Kari,           
 
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2012/johnb19-2.htm
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2012/kari110.htm
 
Thanks for the feedback. I will try to paint a clearer picture of the first beast we call the antichrist and in doing so hope to clear up the muddy water we have between our interpretations of Rev.13. To start with one has to read Rev.17 in concert with Rev.13 in order to see the whole picture that John the Revelator is trying to disclose to us. The attributes and descriptions of this beast are laid out between the two chapters.
 
Before going any farther I would like to present an overview of Rev. 13 and 17 as they relate to this beast. When one condenses the verses from these two chapters concerning the first beast, the anti christ, this is what one gets:
 
In the end times a spirit being rises out of the sea, rises up out of the bottomless pit, and shows up on the world stage. This spirit being is going to appear as the image of a famous well known king who had been alive but died. While this king was alive he was mortally wounded but recovered from this wound. This king was one of seven kings and will, after he reappears, be the eighth king of a world wide kingdom organization controlling peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. Satan himself will give this risen king his power, throne and authority and the whole world will marvel at this king who was, and is not, and yet is.This risen king will have unbelievable oratory skills speaking great things and blasphemies and will be given authority to do so for forty two months. Then going forward after these forty two months he will declare that he is god, blaspheming the true God, God's holy name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. This risen king will make war with the saints and overcome them. All authority over every tribe, tongue and nation will be given to this risen king. The whole world will worship this king except those whose names are written in the Book of Life of the Lamb.
 
 
Remember the old board game called "Clue" where you had to work backwards after viewing all the clues you were given to try to establish who the murderer was? Let's see if we can work backwards viewing all the clues John the Revelator gave us in Rev.13,17,18 and see if we can put a face on this mass murderer to come, this first beast we call the antichrist.
 
Clue #1   Organization
This beast is directly affiliated with a world wide organization that represents peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. This organization or it's members are arrayed or known for two colors in particular purple and scarlet. This organization is known for it's golden cup or chalices. This organization was know for murder or martyring of millions of Jews and millions of true believers in Jesus. This organization has it's headquarters in a city built on seven mountains or seven hills. This organization glorified itself and lived luxuriously. The kings of the earth committed fornication with this organization. This organization adorned itself with gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble, and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots,and bodies and souls of men.
 
Clue#2   Blasphemy
This organization that the beast is affiliated with, as per John, is accused of multiple forms of blasphemy. John says that the kings of this organization or the heads of this organization will have a title that is blasphemous. And indeed, they are called "The Vicars of Christ on Earth"  literally meaning Christ's direct substitute on earth being infallible in whatever they may edict ,which is complete blasphemy.This organization had a woman affiliated with it that "was full of names of blasphemy". This woman's blasphemous names included Queen of Heaven, Co-Redeemer with Christ, Sinless, Immaculately concepted, Omnipotent with the Trinity, Mediatrix, Assumption to heaven without dying, along with many other titles that are pure blasphemy.
 
 
Clue #3   Kings and Kingdoms
This organization became it's own kingdom or country in 1929. Prior to that it was not a country and it's leaders could not be called kings. But now that it is it's own country the leader is a king. Since the establishment of this country it has had seven kings. One of these seven kings, the one John the Revelator was focused on and was describing was shot and was mortally wounded but he recovered from his wound. He was the sixth king and John says that he will also be the eighth king, the beast, (the antichrist) and will go to perdition.( damnation, hell)
 
 
I'll let you solve the riddle God gave us in Rev.17 from the above clues and information and put a face on this first beast that we call the antichrist.
 
There is no one alive on the world stage that can fulfill the attributes, and descriptions John gave us in Revelation that will qualify them to be the first beast, the antichrist. I believe the wound has already been inflicted and the dye cast as to this beast that will arise from the bottomless pit to completely and utterly mesmerize and deceive the planet. We won't be here but untold millions will fall to his smoke and mirrors.
 
Blessings.........John B
(former member of said organization.........praise the Lord, He removed the scales from my eyes and gave me the inside scoop)
 
P.S.--It wasn't until I wrote this tonight that I made the connection as to where I now believe the bottomless pit is, somewhere under the ocean. When John describes this first beast in Rev.13 he says he comes from the sea. And in Rev. 17 John says that this same beast comes from the bottomless pit so combining the two we can assume that the bottomless pit is somewhere in or under the ocean.