"Holy Mountains," regarded by ancients as home of g*ods and spirits, weren't confined to Egypt, the Sinai or the Middle East. Most, perhaps all, ancient empires had their own "Holy Mountains" on which they built temples to their idols as the center of their religious worship. The seven hills of Rome were regarded as embodying the spiritual home—"Holy Mountains"—of seven regional powers, five of which were widely identified as empires that had dominated Israel in the past, from the perspective of the author of The Unveiling—"was," culminating with Rome, which occupied Israel in his present—"is."
The wild-beast [invading Israel from] out of the sea—Hellenist successor to the Dragon = Greek Hellenism (viz., Rome)—that was history and no longer existed ca. 95 C.E. when The Unveiling was written was the Roman Republic, as differentiated from the Roman Empire (both of which must be distinguished from the later Hellenist-Christian, "Holy" Roman Empire).
The Roman Republic was composed of two top executives (consuls), elected for one-year terms, and two vice-executives (praetors), elected by a congress of assemblies comprised of the Comitia Tributa (Assembly of Tribes, roughly paralleling the U.S. House of Representatives) and the Comitia Centuriata (Assembly of Hundreds, roughly paralleling the U.S. Senate).
This democratic republic ceased in B.C.E. 31 when the emperors absorbed the powers of these bodies in their own persons, setting themselves up as deities.
The first of these emperors was Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus "Augustus," who took the empire in B.C.E. 30. Hence, in 95 C.E., Yo·khân·ân′ would write that the Roman Republic "was, but isn't." He further predicted that it would recur at some time future relative to 95 C.E.
The democratic republic that fulfilled this prophecy was established in the second month of 1919, in Germany—a democratic federal republic that was soon taken over by Hitler.
Thus, the democratic republic had, in 95 C.E., been killed by the sword but would live again.
 |
|
 |