The Rise of the AntiChrist

[DONTEATUS]

Purple is myfav color ! Does that make me the Ante-Christ?

[Blink4567]

Purple is myfav color ! Does that make me the Ante-Christ?

it might make you the one eyed one horned flying purple people eater though?

[TheSearcher]

it might make you the one eyed one horned flying purple people eater though?

The what now? He a minion of the flying spaghetti monster?

[KRS-One]

"The book of Revelation was written regarding the persecution of early Christians under Roman authority. The whole thing is quite literally a ****-fest for persecuted early christians to hold out hope that terrible things would befall Rome allowing them to no longer suffer under them."

This is in no case true, and posting such a thing and not backing it up by some reliable source is frustrating.

I also find your attitude of taking something and crossing/marking it off like a teacher does with a spelling test to be quite ignorant, it's as if you write your opinion to be so very powerful that what you say is done. You remind me also of a speeding driver, you wouldn't stop for anyone. I find this ignorant.

Quack, There are many sources that state that the book of revelations is as I describe it. I'd suggest that you read the following as a decent precursor:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/revelation/white.html

This is an article by L. Michael White, Professor of Classics and Christian Origins at the University of Texas at Austin. I would posit that a professor of Christian Origins for UT may have the credentials you would find important when discussing the symbology present in the book of revelations. An excellent example of the types of comparisons he makes:

The key to understanding the situation is in the vibrant symbolic language that is so typical of ancient apocalyptic writings. The author viewed the religious and political force of Roman rule as a threat. It is now thought that this arose in Ephesus after the year 89 CE when Domitian instituted a new imperial cult sanctuary dedicated to his family, the Flavian dynasty.

...

Accordingly, the woman sits on the seven-headed beast as a symbol of her "seven hills" -- the seven hills of Rome. The woman is the city of Rome, here depicted as the persecutor of Christians. Then it says that the seven heads are also seven kings. And we can read from its cryptic terminology the references to the Emperors of Rome. The "five fallen" refer to the five emperors who have died: Augustus (29 BCE - 14 CE), Tiberius (14-37 CE), Gaius (37-41), Claudius (41-54) and Nero (54-68). "One has a wound" refers to the emperor Nero, who died in 68, but whom contemporary legend had it would return from the dead to continue persecuting the Christians.

"As it turns out, one of Rome's emporer's went crazy and lost a bet with himself, converting to Christianity, ending persecution. After which time, Christians were pretty ok with Rome."

I need a source for this, again. And here again is your teacher-to-student, genius-to-infant attitude again. It's all very ignorant to me.

Well Quack, maybe I come off sounding like a teacher because you've never heard of what I'm talking about, and what I'm stating is already acknowledged historical fact. The roman emperor I'm referring to is Constantine who adopted Christianity as a way to try to motivate his troops for a battle. He got lucky, won, and decided to keep on board the Jesus train. You may be familiar with the phrase In Hoc Signo Vinces which is what he was apparently told when presented with the design of the labarum.

Source over view, here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_I_(emperor)

I can provide more if you'd like.

"The whole book is an alternative-history science fiction, much like we'd read about a zombie apocalypse or Armageddon story because it makes us think there will be justice against vague, overpowering forces, and we'll all be heroes and act all cool, so was it to them."

And this is so incredibly ignorant, it nearly made my head explode. Alternative-history? Examples, please. The Bible spoke of many historical events and leaders long before archaeologists even knew of them, such as Pilate. It also accurately accounts the conflicts in Jerusalem, and the wars between Egypt and the Middle-East.

And the way you phrase that, also. It sounds to me like you are describing it like a modern work, the Bible is indeed ancient so the words 'cool' and 'science fiction' do not apply here.

I'm not sure what you mean by examples of alternative history. Are you looking for other works that are alternative history? There's an author that writes a decent number of books (I personally haven't read them) by the name of Harry Turtledove.

If you are asking how the book of revelation itself would be considered alternative history, in comparing it to early christian struggles with Rome, an apocalypse that never happened is by definition alternative history. It describes a fictive series of events that did not occur within the time line it deals with. Its the same thing as writing a book about what would have happened if the south won the civil war, say. It's a description of potential events that did not actually occur.

It has nothing to do with what archeologists know about other facts in the bible.

The words "cool" and "science fiction" do, in fact, belong their as their meaning may be new, but their definitions are not, and certainly readers of Revelation would certainly have felt empowered and "cool" while fantasizing about their end of the world prospects. Seeing as how a huge cataclysmic event was not needed to stop the persecution, it renders the book fiction.

I'm not ignorant, quack, because I used big words and phrases that you didn't understand, nor am I ignorant for being aware of the connotations to Rome within the book when you were not.

[meL_]

an easy definition...

the antichrist reveals the antichrist idea of the holybusine$$.

the teacher jc was not xtian...

NOW as i type... She picks

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A Travelers Guide To Mars

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Beginners Mind

17 Seconds To Anywhere

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... i dont get(simple SEE) the mars event.. ? ?

i replace 'mind' with SEE... all knowledge is secondary.. OK on demand.

all(enough) songs have been written... She just picks one for the Moment(all there IS).

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---edit---

my method is called pesher.

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Edited September 7, 2009 by meL_

[meL_]

NOW

"

Little Angel

"

... like "Alien Embryo" ... :-)

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[meL_]

"

Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other.

Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that.

"

SEE for and by yourself. :-)

the inward is just Intuition... IT(that fast knowledge reaction) comes out like an arrow... great Honesty.

:-)

"

I personally believe that nothing "apocalyptic"

will happen in 12/21/12.... so what are your opinions????

"

this is the end of an AGE... that's all !

WE have sexism, racism, holybusine$$, and h-bombs in hand.

nationalism is just another form of stupidity.

WE cant survive(Salvation) like this.

it's *time to Rapture... just a mass Awakening... otherwise.. a natural extinction is VERY possible.

AND

the misery is useless.

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.

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The Surround is Consciousness.. the Soul SEEN.. GodHeaven SEEN.

WE are the least of GodHeaven.

[Agent. Mulder]

"

Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other.

Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that.

"

SEE for and by yourself. :-)

the inward is just Intuition... IT(that fast knowledge reaction) comes out like an arrow... great Honesty.

:-)

"

I personally believe that nothing "apocalyptic"

will happen in 12/21/12.... so what are your opinions????

"

this is the end of an AGE... that's all !

WE have sexism, racism, holybusine$$, and h-bombs in hand.

nationalism is just another form of stupidity.

WE cant survive(Salvation) like this.

it's *time to Rapture... just a mass Awakening... otherwise.. a natural extinction is VERY possible.

AND

the misery is useless.

.

.

.

The Surround is Consciousness.. the Soul SEEN.. GodHeaven SEEN.

WE are the least of GodHeaven.

...what???

and weve had sexism, racisms and violence almost since the begining.

so whoever was talking at that point in your convo, ask them what they were trying to prove and how thats relavent.

[TheSearcher]

"

Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other.

Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that.

"

SEE for and by yourself. :-)

the inward is just Intuition... IT(that fast knowledge reaction) comes out like an arrow... great Honesty.

:-)

"

I personally believe that nothing "apocalyptic"

will happen in 12/21/12.... so what are your opinions????

"

this is the end of an AGE... that's all !

WE have sexism, racism, holybusine$$, and h-bombs in hand.

nationalism is just another form of stupidity.

WE cant survive(Salvation) like this.

it's *time to Rapture... just a mass Awakening... otherwise.. a natural extinction is VERY possible.

AND

the misery is useless.

.

.

.

The Surround is Consciousness.. the Soul SEEN.. GodHeaven SEEN.

WE are the least of GodHeaven.

Erm..... well..... Say what now?