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13:18 At the same time, however, he tells them that it will not be as easy as they might think: it will require someone “who has understanding.” For St. John did not give a number that could be worked out in Greek, which is what a Roman official scanning Revelation for subversive content would expect. The unexpected element in the computation was that it had to be worked out in Hebrew, a language that at least some members of the churches would know. His readers would have guessed by now that he was speaking of Nero, and those who understood Hebrew probably grasped it instantly. The numerical values of the Hebrew letters in Neron Kesar (Nero Caesar) are: n = 50 r = 200 w = 6 n = 50 q = 100 s = 60 r = 200 thus: r _sqe nwro ne = 666 As I mentioned earlier, the point is not that Nero’s name is the primary identification of 666. The point is, instead, what the number meant to the churches. St. John’s Biblically informed readers will have already recognized many clear indications of the Beast’s identity as Rome (indeed, they already knew this from reading the Book of Daniel). Now Nero has arrived on the scene as the first great persecutor of the Church, the embodiment of the “666-ness” of the Empire, and – Lo and behold! – his very name spells out 666. 37 It is significant that “all the earliest Christian writers on the Apocalypse, from Irenaeus down to Victorious of Pettau and Commodian in the fourth, and Andreas in the fifth, and St. Beatus in the eighth century, connect Nero, or some Roman emperor, with the Apocalyptic Beast.” 38 There should be no reasonable doubt about this identification. St. John was writing to first-century Christians, warning them of things that were “shortly” to take place. They were engaged in the most crucial battle of history, against the Dragon and the evil Empire which he possessed. The purpose of the Revelation was to comfort the Church with the assurance that God was in control, so that even the awesome might of the Dragon and the Beast would not stand before the armies of Jesus Christ. Christ was wounded in His heel on Friday, the sixth day, the Day of the Beast – yet that is the day He crushed the Dragon’s head. At his most powerful, St. John says, the Beast is just a six, or a series of sixes; never a seven. His plans of world dominion will never be fulfilled, and the Church will overcome through her Lord Jesus, the 888, who conquered on the Eighth Day. TABLE OF NUMERALS IN USE DURING THE BIBLICAL PERIOD Nº Hebrew Greek 1 a a 2 b b 3 g g 4 d d 5 h e 6 w v 7 z z 8 j h 9 f q 10 y i 20 k k 30 l l 40 m m Nº Hebrew Greek 50 n n 60 s x 70 [ o 80 p p 90 x f 100 q r 200 r s 300 c t 400 t u 500 qt ø 600 c 700 y 800 w 37. It is charged by some that Neron Kesar is merely a convenient “misspelling” of Nero’s name in Hebrew. This objection overlooks the fact that before the modern introduction of dictionaries the world was simply not as concerned as we are about uniformity in the spelling of names. Alternate spellings were common (e.g. “Joram” and “Jehoram” in the Old Testament), especially in the transliteration of words into a foreign tongue. But the allegation of misspelling is wholly wrong anyway. The form Neron Kesar (1) is the linguistically “correct” Hebrew form, (2) is the form found in the Talmud and other rabbinical writings, and (3) was used by Hebrews in the first century, as archaeological evidence has shown. As F. W. Farrar observed, “the Jewish Christian would have tried the name as he thought of the name - that is in Hebrew letters. And the moment he did this the secret stood revealed. No Jew ever thought of Nero except as ‘Neron Kesar,’ and this gives at once . . . 666”(The Early Days of Christianity, Chicago and New York: Belford, Clarke & Co., 1882, p. 540). Of some related interest is the fact that if Nero’s name is written without the final n (i.e., the way it would occur to a Gentile to spell it in Hebrew), it yields the number 616 – which is exactly the variant reading in a few New Testament manuscripts. The most reasonable explanation for this variant is that it arose from the confusion over the final n. 38. F. W. Farrar, The Early Days of Christianity (Chicago and New York: Belford, Clarke & Co., 1882), p. 541. See, e.g., Sulpitius Severus (A.D. 363-420), who clearly cites Rev. 13 in his description of Nero: Sacred History, in A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973 reprint), pp. 110f. 145
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But when you see Jerusalem surround
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Copyright @ 1987 by Dominion Press
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FOREWORD Foreword Readers of the Bo
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PUBLISHER’S PREFACE Publisher’s
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PUBLISHER’S PREFACE case for esch
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PUBLISHER’S PREFACE this book bec
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PUBLISHER’S PREFACE In contrast,
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INTRODUCTION St. Irenaeus is somewh
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INTRODUCTION we must be saved” (A
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INTRODUCTION previous relationship
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INTRODUCTION You have lain down as
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INTRODUCTION are only elaborating a
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INTRODUCTION early churches had suc
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INTRODUCTION actions mean more than
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INTRODUCTION Some will complain tha
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INTRODUCTION Outline of Revelation
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1:1-3 that must shortly take place.
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1:4-6 accomplishment. We probably h
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1:7-8 observe that a central aspect
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1:9 14 And His head and His hair we
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1:16 That all the peoples, nations,
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1:20 things that must shortly take
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INTRODUCTION TO PART TWO Part Two H
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INTRODUCTION TO PART TWO The confli
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2:4-6 endure evil men. . . . And yo
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2:9-10 dead, and has come to life:
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2:14-16 expression (none of which m
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2:18-23 and leads my servants astra
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2:26-29 end, to him I will give aut
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3:4-6 church, or even against a nat
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3:8-11 And I will clothe him with y
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3:14-16 sons disinherited and cast
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3:21-22 the elders of a church, and
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INTRODUCTION TO PART THREE The laws
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4:2-3 numerous names and descriptio
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4:5-8 superseded and transcended; t
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4:5-8 19) led Biblical writers to s
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5:1-4 family worship; it is radical
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5:5-7 St. John; and it seems as if
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5:8-10 have gained the victory for
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6:1-2 6 IN THE PATH OF THE WHITE HO
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6:3-4 forth conquering, and to conq
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6:9-10 And authority was given to h
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6:15-17 that Israel’s time has ru
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7:4-8 Though he flourishes among th
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7:4-8 they were listening to the Ap
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Page 96 and 97: 7:10-14 inheriting the Kingdom (Mat
Page 98 and 99: 7:15-17 They will not hunger or thi
Page 100 and 101: 8:3-5 for that would be about the l
Page 102 and 103: 8:6-7 rout the Midianites, in Judge
Page 104 and 105: 8:12 13 And I looked, and I heard a
Page 106 and 107: 9:13 The vegetation of the earth is
Page 108 and 109: 9:20-21 lations advanced by some co
Page 110 and 111: 9:20-21 men much more atheistical t
Page 112 and 113: 10:2-4 beyond reasonable doubt that
Page 114 and 115: 10:8-10 the Spirit at Pentecost was
Page 116 and 117: 11:1-2 angelic priest measures the
Page 118 and 119: 11:7 have the power to shut up the
Page 120 and 121: 11:11-14 climax with the murder of
Page 122 and 123: 11:16-18 month in the liturgical ye
Page 124 and 125: 12:1-2 12 THE HOLY WAR The Book of
Page 126 and 127: 12:1-2 birth to the Christ, to brin
Page 128 and 129: 12:4 Daniel repeats the same idea i
Page 130 and 131: 12:5-9 Chronologically, this explan
Page 132 and 133: 12:12 And when we see the Lord warr
Page 134 and 135: 12:17 for the action of Pharaoh, wh
Page 136 and 137: 13:3-4 of the ten imperial province
Page 138 and 139: 13:8-10 The Beast was given authori
Page 140 and 141: 13:13-14 character and office (1 Co
Page 142 and 143: 13:18 work throughout Revelation ar
Page 146 and 147: 14:1 14 THE KING ON MOUNT ZION St.
Page 148 and 149: 14:6-7 have seen, the Church on ear
Page 150 and 151: 14:9-13 understanding (Prov. 9:1-6)
Page 152 and 153: 14:14-16 I may find them prompt; na
Page 154 and 155: 14:19-20 And now, O inhabitants of
Page 156 and 157: their Chalices of wrath, one of the
Page 158 and 159: 15:3-4 sacrifices; and the Glory of
Page 160 and 161: 15:8 We should be reminded in this
Page 162 and 163: 16:1-3 5 And I heard the Angel of t
Page 164 and 165: 16:10-11 the heat of the sun by the
Page 166 and 167: 16:15-16 established here, for the
Page 168 and 169: 16:19 thereof, concerning which the
Page 170 and 171: 17:1 17 THE FALSE BRIDE While some
Page 172 and 173: 17:3 action throughout history in s
Page 174 and 175: 17:8 Jerusalem’s whole history, i
Page 176 and 177: 17:13-16 (v. 2), as the instruments
Page 178 and 179: 18:1-2 priority over the kingdoms o
Page 180 and 181: 18:6-8 His people to come out of Ba
Page 182 and 183: 18:17-19 sanctuary two lampstands r
Page 184 and 185: 18:20-21 They went down into the de
Page 186 and 187: 19:1-2 19 THE FEASTS OF THE KINGDOM
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19:16-18 of wealth, or wasting dise
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20:1 20 THE MILLENNIUM AND THE JUDG
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20:1-3 Christ established His media
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20:1-3 The great fathers and teache
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20:4 The relationship between the p
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20:5-6 earth? The answer should be
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20:7-8 ministry; that was Satan’s
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20:9-10 St. John’s image for the
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20:12 redeemed with Thy precious bl
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21:1 21 THE NEW JERUSALEM The Bible
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21:1 Pet. 3:5-7; cf. the same analo
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21:3-5 will be established finally,
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21:9-11 The New Jerusalem (21:9-27)
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21:15-21 Covenant of Grace; the fac
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21:24-27 And deep darkness the peop
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22:3-4 Paradise is not, therefore,
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22:6-9 Final Warnings and Blessings
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22:17-21 unconquerable strength and
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CONCLUSION the pure Bride-City, is
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CONCLUSION does not exempt us from
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APPENDIX A it is reflected in “It
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APPENDIX A make him a pillar in the
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APPENDIX A and wine the night befor
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APPENDIX A Babylon, falsely priestl
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APPENDIX A B. CHRISTIAN WORSHIP 1.
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APPENDIX B been the defining mark o
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APPENDIX B The Bible teaches us tha
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APPENDIX C APPENDIX C Common Grace,
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APPENDIX C for all eternity because
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APPENDIX C better arrangement cultu
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APPENDIX C be destroyed. The two ex
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APPENDIX C universe. It is governed
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APPENDIX C completed, the world was
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APPENDIX C deceive the nations. The
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APPENDIX C creeds and theological u
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APPENDIX C coherence that at least
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APPENDIX C There is continuity in l
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Athanasius. On the Incarnation of t
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________. The Institutes of Biblica
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