likewise, though, I've posted videos of Alex Jones talking about how on the night of December 31, 1999, rocket attacks were being launched on cities "indiscriminantly", how he had sources days before (although he didn't report them) talking about a nuclear power plant having major issues that happened to be shut down that night ("they say it's [some minor issue], but it's got to be
really bad if they're powering down the whole plant!"--nevermind the fact that responsible people would probably think it a good idea to be careful when you're dealing with nuclear materials), how the government had set up massively expensive bunkers that were ready to "take over" all radio/TV wavelengths so that people couldn't communicate ("let's just hope they don't turn those on, ladies and gentlemen!"), how the millitary is "very visible now", and other blatantly false things that didn't happen on that night.
I appreciate your videos, but they're just not reliable sources. One thing I will agree with, though, is where you said of the concentration camps, "Think logically... they are already shipping illegal immigrants to these camps... it does not take a genius to realize what is coming soon." I'm not at all a friend of this country or its policies. They do a lot of dispicable things, are clearly only out for power, don't have a shred of morals, etc... and quite frankly most of the government disgusts me. You pretty much won't hear any argument from me defending the horrible things that they do now (unless I don't realize that they're horrible--in which case smack me several times until I figure it out), and I'm quite convinced that they'll continue to do horrible things in the future (unless another country somehow wipes our government out... in which case
that government will just do horrible things instead).
tbh, I think you underestimate just how much spiritual contact I've had with things. I don't think that's your fault or anything, but I just don't often talk about it. For a period of three years, back when I had theology classes and still went to church, every scriptural question I had was the very next thing talked about at one of them. And I wasn't just superstitious, because some of them were helpful/accurate, and others were harmful/inaccurate. I've bumped into angels and demons (or... at least, bumped into benevolent and malicious spirits. Call them whatever you want)--although I don't astral project... they come to help/attack me as they want, and I appreciate/fight against them whenever they do (although the "fighting" probably isn't what you would expect. I'm still working out exactly how to deal with those little buggers properly). Just last month I was watching a soccer game where someone's knee got badly dislocated, and after the EMS came and was checking him out, trying to decide what to do with him, I was praying simply because it hurt to watch someone hurt that badly, and his knee suddenly popped back into place. I know prayers get answered--God loves to give good things to his children. For the longest time I asked for wisdom... and really he gave it to me... but more recently I've changed my mind and decided to ask for Love instead. So if I appear dense and my biblical 'sight' rather sloppy, it's because a few months ago I decided to take 1 Cor. 13:13 seriously. Perhaps it was to my detriment that I didn't ask for both instead... *wonders for a while*. Anyway...
Apply
logic to the
bible?
Why... that's crazy-talk!
Very well. I tried to take your advice, and here's what I found. First, I looked up the use of the word "
forehead" in Revelation--the place where the name of the harlot is written (17:5), those who are sealed by God (7:1), and the place where God's name is written on some (14:1). Next, I checked the use of the
hand. The description at the top says it means "by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one," and after leafing through verses where it's used, that seems accurate. The mark is said to be given on the
right hand, which is of special importance when it comes to exerting effort or acting.
It seemed strange that these are the specific places where the mark is to be placed, if it were truly a physical mark (unless of course this means it's safe to get the RFID as long as it's in my neck or leg, because apparently the right hand and forehead are the only "kill spots" that make you targets for the oncoming plagues and torture declared in 14:9-11).
Next I noticed the context before the mark is introduced: "[this new beast] was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain." So right before the mark is discussed, there's talk of worshipping the image of the beast. This was cause for some suspicion of mine that the mark had something to do with worshipping idols in some way.
The most important thing I noticed, however, is that there are
multiple beasts in this chapter. The beast in Revelation 13:1-4 -- with parts of a lion/bear/leopard, is very clearly a conglomeration of the beasts of Daniel 7. Fortunately, Daniel interprets it's own vision; there, the beasts refer to
eartly kings and kingdoms (7:17-27)... one like a lion, one like a bear, one like a leopard, and one made of iron. I could make the argument that these refer to Babylon, Medes/Persians, Greece, and Rome if you require it... but it would take a long while and I'm not sure if you're sick of reading yet. It's just one of those leftover tidbits in my memory from past years of study.
So if the mark of the beast were to be some government-enforced means of identifying people as "belonging to it", wouldn't it make more sense if it were instead the mark of the patchwork-beast, that seemed a little bit like each of the beasts in Daniel 7? But no... there is no mark for
that beast; instead the mark belongs to a non-government beast, which looks like a lamb, speaks like a dragon,
deceives the world into worshipping the government-beast, gives power to the image of the government-beast, and performs great wonders that appear to be God's doing (calling fire down from heaven).
From these things I reason that the "mark of the beast" has little to do with a physical mark, but instead speaks of ungodly thoughts (forehead) and actions (right hand). Instead, the mark belongs to a beast that closely supports government, does wonderous things that it seem like they're from heaven, looks like a
lamb (closely related to the next chapter), but speaks like a
dragon (closely related to the preceding one). I don't want to claim too specifically without reflecting more on it, but it appears as if it could be a counterfeit-religion that still, in its essence, puts the local kingdom of the World above the Kingdom of God? I know that those have existed at least as far back as Rome, when the emperor required people to worship him... and maintained pretty firmly throughout the middle ages, when King and Pope virtually shared (or fought over) power. Even today, there's that nausiating republican/christian/American thing that most churches have going on.
Regardless of the specifics of what the mark is (though I do agree that it's worth carefully thinking about, oh yes...), it seems to me that one thing it is very likely
not is something that shows identifies you as "a member of this nation"--because otherwise the mark would be placed on people by the patchwork-of-beasts, rather than the one that looks like a lamb and speaks like a dragon.
I hope this isn't getting on your nerves
. I acually agree with a lot of what you say.... I just also think that you're mistaken about this particular thing. And tbh, there are plenty of people who try to prove Christianity right through science-y methods. You can find books upon books arguing that Scripture has remained unchanged since the originals were written, as well as books arguing that it hasn't. Personally, I
hate studying history, so I've never read any of them either way. People have actually tried to measure the existence of a soul by
weighing people as they died. Whether or not a soul actually has weight is of course questionable, since there's no particular reason they should, but there
have been attempts by scientists/archaeologists to try and verify these things in a testable, repeatable way.
