Post by Lee on Jun 29, 2014 16:08:57 GMT
17:8 "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."
The Beast before us is the Beast of the Sea with seven heads and ten horns, but with certain additional particulars. The Beast of the Sea in ch. 13, was the polity it represents, in its origin; but the Beast of the Abyss of ch. 17, is the same polity in the last thirty years, or “one hour,” of its existence, and previous to its arrival at the “perdition” into which “it goes away”.
In the days of John it did not exist, for the ten horns upon it had then received no kingdom. The territory upon which they now exist was then included in the western division of the Roman empire; but upon it, distinct horn-kingdoms, or toe-kingdoms, which are the same kingdoms, did not exist. In this sense, therefore, it is “the beast that is not”.
But it was “hereafter to ascend,” mellei anabainein, out of the abyss; that is, at a time subsequently to John’s vision. Having arisen, and continued its appointed time, or aion, it is to “go away into perdition”. When this perdition is consummated, it will then be “the beast that was;” and then also, “the beast that is not, although it is” to be when John saw.
Thomas, J. (1997). Eureka: an exposition of the Apocalypse (electronic ed., p. 1). West Beach, South Australia: Logos Publications.
The Beast before us is the Beast of the Sea with seven heads and ten horns, but with certain additional particulars. The Beast of the Sea in ch. 13, was the polity it represents, in its origin; but the Beast of the Abyss of ch. 17, is the same polity in the last thirty years, or “one hour,” of its existence, and previous to its arrival at the “perdition” into which “it goes away”.
In the days of John it did not exist, for the ten horns upon it had then received no kingdom. The territory upon which they now exist was then included in the western division of the Roman empire; but upon it, distinct horn-kingdoms, or toe-kingdoms, which are the same kingdoms, did not exist. In this sense, therefore, it is “the beast that is not”.
But it was “hereafter to ascend,” mellei anabainein, out of the abyss; that is, at a time subsequently to John’s vision. Having arisen, and continued its appointed time, or aion, it is to “go away into perdition”. When this perdition is consummated, it will then be “the beast that was;” and then also, “the beast that is not, although it is” to be when John saw.
Thomas, J. (1997). Eureka: an exposition of the Apocalypse (electronic ed., p. 1). West Beach, South Australia: Logos Publications.