There has been a lot of speculation about the Beast of Revelation, trying to pin down who he is. While we can’t identify the Beast as an individual, his role is to cause trouble for the people of God–that much is clear. Revelation explains his role thus: “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Rev. 13:7, KJV)
Verse 8 goes on to explain the great division in the people of the world: “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the beast], whose names are not written in the book of life…” So we have two camps: those who are WITH the Beast, and those with whom the Beast is making war, whom Revelation identifies as saints, or people having their names in the Book of Life.
Now there is a lot of symbolism here, and I don’t think the Bible intends that we have to give a specific identity to this Beast in order to understand what we are being taught. Likewise with the mark that it talks about later in the chapter. This mark could be a tattoo, could be some object, or it could be just a spiritual mark that you can’t actually see. But it goes on to say something very interesting about those who follow the Beast and those who don’t.
Revelation 13:17 says, “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
Now isn’t this what is happening in our country today? Here we have Donald Trump, who refuses to go along with the politically correct doctrines, and we have all these media companies (NBC, Univision, ESPN) saying, “We will not do business with you.” Add to that Macy’s and other companies. Isn’t this what Revelation told us would happen? If you don’t go along, you can’t buy or sell.
Don’t misunderstand. I’m not equating Trump here with the people of God. I question his honesty. But one thing he is doing right now is defying the dogma of the day, which in Biblical terms I would call resisting the beast. So he is coming under fire. My point is the tactics of the Left and how they seem to be fulfilling prophecy.
We have Brendan Eich, the President of Mozilla, who lost his job because of his support for California’s Proposition 8. We have Aaron and Melissa Klein, the young Christian bakers in Oregon who turned down a lesbian wedding cake order in Oregon, who have since been fined $135,000, lost their business, and been ordered by the Oregon Labor Commissioner not to speak about it. We have Eric Moutsos, a police officer in Salt Lake City, who lost his job for merely ASKING (not demanding) for another role in a Gay Pride parade other than actually riding in the parade.
Aren’t these the beginnings of the fulfillment of this prophecy?
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So you think the entire message of revelation revolves around resistance to homosexuality? All three of your examples point to such a viewpoint. Surely you could think of at least one other example of opposition. Your bias is blatantly clear here and works to discredit what you say.
Response by David Hall:
Ron, I think you’re missing my point on a couple of levels. First, you make the mistake of equating an opposition to same-sex marriage to being an opposition to homosexuality, which isn’t correct. My examples of the intolerance of our day happen to be about same-sex marriage. That is where we are seeing this profound intolerance and seems to be where the Left is choosing right now to put the squeeze on religion. But I’m not saying that is the message of the Book of Revelation.
And about homosexuality, let me repeat what I have said elsewhere in this blog. Homosexuality is not a sin. Sin is about what you do, not about who you are. Homosexual acts are sins, but homosexual feelings aren’t. Same-sex marriage, on the other hand, is a perversion of the original God-given definition of marriage. Marriage was for generations about the children, but in our day the focus has shifted to being about “who you love,” which, in my view, misses the point.
Same sex marriage is a sin you can get forgiven for it but u got to stop doing it and ask God to forgive you and don’t do it anymore. God burn the town down because he could not find many people he found 0ne and he told slaman and garmarth and he told her not to look back she did he turned her into a pillar of salt. People please change your ways God made woman for man.
Homosexuality is a sin, this same sin that is carried over into same sex marriage. It is written not to lay with another man. Dr. Hall, man does not write Biblical laws. Marriage is a spiritual union. What exactly is being united? If the unity is a perversion, a spiritual illness, than so are the counterparts that house that sickness, which are being joined. I am working toward my doctorate in drug research following pharmacy school; how exactly does one rationalize thought processes that defy basic inference rules within logic, as validly deductive?
“Sin is about what you do, not about who you are.” When one makes the claim that homosexuality is the inverse of this statement, not a sin because it is “who that person is,” completely rejects their own worldview. With all due respect, living under the definition of homosexuality is an act in and of it self. This act or being a homosexual does not represent ones core. It is something one does. The same can be applied to the life of a serial killer who murders. Murder is a sin. The thief steals, and stealing is a sin. These acts are sinful, they are not labels used to claim “who one is,” rather what one is not repenting from.
An individual is not born a pedophile. Dr. Hall, your logic then flows smoothly in that sin is about what you do, not about who you are. Pedophilia is an act, an addiction, a sin. It houses a behavior mediated and psychologically reinforced act much the same way homosexuals exemplify in their own lifestyle. Both fueled thought processes go against the natural order, including traditional marriage.
It is simply not normal, all of it. This is not only my view, it is the order of any phylogenetic tree you wish to relativize on your behalf.
Thanks!
So Tory, are you saying that a person can have sexual feelings for someone of the same sex and if they never acted on those feelings are not homosexual?