TRADITIONAL HISTORICISM

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TRADITIONAL HISTORICISM

For a PDF tract of this introduction please click on this link.

Historicism is the approach through which all Jews and Christians understand Old Testament Bible prophecy was fulfilled:

"Historicism is a method of interpretation in Christian eschatology which attempts to associate biblical prophecies with actual historical events and identify symbolic beings with historical persons or societies. The Historicist school of prophetic interpretation results in a progressive and continuous fulfillment of prophecy....."

"The main texts of interest are apocalyptic literature, such as the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, and historicist methods have been applied to ancient Jewish history, the Roman Empire, Mohammedism, the Papacy, the Modern era and even into the End time." - quoted from Wikipedia

Available evidence suggests historicism was also the approach through which the church understood New Testament prophecy was being fulfilled, up until the 19th century, when the approaches of preterism and futurism began to come into vogue. Thus among the four approaches to prophetic interpretation, historicism is the one that can be characterized as traditional, while it also employs a uniform approach to all bible prophecy. Through this traditional approach 1900 years of Christian era history - that is unavailable to futurists or preterists - opens up for consideration as historical fulfillment of New Testament prophecy, when we return to 1800 years of Christian era historicist tradition. Importantly, this allows consideration of the 7th century antichrist false prophet Muhammad as THE false prophet referenced in the Book of Revelation, and his Islamic kingdom "beast" as the final foe of God's people. This shouldn't really be a surprise considering that one-quarter of mankind in the world today are filled with complete resolve to specifically DISbelieve the whole subject of the Gospel and thus REJECT the shed blood of the Lamb of God, and DENY the Son of God, as articles of their faith in the false prophet Muhammad alone. Let alone that Muhammad commanded his followers to fight, conquer and subjugate specifically Jews and Christians, as well as the rest of mankind, to disbelieving, denying and rejecting the same.

Section links on this page (best read in order beginning with the rest of this section) include Reformers on Islam in prophecy, Reformers on the "Time of the End", Daniel's "Time of the End", The D ay-Year Language of Prophecy, The False Prophet, Kingdom "Beasts", The Tragedy, The Mark of the Beast, The Number 666 and a Subject List of related topics on companion websites. The presentation here is a bit brief, because these subjects are covered extensively on companion sites, at the page links provided throughout this page.

The traditional historicist approach has been largely ignored in modern times, in part because it has been employed by some cults, that are noted for Roman Church bashing. While not supported directly through scripture, it shouldn't be a surprise that some of the Reformers desired to at least pencil in the papacy as a possibility for the role of "The" "Antichrist", with the smell of the burning flesh of their brethren still in the air. The SDAs (William Miller - Ellen White ) and some other historicists, continue to bash the Roman Church today, primarily because of the historical persecution of Christians and their scripturally unsupportable traditions. However, at least as defined by the four verses that actually include the term "antichrist", it is beyond difficult to suggest that the Roman Church is antichrist.

Christians on Islam in Prophecy (URL)

Of Revelation chapter 9: John Foxe who authored Foxe’s Book of Martyrs wrote that it is “clearer than light itself” as being a prophecy of the Muslim conquests.

Albert Barnes: “With surprising unanimity, commentators have agreed in regarding this to the empire of the Saracens (Muslims), or to the rise and the progress of the religion and the empire set up by Muhammed.”

W.B. Godbey: “This chapter is a thrilling description of the rise and progress of the Mohammedan wars.”

Of the locusts of Revelation 9: Adam Clarke: “certainly agrees better with the Saracens than with any other people or nation” and “agrees very well with the troops of Mohammed.”

Matthew Henry: “the armies of the Mohamedan empire.”

John Wesley: “All this agrees with the slaughter which the Saracens made for a long time after Mahomet’s death.”

Reformers including Calvin and Luther on other passages as well.

Reformers on the "time of the end" (URL)

Great men of God of the Reformation like Matthew Henry and Isaac Newton understood that the "time of the end" to which Daniel's prophecy refers was yet in their future, and thus the book of Daniel was still sealed, so they knew they were precluded from gaining a complete understanding of it. However consider the excitement that 17th century Matthew Henry expressed, when anticipating the "time of the end" in his future, in which we may well find ourselves today:

"VI. That this prophecy of those times, though sealed up now, would be of great use to those that should live then, v. 4. Daniel must now shut up the words and seal the book because the time would be long ere these things would be accomplished: and it was some comfort that the Jewish nation, though, in the infancy of their return from Babylon, while they were few and weak, they met with obstructions in their work, were not persecuted for their religion till a long time after, when they had grown to some strength and maturity. He must seal the book because it would not be understood, and therefore would not be regarded, till the things contained in it were accomplished; but he must keep it safely, as a treasure of great value, laid up for the ages to come, to whom it would be of great service; for many shall then run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Then this hidden treasure shall be opened, and many shall search into it, and dig for the knowledge of it, as for silver. They shall run to and fro, to enquire out copies of it, shall collate them, and see that they be true and authentic. They shall read it over and over, shall meditate upon it, and run it over in their minds; discurrent—they shall discourse of it, and talk it over among themselves, and compare notes about it, if by any means they may sift out the meaning of it; and thus knowledge shall be increased. By consulting this prophecy on this occasion they shall be led to search other scriptures, which shall contribute much to their advancement in useful knowledge; for then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord, Hos. 6:3. Those that would have their knowledge increased must take pains, must not sit still in slothfulness and bare wishes but run to and fro, must make use of all the means of knowledge and improve all opportunities of getting their mistakes rectified, their doubts resolved, and their acquaintance with the things of God improved, to know more and to know better what they do know. And let us here see reason to hope that, 1. Those things of God which are now dark and obscure will hereafter be made clear, and easy to be understood. Truth is the daughter of time. Scripture prophecies will be expounded by the accomplishment of them; therefore they are given, and for that explication they are reserved. Therefore they are told us before, that, when they do come to pass, we may believe. 2. Those things of God which are despised and neglected, and thrown by as useless, shall be brought into reputation, shall be found to be of great service, and be brought into request; for divine revelation, however slighted for a time, shall be magnified and made honourable, and, above all, in the judgment of the great day, when the books shall be opened, and that book among the rest."

Some of us have come to realize the excitement that Matthew Henry anticipated for our times, but do we find a Berean-spirited church running "to and fro" while digging "as for silver" and making "use of all the means of knowledge and improve all opportunities of getting their mistakes rectified", as Matthew Henry imagined?

Isaac Newton: "This Prophecy is called the Revelation, with respect to the scripture of truth, which Daniel was commanded to shut up and seal, till the time of the end. Daniel sealed it until the time of the end; {Daniel 12:4, 9} and until that time comes, the Lamb is opening the seals:....

All which is as much as to say, that these Prophecies of Daniel and John should not be understood till the time of the end: .... But in the very end, the Prophecy should be so far interpreted as to convince many." (Part II. Observations Upon the Apocalypse of St. John. Chap 1)

If Matthew Henry or Isaac Newton were around today would they have difficulty recognizing this Islamic Second Jihad as being in the image of the First Islamic Jihad, with Muhammad as the false prophet of the book of Revelation, and his Islamic kingdom "beast" as the final foe of God's people? Since most Christians are unfamiliar with the traditional historicist approach as applied to New Testament prophecy, the way those great men of God of the Reformation did, it's important to set aside doctrine rather than trying to wring this entirely separate approach through a filter of pre-conceived notions as you progress down this page. A complete Dan-Rev study within this traditional historicist approach is available, and presented as a brick by brick empirical argument, that's free and fun to read. A PDF of "The False Prophet" by Ellis Skolfield is available on the author's website at this link, with an html version along with PDFs of the book in several languages, at BeholdTheBeast.com.

While futurism and preterism essentially preclude even considering 1900 years of Christian era history as having any relevance to prophesy in the book of Revelation (after chapter 3), the traditional historicist approach leads to a hermeneutically sound and irresistible conclusion that Muhammad is an excellent fit as the false prophet, and his Islamic kingdom "beast" as the final foe of God's people.

For discussion of all subjects included in this site please join us in the Islam-Christian Forum.

Daniel's "Time of the End" (URL) (for a PDF of this section please click here)

As has been pointed out on another page, since futurism is founded upon a 19th century interpretation of the book of Daniel, that suggests that Daniel's "time of the end" is yet in the future, the difficulty therein becomes apparent.....

Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

.....since the book of Daniel would remain sealed today. However if we are willing to consider a fresh approach within the traditional historicist context, we find that the book of Daniel may well have been unsealed, as confirmed with mathematical precision through two parallel problems that span 2500 years.

(KJV) Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing [was] true, but the time appointed [was] long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

You can web search confirmation of the first year of Cyrus in Babylon to be 537-536 BC making the third year of Cyrus 534-533 BC

Toward the end of this prophecy we read:

(KVJ) Daniel 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that [it shall be] for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished.

Hebrew scholars - both Messianic and some that don't yet recognize Jesus as their Messiah - translate the Hebrew idiom "time, times, and an half" somewhat differently than most Christians have been taught. Below is the above verse from a version of the Tanach:

Daniel 12:7 And I heard the man clad in linen, who was above the waters of the river, and he raised his right hand and his left hand to the heavens, and he swore by the Life of the world, that in the time of [two] times and a half, and when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people, all these will end.

Link to chabad.org - But hey, what would Hebrew scholars know about antiquated Hebrew idioms?! :-)

While Hebrew scholars understand the idiom in the passage indicates a factor of 2-1/2, they readily admit their books and commentaries are silent in regard to just what a "time" is, and thus what the verse indicates 2-1/2 of. However most Christians are familiar with the following verse from the New Testament:

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Greek word that is translated as "day" in the above verse is "hemera". It is an ambiguous word, the definition of which, is determined by it's context.

In three other passages in the KJV it is translated as "time" (in twelve verses in the NASB).

New Testament Greek Definition:

2250 hemera {hay-mer'-ah}

from (with 5610 implied) of a derivative of hemai (to sit,

akin to the base of 1476) meaning tame, i.e. gentle;

TDNT - 2:943,309; n f

AV - day 355, daily + 2596 15, time 3, not tr 2, misc 14; 389

So if the Lord had meant for a "time" to be as a thousand years:

Then 2-1/2 "times" = 2500 years.

2500 - 533 = 1967 The return of rule over Jerusalem to Jews. The fulfillment of the "times of the Gentiles" in Jerusalem, which "ended shattering the strength of the holy people" or "accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people" or "when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished". (more versions here)

Is this a one "time" wonder?

(KJV) Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters.

You can web search confirmation for the first year of Belshazzar to be 553-552 BC

Later in this dream we read:

(KJV) Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of 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.

2500 - 552 = 1948 The restoration of Jews to their/our covenant land, declaring an independent Israel. End of Jews being given into "his (gentile oppressors guided by Satan) hand" while scattered within and persecuted by Gentile nations.

"His hand" being 'little horn" - from "Zondervan Handbook to the Holy Bible" - "Opposing God's people in different guises throughout history is the "little horn" (8, 20-21), until God finally removes its power."

Yahweh's covenant people restored to their/our covenant land even while many remain in unbelief, restored not as much for their sakes, but for the sake of Yahweh's holy name. A fulfillment of prophecy so spectacular that even "the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD".

The book of Daniel unsealed not by the hand of any 17th or 19th century individual, but by fulfillment of prophecy through the simple passage of time, that could not have been understood until after it was fulfilled!

Please visit the following link for more on Daniel's "times" problems, along with several other math problems assigned to us by prophecy, that demonstrate the mathematical precision thereof within this traditional historicist context. Stunning evidence that should impress even an indoctrinated atheist that still possesses a capacity for critical thought.

The Day-Year Language of Prophecy (URL)

Please note that this webpage is not advancing some modern pop-approach to prophecy like futurism and preterism, but rather the traditional historicist approach through which all Jews and Christians understand Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled, and the approach through which those great men of God of the Reformation would have likely continued to approach New Testament prophecy if they were here today.

Job 8:8 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers: 9 (For we [are but of] yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth [are] a shadow:)

Within this traditional approach, we find that Christians throughout the Christian era recognized a "language of prophecy" of "each day for a year". This language is well familiar to preterists, futurists and historicists as we all apply it to Daniel's 70 "weeks" of days as years, through which it pins the year of the crucifixion of Christ. Examples of those who recognized this day-year language of prophecy beyond that single application are:

Quoting from "The False Prophet": "In 1569, the great Anabaptist theologian, Thieleman van Braght, wrote the following in Martyrs Mirror, pages 21-24: 'a thousand two hundred and threescore days, which reckoned according to prophetic language means as many years… let it be reckoned as it may, say we, as a very long period of time.'

Two hundred years later, Matthew Henry, in his 'Commentary of the Whole Bible', came to the same conclusion (Vol VI, page 1157 column 1, para. 2): "….if the beginning of that interval could be ascertained, this number of prophetic days, taking a day for a year, would give us a prospect of when the end might be."

Also Isaac Newton - "She is nourished by the merchants of the earth, three times or years and an half, or 42 months, or 1260 days: and in these Prophecies days are put for years." - Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John - Chapter 3

Even 19th century Jamison, Faucett & Brown commentary - "..... in the wilderness 'a thousand two hundred and threescore days.' In the wider sense, we may either adopt the year-day theory of 1260 years..."

More examples of those who recognized this day-year "language of prophecy" that necessarily requires the historicist approach include:

Nahawendi (Jewish) (AD 8-9th century)

Jehoram (AD 10th century)

Abraham bar Hiyya (Jewish) (AD 1136)

Arnold of Villanova AD (1292)

Joachim of Floris (AD 1202)

John Wycliffe (AD c.1379)

Nicholas of Cusa (AD c.1452)

Martin Luther (AD 1522)

Phillip Melanchthon (AD 1543)

Johan Funck (AD 1558)

James I of England (AD 1600)

The partial list above is from an SDA site that also mentioned: "Further, this is not an exhaustive list of who believed in the year-day principle."

To tease you into clicking on the link to the prophetic math problems detailed on our companion site, the year 1948 minus 1260 "days" as years equals 688 AD. The founding of the blasphemy filled Islamic structure the Dome of the Rock on the temple mount (written in mosaic "far be it from God's transcendent majesty that he should have a son"). The year 1967 minus 42 "months" of days as years also equals 688, further confirming the Dome of the Rock as the symbol of the false prophet Muhammad, and his Islamic kingdom "beast" as the final foe of God's people.

To see how this "language" of prophecy that was recognized by those great men of God of the Reformation, can be applied to New Testament prophecy in this "time of the end", please visit the following link:

The False Prophet (URL)

Changing gears to an entire approach to New Testament prophecy that is entirely unfamiliar to us is difficult, since we tend to try to wring everything through the filter of preterism or futurism, rather than offer it a chance to stand entirely on its own merit before comparing. Since the history of the Christian era is essentially unavailable to preterists and futurists, their approaches to the book of Revelation necessarily preclude them from even considering, that Muhammad could be the false prophet of the book of Revelation, and his Islamic kingdom "beast" the final foe of God's people. Please note that just because Muhammad died almost 1400 years ago does not exclude him from being "cast into the lake of fire" in the future:

Acts 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Let's take a peek into this fresh yet traditional approach, that allows us to include the history of the Christian era - which includes 1400 years of Islamic history - in a prophecy that the church believes was either all over and done with in the first century (partial preterism) or is yet to be fulfilled during some future someday (futurism) regarding the "the false prophet".

Those of us that have investigated Islam understand that one-quarter of mankind in the world today - 1.5 billion people - are commanded by the false prophet Muhammad to conquer all kingdoms, and subjugate all people to denying the Son of God and rejecting His shed blood, as articles of faith in Muhammad alone.

Bukhari, V1 B2 #24 Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform a that, then they save their lives an property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah."

It would of course be pure blasphemy for a Christian to "testify" to that since Muhammad declared the exact opposite of the whole subject of the Gospel. Let alone that our God's name is YHWH, not "Allah".

Surah 4:157 That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-

More on the subject of the anti-a-specific-religion cult of Islam, on the home page of this site at this link, and very much more at the following link:

Kingdom "Beasts" (URL) (for a tract of this section please click here)

In one of Daniel's prophetic dreams we find the figures of:

Daniel 7:4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings...

Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear...

Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard...

Daniel 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly...

Tens of millions of Jews and Christians understand those figures of lion, bear, leopard, and fourth "beast" in Daniel's Old Testament prophetic dream, to have been fulfilled through the succession of the ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and the Roman Empire, because Daniel's prophecy offers such detailed descriptions of those kingdoms that were to unfold over hundreds of years in his future. Googling "babylon, medo-persia, greece", even in quotes, nets over ten thousand results. Daniel's prophecy defines the term "beast" when used in the context of the figurative language of a prophetic dream or vision:

Daniel 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth.....

Through an adjacent hermeneutic we discover that the only other place those figures are mentioned together in scripture is in Revelation 13, but as a composite beast, and with the order reversed perhaps because Daniel's prophecy was looking forward toward the fulfillment of those kingdoms while John's prophecy was looking back through time after they were fulfilled.

Revelation 13:2 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. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (Daniel assigns the masculine gender to his kingdom "beasts)

The dragon, Satan, gives the "beast" his "seat". The false prophet Muhammad's Islamic kingdom occupies the same geographical area, as Daniel's successive lion/Babylon, bear/Medo-Persia and leopard/Greece, kingdom beasts did.

Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon.....

Denying the Son of God and rejecting His shed blood as articles of faith in the false prophet Muhammad, and praying in the names of the Arabian pagan deity "Allah" and his "messenger" Muhammad, while engaging in thinly veneered pagan Arabian moon, sun, star and jinn-devil worship rituals as Muhammad's tribe the Quraish did before him.

.....which gave power unto the beast:.....

Western wealth transfer through oil development and purchase to fuel western consumption based economies, greedily and immorally financing the very beast, that is the persecutor and oppressor of God's people, who are commanded to subjugate all mankind to denying the Son of God and rejecting His shed blood.

.....and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Just as we've witnessed for decades and continue to see in Afghanistan. With Iran on the verge of having the nuke, and the Taliban biding time until the U.S. cuts and runs, to take over Pakistan's nukes. Who indeed is able to make war with a beast that wears civilian clothing and hides among the general population - an army that IS the general population.

Remembering John's assignment:

Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

So we are to see the world of John's day, through John's eyes. In Revelation 17 John details a history of the succession of all kingdoms, from the beginning of mankind to the present, of John's "whole world":

Revelation 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

And there are seven kings: five are fallen,.....

.....and one is,.....

Daniel's 4th "dreadful" kingdom beast, the Roman Empire, that ruled in John's day as the "one is" to John.

.....[and] the other is not yet come.....

The beast that had "not yet come" in John's day is the false prophet Muhammad's Islamic kingdom that conquered the Roman Empire during the Islamic First Jihad taking Jerusalem in 639 AD.

Islam as the 7th "head" of the leopard-bear-lion beast. The 7th king/beast.

.....; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

The Islamic First Jihad lasted a relatively short 150 years during which it conquered nearly the whole known world, but was turned back in the Battle of Tours France, as date pinned mathematically by Daniel's "1335".

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Characteristic of a composite of the beast that "was" to John's "whole world" before the Roman Empire, were pagan empires uniformly guided by Satan that persecuted and oppressed God's people, and thus were of the "bottomless pit". The Roman Empire began as a pagan empire, and in John's day did it's share of persecuting Jews and Christians. However Christ arrived during the reign of the Roman Empire which eventually embraced and advanced Christianity (though unfortunately to a lesser extent the ecclesia) and the persecution of God's people subsided.

.....shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,.....

The Roman Empire was eventually conquered by another kingdom that was and still is guided by Satan, that ascended out of the bottomless pit, that has persecuted and oppressed God's people for 1400 years. The false prophet Muhammad's Islamic empire. His followers even prostrate themselves toward the Quraish pagan's black stone idol in Mecca five times a day, while praying in the "vain repetitions of the heathen" in the names of the Arabian pagan's deity "Allah" and his "messenger" Muhammad, and engage in thinly veneered Arabian moon, sun, star and jinn-devil worship.

.....and go into perdition:

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Muhammad's Islamic Empire as the 7th "head" of Satan's leopard-bear-lion beast, that was "wounded to death" in the Battle of Tours, but "his deadly wound was healed" by western wealth transfer in oil purchase. Western powers financing the Islamic Second Jihad, in the image of the Islamic First Jihad, by development and purchase of oil to feed consumption based economies.

Do you suppose Isaac Newton would have missed this if he were here today?

"….. it is said, five of the seven Kings are fallen, and one is, and another is not yet come; and the Beast that was and is not, being wounded to death with a sword, he is the eighth, and of the seven: he was therefore a collateral part of the seventh." - Isaac Newton

Whether you agree with the exegesis on this page or not, does not change the fact, that the succession of kingdoms detailed here is not idle speculation or guesswork theology, but rather concrete matters of historical record.

The "two horned beast" of the Crusades and British Mandate held power for short spells, but always "in the presence of" the Islamic beast.

These beasts are covered more extensively on these pages of the companion site:

The Tragedy (URL)

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken,..." As explained in the prior section the "beast" is the false prophet Muhammad's Islamic kingdom - his followers - all perfectly united through the Quran specifically in the spirit of antichrist.

"... and with him..." Daniel assigned the masculine gender to his kingdom "beasts":

"...the false prophet..." The false prophet Muhammad who founded his antichrist Islamic kingdom "beast". The definite article "the" occurs in the Koine Greek and this is no metaphor.

(URL) "...that wrought miracles..." Some reject Muhammad as the false prophet because he did not perform a single miracle, however the Koine Greek word "semeion" translated as "miracles" and "signs", is defined in Strong's as "that by which a person is distinguished from others and is known". That makes Mohammed a perfect fit for the false prophet, since he is his known for his Quran, and has without question been distinguished from others by it for 1400 years. Muhammad's Quran is the "semeion" that he "wrought" before his followers - Muslims - the "beast".

"...before him,..." From Strong's "before" meaning "in the presence of" - the beast.

"...with which he deceived them..." Muhammad's followers - Muslims.

"...that had received the mark..." The number 666 according to some of Muhammad's own followers.

In Revelation 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast {Islam - Muslim}, or the number {666} of his name.

Regarding a physical mark consider the prayer marks and bumps in Muhammad's followers foreheads, from prostrating toward the Quraish pagan's black stone idol in Mecca five times a day, with their foreheads pressed to the ground in the ritual of the Saban moon worshipers.

Continuing with our subject verse:

"... and them..." Muslims

"...that worshipped his image." Today's Islam and Second Jihad, are the image of the First Islamic Jihad, and the beast's ambition to terrorize and conquer all the kingdoms of the world, and subjugate all people to Muhammad's followers. Subjugating everyone in the world to DISbelieving the crucifixion of Christ, thus REJECTING the shed blood of the Messiah, while blaspheming and DENYING the Son of God, as articles of faith in Muhammad alone. Jihad is the pinnacle of worship in Islam.

"These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Though written in the figurative language of a prophetic vision it doesn't seem to spell a picnic. Can it get any worse than that?

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them..." "them" the followers of Muhammad alone, within his Islamic kingdom "beast"

"...was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast..." Muhammad's Islamic empire

"...and the false prophet..." Muhammad

"...[are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Serious business indeed. While written in the figurative language of a prophetic vision, tormented forever and ever without rest in a lake of fire and brimstone, doesn't suggest a picnic.

If we consider an ethnographic hermeneutic of John's "whole world" - that is, looking through John's eyes at the time he penned the book of Revelation in the first century - which is required because his assignment was to: Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

As confirmed by Strong's, John's "whole world" can be considered limited to the whole known world of his day, or the Roman Empire, or what John knew of it. The scriptures were written about the Holy Land, and God's people, not Peoria Illinois.

Eze 5:5 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.

Through this view, with the exception of the tiny strip of land of Israel, protected by the democracy of the Jewish State, we find almost the entirety of John's "whole world" is marked by the name of the Islamic beast today! Islam! That would make the mark of the beast fulfilled prophecy!

Almost everyone in John's world has been conquered by the "beast" and follows the false prophet Muhammad. Today the tiny remnant of Jews and Christians in those Islamic countries are being wiped out by the Muslim Brotherhood and churches like this one in Egypt burned.

In Saudi Arabia, if a Muslim announces they have come to know the love of the one true God through Jesus Christ, they are beheaded. The penalty prescribed for "apostasy", or turning away from Islam, is death. The ultimate exit penalty and hallmark of a dangerous cult, whether the crime syndicate of the Mafia, or the false prophet Muhammad's Mafia.

The Mark of the Beast (URL)

Do the followers of the false prophet Muhammad - who are commanded to subjugate the whole world to denying the Son of God and rejecting His shed blood - need a microchip to be implanted in their hands for God to sort things out?

Revelation 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast {Islam - Muslim}, or the number {666} of his name.

And thus it is in much of the Middle East - or John's whole world TODAY - almost all of whom are marked with the name of the beast. Except for the tiny remnant that is being wiped out, outside of Israel's democracy where the freedom, liberty and right to self-determination of Israeli Jews, Christians, non-Muslim Arabs and Muslims are protected by the Jewish State. Where Muslims enjoy more freedom than they do in any Muslim controlled country on earth. When we exercise the discipline of hermeneutic rules in our Bible study we find that prophecy is nearly fulfilled, and our Lord and Savior's return is truly imminent. Perhaps even today!

The Number 666 (URL)

It is interesting to note that at least one sect of Islam considers the number 666 to be the number of the Quran and Muhammad, through a computer generated gematria, that was initially well received throughout the Islamic world in the early 1970s. From the Islamic sect that still remains:

"This book is the Quran; and the Quran is '666.'"

Here's a link - and an excerpt from another.

"The truth is that This Quran is the 666" "GOD made His Messenger a witness with the letter Qaf and the number 666."

"The number 666 is highly publicized all over the world and it is associated with evil and danger.

However, it is not what it seems. It was a Satanic trick.

The trick was to prevent the people approaching the 666.

Satan knew that the 666 is the book of GOD and the people should be kept away from it.

According to his plan, he placed a bad image to the number 666."

"The truth is that This Quran is the 666 , The Book from The Lord of the Universe."

"The First Sura in the Quran, 666, is Praise. This sura is the gift of GOD to us to establish Contact with Him through our daily Contact Prayers. "

"GOD made His Messenger a witness with the letter Qaf and the number 666."

Here's a link to a 9 minute video regarding this subject.

When I visited YouTube in about December of 2007 I did a search of - mark beast microchip - and found around 150 videos. When I did the same search on July 27, 2009 I found 645. On October 24, 2011 I found 2,220. This is the result of pop-futurist doctrine and such as the popular "Left Behind" series.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Subject List (URL) Of some of subjects covered in companion web sites, somewhat in order of importance, though many more subjects are covered there.

Related to Christianity:

MATHEMATICAL PRECISION OF PROPHECY (stunning mathematical proof of God)

CHRISTIAN ZIONISM (considerably more extensive than the page on this site)

THE BEAST (of Revelation chapter 13 - compare with your current hermeneutic solution)