Submitted by: Submitted by jbrooker1
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Category: Spirituality
Date Submitted: 05/13/2014 10:07 PM
The Roman Imperial Cult and Early Christian Attitudes Toward it
The first century Christian faced overwhelming amounts of persecution from the Roman Imperial Cult. Revelation 13:11-18 gives us excellent insight into what John perceived the Roman Imperial Cult to be. From the introduction of the second Beast to the mark that will represent the one who will be worshiped, John describes the totalitarian regimes that will gain control of the world’s economy and the demands of worship. He also calls for the one who has understanding to be able to interpret the number of 666 and it’s correlation to the Roman Imperial Cult.
“11Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.” (Revelation 13:11-12) The beast of the earth is thought to represent the local provincial council who supervised the imperial cult in Asia. This council was known as commune Asiae and was headed by the Asiarchs. The Asiarchs were the most prominent men in the province presiding in one-year terms over the cult of the emperor along with the goddess of Roma. (Keener pp. 380, 798) “The first beast represents civil power, satanically inspired; the second beast represents religious power employed to support civil power.” (Ladd 183)
The beast that comes out of the earth had two horns like a lamb but spoke as a dragon. John is not talking about a physical manifestation but a symbolical representation of the beast’s nature. The horned lamb being in appearance as one who is gentle but eventually turns into a manipulator that will rise to power. Some think that the horned lamb possibly represents an evil power like Persia in the book of Daniel. He is acting as a false prophet, presenting evil things as if it were good. (Krejcir)
13 It performs great signs, even making fire come...