You might want to check out my other Blogs.

Looking at the stats it seems this Blog currently gets the most views of the blogs I run, even when I haven't posted or promoted anything on it recently.  There must be some people coming here regularly, perhaps annoyed how little I've been posting lately.

My interest in Bible Prophecy fluctuates, lately I've been posting once a month here, but there will likely be a time in the future when I'll have more to say.  I do have some ideas for future posts currently in my head, I'd like to get one up before the year's over but no promises.

The posts I'll link to are ones I figure are of relevance or interest to people interested in my takes on Bible Prophecy.

My strong position on The General Resurrection of The Dead being a literal and physical Resurrection is vital to my understanding of Prophecy, as shown by the post I made for November.  But it's relevant to more then just Prophecy, it's one of the core doctrines of The Faith.  So my posts most directly about that have actually been on my more general Theology blog.  Posts like Spiritual and Heavenly, what do they mean? and The Sects of First Century Judaism, and that overlaps with my opposition to Platonic/Pythagorean influences on mainstream Christianity, which come up in my posts about the Origins of Puritan Sexual Morality, or God and The Universe, or Divine Impassability/Immutability.  I also talk about Politics sometimes, and that informs how I look at Prophecy as well.  I've made a couple posts on my secular reasons for being a Zionist, and there is more I want to add to that subject in the future.

Then there is the blog where I talk about fiction and entertainment media I enjoy, for the last few years it's been dominated by Anime.  That's the one I generally try to post to most consistently.

For all of us interested in Bible Prophecy, how we visualize it is pretty intentionally or not viewed through the lens of a lot of the fiction we like, and in turn certain kinds of fiction always make us think of Bible Prophecy.  A lot of the popular tends in Futurist speculation of the last 30 or even 40 years feel like premises for a Cyber-Punk novel, many views on the Mark of the Beast and Image of the Beast lend themselves to transhumanism.  Rob Skiba is literally trying to make a SciFi TV show out of his theories, which I've already talked about on that blog once.

So yeah Bible Prophecy is constantly on my mind when I'm watching Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes, Chaos;Head or Code Geass.  Though I try to restrain myself from actually bringing it up there.  I haven't posted anything on the new Dune or Wheel of Time yet, but I intend to.

Horror stuff can also overlap with Bible Prophecy.  I have after all come close to literally arguing The Antichrist is a Mummy, and elsewhere used my False Prophet speculations to justify certain Vampire Lore.  October is a month in which Horror stuff is more likely to come up.  

And the theory I proposed in my latest Zelda post is based on stuff I was able to notice because of the studying of Byzantine architecture I've done while trying to determine where I think The Temple stood.

Is it possible the word Arnion is related to Karneios?

Karnieos was a uniquely Dorian epithet of Apollo that reflected Apollo's associations with Rams and Shepherds.  As Apollon Karnieos he was depicted as having two Ram's Horns which fits the imagery of the Beast from The Earth in Revelation 13.  Apollo was also associated with Prophecy.
https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/stater-of-metapontion-with-head-of-apollo-karneios-1249

Because Dorian was a distinct dialect of Greek, and not the same dialect the New Testament was written in, maybe it's possible the K at the beginning of this word was a result of the Doric accent thus making Arnion/Arnios/Arnia basically the same word.  Apollo's association with Rams and Shepherds was not unique to the Dorians however.
https://sites.google.com/site/apollonslyre/theoi-gods/apollon/about-apollon/apollon-karneios

Corinth was a Dorian part of Greece and did indeed have a Temple to Apollon Karneios, so Christians would have been exposed to the concept.  When arguing that Pergamon might be Ilium/Troy I cited evidence that stuff from the Iliad might have been alluded to in Revelation, scenes that specifically involved Apollon.  Well the Iliad also refers to Apollon as Shepherding the Herds of Ilium.  So Apollo could well be link-able to the Idol Shepherd of Zechariah 12.

Apollo is also said to have taken the form of a Wolf in one account, making two of his epithets Lycegenes (born of a wolf) and Lycoctonus (killer Wolf), fitting Jesus reference to False Prophets being Wolves in Sheep's Clothing.

Apollyon from Revelation 9:11 was an ancient variation on the name Apollo.  Like in Aeschylus's play Agamemnon, where Cassandra says repeatedly.  "Apollo, thou destroyer, O Apollo, Lord of fair streets, Apollyon to me."  I've argued before that if Apollyon is one of the beasts in Revelation 13 it's the second one rather then the first.  Apollo was also associated with Locusts, hence his epithet Parnopion.  Apollo was also said to be the ancestor of the Centaurs which one could also see as relevant to Revelation 9.

This discovery weakens my past desire to see Arnion as a word for Goat thus further tying Yom Kippur into the narrative of Revelation. Though the second link does also discus an association of Apollon Karnieos with the Goat god Pan.

The Septuagint rarely used any from Arnion but it does provide precedent in Jeremiah 11:19 for Arnion being used to translate the Hebrew Kebes.  Exodus 29:38-41 uses Kebes for the daily offering.  Exodus 12:5 does also associate the word Kebes with the Passover Lamb.  Leviticus 23:12 uses Kebes of the animal sacrifice linked to the Aparche offering giving on the Sunday following Passover.

The Golden Calf and The Image of The Beast

I've talked previously on this Blog about understanding the Image of the Beast in the context of Adam being made in the Image of God.  And I stand by that to an extent.  But in making that argument I had overlooked a detail of Revelation 13:14 talking about the Second Beast.

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

I had made a flat out wrong statement that there was no account of the Image being created, and for that I feel really stupid.

I have argued reasons before to see a repeat of much of the History of Exodus and Numbers going on here.  So I looked over Exodus 32 to see if there is any compelling parallel between the phraseology used of The Golden Calf and of the Image of The Beast in Revelation 13, and couldn't exactly find a sufficient smoking gun.  In Exodus it is the people who came to Aaron, in Revelation it is the Beast's idea.

But a passage that does later repeat verbatim language from Exodus 32 is 1 Kings 12:26-33, specifically in 28, when Jeroboam decided to go into Idolatry.

Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."

He made his own Golden Calves, and repeats what was said of The Golden Calf in Exodus 32, and also proclaimed his own Feast.

Jeroboam was of the Tribe of Ephraim, and was just given kingship over Ten Tribes, and one Calf was set up at Bethel in territory allotted to Ephraim.  I have a post on this blog arguing the key to understanding the Fourth Beast could be Moses Prophecy about Joseph in Deuteronomy 33.  Because of it's making Joseph an animal that is of a similar kind to a Calf, and possibly alluding to Ten Horns of Ephraim and One of Manasseh.

Jeremiah 31:18 uses the same word translated Calf to describe Ephraim.  Hosea 10:11 says Ephraim is a "Heifer", the feminine form of this word in the Hebrew (not the same word for Heifer used of the Red Heifer).

And I'm now noticing that Exodus 32:20 and Deuteronomy 9:21, could be compared to Daniel 7:11.  The Calf at Bethel was destroyed by Josiah. 

Britam and British Israelists have noted the Calf's association with Ephraim, and from that have among other things sought to see a reflection of this in the Greek Myth of Europa and Zeus taking the form of a Bull  (Some Artistic depictions of this myth have depicted Europa riding the Bull, like at the EU headquarters.)  Some of these Lost Tribes speculators have even imagined that Jeroboam might have claimed to have been fathered by YHWH in the from of a Calf, he was a Widow's Son.

It may be both this and my earlier speculation could be true.  The Golden Calf was a type of the Image of the Beast.

But I can no longer think the Image is simply him being Resurrected by the False Prophet, since the Image had to be made.  But perhaps it will be made via cloning or something?  The Beast is Osiris and the Image is Horus, or something like that.

You may notice, this potentially makes Aaron of all people a type of the Beast from the Earth.

Exodus 7:1 does have Yahuah say that he made Moses a God to Pharaoh and Aaron his Prophet.  So in-spite of Aaron being usually associated with a different office, he is called a Prophet once.  Number 12 involved both Aaron and Miriam citing their Prophetic status presumptuously.  Plenty of Prophets have descended from Aaron, including Samuel and John The Baptist.

Remember, in New Testament times the Priesthood had become Corrupt, Caiaphas and Ananias sought to have Jesus Crucified.

But this could also hint at the Beast from the Earth being a counterfeit High Priest.  Like Kore who challenged Aaron's Priesthood, or the Priesthood created by Jeroboam, a Priest of which named Amaziah during the reign of Jeroboam II of the House of Jehu is mentioned in Amos 7.  Or people like Menelaus in the time of the Maccabees.  Or the Maccabees themselves if you view them more negatively once they take over the Priesthood.

If The Beast from the Earth claims to be Jesus as I've speculated he might.  Jesus is our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek according to Hebrews.  And some Fringe Theorists who want to say Jesus wasn't an Heir to David argue Luke implies Him to have Aaronic descent.

And I've already speculated that Exodus 28:36 and 39:30 may be possibly relevant to the Mark of the Beast subject.  Those verses are about Aaron's Crown.

Rabbinic Jewish eschatological expectations have sometimes said there could be up to four Messiahs.  Ben-David and Ben-Joseph as the Princely or Kingly ones.  Elijah as the Prophet. And a Priestly Messiah, sometimes called the "War Priest" citing Deuteronomy 20.

Islamic Eschatology mentions a descendant of Aaron mediating a peace between the Muslims and the Romans.

The Beast of The Earth from the Koran.

My attitude towards Islamic Antichrist/Mahdi theories has been long and complicated.

One factor is I used to say that if the Beast out of the Sea does claim to be the Islamic Mahdi, that I doubted the second assumption of The False Prophet aka the Beast out of The Earth claiming to be the Islamic Isa/Jesus would be correct.

Then I changed my mind on that as I learned more.  I showed from Scripture that the False Prophet being a Counterfeit Jesus does make sense independent of reading Islamic eschatology into it.  But now, I've again noticed something others talking about Islamic Eschatology miss.

The Koran, which doesn't mention The Mahdi, does mention a Beast of The Earth, it actually calls it that, but doesn't depict this Beast as Evil, it's depicted as good.

And when the Word is fulfilled against them (the unjust), we shall produce from the earth a beast to (face) them: He will speak to them, for that mankind did not believe with assurance in Our Signs.
— Qur'an, sura 27 (An-Naml), ayat 82

 And from a Hadith, though it's considered weak.

Narrated Abu Hurairah: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "A beast will emerge from the earth. With it shall be the ring of Sulaiman (Solomon) and the staff of Musa (Moses). It will brighten the face of the believer, and stamp the nose of the disbeliever with the ring, such that when the people gather to eat, it will be said to this one: 'O believer! and to that one: 'O disbeliever!'"
— Jami' Al-Tirmidhi; English: Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3187; Arabic: Book 47, Hadith 3490

Could this Brightening the Faces have some connection to the Mark of The Beast in the Forehead?

Many Christian commentators think The False Prophet will claim to be the Prophet like Unto Moses.  This beast claiming to have the Staff of Moses could fit that.  The New Testament tells us that Prophet is Jesus.  But many even claiming to be Christians want to give that title to someone else, like Muslims arguing it was Muhammad.  And those who want to make Moses one of the Two Witnesses say this Prophecy is about a second coming of Moses.  I haven't seen it yet but it wouldn't surprise me if some Jews think that will be fulfilled by Elijah.

Since The Mahdi was added to Islamic Eschatology later.  One could argue that the demonic forces behind The Koran originally just intended Isa to be the Antichrist and this Beast the False Prophet.

But maybe it's possible for a Muslin today to try and argue this Beast in this Sura was a symbol of Isa, just as the New Testament Apocalypse Symbolized Jesus as the Arnion (usually translated Lamb but could be Goat or Ram).  And indeed The Beast out of The Earth has Horns like an Arnion.  And Jesus did Descend into the Heart of The Earth.  Contrary to what most Muslims think The Koran doesn't contradict Jesus dying on The Cross but affirms it.

Having The Ring of Solomon could be a sign of being an Heir to Solomon and thus being Messiah Ben-David.  But in this extra Biblical Lore about Solomon (it's not unique to Islam) Solomon used this Ring/Seal to perform Magick and control Demons/Shedim/Jinn.  The Ring is also said to have the Divine Name in-graved on it.  And I would guess it's normally depicted as being worn on the Right Hand.

This is perhaps a good time to remember that the number 666 was linked to Solomon, and the Hexagram has been linked to the Seal of Solomon, which many have sought to connect to the Number of The Beast.  And in one Legend the Ring of Solomon is thrown into the Sea to be returned to Solomon later by a Sea Animal.

What if the Ring of Solomon here is going to be used like a Ring a King would give to a Regent?

More importantly, there is a reason the Ring of Solomon and Seal of Solomon are treated as synonyms when you study this lore.  Because a King's Seal was often on his Ring which he would use to place his Seal on documents and so forth, but he might also give the Ring to someone else to give them authority to seal things in his name.  Revelation is definitely drawing on this imagery in Chapter 7 with the 144,000.  And The Mark is frequently viewed as Satan's inferior copy of that.

The Hebrew word chowtham is often translated either Signet or Seal.  There is no Bible verse directly telling us Solomon had one.  But the first one mentioned is Judah's in Genesis 38:18.  Jeremiah 22:24 tells us it's often kept on the Right Hand.  1 Kings 21:18 tells us a royal one was used by the Northern Kingdom at least.  The use of this word in Exodus 28:36 and 39:30 I've considered passages a False Messiah could use to justify the Mark of The Beast system as being part of The Torah, (along with the Tefflin verses).  The Hebrew word translated "engravings" in those verses, pittuwach, is very likely the Hebrew equivalent of the word translated "Mark" in Revelation.  Though another candidate would be miqla'ath which is possibly used as a synonym for that word the only time it appears, in 1 Kings 6-7.

Again, my take on studying these False Prophecies is that I think Satan makes all of them as potential seeds for The Antichrist.  But that doesn't mean for certain that this false Prophecy is what The Antichrist will wind up using.

Was Muhammad a valid Prophet

I want here to advise Christians on how to argue against the Prophethood of Muhammad without diverging into a debate about his moral character.  That's a legitimate issue to look into, but irrelevant to if he was a Prophet.

I'm going to argue that Muhammad can't even qualify as a False Prophet.  Now yes I know the literal definition is any fake prophet, so once you claim to be a Prophet you either are one or you're a false prophet.

But the Pseudophophetes that The Bible is concerned with both contemporary with itself and eschatologically.  Were individuals just as capable of performing genuine supernatural miracles, and having genuine supernatural revelations as a legit Prophet.  Balaam even had legit revelations from the Biblical God, The Holy Spirit sometimes uses unsaved people, likewise John's Gospel records Caiaphas giving a legit Prophecy.

So Biblically someone has to be proven a Prophet before we can even get into if they're a False Prophet or not.  Joseph Smith did prove himself a Prophet by predicting The Civil War, but Muhammad couldn't even do that, yet the modern world takes Joseph Smith's Prophethood less seriously then Muhammad's, I find that funny.

Now there are different kinds of Prophets in The Bible.  In a sense a Prophet is anyone who declares the Word of God, which is why Evangelists and Preachers and Pastors are considered New Testament successors to the office of Prophet.

But in order for someone to be able to add to the Canon, to say their Revelations are God's Word and Authoritative just as much if not more so then The Bible.  They need to be able to prove the Supernatural origin of their revelations.  No amount of discrediting the preservation of The Bible used by Jews and Christians will matter if you can't prove a Supernatural origin for the Koran, you're then only arguing against anything being God's Word.

The Koran itself says Muhammad never performed miracles and gives it's own justification for why.

They say, 'We will not believe thee till thou makest a spring to gush forth from the earth for us, or till thou possessest a garden of plants and vines, and thou makest rivers to gush forth abundantly all amongst it, or till thou makest heaven to fall, as thou assertest, on us in fragments, or thou bringest God and the angels as a surety, or till thou possessest a house of gold ornament, or till thou goest up into heaven; and we will not believe thy going up till thou bringest down on us a book that we may read. Say: 'Glory be to my Lord. Am I aught BUT A MORTAL, a Messenger?' S. 17:90-93 

Yet when the truth came to them from Ourselves, they said, 'Why has he not been given the like of that Moses was given?' But they, did they not disbelieve also in what Moses was given aforetime? They said, 'A pair of sorceries mutually supporting each other.' They said, 'We disbelieve both.' S. 28:48

 And they that know not say, 'Why does God not speak to us? Why does a sign (ayatun) not come to us?' So spoke those before them as these men say; their hearts are much alike. Yet We have made clear the signs (bayyanna al-ayati) unto a people who are sure. S. 2:118

Jesus performed Miracles which The Koran agrees with but gives a different account of what miracles.

Jesus' Disciples/Apostles including Paul performed miracles.  The only place the New Testament tells us to expect any new Prophets in the future it tells us what miracles they'll perform, in Revelation 11.  John The Baptist performed no miracles but he was only the forerunner, Jesus whom he spoke of appeared and performed miracles overlapping with John's ministry.  The Baptist didn't author any Scripture.

Muslims don't consider any of that valid.  But Muslim apologists constantly want to claim the "Prophet like unto Moses" of Deuteronomy 18 is Muhammad.  The problem is first the context of that Prophecy clearly defines this Prophet as an Israelite, as coming from among the children of Israel to whom Moses was speaking.

Muslims will argue all kinds of superficial parallels between Muhammad and Moses, but Deuteronomy 34 when the book ends tells us what "like unto Moses" means and it includes performing miracles.

There are major differences between the miracles of Jesus and the miracles of Moses.  But both turned water into another liquid, Moses blood and Jesus wine.  And wine is called the "Blood of The Grape" in The Torah.

Deuteronomy 34 also tells us it requires knowing God face to face like Moses did.  Muhammad only claimed to have met Gabriel not Allah himself.

Muhammad gave no testable Prophecies.

Most of his statements about the future were all about the Second Coming and the End Times.  And I will concede that he said nothing to prove he meant it would happen in the lifetime of his companions.  The same kinds of arguments get used against Jesus which I gave my own take on recently.  Since there are Muslims who will use the same tactics Atheists use to attack the Prophet hood of the New Testament version of Jesus, only then would I consider it valid to bring up that issue to show their hypocrisy.  But I will not consider it part of my main argument against Muhammad being a Prophet.

Besides the End Times.  He said Aisha would be important to passing on his history and teachings.  1. It seems we only know he said this because Aisha said so. 2. It only proves him being perceptive about Aisha's talents, nothing truly supernatural.

The only even possibly testable Prophecy Muhammad gave was when he said exactly how God would kill him if he said anything false.  In which case his credibility depends on it not coming true.

I. QUR'AN TRANSLATIONS

Qur’an 69:44-46—And if he (Muhammad) had forged a false saying concerning Us We surely should have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might), and then certainly should have cut off his life artery (Aorta). (Hilali-Khan)

Qur’an 69:44-46—And if he had invented false sayings concerning Us, We assuredly had taken him by the right hand and then severed his life-artery. (Pickthall)

Qur’an 69:44-46—Had he invented lies concerning Us, We would have seized him by the right hand and severed his heart’s vein. (Dawood)

Qur’an 69:44-46—And if he had fabricated against Us some of the sayings, We would certainly have seized him by the right hand, then We would certainly have cut off his aorta. (Shakir)

II. MUSLIM COMMENTARIES

Tafsir Ibn Abbas on Qur’an 69:44-46—(And if he had invented) and had Muhammad invented (false sayings concerning Us) lies against Us and attributed to Us that which We did not say, (We assuredly had taken him) We assuredly had taken revenge against him (by the right hand) by means of truth and proofs; it is also said this means: We assuredly had vehemently taken him. (And then severed his life artery) the life artery of Muhammad (pbuh).

Tafsir Jalalayn on Qur’an 69:44-46—And had he, namely, the Prophet (s), fabricated any lies against Us, by communicating from Us that which We have not said, We would have assuredly seized him, We would have exacted vengeance [against him], as punishment, by the Right Hand, by [Our] strength and power; then We would have assuredly severed his life-artery, the aorta of the heart, a vein that connects with it, and which if severed results in that person’s death.

He said God would sever his Arota or Life-Artery. Generally it's only a fraud who would even go around making a claim like that, like God would even bother personally striking down everyone who claims to be a Prophet.  In fact it's generally people who don't think there is a real God that would make that claim.

But still it's worth looking into the most trusted Muslim accounts of Muhammad's life to see if this ever happened.

Sahih al-Bukhari 4428—The Prophet in his ailment in which he died, used to say, “O Aishah! I still feel the pain caused by the food I ate at Khaibar, and at this time, I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that poison.”

Sahih Muslim 5430—A Jewess came to Allah’s Messenger with poisoned mutton and he took of what had been brought to him. (When the effects of this poison were felt by him) he called for her and asked her about that, whereupon she said: I had determined to kill you. Thereupon he said: Allah will never give you the power to do it. 

Sunan Abu Dawud 4498—A Jewess presented [Muhammad] at Khaibar a roasted sheep which she had poisoned. The Apostle of Allah ate of it and the people also ate. He then said: Lift your hands (from eating), for it has informed me that it is poisoned. Bishr b. al-Bara b. Ma’rur al-Ansari died. So he (the Prophet) sent for the Jewess (and said to her): What motivated you to do the work you have done? She said: If you were a prophet, it would not harm you; but if you were a king, I would rid the people of you. The Apostle of Allah then ordered regarding her and she was killed. He then said about the pain of which he died: I continued to feel pain from the morsel which I had eaten at Khaibar. This is the time when it has cut off my aorta.

Sunan Abu Dawud 4449—Umm Bishr said to the Prophet during the sickness of which he died: What do you think about your illness, Apostle of Allah? I do not think about the illness of my son except the poisoned sheep of which he had eaten with you at Khaibar. The Prophet said: And I do not think about my illness except that. This is the time when it cut off my aorta.

Sunan Ibn Majah 1622—Aishah said: “I never saw anyone suffer more pain than the Messenger of Allah.”

What do you know, it did happen, or at least Muhammad the supposed Prophet thought it did.

He also declared to his poisoner that Allah would not allow this to kill him.  But all the sources agree (except Shiites slandering Aisha) his Death was the inevitable result of this poison.  So he did make at least one failed Prophecy failing the test of Deuteronomy 18:22.

He also claimed to have a supernatural revelation that the food was poisoned after he'd already eaten some, not in time to save anyone's life.  And his companion said he tasted the poison instantly, he it seems could tell it was poisoned before Allah bothered to warn Muhammad.  The logical conclusion is Muhammad tasted it too but couldn't figure out what he tasted as quickly.

I'm not going to include the issue of the Satanic Verses here because it's historical reliability is in doubt.  I feel above a strong enough case has been made against his Prophet-hood.

Now among Muslim attempts to find Muhammad in Bible Prophecy.  There is Deuteronomy 18 which I've dealt with already.

Some have appealed to Isaiah 29:11 because Muhammad couldn't read.  In context this person is clearly being condemned.  So that is ill advised.

The Comforter passage has been a go to method of many would be Prophets from Mani to Bahi.  In the case of Muslims that they keep trying it is really funny.  It's one thing to say our Bible is corrupt but pick and choose passages that you think support your views.  But in the case of the Comforter prophecy it's not even a separate passage, the doctrine of Jesus being the Son of God is right in those same verses.

The Koran and early Islamic tradition claims you can even find Muhammad by name in The Bible (The Torah and The Gospel), and in some extra Biblical prophecies of Arabic folklore.  But I find it funny that Muhammad or Ahmed is the name they look for because that wasn't Muhammad's birth name.  He was born Amim.

Muhammad means "praise worthy" in Arabic so it makes sense as a name that might be used in made up Prophecies, being related in meaning to Yahuda/Judah.  And so Al-Amim changing his name to Muhammad proved nothing.

The attempts to find his name in the Hebrew Scriptures involve Strong number 4261 in Song of Solomon 5:16.  And Strong number 2532 in Haggai 2:7.  Both variations of the same root.

Only the latter example makes sense in context to view as a prophecy of a future individual.  It is grammatically feminine, which I'm fine with for viewing it as a title of Christ, but if you want to argue it's someone's personal name then that person better be a woman or man with a woman's name.

Leaving aside that the obvious context of Song of Solomon 5:16 is Shulamith describing her Beloved as "altogether lovely". David Wood likes to point out this same word is used in other contexts where it would outright make Muhammad look bad to interpret it as Muhammad.  But one Muslim he debated said here (in SoS, he didn't use the Haggai one) and only here is it used in that precise form.

That form he admits in grammatically plural (Mahamadim), but he defends that by siding with the Rabbinic Jewish view on why Eliohim is grammatically plural.  Problem is even if we agree with that interpretation for why a singular individual can be described with a plural title, it's NEVER done that way of a personal name.  YHWH never had an -im at the end, and that not Elohim is God's personal name.  The two known examples of an individual person being foretold by name in advance likewise don't put an -im at the end, Josiah in 1 Kings 13:2 and Cyrus in Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1.

But the bigger problem with seeing Strong Number 4261 as Muhammad is that these Muslims pronounce it as if it has a Heh but it doesn't, it has a Het, which actually makes more of a ch sound.  The pronunciations of Muhammad and Ahmed would both use a Heh in Hebrew, how Ahmadinejad is pronounced would use a Het in Hebrew.

This same Muslim challenged David Wood to find Jesus by name in the Hebrew Bible. By the same standard he's used it's all over the Hebrew Scriptures, far closer then this flawed Muhammad argument.  Strong number 3444 is exactly the spelling of Yeshua except with a Heh on the end making it grammatically feminine.  So if 2532 can count as close enough to Ahmed then this noun is far closer to Yeshua.  It's used in many verses that can work as Messianic Prophecies far better then this Song of Solomon verse can.  Just look em over.

The name of Jeshua in the Hebrew is the exact same name, and Joshua is very close.  Jeshua's name is used in some Zechariah prophecies that seem pretty epic for being just a High Priest, in fact he's crowned a King which is strictly not allowed of Aaronic Priests, clearly foreshadowing Jesus as the Priest after the Order of Melchizedek.

And I've already done a post on the direct connection I see between the names Yeshua and Yahuah.

I do agree that Ishmael still has his Firstborn Inheritance.  Still I do not yet see any evidence of The Hebrew Bible foretelling an Ishmaelite Prophet.

If there is however, I'd consider the possibility of that being fulfilled in Agabus who's name isn't Hebrew but possibly could be Arabic from an Arabic root that means "to Burn".  Also Agabus has been theorized to be similar to the name Agbarus/Abgarus/Abgar, but I would not agree with any theory making Agabus and King Abgar the same person.  Abgar was of Nabatean descent.

And if you could convince me of a Prophet being foretold to come geographically from Paran/Arabia.  Mt Sinai is arguably part of Paran as Muslims define it.  Elijah spent time in Sinai, and so did Paul according to Galatians 1:17.

Muslims have tried to make Deuteronomy 33:2 about Muhammad.  That is clearly about what just happened, the wandering in the wilderness, and is about Yahuah himself not a Prophet.  But if it does have an Eschatological second application, it's to Revelation 19 and Isaiah 63, since I believe at that time Israel will be in the same wilderness they were back then.

Which Beast is actually in Control?

I'm still highly skeptical that the Islamic Anitchrist model will be how things play out.  But I also remain firmly confident that the Mahdi prophecy was made for the purpose of being a potential seed for the Antichrist.  The Abomination of Desolation itself shouldn't be expected in such false prophecies though, these are merely potential plans to set the stage for it, the Abomination is when the mislead ends and the real agenda is revealed.

Chris White in his criticism of the Islamic Antichrist theory, has among other things criticized the desire of Christians to misrepresent Islamic Eschatology so that Isa (Muslim Jesus) is subordinate to The Mahdi.  And all that is very good.

Here is the thing, is our traditional assumption that the Second Beast is subordinate to the First Beast possibly wrong?

For starters if either is being possessed or indwelt by Satan it would be the Second Beast, that's the one speaking with The Dragon's voice. 

The First Beast is defined as the object of worship.  But that could be consistent with being a mere figure head, a flesh and blood Idol for the people to focus on while someone else holds the real power.  In George Orwell's 1984 the possibly exists that Big Brother isn't even real, or who he's based on is long dead.  He's now merely a poster, a Face of the Party designed to be an object of both adoration and fear.

The First Beast is a political system, his Empire, not just the individual.  So the whole "Who is able to make war with him" I feel is explained in chapter 17 where it seems clear the 10 Horns are the source of his military power. The individual of the Eight King may not be a military figure at all.  The other major reason for seeing The Antichrist as a conqueror is Daniel 11:36-45 which I've discussed elsewhere.

The First Beast remains a central object of discussion after the Second Beast is introduced, that helps make it seem like he's more important.  But perhaps what we're told after the Second Beast is introduced is meant to help us better understand what was said before.

At the beginning we're told The Dragon gave his Power and Authority and his Seat/Throne to the First Beast.  But in Verse 12 it's the Second Beast who "exerciseth all the Power of the First Beast".  It's the Second who speaks with The Dragon's voice.  He's the architect of the Mark system.

In the first part of my False Prophet study I discussed the possibility that many Prophecies outside Revelation we assume are about The Antichrist could really be The False Prophet.  Including that the title Son of Perdition might belong to the False Prophet.  I saw at least one website long ago argue that the Second Beast not the First is the one we should apply the title Antichrist too.

 I argued in the third part of my False Prophet study that that term Antichrist could in fact require both Beasts put together.  John defines the Antichrist heresy as denying the Deity of Christ.  So the ultimate expression of that could be two individuals, one claiming to be God and not Jesus, and the other claiming to be Jesus and not God.  And that is an even more Ironic deception if even the False Jesus is in fact closer to having godlike powers then the false god.

At the beginning of the Book of Kings people like to see Adonijah as a type of The Antichrist, a usurper to the Throne of David.    But Adonijah was a pawn, a puppet, Joab (the type of Satan) and Abithar the Priest (False Prophet) are the real players of that Game of Thrones, opposed by Nathan and Zadok, and also Bathsheba.

Let's discus the mystery of The Image of The Beast.  Today we're obsessed with seeing this through a SciFi lens, wanting to see it as a Robot/Android, or a Hologram, or an Artificial Intelligence program on the Internet.  I myself have been guilty of that in the past, preferring the A.I. theory.  But I noticed reading Revelation 13 today it never describes the Image being made, just the Second beast giving Life to it.

Let's use Scripture to interpret Scripture, and go back to the first use of the term Image.  Genesis tells us Adam was made in the Image of God.  So there is a Scriptural precedent for describing a body of flesh as an Image.

And many including Chris White have conjectured independent of considering that, that The False Prophet will be responsible for The Beast's resurrection/mortal wound healing, or at least be publicly given the credit for it.

What if the Image of The Beast in Revelation 13 is the same thing as the Eight King in Revelation 17?  One of the first 7 Kings, probably one of the first 5, in some way "resurrected".

It's been confusing to me in the past about whether when the Man of Sin stands himself in the Temple and deifies himself as II Thessalonians 2 describes, or when the Image of Revelation 13 is set up is the more precise Abomination event.  But what if those are not separate things at all?

In the past I'd suggested the resurrection of the Antichrist is like an early form of the second resurrection.  Lately I've been rethinking the nature of the second resurrection (not in a way that conflicts with being Premillenal and Futurist).

What if the Eight King's resurrection is more like the original concept of a Zombie (before George A Romaro)?  A dead body that has been reanimated, but merely to be the pawn of the Witch-doctor who reanimated it.

Chris White's Jewish Messiah claimant theory

False Christ: Will The Antichrist claim to be the Jewish Messiah

I left a Review on Amazon of the Book.  I like Chris White's style.  I've actually changed my mind on some things since I left that review.

I cannot accept White's Mystery Babylon theory.  Or much of how he views the second half of the 70th week since he's Pre-Wrath and I'm not.

How Chris White envisions the first half of the 70th Week I've come to think may be more or less exactly right.  He talks in one of his Podcasts, I think it was this one.
http://bibleprophecytalk.com/ntr-bpt-israelpalestinian-conflict-and-striving-toward-holiness/
And talks more about it here.
 http://bibleprophecytalk.com/bpt-isis-russia-and-iran-and-creation-questions/

About why he believes The Antichrist won't be trying to appeal to The World like we generally assume.  Satan already has The World.  It'll be us Bible Believing Judeo-Christians he's trying to trick.  I'd already considered to some degree that he might use the Messiah Ben-Joseph concept.

But this ability to deceive true believers will end once The Abomination of Desolation happens.  From then on it's purely by Force he enforces his Will.

I've become more open then I used to be to the idea of The Antichrist being American.  After all Chris White's think he'll be an ally coming to Israel's aid, America is the only one they really have.  And I think now if he's American he'll come from The Right, not the Left.  Either claiming to be one of us Evangelical Pro-Israel Christians.  Or one of those "Conservative" that the "Moral Majority" are so easily duped into supporting, meaning a Republican/Neo-Con.  But I also wouldn't rule out him appearing to be exactly the same kind of Paleo-Conservative or Libertarian that I prefer to vote for.  But he would obviously be betraying such Small Government, Free Market, Individual Liberty principles once he imposes the Mark.

I'm also reminded of how annoyed at I am at many Evangelicals to be wiling to get in Bed politically with The LDS Church.  They all got behind Romney because they felt anything is better then Obama.  Those of use trying to warn them that both parties are equally corrupt are constantly ignored.

Being Mid-Trib rather then Pre-Wrath does give me one big difference in how I view the first half of the 70th week.  I believe The Church will face a Worldwide persecution before The Abomination of Desolation.  The persecution after is of Jews which is why I can't accept the idea of them still following him as their Messiah during the second Half when their in hiding.

I've said I don't think the persecution The Church faces will necessarily be from The Antichrist.  And in-light of other things we've discussed here, I'm thinking maybe he'll be the one political leader opposing the persecution.

Chris White's discussion of Messiah Ben-Joseph ignores one key aspect of it.  That's he's also supposed to be of the "Lost Tribes" reuniting Judah and Joseph.  But it's something he should consider since he does take over a Ten Kingdom confederacy, that's probably from The West.

Likewise his discussion of how the incorrect Psalm 83 theory of Bill Saulus could serve The Antichrist leaves how how many people teaching on that theory think a sort of "New Gideon" will be involved, since it alludes to the Gideon Narrative in that Psalm.

British-Israelism and French Israelism and other related theories try to claim that the Celtic, Germanic and Norse tribes of Northern and Western Europe are the Lost Tribes.  And also that European Royalty has descent from King David.  These ideas are often lumped in with Anti-Semies believing in some form of replacement theology and/or the Kazzar conspiracy theory, which Chris White does a good Job debunking on YouTube.

But Britam is a community of Orthodox Jews who accept such theories.  And as think Think messiah Ben-Joseph will be a western Political Leader.
http://britam.org/Proof/Joseph/joCyrus.html
And while the reject the normal Tea-Telphi myth.  They do have their own means of claiming David Descent for European Royalty.
http://www.britam.org/Tribesman/GeneaologyDavid.html

Even though the foundational passage of the Messiah Ben-Joseph concept is a verse from Zachariah 12 that we Christian know refers to Jesus and his Wounds from The Cross.  There are some Christians who have accepted the Messiah Ben-Joseph idea.
http://messiahbenjoseph.com/
That website is only one example.  Certain Rabbinic teaches about Messiah Ben-Joseph's body lying in the Streets of Jerusalem till he's Resurrected have been taken advantage of by Christians to see him in The Two Witnesses.

Which reminds me of why I'm so bothered by Perry Stone's decision to see Elijah/The Two Witness as political figure,s who's retake control of The Temple Mount from the Muslims.  None of that is in Revelation 11.

This takes me to one more aspect of Chris White's theory I want to talk about.  His view that The False Prophet/Second Beast is posing as Elijah.

That view could be correct entirely, it works fine with how I generally view things.  But his claim that ONLY people trying to write in the Mahdi/Islamic Antichrist idea see The False Prophet as a posing as Jesus is a straw-man.  I've seen online articles tying that into a Papal Antichrist viewpoint.  And one saying he resembles 'The Gentle Jesus of Liberal Denominations", which is virtually the opposite.

I'll be a post latter on why I think he will be posing as Jesus Biblical.  Here I'd like to say that if The Antichrist poses as Messiah Ben-Joseph, a fake Jesus could also play the Messiah Ben-David role.  That's who is expected to resurrect Messiah Ben-Joseph.

A fake Elijah is needed if it's Jewish eschatology expectation he's mainly trying to deceive.

I think it's possible the two Lamb-Like horns of the Second beast are like the Horns of the first beast, separate individuals linked to him.  And thus possibly two Proto-False Prophets posing as The Two Witnesses.

But also, I have that other post where I suggest it'll look like The Antichrist is performing the Signs and Wonders that The False Prophet is performing.

I've actually exchanged the emails with Yair Davidy of Britam.  Because while I don't believe that Theory, they do have interesting information.  In response to one Email I sent he said many Jews are willing to consider that Messiah Ben-Joseph and the returned Elijah are the same.  Since Elijah is a Northern Kingdom figure, from The House of Joseph.  That obviously overlaps well with the potential Two Witnesses confusion.

The Signs and Wonder of The False Prophet

 I've decided to make this post a follow up to, The False Prophet Outside Revelation.

I've been struggling with the fact that in Revelation 13 it's clearly the Second Beast (The False Prophet) who performs the Signs and Wonders, the miracles. Yet it's equally clearly the First Beast who is deified and worshiped.

This is an example of how Revelation explains the rest of Scripture. 2 Thessalonians 2, read plainly on it's own in isolation would not give the impression that the man deified and the man performing miracles are separate. In fact the Miracles seem to confirm his deity in this coming deception. However the scenario revealed in Revelation 13 is by no means in conflict. Paul was ambiguous enough that his scenario works either way.

But the reason I struggle with this is, it's not logical at face value, I believe The Bible whether it seems logical to my human mind or not, but it's still Ok to take note of these things. Why the one performing the miracles isn't the one people think is a god. It could be a matter of simply the Antichrist saying this Prophet is doing these things because of power he gave him. But, in the modern world especially, I think most people would just ask why he doesn't simply cut out the middle man.

One Atheist I often communicate with, likes to quote Captain James Tiberius Kirk from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier "Why would God need a Starship". It's hard for me to imagine him not applying the same question here "Why does God need this random guy to perform his miracles?" I know the way Christians often think of the coming deception is that all unbelievers will simply accept everything The Beast says by the sheer magic of his voice, no matter how much it conflicts with their earlier beliefs or thought processes. Or if not they'll become Saved. But I have had enough interaction with unbelievers that I prefer to give them more credit then that. I do certainly believe The Beast and False Prophet's powers of deception will have a supernatural quality to them, but I also think there will be thought put into their deception.

Meanwhile I've also rethought a lot about our assumptions on The Antichrist.  And I think it's probably us Judeo-Christians not The World he's trying to device.  And would not want to look obviously like what we expect The Antichrist to look like.

There are others though who think this needs to be understood in the context of fulfilling the Messianic expectations of Modern Rabbinic Judaism. Fire coming down from heaven shows the second beast is trying to be Elijah to the first's Messiah.  Which I'll talk more on in part 3.

But Orthodox Judaism is not expecting The Messiah (Ben Joseph or Ben David) nor Elijah to deify themselves or anyone else. So even if the focus here is to deceive Jews mainly, it's still not exactly what their currently expecting.

Yes, Christians know The Messiah is divine, and we believe that can be Demonstrated from the Hebrew Scriptures, I wrote a study on it. But while Jesus did empower others to perform Miracles (Us, The Church, but also Judas who despite not being Saved was among the 12). He proved his own Divinity not by those Miracles but by what he did himself.

I have developed a theory. One that could be wrong, but if it's true it might cause confusion for Christians who haven't already considered it, so I want to share it.

I think maybe John was describing how things actually are, but to the World when it happens it will look like The Beast is doing them. The False Prophet will officially only be a sort of spokesperson. And only Saved people who understand Revelation will be able to properly deduce what's really going on.  And that could explain Paul's reference being the way it is too. The Holy Spirit gave him only a glimpse, but John got to see the whole picture.

Or it could be a little of both, after The Beast's "divinity" is established The False Prophet will then perform open miracles on his own, claiming their done with power given to him by The Beast.  Perhaps indeed playing the Elijah role, or perhaps as someone else.

Fire coming down from Heaven is one specific sign alluded to. There are clearly implied to be many more.

 I don't believe the life like behavior of thev"Image of the Beast" means Satan can truly create life. I believe this is an illusion to modern technology. Many see a Robot or a Hologram, and that could be part of it. But I also like the 2000 film Revelation's suggestion that it's a sort of Computer program anyone on Earth can plug into directly relating it to the Mark.  A computer generated image. Google Glasses makes such a thing even more plausible now.

I want to now discuss a very conjectural theory I have about the subject.

Daniel 9:27 has a difficult to Translate statement, "and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate". It's not the exact phrase "Abomination of Desolation" but uses both key words implying a connection. But what's difficult is "overspreading" in many other translations is "Wing", or "Wing of the Temple".

The second Temptation Satan gave to Jesus in Matthew 4:5 "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple". The word Translated "Pinnacle" here also means "Wing" as in a Wing of a Building.

Since we definitely see the Third Temptation of Jesus, as one that Satan will also make to The Beast, but which The Beast will accept. Why not view the Second as also connected to The Beast?

Now I explain in a different post that I support the Southern Conjecture of The Temple's location (The Al-Kas fountain view). And how I tie that into Revelation 11 and Daniel 11:45. And how I think the Willful King's body might be entombed in the Dome of The Rock after receiving his "Mortal Wound".

I have a theory that between when The Beast's "Mortal Wound" is healed, and when he performs the Abomination of Desolation, (which I think could all go down the same day). The world will see him Fly, or at least appear to. I think The False Prophet will levitate him up to the top of a high wall of The Temple, and then levitate him back down, and from there he'll march into the Holy Place.

So, these theories could be wrong. But I think their worth considering.