In this week’s study, I continue in Chapter 17 verses 8 and 9. Before I get into the study I reach out to the Baltimore Oriole Fans and enlighten them about their new owner David Rubenstein, who happens to be the co-founder of the Carlyle Group.
8 And go into perdition = That is, its end will be destruction. It will not be permanent, but will be overthrown and destroyed.
And they that dwell on the earth = The inhabitants of the earth generally;
Shall wonder = It will be so contrary to the regular course of events, so difficult of explanation, so remarkable in itself, as to excite attention and surprise.
Whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world = The idea seems to be, that those whose names are written in the book of life, or who are truly the friends of Yahweh, would not be drawn off in admiration of the beast, or in rendering homage to it.
When they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is = That is, the power that once was mighty; that had declined to such a state that it became, as it were, extinct; and that was revived again with so much of its original strength, that it might be said that it still exists. The fact of its being revived in this manner, as well as the nature of the power itself, seemed suited to excite this admiration.
In chapter 13, the Beast comes up out of the Abyss, and is therefore, clearly, superhuman. During the first half of the week he is in his mortal stage. In the last half he is in his superhuman stage; for in chapter 13:3, he is seen as having been "wounded to death." But, here, in chapter 17, we are taken back, and are further informed as to the past, present, and future of the Beast,
(1) He "WAS," in his mortal stage.
(2) He "IS NOT," for he (at the point of time to which the vision refers) had been assassinated: i.e., had "received his deadly wound," by which he was "wounded to death," and died (13:3).
(3) He "SHALL BE PRESENT," for he "is about to ascend out of the Abyss."
The Image in Dan 2 is clearly marked as consisting of five parts:—
1. verse 32. "This image's head was fine gold, (one)
2. verse 32. his breast and his arms of silver, (two)
3. verse 32. his belly and his thighs of brass, (three)
4. verse 33. his legs of iron (four)
5. verse 33. his feet part of iron and part of clay." (five).
But strange as it may seem, the City of Jerusalem as it existed in the time of Yahshua Messiah was also reckoned to be the "City of Seven Hills."
If one starts with the Mount of Olives just to the east of the main City of Jerusalem (but still reckoned to be located within the environs of Jerusalem), there are three summits to that Mount of Olives:
The northern summit (hill) is called Scopus [Hill 1],
The middle summit (hill) was called Nob [Hill 2],
The highest point of Olivet itself, and the southern summit (hill) was called in the Holy Scriptures the "Mount of Corruption" or "Mount of Offence" [Hill 3] (II Kings 23:13).
On the middle ridge between the Kedron and the Tyropoeon Valleys there was (formerly) in the south "Mount Zion" [Hill 4] (the original "Mount Zion" and not the later southwest hill that was later called by that name),
The "Ophel Mount" [Hill 5],
To the north of that the "Rock" around which "Fort Antonia" was built [Hill 6],
And finally, there was the southwest hill itself [Hill 7] that finally became known in the time of Simon the Hasmonean as the new "Mount Zion."
This makes "Seven Hills" in all.
Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!
Have any questions? Feel free to email me at keitner@netzero.net
