The mark spoken of in the bible is some sort of visible tattoo or etching, as given by the word for "mark".
The mark must be visible for practical reasons as well - given that the mark was or is required to buy or sell, the mark cannot be an invisible "sign of the cross" which the priest makes upon a person - which is invisible and temporary with water.
This is also a good argument against implantable computer chips being the mark, which are placed under the skin (therefore largely invisble), and on the upper arm, or in fleshly areas - not in less fleshly areas such as the forehand or forehead.
As far as I understand, Catholics never worship the cross, but Jesus who was put on the cross and what the cross represents. That said, the cross is a very important symbol in Christianity - without the cross there is no Savior.
Where in scripture does it say the beast has statues that talk? Perhaps you are confusing symbolic with literal.
So does Emperor Nero or Caligula and a few other candidates. It is very unlikely that 666 would be applied to an abbreviated title in the mind of the author of Revelation, and it is clear from Rev 13:9 that it represents a man's name, not a title, it also is clear that it is the number of a man (not a title) : "it is the number of a man" (Rev 13:17).
Rome itself sits on seven hills, in the mind of the author of Revelation it was probably the city of Rome - that being pagan Rome. Besides, the Vatican didn't even exist at the time Revelation was written.
Firstly, most theologians interepret 1260 days as literal days. These days are usually interpreted as the literal desecrations of Antiochus IV Epiphanes between 168-165 B. C.
Secondly, a 1260 year reign of papal Rome is completely impractical and incorrect according to history. The empire was assailed from various fronts and there were hundreds of thousands of christians killed by invading pagan groups such as the Nordic, Germanic and Muslim tribes. For most of history, papal Rome was under allegiance to various secular powers, Emperors, and kings and powerful families. The papacy would change allegiance to whoever was the stronger power. A full strength papal Rome "making war with the saints and overcome" for 1260 years doesn't add up with the historical records and must be rejected as myth.
Anti-Christ means opposing Christ. I believe Cup of Ruin has corrected you on this in previous posts.
Further proof from the scripture is that 2 John 1:7 makes clear that the anti-Christ are those who do not believe Jesus came in the flesh. Catholics do not fit into this category, but rather have been the key ones to refute any arguments against the humanity and fleshliness of Christ.
The Antichrist, according to Christianity, is one who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ while resembling him in a deceptive manner. "Antichrist" is the English translation of the original Koine Greek ἀντίχριστος, pronounced än-tē'-khrē-stos. It is made up of two root words, αντί + Χριστός (anti + Christos). "Αντί" can mean not only “against” and “opposite of”, but also “in place of"
the mark was visible when branded with an iron as such was the practice.
the cross was invented by costantine when the biggest relics drew the biggest offerings
Rev 13 He was given power to give breath to the
image of the first beast, so that it
could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
rev 13 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666 pont max and only pont max appears on papal tombs. why then do we call the president "president"
Rome, Vatican whats the difference
The 1260 Years Begin with the Implementation of Emperor Justinian's Decree Arian Ostrogoths under Theodoric had controlled Italy since 493, and had even imprisoned Pope John I, who died in Ostrogoth custody in Ravenna in 526. Catholic Emperor Justinian, who began waging open war with the Arians in the 530s, declared the Bishop of Rome the head of all Christian churches in 533, and commissioned his General Belisarius to destroy the Arian Vandals and Ostrogoths. The Vandals were defeated in 534 in the battle of Tricamarum. Turning his attention to the Ostrogoths, General Belisarius took Rome in December of 536, and under the direction of Emperor Justinian, deposed and exiled Pope Silverius who had been installed by the last Ostrogoth King of Italy, Theodahad, who had terrorized the clergy into electing his pro-Gothic candidate. Silverius died a prisoner. Belisarius installed Vigilius, a confidant of Empress Theodora, as the Bishop of Rome in March of 537. In quick reply, the Ostrogoths rallied and laid siege to Rome. When the siege was finally broken by General Belisarius in March of 538, the Ostrogoths withdrew from Rome in defeat, leaving it in the Emperor's control, and Vigilius as the Bishop of Rome (who reigned until 555 A.D.). So it was in 538 A.D. that Emperor Justinian's Decree of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome over the Church could actually be implemented, beginning the prophetic 1260 years of temporal rule by the papacy.
The 1260 Years End with a Head Wound to Papal Power
The "head wound" to papal power was inflicted in 1798 when General Berthier of France captured Pope Pius VI, who soon died in captivity in Valence, on August 29, 1799.
... when the French general L. Duphot was killed in a riot in Rome the Directory ordered the occupation of the papal states. On 15 Feb. 1798 General Louis Berthier entered Rome, proclaimed the Roman Republic and the deposition of Pius as head of state, and forced him to withdraw to Tuscany. For several months he lived at the charterhouse at Florence, cut off from almost all his advisers, but able to use the nuncio to Florence as secretary of state. The Directory planned to banish him to Sardinia, but his precarious health ruled that out. When war broke out afresh, fearful of attempts to rescue him, it had him conveyed from Florence (28 Mar. 1799) via Turin across the Alps to Briancon (30 Apr.) and then Valence (13 July). He died a prisoner in the citadel there, and was buried in the local cemetery; his body was then transferred to St. Peter's, in Rome, in Feb. 1802.
Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Popes, by J. N. D. Kelly, Copyright 1986, published by Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-282085-0, page 302.
not just my opinion it appears. now ive corrected you and Ruined Cup.
Snail if you dont like what im saying dont come here any more.
I suspect youre almost convinced!
PS: do you enjoy public egg sucking...buddy. lol...