My Understanding of Religion

Page 22

The last book in the Bible, Revelation, is also regarded as the work of John. It contains various visions and prophecies. From this book comes the beast whose number is 666. It is usual to assume John intended Christians to identify Nero as the beast. However, as John regarded the Jewish authorities as enemies of Jesus and his followers, it is more fruitful to suppose John intended Christians to identify Israel as the beast. The idea of a beast that was, was not when Revelation was written, but which would ascend out of the bottomless pit, draws upon prophecies predicting an end-time reconstitution of Israel. Israel is both a beast (political entity) and a man (Jacob). The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, I, which also points to Israel, can be arrived at via the number 666. The seven mountains on which the woman sits are the seven mountains of Israel mentioned in the second book of Esdras - chapter two, verse nineteen. The five fallen kings were conquers of the land: Israel, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Macedonia. The sixth king was Rome. The seventh king would be the kingdom of the antichrist, and the eighth (which is of the seven) is Israel. The ten horns that are ten kings who receive power with the beast are the ten lost tribes of Israel.

Revelation mentions two beasts. The second beast has horns like a lamb, and he 'causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.' This beast 'doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.' He is also a false prophet making miracles before the first beast. John intended Christians to identify Paul as the second beast. John's fire from heaven in the sight of men reference refers to Paul's conversion as it is recorded in Acts. One prophecy made by Paul is the saving of all Israel. John predicts the beast (Israel) will enter perdition (eternal death). John would have seen Paul's prediction as a false prophecy.

The harlot who sits upon the first beast is Jerusalem, that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth: the city that the prophets called a whore. Jerusalem is the city where YAHWEH, God of the universe, had his house. A second Jerusalem is mentioned in Revelation. This Jerusalem has different coloured foundations and a light as clear as crystal. It descends out of heaven from God. Nothing that defileth or worketh abomination or maketh a lie will be able to enter New Jerusalem. The inhabitants of New Jerusalem will reign forever and ever. It is lit by the glory of God. The glory of God is portrayed as rainbow light (seen round the throne of God and elsewhere). Greek, Norse, and other traditions associate rainbow light with the gods. It can also be thought of as fire from heaven.

Most traditions agree that Jesus wanted his followers to 'love one another'. Jesus maintains that there is a God, that people should believe him when he says there is a God, and that love is the way to everlasting life. Jesus may have become convinced there was a God after being baptized: 'he saw the heavens opened, and that Spirit like a dove descending upon him'. Although there is very little in the religion of YAHWEH (other than the winged chariot supposedly seen by some prophets) that can be associated with a supernatural bird, such a bird is often associated with a sun god or sun-goddess. In ancient Egyptian religion the bird spirit is shown as a white circle with white wings. It seems the religion of Jesus is connected to ancient religions that feature a sunbird. Such religions are amongst the earliest known. In some places they were replaced by dragon (serpent) religions.

In part one of 'My Understanding of Religion' emphasis followed Indo-European threads. They led to humankind's first religion. That religion may have featured a sun-goddess or sun-mother. In part two of 'My Understanding of Religion' emphasis followed Hebrew and Christian traditions. All Christian traditions assume Jesus is the Jewish Messiah mentioned by the prophets. Jewish tradition rejects the idea that Jesus is the Messiah. There appears to be no discernable connection between Judaism and ancient solar religions. However, the supernatural bird spirit seen by Jesus is probably identifiable as the sunbird. The sunbird is known by different names: phoenix, roc, etc. Jesus would have seen an abstract form: a white circle with working white wings: a unique kind. The Hindu Rig Veda contains a poem entitled 'The Bird'. It purports to be a sighting of the sunbird. The religion of Jesus appears to connect more significantly with religions similar to the solar religion of ancient Egypt than it does with Judaism.

Christianity is presented as a religion generated by a divine being. One symbol generated by Christianity suggests its roots reach back to solar religions of ancient times. The first religion in which the sun was significant appeared in Europe more than 24 000 years ago.