Chapter 4
Dynamite
STOP! IF YOU HAVEN'T READ CHAPTER 2, "THE BEAST IDENTIFIED," DON'T READ THIS CHAPTER YET
Can you imagine Christians killing other Christians?! A horrible thought.
Get this, "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:" Revelation 13:7. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her I wondered with great admiration." Revelation 17:6.
What a picture! No wonder John was so amazed. A stack of books could hardly contain the accounts of the 50 million Christians put to death as "heretics." For possessing a Bible, for believing that people ought to be free to worship God according to their own conscience; for these and many other "crimes" men, women, and little children were tortured to death.
History comes through loud and clear that whole villages and towns were wiped off the map for not conforming to the state church and her leader.
"Dignitaries of the church studied, under Satan their master, to invent means to cause the greatest possible torture and not end the life of the victim. In many cases the infernal process was repeated to the utmost limit of human endurance, until nature gave up the struggle, and the sufferer hailed death as a sweet release " (1) Such was the fate of those who opposed the church of Rome. If given opportunity in the U.S. she would do the same today against "heretics." Her boast is that she never changes. The rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris, H.M.A. Baudrillart, revealed the attitude of the church and her leaders toward persecution.
"When confronted with heresy," he said, "she does not content herself with persuasion, arguments of an intellectual and moral order appear to her insufficient, and, she has recourse to force, to corporal punishment, to torture." (2)
For a shocking account of how the Waldenses, Albigenses, Bohemians, and others were massacred or slowly and secretly murdered for their faith, see Appendix 5.
The most outstanding story is the one of the Waldenses. They were some of the few people who had copies of the Bible during the early years of the Papacy's reign.
"They saw that under the guidance of Pope and priest, multitudes were vainly endeavoring to obtain pardon by afflicting their bodies for the sin of their souls. Oppressed with a sense of sin, and haunted with the fear of God's avenging wrath, many suffered on, until exhausted nature gave way and without one ray of light or hope they sank into the tomb.
The Waldenses longed to break to these starving souls the bread of life, to open to them the messages of peace in the promises of God, and to point them to Christ as the only hope of salvation.
The Saviour was represented by the priests as so devoid of sympathy with man in his fallen state that the mediation of priests and saints must be invoked. The Waldenses longed to point these souls to Jesus as their compassionate, loving Saviour, standing with outstretched arms, inviting all to come to Him with their burden of sin, and obtain pardon and peace.
With quivering lip and tearful eye did he, often on bended knees, open to others the precious promises that reveal the sinner's only hope. Especially was the repetition of these words eagerly desired: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7.
Many were undeceived in regard to the claims of Rome. They saw how vain is the mediation of men in behalf of the sinner.
The assurance of a Saviour's love seemed too much for some of these poor tempest-tossed souls to realize. So great was the relief which it brought, such a flood of light was shed upon them, that they seemed transported to heaven. Often would words like these be uttered: "Will God indeed accept my offering? Will He smile upon me? Will He pardon me?" The answer was read: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.
Faith grasped the promise, and the glad response was heard: "No more long pilgrimages to make; no more painful journeys to holy shrines. I may come to Jesus just as I am, and He will not spurn my prayer. 'Thy sins be forgiven thee.' Mine, even mine, may be forgiven!"
There was a strange and solemn power in the words of Scripture that spoke directly to the hearts of those who were longing for the truth. It was the voice of God, and it carried conviction to those who heard.
In many cases the messenger of truth was seen no more. He had made his way to other lands, or he was wearing out his life in some unknown dungeon, or perhaps his bones were whitening on the spot where he had witnessed for the truth.
The Waldensian missionaries were invading the kingdom of Satan.
The very existence of this people, holding the faith of the ancient church, was a constant testimony to Rome's apostasy, and excited the most bitter hatred and persecution. Their refusal to surrender the Scriptures was an offense that Rome could not tolerate. She determined to blot them from the earth.
Pope innocent VIII ordered - "That malicious and abominable sect of malignants," if they "refuse to abjure, to be crushed like venomous snakes."! (see Appendix 6).
No charge could be brought against their moral character. Their grand offense was that they would not worship God according to the will of the Pope. For this crime every humiliation, insult, and torture that men or devils could invent was heaped upon them.
They were hunted to death; yet their blood watered the seed sown, and it failed not of yielding fruit. Scattered over many lands . . . it will be carried forward to the close of time by those who also are willing to suffer all things "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 1:9. (3)
Keep in mind that these atrocities happened long before we were born. But the warning against receiving the "mark of the beast" is certainly for us today. Soon, you'll know what the beast's "mark" is!
As we've learned, this power would "think to change times and laws." Daniel 7:25.
How could it possibly do that?
Since the heathen were used to worshiping images, the church ripped out the second commandment which forbids image worship. They placed images in the churches! But instead of images of heathen gods, they simply used images of dead saints! The people were taught that these were merely to help increase their learning and devotion. But the result was far different.
For documentation on how images were brought into the churches, see Appendix 7.
It says that he would "think to change times and laws."
Look at this shocking statement from an official decretal - "The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate (change) laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ." Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop.
Unbelievable!
When I first read that statement my mouth fell open. I was amazed that the official statement of the Papacy was nearly a word for word quote from the Bible! Instead of leaving only nine commandments, they cut the tenth one in two, so there would still be ten. (See Appendix 8).
Satan had caused the second commandment to be ripped out. But he wasn't finished. The leaders changed the fourth one also!
The change of the fourth commandment was attempted gradually over a period of time so as not to arouse anyone. But the change is a masterpiece of Satan's work.
Get ready for a shock.
The following mind-boggling statements were made by church authorities and are documented.
"Question - Have you any other way of proving that the church (Roman Catholic) has power to institute festivals of precept?
"Answer - Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her - she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no scriptural authority." A Doctrinal Catechism. by Stephen Keenan,pg. 174.
That's incredible!
"The Catholic church," declared Cardinal Gibbons, "by virtue of her divine mission changed the day from Saturday to Sunday." (4)
Again the question is asked to them:
"Question - Which is the Sabbath day?
"Answer - Saturday is the Sabbath day.
"Question - Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
"Answer - We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 364), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, pg. 50, 3rd ed.
What does the fourth commandment actually say? Here it is
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11.
Do church authorities acknowledge that there is no command in the Bible for the sanctification of Sunday?
They do! Look at this.
The Catholic Cardinal Gibbons, in Faith of Our Fathers. pg. 111, said, "You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify."
You see, in the Council of Trent (1545 A.D.), the church leaders ruled that "tradition" is of as great authority as the Bible! They believed that God had given them the authority to change the Bible any way they pleased. By "tradition" they meant human teachings.
Jesus said, "But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:9.
Just as they had brought images into the church to make it easier for the pagans to come in, they changed the Sabbath of the Bible for the same reason.
How did it all start?
The sun was the main god of the heathen even back as far as ancient Babylon. Since they worshiped the sun on Sunday, the compromising church leaders could see that if they changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, it would accomplish several things. Number one - it would separate them from the Jews who were hated by many of the Romans and who, along with Jesus, (Luke 4:16), had been worshiping on Saturday from the beginning (and still do today). Number two - it would make it much easier for the pagans to come into the church if the Christians met on the same day that the pagan world did.
It worked well. Pagans flocked in by the thousands. Satan's plan of compromise was doing its baleful work. The change was attempted gradually but many of the true hearted, loyal Christians were alarmed. They came to the leaders and wanted to know why they had dared tamper with the law of Almighty God! The church leaders knew this would happen - and they had an answer ready. It's a masterpiece. If a person doesn't know the bible well it sounds good.
The people were told that they were worshiping on Sunday now because Jesus rose from the dead on that day.
There's not even one verse in the Bible that tells us to do this, but that's what they were told. Isn't it amazing! Maybe you've even heard that yourself!
When Emperor Constantine became a Christian, Christianity became the state religion you remember. As thousands of sun-worshipers flocked into the church, it wasn't long before they had a dominating influence. Most of his top officials had been sun-worshipers. Because the Roman government was getting shaky, Constantine consulted with his aides and with the church officials in Rome.
"What shall we do? How can we unite and stabilize the government?"
The counsel of the church leaders was timely.
"Pass a Sunday law. Force everyone to cease work and honor Sunday."
That was it! It would satisfy the sun-worshiping pagans, and unite pagans, Christians, and the Roman empire as never before.
The year is 321 A.D. Constantine, yielding to the suggestion of church leaders passes the first Sunday law! Here it is, straight out of the record:
"Let all the judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades rest on the venerable day of the sun" Edict of March 7, 321 A.D. Corpus Juris Civilis Cod., lib. 3, tit. 12, Lex. 3.
(For more information on this, see Appendix 9).
The Christians who would not compromise and dishonor God found themselves in a dilemma. Satan had worked things around so that you were forced to honor the pagan "day of the sun" or pay the penalty. Even after the Emperor's Sunday law, many Christians continued to honor and keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath that their Saviour had kept. God knew what was going on and had predicted that the man of sin would "think to change times and laws." Satan was about to pull off a world-wide hoax.
Bibles were forbidden by the priests. As the years went by, the new generations (without Bibles) would forget all about the Sabbath of the Lord.
Not only that - from time to time, great church councils were held. In nearly every one, the Sabbath which God had given as a memorial of His creation of the world was pressed down and Sunday was exalted. The pagan festival finally came to be regarded as the "Lord's day" (by Pope Sylvester, 314-337 A.D.) and the church leaders pronounced the Bible Sabbath a relic of the Jews, and those who honored it, in obedience to the fourth commandment of God, were pronounced to be "accursed."
To rip out the commandment right in the center, put in Sun- day worship as a counterfeit, take the Bibles away, and command the whole world to accept it - this was the king of all swindles!
You see, Satan hates the fourth commandment more than all others because it is the only one that tells who God really is - the Creator of "Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is." Exodus 20:11. You could worship any god and keep the other nine (not kill, steal, etc.) but to keep the fourth commandment you must worship the Creator of the Universe Who Himself rested on the seventh day and commanded His people to do the same - in a love relationship with Himself.
As the centuries went by, the people, with no Bibles forgot about God's Sabbath, and Sunday worship became firmly established. Many even today are ignorant on the subject.
The Waldenses, which I have mentioned, and some other groups through the dark ages did secretly have Bibles, and many did keep the Bible Sabbath on Saturday like Jesus did - all down through history. But they were treated as outlaws. Whenever they were caught they were tortured to death. Their mangled corpses show the world the tactics that the beast has always used - force.
Of God's faithful in the last days it says, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12.
In modern times, leaders who know what they are talking about will admit that men changed the Sabbath and not God. Look at these startling statements from Protestant leaders:
Methodist - "The reason we observe the first day instead of the seventh is based on no positive command. One will search the Scriptures in vain for authority for changing from the seventh day to the first." Clovis G. Chappell, Ten Rules For Living. pg. 61
Baptist - Harold Lindsell, former editor of Christianity Today. said, "There is nothing in Scripture that requires us to keep Sunday rather than Saturday as a holy day." Christianity Today, November 5, 1976.
Episcopal - "The Bible commandment says on the seventh day thou shalt rest. That is Saturday. Nowhere in the Bible is it laid down that worship should be done on Sunday." Philip Carrington, Toronto Daily Star, October 26, 1949.
Our Catholic friends know how the change came about. They say, "We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea, transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, Third edition, pg. 50.
The Catholic Press said, "Sunday is a Catholic institution, and its claims to observation can be defended only on Catholic principles ... From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first. (5)
God speaks of the seventh day 126 times in the Old Testament and 62 times in the New. The first day of the week is mentioned only eight times in the New Testament. A Catholic priest offered $1000 to anyone who could find one Bible verse to indicate that Sunday is now holy and should be observed instead of the seventh day. No one responded. I have done the same, but received no response.
For an amazing glimpse of the eight Bible texts which mention the first day of the week, see Appendix 10.
It says that the beast (little horn power) would "think to change times and laws." Daniel 7:25.
The second commandment was ripped out and images were brought in. The fourth commandment is the only one that deals with time. Look at this shocking announcement: "The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ." "The Pope has authority and has often exercised it, to dispense with the command of Christ." Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop. Cap.
Keep in mind that our God is kind and fair. Those who are keeping Sunday and breaking God's fourth commandment ignorantly are not under condemnation. It's only those who know what God commands and willfully disobey who are committing sin. God's enemy knows that to break one of God's commandments is a sin which hurts our Saviour and robs us of eternal life with Him if not repented of.
Satan laid this plot so deep that even many ministers are not aware of it. Many religious leaders are putting forth desperate efforts to keep the facts on this subject away from the people. Shocking but true, many ministers have not learned at school anything different than their teachers have learned before them. Then they teach their congregations what they learned from their teachers. It is perpetuated for generations. This is why even your own parents or grandparents may not have understood what God's word teaches about His seventh-day Sabbath. But when people honestly study the Bible for themselves - their eyes are opened. Many people take the preacher's word and just don't study God's word for themselves. Do you believe that?
I praise God that thousands of people around the world are learning these amazing truths about God's true Sabbath of the Bible and are beginning to keep it holy in loving obedience to the Saviour Who died to redeem them.
As you begin to keep God's Sabbath holy, it becomes a delight. Sweet peace and joy fill your heart. You know that now you're not violating any of His loving commands but are walking more closely with the Saviour. Revelation describes the faithful in the last days who "keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12.
The devil has been trying to get preachers to say that God's ten commandments have been done away with. But when will it ever be right to break God's sixth, eighth, or ninth commandments and kill, steal or lie? All ten stand or fall together because it's a sweet love relationship between you and God. If you break one, you break them all (James 2:10,11). It's like two lovers - it's either all or nothing.
Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:17,18. Heaven and earth haven't passed away yet. It's true that we are saved by God's free grace and not by our obedience (Ephesians 2:8). I praise God that His salvation is a free gift which we can receive by simple faith. It's also true that if a person willfully, persistently disobeys God, it shows that he really doesn't love God enough to obey Him, and hasn't received this free gift. He hasn't been born again. God's true people will be obedient, happy people who love Him so much that they would rather die than sin against Him any more! Obedience becomes a joy when you're walking with Jesus!
It's new to many people that Moses received more than one set of laws. On the mountain, God gave him the ten commandments which He says will stand forever. Moses also received the ceremonial law which is discussed in Appendix 11. This law regulated the killing of animals, and other ceremonies. It was "added because of sin" and pointed forward to the sacrifice of the Son of God on the cross. It was to keep fresh in the people's minds that some day the real sacrifice for sin would come. The innocent little lamb represented "The Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29. Since Jesus really came and died for us, it's easy to see that this ceremonial law is no longer needed.
There was another set of laws that God gave to His people. They were the health laws as found in Leviticus 11, and Deuteronomy 14. Because of these, God's people were the healthiest people in the world! They didn't get the horrible diseases of the other nations, or even like we have in our world today. Since our stomachs and bodies are the same as theirs, those who follow these wise, and scientific health laws today also reap the delightful benefits. They just don't get the terrifying cancer, heart attack, etc., like others. Our God is so kind! It makes you fall in love with that lovely Person - Jesus.
It was the ceremonial law of Moses that was done away with on the cross. This law had animal sacrifices, meat and drink offerings, and seven ceremonial sabbaths that rotated through the year and fell on various days of the week.
All of this pointed forward to the death of the Saviour on the cross and is of no value to us now. These ceremonial meat and drink offerings, new moons and sabbath days were a "shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Colossians 2:16,17. They were all a "shadow" of the cross. Paul calls it the "handwriting of ordinances" and makes clear that it was "nailed to His cross." Colossians 2:14. I'm glad that we don't have to kill animals any more aren't you? The seven ceremonial sabbaths that rotated through the year were abolished with the rest of the ceremonies and were totally separate from the "Sabbath of the Lord" that came every week. Not only does God want His people to observe His weekly Sabbath here on earth in a happy relationship with Himself, but the Bible says that we will still be keeping it even in heaven! Isaiah 66:22,23. For the astonishing documentation showing the difference between the ceremonial law and the ten commandments, see Appendix 11.
Satan has palmed off the biggest counterfeit in the history of man.
Look at this shocker - The Catholic authorities proclaim: "The Bible says, 'Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.' The Catholic Church says, No! By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day, and command you to keep the first day of the week. And lo, the entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church!" Father Enright, C.S.S.R. of the Redemptoral College, Kansas City, Mo., as taken from History of the Sabbath. pg. 802.
Amazing! No wonder the Bible says: "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life." Revelation 13:4,8.
Incredible!
No time has been lost track of. To see how the days of our week are the same as in the time of Christ, see Appendix 12.
Some ministers, who don't have one Bible text to show will say, "Don't worry about God's commandments, just worship God every day, or pick one day in seven." Some highly educated ministers have even said, "Don't worry about following the Bible, it's out of date. You just live a good life, and everything will be all right." Many ministers when asked why they meet on Sunday instead of the seventh day, will honestly say, "I know that Saturday is the seventh day Sabbath and the Bible hasn't changed it but if I were to tell the people that, I'd lose my job!"
But it was fear of losing his job and getting in trouble that caused Pilate to do what he did. Remember? When the people shouted, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend," (John 19:12), Pilate was scared. If the people turned against him for letting Jesus go, no telling what might happen. It would cost him his job! The record says, "And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified." Mark 15:15.
That's heavy!
Again I say - no marvel that the world wonders after and worships the beast - no marvel! To save their jobs or to save their necks people compromise.
I praise God that many thousands who are learning these truths are honest enough to come back to the Bible and follow Jesus all the way home. God makes it so plain - even a child can understand.
Only those who love our Heavenly Father and His dear Son with all their hearts, will stand through the last days and not worship the beast or receive his "mark"
By the way - the dreaded "mark of the beast" - what is it? Get ready for a shock.
Dé Domhnaigh, Feabhra 07, 2010
Dé Máirt, Feabhra 02, 2010
Well There's This
My grandfather, Ivan Beran, succumbed to the cancer he's been fighting for five years yesterday at the age of eighty three. I Saturday and saw the condition he was in in the days before he died; bedridden, incontinent, plagued with waking dreams of falling off his bed as an obvious metaphor for fear of death, every attempt to move him off the side he was laying on resulting in agony.
That's all done now. The funeral is Thursday and all descendents of Ivan and Shirley Beran will be there. Five children with their spouses, thirteen grandchildren of whom eight are now married, eightenn great-grandchildren so far. Only one of his or Grandma's siblings is still well enough to make the trip but there will be nieces and nephews and neighbors and friends of every degree.
My grandmother has a sleeping pill prescription now in addition to her other meds. Greeting her yesterday was bitter, horribly bitter. She cries hard when a family member hugs her but beyond that she seems steady and ready to make a go of living a few years without him. We'll see. My mother, the youngest daughter, has buried herself in the practical work of writing the funeral, writing the obituary, calling distant relatives, etc.
I myself am doing well. For me it was the death of a horribly ill man fifty five years my senior. I've been sifting through old family photos, discovering among other things that Grandma's hair was already white when she was in her mid-forties and that Grandpa had a definite Mad Man pimp sort of thing going on when he was younger. I was his favorite grandson as a boy, quiet and not causing any trouble unlike my cousins. That changed when I became a teenager but still the grandparents had an air about their house and themselves. Grandpa was the pope, an Abraham, and it was a clensing experience to be at his house for the Holidays. For meals I still sit with my cousins as we did when we were children. Three tables now, segregated roughly among children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.The air around that house is heavy now. I do little chores around the house to avoid akward silences, crack jokes to make my Mom laugh.
I'll be serving as a pallbearer along with my male cousins. Later today I'll be getting my hair and mustache trimmed and I'll have to dig up a suit from somewhere. I've spent the last thirty six hours surrounded by family and I write this mainly to make contact with someone else. Family is a beautiful thing and there are times like this when they are nearly everything but not quite. Life carries on healthy hungry and awake. Now is the time for the grandchildren to remind the children of that. To any old friends reading this I just want to let you know that I love all of you. To any stranger stumbling upon these obscure ramblings, well I love you too, why the hell not? Always love the person in front of your face, and always love the person that loves you back, not in spite of the fact that we go our seperate ways and die but because of it. That's the fight. Loss is the common enemy that unites us, and if you've ever felt whole around the people you love then you've already won.
That's all done now. The funeral is Thursday and all descendents of Ivan and Shirley Beran will be there. Five children with their spouses, thirteen grandchildren of whom eight are now married, eightenn great-grandchildren so far. Only one of his or Grandma's siblings is still well enough to make the trip but there will be nieces and nephews and neighbors and friends of every degree.
My grandmother has a sleeping pill prescription now in addition to her other meds. Greeting her yesterday was bitter, horribly bitter. She cries hard when a family member hugs her but beyond that she seems steady and ready to make a go of living a few years without him. We'll see. My mother, the youngest daughter, has buried herself in the practical work of writing the funeral, writing the obituary, calling distant relatives, etc.
I myself am doing well. For me it was the death of a horribly ill man fifty five years my senior. I've been sifting through old family photos, discovering among other things that Grandma's hair was already white when she was in her mid-forties and that Grandpa had a definite Mad Man pimp sort of thing going on when he was younger. I was his favorite grandson as a boy, quiet and not causing any trouble unlike my cousins. That changed when I became a teenager but still the grandparents had an air about their house and themselves. Grandpa was the pope, an Abraham, and it was a clensing experience to be at his house for the Holidays. For meals I still sit with my cousins as we did when we were children. Three tables now, segregated roughly among children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.The air around that house is heavy now. I do little chores around the house to avoid akward silences, crack jokes to make my Mom laugh.
I'll be serving as a pallbearer along with my male cousins. Later today I'll be getting my hair and mustache trimmed and I'll have to dig up a suit from somewhere. I've spent the last thirty six hours surrounded by family and I write this mainly to make contact with someone else. Family is a beautiful thing and there are times like this when they are nearly everything but not quite. Life carries on healthy hungry and awake. Now is the time for the grandchildren to remind the children of that. To any old friends reading this I just want to let you know that I love all of you. To any stranger stumbling upon these obscure ramblings, well I love you too, why the hell not? Always love the person in front of your face, and always love the person that loves you back, not in spite of the fact that we go our seperate ways and die but because of it. That's the fight. Loss is the common enemy that unites us, and if you've ever felt whole around the people you love then you've already won.
Déardaoin, Eanáir 28, 2010
"National Sunday Law" : Chapter 3
The Beast Described
STOP! lf you haven't read chapter 2, "The Beast Identified," don't read this chapter yet.
Let's take a close look at this thing to make sure there's no mistake.
"And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Revelation 13:2.
Emperor Justinian "gave" Rome to the Pope when he decreed that the Pope should be over all the Christian churches of the earth, and established the Papacy in 538 A.D., when the Emperor's general Belisarius drove the Ostrogoths from Rome.
Rome gave him his "seat." Bible prophecy predicted it hundreds of years before it happened!
From 538 A.D. the Papacy ruled for exactly 1260 years, until 1798 when something incredible happened. The Pope was taken prisoner! Napoleon's general, Berthier, captured the Pope and took him to France!
A deadly wound. The Papacy had reigned exactly 1260 years. Could it have just been coincidence? Why did Berthier do it?
Napoleon wanted to rule the world. The Papacy stood in his way. I wonder if they knew that they were fulfilling prophecy in spite of themselves!
"... and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.
"In 1929, the Italian government recognized Vatican City as an independent state. Once again, the Pope was king. On March 9, 1929, he said, 'The peoples of the entire world are with us.' The San Francisco Chronicle published an account of the pact-signing on the front page of its newspaper. It actually read like this, 'Mussolini and Gaspari Sign Historic Pact . . . Heal Wound of Many Years.' That is fantastic! The Bible prophesied that its wound would be healed and the newspaper confirmed it in the exact same words." (1)
Though this great organization was not officially established till 538 A.D., the Apostle Paul saw forces at work that were preparing the way. What was going on back there that he could have seen? Here's what happened.
After Jesus went back to heaven, the early church grew rapidly under the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had predicted the treatment that His people were to receive.
"They shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." Matthew 24:9.
That was literally fulfilled. Look at this amazing account.
"Their execution was made into a game," wrote Tacitus, describing the persecutions under Nero. "They were covered with the skins of wild animals and torn to pieces by dogs. They were hung on crosses. They were burned, wrapped in flammable material and set on fire, to illuminate the night.
"To escape death, they had but to repudiate Christ and sacrifice to the emperor." (2) Some did, but many more were tortured to death rather than deny their Lord.
"Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept away; therefore she summoned her forces to destroy Christianity. Christians were stripped of their possessions and driven from their homes. Great numbers sealed their testimony with their blood. Noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were alike slain without mercy.
"Beneath the hills outside the city of Rome, long galleries had been tunneled through earth and rock; the dark and intricate network of passages extended for miles beyond the city walls. In these underground retreats the followers of Christ buried their dead; and here also, when suspected, they found a home. Many were 'tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection' Hebrews 11:35. They rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer for the truth, and songs of triumph ascended from the midst of the crackling flames." (3)
Satan couldn't wipe them out. For years emperors Nero and Diocletian slaughtered them by the thousands.
"You may kill us, torture us, condemn us," said one Christian to his persecutors, "your injustice is the proof that we are innocent." Tertullian, Apology, para. 50.
Until 313 A.D. it was against the law to be a Christian. Such a person was an automatic criminal. But the followers of Jesus spread everywhere.
Satan could see that he had to change his tactics. He would come up with a better scheme. What could the devil think of to do better than killing them?
Make things easy - and infiltrate! Like a wise general he would corrupt the church from the inside.
Watch what happens.
A great shout goes up in the empire. Emperor Constantine has become a Christian! The Christians are euphoric.
No more being torn apart by dogs and lions, or used as dupes to be cut down in cold blood, or human torches to light up the arena for the gladiators. Now Christianity is the state religion! Things are going great. Or so it seems.
But little by little, as everyone relaxes and quits worrying about being tortured to death, something happens.
Compromise!
Gradually the leaders, for the sake of popularity and gain, let down the standards to make it easier for the pagans to come into the church. But this brings in errors and pagan customs.
Not at all surprised by Satan's scheme to corrupt His church - from within, God gives us fair warning. Listen to Paul's shocking words.
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:" II Thessalonians 2:1- 4,7. Oh yes. He saw it coming! The mysterious work of corruption rapidly progressed after the death of the last Apostle.
Question: What happened?
After persecution ceased, Satan's great device was to control the leaders of the church. If he could inflate their ego; make them money hungry, the whole body would be affected. A popularity contest would be on to get as many heathen to accept Christianity as possible. The wealth and prestige of the church would grow. Who cares if you have to change the Bible somewhat to get them! Just introduce some of the heathen customs and rites into Christianity, give them Christian names, and the heathen will flock in.
Of all horrors - that's just what happened!
The Apostles had gone throughout the empire establishing churches in many cities. As time went by, smaller churches were built in the surrounding country sides. The large centers were in Jerusalem, Rome, and Alexandria, Egypt. Rome finally emerged on top.
The next step in the plot was for church leaders to get control of the state to help enforce their decrees. They achieved this beyond their wildest dreams. The epitome of this came when in 538 A.D. the entire city of Rome was handed over to the Pope - the Bishop of Rome. For the next 1260 years, church leaders reigned with full civil authority. All just as predicted in prophecy!
Incredible!
But look at this shocker.
It says that the beast has "the name of blasphemy." Revelation 13:1. "It became one of the leading doctrines of the church that its visible head is invested with supreme authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world. More than this, he took the very name of God! He was addressed as "Lord God the Pope" and declared to be "infallible." (For documentation see Appendix 3). He demands the worship of all men.
What about 666? Let's take a shocking look.
On the Pope's official mitre is the title "Vicarius Filii Dei" which means "Vicar of the Son of God." The claim that this is his official title has been stated publicly through the years. The April 18, 1915 issue of Our Sunday Visitor, states: "The letters inscribed in the Pope's mitre are these: "VICARIUS FILII DEI," which is Latin for Vicar of the Son of God."
In Revelation 13:18 it says, "Count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (666)."
Let's do it now and see what we find. Remember the Roman numerals you learned in school?
V = 5
I = l
C = 100
A = 0
R = 0
I = l
U = 5
S = O
"U" and "V" have the same value. Look in your encyclopedia under "Alphabet."
F = 0
I = 1
L = 50
I = 1
I = 1
D = 500
E = 0
I = 1
----------- Total = 666!
In Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, it comes out the same.
I want to be quick to say that when a person shares this shocking revelation, he must be kind and tactful. We must let people know that God loves all. The truth must be told - but always in kindness.
The 1260 years of the Papacy's rule are called the "dark ages." I'm sure you've heard that expression before. The reason it was so dark is because the priests forbade anyone to read or even have a Bible! For hundreds of years only the priests were allowed to read Bibles. Satan had to get the Bibles away from the people in order to keep them in darkness and superstition. The people just didn't know any better. There was a time when if you were caught with a Bible, you were dragged out of your home, hung up on a pole, and burned alive in your front yard! (For documentation, see Appendix 4).
What John sees next is so unbelievable that he's stunned.
STOP! lf you haven't read chapter 2, "The Beast Identified," don't read this chapter yet.
Let's take a close look at this thing to make sure there's no mistake.
"And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Revelation 13:2.
Emperor Justinian "gave" Rome to the Pope when he decreed that the Pope should be over all the Christian churches of the earth, and established the Papacy in 538 A.D., when the Emperor's general Belisarius drove the Ostrogoths from Rome.
Rome gave him his "seat." Bible prophecy predicted it hundreds of years before it happened!
From 538 A.D. the Papacy ruled for exactly 1260 years, until 1798 when something incredible happened. The Pope was taken prisoner! Napoleon's general, Berthier, captured the Pope and took him to France!
A deadly wound. The Papacy had reigned exactly 1260 years. Could it have just been coincidence? Why did Berthier do it?
Napoleon wanted to rule the world. The Papacy stood in his way. I wonder if they knew that they were fulfilling prophecy in spite of themselves!
"... and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.
"In 1929, the Italian government recognized Vatican City as an independent state. Once again, the Pope was king. On March 9, 1929, he said, 'The peoples of the entire world are with us.' The San Francisco Chronicle published an account of the pact-signing on the front page of its newspaper. It actually read like this, 'Mussolini and Gaspari Sign Historic Pact . . . Heal Wound of Many Years.' That is fantastic! The Bible prophesied that its wound would be healed and the newspaper confirmed it in the exact same words." (1)
Though this great organization was not officially established till 538 A.D., the Apostle Paul saw forces at work that were preparing the way. What was going on back there that he could have seen? Here's what happened.
After Jesus went back to heaven, the early church grew rapidly under the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had predicted the treatment that His people were to receive.
"They shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." Matthew 24:9.
That was literally fulfilled. Look at this amazing account.
"Their execution was made into a game," wrote Tacitus, describing the persecutions under Nero. "They were covered with the skins of wild animals and torn to pieces by dogs. They were hung on crosses. They were burned, wrapped in flammable material and set on fire, to illuminate the night.
"To escape death, they had but to repudiate Christ and sacrifice to the emperor." (2) Some did, but many more were tortured to death rather than deny their Lord.
"Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept away; therefore she summoned her forces to destroy Christianity. Christians were stripped of their possessions and driven from their homes. Great numbers sealed their testimony with their blood. Noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were alike slain without mercy.
"Beneath the hills outside the city of Rome, long galleries had been tunneled through earth and rock; the dark and intricate network of passages extended for miles beyond the city walls. In these underground retreats the followers of Christ buried their dead; and here also, when suspected, they found a home. Many were 'tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection' Hebrews 11:35. They rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer for the truth, and songs of triumph ascended from the midst of the crackling flames." (3)
Satan couldn't wipe them out. For years emperors Nero and Diocletian slaughtered them by the thousands.
"You may kill us, torture us, condemn us," said one Christian to his persecutors, "your injustice is the proof that we are innocent." Tertullian, Apology, para. 50.
Until 313 A.D. it was against the law to be a Christian. Such a person was an automatic criminal. But the followers of Jesus spread everywhere.
Satan could see that he had to change his tactics. He would come up with a better scheme. What could the devil think of to do better than killing them?
Make things easy - and infiltrate! Like a wise general he would corrupt the church from the inside.
Watch what happens.
A great shout goes up in the empire. Emperor Constantine has become a Christian! The Christians are euphoric.
No more being torn apart by dogs and lions, or used as dupes to be cut down in cold blood, or human torches to light up the arena for the gladiators. Now Christianity is the state religion! Things are going great. Or so it seems.
But little by little, as everyone relaxes and quits worrying about being tortured to death, something happens.
Compromise!
Gradually the leaders, for the sake of popularity and gain, let down the standards to make it easier for the pagans to come into the church. But this brings in errors and pagan customs.
Not at all surprised by Satan's scheme to corrupt His church - from within, God gives us fair warning. Listen to Paul's shocking words.
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:" II Thessalonians 2:1- 4,7. Oh yes. He saw it coming! The mysterious work of corruption rapidly progressed after the death of the last Apostle.
Question: What happened?
After persecution ceased, Satan's great device was to control the leaders of the church. If he could inflate their ego; make them money hungry, the whole body would be affected. A popularity contest would be on to get as many heathen to accept Christianity as possible. The wealth and prestige of the church would grow. Who cares if you have to change the Bible somewhat to get them! Just introduce some of the heathen customs and rites into Christianity, give them Christian names, and the heathen will flock in.
Of all horrors - that's just what happened!
The Apostles had gone throughout the empire establishing churches in many cities. As time went by, smaller churches were built in the surrounding country sides. The large centers were in Jerusalem, Rome, and Alexandria, Egypt. Rome finally emerged on top.
The next step in the plot was for church leaders to get control of the state to help enforce their decrees. They achieved this beyond their wildest dreams. The epitome of this came when in 538 A.D. the entire city of Rome was handed over to the Pope - the Bishop of Rome. For the next 1260 years, church leaders reigned with full civil authority. All just as predicted in prophecy!
Incredible!
But look at this shocker.
It says that the beast has "the name of blasphemy." Revelation 13:1. "It became one of the leading doctrines of the church that its visible head is invested with supreme authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world. More than this, he took the very name of God! He was addressed as "Lord God the Pope" and declared to be "infallible." (For documentation see Appendix 3). He demands the worship of all men.
What about 666? Let's take a shocking look.
On the Pope's official mitre is the title "Vicarius Filii Dei" which means "Vicar of the Son of God." The claim that this is his official title has been stated publicly through the years. The April 18, 1915 issue of Our Sunday Visitor, states: "The letters inscribed in the Pope's mitre are these: "VICARIUS FILII DEI," which is Latin for Vicar of the Son of God."
In Revelation 13:18 it says, "Count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (666)."
Let's do it now and see what we find. Remember the Roman numerals you learned in school?
V = 5
I = l
C = 100
A = 0
R = 0
I = l
U = 5
S = O
"U" and "V" have the same value. Look in your encyclopedia under "Alphabet."
F = 0
I = 1
L = 50
I = 1
I = 1
D = 500
E = 0
I = 1
----------- Total = 666!
In Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, it comes out the same.
I want to be quick to say that when a person shares this shocking revelation, he must be kind and tactful. We must let people know that God loves all. The truth must be told - but always in kindness.
The 1260 years of the Papacy's rule are called the "dark ages." I'm sure you've heard that expression before. The reason it was so dark is because the priests forbade anyone to read or even have a Bible! For hundreds of years only the priests were allowed to read Bibles. Satan had to get the Bibles away from the people in order to keep them in darkness and superstition. The people just didn't know any better. There was a time when if you were caught with a Bible, you were dragged out of your home, hung up on a pole, and burned alive in your front yard! (For documentation, see Appendix 4).
What John sees next is so unbelievable that he's stunned.
"National Sunday Law": Chapter 2
The Beast Identified
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Revelation 13:1,2.
Here is the beast that has the dreaded mark. This mark we definitely don't want! The most awful warning of all time is directed against it (see Rev. 14:9,10). But before we learn what the mark is, we must discover who the beast is. And it won't be hard. In fact, the Bible makes it so clear that I'll simply list the characteristics of it, and you'll be able to tell me who it is! Are you ready?
1) A "beast" in prophecy represents a kingdom, a nation, a power. The prophetic book of Daniel tells us - "Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth." Daniel 7:23.
2) This beast comes up out of the "sea." When a beast arises from the "sea," it always represents a power rising in a highly populated are; amid "peoples, multitudes, and nation, and tongues." Revelation 17:15. It would have to conquer the existing government.
3) This beast has seven heads and ten horns. A head represents the headquarters of a government. The head of a county is called the "county seat" you remember.
A "horn" represents a king, a ruler. "And ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise." Daniel 7:24. The beast is a power with a man at the head of it. You'll find that the Bible explains itself!
4) The beast has "the name of blasphemy" (Rev. 13:1).
What is blasphemy?
Again the Bible gives its own definition. In John 10:32,33, it tells how the Jews were going to stone Jesus. He asked them why they were about to stone Him and they said, "For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God."
Amazing! Blasphemy is for a man to claim to be God! Of course Jesus didn't blaspheme because He is God. But for someone less than God - it would be. But there's more.
In Mark 2:5-11 it tells the story of how a paralyzed man wanted to come into a house where Jesus was, but it was just too crowded. He finally persuaded his friends to carry him up on the roof of Peter's house and break it up so they could let the man down into the room where the Saviour was teaching. Down he comes.
Jesus looks into those pleading eyes and knows that the poor man needs to have forgiveness and peace with God even more than physical healing. Jesus says to him, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
Can you imagine the wonderful peace and joy that flooded his soul? But the religious leaders didn't care a thing about the man's soul. They were just trying to catch some words of Jesus that they could use against Him to have Him put to death. The Bible says that they thought, "Why does this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only? The Saviour knew their thoughts and said, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" Then He asked them which is easier to say, "thy sins be forgiven," or to say, "rise and walk?" Jesus healed the man before their eyes, and, to the people's utter amazement, he got up and walked out of the house.
Again, Jesus didn't commit blasphemy by forgiving the man's sins because He is a member of the Godhead and had a perfect right to do just that. To whomever He pleased He could say those sweet word of forgiveness, and the very peace of heaven would flood the soul. He could say, "Go and sin no more," and the guilty, the depressed, the sad, the empty, would rise up with peace of mind. They would begin a new and unselfish life of obedience to God - a happy life of peace.
They could slap Him in the face and press a crown of thorns onto that holy brow; they could beat Him until His back was like raw meat, but they couldn't rob Him of His royal right to forgive the chief of sinners. Wonderful Jesus!
But for anyone less than God to claim to forgive sins - it's blasphemy.
Concerning the beast it says, "and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Revelation 13:1. The very leaders of this power would both claim to be God on the earth, and claim to have power to forgive men's sins!
5) "and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Revelation 13:2.
It's clear that the beast gets its "seat" and "authority" from the dragon. But who's the dragon?
Here it is. "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years." Revelation 20:2. The dragon is Satan. But there's more.
"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." Revelation 12:3-5.
Some years ago, a man in Chicago claimed that he was the man child! Could he have been?
Hardly.
Revelation 19:15,16 shows us that the "Man Child" is Christ. So the "dragon" represents not only Satan, but also a kingdom through whom Satan worked to try to kill baby Jesus as soon as He was born. Now what kingdom was it whose king decreed the destruction of the babies in Bethlehem?
Of course! It was King Herod. He was employed by, and a representative of Rome. So here's another clue. The beast gets its power, seat, and authority from Rome!
It's coming clear. The dragon represents Rome. Rome was the empire used by Satan to try to destroy the Saviour of the world! Now let's take a closer look.
The dragon (Rome) had "ten horns." A horn grows out of the head of an animal. A horn, you remember, is a king. When the Roman empire collapsed, ten divisions resulted. Barbarian tribes hammered at the Roman empire for many years until it fell apart and the ten divisions were ruled by ten kings! The were: the Alemani (Germany), the Franks (France), Burgundians (Switzerland), the Suevi (Portugal), the Anglo-Saxons (Britain), the Visigoths (Spain), the Lombards (Italy), the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Heruli. The last three were destroyed by the Pope of Rome because they refused to become "Christian." The armies of Emperor Justinian, in cooperation with the Pope, thrust the Ostrogoths out of the city of Rome. They have become extinct. In 538 A.D. the Pope took possession of the city after the Emperor decreed that he should be the head of all the Christian churches. These ten divisions of Rome are the ten horns on the "dragon." (For more detail see Appendix 1).
Now look at this next amazing point.
6) "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:8.
This is not only a political power but a religious power as well. It demands worship and gets it.
7) It is a world-wide power. "All the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.
Maybe you already know who the "beast" is.
Can you think of any world-wide political and religious power with a man at the head of it who claims to be God on earth and to be able to forgive sins? Who received its "seat" and authority from Rome? Of a church government whose leader is "wondered after" by the whole world?
Let me say something now that's very important. You see, the reason why God speaks as strongly against worshiping the "beast" as He does is because He loves the people. He loves all people. Reader, He loves you. He knows that a person can't possibly be happy who follows this power and receives its mark. He knows that ". . . they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Revelation 14:11. In following this power there's no rest. He loves us so much that He warns us in the strongest language known to man. Listen to this.
"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, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation." Revelation 14:9,10. Strong language. Language of love is always strong when it's a question of life and death to the one it loves.
I ask you, what more could He do? God sent His own Son to die a hell death in our place. Not one need experience the awful fate of those who follow the beast and receive its mark. Jesus made a way of escape. He suffered the agony of Gethsemane, and the torture of His mock trial where they beat Him until His back was like raw meat. They bowed down in mockery and hit Him in the head with a stick, driving the thorns into His brow and sending blood running down His face. Watch Him stagger on His way to Calvary. The Son of God falls on His face in the dirt. He endures the horror of our sins while His blood runs drop by drop to the foot of the cross. Look at His quivering lips as He cries "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
There He hangs - like a snake on a pole, writhing in agony, drinking the last drops of the wrath of God against sin. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," Jesus was lifted up - for you. Do you see? He did it for you. He took what you and I deserve. Do you see why our Heavenly Father is so anxious that we not follow the beast or receive its mark? We need not receive that awful penalty. Jesus paid it all. When they were pounding the spikes through His tender flesh, and Jesus prayed "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" - He was praying for you and me then also. He was praying for you! Will you choose Him now as your personal Saviour and follow Him all the way?
You'll be so happy that you did.
Trusting Him; obeying Him - even unto death; abiding in His love through prayer and Bible study; total surrender and a loving, happy relationship, only then will you be safe from worshiping the beast and receiving his "mark" - only then. Soon you'll see why.
Another thing we must understand is that in identifying the beast, God is not talking about sincere people who are involved with it "ignorantly." Do you know what I mean? When He identifies it He is talking about "the system;" the leaders, who know what they are doing and deliberately disobey and change the word of God. Do you see? Our God is a tender Father. He only holds accountable those who understand what the Bible commands and knowingly disobey, or, those who turn away from hearing His word and are "willingly ignorant."
The beast exists now. Many honest Christians who are now involved with it will soon learn the facts about it. They will hear God's call to come out of it. And they will respond. Don't be fooled by thinking that the "beast" is a computer in Europe somewhere. That is only a smoke screen to get people off the track that the Bible points out. God's word makes it so clear that even an honest child can see it. The next point in identifying the beast is amazing.
8) It has characteristics of the four beasts (nations) which existed before it. Look carefully.
"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Revelation 13:2.
What nations are these? Again, the Bible tells us. The same four beasts are found in Daniel 7. "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth." Daniel 7:17. These are the four world empires, ruling consecutively from the time of Daniel down to the time of the fall of Rome. They are Babylon (605 - 538 B.C.), Medo-Persia (538 - 331 B.C.), Greece (331 - 168 B.C.), and Rome (168 B.C. - 476 A.D.). Now let's get the full description of these in Daniel 7.
"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7:2-8.
What a picture. Here they are, beginning with Daniel's day.
The Lion - Babylon. The Bear - Medo-Persia. The Leopard - Greece. The Terrible Beast - Rome.
Since the beast with the mark has similarities of these four, let's take a close look at them.
Babylon, represented by the two-winged lion, ruled the world when Daniel was alive. In the ruins of ancient Babylon, broken statues of lions with two wings can still be seen in modern times.
The lion - a fit symbol of Babylon. It was the greatest of all the ancient kingdoms. The two wings tell us of the swiftness in which the "golden kingdom" conquered the civilized world of that time.
How is the "beast" of Revelation 13 like Babylon?
Ancient Babylon, founded by Nimrod (See Genesis 10) the great-grandson of Noah, more than two thousand years before Christ, was one of the wonders of the world. It was laid out in a perfect square with a great and high wall eighty-seven feet thick. Its two hundred and twenty-five square miles of enclosed surface was laid out in beautiful symmetry and interspersed with luxuriant pleasure grounds and gardens. With its sixty miles of moat, its sixty miles of outer wall, its gates of solid brass, its hanging gardens, its subterranean tunnel under the River Euphrates, its perfect arrangement for beauty and defense - this city, containing in itself many things which were themselves wonders of the world, was itself another and still mightier wonder. (1)
The emperors of Babylon claimed worship as gods. For man to be appreciated is great, but to be worshipped by other humans is blasphemous. The leader of the "beast" does this very thing!
What about the next kingdom?
Medo-Persia took over on that terrible night when King Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, half drunk, threw a party for a thousand of his lords and tossed the sacred vessels from the temple of God about the floor. That was the last straw. His knees knocked together in fear as he watched a bloodless hand trace his doom upon the palace wall. Look at this description of that fearful night.
"Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank before the thousand. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another." Daniel 5:1,3,5.
What a scene!
At sight of that bloodless hand, Belshazzar is paralyzed with fear. He calls in all the "astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers," but they're no help. Finally, the queen suggests that Daniel be called in. The corrupt king isn't ignorant of the fact that he had shown himself able to interpret dreams and solve mysteries because the God of heaven was with him. But Belshazzar hates God and doesn't even class Daniel with the wise men.
But now! Now he's scared to death. At the queen's suggestion Daniel is called in. Watch what happens.
"Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?" Daniel 5:13.
After mentioning the failure of his magicians to read the writing on the wall, the king said, "And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom." Daniel 5:16.
Daniel well knew what would happen that night and earthly rewards sank into nothingness. In a few hours most in that court would be dead. He had no heart for rewards.
"Let thy gifts," he said, "be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation." Daniel 5:17.
After reminding the king of his rebellion and pride against God, he told him what the writing meant.
And now came the shocking news.
"And this," Daniel declared, "is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it, TEKEL: Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES: Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." Daniel 5:25-28.
The king is stunned. Can you imagine the desperation! He didn't have long to be in suspense.
"In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about three score and two years old." Daniel 5:30,31. "Crownless and scepterless, Belshazzar lay - a robe of purple round a form of clay."
There we have it. The two-winged lion was dead. The year - 538 B.C. Medo- Persia under Darius had taken over right on schedule! The bear of Daniel's dream had conquered the world.
How is the "beast" of Revelation 13 like Medo-Persia?
It was a rule with the Medo-Persians that once they made a law - it stuck, and could never be reversed. The government was considered infallible.
You'll see shortly that the "beast" power takes this same policy.
Medo-Persia ruled until the empire met up with a young man whose military genius was uncanny - Alexander the Great.
He became a great ruler at the age of 25!
It was October 1, 331 B.C. At the head of his armies Alexander met the Persian forces head on and defeated them in the battle of Arbela. His military genius made Greece to emerge as the third world empire.
The leopard with four heads and four wings of Daniel's vision had replaced the Medo-Persian bear.
But why the four heads?
Alexander had conquered the world. But he hadn't conquered himself. At a drunken debauch he drank the Herculean cup full of alcohol. It was a huge thing. The human stomach can hardly hold more than a quart.
Of all horrors. He drank it twice! And it killed him. Alexander died with a raging fever at the age of 33. The year - 323 B.C.
His will had declared that the kingdom should go "to the strongest." His four generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleuchus and Ptolomy took over the empire and divided it into four parts. These divisions are represented by the four heads of the leopard beast.
What about the four wings? They represent swiftness. Greece had conquered the world in only 13 years. Such a feat has never been equaled.
(For more information on the four divisions of Greece, see Funk and Wagnell's New Encyclopedia on "Alexander III," pg. 390,391).
Before his death, Alexander had ordered the Greek cities to worship him as a god. The "beast" of Revelation 13 is "like unto a leopard" because it took on the Greek culture and also has a leader that claims worship as God.
Who is the fourth "terrible" beast of Daniel 7?
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: . . . and it had ten horns." "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth." Daniel 7:7,23.
The fourth kingdom, represented by this terrible beast is Rome. Rome conquered Greece in 168 B.C. and eventually gave its power to the "beast" of Revelation 13.
Out of the fourth "terrible beast" comes a "little horn." Now here's something amazing. The beast of Revelation 13, and the "little horn" of Daniel 7, are one and the same power! God wants to make sure that there's no mistaking who this power is, so He describes it in both prophetic books.
Isn't Bible prophecy fantastic! Look at the description of the "little horn."
"I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things... and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:8,24,25.
If you compare this description of the "little horn" with the description of the "beast" of Revelation 13, you'll see that they are one and the same power. For the amazing comparison, see Appendix lA.
One of the most startling things about this power is that it would "think to change times and laws." Daniel 7:25. Here's a man that sets himself up as equal with God and dares tamper with His law - the constitution of the universe! With blasphemous audacity he does his work. But God has said, "All His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever." Psalms 111:7,8.
9) The next clue as to who the beast is, is the time period which God gives for its reign before it receives its "deadly wound." It would reign for 1260 years. Just so there's no mistake on this, He repeats this period seven times in Daniel and Revelation! (For a detailed description of this fantastic time prophecy, see Appendix 2).
Now, just one more clue before I tell you who the beast is.
It's not only the same as the "little horn" of Daniel 7, but it's also the same power as the great whore riding upon the scarlet colored beast of Revelation 17. Let's take a shocking glimpse.
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgement of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: . . . and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." Revelation 17:1-3.
There are those heads and horns again. We've come to associate them with Rome. The Harlot is controlling Rome riding it around - making her seat on it. Familiar isn't it! Now it gets even clearer.
This "harlot" represents a corrupt church system. And get this: "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls." Revelation 17:4.
It's a rich church.
A woman in Bible prophecy represents a church. God likens His people to a "comely and delicate woman." Jeremiah 6:2. A virgin is God's pure church. A harlot (whore) is a corrupt church.
She's called "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:5. It's not only a church, it's a mother church. It's a world power. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her I wondered with great admiration." Revelation 17:6. Oh yes! It kills the saints!
This is shocking. Why would our heavenly Father Who is so loving and kind talk this way about a church, of all things, and expose it to the world? Why does He Who is so full of pity and love warn anyone who even follows this power and receives its mark that they will end up in the lake of fire?
I believe the answer is - because it's true. Though God is very tender hearted, He always tells the truth.
I know it's shocking, but here's a corrupt church power that Satan has used to deceive the whole world and rob men and women of their eternal life by using deception. Like Nimrod and Alexander the Great, this power has leaders who divert the attention and worship of the people from the true, living God, to themselves. These leaders turn people from heeding the word of God to heeding their word; from obeying the commandments of God, to obeying their commandments. This is why God tells it like it is - because He is love.
And remember, there are many sincere, lovely Christians in this fallen church, named "Babylon," and they will hear God's call and come out.
Look at this! "And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Revelation 18:2,4.
Now - who is the "beast?" What power:
1) Received its "seat" and authority from Rome. Revelation 13:4.
2) Rules the world for 1260 years (from 538 A.D. - 1798 A.D.).
3) Then received a "deadly wound" which later heals. Revelation 13:3.
4) Is both a political and a religious power, which is worshipped. Revelation 13:4.
5) Tampered with God's law. Daniel 7:25.
6) Has a leader who claims to be God on the earth and to be able to forgive sins. (which is blasphemy) Revelation 13:1.
7) Is a mother church (daughters have come out of her). Revelation 17:5.
8) Made war with the saints. Revelation 13:7.
9) Is a world power which is wondered at. Revelation 13:3,4.
10) Has "a man" at the head of it with the number of his name being 666. Revelation 13:18.
11) Has a dreaded "mark" which, if received, will cause a person to be cast into the lake of fire and lose eternal life. Revelation 14:9,10.
By now most of the people have guessed that it's the Papacy. They're correct. It's the only power on the face of the earth that fits all of the Bible characteristics for it. But what about 666?
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Revelation 13:1,2.
Here is the beast that has the dreaded mark. This mark we definitely don't want! The most awful warning of all time is directed against it (see Rev. 14:9,10). But before we learn what the mark is, we must discover who the beast is. And it won't be hard. In fact, the Bible makes it so clear that I'll simply list the characteristics of it, and you'll be able to tell me who it is! Are you ready?
1) A "beast" in prophecy represents a kingdom, a nation, a power. The prophetic book of Daniel tells us - "Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth." Daniel 7:23.
2) This beast comes up out of the "sea." When a beast arises from the "sea," it always represents a power rising in a highly populated are; amid "peoples, multitudes, and nation, and tongues." Revelation 17:15. It would have to conquer the existing government.
3) This beast has seven heads and ten horns. A head represents the headquarters of a government. The head of a county is called the "county seat" you remember.
A "horn" represents a king, a ruler. "And ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise." Daniel 7:24. The beast is a power with a man at the head of it. You'll find that the Bible explains itself!
4) The beast has "the name of blasphemy" (Rev. 13:1).
What is blasphemy?
Again the Bible gives its own definition. In John 10:32,33, it tells how the Jews were going to stone Jesus. He asked them why they were about to stone Him and they said, "For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God."
Amazing! Blasphemy is for a man to claim to be God! Of course Jesus didn't blaspheme because He is God. But for someone less than God - it would be. But there's more.
In Mark 2:5-11 it tells the story of how a paralyzed man wanted to come into a house where Jesus was, but it was just too crowded. He finally persuaded his friends to carry him up on the roof of Peter's house and break it up so they could let the man down into the room where the Saviour was teaching. Down he comes.
Jesus looks into those pleading eyes and knows that the poor man needs to have forgiveness and peace with God even more than physical healing. Jesus says to him, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
Can you imagine the wonderful peace and joy that flooded his soul? But the religious leaders didn't care a thing about the man's soul. They were just trying to catch some words of Jesus that they could use against Him to have Him put to death. The Bible says that they thought, "Why does this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only? The Saviour knew their thoughts and said, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" Then He asked them which is easier to say, "thy sins be forgiven," or to say, "rise and walk?" Jesus healed the man before their eyes, and, to the people's utter amazement, he got up and walked out of the house.
Again, Jesus didn't commit blasphemy by forgiving the man's sins because He is a member of the Godhead and had a perfect right to do just that. To whomever He pleased He could say those sweet word of forgiveness, and the very peace of heaven would flood the soul. He could say, "Go and sin no more," and the guilty, the depressed, the sad, the empty, would rise up with peace of mind. They would begin a new and unselfish life of obedience to God - a happy life of peace.
They could slap Him in the face and press a crown of thorns onto that holy brow; they could beat Him until His back was like raw meat, but they couldn't rob Him of His royal right to forgive the chief of sinners. Wonderful Jesus!
But for anyone less than God to claim to forgive sins - it's blasphemy.
Concerning the beast it says, "and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Revelation 13:1. The very leaders of this power would both claim to be God on the earth, and claim to have power to forgive men's sins!
5) "and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Revelation 13:2.
It's clear that the beast gets its "seat" and "authority" from the dragon. But who's the dragon?
Here it is. "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years." Revelation 20:2. The dragon is Satan. But there's more.
"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." Revelation 12:3-5.
Some years ago, a man in Chicago claimed that he was the man child! Could he have been?
Hardly.
Revelation 19:15,16 shows us that the "Man Child" is Christ. So the "dragon" represents not only Satan, but also a kingdom through whom Satan worked to try to kill baby Jesus as soon as He was born. Now what kingdom was it whose king decreed the destruction of the babies in Bethlehem?
Of course! It was King Herod. He was employed by, and a representative of Rome. So here's another clue. The beast gets its power, seat, and authority from Rome!
It's coming clear. The dragon represents Rome. Rome was the empire used by Satan to try to destroy the Saviour of the world! Now let's take a closer look.
The dragon (Rome) had "ten horns." A horn grows out of the head of an animal. A horn, you remember, is a king. When the Roman empire collapsed, ten divisions resulted. Barbarian tribes hammered at the Roman empire for many years until it fell apart and the ten divisions were ruled by ten kings! The were: the Alemani (Germany), the Franks (France), Burgundians (Switzerland), the Suevi (Portugal), the Anglo-Saxons (Britain), the Visigoths (Spain), the Lombards (Italy), the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Heruli. The last three were destroyed by the Pope of Rome because they refused to become "Christian." The armies of Emperor Justinian, in cooperation with the Pope, thrust the Ostrogoths out of the city of Rome. They have become extinct. In 538 A.D. the Pope took possession of the city after the Emperor decreed that he should be the head of all the Christian churches. These ten divisions of Rome are the ten horns on the "dragon." (For more detail see Appendix 1).
Now look at this next amazing point.
6) "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:8.
This is not only a political power but a religious power as well. It demands worship and gets it.
7) It is a world-wide power. "All the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.
Maybe you already know who the "beast" is.
Can you think of any world-wide political and religious power with a man at the head of it who claims to be God on earth and to be able to forgive sins? Who received its "seat" and authority from Rome? Of a church government whose leader is "wondered after" by the whole world?
Let me say something now that's very important. You see, the reason why God speaks as strongly against worshiping the "beast" as He does is because He loves the people. He loves all people. Reader, He loves you. He knows that a person can't possibly be happy who follows this power and receives its mark. He knows that ". . . they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Revelation 14:11. In following this power there's no rest. He loves us so much that He warns us in the strongest language known to man. Listen to this.
"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, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation." Revelation 14:9,10. Strong language. Language of love is always strong when it's a question of life and death to the one it loves.
I ask you, what more could He do? God sent His own Son to die a hell death in our place. Not one need experience the awful fate of those who follow the beast and receive its mark. Jesus made a way of escape. He suffered the agony of Gethsemane, and the torture of His mock trial where they beat Him until His back was like raw meat. They bowed down in mockery and hit Him in the head with a stick, driving the thorns into His brow and sending blood running down His face. Watch Him stagger on His way to Calvary. The Son of God falls on His face in the dirt. He endures the horror of our sins while His blood runs drop by drop to the foot of the cross. Look at His quivering lips as He cries "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
There He hangs - like a snake on a pole, writhing in agony, drinking the last drops of the wrath of God against sin. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," Jesus was lifted up - for you. Do you see? He did it for you. He took what you and I deserve. Do you see why our Heavenly Father is so anxious that we not follow the beast or receive its mark? We need not receive that awful penalty. Jesus paid it all. When they were pounding the spikes through His tender flesh, and Jesus prayed "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" - He was praying for you and me then also. He was praying for you! Will you choose Him now as your personal Saviour and follow Him all the way?
You'll be so happy that you did.
Trusting Him; obeying Him - even unto death; abiding in His love through prayer and Bible study; total surrender and a loving, happy relationship, only then will you be safe from worshiping the beast and receiving his "mark" - only then. Soon you'll see why.
Another thing we must understand is that in identifying the beast, God is not talking about sincere people who are involved with it "ignorantly." Do you know what I mean? When He identifies it He is talking about "the system;" the leaders, who know what they are doing and deliberately disobey and change the word of God. Do you see? Our God is a tender Father. He only holds accountable those who understand what the Bible commands and knowingly disobey, or, those who turn away from hearing His word and are "willingly ignorant."
The beast exists now. Many honest Christians who are now involved with it will soon learn the facts about it. They will hear God's call to come out of it. And they will respond. Don't be fooled by thinking that the "beast" is a computer in Europe somewhere. That is only a smoke screen to get people off the track that the Bible points out. God's word makes it so clear that even an honest child can see it. The next point in identifying the beast is amazing.
8) It has characteristics of the four beasts (nations) which existed before it. Look carefully.
"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Revelation 13:2.
What nations are these? Again, the Bible tells us. The same four beasts are found in Daniel 7. "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth." Daniel 7:17. These are the four world empires, ruling consecutively from the time of Daniel down to the time of the fall of Rome. They are Babylon (605 - 538 B.C.), Medo-Persia (538 - 331 B.C.), Greece (331 - 168 B.C.), and Rome (168 B.C. - 476 A.D.). Now let's get the full description of these in Daniel 7.
"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7:2-8.
What a picture. Here they are, beginning with Daniel's day.
The Lion - Babylon. The Bear - Medo-Persia. The Leopard - Greece. The Terrible Beast - Rome.
Since the beast with the mark has similarities of these four, let's take a close look at them.
Babylon, represented by the two-winged lion, ruled the world when Daniel was alive. In the ruins of ancient Babylon, broken statues of lions with two wings can still be seen in modern times.
The lion - a fit symbol of Babylon. It was the greatest of all the ancient kingdoms. The two wings tell us of the swiftness in which the "golden kingdom" conquered the civilized world of that time.
How is the "beast" of Revelation 13 like Babylon?
Ancient Babylon, founded by Nimrod (See Genesis 10) the great-grandson of Noah, more than two thousand years before Christ, was one of the wonders of the world. It was laid out in a perfect square with a great and high wall eighty-seven feet thick. Its two hundred and twenty-five square miles of enclosed surface was laid out in beautiful symmetry and interspersed with luxuriant pleasure grounds and gardens. With its sixty miles of moat, its sixty miles of outer wall, its gates of solid brass, its hanging gardens, its subterranean tunnel under the River Euphrates, its perfect arrangement for beauty and defense - this city, containing in itself many things which were themselves wonders of the world, was itself another and still mightier wonder. (1)
The emperors of Babylon claimed worship as gods. For man to be appreciated is great, but to be worshipped by other humans is blasphemous. The leader of the "beast" does this very thing!
What about the next kingdom?
Medo-Persia took over on that terrible night when King Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, half drunk, threw a party for a thousand of his lords and tossed the sacred vessels from the temple of God about the floor. That was the last straw. His knees knocked together in fear as he watched a bloodless hand trace his doom upon the palace wall. Look at this description of that fearful night.
"Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank before the thousand. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another." Daniel 5:1,3,5.
What a scene!
At sight of that bloodless hand, Belshazzar is paralyzed with fear. He calls in all the "astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers," but they're no help. Finally, the queen suggests that Daniel be called in. The corrupt king isn't ignorant of the fact that he had shown himself able to interpret dreams and solve mysteries because the God of heaven was with him. But Belshazzar hates God and doesn't even class Daniel with the wise men.
But now! Now he's scared to death. At the queen's suggestion Daniel is called in. Watch what happens.
"Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?" Daniel 5:13.
After mentioning the failure of his magicians to read the writing on the wall, the king said, "And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom." Daniel 5:16.
Daniel well knew what would happen that night and earthly rewards sank into nothingness. In a few hours most in that court would be dead. He had no heart for rewards.
"Let thy gifts," he said, "be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation." Daniel 5:17.
After reminding the king of his rebellion and pride against God, he told him what the writing meant.
And now came the shocking news.
"And this," Daniel declared, "is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it, TEKEL: Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES: Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." Daniel 5:25-28.
The king is stunned. Can you imagine the desperation! He didn't have long to be in suspense.
"In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about three score and two years old." Daniel 5:30,31. "Crownless and scepterless, Belshazzar lay - a robe of purple round a form of clay."
There we have it. The two-winged lion was dead. The year - 538 B.C. Medo- Persia under Darius had taken over right on schedule! The bear of Daniel's dream had conquered the world.
How is the "beast" of Revelation 13 like Medo-Persia?
It was a rule with the Medo-Persians that once they made a law - it stuck, and could never be reversed. The government was considered infallible.
You'll see shortly that the "beast" power takes this same policy.
Medo-Persia ruled until the empire met up with a young man whose military genius was uncanny - Alexander the Great.
He became a great ruler at the age of 25!
It was October 1, 331 B.C. At the head of his armies Alexander met the Persian forces head on and defeated them in the battle of Arbela. His military genius made Greece to emerge as the third world empire.
The leopard with four heads and four wings of Daniel's vision had replaced the Medo-Persian bear.
But why the four heads?
Alexander had conquered the world. But he hadn't conquered himself. At a drunken debauch he drank the Herculean cup full of alcohol. It was a huge thing. The human stomach can hardly hold more than a quart.
Of all horrors. He drank it twice! And it killed him. Alexander died with a raging fever at the age of 33. The year - 323 B.C.
His will had declared that the kingdom should go "to the strongest." His four generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleuchus and Ptolomy took over the empire and divided it into four parts. These divisions are represented by the four heads of the leopard beast.
What about the four wings? They represent swiftness. Greece had conquered the world in only 13 years. Such a feat has never been equaled.
(For more information on the four divisions of Greece, see Funk and Wagnell's New Encyclopedia on "Alexander III," pg. 390,391).
Before his death, Alexander had ordered the Greek cities to worship him as a god. The "beast" of Revelation 13 is "like unto a leopard" because it took on the Greek culture and also has a leader that claims worship as God.
Who is the fourth "terrible" beast of Daniel 7?
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: . . . and it had ten horns." "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth." Daniel 7:7,23.
The fourth kingdom, represented by this terrible beast is Rome. Rome conquered Greece in 168 B.C. and eventually gave its power to the "beast" of Revelation 13.
Out of the fourth "terrible beast" comes a "little horn." Now here's something amazing. The beast of Revelation 13, and the "little horn" of Daniel 7, are one and the same power! God wants to make sure that there's no mistaking who this power is, so He describes it in both prophetic books.
Isn't Bible prophecy fantastic! Look at the description of the "little horn."
"I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things... and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:8,24,25.
If you compare this description of the "little horn" with the description of the "beast" of Revelation 13, you'll see that they are one and the same power. For the amazing comparison, see Appendix lA.
One of the most startling things about this power is that it would "think to change times and laws." Daniel 7:25. Here's a man that sets himself up as equal with God and dares tamper with His law - the constitution of the universe! With blasphemous audacity he does his work. But God has said, "All His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever." Psalms 111:7,8.
9) The next clue as to who the beast is, is the time period which God gives for its reign before it receives its "deadly wound." It would reign for 1260 years. Just so there's no mistake on this, He repeats this period seven times in Daniel and Revelation! (For a detailed description of this fantastic time prophecy, see Appendix 2).
Now, just one more clue before I tell you who the beast is.
It's not only the same as the "little horn" of Daniel 7, but it's also the same power as the great whore riding upon the scarlet colored beast of Revelation 17. Let's take a shocking glimpse.
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgement of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: . . . and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." Revelation 17:1-3.
There are those heads and horns again. We've come to associate them with Rome. The Harlot is controlling Rome riding it around - making her seat on it. Familiar isn't it! Now it gets even clearer.
This "harlot" represents a corrupt church system. And get this: "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls." Revelation 17:4.
It's a rich church.
A woman in Bible prophecy represents a church. God likens His people to a "comely and delicate woman." Jeremiah 6:2. A virgin is God's pure church. A harlot (whore) is a corrupt church.
She's called "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:5. It's not only a church, it's a mother church. It's a world power. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her I wondered with great admiration." Revelation 17:6. Oh yes! It kills the saints!
This is shocking. Why would our heavenly Father Who is so loving and kind talk this way about a church, of all things, and expose it to the world? Why does He Who is so full of pity and love warn anyone who even follows this power and receives its mark that they will end up in the lake of fire?
I believe the answer is - because it's true. Though God is very tender hearted, He always tells the truth.
I know it's shocking, but here's a corrupt church power that Satan has used to deceive the whole world and rob men and women of their eternal life by using deception. Like Nimrod and Alexander the Great, this power has leaders who divert the attention and worship of the people from the true, living God, to themselves. These leaders turn people from heeding the word of God to heeding their word; from obeying the commandments of God, to obeying their commandments. This is why God tells it like it is - because He is love.
And remember, there are many sincere, lovely Christians in this fallen church, named "Babylon," and they will hear God's call and come out.
Look at this! "And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Revelation 18:2,4.
Now - who is the "beast?" What power:
1) Received its "seat" and authority from Rome. Revelation 13:4.
2) Rules the world for 1260 years (from 538 A.D. - 1798 A.D.).
3) Then received a "deadly wound" which later heals. Revelation 13:3.
4) Is both a political and a religious power, which is worshipped. Revelation 13:4.
5) Tampered with God's law. Daniel 7:25.
6) Has a leader who claims to be God on the earth and to be able to forgive sins. (which is blasphemy) Revelation 13:1.
7) Is a mother church (daughters have come out of her). Revelation 17:5.
8) Made war with the saints. Revelation 13:7.
9) Is a world power which is wondered at. Revelation 13:3,4.
10) Has "a man" at the head of it with the number of his name being 666. Revelation 13:18.
11) Has a dreaded "mark" which, if received, will cause a person to be cast into the lake of fire and lose eternal life. Revelation 14:9,10.
By now most of the people have guessed that it's the Papacy. They're correct. It's the only power on the face of the earth that fits all of the Bible characteristics for it. But what about 666?
"Obama to Party: Don’t ‘Run for the Hills’ "
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/us/politics/28obama.html?ref=todayspaper
Excripts From A. Jan Marcussen's 'National Sunday Law': Chapter one
"A Shocking Glimpse Behind The Scenes"
"Forces unite amid stupendous crisis"
"This is a warning against the coming national Sunday law which will affect your paycheck and put innocent people in jail. The issue already went to Congress as the "Blair Amendment," and almost got passed. It's coming back.
What you are about to learn will shock you.
You may read it below,"
This is a warning against the coming national Sunday law which will affect your paycheck and put innocent people in jail. The issue already went to Congress as the "Blair Amendment," and almost got passed. It's coming back.
What you are about to learn will shock you.
You may read it below,
or download it
and read it later. Are you ready?
Here we go -
Chapter 1
The Two Horned Beast
"The nation trembles. Passenger jets explode into buildings. Mountains of fire, steel, smoke; and terrified, struggling people, fall to the street together as sky-scrapers crumble in the dust. Thousands perish. America is at war. A new kind of war fills our minds with pictures of strange faces, balls of fire, women screaming. Dust-filled people - like mummies - running from the cloud; jam the bridges.
'We're at war,' the President said. The world will never be the same. Will terrorism, like some giant octopus engulf the world? Or will World War Three end it all!"
"It's no surprise that the greatest nation on earth should be mentioned in prophecy. What John sees protends events shaping up in the United States that most definitely will affect you!
Watch closely now as the scene unfolds.
'And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.' Revelation 13:11. A 'beast' in prophecy represents a 'kingdom.' Daniel 7:23"
"The lamb-like horns and then the dragon voice present a change of personality. A real change! The speaking of this country as a "dragon" denotes the use of force. This principle, as we shall see, was used by the Leopard-like beast (the first beast) of Revelation 13, which enforced religious observances by law!"
"In view of the horrifying trends of the time, it's understandable why the nation is to 'speak' that way. In one year, Americans spent $4 billion of pornography. Divorce affects tens of millions of homes, wrecking lives - and breaking hearts.
Mass murders, neglect of the aged, abuse of women and even of babies, sicken the heart. Men possessed, are taking the lives of men, women, and little children.
"Millions of Americans, hooked on marijuana, 'crack', heroin, and other chemicals, peer at the world through differing degrees of 'goony eyes', and further appall society with their resultant behavior and crimes."
Prostitutes, homosexuals, and drug addicts, share AIDS and ARC (AIDS Related Complex) with the innocent. The poor sufferers give groans of despair as they perish in ever greater numbers. A group of them, LIFE Magazine reported, lying on the floor in a circle, and summoning some of their last remaining strength - laughed in sequence."
Is it any wonder that our nation will "speak as a dragon?" Little wonder that ministers across that land, in an effort to abort national doom, move millions to political action. The feeling is that something must be done. Leaders of the "electronic church" launched a campaign to arouse 50 million Christians! There's a tremendous drive on to unite forces for the common good.
"Pat Robertson, the preacher who founded the 700 Club, and who himself aspired to the very top of the political ladder, said, 'Unless Christians desire a nation and a world reordered to the humanistic/hedonistic model, it is absolutely vital that we take control of the U.S. government away from the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations.' He speaks of turning to God "to galvanize Christians to political action"
"U.S. News & World Report declared, 'A political holy war without precedent is in full swing in this country.'"
"It's not surprising that in a hearing of the South Carolina legislature, demands by State Representative Anderson himself for a Sunday law to improve the state of society brought uproarious applause. Who can wonder that the United States President has revealed his willingness to do what no other U.S. president has been able to do - support legislation which would help collapse the separation of church and state!
"...and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him." Revelation 13:11,12"
"Here's the big question now - who's the first beast?"
http://www.reg6.com/
"Forces unite amid stupendous crisis"
"This is a warning against the coming national Sunday law which will affect your paycheck and put innocent people in jail. The issue already went to Congress as the "Blair Amendment," and almost got passed. It's coming back.
What you are about to learn will shock you.
You may read it below,"
This is a warning against the coming national Sunday law which will affect your paycheck and put innocent people in jail. The issue already went to Congress as the "Blair Amendment," and almost got passed. It's coming back.
What you are about to learn will shock you.
You may read it below,
or download it
and read it later. Are you ready?
Here we go -
Chapter 1
The Two Horned Beast
"The nation trembles. Passenger jets explode into buildings. Mountains of fire, steel, smoke; and terrified, struggling people, fall to the street together as sky-scrapers crumble in the dust. Thousands perish. America is at war. A new kind of war fills our minds with pictures of strange faces, balls of fire, women screaming. Dust-filled people - like mummies - running from the cloud; jam the bridges.
'We're at war,' the President said. The world will never be the same. Will terrorism, like some giant octopus engulf the world? Or will World War Three end it all!"
"It's no surprise that the greatest nation on earth should be mentioned in prophecy. What John sees protends events shaping up in the United States that most definitely will affect you!
Watch closely now as the scene unfolds.
'And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.' Revelation 13:11. A 'beast' in prophecy represents a 'kingdom.' Daniel 7:23"
"The lamb-like horns and then the dragon voice present a change of personality. A real change! The speaking of this country as a "dragon" denotes the use of force. This principle, as we shall see, was used by the Leopard-like beast (the first beast) of Revelation 13, which enforced religious observances by law!"
"In view of the horrifying trends of the time, it's understandable why the nation is to 'speak' that way. In one year, Americans spent $4 billion of pornography. Divorce affects tens of millions of homes, wrecking lives - and breaking hearts.
Mass murders, neglect of the aged, abuse of women and even of babies, sicken the heart. Men possessed, are taking the lives of men, women, and little children.
"Millions of Americans, hooked on marijuana, 'crack', heroin, and other chemicals, peer at the world through differing degrees of 'goony eyes', and further appall society with their resultant behavior and crimes."
Prostitutes, homosexuals, and drug addicts, share AIDS and ARC (AIDS Related Complex) with the innocent. The poor sufferers give groans of despair as they perish in ever greater numbers. A group of them, LIFE Magazine reported, lying on the floor in a circle, and summoning some of their last remaining strength - laughed in sequence."
Is it any wonder that our nation will "speak as a dragon?" Little wonder that ministers across that land, in an effort to abort national doom, move millions to political action. The feeling is that something must be done. Leaders of the "electronic church" launched a campaign to arouse 50 million Christians! There's a tremendous drive on to unite forces for the common good.
"Pat Robertson, the preacher who founded the 700 Club, and who himself aspired to the very top of the political ladder, said, 'Unless Christians desire a nation and a world reordered to the humanistic/hedonistic model, it is absolutely vital that we take control of the U.S. government away from the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations.' He speaks of turning to God "to galvanize Christians to political action"
"U.S. News & World Report declared, 'A political holy war without precedent is in full swing in this country.'"
"It's not surprising that in a hearing of the South Carolina legislature, demands by State Representative Anderson himself for a Sunday law to improve the state of society brought uproarious applause. Who can wonder that the United States President has revealed his willingness to do what no other U.S. president has been able to do - support legislation which would help collapse the separation of church and state!
"...and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him." Revelation 13:11,12"
"Here's the big question now - who's the first beast?"
http://www.reg6.com/
Dé Luain, Eanáir 18, 2010
Numbers Stations
You may have heard of them. Various shortwave radio stations, broadcasting an obviously coded series of numbers in just about every widely spoken language. Governments sending messages to spies in the field is the most obvious explanation, and the fact that governments deny the existence of stations that anyone can physically listen to at any time seems to confirm that they are indeed something of that sort.
There are several good reasons why States would send secret messages over the open airwaves. Shortwave signals reach far, often the whole world, but also cheap enough to be affordable to common people all over the world. A tourist with a shortwave is unlikely to draw any notice. And it is the very openness of radio signals that make them much safer than the internet for spies, here messages are specifically directed, traceable to both sender and receiver, and hard to completely erase from a hardrive.
But the most important thing that makes secret radio messaging possible is the one-time pad, which attaches random groups of numbers to specific words and letters to make a language that is used exactly once. Any further message will be delivered in a different code. It must be known ahead of time just how many messages an agent will receive in the field. This way he can bring the specific number of codebreaking keys with him, and destroy each particular one the moment after it is used. Used correctly, a one-time pad code is unbreakable. So enemy ears can hear these messages coming through loud and clear, know that the carefully arrainged, elucidated, and repeated series of numbers are an obvious code of some kind, know from the language and accent that the message is coming from and being directed to Russians, Germans, Americans, Cubans....., but knowing all of this won't help them figure out anything useful.
Though shortwave signals are often able to reach the whole globe from wherever they happen to be, reception is generally much poorer than AM of FM, so some kind of little ditty will be used like an identifying mark. (Stations are typically nicknamed after the songs used.) These include the German numbers station "Swedish Rhapsody" in which the modern classical number is played in a wind-up doll manner until an automated young girls voice pops up to deliver the goods in the most disturbing robodemon style imaginable. "The Lincolnshire Poacher" played a couple bars of that old English folk song before a somewhat less disturbing grown man's voice delivers the numbers. (Lincolnshire's signal has been traced to the Royal Air Force base on Cyprus, where it could be heard clearly throughout the Middle East by any English speaker who felt the need to hear it. The signal stopped about a year ago for who knows why.)
Then there's UVB 76, "The Buzzer" which has been traced to a Russian military building in the outer Moscow suburbs. "The Buzzer" is exactly that and almost nothing but that. For twenty five years a quick buzz goes off at the rate of twenty five a minute until the fifty ninth minute of the hour, at which time the buzz becomes continuous for the length of that minute until the hour changes. Mundane conversations have occasionaly been heard over the buzz revealing it to be a live buzzer played over a constantly live microphone. On four known occasions the buzz has stopped long enough for some kind of voice message to be given out over the frequency, usually a series of numbers combined with what seems to be a phonetic language. (Ala, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" only in this case "Ivan, Konstitine, Titania, etc.)
We know then that this is in all likelihood some sort of military intelligence instillation. And we know that whoever in Russia is running it needs to know if the buzzer is still going right now or if it has for some reason stopped right now. Some speculate that the station is involved in the 'Dead Hand' project, which involves automating Russian nukes to fire themselves should the Yankees ever succeed in destroying their government. This theory holds that The Buzzer acts as a killswitch in the system, and that if it ever stops...
Tempting as this theory may be, it seems more likely that the buzzer merely acts as a placeholder for the frequency so that no one else takes it, and that the occasional messages are nothing more sinister than an assassination order or two. The timing of the messages don't line up with anything major in Russian history. ( Collapse of the Soviets, handoff of power from Yeltsin to Putin, etc.) Nor do they line up with any of those nuclear scares they were kind enough to tell us about.
As for me, I've been spending the past two days learning everything I can about these things. I am on the one hand ashamed to have not learned of these things until I was twenty eight. Numbers stations are precisely the sort of thing that Josh Beran takes pride in knowing about. On the other hand learning something truly new to me, something so fascinating, so otherwordly and faintly demonic, fills me with the sort of joy that I don't think I've felt since I mastered Dr. Suess in preschool. These numbers stations really are the eccentric introverted beta-males ultimate wet dream.
These things are so, fucking, cool. And I am buying a motherfucking shortwave.
There are several good reasons why States would send secret messages over the open airwaves. Shortwave signals reach far, often the whole world, but also cheap enough to be affordable to common people all over the world. A tourist with a shortwave is unlikely to draw any notice. And it is the very openness of radio signals that make them much safer than the internet for spies, here messages are specifically directed, traceable to both sender and receiver, and hard to completely erase from a hardrive.
But the most important thing that makes secret radio messaging possible is the one-time pad, which attaches random groups of numbers to specific words and letters to make a language that is used exactly once. Any further message will be delivered in a different code. It must be known ahead of time just how many messages an agent will receive in the field. This way he can bring the specific number of codebreaking keys with him, and destroy each particular one the moment after it is used. Used correctly, a one-time pad code is unbreakable. So enemy ears can hear these messages coming through loud and clear, know that the carefully arrainged, elucidated, and repeated series of numbers are an obvious code of some kind, know from the language and accent that the message is coming from and being directed to Russians, Germans, Americans, Cubans....., but knowing all of this won't help them figure out anything useful.
Though shortwave signals are often able to reach the whole globe from wherever they happen to be, reception is generally much poorer than AM of FM, so some kind of little ditty will be used like an identifying mark. (Stations are typically nicknamed after the songs used.) These include the German numbers station "Swedish Rhapsody" in which the modern classical number is played in a wind-up doll manner until an automated young girls voice pops up to deliver the goods in the most disturbing robodemon style imaginable. "The Lincolnshire Poacher" played a couple bars of that old English folk song before a somewhat less disturbing grown man's voice delivers the numbers. (Lincolnshire's signal has been traced to the Royal Air Force base on Cyprus, where it could be heard clearly throughout the Middle East by any English speaker who felt the need to hear it. The signal stopped about a year ago for who knows why.)
Then there's UVB 76, "The Buzzer" which has been traced to a Russian military building in the outer Moscow suburbs. "The Buzzer" is exactly that and almost nothing but that. For twenty five years a quick buzz goes off at the rate of twenty five a minute until the fifty ninth minute of the hour, at which time the buzz becomes continuous for the length of that minute until the hour changes. Mundane conversations have occasionaly been heard over the buzz revealing it to be a live buzzer played over a constantly live microphone. On four known occasions the buzz has stopped long enough for some kind of voice message to be given out over the frequency, usually a series of numbers combined with what seems to be a phonetic language. (Ala, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" only in this case "Ivan, Konstitine, Titania, etc.)
We know then that this is in all likelihood some sort of military intelligence instillation. And we know that whoever in Russia is running it needs to know if the buzzer is still going right now or if it has for some reason stopped right now. Some speculate that the station is involved in the 'Dead Hand' project, which involves automating Russian nukes to fire themselves should the Yankees ever succeed in destroying their government. This theory holds that The Buzzer acts as a killswitch in the system, and that if it ever stops...
Tempting as this theory may be, it seems more likely that the buzzer merely acts as a placeholder for the frequency so that no one else takes it, and that the occasional messages are nothing more sinister than an assassination order or two. The timing of the messages don't line up with anything major in Russian history. ( Collapse of the Soviets, handoff of power from Yeltsin to Putin, etc.) Nor do they line up with any of those nuclear scares they were kind enough to tell us about.
As for me, I've been spending the past two days learning everything I can about these things. I am on the one hand ashamed to have not learned of these things until I was twenty eight. Numbers stations are precisely the sort of thing that Josh Beran takes pride in knowing about. On the other hand learning something truly new to me, something so fascinating, so otherwordly and faintly demonic, fills me with the sort of joy that I don't think I've felt since I mastered Dr. Suess in preschool. These numbers stations really are the eccentric introverted beta-males ultimate wet dream.
These things are so, fucking, cool. And I am buying a motherfucking shortwave.
Dé hAoine, Eanáir 08, 2010
Lets Give College Football a Shot
1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Boise State
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. TCU
8. Cincinnati
9. Penn State
10 Georgia Tech
11 Oregon
12 BYU
13 Virginia Tech
14 Nebraska
15 Pittsburgh
16 Wisconsin
17 Utah
18 Central Michigan
19 Ole Miss
20 USC
21 LSU
22 Okla State
23 Miami
24 Texas Tech
25 Navy
And by the way Texas...
You see what happens when your starting quarterback is the entire offense?
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Boise State
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. TCU
8. Cincinnati
9. Penn State
10 Georgia Tech
11 Oregon
12 BYU
13 Virginia Tech
14 Nebraska
15 Pittsburgh
16 Wisconsin
17 Utah
18 Central Michigan
19 Ole Miss
20 USC
21 LSU
22 Okla State
23 Miami
24 Texas Tech
25 Navy
And by the way Texas...
You see what happens when your starting quarterback is the entire offense?
Dé Céadaoin, Eanáir 06, 2010
To Elaborate Further.
Here's a fundamentalist Christian who hates the "coexist" bumper sticker. His argument, in a nutshell, is that not engaging in a violent struggle for supremacy is tantamount to not existing.
http://wisertime.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/coexist/
http://wisertime.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/coexist/
Dé Máirt, Nollaig 22, 2009
I've Been Thinking Lately
There's a good chance you've seen this old chestnut somewhere.
"The problem not only with fundamentalist Christians but with Republicans in general is not that they act on blind faith, without thinking. The problem is that they are incorrigible doubters with an insatiable appetite for Evidence. What they get off on is not Believing, but in having their beliefs tested. That's why their conversations and their media are so completely dominated by implacable bogeymen: marrying gays, liberals, the ACLU, Sean Penn, Europeans and so on. Their faith both in God and in their political convictions is too weak to survive without an unceasing string of real and imaginary confrontations with those people — and for those confrontations, they are constantly assembling evidence and facts to make their case.
But here's the twist. They are not looking for facts with which to defeat opponents. They are looking for facts that ensure them an ever-expanding roster of opponents. They can be correct facts, incorrect facts, irrelevant facts, it doesn't matter. The point is not to win the argument, the point is to make sure the argument never stops. Permanent war isn't a policy imposed from above; it's an emotional imperative that rises from the bottom. In a way, it actually helps if the fact is dubious or untrue (like the Swift-boat business), because that guarantees an argument. You're arguing the particulars, where you're right, while they're arguing the underlying generalities, where they are.
Once you grasp this fact, you're a long way to understanding what the Hannitys and Limbaughs figured out long ago: These people will swallow anything you feed them, so long as it leaves them with a demon to wrestle with in their dreams."
Matt Talabi
And thenyesterday came this nugget from Andrew Sullivan on the tranquil (for us) 1990's:
"...There's always a paradox in professional conservatives lamenting happy times, because it both encourages less government and increases their irrelevance as public commentators. But there's a strain in some neoconservatism that can sometimes appear actually hostile to tranquillity because it is seen as a cause of what Krauthammer calls ennui, of boredom, of decadence. "Trivial history" is another term, in some ways, for peace and prosperity, in which our private lives take center stage and the tedium of politics, folly of war, and grinding millstone of poverty are kept at bay."http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/12/conservatism-and-the-1990s.html#more
The human mind is,of course, hard-wired to focus primarily on other people. It is nearly impossible for the mind to form a self-imagethat isn't based on comparision against other people, and it is very difficult to produce an image of moral self-worth beyond that of better than.
Conflict with 'The Other' than, is not based only on ignorant assuming the worst of what we don't understand, but also on a concious belief that right and wrong can not exist without conflict with those things and those people who are clearly identified as wrong. Those who subscribe to Eco's ninth point of instinctive fascism " For Ur-Fascism there is no struggle for life but, rather, life is lived for struggle." do not consider a life that consists of eternal struggle to be a grim curse, rather they are thankful that the life of struggle has provided them with a meaning that could not otherwise exist. The existence of evil is the basis of morality, and good cannot exist in any other form except violent opposisition to evil. Those who pursue peace pursue nihilism. The murderers of Ghandi, Sadat, and Rabin believed that they were saving virtue from extinction.
When Don Quixote is brought back to his senses, he enters a despair that lasts until he dies soon after. Alonso Quixano would rather be dead than live in a world in which damsels are not being eternally threatened by giants.
It is only natural that it is the right who is most enamored with the idea of hatred of the enemy as the basis of both personal and social identity and virtue; because all traditional social structures are predicated on chivalry. Those at the top of the hierarchy earn their privledges by defending (In the case of the West) the eternally childlike poor, brown, and female from an uneneding stream of outside threats. In order for "The Man" to be justified in his power it is essential for society to be forever on the brink of collapse. Anything less than eternal crisis betrays the old gender, race, and class based distinctions as arbitary and imaginary, which of course is nothing but the truth of what they are.
This is why, with the exception of some riot-happy anarchist chuckleheads (who are just as enamored with conflict as the institutional right, and for largly the same reasons) the left has historically been so vehemently opposed to war. The opposition to war is not based merely on a squeamishness towards death, (though I for one freely admit to being squeamish towards death and am disgusted by those who brag that they are not.) but on the knowledge that war is the primary means of creating false conciousness.(Yeah. I went there) The essense of war is not conflict with the enemy but religious sacrifice to the ideal of conflict with the enemy. It is the means of engineering an existance that is both much shorter than it otherwise could be and also wholly fraudulant. War is the means for creating and perpetuating a fraudulant society, fraudulant loyalty, fraudulant identity, fraudulant love, fraudulant hate, and fradulant morality.
And at the risk of coing across as a hypocrite, it is a fraud that I fear we are stuck with forever. As long as humans are unable to accept life on its own terms, for as long as we are made dull by the mundanities of working, sleeping, and eating, for as long as we are aware that even joy, sex, dance and beauty will eventually become mundane, for as long as we are unable to look out of eyes and conclude, "we are here and that is enough." the fraud will be irrisitibly seductive. It is only the ability to feel and inflict pain that enables us to become heroes, and it is only by being a hero that one can become a god.
"The problem not only with fundamentalist Christians but with Republicans in general is not that they act on blind faith, without thinking. The problem is that they are incorrigible doubters with an insatiable appetite for Evidence. What they get off on is not Believing, but in having their beliefs tested. That's why their conversations and their media are so completely dominated by implacable bogeymen: marrying gays, liberals, the ACLU, Sean Penn, Europeans and so on. Their faith both in God and in their political convictions is too weak to survive without an unceasing string of real and imaginary confrontations with those people — and for those confrontations, they are constantly assembling evidence and facts to make their case.
But here's the twist. They are not looking for facts with which to defeat opponents. They are looking for facts that ensure them an ever-expanding roster of opponents. They can be correct facts, incorrect facts, irrelevant facts, it doesn't matter. The point is not to win the argument, the point is to make sure the argument never stops. Permanent war isn't a policy imposed from above; it's an emotional imperative that rises from the bottom. In a way, it actually helps if the fact is dubious or untrue (like the Swift-boat business), because that guarantees an argument. You're arguing the particulars, where you're right, while they're arguing the underlying generalities, where they are.
Once you grasp this fact, you're a long way to understanding what the Hannitys and Limbaughs figured out long ago: These people will swallow anything you feed them, so long as it leaves them with a demon to wrestle with in their dreams."
Matt Talabi
And thenyesterday came this nugget from Andrew Sullivan on the tranquil (for us) 1990's:
"...There's always a paradox in professional conservatives lamenting happy times, because it both encourages less government and increases their irrelevance as public commentators. But there's a strain in some neoconservatism that can sometimes appear actually hostile to tranquillity because it is seen as a cause of what Krauthammer calls ennui, of boredom, of decadence. "Trivial history" is another term, in some ways, for peace and prosperity, in which our private lives take center stage and the tedium of politics, folly of war, and grinding millstone of poverty are kept at bay."http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/12/conservatism-and-the-1990s.html#more
The human mind is,of course, hard-wired to focus primarily on other people. It is nearly impossible for the mind to form a self-imagethat isn't based on comparision against other people, and it is very difficult to produce an image of moral self-worth beyond that of better than.
Conflict with 'The Other' than, is not based only on ignorant assuming the worst of what we don't understand, but also on a concious belief that right and wrong can not exist without conflict with those things and those people who are clearly identified as wrong. Those who subscribe to Eco's ninth point of instinctive fascism " For Ur-Fascism there is no struggle for life but, rather, life is lived for struggle." do not consider a life that consists of eternal struggle to be a grim curse, rather they are thankful that the life of struggle has provided them with a meaning that could not otherwise exist. The existence of evil is the basis of morality, and good cannot exist in any other form except violent opposisition to evil. Those who pursue peace pursue nihilism. The murderers of Ghandi, Sadat, and Rabin believed that they were saving virtue from extinction.
When Don Quixote is brought back to his senses, he enters a despair that lasts until he dies soon after. Alonso Quixano would rather be dead than live in a world in which damsels are not being eternally threatened by giants.
It is only natural that it is the right who is most enamored with the idea of hatred of the enemy as the basis of both personal and social identity and virtue; because all traditional social structures are predicated on chivalry. Those at the top of the hierarchy earn their privledges by defending (In the case of the West) the eternally childlike poor, brown, and female from an uneneding stream of outside threats. In order for "The Man" to be justified in his power it is essential for society to be forever on the brink of collapse. Anything less than eternal crisis betrays the old gender, race, and class based distinctions as arbitary and imaginary, which of course is nothing but the truth of what they are.
This is why, with the exception of some riot-happy anarchist chuckleheads (who are just as enamored with conflict as the institutional right, and for largly the same reasons) the left has historically been so vehemently opposed to war. The opposition to war is not based merely on a squeamishness towards death, (though I for one freely admit to being squeamish towards death and am disgusted by those who brag that they are not.) but on the knowledge that war is the primary means of creating false conciousness.(Yeah. I went there) The essense of war is not conflict with the enemy but religious sacrifice to the ideal of conflict with the enemy. It is the means of engineering an existance that is both much shorter than it otherwise could be and also wholly fraudulant. War is the means for creating and perpetuating a fraudulant society, fraudulant loyalty, fraudulant identity, fraudulant love, fraudulant hate, and fradulant morality.
And at the risk of coing across as a hypocrite, it is a fraud that I fear we are stuck with forever. As long as humans are unable to accept life on its own terms, for as long as we are made dull by the mundanities of working, sleeping, and eating, for as long as we are aware that even joy, sex, dance and beauty will eventually become mundane, for as long as we are unable to look out of eyes and conclude, "we are here and that is enough." the fraud will be irrisitibly seductive. It is only the ability to feel and inflict pain that enables us to become heroes, and it is only by being a hero that one can become a god.
Dé hAoine, Nollaig 18, 2009
Earthquake Update.
I have just received word that the Auburn tremor has opened up a pathway to hell itself, and that President Obama has taken advantage of the situation to summon Anwar Sadat from the underworld to lead an uprising of undead Muslim socialists against against the brave Christian warriors of real America. Stay tuned.
EarthQuake Strikes Auburn Nebraska!!!
Stay tuned to Mr. Heartland for further developments as they happen.
Dé Luain, Nollaig 14, 2009
In Honor of The Decade: Remembering the Clear Channel post-9/11 Censored List
Here's some songs on the list that never would of reminded any sane person of the attacks, but now make you giggle darkly and feel like a horrid bastard afterwards. (Or perhaps I should speak for myself)
Barenaked Ladies "Falling for the First Time"
Pat Benatar "Hit Me with Your Best Shot"
Boston "Smokin"
Dave Matthews Band "Crash into Me"
Dio "Holy Diver"
Filter "Hey Man, Nice Shot"
The Gap Band "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"
Elton John "Rocket Man"
John Mellencamp "Crumblin' Down"
The Smashing Pumpkins "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
Sugar Ray "Fly"
Van Halen "Jump"
And finally the one in which the black humor is undeniable to even the most patriotic and God fearing
Elton John "Bennie and the Jets"
I think "Bennie and the Jets" really catches the deranged, meth-high feeling of liberation that is the true inspiration for terrorist acts, that joy of anti-sex, destroying what has been created. "Bennie" is the obvious anthem for any hyper-intelligent merry prankster terrorist in the vein of a Joker or a Tyler Durden. It would certainly be my theme song if I were a terrorist, unless Ween's "Push the Little Daisies" hasn't already been taken.
Barenaked Ladies "Falling for the First Time"
Pat Benatar "Hit Me with Your Best Shot"
Boston "Smokin"
Dave Matthews Band "Crash into Me"
Dio "Holy Diver"
Filter "Hey Man, Nice Shot"
The Gap Band "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"
Elton John "Rocket Man"
John Mellencamp "Crumblin' Down"
The Smashing Pumpkins "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
Sugar Ray "Fly"
Van Halen "Jump"
And finally the one in which the black humor is undeniable to even the most patriotic and God fearing
Elton John "Bennie and the Jets"
I think "Bennie and the Jets" really catches the deranged, meth-high feeling of liberation that is the true inspiration for terrorist acts, that joy of anti-sex, destroying what has been created. "Bennie" is the obvious anthem for any hyper-intelligent merry prankster terrorist in the vein of a Joker or a Tyler Durden. It would certainly be my theme song if I were a terrorist, unless Ween's "Push the Little Daisies" hasn't already been taken.
Dé Domhnaigh, Nollaig 13, 2009
You Learn Something new everyday
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/12/025144.php
Note the identical, professionally printed, color-coordinated yellow and black signs. This is what Astroturf--fake grass roots--looks like. The signs use the same colors as the International ANSWER signs that are ubiquitous at far-left rallies here in the U.S., but carry no identifier. It would be interesting to know who paid for the signs, and whether the same organization that bought the signs also paid for the demonstrators.
Pre-prepaired, coordinated picket signs are indisputible evidence of insincerity, in ways that are never quite explained or need to be.
It trully must be marvelous to be a Real American, what with the power to create your own reality and all. The rest of us are reduced to downing cheap bathtub acid. Pity us.
Déardaoin, Nollaig 10, 2009
Post 601
I've been coming down from a cold I've had since Tuesday, not quite well enough to take up smoking again but well enough to stay awake for more than three hours at a time. Slept through the hellstorm for the most part and couldn't be happier that I did, though the snow-party shenanigans did sound kind of fun in my sort of semi-consciousness.
It might have been the punches I took to both sinuses on Saturday Night,when I tried to break up a fist fight between a fat Lakota fellow and his mother, that left me susceptible to the cold. I met them and his cousin at the Beacon Lounge, the cousin is a nice girl of 25 who took a liking to me. She called back after I made it home to see if I was okay and I said yes. She called back the next day to ask me why I hadn't met up with her like I said I would. (?) I told her I had forgotten the exact address of her apartment which was the truth. I've also forgotten her name which I didn't mention. She texted me from a couple of different phones that night and hasn't contacted me since and that will do.
I don't remember if I took any swings back at the big fellow. I said something about what a disgrace it was, to see a son fighting his mother. I took offense. I was drunk; the punches didn't hurt all that much, and I was surprised to have two black eyes the next day. They're mostly cleared up now. The cousin, she told me they all went to jail, mother son and someone else. Whether they've been bailed out by now or not I don't know. She hasn't called me back, like I said, and I'm not going to call her.
It was also at the Beacon where I saw a thirty-something woman get a tooth knocked out by the man she shot down. This was Wednesday night. It started out as a brawl between the suitor and the woman's friend-with-benefits, he turned on her when she tried to pull them apart. He knocked her to the ground and than I tried to pull him off of her but couldn't do it until a couple of black guys coming out of the Night Before helped us out.
Three cops showed up. They surrounded the black guys until me and the woman told them three or four times that they weren't involved, this in spite of the fact that they were wholly unbruised and I was the only White cat in the crowd who wasn't. The cops were clearly acting on autopilot. Accuse them of bias and they'll deny it with perfect conscious honesty.
And of course I'm back in Nebraska for a little bit. I don't mention that any of the white people are mentioned because here we are nine out of ten as always. Well not quite always. It really would be better if the Indian woman didn't call back though I like her well enough, and feel bad about not knowing her name.
I waited with the Wednesday white woman for a few minutes until her boy had convinced the cops that the other fellow was the aggressor and they let him go. She spat blood on the sidewalk and mourned her lost tooth, and rightfully so. She's average looking, one of the most average looking creatures of any kind or sex I've ever seen. Give her a full set of teeth and she's average in a comforting sort of way. Take a away a tooth or two and she's average in a slow decay of life sort of way. God damn disgrace that rat fuck. Clearly a low-level sociopath; she would have been beyond stupid to get anywhere near him. Now here she was spitting blood on the sidewalk as a reward for not being stupid.
Hell of a game Saturday Night wasn't it? It reminded me of the old big 8 games between Nebraska and Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado. Any touchdown at any point of the game could be the one that wins it and every inch was such a God-Damned struggle. I think I learned to tolerate and even appreciate the low scoring nature of soccer watching these games growing up. Hopelessly bashing your way towards the impossible goal that you must have. It's the sort of game where even the rational and libertine become fascists at heart for a couple of hours. We start to believe that success or failure depends solely on our collective will. We will win as long as I keep staring at the screen very hard and think of nothing else and we will lose if I blink, and all the while the teams pound each other to hopeless stalemate while the clock dwindles and the inevitable big fuckup looms larger and more unsurvivable. That's what entertainment is; absolute power over an audience of millions and total impotence on a field of twenty two. That's fucking Midwestern man, to find diversion in other people creating your unwinable struggles for you on some wretched December night.
It might have been the punches I took to both sinuses on Saturday Night,when I tried to break up a fist fight between a fat Lakota fellow and his mother, that left me susceptible to the cold. I met them and his cousin at the Beacon Lounge, the cousin is a nice girl of 25 who took a liking to me. She called back after I made it home to see if I was okay and I said yes. She called back the next day to ask me why I hadn't met up with her like I said I would. (?) I told her I had forgotten the exact address of her apartment which was the truth. I've also forgotten her name which I didn't mention. She texted me from a couple of different phones that night and hasn't contacted me since and that will do.
I don't remember if I took any swings back at the big fellow. I said something about what a disgrace it was, to see a son fighting his mother. I took offense. I was drunk; the punches didn't hurt all that much, and I was surprised to have two black eyes the next day. They're mostly cleared up now. The cousin, she told me they all went to jail, mother son and someone else. Whether they've been bailed out by now or not I don't know. She hasn't called me back, like I said, and I'm not going to call her.
It was also at the Beacon where I saw a thirty-something woman get a tooth knocked out by the man she shot down. This was Wednesday night. It started out as a brawl between the suitor and the woman's friend-with-benefits, he turned on her when she tried to pull them apart. He knocked her to the ground and than I tried to pull him off of her but couldn't do it until a couple of black guys coming out of the Night Before helped us out.
Three cops showed up. They surrounded the black guys until me and the woman told them three or four times that they weren't involved, this in spite of the fact that they were wholly unbruised and I was the only White cat in the crowd who wasn't. The cops were clearly acting on autopilot. Accuse them of bias and they'll deny it with perfect conscious honesty.
And of course I'm back in Nebraska for a little bit. I don't mention that any of the white people are mentioned because here we are nine out of ten as always. Well not quite always. It really would be better if the Indian woman didn't call back though I like her well enough, and feel bad about not knowing her name.
I waited with the Wednesday white woman for a few minutes until her boy had convinced the cops that the other fellow was the aggressor and they let him go. She spat blood on the sidewalk and mourned her lost tooth, and rightfully so. She's average looking, one of the most average looking creatures of any kind or sex I've ever seen. Give her a full set of teeth and she's average in a comforting sort of way. Take a away a tooth or two and she's average in a slow decay of life sort of way. God damn disgrace that rat fuck. Clearly a low-level sociopath; she would have been beyond stupid to get anywhere near him. Now here she was spitting blood on the sidewalk as a reward for not being stupid.
Hell of a game Saturday Night wasn't it? It reminded me of the old big 8 games between Nebraska and Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado. Any touchdown at any point of the game could be the one that wins it and every inch was such a God-Damned struggle. I think I learned to tolerate and even appreciate the low scoring nature of soccer watching these games growing up. Hopelessly bashing your way towards the impossible goal that you must have. It's the sort of game where even the rational and libertine become fascists at heart for a couple of hours. We start to believe that success or failure depends solely on our collective will. We will win as long as I keep staring at the screen very hard and think of nothing else and we will lose if I blink, and all the while the teams pound each other to hopeless stalemate while the clock dwindles and the inevitable big fuckup looms larger and more unsurvivable. That's what entertainment is; absolute power over an audience of millions and total impotence on a field of twenty two. That's fucking Midwestern man, to find diversion in other people creating your unwinable struggles for you on some wretched December night.
POST 600
In the future, when your children ask what that burning smell is, your answer will be 'everything'.
Dé Sathairn, Nollaig 05, 2009
Dé hAoine, Nollaig 04, 2009
World Cup Predictions
Group A
1. South Africa
2. France
3. Mexico
4. Uruguay
Group B
1. Nigeria
2. Argentina
3. Greece
4. South Korea
Group C
1. England
2. USA
3. Algeria
4. Slovenia
Group D
1. Germany
2. Ghana
3. Australia
4. Serbia
Group E
1. Netherlands
2. Cameroon
3. Denmark
4. Japan
Group F
1. Italy
2. Paraguay
3. Slovakia
4. New Zealand
Group G
1. Brazil
2. Ivory Coast
3. Portugal
4. North Korea
Group H
1. Spain
2. Chile
3. Switzerland
4. Honduras
Round of 16
Argentina 1-0 over South Africa
England 1-0 over Ghana
Netherlands 2-0 over Paraguay
Brazil 4-1 over Chile
Nigeria 3-2 over France
Germany 2-1 over USA
Cameroon on PK's over Italy after 1-1 draw
Spain 3-2 over Ivory Coast
Quarterfinals
England 2-1 over Argentina
Brazil 2-1 a.e.t over Netherlands
Nigeria 1-0 over Germany
Spain 2-1 over Cameroon
Semifinals
Brazil on PK's after 1-1 draw with England
Spain 2-1 a.e.t over Nigeria
3rd place
Nigeria on PK's after scoreless draw with England
Championship
Spain 3-2 over Brazil
1. South Africa
2. France
3. Mexico
4. Uruguay
Group B
1. Nigeria
2. Argentina
3. Greece
4. South Korea
Group C
1. England
2. USA
3. Algeria
4. Slovenia
Group D
1. Germany
2. Ghana
3. Australia
4. Serbia
Group E
1. Netherlands
2. Cameroon
3. Denmark
4. Japan
Group F
1. Italy
2. Paraguay
3. Slovakia
4. New Zealand
Group G
1. Brazil
2. Ivory Coast
3. Portugal
4. North Korea
Group H
1. Spain
2. Chile
3. Switzerland
4. Honduras
Round of 16
Argentina 1-0 over South Africa
England 1-0 over Ghana
Netherlands 2-0 over Paraguay
Brazil 4-1 over Chile
Nigeria 3-2 over France
Germany 2-1 over USA
Cameroon on PK's over Italy after 1-1 draw
Spain 3-2 over Ivory Coast
Quarterfinals
England 2-1 over Argentina
Brazil 2-1 a.e.t over Netherlands
Nigeria 1-0 over Germany
Spain 2-1 over Cameroon
Semifinals
Brazil on PK's after 1-1 draw with England
Spain 2-1 a.e.t over Nigeria
3rd place
Nigeria on PK's after scoreless draw with England
Championship
Spain 3-2 over Brazil
Dé Domhnaigh, Samhain 29, 2009
Best Of Decade Lists? Sure I'll Whore Out
10 Best Songs:
1. B.O.B.-Outkast
2. Do You Realize?-The Flaming Lips
3. The Seed 2.0-The Roots & Cody Chestnutt
4. The National Anthem-Radiohead
5. Fuck Her Gently-Tenacious D
6. House of Jealous Lovers-The Rapture
7. Seven Nation Army-The White Stripes
8. I Wish I Was The Moon-Neko Case
9. 99 Problems- Jay Z
10. I Believe In A Thing Called Love-The Darkness
10 Best Albums:
1. Whiskey Hotel Foxtrot-Wilco
2. In Rainbows-Radiohead
3. Lateralus-Tool
4. Stankonia-Outkast
5. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots-The Flaming Lips
6. The Sunlandic Twins-Of Montreal
7. The Love Below-Outkast (Andre 3000)
8. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood-Neko Case
9. The Blueprint-Jay-Z
10. Soviet Kitsch-Regina Spektor
10. Elephant-The White Stripes
1. B.O.B.-Outkast
2. Do You Realize?-The Flaming Lips
3. The Seed 2.0-The Roots & Cody Chestnutt
4. The National Anthem-Radiohead
5. Fuck Her Gently-Tenacious D
6. House of Jealous Lovers-The Rapture
7. Seven Nation Army-The White Stripes
8. I Wish I Was The Moon-Neko Case
9. 99 Problems- Jay Z
10. I Believe In A Thing Called Love-The Darkness
10 Best Albums:
1. Whiskey Hotel Foxtrot-Wilco
2. In Rainbows-Radiohead
3. Lateralus-Tool
4. Stankonia-Outkast
5. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots-The Flaming Lips
6. The Sunlandic Twins-Of Montreal
7. The Love Below-Outkast (Andre 3000)
8. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood-Neko Case
9. The Blueprint-Jay-Z
10. Soviet Kitsch-Regina Spektor
10. Elephant-The White Stripes
Déardaoin, Samhain 19, 2009
You're A Rat Fuck Thierry Henry
Or, "How The Black Charlie Brown Stole A World Cup Spot"
The governing body for European soccer, UEFA, rewards its allocated World Cup spots by dividing the fifty three countries into home-and-away groups of five or six, taking care to make sure that traditional powers like Italy, Germany, France, and Spain are not put in the same group. Group winners go straight to the cup. A second-place team has to win a home-and-away playoff against another runner-up to earn a spot.
The playoff between France and Ireland was set up when the Irish, a perennial WC bubble team, finished second to Italy as expected in their qualifying group, whereas the historically very good but inconsistent French were upset by Serbia in theirs.
The French were favored from the moment the match was set up, and looked to be on cruise control after winning the first game in Dublin 1-0. But the Irish fought hard in Paris to earn an identical 1-0 away win and force overtime.
It was there that Thierry Henry, who has been one of the games best for as long as he's been playing and had been generally regarded as a decent guy, commited a blatant and obviously intentional handball to control a free-kick that otherwise would have gone out of bounds and allowed the Irish to boot it out of their danger zone. Instead Henry was able to use his illegal control to flip the ball to teammate William Gallas who kicked the winning goal.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/18/thierry-henry-handball-go_n_363155.html
Henry to his credit admitted to handling the ball after the game, even saying in effect that the referee should have called the foul if he had only caught him, but he didn't so yay for us. This could possibly spare him the life-long enmity that the English-speaking world has for Diego Maradona, who was maddingly coy after the 'hand of God' incident in 1986. Probably not though. Henry insists that the handball was accidental, and the video makes it clear that it was a perfectly conscious act of motor control. And then there is the fact that it usually takes the Irish about a thousand years or so to forgive historical wrongs. We can be assured that the next time Henry's club team, Barcelona, gets matched up in the Champions League against a team with strong Irish support, such as Man U or Celtic, extreme nastiness will ensue.
While the Sweedish referee was not directly next to Henry when the incident occured, he was nearby and looking in the general area when it happened, and the fact that he allowed such an obvious foul to determine who did and who didn't go to the World Cup is unacceptable. There have been some internet rumblings about a conspiracy. Some people are convinced that the ref was instructed by FIFA or UEFA to make sure that the team representing the larger and more populous France made it into the cup and brought their television revenue with them. This is I suppose possible but not likely. The gap in size and international clout between Russia and Slovenia is much greater after all, but that didn't stop the Fighting Gulags from going down. It's more likely that the ref was half-consciously influenced by eighty thousand home fans proclaiming their side to be the good guys, and this is something that happens in every sport. It's a shame but human nature is what it is.
As someone with a hint of Irish in my genes I myself am slightly pissed, but mainly because team USA was busy getting torn apart in a friendly at the same time Ireland vs. France was going down and so American audiences were denied the chance to see an outstanding game. If UEFA had the same delusions about winning over the US that the NFL has about finding an obvious in Europe, they would have made sure that France vs. Ireland and USA's debacle at Denmark would have been in different time slots. The matchup between two Western European cultural cousins was, after all, the game that held the most interest for U.S soccer fans. Instead the only qualifier we were treated to was the terribly grim affair between Ukraine and Greece.
It reminds me of another great sporting moment that I missed, the 'Janet Jackson shows her tit' incident from the Super Bowl halftime show a few years back. I was attending a SB party where everyone else had started drinking three hours before the game so that I was the only one still awake by the time halftime came along. I remember the halftime show as being insufferably awful, so much so that when Janet busted out "Rhythm Nation" it was like hearing Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock by comparision. At the end of the show I had my head buried in my hands to make the awfulness disappear and the only hint I got that something interesting had happened was the sleepy mouth-agape look I saw on this guy named Pete from accross the room. The controversy that followed left me quite uncomfortable, like I was a political exile cut off from the world, and I've made a point to be vicariously in the thick of things via the internet ever since. So here I am.
The governing body for European soccer, UEFA, rewards its allocated World Cup spots by dividing the fifty three countries into home-and-away groups of five or six, taking care to make sure that traditional powers like Italy, Germany, France, and Spain are not put in the same group. Group winners go straight to the cup. A second-place team has to win a home-and-away playoff against another runner-up to earn a spot.
The playoff between France and Ireland was set up when the Irish, a perennial WC bubble team, finished second to Italy as expected in their qualifying group, whereas the historically very good but inconsistent French were upset by Serbia in theirs.
The French were favored from the moment the match was set up, and looked to be on cruise control after winning the first game in Dublin 1-0. But the Irish fought hard in Paris to earn an identical 1-0 away win and force overtime.
It was there that Thierry Henry, who has been one of the games best for as long as he's been playing and had been generally regarded as a decent guy, commited a blatant and obviously intentional handball to control a free-kick that otherwise would have gone out of bounds and allowed the Irish to boot it out of their danger zone. Instead Henry was able to use his illegal control to flip the ball to teammate William Gallas who kicked the winning goal.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/18/thierry-henry-handball-go_n_363155.html
Henry to his credit admitted to handling the ball after the game, even saying in effect that the referee should have called the foul if he had only caught him, but he didn't so yay for us. This could possibly spare him the life-long enmity that the English-speaking world has for Diego Maradona, who was maddingly coy after the 'hand of God' incident in 1986. Probably not though. Henry insists that the handball was accidental, and the video makes it clear that it was a perfectly conscious act of motor control. And then there is the fact that it usually takes the Irish about a thousand years or so to forgive historical wrongs. We can be assured that the next time Henry's club team, Barcelona, gets matched up in the Champions League against a team with strong Irish support, such as Man U or Celtic, extreme nastiness will ensue.
While the Sweedish referee was not directly next to Henry when the incident occured, he was nearby and looking in the general area when it happened, and the fact that he allowed such an obvious foul to determine who did and who didn't go to the World Cup is unacceptable. There have been some internet rumblings about a conspiracy. Some people are convinced that the ref was instructed by FIFA or UEFA to make sure that the team representing the larger and more populous France made it into the cup and brought their television revenue with them. This is I suppose possible but not likely. The gap in size and international clout between Russia and Slovenia is much greater after all, but that didn't stop the Fighting Gulags from going down. It's more likely that the ref was half-consciously influenced by eighty thousand home fans proclaiming their side to be the good guys, and this is something that happens in every sport. It's a shame but human nature is what it is.
As someone with a hint of Irish in my genes I myself am slightly pissed, but mainly because team USA was busy getting torn apart in a friendly at the same time Ireland vs. France was going down and so American audiences were denied the chance to see an outstanding game. If UEFA had the same delusions about winning over the US that the NFL has about finding an obvious in Europe, they would have made sure that France vs. Ireland and USA's debacle at Denmark would have been in different time slots. The matchup between two Western European cultural cousins was, after all, the game that held the most interest for U.S soccer fans. Instead the only qualifier we were treated to was the terribly grim affair between Ukraine and Greece.
It reminds me of another great sporting moment that I missed, the 'Janet Jackson shows her tit' incident from the Super Bowl halftime show a few years back. I was attending a SB party where everyone else had started drinking three hours before the game so that I was the only one still awake by the time halftime came along. I remember the halftime show as being insufferably awful, so much so that when Janet busted out "Rhythm Nation" it was like hearing Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock by comparision. At the end of the show I had my head buried in my hands to make the awfulness disappear and the only hint I got that something interesting had happened was the sleepy mouth-agape look I saw on this guy named Pete from accross the room. The controversy that followed left me quite uncomfortable, like I was a political exile cut off from the world, and I've made a point to be vicariously in the thick of things via the internet ever since. So here I am.
Dé Céadaoin, Samhain 04, 2009
I Knew This Guy as A Teenager
Shane maybe? He sold me some weed and some of his moms prescription pills when I was sixteen. Huge Marilyn Mansion fan. He told me he had been in an orgy with three girls in the town cemetary.
Such equisite bullshit. Delivered with such confidence. I've always admired that guy. Fuck him all the same.
Such equisite bullshit. Delivered with such confidence. I've always admired that guy. Fuck him all the same.
Dé hAoine, Deireadh Fómhair 30, 2009
Carmen Sandiego Porn
I was hoping to find something a little sweeter, more satin and candlelight eh? For shame.
Come see me whenever you get tired of getting hurt Carmen.
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