Submitted by Clifford777 on Tue, 2009-02-17 21:16.
I've been following the postings - although I never had time to create one or inspiration lately.
The use of the "beast" imagery seems to me to be subtle (or not so subtle) attack on pagan religion. The demons and monsters of pagan faith, are related to a "beast". The beast is often interpreted to be the Roman empire, and the claim by the emperors that they were Gods is the heads. Of course this is all building on well-known imagery from the book of Daniel.
Some have thought the wound that healed is a death of Roman emperor. The Roman Empire seemed to been like a cat, it had 9 lives or something like that. Even if the emperor was killed off the wound healed and the empire continued.
The phrase "out of the sea" is interesting. One imagine that comes to mind is the "sea of humanity", the endless population of the time. Emanuel Swedenborg strayed from most here and saw this chapter about the false religion and heresies in the church, claiming it rises out of the sea of the church laity. I don't see this ... although it is an overtone that has some validity.
The concept of an overtone is that of the partial validity of an off-beat meaning to the verse. I believe that revelation flourishes in overtones. Like on a piano, if you strike one key (with the damper off) many other notes, usually harmonics sing, since these are higher in frequency but lower in intensity, the idea of an overtone is born. In short, the overtones are the higher harmonics. In this analogy the verses in revelation have overtone meanings. The main meaning is probably the Roman Empire, but say 5th overtone may be the heresy in the church, and 4th overtone might been other religion (ever notice all those dragons in Chinese and Buddhist art. the 3rd overtone something else and so on. Of course those that feel every verse must have one and only one meaning will be upon me ... but I find overtone thinking a natural match with revelation thought. My Chevalier book of course sees constellation Draco and milky way being the sea and so on. This might be 7th overtone meaning. I really do believe that revelation verses had this multiple meaning built into it, like a fine instrument that sounds a rich deep tone with many harmonics, revelation verses resonate with many meanings.
This is one the exciting things about Revelation -- it defies anyone to try and pin one precise meaning on every verse - exclusive of other interpretations. As we think back on the 4 horses, and whether the first one was Christ or AntiChrist. Again I see this a two harmonics. 1st and 2nd overtones. The verse doesn't necessarily speak to either one -but to both at the same time. All this awakes in me a deep sense that evil is in some (diabolic way) a reflection of good. The evil religions have their grandeur moments, their miracles, their songs, their themes, their organizations, their power. Sometimes the demons come looking like the angels of light. Revelation captures all of this and more ....
the beast and Rome
I've been following the postings - although I never had time to create one or inspiration lately.
The use of the "beast" imagery seems to me to be subtle (or not so subtle) attack on pagan religion. The demons and monsters of pagan faith, are related to a "beast". The beast is often interpreted to be the Roman empire, and the claim by the emperors that they were Gods is the heads. Of course this is all building on well-known imagery from the book of Daniel.
Some have thought the wound that healed is a death of Roman emperor. The Roman Empire seemed to been like a cat, it had 9 lives or something like that. Even if the emperor was killed off the wound healed and the empire continued.
The phrase "out of the sea" is interesting. One imagine that comes to mind is the "sea of humanity", the endless population of the time. Emanuel Swedenborg strayed from most here and saw this chapter about the false religion and heresies in the church, claiming it rises out of the sea of the church laity. I don't see this ... although it is an overtone that has some validity.
The concept of an overtone is that of the partial validity of an off-beat meaning to the verse. I believe that revelation flourishes in overtones. Like on a piano, if you strike one key (with the damper off) many other notes, usually harmonics sing, since these are higher in frequency but lower in intensity, the idea of an overtone is born. In short, the overtones are the higher harmonics. In this analogy the verses in revelation have overtone meanings. The main meaning is probably the Roman Empire, but say 5th overtone may be the heresy in the church, and 4th overtone might been other religion (ever notice all those dragons in Chinese and Buddhist art. the 3rd overtone something else and so on. Of course those that feel every verse must have one and only one meaning will be upon me ... but I find overtone thinking a natural match with revelation thought. My Chevalier book of course sees constellation Draco and milky way being the sea and so on. This might be 7th overtone meaning. I really do believe that revelation verses had this multiple meaning built into it, like a fine instrument that sounds a rich deep tone with many harmonics, revelation verses resonate with many meanings.
This is one the exciting things about Revelation -- it defies anyone to try and pin one precise meaning on every verse - exclusive of other interpretations. As we think back on the 4 horses, and whether the first one was Christ or AntiChrist. Again I see this a two harmonics. 1st and 2nd overtones. The verse doesn't necessarily speak to either one -but to both at the same time. All this awakes in me a deep sense that evil is in some (diabolic way) a reflection of good. The evil religions have their grandeur moments, their miracles, their songs, their themes, their organizations, their power. Sometimes the demons come looking like the angels of light. Revelation captures all of this and more ....