The idolatrous intent of religion is evidenced as the second beast tells people "to make an image to the beast" (13:14). The Greek word for "image" is eikon from which we get the English word "icon." Religion specializes in making external and idolatrous "graven images." Unable to accept that "Christ is the image of God" (Col. 1:15; II Cor. 4:4), and that God desires that His divine character be visibly expressed in the behavior of man, religion instead seeks to construct an external visible expression. These may take the form of tangible likenesses of creatures or men as well as religious buildings, or they may be intangible constructs of belief-systems and morality, or the ecclesiastical organizations of institutional religion. Idols all the same! Religion proceeds to attempt "to give breath to the image of the beast" (13:15), to make it "come alive," and invest it with spiritual life and activity, while also making it "speak" (13:15) with pompous pronouncements of piety. Those who "do not worship the image of the beast are killed" (13:15). Religion will tolerate no refusal to conform to its tenets. The intolerance of religion is well documented in its destruction and death of nonconformists.

This second beastly form of religion "causes all to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead" (13:16). Conformity of outward identification is important to religion. Religious adherents must be identified by what they do with their "hands" in moral activity and by what they think with their "heads" in an epistemological belief-system. Religion "brands" people so that the whole of society will be "stamped" by their religious adherence and it will "mark" everything they do. This includes the right to economic exchange, for "no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, of the name of the beast or the number of his name" (13:17). Religion creates an in-bred favoritism for conformists who bear the "mark" of the "name" of the beast, perhaps by expressing the diabolic character of the one who energizes religion, for "name" often represents character. The "number of his name" also represents the character of the devil in "self-effort." Those who do not share the "mark" are stigmatized for economic ostracism and boycott. History adequately records these repressive economic actions of religion, and such can still be seen today in the exclusivistic economic practices of evangelicals with their "sign of the fish" on business cards and advertising.

Christians constantly need the wisdom of Christ (I Cor. 1:24,30) to discern Satan's activity from Christ's activity, to distinguish between religion and genuine Christianity. "Here is wisdom," declares the risen Lord Jesus. "Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six" (13:18). Throughout the Revelation numbers have symbolic significance. Seven is the number of divine perfection, and if the number seven were triplicated as seven hundred and seventy-seven it would represent the triune perfection of the Godhead. The number six falls short of that which is of God. Man certainly falls short of that which is of God and brings glory to God (Rom. 3:23). Six hundred and sixty-six is a number that comes short of perfection. It is a parody on the divine trinity of perfection represented by seven hundred and seventy-seven. It is a number that represents the beast of religion, which though inspired and energized by the self-oriented, rebellious activity of Satan, is evidenced by man's self-effort to appease and please God apart from Jesus Christ. Religion is man's best efforts to construct moral systems and theological formulations and institutional structures. It is the best that man can do as he tries to reach God, just as he did at Babel (Gen. 11:1-9).

The "number of the beast" is explicitly identified as "the number of man" (13:18). Many translations and interpretations of this text supply an indefinite article which indicates that the number of the beast is "a man." The original Greek language of the Revelation has no indefinite article, and proper hermeneutic principles allow us to supply such in English translation only if the context demands such for clarity of expression. Such is not the case in this instance. When the indefinite article is supplied it gives the impression that the second beast is to be identified as a singular and particular individual man. This has led to much religious obsession with decoding the cryptographic number of "six hundred and sixty-six" in order to identify a particular person. Speculations have included Nero, Caligula, other Roman emperors, Mohammed, various Roman Catholic popes, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler, various United States presidents, leaders of Russia, etc. The numbers can arbitrarily and subjectively be twisted in order to apply to anyone! When such a procedure is employed the primary emphasis of the vision is missed. There is no need to identify this number as a particular historical individual. When the indefinite article is not supplied, a consistent contextual meaning is evident as the "number of the beast" is explained to be the "number of man" or the "number of mankind" as he engages in religious endeavors. Those who would demand a translation and interpretation that supplies the indefinite article identifying the number of the beast as "a man," must also allow the Jehovah's Witnesses to do the same in their translation of John 1:1, wherein they indicate that the Word was "a god." Few Christian religionists would want to allow such, but equity of translation technique would demand such.

http://www.christinyou.net/pages/revbeast.html

Makes sense to me.

I have to admit when I was younger the idea of a "giant robot" (Rev. 13:15) enforcing the will of the antichrist-- like Gort in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"-- was pretty frightening.

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Todd

This is some of what James A. Fowler author of the article that J promotes teaches . He is a Grade A heretic. These are his own published writings

ALL HUMANITY ...

... is integrally united with God – the separation of sin is but an illusion of a depraved mind.
... is subsumed into God’s being in the union of deity and humanity in the God-man, Jesus.

... is drawn into fellowship and participation with the Triune God via the humanity of Jesus.
... is granted access into the Holy of Holies of God’s presence via Jesus.

... is replaced with the humanity of Christ before God. Jesus was the “Man for all man>”
... has been vicariously substituted for as Jesus was born, lived, and died “in our stead.”

... is baptized into Christ – overwhelmed into Him by His assumption of our humanity.
... is “born again” by the incarnational birth of Jesus in the womb of Mary.

... is relationally “in Christ,” i.e. has a relation with God by the life and work of Jesus.
... is a “new creature in Christ,” for Jesus Christ has recreated humanity in Himself.

... has been transformed from being sub-human to being Christ-humans – a Christ-replaced humanity.
... has undergone an ontological exchange of being, nature, identity & character in union with Christ.

... is imputed with the entire character and being of Christ – human being has become Christ-being.
... is a Christ-instilled race – an ontologically altered race of human creatures.

... became “partakers of the divine nature” when the divine-human Jesus became the redemptive integrator of God and man.
... had the choice made for them, when Christ chose to become Man and live “as us.”
... has exercised faith in God by the “faith of Christ” – Christ is the faith-er for all mankind.
... is considered obedient by God, by the obedience of Jesus Christ in our place. Jesus is the “Obedient One.”
... prayerfully communes with God through the prayers of Jesus – Jesus is the pray-er for us.
... worships God the Father via the worship of Jesus Christ – Jesus is the worshipper as us.
... functions by the enlivening of Christ, for “in Him we live and move and have our being.

... functions by the provision of Christ, for “apart from Him, we can do nothing.”
... has entered “eternal life” in Christ, and “are seated with Christ in the heavenlies.”

... participates in the eternal heavenly destiny in Christ ... can disregard all the religious threats of hell – ain’t no such place, and nobody’s going there.

"Do evangelicals believe in the Triune God who revealed Himself in the Son, Jesus Christ, who by His objective-universal “finished work” has accomplished and continues to implement everything necessary for the restoration of humanity? "

It is a distinctive of evangelicalism to emphasize belief in the Bible, elevating the book and its literalistic interpretation to a place of saving importance in a Biblicism that verges on Bibliolatry.

Those who neglect or deny the “objective-universal” foundation of what God has done in Christ for ALL men are in grave danger of building their thought-edifice on the shifting sands of subjectivity, with an undue emphasis on human action rather than God’s actions.

– when we fail to affirm that the “objective-universal” acts of God in the “finished work” of Jesus Christ have effected everything necessary for the salvation of mankind

‘’’''and has given Himself entirely “once and for all” to take the death consequences of our sin and to provide His divine Life to ALL mankind.

"Since all human persons are “spirit-beings” with the “inner light” deep inside, the need amongst men is simply to become aware of their common enlightenment.

NDY-

Many mainstream Bible teachers teach the exact same thing regarding the "beast." So your point is not well-taken.

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Todd

Good stuff NDY. We shoul not heed the apostates opinions and blatant heresies like this imposter.

perhaps if you guys would indicate which points in NDY's post indicate heresy, it would be helpful. The reason I ask is that clearly not everything quoted is heresy.

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Todd

perhaps if you guys would indicate which points in NDY's post indicate heresy, it would be helpful. The reason I ask is that clearly not everything quoted is heresy.

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Todd

This is the reason he doesn't want to be taken out of context. Links should be provided for evil motives can proceed by taking people out of context.

Doing a little further checking, the "quote" in NDY's post is not a quote of Jim Fowler believes.

Rather, it is Jim Fowler quoting what "evangelical calvinists" believe who he was apparently debating against. I must say NDY that is a tad disingenuous on your part.

Here is the link to the actual article: https://growrag.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/a-second-response-to-jim-fowler-ec-theological-exegesis-and-dialectic/

PS: I personally have no idea who Jim Fowler is. But I dont like to see people slurred, especially when done so in a disingenuous manner for the sole purpose of trying to discredit by association what another poster has written.

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Todd

Of course!! I expect nothing less from those two.