The Prophet Daniel wrote…
Better make yourself comfortable. This one is in depth!
Updated: 3/14/2015
Our Lady’s Message from Medjugorje, Jan 25, 2015 (emphasis added by me):
“Dear children! Also today I call you: live your vocation in prayer. Now, as never before, Satan wants to suffocate man and his soul by his contagious wind of hatred and unrest. In many hearts there is no joy because there is no God or prayer. Hatred and war are growing from day to day.
I am calling you, little children, begin anew, with enthusiasm, the walk of holiness and love [AGAPE]; since I have come among you because of this. Together let us be love [AGAPE] and forgiveness for all those who know and want to love only with a human love [EROS] and not with that immeasurable love of God [AGAPE] to which God calls you.
Little children, may hope in a better tomorrow always be in your heart. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
Rev 13:5
“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months…”
Alluding again to the Prophet Daniel and his “a time, two times, and a half a time” where the beast will “wear out the saints of the Most High” because he will “think to change the times and the law” (Dan 7:25), bringing a great persecution upon the church.
St. Peter in his first letter tells these “saints of the Most High” to:
“…not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings… if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God… let those who suffer according to God’s Will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.” (1Peter 4:12-13, 16, 19)
“Here the number symbolizes a time wherein the beast [ancient](Rome) persecutes the Church. [In fact], [i]t appears that Nero’s persecution of Christianity in Rome actually lasted about forty-two months.” (Barber, 174)
And if we’re not seeing this RIGHT NOW then we are truly BLIND! I bring to everyone’s attention the Obvious Fight of Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco – and his fight to keep Catholic School… well, Catholic! Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the fight by reading an excellent writing of Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, of Human Life International. His understanding of the seriousness of the situation is right on! Make sure to sign the petition in support of the Archbishop if you agree with what he’s trying to do for his flock… If only other shepherds would follow his example instead of compromising with the “state” and thus re-crucify Christ all over again… Dolan!
Rev 6:4
Rev 13:7-10 (emphasis added)
“Also [the beast] 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… If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone slays with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”
Endurance is the above theme. Those who are called and respond to Love God with all their heart, strength, soul and mind must have endurance if they are to make it to the end. For again St Peter reminds us again that:
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without having seen Him you love Him;… believe in Him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls. (2Peter 1: 6-9, emphasis added)
We are working out our salvation (Phil 2: 12-14) and as such we must follow in the footsteps of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and pick up our Crosses to follow after Him into our death so that many may enter into the glories of the Resurrection!
“But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Mt 24:13)
“…the saints must not give up – they must endure their tribulation a little longer.” (Barber, 174)
We have sinned and are in bondage to our sin…
INJD: John used this allusion to the writings of the prophet Jeremiah – Jer 15:2; 43:11 – which spoke of the King of Babylon as God’s instrument of justice against Israel, who came in and destroyed Jerusalem for the wickedness of her people. So too does God use an enemy of Israel – Ancient Roman Empire – to come in and destroy the city for the sins of her people.
Rev 13: 11-12 Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 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. (emphasis added)
This passage is chock-full of meaning, both historically as well as spiritually! Let us look at the Historical first.
We know that there will be a revealing of the “mystery of iniquity”, “the supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist” (CCC§675), where the actions of such a person will appear very Christ-like, but will in fact, be “like a dragon”. And he will have the power to deceive many and have many apostatize from the TRUTH of the Gospel.
“…a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth.” (Ibid.)
This is nothing new. It happens all throughout History, because History has a tendency to repeat itself and that if further why we cannot feign ignorance about our past. For those who ignore it or are ignorant of the past ARE doomed to repeat it.
He was brought before Caiaphas…
INJD: We see this very thing happening with the Religious leaders of his time – the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes. They lead a full onslaught against not only Christ but His followers as well. We see this throughout Luke’s book of Acts – 17:5-8; 14:5; 18:12-13. After all, it was the religious leaders of Jesus’ day that called for His crucifixion and death (see Lk 23: 20-24; Jn 19:16), and then called for a full tribute to Caesar by the crowd (Jn 19:12, 15-16).
“The ‘false prophets’ in league with the beast may reflect the situation of places like Smyrna, where anti Christian Jews incited the persecution of Christians [refer to the above passages in Acts]…” (Barber, 176)
By turning away God’s own Son and putting Him to death, and then in the same breath claim their God, their King as “no one but Caesar” (Jn 19:15c). They committed the greatest offense against God, which is why the Temple curtain was torn down the middle (Lk 23:44b), forever breaking down the barrier between God and Man, but also instituting the FINAL change of the priesthood. Christ had redeemed us by His suffering and death, but…
No longer was there be a sacrificial priesthood making sacrificial offerings for the sins of the people and themselves. Now the priesthood would be able to bring the perfect sacrifice – Jesus in the Eucharist – to the people for the redemption of many (Mk 14:24; Mt 26:28) and the forgiveness of sins. The religious leaders of John’s day would soon be no more which is why they do not exist today.
Because, “In this, ‘false religion’ teams up with ‘corrupt political authority’ in persecuting God’s people.” (Barber, 176)
Jesus did warn, “To those whom much is given, of him much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.” (Lk 12: 48b)
For again, “…whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Mt 18:6)
Therefore, “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone; this was the Lord’s doing…the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.” (Mt 21:42b, 43)
Could not this too apply in OUR DAY? To our wayward bishops and priests who are doing their own thing and/or paying tribute to Caesar (that is the State), and requiring those under their care to do the same (Same-sex unions and acceptance; Amnesty International; Common Core)?
I repeat Barber once again:
“In this, ‘false religion’ teams up with ‘corrupt political authority’ in persecuting God’s people.” (Barber, 176)
Now the Spiritual side of:
Rev 13: 11-12 Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 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.
Remember, anytime the bible talks about “land” and “earth” it is in reference to the Jewish nation, and when the “sea” is spoken of, it represents the Gentile nations. The FIRST beast rose out of the “sea” – came from the Gentile nations. But the second beast “rose out of the earth”, thus indicating:
“[This] represents the corrupt religious leaders in Jerusalem.” (Barber, 175)
“…the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” (Rev 2:9b)
Barber continues to point out that,
“Furthermore, whereas the first beast represented a corrupt political government, the second beast represents false religious authority… this beast is also identified by John as the ‘false prophet’ (Rev 16:13; 19:20; 20:10).” (Ibid.)
And what is the False Prophet’s job again? To proclaim the one who is the Anti-Christ!
“…and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast.” (Rev 13:12c)
So now the False Prophet proclaims the Beast, the Anti-Christ and is allowed mimic God’s prophets from chapter 11 of John’s Apocalypse.
Rev 13: 13-15 (emphasis added) 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 make an image for 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.
“Like the witnesses, the beast demonstrates his power by special fire (11:5; 13:13)…he stands in the presence of the dragon (13:12)…As the two witnesses stood ‘before the Lord’ (11:4)… The False Prophet ‘gives breath’ to a statue of the beast, making it come to life (13:15), mirroring John’s account of the ‘breath of God’ reviving the dead bodies of the witnesses (11:11).” (Barber, 175)
Rev 13: 16-18 (emphasis added) 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.
After reading the above passage, and knowing that this was first and foremost written for John’s audience, I can’t help but wonder:
Did the Christians in John’s Day have to have a stamp on their hands or foreheads bearing the Emperor Nero’s name in order to buy and sell in the ancient Roman world?
A good question to be sure, but one that misses the significance of the passage, further demonstrating why when reading the Bible we cannot just take everything literal. This passage must be understood in the Spiritual Sense (refer back to chapter 2, Four Senses of Sacred Scripture), and in particular to the Moral : The events reported in Sacred Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they are written “for our instruction” (see also CCC117, #2).
So let us examine the above passage verse by verse:
“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…”
Remember the activity of Satan will be done “with all power and pretended signs and wonders” (2Thess 2:9), mimicking the actions of God at every turn. So too does this passage demonstrate the parallel with another sealing:
“Like the sealing of the saints in Revelation 7, the sealing of those who worship the beast is an image of allegiance. In other words, those who are sealed by the mark if the beast are those who have given themselves to Satan.” (Barber, 176)
“Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle…” Romans 1:1
St. Paul identifies those who have aligned themselves by their works:
Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like.
He then further gives a stern warning to those who participate in anyway with the above list. So if this means YOU, please pay attention! He warns:
…that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5: 19-21)
If people in practice of the above will not “inherit the kingdom of God”, then there is only one other place for them to go. Hell.
Does this mean you throw up your hands and say, “Oh well! Can’t be helped. I guess I’m damned.” God forbid it!!! For St. Paul also states:
For as by one man’s disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience (Jesus, God-Man), many will be made righteous…where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5: 19, 20b-21)
Call on the great mercy of God in Jesus Christ and begin your journey home before it is too late for you to make better choices to live rather than to die. On that note of “choices”, I return to the passage.
We have today many “false religions” and “false moralities” that promise peace but deliver nothing but emptiness and despair. They are what Jesus refers to as “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Mt 7:15), because they draw away the faithful from the ONE, TRUE FAITH in Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church to give them “similarities”, but are in reality empty realities.
How often have the brethren whose fathers left the Church Jesus founded on Peter and the Apostles mimicked the Eucharist celebration? Frequently. And yet, the people celebrating still come away hungry for the real deal, knowing they have merely experienced a “symbol” of the real-thing.
This calls for wisdom…
The passage we began with states. Wisdom to know the difference between the real thing and the counterfeit symbol that brings no more life than an electric current on a dead corpse.
“…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.” (Rev 13:18b, emphasis added)
Humanity is fallen, and has existed this way from the first moment of our disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time. Woman disobeyed when she exercised her pride and ignored the instructions given to her by her husband, who received them directly from God. Man disobeyed when he ignored God’s command to “keep…the garden” free from evil and allowed Satan to mess with his wife’s vulnerable side. BOTH Man and Woman failed in a pride and as we know, “Pride cometh before the fall.” So too do we need to understand the meaning behind the triple 6:
“‘Six’ and ‘beast’ both represent man’s fallen state… When John uses [triple 6], he refers, at the most basic level, to fallen humanity. The number value of the beast…echoes Adam’s sin. Instead of realizing his calling to be God’s son, Adam was relegated to be like the ‘beasts’ he was made with on the sixth day.” (Barber, 177)
It worked great signs… and by the signs which it was allowed to work…it deceives those who dwell on earth…
This further connection of John’s draws his reader’s attention to another series of significant figures that fell into Satan’s trap of pride.
“Goliath stood six cubits and a span tall and used a spear that weighted six hundred shekels (1Sam 17: 4, 7). The king of Babylon erected a statue that was sixty cubits high and six cubits wide (Dan 3:1)…” (Ibid.)
And probably most famous of all, the son of David, King of Israel:
“Solomon amassed ‘six hundred and sixty six talents of gold’ in taxes (1Kings 10:14)… Solomon, king of Israel, known for his great and holy wisdom, slowly slipped into sin and went from being of type of Christ to a symbol of the Antichrist. He, who was called to be a priest-king like Melchizedek, ultimately chose to be a king instead of a priest.” (Ibid., emphasis added)
Which leads to the most profound statement of the whole thing – and btw, did ya’ll notice the uses of the triple 6 in those passages?
“Solomon…like Adam, FAILED to fulfill his vocation by preferring earthly goods to heavenly ones. This translates into the perverted two beasts of Revelation – the corrupt state and the false prophet. All kingship MUST be ordered to God, or else it becomes tyrannical. All priesthood MUST be directed to the TRUE King, or else it becomes false, serving only the interests of human rulers.” (Ibid., emphasis added)
And of course there was also the main figures living in John’s day that more than adequately “fit the bill” of the description of bad leadership, fallen also into Satan’s sin of pride.
“Herod was himself a counterfeit ruler. Indeed, Jerusalem was home not only to the corrupt religious leadership [See Mt 6:1-2; 12:38-42; 15:1-9; 21: 33-46; 23; just to name a few] symbolized by the second beast, but also to an evil king symbolized by the first beast. Thus, the emperor of Rome, a corrupt leader, will be used by God to bring judgment on this city characterized by such intense wickedness.” [Barber, 178]
Sounds kind of familiar, doesn’t it? But also this proves, once again, that there is more to Sacred Scripture than what we read on the page. Thank heavens we have a teaching Magisterium who have maintained 2000+ years of Sacred Tradition to back up our Sacred Scriptures so that we can understand what we’re reading (See 2Peter 1:16-21) or I think we’d all be far more dazed and confused then we already are.
Don’t you?
Up Next: Return to the 144,000
Living in the Two Hearts 
