Taking a beast which throughout the rest of scripture is a symbol of a nation or empire, and changing the entire prophetic view in one example to an individual is directly akin to changing God's prophetic order. It's like Nebuchadnezzar building a statue to represent himself in
Daniel 3 in order to change God's order of s succession of empires in chapter 2.
It can't be done and you are living very dangerously by doing so.
I think it's OK.
IF it's the truth.
And not what I want the truth to be, so as to force fit a specific hermeneutic.
And especially if it turns out to be a big truth that proves the Bible.
"And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,
I don't think that a nation rises from the bottomless pit and kills the two witnesses.
I think this "beast" is Abaddon, Apollyon, in two languages his name means destruction.
The son of perdition, is the son of destruction.
Here, the "beast" is Satan.
"The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.
Again, I think this is talking about Satan, the Dragon, Lucifer.
He has a lot of names.
I think the SDA would agree that when the Dragon chases the "Woman", that means the Devil is chasing the Church, or the Devil is chasing God's People.
But could Daniel have also been using the word "woman" referring to the Christian Church, the Bride of Christ?
"Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers:
Nor the desire of women:
The "woman" is the Church or God's People.
Think "Bride" of Christ.
So the desire of "women", is the desire of God's People, and that would be Jesus.
Nor regard any god:
for he shall magnify himself above all:
The God of his fathers:
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's
God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
"We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the
Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions,
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his
God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common
Father and
Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect and esteem.
-Thomas Jefferson
President of the United States
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers.
Peaceful Sabbath.