Part 2 of this series of articles was centred on the visions of Daniel as per Chapter 7, and the assumed links to the Papacy.
I have said before that I am only writing what some sections of our Christian scholars and interpreters have concluded in their assumptions.
I am non-aligned on this matter. There are some similarities of the visions of Daniel 7 and those of Apostle John found in the book of Revelation 13.
The book of Revelation 13:16-18 also mentions a human number, 666, as the mark of the beast. The same people have suggested that this mark is also a reference to the papacy. Their own arguments are the basis of their conclusions.
Allow me to rewrite the contents of the visions in of Revelation 13 in full.
It reads: And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horn and a blasphemous name upon its heads. And the beast I saw was like a leopard, it’s feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.
And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder.
Men worshipped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
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And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months, it opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone slays with a sword, with the sword he must be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.
It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men; and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them to make an image of the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived; and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six (other ancient authorities read as six hundred and sixteen).
The main distinct features of this vision was the rising out of two beasts; one rising out of the sea and the other rising out of the earth. Revelation 17:15 tells us that the sea represents “peoples and multitudes and nations, and tongues”.
Therefore, the first beast arose out of inhabited territory. This beast is likened to be the same as the terrible fourth beast mentioned in Daniel 7.
It is said that the fourth beast represented the rise of the Roman Empire.
It is a known fact that the first Roman Emperor to be converted to Christianity was Constantine. There were other subsequent Christian Emperors who followed him.
It is also a known factor that with the passage of time, the Emperors incorporated the Christian leadership into their political system, thus giving them some authority and enormous powers to influence the affairs of the world.
The Roman Empire stretched its rules and tentacles across many nations of the world. By giving that authority to the Christian leadership based in Rome, it meant that the Papacy acquired great influence over the affairs of the earth.
In short, the Roman Empire rose up and then seconded some of its authority to fall under the wings of the Papacy based in Rome.
At one time the Popes wielded much power across the nations.
This is viewed as symbolising the rising up of the second beast from the earth, the church given those powers by the first beast (Roman Empire) which had arisen from the sea.
There in Rome arose a small independent nation of Christians, referred to as The Vatican, headed by a Pope.
Today the Pontiff’s position is seen to be of greater influence than those of the Presidents and Kings of the world.
However, some of the teachings and doctrines emanating from the office of the Pope are said to be blasphemous in their nature and contrary to the word of God. Many examples have been quoted as proof of this blasphemy.
There is also the very much talked about mark of the beast mentioned in Revelation 13:18.
Many theories have been advanced as to the identity of the beast and the meaning of the number 666.
Again the same section of our Christian scholars and interpreters have courageously tried to link it to the Pope.
They have struggled to validate that connection. Some of them have even suggested that there is a connection of the number 666 to Sunday worshippers.
If I may quote from one writer who is convinced that those who worship on Sunday automatically possess the mark of the beast “We note that the ‘Mark of the Beast’ will not be a microchip. It will not be visible to man.
“The mark in the forehead represents mental agreement to observing Sunday as the Sabbath, ‘in the actions and in the thoughts’.
“The people who get the ‘Mark of the Beast’ will lose eternal life’” (end of quote from one of the critics).
It should be noted that it was through Emperor Constantine who decreed in AD 321 that the day of worship should be on Sunday.
He obviously could not have unilaterally passed it without the approval of the Christian leadership, the Papacy.
To then link this with the mark of the beast is too far-fetched for me, but it’s food for thought for everyone.
Prosper Tingini is the Scribe of the Children of God Missionary Assembly — God’s messengers. Contact details: Mobile and whatsapp: 0771 260 195. Email address: ptingini@gmail.com
