Revel 8:7 And the first angel sounded the trumpet: and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood: and it was cast on the earth. And the third part of the earth was burnt up: and the third part of the trees was burnt up: and all green grass was burnt up.
The particular images used in the text are visionary – and not literal. Some wisdom is required to decipher God’s message to St. John. For that reason, people who don’t know much scripture are easily misled about “the Son” of Satan, for there are many; But St. John’s vision appears to indicate that there is at least one son who will rise in power in a spectacular way – though he is little more than the normal sons of the Devil in how he acts:
Revel 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the abyss shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them.
Revel 11:8 And their bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city which is called spiritually, Sodom and Egypt: where their Lord also was crucified.
Revel 11:9 And they of the tribes and peoples and tongues and nations shall see their bodies for three days and a half: and they shall not suffer their bodies to be laid in sepulchres.
But, as you can see, the evil ones of this latter day appear to Know Jesus’ condemnation of building monuments to the prophets by those who killed them – yet they prevent even their burial, which is itself more evil than their fathers; for Jesus spoke what he did about the Pharisees in terms allowing for the potent(ial) piety lies that a monument gives; not about the burial of the dead which is a kindness.
Although the anti-Christs, (anti-prophets, for Christ means the annointing chrism/oil of a prophet, really ), are spoken of here in plural – John’s prophecy starts talking about them in the singular; like it does here:
Revel 13:4 And they adored the dragon which gave power to the beast. And they adored the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast? And who shall be able to fight with him?
Revel 13:5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: and power was given to him to do, two and forty months.
Revel 13:6 And he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven.
Revel 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.
And power was given him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
It is because of this greatness of power, and singularity of figure, that many believe there will be a pent-ultimate anti-christ; Revelation 13:18 points to the total value of his name: 666 (or 665 in some other languages, rather than Greek); And people have great fun trying to assign this number to people all over the world; sometimes even accusing “MICROSOFT” of adding up to that number… (I just Checked, it came out to 694) ‘BILLGATES’ is 663 – so they’re close, but not it…
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But one man’s name adds up to 666 in Greek, and 665 in another language – and that was the Roman Emporer, “Nero”. As John said at the beginning, “the time is at hand” – Nero is very likely who revelation meant ,for John couldn’t say his name without incurring a death sentence; So John numbered him, instead.
Revelation, 20, is confusing to many people for the two periods of “a thousand years” is a measure of time people identify with what is now happening on earth and we are now 11 years past the second of those; – but the text also speaks about the first “resurrection”, which is something that will not happen until Earth itself is to be destroyed and no more are left to be saved; So this “anti-christ” comes at the very end of the world.
Scripture tells us that “a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day” to God. And Jesus also said that NO one knows when the world will end, not even He himself (as a man); but only the Father in Heaven. So, it is a mistake to take the time given in revelation as revealing when the end of all worlds will come; Revelation’s prophecies alone may point to times 1000years times 365 ‘days’; or more than 365,000 years in our time.
( Anyone care to pack food and supplies for 'Armageddon early? )
At least, the next possible interpretation of Revelation (and there could be MORE!) is a long way off compared to us; and unless a man will live for thousands of years, and medical science gets there soon, this particular (imaginary) anti-christ isn’t alive today; but even so, there are many sons of the devil (small ones) who were alive in Jesus’ day, and there are many alive in ours as well; but they probably don’t look supernatural to us, since raising from the dead today is common, using CPR; Whereas, in Jesus’ day – it was not common. And so, these signs which were wonderful then – are not so wonderful now. But, none the less, many Catholics are murdered every year because of their religion; and so the blood of the altar in heaven is still accumulating.
