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200 Million Army from the East Revelation: The last book of the New Testament. Easily the most controversial and feared book in the entire Bible, covering what most people believe as a prophecy of the Last days of mankind. It was written by John the Evangelist, brother of James the Martyr, when he was forcibly exiled to Patmos Island for standing firm on his faith to Jesus. Probably one of the most talked about chapters in the entire Revelation is Chapter 9:15-21, wherein there is a mention of an enormous army numbering to 200,000,000. The mere number of these invading armies causes even the most liberals to be intrigued, to be curious enough as to warrant a deeper study on the accuracy of the said prophecy. Need essay sample on "200 Million Army from the East" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Main Body The Vatican According to The Christian Community Bible, the way of using apocalyptic images as done by John in Revelation, was a popular form of literature during Jesus and Johns time. It was their way of interpreting present events using dramatic images with visions and angels, and usually involving a colossal war between the good and the bad (481). John did not intend to foretell future events or give a picture of the last days, rather he simply made use of his God-given talents as a prophet and as a writer, using the style common in his time. The Catholic Church, as explained in Christian Community Bible, intends to view the Revelation of Jesus Christ to be full of joy and hope and not as terrifying and difficult as the popular culture intends it to be portrayed (482). Contemporary Interpretations According to Robert Talley, author of countless books on Revelation, there are three main points in Revelation. The first being, it was written for the seven churches, and not for individuals. Two, the entire book of Revelation was written to encourage the faithful, warn those who are still deceived, and call upon those who have spiritual problems into repentance. And lastly, he reminds us that the first four trumpets in chapter 8 are to be taken literally, and the other two in chapter 9 are of symbolic interpretations (2007). In another report on Revelation 9:16, David Guzik is of the belief of the possibility that the number of 200,000,000 is not to be taken literally, rather it might be a representation of an army foreseen by John that is too many to count, and whose number is never before seen by mankind (2001). It is the thinking of Guzik that John may have seen in his vision the modern mechanized war machines of today, and that he was simply describing them in the only possible way he can. Furthermore, during the Second World War, the armies of both the Allies and the Axis forces combined, numbered only 70 million. China has claimed in 1965 that they have an army force of over 200 million, however, many experts doubted such claim. Even if it were true, and China marched their army towards west, as John foretold, it would be improbable for that army to wipe out 2 billion people, or roughly a third of mankind (Guzik, 2001). Hence, the safest interpretation would be to view this as a literal 200 million strong army, but of a demonic kind, invading mankind. This interpretation would also support the conclusion of a demonic army of locusts written by John in earlier chapters. Keith Krell of Bible.org shares the same views. He notes that while China has the capability of assembling 200 million armies, it is more likely that John speaks of a demonic origin. His reasons for this are: 1.Since the fifth trumpet preceding the sixth is clearly of a demonic nature, it would be almost certain that the sixth is also demonic. 2. Since the leaders of this army are fallen angels, it is safe to assume their subordinates are also demons. 3. There are also other writings in the Bible about demonic armies, e.g., Kings 2:11; Kings 6:13-17. 4. The weapons mentioned by John, like smoke, sulfur, and fire, have been commonly associated in the Bible as being weapons of hellish armies (Krell, 2004). One more point of contention is that it would be impossible to assemble 200 million horses, thus it is more plausible to interpret them as symbolic of a demonic nature (The Prophetic Years). One of the Bible scholars who believe that what is mentioned in Revelation refers to China, argues that never before in history was there a time that such an enormous number of army was possible other than in our generation. Even today over 3 billion people already live east of the Euphrates River (Koenig). Add to that all the abortions and infanticides of female children being legally practiced in China, and the result would be an excess of over 100 million in male population. According to Koenigs statistics, China would have produced over 200 million men of military age by the year 2025 or 2030 AD (The Prophetic Years). Conclusion Revelation 9:16-21 speaks of an era where a third of mankind is annihilated through war. Whether it is to be taken literally or figuratively had been the topic of debates since it has been written over 2 thousand years ago. Perhaps the main point John the Evangelist is trying to convey is for Christians to be always prepared for the Second coming of Christ, and focus on ones judgment, wherein our reward or damnation will be eternal. Works Cited Christian Community Bible. 30th ed. Philippines: Claretian Publications, 2000. Guzik, David. Revelation 9-The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets. 2001. EnduringWord.com. Retrieved 22 April 2009 https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/revelation-9/ Koenig, Don. The Prophetic Years. Krell, Keith. All Hell Breaks Loose! 2004. Bible.org. Retrieved 22 April 2009 https://bible.org/seriespage/all-hell-breaks-loose-revelation-91-21 Talley, Robert. Back from hiatus with Revelation 9: trumpets, locusts, and 200,000,000 horses. 27 April 2007. WordPress.com. Castleton, Vermont.

Free Essays on Doing Bussiness In France

Free Essays on Doing Bussiness In France The purpose of this paper is to provide the audience with information that will help the reader with possible future meetings while doing business in France. The content of this paper will provide general information about France including; a basic geographic summary, helpful information focusing on business customs and practices and the differences and interesting cultural facts about France. Geographical Overview France is located in Western Europe; it borders the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, located between Belgium and Spain southeast of the United Kingdom; bordering the Mediterranean Sea which is located between Italy and Spain. France has a temperate climate from being located mid-way between the North Pole and the equator. The Mediterranean coast makes the climate have typically cool winters and mild summers, however many places in France do get extremely hot summers and bitterly cold winters. The mountain areas of France have a tendency to be colder with a considerable amount of rain and snow. France has a terrain of mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in the north and west of the country. The remainder of the country is very mountainous specifically the Pyrenees in the south and the Alps in the east. France is approximately 212,000 (plus) square miles in size with a population of 59,800,000. The capital of France is Paris with a population of more than 8.7 million people. Business Customs and Practices The French are very formal, in both dress and manners. The details do not matter to the French but rather it is the overall affect that matters. The French do not get on a first name basis quickly; they see informality as becoming too pushy and view it as a loss of respect. While Americans try to not interrupt the French on the other hand like to do many things as the same time and will constantly interrupt one another. This behavior not only occurs in business settings but also in soc...

The Influence of the Columian Exchange throughout North America Research Paper

The Influence of the Columian Exchange throughout North America leading up to the Revolutionary War - Research Paper Example Europeans started this contact and habitually decided its terms. For Africans and Native Americans, their life in America was to be steeped in tragedy for the next three centuries. Disease The most devastating consequences of the lengthy isolation of the American continent were to be biological. Africans, Asians and Europeans had been exposed to each other’s maladies for centuries because they frequently came into contact with each other through trade practices (Peabody and Grinberg, 2007). By 1500, these three ethnic groups had acquired immune systems that moderately protected them from most illnesses. Native Americans, who remained unexposed to other ethnic groups, were larger in body size and healthier than Columbus and his co-partners in 1492, when the two groups first met (McNeill, 2012). However, their long isolation from other ethnicities meant that their bodies had no immunity against the diseases that other ethnic groups quickly mastered. European and African maladies would soon begin ravaging the American Indian tribes. Smallpox quickly became the largest killer, even though influenza and measles also decimated huge populations of American Indians. The native population of Mexico, for example, was approximately 17 million, when in 1519 Cortes and his men reached the land (McNeill, 2012). A century later, there were less than a million natives remaining in Mexico, simply as a result of communicable diseases. It has been estimated that the entire Native American population was reduced by 90 percent within the first 100 years after European travelers first reached the American shores. This fact hugely contributed to the subsequent European domination of the continent. The Introduction of Food Crops One of the few advantages of the Columbian Exchange era was the exchange of knowledge of different crops between different ethnic groups. Prior to the Columbian Exchange, there had been no potatoes cultivated in Europe (Hughes, 2003). The Columbian Exch ange also hugely expanded the scale of the production of some well-liked drugs as well as crops such as sugar, coffee and tobacco use to many Europeans (Crosby, 2008). In the next few centuries potatoes would grow to be a major ingredient of Russian Vodka and the staple food in Ireland (Hughes, 2003). Chocolate, a plant only previously grown in the Americas, soon became a favorite in Europe. Plants like peanuts and maize were also transported to Africa by Portuguese. These robust crops could be cultivated in arid regions that hardly sustained any other type of edible plants (Hall, 2003). There are many historians who believe that the introduction of maize in Africa resulted in an increase in population. Before Columbus reached the American shores in 1492, the Americas had many different domesticated crops such as cassava, maize (corn), squashes, potatoes and different types of beans. Other plants that were less actively cultivated included papaya, sweet potato, avocado, pineapple, t omato, guava, chili peppers, peanuts, and cacao (McNeill, 2012). In spite of maize’s success in readapting to the African climate, the potato did not do as well in Africa. The potato would have a stronger impact in developing the Eurasian populations (Bond,