, you will be treated as an honored guest. Muslims love to talk about spiritual things. They don’t separate the spiritual and the practical like many of us do; I know I do sometimes. So, they are very open to spiritual conversations. I know most people think it is difficult to talk with Muslims about God, but that’s just not the case. They love to talk about God. God is the most important thing to most of them. When we talk about Jesus, they do not kick us out. When we offer prayer, they never reject it. In fact, some Muslim families heard about how our team prayed over a family who had been in an accident. Next thing you know, all those Muslim families are calling our team and asking us to pray for them. When someone got sick and went to the hospital, who did they call? Us! Followers of Jesus. So let’s not be afraid of Muslims. They are open. They want our friendship and our love just like anyone else. These are beautiful people and God loves them so much. I think that is the most important thing. We should love who God loves! One of the best parts of being friends with Muslims is the food! I added some pics of the food. Also, I should explain the pics below because some people might start to get a little worried about me:) Muslims love to teach you about their culture. They may even dress you up like a Muslim. They may even dress your baby up as a Muslim too!

Only those who justify their requests for evangelistic donations seem to believe the institutional church is in a constant and continued state of expansionism. The reality, however, is far from it. Europe, once the citadel of Christendom, is now a secular state. Islam is making powerful inroads there. Many believe England may be an Islamic state within the next ten years. The church in China is secret, meaning that any statement about robust growth there is a patent lie. Japan is embracing its ancient culture and missions there are in a state of spiritual anorexia. India, S.A. and Central America are mirror images of the Asian cultural direction. Africa, once a continent of Christian growth, is once again being subjected to constant wars - sponsored by warlords within, prosecuted by western powers from outside (the US has invaded four central African nations in the past two years), and ravaged by a twenty first century version of financial colonialism from China. Christendom is experiencing a near-fatal case of apathy and apostacy. Those that deny Christianity is in trouble need only have sincere and private discussions with those who've visited those lands and countries I've mentioned (beginning with yours truly) to hear and see for themselves what is and is not happening there. After two thousand years of unlimited opportunity and expansion, the church has begun to wither on the vine. On the other hand, Islam is experiencing a tsunami of unprecedented growth. Even Muslim leaders cannot explain it. After centuries of having to apologize to themselves and to their adherents that Allah had not granted them the growth they'd hoped for, they are now seeing something they could not have imagined possible. Islam is the future. The fortunes of Islam are the reverse of the fortunes of the institutional church. Where the gospel of Christ grows, Islam withers. When Islam is in the forefront of global spiritualism, the gospel withers. Understanding the present nature and future of the church is imperative to moving forward and redefining or rediscovering the foundations of the gospel has never been more important. The questions submitted today are - 1. How may the gospel be defined in the present atmosphere of Islamic growth? 2. How may the gospel be present in a culture of hedonism and sin? (Or do we turn our backs on it and leave the country as Lot did?) 3. Does anybody care and if so where are they? (They aren't in Central Florida, that's for sure.)

A candidate for the Next pope, Cardinal Turkson grew up with Islamic family memebers, from reading this article it sounds like he pretty much embraces all religions. Oh, I also heard he is pretty big on the whole NWO and one world currency thing. http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/islam-christians-turkson-18996/ Could this be it? Are we finaly at the end?

This Blue States With It's Old Blue Blue Laws Could Take On A Red Red Tint If Islam Has It's Sinful Way In Indiana And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people. And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; 1