New Britain herald., 1917-10-15

mus It IS COnCenQe0 that the Kaiser is to be identified as the beast.
 This looks distinctly like juggling with figures. The writer was dis mayed to discover how easily by sim- liar methods he identified himself with the beast. Modesty and the feel ing that his perversity is not of world wide notoriety restraints him from publishing how he did it. The fact is that by this method almost anyone can be identified with the beast.
 Modern scholarship by it's careful historical methods identifies one of the two beasts mentioned in Revela- tion 13 as the ancient Roman emper- orship, and the second beast as the cult of emperor-worship with it's tem- ples and priesthood. At the time of the writing of Revelation these two features of imperial Rome were per scouting Christians in the person Nero. who for the time being represented the imperial power, both political ana religious No book could be openly published which was derogatory to the existing government, and this book or Revelation with it's strange f1gurative languae and personifications was one attempt to get by the censor or those ancient days with a message of hope and encouragem ent to the persecuted Christians It was written in Greek. which was the common language or the world at that time; but most or the Christian community would un- derstand Hebrew well enough to be able to identify number 666. The He- brews like the Greeks, used the letters of the alphabet as numerals. The sum of the letters in the words Nero Ceas- ar written in Hebrew is 666. Scores of other details in these chapters in Revelation can be identified with per sons and events of that ancient day, and if we had a more detailed knowl- edge of the times still more would be appreciated of innuendo and sugges- tive reference.
 Nero Original 666.
 "There can be no doubt that Nero was the person originally intended by the writer in Revelation as number 666 Anyone may twist the number 666 or a hundred other details of this book to fit any person in any period or history whom the twister desires to hit The privilege and the pleasure ought not to be denied. Such treat ment of the Bible is, however, in the mind of many not only puerlle put irreverent
 '"IlG nlOOGrn1SL uOco llOI AS6I'A Scripture like the book of Revelation as vague and mysterious depletion of things to happen sometime. He re- cards it as a book addressed to mon and women in the time in which the book was written to encourage them +o steadfastness for the truth and bravery in the face of persecution. The book of Daniel is another of the same type of book: this was written to hearten the Jews who were so Vlo- lentlv persecuted by Antlochus Epl- nhanes two centuries before Christ. When the books are read in the light of the history of the times Tn "nlcn they were written, we may not De aple to understand fully every detail or them,' nor identify all the characters which appear. because of our limited knowledge of history; but we can grasp the great principles Of trust Ill God bravery, hope of ultimate victory of truth, etc., which they convey. When we grasp these messages ana permit them to invade our own sools' we appreciate that the DOCK mas message for us moderns even u nurh- ber 666 was Nero and not the Kaiser Wherever the ideals of liberty oustlce' brotherhood, etc., which are at the center of Christianity are menaced there are forces at work which are kindred spirits of Nero and persecut- ing imperial Rome. The thing which we should avoid is being worried about the end of the world, and the full fllment of prophecies'. which were never in the mind of Scripture writ CTS. nor, we venture to say, of God. If God intended to reveal future events through the book of Revelation, he has failed at least to secure clarity In the effort, and for all the contradic- tory and differing interpretations of the book which have been made to have it fit contemporary events the mudd1e is only worse. People have heen driven crazy over the things