Barraco said:

A8. The kingdom of the beast in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 are the kingdoms of the world. 1+2+3+4=10. Therefore the ten horns represent global authority. These are the ones Babylon runs after.

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I thought the number 10 itself signified completeness - where 7 represents God's perfection.

Barraco said:

A9. See A3. A mark on the forehead represents a testimony while a mark on the right hand represents deeds.

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Interesting. Have you seen the Bible Project on this? he has a Phd in Hebrew Apocalyptic Symbolism.
He basically thinks it's the Shema prayer - but a worldly version.
The image seems to be of someone so trusting in the power of the state and wealth they are almost "praying" to the authorities of this world for their security!

It's obviously an image - because there's a Christian image of the Christian martyrs having a WHITE stone on their foreheads in heaven in the very next chapter. Apocalyptic Symbolism does a lot of 'compare and contrast' to draw out the nuances and sometimes starker comparisons.

Barraco said:

A10. The mark of the beast is the antithesis of keeping God's commandments and bearing testimony of Jesus. Believers who don't heed the seven messages will take the mark of the beast after the worldly messiah, the false messiah that seeks power over the kingdoms of this world (the four beasts/ten horns), presents himself as the world's savior, using miraculous signs to deceive people who love lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13).

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Yes! As certain Caesars did, and Mohammad, and Hitler and Stalin and North Korea.
It's not about predicting one future anti-Christ - but a symbolic sermon on suffering to Christians in ANY age that might face one.

(Revelation has a bunch of warnings. EG: Against the temptation us in the rich western democracies might have - to worship Babylon in all her wealth - and trust in her for security!)

Barraco said:

A11. We get the seal of God by heeding the messages to the seven stars and loving Jesus more than anything this world can offer.

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Exactly! In any age.

Barraco said:

A12. Jesus is Lord of all the days of the week. He is our the rest, the second Adam, the new creation. If we make anything about us, we stop following Jesus. He went to the cross. No servant is above his master, so we go to the cross as well. If we aren't willing to follow Jesus to the cross, what good does it do to debate whether one day is holier than another? We stand convicted as hypocrites.

A13. The beast, the antichrist and son of perdition, is the ruler of the kingdoms of this world. 666 is the gematria calculation of the false messiah (656) that rules over the kingdoms of this world (10). The transliteration of the Hebrew word for mashiach (messiah) into Greek language is messias. M(40)+E(5)+S(200)+S(200)+I(10)+A(1)+S(200)=656. The kingdoms of this world, as explained in A8 are the four beasts added together: 1+2+3+4=10. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” (John 18:36) The false messiah is the one that fails to the temptations Jesus endured in the wilderness. He gives everything up for worldly power. That is how Satan gives the beast is authority and dominion. At the time the Apocalypse was received by John, the beast was Caesar.

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Exactly.

Barraco said:

A14-A15. The Papacy. Homey don't play that. Babylon is everywhere. She is sitting next to Zion in the pews at every church this Advent morning. The only way to tell the difference is by her fruit. She lives for this world and not the kingdom to come. The wheat and tares will both be harvested at the end of the age.

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I don't know I would say Babylon sits in the pew with us - but more that potential followers of Babylon do.
Which is the scary message of Revelation.
We've got to keep checking our own hearts for this stuff!

But so many turn Revelation into a B-Grade Sci-Fi movie - and spend all their time trying to calculate the end times tables. They've seen "The Omen" or "Numbers" or some other Hollywood lie that says Revelation has a secret coded message for the last generation. (Which of course would make it utterly irrelevant to the church for the last 2000 years!)

Then when their precious end-times-tables inevitably fail with the passage of time, how many people who trusted in these self-proclaimed "prophets" just fall away as Christianity to them has lost all credibility?

contratodo said:

I did four years of Greek in Bible college. The text is clear, the beast will speak blaspheme about those in heaven. Those outside of the sky.

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OK - you've got one up on me on the Greek.

But I'm not talking about myself.

I'm talking about those who have read the other Apocalyptic Symbolism of the day, from 200 BC to 200 AD, and understand the rules.

Did you study them?

LoveGodsWord said:

What are your thoughts? Is God's true ISRAEL the Church?

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Since all of Israel shall be saved, even those who were and are enemies of the Gospel your theory should work that into the church picture. Romans 11:26-32

Additionally Paul was clear who was not Israel mentioned in Romans 9 and pinpointed in Romans 11:8, that being a blinding deafening spirit God Himself put upon the majority, in our behalves no less.

I might suggest it does not pay to block heavens gate to any person, ever, for any reason, 2 Cor. 5:19

Assume the best for everyone and assume them all IN

Jesus, Savior of the world who gets the job done

Yttrium said:

No.

By the same token, you could say "hey, let's cut off social security until we've screened out all the frauds". Or "hey, let's cancel all airline flights until we check out those chemtrail claims". We have a screening process in place. We can work to improve it without cutting it off entirely for who knows how long.

Mind you, I'm not opposed to making it more difficult to immigrate to the US. Fine by me. But there are plenty of people who are trying to get here legitimately, and it would be unfair to block them due to an overreaction.

Now, if it turns out that Trump went and fired half the screeners, that's his own fault.

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If you have not already noticed, the country is hemorrhaging with a multitude of immigrants who have no desire to assimilate, along with a multitude of citizens who just want to suck on the tite of the American tax payer. So frankly, due to failed democratic policies as you have mentioned, we are now in a position where we cannot afford to take on any more leaches of the global society. It is now a situation of whether you contribute to America, or find another gravy train elsewhere. This applies not only to immigrants, but also to U.S. citizens.

So I say "Yes!," let's cut the hemorrhage to deal with our own in-house issues. Then, once we have cut the leaches, we can then address the needs of those outside the country.

Valletta said:

25,000 dead soldiers just last month. Joe Biden said he would permit a small incursion and there have been over a million casualties, many civilians.
Trump is doing what no Democrat, no person, has been able to do and that is getting the two countries to negotiate for peace. Everyone in the world should support such humanitarian efforts. Russia and Ukraine may or may not come to an agreement, that is up to their leaders, but at least Trump is putting forth the effort.

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... But there is no negotiations between Russia and Ukraine going on.

### Traditional Jewish Assignments (most common version)
Based on Midrash (e.g., Numbers Rabbah 2:7) and later sources like Rashi and the Zohar:

- Judah (East) → Lion (because Judah is called a "lion’s whelp" in Genesis 49:9)
- Reuben (South) → Man (because Reuben was the firstborn of a human mother, or because of the mandrakes story in Genesis 30 showing human-like behavior)
- Ephraim (West) → Ox (because of Joseph’s blessing in Deuteronomy 33:17, which speaks of oxen horns; Ephraim and Manasseh were sons of Joseph)
- Dan (North) → Eagle (or sometimes a serpent/eagle hybrid, based on Genesis 49:17 and the idea of swiftness)

This one isn't an all time record; but it's worth mentioning:

Another record?

“Life happens.” Okay, but how much life can happen to one person or family?!

Hi 9Rock9,

Welcome!

If we are followers of Yahshua; should we not follow Yahshua?

(CLV) Mt 5:17
"You should not infer that I came to demolish the law or the prophets. I came not to demolish, but to fulfill.

(CLV) Mt 5:18
For verily, I am saying to you, Till heaven and earth should be passing by, one iota or one serif may by no means be passing by from the law till all should be occurring.

(CLV) Mt 5:19
"Whosoever, then, should be annulling one of the least of these precepts, and should be teaching men thus, the least in the kingdom of the heavens shall he be called. Yet whoever should be doing and teaching them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.

(CLV) Mt 7:21
"Not everyone saying to Me `Lord! Lord!' will be entering into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who is doing the will of My Father Who is in the heavens.
(CLV) Mt 7:22
Many will be declaring to Me in that day, `Lord! Lord! Was it not in Your name that we prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many powerful deeds?'

(CLV) Mt 7:23
And then shall I be avowing to them that `I never knew you! Depart from Me, workers of lawlessness!'

(CLV) Mt 13:41
The Son of Mankind shall be dispatching His messengers, and they shall be culling out of His kingdom all the snares and those doing lawlessness

Gentiles (Goyim)?

According to Paul when we convert to be followers of Yahshua; we are no longer Goyim.


Ephesians 2

11 Wherefore, remember that once you, the nations (Gentiles) in flesh - who are termed 'Uncircumcision' by those termed 'Circumcision,' in flesh, made by hands -"

Not anymore!

12 that you were, in that era, apart from Christ, being alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and guests of the promise covenants, having no expectation, and without God in the world."

Not anymore! Hmmm...covenants, plural.

13 Yet now, in Christ Jesus, you, who once are far off, are become near by the blood of Christ."

Citizens of Israel.


(CLV) Hb 8:10
"For this is the covenant which I shall be covenanting with the house of Israel after those days," the Lord is saying: "Imparting My laws to their comprehension, On their hearts, also, shall I be inscribing them, And I shall be to them for a God, And they shall be to Me for a people.


14 For He is our Peace, Who makes both one, and razes the central wall of the barrier"

No difference between those who were born into the false dogma of Judaism, and those who were born into the false teaching of Paganism. All of those in Yahshua are in the truth of YHWH's perfect Torah.

15 (the enmity in His flesh), nullifying the law of precepts in decrees, (dogma, Talmud) that He should be creating the two, in Himself, into one new humanity, making peace;"

Israel!

(CLV) Mt 15:24
Now He, answering, said, "I was not commissioned except for the lost sheep of the house of Israel."



16 and should be reconciling both in one body to God through the cross, killing the enmity in it."

(CLV) Num 15:15
As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the sojourner sojourning with you. It shall be an eonian (FOREVER) statute throughout your generations. Like you so shall the sojourner be before Yahweh.

17 And, coming, He brings the evangel of peace to you, those afar, and peace to those near, 18 for through Him we both have had access, in one spirit, to the Father." 19 Consequently, then, no longer are you guests and sojourners, but are fellow-citizens of the saints and belong to God's family,


For whoever are baptized into Christ, put on Christ,

(CLV) Ga 3:28
in Whom there is no Jew nor yet Greek, there is no slave nor yet free, there is no male and female, for you all are one in Christ Jesus.

(CLV) Ga 3:29
Now if you are Christ's, consequently you are of Abraham's seed, enjoyers of the allotment according to the promise.


(CLV) Num 15:15
As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the sojourner sojourning with you. It shall be an eonian statute throughout your generations. Like you so shall the sojourner be before Yahweh.

(CLV) Num 15:16
One law and one custom, it shall come to be for you and for the sojourner sojourning with you.

Richard T said:

I don't think that any of us expect perfection, but I do hope we all expect competence. I would also hope that any ICE agent would know how to run an ID check. Surely there is a way to run Native American ID's? If not why? But I don't blame the individual agents who have little training. The blame goes up the chain.

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And I expect more from ICE and the President of the United States.

Vambram said:

This is not common place at all. Humans are not perfect so to expect perfection is a mistake.

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I don't think that any of us expect perfection, but I do hope we all expect competence. I would also hope that any ICE agent would know how to run an ID check. Surely there is a way to run Native American ID's? If not why? But I don't blame the individual agents who have little training. The blame goes up the chain.

Fantine said:

You could have answered me with one word. Denial.

But that's ok. I accurately translated your answer.

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I don't believe that you have accurately translated my answer at all.

This is not common place at all. Humans are not perfect so to expect perfection is a mistake.

Oompa Loompa said:

Please list those countries or provide a source. Thank you in advance.

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Here is a list of the most Christian Countries by %. Most Christian Countries 2025

Here is a list of the 19 nations that were banned. A Guide to the Countries on Trump’s 2025 Travel Ban List
Here is a list of nations that are not low income.
From google AI which sorted the lists by income, I got these results for full bans

• Iran (Upper-middle income)
• Libya (Upper-middle income)
• Myanmar (Burma) (Lower-middle income)
• Sudan (Lower-middle income)
• Syria (Low income, but was middle income prior to civil war)
• Yemen (Low income, but was middle income prior to civil war)
• Haiti (Lower-middle income

For partial bans, I got these nations

• Venezuela (Upper-middle income)
• Cuba (Upper-middle income)
• Nigeria (Lower-middle income)
• Kyrgyzstan (Lower-middle income)
• Tanzania (Lower-middle income)
• Laos (Lower-middle income)
• Sierra Leone (Low income)
• Togo (Low income)
• Turkmenistan (Upper-middle income)
• Burundi (Low income)

I admit I am surprised that some of these nations like Cuba are not low income. But the upper-middle nations make the use of "third world" a poorer descriptor than it already is.

Oompa Loompa said:

That is a fair and honest answer. So you agree that the limited resources are limited. Would it fair to propose cutting off the flow of incoming immigrants until the limited resources are better allocated to the ones who need it while screening put the ones who are manipulating and taking advantage of it?

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No.

By the same token, you could say "hey, let's cut off social security until we've screened out all the frauds". Or "hey, let's cancel all airline flights until we check out those chemtrail claims". We have a screening process in place. We can work to improve it without cutting it off entirely for who knows how long.

Mind you, I'm not opposed to making it more difficult to immigrate to the US. Fine by me. But there are plenty of people who are trying to get here legitimately, and it would be unfair to block them due to an overreaction.

Now, if it turns out that Trump went and fired half the screeners, that's his own fault.