Attempting to understand the meaning of "names of blasphemy" in Revelation 13:1 has revealed that Revelation 13:1 has quite varied translations, and that the meaning of blasphemy is more akin to slander, or simply a "lie". Here are some translations for Rev 13:1.
Assuming βλασφημίας refers to a country's name (which seems most likely) what sort of names might fit the description? Any name which is demonstrably false, or contradictory, might be a candidate.
Names such as:
People's Republic of China
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Republic of Cuba
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
People's Republic of Kampuchea (Cambodia)
German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
People's Republic of Hungary
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
People's Republic of Poland
None of these are, or were, republics, even in a broad interpretation of the word. All were totalitarian; most were simple dictatorships. In other words, the names are all demonstrably false. All are pretentious, grossly inaccurate and misleading ... remarkably like the GWT translation for Revelation 13:1: "There were insulting names on its heads."
Compare against the following:
Commonwealth of Australia
French Republic
Kingdom of Spain
Kingdom of Norway
Kingdom of Sweden
Republic of Finland
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Islamic Republic of Iran
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Republic of India
Republic of South Africa
Federal Republic of Germany
Canada
Republic of Iceland
Greenland
Republic of Korea
Regardless of whether one disagrees with the method of governance within any of these countries, these names are generally accurate and descriptive.
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TNT And I stood on the sea sand. And I saw a beast rise out of the sea, having vij heads, and x horns, and upon his horns x. crowns, and upon his head, the name of blasphemy.
GWT I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns on its horns. There were insulting names on its heads.
WEB And he took up a position upon the sands of the sea-shore. Then I saw a Wild Beast coming up out of the sea, and he had ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten kingly crowns, and inscribed on his heads were names full of blasphemy.
KJV And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
NIV And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
NAS And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
ASV and he stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns, and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.
Note the ambiguity about who is standing on the sea sand - is it the dragon or is it John? Also ambiguous is how many names of blasphemy there are - just one or as many as ten? The Greek word here for blasphemy - βλασφημίας - has been frequently translated into slander (Matt 15:19, Mark 7:22, 1Tim 6:4), although the GWT translates it here as simply "insulting".GWT I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns on its horns. There were insulting names on its heads.
WEB And he took up a position upon the sands of the sea-shore. Then I saw a Wild Beast coming up out of the sea, and he had ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten kingly crowns, and inscribed on his heads were names full of blasphemy.
KJV And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
NIV And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
NAS And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
ASV and he stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns, and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.
Assuming βλασφημίας refers to a country's name (which seems most likely) what sort of names might fit the description? Any name which is demonstrably false, or contradictory, might be a candidate.
Names such as:
People's Republic of China
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Republic of Cuba
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
People's Republic of Kampuchea (Cambodia)
German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
People's Republic of Hungary
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
People's Republic of Poland
None of these are, or were, republics, even in a broad interpretation of the word. All were totalitarian; most were simple dictatorships. In other words, the names are all demonstrably false. All are pretentious, grossly inaccurate and misleading ... remarkably like the GWT translation for Revelation 13:1: "There were insulting names on its heads."
Compare against the following:
Commonwealth of Australia
French Republic
Kingdom of Spain
Kingdom of Norway
Kingdom of Sweden
Republic of Finland
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Islamic Republic of Iran
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Republic of India
Republic of South Africa
Federal Republic of Germany
Canada
Republic of Iceland
Greenland
Republic of Korea
Regardless of whether one disagrees with the method of governance within any of these countries, these names are generally accurate and descriptive.
.