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End TImes
mood: 
amazed
amazedmusic: The Decemberists: A Cautionary Song
Hi, I live in San Francisco now.
Anyway, dig this recap of last night's show:
End Times & Biblical Prophecy
Founder of Endtime Ministries, Irvin Baxter, discussed how biblical prophecies such as from the Book of Revelation are lining up to indicate that we are entering into 'End Times.' In his estimation we are only around six to eight years away from the final battle of Armageddon, which he described as a conflict involving nuclear weapons, lasting possibly just 45 days. Leading up to this will be a war involving a nation with a 200 million strong army (which he suspects is China) that will result in the deaths of 2 billion people.
One of the key 'End Times' indicators, he said, is the planned National ID Card which Americans will need to begin using by May 2008. The card is moving us much closer to the prophesied "Mark of the Beast," he believes, and because of this and other concerns, he has launched the No National ID campaign.
The Antichrist is likely a man somewhere in his 40's to 60's, possibly a high official in the EU, opined Baxter, who added that the man doesn't realize he's the Antichrist but actually thinks of himself as being Christ-like.
And below is an interpretation of how the "Mark of the Beast" may be impending via the capitalist economy:
Revelation 13:16-18
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:
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.
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.
Explanation:
Proponents of world government teach that there are three major causes of war on the earth: political conflicts, economic conflicts, and religious conflicts. They contend that, if we had one-world government, a global economy, and one-world religion, the root causes of war would be abolished. With the advent of The European Union, NAFTA, APEC, and GATT it appears that a one-world economy is upon us.
The Bible teaches that the time will come where this one-world economy will be so dominant that no man may buy or sell unless he has received a mark in his right hand or forehead. Our world is rapidly moving toward a cashless society where every economic transaction is done electronically and requires that each individual has a number associated with them (e.g. Social Security number). It has been recommended by some in banking circles that a special invisible number be implanted somewhere on the body. This number would satisfy the needs of the banking community, the manufacturing industry, and the businesses that supply us with goods and services. Emerging technologies such as RFID are enabling such a system.
And yet somehow this all leaves me with a feeling of relief and optimism. Maybe it's that though I believe in no particular myth as literal truth or any divine plan for the universe, I'd be happy to discover I was wrong. (emphasis on "discover" not "...be convinced that...")
*shudder* This is the kind of stuff I heard EVERYDAY in Seventh Day Adventist School. Ask Jobie about it. His family still beleives in it, heck, I don't know maybe he does.
Yep, we all spent out leisure time talking about the anti-christ. fer reals.
We were told that this cashless money card (when ATMS became popular it creeped me out) would be what every one used and that if you didn't go to church on Sunday you wouldn't qualify for one, so all the Seventh Day Church goers would be starving, exiled and wearing tattered clothes eating aluminum foil! (Mr Pitts did say exactly that about aluminum foil and freaked me out)
I just think our whole world, science or religion, is based on misinterpretation of our experience or our decision to believe in someone elses misinterpretation. But I do think there is real phenomenon in the universe that we don't understand and can never explain. It's our brains trying to explain shit that's the problem.
Yeah, everyone will have tattered clothes because no one will remember how to sew... Curse the Aluminum Foil Opressor!
being as Nero was so great at thinking up all sorts of creative ways to dispatch christians, they had to resort to some fucked up metaphors to say how much Nero sucked (and the book of revelations was born...).
I'd debate what the prophesy means, but I'm open to the idea that prophesy can exist and may be describing our current times. There is much current news about nuclear technology related to Iran, Pakistan, North Korea... A war that kills billions could easily occur with a nuclear exchange that is frankly eminent, fulfilling that part of the prophesy.
I don't necessarily think that means Jesus is coming, and the Rapture, but it's just an interesting interpretation that is making some sense. It's the idea that Revelation describes the turn toward a global economy and global political unity, and that is what is happening now with the European Union and the "spreading" (often by miltary force) of democracy and capitalism. My interpretation is that Revelation could all be the allegorical story of how capitalism and democracy fails. People will survive this possible "armageddon" but I don't think our capitalist way of life will survive a war that kills 2-3 billion people.
I'm just saying...
The reason it couldn't be something like an IP address or email address is that the mark of the beast is related to commerce, to "buying and selling". I never knew this was part of the passage before. So it could even be a bank account, but that's not the point. The point is since the internet, cash is becoming less and less usefull and the cashless society and "Globalism" sounds very much like what that Revelation passage is talking about. it's not talking about communication, because if it were then yeah, anything like an IP address could be it.
It's also not about one thing like the "mark" it's about a convergence of lots of interesting parallels that I'm not prepared to list, but those websites or that radio show do talk about.
So, I was thinking that someone who can foretell the future must be able to THINK at speeds faster than others. Thinking at the speed of light could maybe give you foresight... in a sci-fi kind of way... you know?
most religious fundamentalists or fanatics look towards the end of days with joy and anticipation, right? they WANT to be here for the rapture, don't they? so now, looking back, it strikes me as weird that this dude at the beach was trying to convince everyone to rebel and stop it. as though returning to a barter system would somehow please his god in a way that bar codes couldn't.
no i will go follow yr link.
(Anonymous)
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