Television - Revelations

[Aurien]

For example, nearly every television show now- even the ones directed for kids- has to have gay sex portrayed in it.

Can you give specific examples of which kids shows have gay sex in them? For that matter, which kids shows have heterosexual sex in them?

I don't know of any kids shows that actually depict the act of either heterosexual or homosexual sexual acts. Children's TV shows and movies sometimes have kissing in them but I don't know if any same sex couple kiss scenes have been depicted or not. I know there was at least one Disney channel TV show that depicted a "married" lesbian couple. It received some backlash at the time, but that was several years ago and I imagine there have been more depictions of same sex couples on kids shows since then. The most recent kids movie I can think of is Disney's live action remake of Beauty and the Beast where one of the male characters had a crush on another male character.
There's been portrayals of homosexual relationships in TV shows and movies for decades but it seems only in the past several years that there's been a push to include homosexual depictions in kids shows and movies.

[Sudsy]

Would you consider television the "image of the beast" as foretold in Revelations? Because I do.

No. I don't know what it might be but I doubt this 'image' means it comes from a TV. I suspect it might be more an image or an idol that represents who people will worship, the AntiChrist.

I also disagree with the statement made in another post that TV 'has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye'. I use the TV to watch things not related to lusts of the eye such as sermons, bible studies, nature shows, history, geography and other wholesome things in this world. I especially am learning more from a Smart TV hooked up to Utube where I can select many things to study like some we discuss in this forum. Like many things, including our computers linked to the Internet, they are not sinful in themselves but it involves our choices in how we use them. If one can't chose rightly, then don't have one.

[Outsider]

Many Mennonites recognised the danger of television 100 years ago, realising it has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye. The modern era proves these men and women of God were right.

Slightly exaggerated, since 100 years ago only a few inventors (no Mennonites known to be among them) were working on the concept of television.

Perhaps they were Mennonite prophets who could see the future?

By 1928, [Philo T.] Farnsworth had developed the system sufficiently to hold a demonstration for the press. His backers had demanded to know when they would see dollars from the invention; so the first image shown was, appropriately, a dollar sign.

Not until the late 1930s did TV move from experimental status to commercial viability in a few major urban markets. By the 1950s it was becoming more widespread, and my grandfather (the Mennonite one) was invited by a neighbor to stop by and see this newfangled invention. As the story goes, Grandpa said it would be okay "as long as you don't show me the devil." They sat down to watch, and an entertainment program came on featuring a guy in a jumpsuit (we can assume it was red, but this was before color TV) with a tail and horns, carrying a pitchfork. It didn't take Grandpa long to make up his mind about TV.

There were, however, "movies". With their own temples to which people flocked.

[Outsider]

Would you consider television the "image of the beast" as foretold in Revelations? Because I do.

No. I don't know what it might be but I doubt this 'image' means it comes from a TV. I suspect it might be more an image or an idol that represents who people will worship, the AntiChrist.

I also disagree with the statement made in another post that TV 'has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye'. I use the TV to watch things not related to lusts of the eye such as sermons, bible studies, nature shows, history, geography and other wholesome things in this world. I especially am learning more from a Smart TV hooked up to Utube where I can select many things to study like some we discuss in this forum. Like many things, including our computers linked to the Internet, they are not sinful in themselves but it involves our choices in how we use them. If one can't chose rightly, then don't have one.

Very true. But my observation isn't so much about the technology, which is essentially neutral, but to the purpose to which it's put. And it's equally valid about movie-houses.

I don't believe that there's one 'image of the beast' any more than I believe the "beast" is one man who is the antichrist. I believe the "beasts" of Revelations are like the "beasts" in Daniel- states or empires. As far as the "image" goes, I consider it just one of the "lying signs" put forth to deceive- and the deception is that of the "man of evil" who "does not consider any God, even the one the women desire, for he exalts himself above any god." Who can argue against the greatest enemy of God being man's worship of himself?

[Valerie]

Would you consider television the "image of the beast" as foretold in Revelations? Because I do.

I have believed this since I was 18 years old- even though after a brief period of trying to convince my family and friends of this I drifted off to sleep and universalism. It was easy to do, as it has happened with the main body of the Quaker community, as I have been led to believe (perhaps wrongly?). But I'm taking myself down a "bunny trail" here.

I think the Catholic/Orthodox empires were the first beast, and the Protestant empires (in which we now live) are the second. I believe the television, movies, etc. are the "image of the beast". Look at the values it's presenting. Am I alone in thinking this?

2 Peter 1:20- this idea seems like what 2 Peter 1:20 warns against. It is how new denominations develop- around private interpretations & suppositions against those commonly held by the Church over this 2000 year Church Age

[Valerie]

Would you consider television the "image of the beast" as foretold in Revelations? Because I do.

No. I don't know what it might be but I doubt this 'image' means it comes from a TV. I suspect it might be more an image or an idol that represents who people will worship, the AntiChrist.

I also disagree with the statement made in another post that TV 'has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye'. I use the TV to watch things not related to lusts of the eye such as sermons, bible studies, nature shows, history, geography and other wholesome things in this world. I especially am learning more from a Smart TV hooked up to Utube where I can select many things to study like some we discuss in this forum. Like many things, including our computers linked to the Internet, they are not sinful in themselves but it involves our choices in how we use them. If one can't chose rightly, then don't have one.

Very true. But my observation isn't so much about the technology, which is essentially neutral, but to the purpose to which it's put. And it's equally valid about movie-houses.

I don't believe that there's one 'image of the beast' any more than I believe the "beast" is one man who is the antichrist. I believe the "beasts" of Revelations are like the "beasts" in Daniel- states or empires. As far as the "image" goes, I consider it just one of the "lying signs" put forth to deceive- and the deception is that of the "man of evil" who "does not consider any God, even the one the women desire, for he exalts himself above any god." Who can argue against the greatest enemy of God being man's worship of himself?

,

The scriptures make a distinction between The Antichrist (1) and antichrists & the spirit of antichrist correct?

[Outsider]

No. I don't know what it might be but I doubt this 'image' means it comes from a TV. I suspect it might be more an image or an idol that represents who people will worship, the AntiChrist.

I also disagree with the statement made in another post that TV 'has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye'. I use the TV to watch things not related to lusts of the eye such as sermons, bible studies, nature shows, history, geography and other wholesome things in this world. I especially am learning more from a Smart TV hooked up to Utube where I can select many things to study like some we discuss in this forum. Like many things, including our computers linked to the Internet, they are not sinful in themselves but it involves our choices in how we use them. If one can't chose rightly, then don't have one.

Very true. But my observation isn't so much about the technology, which is essentially neutral, but to the purpose to which it's put. And it's equally valid about movie-houses.

I don't believe that there's one 'image of the beast' any more than I believe the "beast" is one man who is the antichrist. I believe the "beasts" of Revelations are like the "beasts" in Daniel- states or empires. As far as the "image" goes, I consider it just one of the "lying signs" put forth to deceive- and the deception is that of the "man of evil" who "does not consider any God, even the one the women desire, for he exalts himself above any god." Who can argue against the greatest enemy of God being man's worship of himself?

,

The scriptures make a distinction between The Antichrist (1) and antichrists & the spirit of antichrist correct?

The word "Antichrist" is only used in 1 and 2 John.



Paul describes a "man of sin" in 2nd Thessalonians, and says pretty much the same thing as Daniel about him.

""Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (NKJV)" - 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4

"36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall (AA)exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the [q]God of his fathers nor the desire of women, (AB)nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all." - Daniel 11:36-37

Interestingly enough, Daniel speaks of the same King in an earlier passage in the same chapter thus:

"31 And [n]forces shall be mustered by him, (Y)and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation."

This was Titus, the Roman.


The "beast" of Revelations is never described as a person, from my understanding. It is not a "he" in the original Greek, but an "it". Those here who are competent in Greek can confirm or deny this, but I have it from many sources that such is the truth.

[Sudsy]

The "beast" of Revelations is never described as a person, from my understanding. It is not a "he" in the original Greek, but an "it". Those here who are competent in Greek can confirm or deny this, but I have it from many sources that such is the truth.

According to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the "image to the beast" represents Protestant churches which will form an alliance with the Papacy, and the "mark of the beast" refers to a future universal mandatory Sunday law.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/National_Sunday_law

That is one I hadn't read about before.

[Josh]

Universal Sunday law is one thing that sure isn’t happening.

[silentreader]

Would you consider television the "image of the beast" as foretold in Revelations? Because I do.

No. I don't know what it might be but I doubt this 'image' means it comes from a TV. I suspect it might be more an image or an idol that represents who people will worship, the AntiChrist.

I also disagree with the statement made in another post that TV 'has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye'. I use the TV to watch things not related to lusts of the eye such as sermons, bible studies, nature shows, history, geography and other wholesome things in this world. I especially am learning more from a Smart TV hooked up to Utube where I can select many things to study like some we discuss in this forum. Like many things, including our computers linked to the Internet, they are not sinful in themselves but it involves our choices in how we use them. If one can't chose rightly, then don't have one.

Very true. But my observation isn't so much about the technology, which is essentially neutral, but to the purpose to which it's put. And it's equally valid about movie-houses.

I don't believe that there's one 'image of the beast' any more than I believe the "beast" is one man who is the antichrist. I believe the "beasts" of Revelations are like the "beasts" in Daniel- states or empires. As far as the "image" goes, I consider it just one of the "lying signs" put forth to deceive- and the deception is that of the "man of evil" who "does not consider any God, even the one the women desire, for he exalts himself above any god." Who can argue against the greatest enemy of God being man's worship of himself?

If we try to point to any one thing that facilitates the mark of the beast, in my opinion the modern smart-phone comes closest to covering all the bases. (At least in this generation)