(Map not available)
The dictionary says that Judea included the land that was given to Simeon, Judah, Benjamin, part of Ephraim, and Dan.
As you can see by the map, Jerusalem is well within the boundary of the region that includes Simeon, Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.
Once again proving that Jerusalem was in Judea. It was in Judea in one general way, and also in two different specific ways.
Now let's look at the definition of Jew:
JEW - the name derived from the patriarch Judah, at first given to one belonging to the tribe of Judah or to the separate kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 16:6; 25:25; Jer. 32:12; 38:19; 40:11; 41:3), in contradistinction from those belonging to the kingdom of the ten tribes, who were called Israelites.
During the Captivity, and after the Restoration, the name, however, was extended to all the Hebrew nation without distinction (Esther 3:6, 10; Dan. 3:8, 12; Ezra 4:12; 5:1, 5).
Originally this people were called Hebrews (Gen. 39:14; 40:15; Ex. 2:7; 3:18; 5:3; 1 Sam. 4:6, 9, etc.), but after the Exile this name fell into disuse. But Paul was styled a Hebrew (2 Cor. 11:22; Phil. 3:5).
The history of the Jewish nation is interwoven with the history of Palestine and with the narratives of the lives of their rulers and chief men. They are now [1897] dispersed over all lands, and to this day remain a separate people, "without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image [R.V. 'pillar,' marg. 'obelisk'], and without an ephod, and without teraphim" (Hos. 3:4). Till about the beginning of the present century [1800] they were everywhere greatly oppressed, and often cruelly persecuted; but now their condition is greatly improved, and they are admitted in most European countries to all the rights of free citizens. In 1860 the "Jewish disabilities" were removed, and they were admitted to a seat in the British Parliament. Their number in all is estimated at about six millions, about four millions being in Europe.
There are three names used in the New Testament to designate this people, (1.) Jews, as regards their nationality, to distinguish them from Gentiles. (2.) Hebrews, with regard to their language and education, to distinguish them from Hellenists, i.e., Jews who spoke the Greek language. (3.) Israelites, as respects their sacred privileges as the chosen people of God. "To other races we owe the splendid inheritance of modern civilization and secular culture; but the religious education of mankind has been the gift of the Jew alone."
So we see that the name "Jew" has been given to the entire Hebrew Nation, without discrimination. There are Jews, (Hebrews; Israelis) and there is everyone else (Gentiles). Even before it was used to mean all Hebrews, it meant those who came from the tribe of Judah. Again, by looking at the map of the twelve tribes of Israel, you can see that the city of Jerusalem belonged to the tribe of Judah.
If there was ever an area called Judea, it specifically included Jerusalem. And if there was a people ever called Jews, they came from Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is involved in both hardcore definitions, let alone when the general definitions are used.
That should put to rest any doubts about Jerusalem and Judea.
So the Beast that rises from the earth is a Jew that rises up out of Judea. It could be a Jewish system, or it could be a Jewish man.
So far, we've seen that beasts are symbolic of nations, and that people are represented by the heads or crowns of the beast. So let's first consider this beast to be a Jewish nation, or Jewish system.
This beast has two horns like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon. So it looks like one thing, but is really something else completely. That is deception. This beast is a deceiver. (So is Satan - bet there's a connection there)
It looks like a sheep. The bible uses sheep to symbolize helplessness, (Matt: 9:36: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.- Matt: 10:16: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.) and righteousness (John 10:7: Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. - Hebrews 13:20: May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep).
This beast is masquerading as a helpless, righteous, innocent, harmless creature, when in fact its true personality is more like a dragon; which is the very opposite of what it is trying to portray.
I am reminded of 2nd Cor. 11:13-15: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
That is exactly what this Beast is doing, masquerading as an apostle of Christ. Hence the name False Apostle, or False Prophet.
We are told that this False Apostle exercises all the authority of the Satanic World Government System, and causes everyone to worship the Beast of the Sea, whose fatal wound had been healed.
So, the False Apostle orders that everyone worship something. By using all of our clues from all the descriptions of that first Beast, we can determine exactly who the False Apostle is causing to be worshiped.
John saw that the Beast of the Sea was given a mouth to slander God, and war against the saints. Daniel gave us more detail. He saw the Beast, too, but it was the little horn that had the mouth and warred against the saints. That little horn is the AntiChrist.
We also know that John's Scarlet Beast had 7 heads, and that those heads represented 7 rulers. Five were, 1 is, and 1 is to come; he was told. He was told that when the 7th comes, he must remain for a little while.
Why was this said? He's probably answering a question in advance. When the AntiChrist appears on the scene, he will cause much destruction. With politicians now, when they are causing disruption, the people ask, "How long until we can get rid of this guy?" With the AntiChrist, we can't get rid of him because the bible says the answer to that question is that "he must remain for a little while." Yeah, I know you're going to wish he was gone, but he's going to have to remain for a little while.
When John sees the heads of the Beast of the Sea, they represent the Kings AND their Kingdoms. But we know that all the heads together, all 7 of them, represented the nation of Babylon. All of the heads together, as a whole, represented Babylon. We were told the 7 heads represented a city. We weren't told that 1 head was for Babylon, and another head might be for another city, etc. They were ALL Babylon.
The only way the heads represented individual items, was with the 7 Kings. So when John sees ONE of the heads fatally wounded, we must take the individual meaning. It wasn't all 7 heads that were wounded (which would have meant only the city itself), but only ONE head (therefore meaning one of the Babylonian Kings).
Which King could it have been? If at the time of the vision, 5 were already dead, and 1 was in power then, then the only King that could come, be fatally wounded, and then healed, is the 7th King that is yet to come.
We saw in Daniel that there was a king that would rise later; the small horn. The small horn is the 7th Babylonian King. Since we know the small horn is the AntiChrist, we know the AntiChrist is also that 7th Babylonian King.
And now the point of this is, that if ONE of the heads was wounded, and the only individual meaning we have for the heads is a King, and we know 6 of them are dead, then the only head, or King that can be wounded and healed, is the 7th King, or the AntiChrist.
So the False Apostle will order that the whole world worship the AntiChrist. And that will seem perfectly acceptable, when you consider that the AntiChrist will have already proclaimed himself to be God.
In chapter 13 we see the False Apostle performing miracles, even bringing fire down from heaven in full view of people. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the False Apostle is the one who heals the AntiChrist!
Due to the power he possesses, as evidenced by the miracles he performs, the False Apostle will deceive the people of the world. People will believe the AntiChrist's claims of deity because the False Apostle, who can perform miracles (and therefore MUST be of God) says he is.
The False Apostle looks like the AntiChrist's version of John the Baptist.
At this point, the False Apostle seems to be more a MAN, than a Jewish System. A man can perform miracles, but if a nation or system performs miracles, you have to have many people performing miracles. This would have to be an entire nation that performs miracles, an entire system that enforces worship of the AntiChrist. I think it much more likely that this is simply one man, who puts procedures into place, like the worship of the AntiChrist. Remember that this Beast is Jewish. I find it difficult to believe that the nation of Israel will enforce worship of the AntiChrist after the AntiChrist proclaims himself to be God.
See, Jesus said the same thing, that he was God, and the Jews did not believe him. Why would they believe this guy? The Jews believe he is the Messiah, but that belief ends when he says he's God. The Messiah that the Jews are looking for is a man, who will become their leader, and bring them peace. Their Messiah is not God. They believe him to be that Messiah, because he will have given them peace (with the treaty - but he will break that treaty and take away that peace after 3 ½ years; another reason why they will no longer believe him to be Messiah). Their belief will soon change. The Jews will not see him as God, nor the Messiah any longer.
Therefore, it is much easier to believe that this is a Jewish Man. The right hand man of the AntiChrist.
And being a Jew will probably do much to help deceive the rest of the world. The God of the bible was the God of the Jews. So who better to be able to recognize God, but a Jew? (So the world will think). The claims of deity will be easier believed by the world when backed up by the word of a miracle-performing Jew.
Think about how strange it would be to see miracles performed in our time. Fire brought down from heaven. These kinds of things just don't happen in the times we live in. But when they do begin to happen, the only time the world can see that there was ever recorded people performing miracles, is in the bible, and done by Jews. And those Jews worshipped God.
Now they have a miracle working Jew among them. What are they going to think? First of all, they're going to think that the miracles are proof of righteousness. So they're going to believe this False Apostle is of God. Anything he says will be taken to heart. When he says the AntiChrist is God, they will believe.
Being Jewish can only help the False Apostle deceive the world. (Although traditional Jews will all recognize both the AntiChrist and the False Apostle for what they are).
This False Apostle will order an image of the AntiChrist set up. He will cause the image to have life, so that it can speak; and the image will require that all men worship him or die.
What kind of image could this be? Well, either the False Apostle has a statue made, and the statue comes to life (very weird) or we're looking at an electronic image! In other words, a television image, or an internet image.
Recall that Nebuchadnezzar set up his own statue and required that everyone worship it or be killed? This looks like the AntiChrist is going to do the very same thing. Literalists, then would have to say that this will be an actual statue that comes to life. The False Apostle with all his power, would certainly be able to bring it to life. I will agree that this is a possible interpretation.
But Nebuchadnezzar's statue didn't come to life, and this one will. Therefore there is a difference between the two. I believe the difference; the "life" of the image, is due to technology. This can very easily be a television image that moves and talks.
Note, if you will, that Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon. I already pointed out that the AntiChrist is the 7th Babylonian King. So we have a link between the image and Babylon.
The last thing we are told this False Apostle does, is come up with a mark, a symbol that everyone must receive; and it will be permanently attached to their bodies, either on the forehead or the right hand.
Everyone in the world is forced to receive this mark. People are unable to buy or sell, unless they have it.
We are told that this mark is "666", and that it is a human number. It is also the name of the beast (the One World Government).
I have discovered what "666" means, and I will explain it to you.
Earlier in my studies I was going through material on Babylon, trying to find out where it is today. I discovered that the site of Babylon is in modern-day Iraq.
Along the way, I found out all kinds of other information I didn't care to know. One little article I glossed over was Babylonian Mathematics. Yeah, right - like I want to learn about that.
One thing caught my eye for about 30 seconds - this symbol:
It struck me that in a way it resembled the mark of 666. 666 is one symbol repeated two times. Whatever this was, it was also one symbol repeated two times.
I thought that curious, and filed it away for future reference. I was not looking into the mark of the beast yet, I was trying to figure out where Babylon was today. I thought I might come back to this later when I was ready to tackle the mark of the beast, and see if there was anything to this symbol.
The next day while I was at work, however, I kept remembering this symbol. It piqued my interest to the point that I located information over the internet on Mesopotamian Mathematics, and printed out everything I could find within a half hour.
Examining the symbol further, I discovered that it represented the number three. I learned that the Babylonians had a very advanced system of arithmetic, even more advanced than that of the Egyptians. I learned that they used a base 60 numbering system (as opposed to our base 10 [decimal] system). I found that our present-day method of measuring hours, minutes, seconds, and the degrees of a circle all come from the ancient system of the Babylonians, which is based on 60.
As advanced as their mathematical system was, they only had two symbols with which to form all of their numbers. Those symbols were:
AND
