Austin Farrier has some interesting things to say in his book "The Revelation of St John Divine, Commentary on the English Text":
"The restriction of the right of commerce to Roman citizens, or other privileged class was a well known instrument or Roman policy"
It is my contention that John's statement in Rev 13:16 was in effect during the war of 66-70 AD if not somewhat before as the "mechanism" was already in place.
Rev 13:16 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Dan 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Dan 8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
Dan 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand(witchcraft).
Was there recorded in Roman history,or by anybody,that there was a man back in the first century that could harness the power of nature,and do miracles,and shared this power with another man,who made fire come down from heaven,and did great signs,and wonders.
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
An occult interpretation of the Bible,the new age movement,that was not even around in the first century,and will occur in the latter times,which is now.
Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
Dan 11:38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Yea,there was not a man that could do those things in the first century,and gave this power to another man.
A man that did not acknowledge any god,but honored the God of forces,or the power of nature as his higher power,and could harness the power of nature,and do miracles.
Yea,there was no such man,but in the future there will be,for the devils will be cast to earth,which the earth becomes the habitation of devils,and they will deceive all people who do not love God to follow the beast kingdom,the strong delusion that God will send all who love not the truth,and the beast shall be mighty,for he gets his power from Satan.
There has never been such a man,but in the future there will be for it is the time for God to cause all people that do not love Him to follow the beast kingdom,so He can put them down,and God is going to allow the devils to have influence over them that they could not have in the past,and not in the first century.
But here it is that shall happen in the latter times,when the devils influence the new age movement,who look at Lucifer as the helper of this world,who will influence the New Age Christ,and will help the world to spiritually evolve through nature when the nations come together,and agree to try to achieve peace on earth.
Was the first century the latter times,yea,it was not,for how can somebody believe that in the first century was in the latter times,which the latter times is the last days of the last days of the last days of the last days,and very close to God putting the world down,so the first century without a doubt could not be considered the latter times.
And the new age movement is influenced by the devil,for they give heed to seducing spirits,and doctrines of devils.
God has never allowed Satan to influence the wicked of this world like He will in the future,for it is the time for God to allow the world to rebel against Him so He can put them down.
God will not give up on the world,until the world gives up on Him,so He will allow them to rebel that He would not allow in the past,and Satan will influence the New Age Christ,and that is where the miracles,and great signs,and wonders,come in.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The new age movement will be the future for this sinful world,and in the future the world will only want to hear the Bible according to their interpretation,which is spiritual evolution through the power of nature,for the new age movement says,people are still evolving,and can be greater than their current position.
A lie that Satan uses to deceive people,and he used it on Eve,that she could be greater than her current position,and she fell for it.
The esoteric meaning of Lucifer,lucistrust.org,Alice Bailey,the biggest prophet of the new age movement,married to a Freemason that agreed with her occult interpretation of the Bible.
There are comments on the World Wide Web claiming that the Lucis Trust was once called the Lucifer Trust. Such was never the case. However, for a brief period of two or three years in the early 1920’s, when Alice and Foster Bailey were beginning to publish the books published under her name, they named their fledgling publishing company “Lucifer Publishing Company”. By 1925 the name was changed to Lucis Publishing Company and has remained so ever since.Both “Lucifer” and “Lucis” come from the same word root,
lucis being the Latin generative case meaning
of light. The Baileys' reasons for choosing the original name are not known to us, but we can only surmise that they, like the great teacher H.P. Blavatsky, for whom they had enormous respect, sought to elicit a deeper understanding of the sacrifice made by Lucifer. Alice and Foster Bailey were serious students and teachers of Theosophy, a spiritual tradition which views Lucifer as one of the solar Angels, those advanced Beings Who Theosophy says descended (thus “the fall”) from Venus to our planet eons ago to bring the principle of mind to what was then animal-man. In the theosophical perspective, the descent of these solar Angels was not a fall into sin or disgrace but rather an act of great sacrifice, as is suggested in the name “Lucifer” which means
light-bearer.
This is only a summary of it,but she writes a great deal about it in her a book of many books that she has written.
The new age movement is the future for this sinful world,and they are setting up a kingdom for the worship of Lucifer,for God is allowing the world to be influenced by the devil that He never allowed before,including the first century.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 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 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Dan 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
Dan 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The beast has power over all nations,and kindreds,and tongues,and the beast kingdom shall devour the whole earth,and tread it down,and break it in pieces.
The whole earth,not the then known world back in the first century,but the whole earth.