The Setting of the Final Battle of Armageddon - The Dragon, The Anti-Christ and The Prophet on the move...

 The Setting of the Final Battle of Armageddon

The Dragon, The Anti-Christ and The Prophet
on the move...


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Have you seen many posts on the mark of the beast recently?
But have you stopped to wonder what the emphasis is in Revelation 13?

I do not think the important point is about the mark but it is about the revelation of who the beast is.
To focus only on the mark but ignoring the identity of the source of the mark (beast) is at risk of error,
i.e. if a mark (666 or implanted microchips) does not belong to the beast, it is NOT the mark of the beast. It is just an ordinary meaningless mark.
~~~

Who is the Beast?

13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

13:18 Here is wisdom.
Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Revelation 13:17‭-‬18 KJV

(Textus Receptus)
13:18  Ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν ὁ ἔχων τὸν νοῦν ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου ἀριθμὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ χξς
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References:
"Strong's Definition" and "Outline of Biblical Usage"
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/rev/13/17/s_1180017

Verse 13:17
mark:
- a scratch or etching, i.e. stamp (as a badge of servitude), or scupltured figure (statue):—graven, mark.
- a stamp, an imprinted mark

name:
- a "name" (literally or figuratively) (authority, character):—called, (+ sur-)name(-d).
- the name is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name, i.e. for one's rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellences, deeds etc.

beast:
- a dangerous animal:—(venomous, wild) beast.
- metaph. a brutal, bestial man, savage, ferocious

number:
- a number (as reckoned up):—number
- an indefinite number, a multitude

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Verse 13:18
wisdom:
- wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual):—wisdom.
- spec. the varied knowledge of things human and divine, acquired by acuteness and experience, and summed up in maxims and proverbs
- the intelligence evinced in discovering the meaning of some mysterious number or vision

understanding:
- the intellect, i.e. mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by implication, meaning:—mind, understanding.
- the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially

count:
- to use pebbles in enumeration, i.e. (generally) to compute:—count.
- to give one's vote by casting a pebble into the urn
- to decide by voting

Six hundred threescore and six:
- (referring to the symbol, image or vision of, rather than the literal Greek number)
- χξς


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Paraphrasing verses 13:17-18 based on the above re-interpretations.

Verse 13:17
And that no man might buy or sell,
1) save he that had the mark,
2) or the name of the beast,
3) or the number of his name.
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And that no man might buy or sell,
1) save he that had the [imprinted] mark (in their right hand or in their foreheads),

2) or (had) [everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering,] the name of the [brutal, savage, ferocious, bestial man],
=> meaning a believer in the bestial man

3) or (had) the [a multitude (bearing)] of his name.
=> meaning the disciples or sons of his name


Verse 13:18
Here is wisdom.
Let him that hath understanding
count the number of the beast:
for it is the number of a man;
and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
~~~
Here is [the intelligence indicated in discovering the meaning of the mysterious vision/image].
Let him that hath [the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially]
[decide by voting] the [multitude] of the [brutal, savage, ferocious, bestial man]:
for it is [a multitude] of a man;
=> meaning a group or organisation representing the belief of a man;
and his [multitude, organisation] is [χξς]