(OPINION) Charisma – Revelation 13:15-18 remains one of the most annoying challenges of interpretation within all of the Holy Bible.
“Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. He required everyone … to be given a mark on the right hand or the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. His number is 666” [or 616 in some manuscripts].
A beast rises from the sea and survives what seems a death-dealing injury, and is then “miraculously” healed. But it takes a second beast coming from the sea to create an image of the first beast, which can then move about and issue commands.
At our elementary level of understanding, we must ask why all the machinations? Can’t the first beast simply take control? If not, why not? How come the image rather than the real thing is required to get things done?
At any rate, one thing is finally clear! We no longer need to speculate about the marks in foreheads and/or hands. Nor do we need to trouble ourselves about the means and methodologies of power preventing non-worshippers of the beast from buying and selling.
In the Feb. 20, 2021 issue of The Economist, we find the mysterious bitcoin is no longer just a quaint invention of funny money by some outlandish cybernetic gurus designed to grease the wheels of internet buying and selling. Currently valued at more than $50,000, the bitcoin has emerged more as a concept whereby huge sums of money can be instantaneously transferred to others within a cautiously defined circle of super financiers. READ MORE
