The Mark of the Beast

[sundin13]

padib said:

sundin13 said:

You are introducing your own contexts into the scripture. There is no requirement for decomposition that I see in the scripture. It only states that there was a wound that looked to be fatal, but had healed. Further, it is impossible to state for certain how literal this is to be. 

Looking for interpretations of this verse, the first I found speculated that this is a reference to the fall and rebuild of the Roman Empire.

I'm not sure what you are trying to imply by bringing up the further context implying that this individual is a leader of a region of the world, even assuming that this inference is true. And btw, going by the contexts you provided, it is not necessary for this individual to be a leader of a region of the world. This individual could be bestowed power, or raise a non-state army (ala terrorist groups), or further, this could be a metaphor and not be meant literally. Perhaps "war" is not a literal war of armies, but a spiritual or ideological conflict.

You mentioned that it's the horn of a leapordbear lion, I shared scripture that makes it clear that it's a person that people will follow, and who's resurrection will astonish people. More than citing the text to show you that what I'm saying is true to the text, I can't offer.

The best I can do is point you to Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.

Again, you believe it to make clear that it is a person, because it fits best in modern contexts by your personal estimation. It is not made clear by the scripture, as the scripture intentionally makes very little clear. 

However, I will say this in regards to your interpretations. If science allows individuals to be brought back from the dead, why would this bestow any theological significance on any individual? That is to say, why would people be astounded and follow such a man, when his resurrection was the product of science? That would be like following the first man who had received a heart transplant as if he had done anything. It would make far more sense to deify the doctor or scientist in such a scenario. As such, I see little logic in your interpretation that this will be a byproduct of scientific advancements.