Catholic hospitals and the mark of the beast

[JasonHC]

I agree with Spauline that there many levels to these verses. You are also right that the word “anti-christ” is not used. The verse pointing to an individual is:

Wisdom is needed here; one who understands can calculate the number of the beast, for it is a number that stands for a person. His number is six hundred and sixty-six. (Rev 13:18)

I agree that this passage is referring to an individual, but I personally don’t see how this is the same as the “antichrist” since there are many of them as I had noted before. The beast of revelation appears to be something else, in my opinion. Then again, there are two beasts.

Traditionally the early chruch associated this number with Nero Caesar (who demanded emperor worship in the marketplace under penalty of death). He also demanded sacrifice from the Temple Jews who initially complied as a matter of survival. And one factor leading to the Jewish-Roman war was when the sacrifices to the emperor stopped. But this initial fulfillment pointed to another individual at the end time.

I believe the Church Fathers were spot on in identifying him as the beast of revelation. There is a lot of evidence pointing to this fact, however, I don’t see this as the same as the so-called antichrist. Just my opinion

I must admit that my particular views on Revelation were largely influenced by a particular protestant interpretation of it. The view, called full preterism, is actually what led me to become Catholic as I was searching for truth. Preterism seemed to make a LOT more sense than the typical interpretation held by “Left Behind” advocates.

Unfortunately, my particular view of preterism is a heretical position so I simply took the heretical portion of it and put it aside so as to become Catholic. I still particularly believe that much of Revelation has in fact been fulfilled in the first century, but I have not found an adequate answer for the heretical part (i.e. the idea that Jesus’s second coming happened in the 1st century). Interestingly, Scott Hahn’s The Lamb’s Supper and his audio set The End has helped a bit, since he understands and favors a similar view, but there are things that simply don’t make sense to me.

 

[ryanoneil]

I agree that this passage is referring to an individual, but I personally don’t see how this is the same as the “antichrist” since there are many of them as I had noted before. The beast of revelation appears to be something else, in my opinion. Then again, there are two beasts.

I believe the Church Fathers were spot on in identifying him as the beast of revelation. There is a lot of evidence pointing to this fact, however, I don’t see this as the same as the so-called antichrist. Just my opinion

I must admit that my particular views on Revelation were largely influenced by a particular protestant interpretation of it. The view, called full preterism, is actually what led me to become Catholic as I was searching for truth. Preterism seemed to make a LOT more sense than the typical interpretation held by “Left Behind” advocates.

Unfortunately, my particular view of preterism is a heretical position so I simply took the heretical portion of it and put it aside so as to become Catholic. I still particularly believe that much of Revelation has in fact been fulfilled in the first century, but I have not found an adequate answer for the heretical part (i.e. the idea that Jesus’s second coming happened in the 1st century). Interestingly, Scott Hahn’s The Lamb’s Supper and his audio set The End has helped a bit, since he understands and favors a similar view, but there are things that simply don’t make sense to me.

I take the position that Christ’s “coming in judgment” (of the Temple) is not a physical coming but is a prefigurement of His second coming in glory.

The Temple was regarded as a miniature replica or microcosm of the world. In other words, it was an architectural model of the universe fashioned by God. Conversely, the universe itself is a macrotemple where God dwells with his people.**“He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded for ever” (Ps 78:69) ** So, the termination of the Old Covenant world prefigures the destruction of the universe, God’s macrotemple, and the judment of all nations by Christ.

Christ’s “coming on the clouds” (in 70 A.D.) is in judgment similar to the Lord’s riding on a swift cloud in (Isa 19:1). God did not physically manifest himself when he came. His coming was the arrival of the Assyrian army in (Isa 20:1-6). They were the tool of God’s judgment just as the Roman army was the tool of Christ’s judgment. This points forward to his physical Second Coming in glory and the end of the visible world.

 

[JasonHC]

I take the position that Christ’s “coming in judgment” (of the Temple) is not a physical coming but is a prefigurement of His second coming in glory.

The Temple was regarded as a miniature replica or microcosm of the world. In other words, it was an architectural model of the universe fashioned by God. Conversely, the universe itself is a macrotemple where God dwells with his people.**“He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded for ever” (Ps 78:69) ** So, the termination of the Old Covenant world prefigures the destruction of the universe, God’s macrotemple, and the judment of all nations by Christ.

Christ’s “coming on the clouds” (in 70 A.D.) is in judgment similar to the Lord’s riding on a swift cloud in (Isa 19:1). God did not physically manifest himself when he came. His coming was the arrival of the Assyrian army in (Isa 20:1-6). They were the tool of God’s judgment just as the Roman army was the tool of Christ’s judgment. This points forward to his physical Second Coming in glory and the end of the visible world.

Great points! I agree with you