It's a Buy or Sell Mark It

[iamsoandso]

Are you talking about what John calls "the mark of the beast"?

Yes, from Revelation 13. Then so from ad65-ad70(based on our postings so far) the Christians were told to use something to pay dues/tribute Romans 13 and 1Peter2.

In between those years there are the minted coins of the Roman's and the ones minted by the Jews during the Jewish revolt which of the two did the Christians use at that time did they use Rome's or the newly minted Jewish revolt coins? Which ever of the two they did use I would not think they were being told to use the beast money to buy and sell.

I have errands and will be back at some point later today,lol.

 

[Jackson123]

Yes, from Revelation 13. Then so from ad65-ad70(based on our postings so far) the Christians were told to use something to pay dues/tribute Romans 13 and 1Peter2.

In between those years there are the minted coins of the Roman's and the ones minted by the Jews during the Jewish revolt which of the two did the Christians use at that time did they use Rome's or the newly minted Jewish revolt coins? Which ever of the two they did use I would not think they were being told to use the beast money to buy and sell.

I have errands and will be back at some point later today,lol.

they not put mark oN hand or head, antichrist is not again non believer, jew is non believer.

 

[oldhermit]

Yes, from Revelation 13. Then so from ad65-ad70(based on our postings so far) the Christians were told to use something to pay dues/tribute Romans 13 and 1Peter2.

In between those years there are the minted coins of the Roman's and the ones minted by the Jews during the Jewish revolt which of the two did the Christians use at that time did they use Rome's or the newly minted Jewish revolt coins? Which ever of the two they did use I would not think they were being told to use the beast money to buy and sell.

I have errands and will be back at some point later today,lol.

This really has nothing to do with paying monetary tribute / taxes. This had nothing to do with the mark of the beast. Jesus confirmed that the paying of monetary tribute was the right thing to do. The mark of the beast was related to the fact that they had rejected their Messiah.

 

[Ahwatukee]

This really has nothing to do with paying monetary tribute / taxes. This had nothing to do with the mark of the beast. Jesus confirmed that the paying of monetary tribute was the right thing to do. The mark of the beast was related to the fact that they had rejected their Messiah.

oldhermit,

"so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark"

In perspective, Buying and selling is electronic crediting and debiting. The world has been and is currently running on an electronic crediting and debiting system. The devices that are used in performing this function such as, carding swiping, cell phone bank apps, etc. have continued to evolve.

Regarding this, for the last couple of years, Sweden has been implanting employees with RFID chips under the skin of the hand, one of its purposes being to make purchases, which is the next step in this evolution of devices that will eventually evolve into the mark in preparation for that coming antichrist/beast.

Now we recently have a company here in Wisconsin who is also offering their employees RFID chip implants for security access and also for making purchases in the company café. This technology of implanting for sake of making purchases will make its way (if it already hasn't) into the Expos and seminars and will begin to spread like wild fire throughout all businesses. The next thing that you are going to see are people paying for services and products by the scanning of their hands.

Most likely the RFID implant will evolve into something more applicable, but what will remain consistent is that whatever the device/mark ends up being, it will go in/on the hand or the forehead.

The fact that this technology even exists is a testimony to the truth and accuracy of God's word. And it should be a proof to preterists and amillennialist that end-time events, including the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments are literal, future events and should not be deemed as past events nor are they to be historicized.

 

[oldhermit]

oldhermit,

"so that no one could buy or sellunless he had the mark"

In perspective, Buying and selling is electronic crediting and debiting. The world has been and is currently running on an electronic crediting and debiting system. The devices that are used in performing this function such as, carding swiping, cell phone bank apps, etc. have continued to evolve.

Regarding this, for the last couple of years, Sweden has been implanting employees with RFID chips under the skin of the hand, one of its purposes being to make purchases, which is the next step in this evolution of devices that will eventually evolve into the mark in preparation for that coming antichrist/beast.

Now we recently have a company here in Wisconsin who is also offering their employees RFID chip implants for security access and also for making purchases in the company café. This technology of implanting for sake of making purchases will make its way (if it already hasn't) into the Expos and seminars and will begin to spread like wild fire throughout all businesses. The next thing that you are going to see are people paying for services and products by the scanning of their hands.

Most likely the RFID implant will evolve into something more applicable, but what will remain consistent is that whatever the device/mark ends up being, it will go in/on the hand or the forehead.

The fact that this technology even exists is a testimony to the truth and accuracy of God's word. And it should be a proof to preterists and amillennialist that end-time events, including the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments are literal, future events and should not be deemed as past events nor are they to be historicized.

The mark of the beast has absolutely noting to do with implants, statues, bar codes or any other such nonsense. It was nothing more than one's willingness to offer its worship to Rome - Caesar as god, the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. In other words, if you did not acknowledge Caesar as god you were not allowed to buy and sell in the marketplace. If you were a fisherman, a shepherd, a farmer, a craftsman, a herdsman, or any other type of merchant you were not permitted to conduct business or ply your trade if you were a Christian. Being a Christian was economically disastrous.

 

[Enow]

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.

Revelation 13:[SUP]16 [/SUP]And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:[SUP] 17 [/SUP]And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.[SUP] 18 [/SUP]Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

There is no brand for second class citizens during the great tribulation. Both rich and poor has to have this mark to be able to buy and sell in that new world order. Those who do not have that mark CANNOT buy nor sell.

Now the biochip has been suspected of being the implementations on how the new world order will come about. They are already using it in Europe to buy and sell BUT that is not the only means to buy & sell. It is when a new world order comes about where the whole earth has to have this biochip to buy & sell is when it becomes the mark of the beast.

Some sites have been trying to use the UPC bars in numbering the bars as proof of it being the mark of the beast 666.

But some sites refute that as stretching that bars to mean that.

In any event, looking to man to provide instead of God is how eveident that biochip will be as the mark of the neast as those who do not receive the mark, cannot buy & sell and at risk of perishing as a result.

God warned that those who received that mark that they will go to the lake of fire; there is no ifs and buts about it.

Revelation 14:[SUP]9 [/SUP]And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,[SUP] 10 [/SUP]The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:[SUP]11 [/SUP]And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

So the Romans applying the mark to christians in designating second class citizens can not be the actual mark of the beast since it is written that Jesus cannot lose any believer to that.

John 6:[SUP]39 [/SUP]And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

 

[Ahwatukee]

The mark of the beast has absolutely noting to do with implants, statues, bar codes or any other such nonsense. It was nothing more than one's willingness to offer its worship to Rome - Caesar as god, the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. In other words, if you did not acknowledge Caesar as god you were not allowed to buy and sell in the marketplace. If you were a fisherman, a shepherd, a farmer, a craftsman, a herdsman, or any other type of merchant you were not permitted to conduct business or ply your trade if you were a Christian. Being a Christian was economically disastrous.

Can you read oldhermit? Without the mark no one will be able to buy and sell. This technology is happening right before your eyes, but you can't see it because you have been deceived. You are simply ignoring the context which states that this mark will go on/in the hand or the forehead and that without it no one will be able to buy or sell. It's already happening and you are refusing to acknowledge it.

But the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Therefore, as a proof to you and others, just keep watching and you will see people,instead of swiping cards and using cell phone bank apps to make purchases, begin to make purchases by having their hands scanned.


As long as you continue to symbolize and allegorize these issues, you will never come to the truth. I have heard you interpretation before, which you obtained from other teachers. All you're doing is repeating their apologetics.

Simply put, you are clueless about what is going on in regards to end-time prophecy.

 

[oldhermit]

Can you read oldhermit? Without the mark no one will be able to buy and sell. This technology is happening right before your eyes, but you can't see it because you have been deceived. You are simply ignoring the context which states that this mark will go on/in the hand or the forehead and that without it no one will be able to buy or sell. It's already happening and you are refusing to acknowledge it.

But the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Therefore, as a proof to you and others, just keep watching and you will see people,instead of swiping cards and using cell phone bank apps to make purchases, begin to make purchases by having their hands scanned.


As long as you continue to symbolize and allegorize these issues, you will never come to the truth. I have heard you interpretation before, which you obtained from other teachers. All you're doing is repeating their apologetics.

Simply put, you are clueless about what is going on in regards to end-time prophecy.

All you are doing Ahwatukee is what all mellinnial theorists do. They try to project prophesy into a future that cannot be examined by any criteria. Yes, I read quite well and there is no mention of technology, microchips, bar codes or any other such foolishness anywhere in the book of Revelation. You are having to force this reading into the text. What I am doing is measuring the text against a sound historical background. I am also using the imagery according to how scripture uses this same imagery in other places. The meaning of these symbols were not literal then and they are not literal in Revelation. What you are doing is rejecting the meaning already assigned to the symbols by scripture and assigning your own meaning to them. You do not want to go outside the book of Revelation to learn the meaning of these symbols because this makes it easy for you to assign your own meaning to them and then try to justify that meaning.

You have accused me of simply repeating things that I have heard from other apologists. What do you think you are doing? The fantastic futuristic interpretations you offer certainly did not originate with you. These are things I have head from childhood. They have changed some over the years from earlier views but the theories remain basically the same. You are only parroting what you have heard from other mellinnialists.

Two other things that I have notices about ALL mellinnialists who demand a literalization of these symbols is that
1. They are terribly inconsistent in their use of literalization.
2. They (like you) also use symbolism in their interpretation of almost everything in Revelation.

How do you answer these last two charges?

 

[iamsoandso]

This really has nothing to do with paying monetary tribute / taxes. This had nothing to do with the mark of the beast. Jesus confirmed that the paying of monetary tribute was the right thing to do. The mark of the beast was related to the fact that they had rejected their Messiah.

lol, I have never heard this type view before could you explain it a little further?

 

[oldhermit]

lol, I have never heard this type view before could you explain it a little further?

Be back in about an hour or so. Will explain then.

 

[iamsoandso]

Be back in about an hour or so. Will explain then.

Sounds fair I'll go do things outside until about dark(in Texas,lol)...

 

[oldhermit]

lol, I have never heard this type view before could you explain it a little further?

In Revelation, there are only two classes of worshiper and two objects of worship represented - the Lamb and those who worship him, and the beast and those who worship him. There was no middle ground upon which to stand. If you did not worship the Lamb, you worshiped the beast. In almost all of the passages where we find the image or mark of the beast in Revelation, it is almost always in connection to worship. Those who received the mark of the beast were those who refused to worship the Lamb. Since the Judgment was against those of Jerusalem, this focus is more on those Jews who refused their Messiah. Those who worshiped the Lamb and refused the mark of the beast were forbidden to buy or sell.

Revelation 13:16-17
“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast's name or the number of his name. "

Revelation 14:9
"Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,'"

Revelation 14:11
"And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

Revelation 16:2
"So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image."


Revelation 19:20
"And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone."

Revelation 20:4
"Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

 

[Bladerunner]

The mark of the beast has absolutely noting to do with implants, statues, bar codes or any other such nonsense. It was nothing more than one's willingness to offer its worship to Rome - Caesar as god, the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. In other words, if you did not acknowledge Caesar as god you were not allowed to buy and sell in the marketplace. If you were a fisherman, a shepherd, a farmer, a craftsman, a herdsman, or any other type of merchant you were not permitted to conduct business or ply your trade if you were a Christian. Being a Christian was economically disastrous.

Well OldHermit; I agree and disagree twice.

You said"The mark of the beast has absolutely noting to do with implants, statues, bar codes...."

I agree....#1.

********

you Said: "It was nothing more than one's willingness to offer its worship to Rome - Caesar as god, the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah."

I Disagree.....#1

**********

You Said:"In other words, if you did not acknowledge Caesar as god "

I agree.... #2

**************

You Said:"you were not allowed to buy and sell in the marketplace"

I Disagree....#2

******
During this time, there were thousands of gods (Idols) that people of Rome worshiped on a daily basis. Worshiping the Christian God was only one of many. Ceasar wanted everyone to acknowledge him as the #1 God in their lives so a tribute for that purpose was set up. When you paid up, you received a certificate that proved you paid. Since the Romans knew how many citizen they had and who they were, the ones that did not pay were put to death.

This posed a problem for the early Christians for to be a steadfast Christian one would have to die. Yet, to live all they had to do was pay the tribute and get the certificate. However, by doing this, they would automatically declare Ceasar to be their #1 GOD over Jehovah.

What would you do?

 

[oldhermit]

This posed a problem for the early Christians for to be a steadfast Christian one would have to die. Yet, to live all they had to do was pay the tribute and get the certificate. However, by doing this, they would automatically declare Ceasar to be their #1 GOD over Jehovah.

What would you do?

Very simple, you die.

"Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Rev 20:4

 

[Ahwatukee]

Very simple, you die.

"Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Rev 20:4

Just FYI, those in the scripture above who are resurrected after the Lord returns to the earth to end the age, are not the church, but the great tribulation saints introduced in Rev.7:9-17. The church will be returning with Christ to end the age wearing their fine linen, white and clean and following the Lord out of heaven. Those returning with Him will be His "called, chosen and faithful followers." -

Rev.17:14, 19:6-8, 14

 

[oldhermit]

Just FYI, those in the scripture above who are resurrected after the Lord returns to the earth to end the age, are not the church, but the great tribulation saints introduced in Rev.7:9-17. The church will be returning with Christ to end the age wearing their fine linen, white and clean and following the Lord out of heaven. Those returning with Him will be His "called, chosen and faithful followers." -

Rev.17:14, 19:6-8, 14

If you want to address something, why don't you address post #88?

 

[iamsoandso]

In Revelation, there are only two classes of worshiper and two objects of worship represented - the Lamb and those who worship him, and the beast and those who worship him. There was no middle ground upon which to stand. If you did not worship the Lamb, you worshiped the beast. In almost all of the passages where we find the image or mark of the beast in Revelation, it is almost always in connection to worship. Those who received the mark of the beast were those who refused to worship the Lamb. Since the Judgment was against those of Jerusalem, this focus is more on those Jews who refused their Messiah. Those who worshiped the Lamb and refused the mark of the beast were forbidden to buy or sell.

Revelation 13:16-17
“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast's name or the number of his name. "

Revelation 14:9
"Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,'"

Revelation 14:11
"And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

Revelation 16:2
"So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image."


Revelation 19:20
"And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone."

Revelation 20:4
"Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Ok, then you seem to have it narrowed down to one group worships Jesus the messiah and the other group does not. So then there are the two groups,the Jews who denied that Jesus was the messiah and all of pagan Rome.

Pagan Rome I will leave alone for the moment and address only the Jews who did not worship Jesus as the messiah and were involved in the revolt from ad66-70.

As we all know they did not see that Jesus was the messiah and so then they would have had the mark of the beast based on what you said. So, if they ask Jesus if they were suppose to pay tribute to Caesar as you pointed out would have been based on whether or not they were still under the authority of the gentile rule set forth in Daniel or if it was completely fulfilled at that time. I say that because the scripture state's to see those in authority over them as "ordained by God"(Romans 1:1) so if this was not the case and the times of the gentile rule set fourth in Daniel(70 weeks) were not yet fulfilled then it would be proper to still acknowledge the authority over them as ordained by God until their allocated time was fulfilled from Daniel. On the other hand as to if they were to pay tribute to Caesar would not be no longer proper if at that time the complete 70 weeks had been fulfilled.

From Josephus we see that instead the Jews(who did not see Jesus as the messiah), between the years of ad66-70+ did not acknowledge Caesar as God nor ordained by God as Romans 1;1 states the Christians believed but instead revolted/rebelled against their authority as to whether Rome or Caesar was god or ordained by God Between ad66-70 and based on the scripture you provided it seems they were questioning their authority long before ad66.

I would find it hard pressed to have it found that a group of peoples who set off the thinking that Rome who they saw as the fourth beast from Daniel should be worshipped as God when they were of the mind that they were under it's authority. The historical fact that Josephus recorded the that they revolted/rebelled(Jewish wars) should suffice to the needed proof that the Jews who were involved in the revolt of ad66-70 did not worship Caesar as God nor did they use his coins/money to buy and sell.

 

[iamsoandso]

ok I cant edit it but the Christians are not who rebelled ,,,lol,but I cant hit edit and add that word( must look like chaos to the internet world),lol

 

[Locutus]

In post #70 I said to you "No offence" and if I seem sarcastic I apologize. In around ad255 the issue of the millennialist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Dionysius_of_Alexandria in similar fashion was already being debated among the early Churches and as it seems even to this day is debated among Christians as which is correct.

As I said to you before I am outside the camps and am merely following along with an ongoing debate among the different groups discussing their positions on the matter. At times I wonder why one would say certain things and when you used Hebrews 12:22 and Rev.16:19 as parallel to one another. Why is because of the tenses they are written in verses the date the two different books were written. In Hebrews 12;22 in the statement it says "but you HAVE COME..." and so it is a present tense reality at the time it is written as if it is already fulfilled. In Revelation 16:19 he saw the city divided into three parts so if it is parallel to Hebrews 12:22 it would have been divided into three parts before the book of Hebrews was written.

I'll get back to you shortly on this - the answer is at hand...

 

[Ahwatukee]

Yes, I read quite well and there is no mention of technology, microchips, bar codes or any other such foolishness anywhere in the book of Revelation.

And you certainly won't read anything in scripture that mentions technology, michrochips or barcodes. You have to be smart enough to take into consideration that John is seeing visions 2000 from his time-frame and he has absolutely nothing to compare to what he is seeing, because even the simplest technology did not exist. Therefore, when he says "Mark" which is from the word "Charagma," you have to put yourself into John's time frame. John can't say, "He causes all both great and small, rich and poor, free and slave to have an RFID chip implanted in the right hand or the forehead and except anyone had the chip implant they wouldn't be able to electronically credit and debit their bank accounts." Is that what you expect John to have written in Revelation oldhermit?

You are having to force this reading into the text. What I am doing is measuring the text against a sound historical background.

And therein lies your problem. Who told you that these events were fulfilled in the past? These events, the gathering of the church, the seven year agreement established with Israelfollowed by the wrath of God via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments, the setting up of the abomination, the beasts authority during the last 3 1/2 years, these are all events that lead up to the return of Christ to end the age and establish his millennial kingdom.

I am also using the imagery according to how scripture uses this same imagery in other places. The meaning of these symbols were not literal then and they are not literal in Revelation.

And the approach above is a major on-going error. The book of Revelation should be read in the literal sense unless a symbolic, figurative or metaphoric interpretation is obvious. This is exactly why you ignore the reference to a thousand years as being literal and instead look for some other meaning, when the words mean exactly what they say, "a thousand years."

What you are doing is rejecting the meaning already assigned to the symbols by scripture and assigning your own meaning to them.

And your error is applying the meaning of symbols found in other scriptures and assigning them to those in Revelation. For example, when we read the words "a thousand years" in Rev.20 there is nothing in the context that would lead the read to go to Psalm 50:10 and apply the meaning from that scripture. Instead of believing that the context is referring to a literal thousand years, you ignore it and because of a preexisting teaching you apply a meaning from some other scripture that is not even related, having no bearing on Revelation whatsoever.

You do not want to go outside the book of Revelation to learn the meaning of these symbols because this makes it easy for you to assign your own meaning to them and then try to justify that meaning.

No, I don't go outside the book of Revelation because it is a self-contained book. The book of Daniel is a sister book to Revelation and there are scriptures that refer to a few of the same end-time events that are referred to in Revelation, but I don't need that other information to know what Revelation is saying.

You have accused me of simply repeating things that I have heard from other apologists. What do you think you are doing?

I can assure you that I am not repeating anyone. I do my own personal studies and I don't and have never taken anyone's word for anything. Until I have learned a truth from scripture for myself, I don't teach it.

The fantastic futuristic interpretations you offer certainly did not originate with you. These are things I have head from childhood.

I can't help it if others have come to the same conclusions that I have. I parrot nothing. My teachings are my teachings.

1. They are terribly inconsistent in their use of literalization.
2. They (like you) also use symbolism in their interpretation of almost everything in Revelation.

There is no doubt that there is symbolism in revelation. As I stated earlier, the book of Revelation should be read in the literal sense unless a symbolic interpretation is obvious. The true error is applying symbolism where none is required. The meanings of most of the symbols in Revelation are revealed right in the same book.

Symbol = literal

Symbolism:
A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and wearing a crown of twelve stars:

Sun = Jacob
Moon = Wife/wives
Twelve stars = the tribes of Israel (Gen.37:9-10)

The woman = the nation Israel

Symbolism:
An enormous read dragon with seven heads and ten horns

The seven heads you saw are seven hills upon which the woman sits (the woman's headquarters)

The seven heads also symbolic representing seven kings

Seven heads = seven hills and seven kings

The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.

Ten horns = Ten kings

Seven stars = Seven messengers

Seven Lampstands = Seven churches

Double-edged sword = spoken word of God

I saw a star fall from heaven who was given the key to the Abyss

Dragon = Satan

Stars = Satan's angels

And on an on it goes. There is nothing difficult in interpreting the symbols within Revelation when it is read at face value.

It is when symbolism is applied to what is meant to be literal that the errors occur and God's word is distorted.

The fantastic futuristic interpretations you offer certainly did not originate with you.

In regards to "fantastic futuristic interpretations" I would have to say that the burden of proof is on you!

We have scripture stating that the false prophet will cause all people to receive a mark in/on the right hand or forehead and we currently have people being implanted with chips under the skin of the hand. That's a match!

The scripture goes on to say that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has this mark.

We have been watching the on-going process of the world moving towards a cashless society and the increase of the use of electronic crediting and debiting in order to phase out paper money, so that all financial transactions will be done electronically. That's a match!

We are going to be seeing more and more people beginning to start making purchases and eventually performing all financial transactions with a scan of their hand. The question is, at what point will you realize that you were wrong in your beliefs and teachings on these issues and end-time events in general?