Download this talk (right click and "save link as")
Download audio of Chapter 13
Transcript
Chapter 13
Our 11th lesson begins with Chapter 13 of our book of Revelation. This chapter symbolizes some interesting facts pertaining to The Beast we have been talking about. There are descriptions of some changes of appearance of The Beast, and mention is made of some who worship The Beast, who are quoted in verse four as saying, “Who is like unto The Beast? Who is able to make war with him?” Then lastly, there is the reference to what is called the number of The Beast, which is 6-6-6.
Error and negativeness can assume a bewildering variety of shapes and forms in human nature and in human experiences, and we often tend to evaluate the seriousness of an error, or of a negative thing, by the form it assumes, but this is wrong. This is futile. Error is error. Regardless of form. Regardless of detail. Regardless of numbers involved in its appearance. Negativeness is negativeness. Error just plain is error, and it is all unreal, temporary and vulnerable to overcoming simply by the application of some truth thinking. Error thinking believes in safety and strength lying in numbers. Truth thinking realizes that all safety and strength lie in the oneness. The one, which is truth, which is God.
Now, The Beast worshipers stand for strange tendencies in human nature. One of these is the tendency to become so impressed with the many appearances of error and negativeness in life that one may, in a sense, begin to worship it. A person may believe that it is useless not to worship numbers, large numbers, and outer appearances still have a widespread, hypnotic effect on many of us, especially where error and negativeness are concerned.
This attitude of allowing oneself to become overawed and impressed by appearances and numbers of errors is symbolized by the number 6-6-6. Now, in order to understand the meaning of the number 6-6-6, one first has to understand the meaning of the number 12. 12 stands for wholeness and perfection, inwardly and outwardly. 6 is half of 12, so the number 6 symbolizes incomplete, imperfect, not whole. 6; half of 12. 12 stands for wholeness. 6 stands for half whole or divided, fragmented and so forth. All sin, error, evil or negativeness is the result of ignorance or lack in consciousness, lack of consciousness of wholeness. 6; half-whole. 6; un-whole. 6; unholy. Error, negativeness, sin; 6-6-6. Half-whole, not whole, unholy. The mark of The Beast; 6-6-6.
