Clarify the major players of Revelation, please.

Factual Questions
1

One bunch I ALWAYS get confused are the bad guys. You’ve got:

  1. Satan/Lucifer/The Devil
  2. The Dragon
  3. The First Beast
  4. The Second Beast
  5. The False Prophet
  6. The Antichrist

These are usually all mushed together in pop. culture. I always thought that (1) and (2) were the same. Where does (6) fit in? Is he Satan, too, or just a really bad person?

Then we’ve got:

  1. The four horsemen (you could argue these are fielded by God, but the point is that nobody’s happy to see them)
    a. War
    b. Famine
    c. Pestilence
    d. Death
  2. The whore of Babylon
  3. Ten kings (?)

On the Home team, there’s:

  1. God, the Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth
  2. Jesus Christ, the son
  3. The Holy Spirit (though I’m not sure if he plays this inning or not)
  4. Michael and his (warrior) angels
  5. The herald angel giving the play-by-play (Gabriel?)
  6. The various angels blowing trumpets and pouring out bowls
  7. The two witnesses
  8. The 144,000 faithful

Sheesh! We need Apocalypse bubblegum cards with stats. Anyone have a link to a definitive list of the cast members? Or other clarifications on who is who (esp. where Satan, the antichrist, and the beasts fit in).

2

Also in the lineup for God are the Four Living Creatures (I believe one is shaped like a lion, one like a ram, one like an eagle, and one like a human, all with wings), who are generally considered to represent the four evangelists. This doesn’t really make much sense, though, since (apocryphally, at least) the narrator in Rev is considered to be St. John, and it seems a bit odd that he would end up meeting himself.

Oh, and don’t forget Mary, either, but she’s pretty straightforward.

3

I bet this site will have the answer to all your questions:

http://www.leftbehind.com/messageboard.html

:smiley:

4

Chronos-- the evangelist John is John the Evangelist, John the Beloved Apostle, etc. John the author of Revelations is St John the Divine. They were conflated for a while, but things got separated out.
And Luke’s animal is the bull, not the ram. The animal in Revs might be a ram, though. Didn’t look. . .
Revelations has always been considered vague and usually metaphorical and open to lots of interpretive fun. John’s describing the content of his funky visions, which aren’t expected to be clear-cut. Don’t sweat it.
And you forgot the Apocalyptic Woman who stands on a crescent with a crown with twelve stars or something.

5

And you can strike number 6. (Strike it three times if you want, but then you’ll have to move the beast down to number 6.) No antichrist makes an appearance in Revelation*.

6

I always heard them named that way, too, but upon checking Rev. 6, it seems the Four Horsemen are: [ul]
[li]Conquest (White horse)[/li][li]War (Red horse)[/li][li]Famine (Black horse)[/li][li]Death (Pale green horse) [/ul][/li]Does anyone know the reason for the change and where it came from?

7

You’re right! I’m checking various translations, but they all seem to be the same! Curious, indeed…

8

Also, if you’ve managed to collect all four of Moses’s stone tablets scattered around the bible you can unlock the two bonus characters: Mecha Jesus and Liquid John the Baptist.

9

Well, perhaps it is generally considered that people who don’t know their history generally think that. :wink: The Book of the Apocalypse was written long before the canon was written, so there was no way for John to know there would end up being 4 gospels.

(The counter argument is that God knew that there would end up being four gospels – but if you accept that you also have to accept the Catholic Church who put the canon together was divinely inspired and maintained apostolic sucession and everything is all part of God’s plan. Perhaps, but a big leap based upon a coincidence of the number 4)

I have plenty more thoughts on the meaning of Revelations toadspittle and I will post them as I get the chance.

10

Aren’t the Beatles in there somewhere?

11

You have made my whole week by giving me an excuse to post this link:

http://www.e-sheep.com/toc3.html

Scroll down to “Apocamon: The Final Judgement” and click where it says “teaser”.

12

That just made my day, its fucking hysterical. I’m imaging a Revelation! battle game in the style of power stone now.

I think you’ve ruined me for life.

13

That ain’t nice, Arnold. :wink:

Lamia that “Apocamon” link was hysterical! I’ll have to read the thing when it comes out. Great parody requires true genius.

14

Well, hell, if you thought the MechaJesus joke was funny, maybe you should head on over to www.jesuschristsuperstore.com and pick yourself up some toys. :slight_smile:

15

Ah, bugger. Just checked that link and it takes you to e-crush.com. Damn cybersquatters.

What I meant was www.jesuschristsuperstore.net

I especially dig Jesus’ ninja nail throwing skills and pump action shotgun.

16

No, “Revelation”, not "Revolution’. :D:D

17

How about a trading card game?

I choose you, Whore of Babylon!

18

Go to www.e-sheep.com/toc3.html and scroll down to “Apocamon: The Final Judgment.” Click on teaser. There IS a “Whore of Babylon” card and she’s topless and her nipples are pierced!

BTW: If War, Pestilence, Famine and Death each kill one-fourth of humanity, who the hell is left?!?!

19

I think 1/4 of humanity was killed collectively.

And toadspittle, don’t forget the Armored Locusts. or Gog and Magog.