Thanks for your input on this; you’ve given me more to think about. I also see the possibility that these verses are speaking of both literal and a spiritual events.
I tend to be preterits when it comes to literal fulfillment (I have not fully embraced Christ coming in 70 A.D.) and an Amil when it comes to spiritual fulfillment. For example the argument for the meaning of “this generation” can certainly be the literal generation of that time but also in Matthew 1:17 it describes 3 sets of 14 literal generations with the last generation being Christ’s; since Christ still lives his generation can be interpreted as still ongoing.
Also one other observation I’ve come across in regards to the 7 heads being a possible dual prophecy or fulfillment is in Matthew 12:43-45 with the parallel being found in Luke 11:24-26.
This is from a post I made a while ago.
The strong man being bound is found in Mathew 12:29, Mark 3:27, and Luke 11:21-22. The verses I am looking at for the dual prophecy seem to be grouped together or related to the strong man being bound.
Matthew 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Some of the commentaries explain these verses as the man going through dry places and returning to his house. I don’t think this is correct as it is the spirit that goes out of the man and not the man that goes out of the spirit. So it is the spirit that goes through dry places and returns to his house which is the man.
My interpretation is the man represents Satan’s house (the strong man’s house) and the unclean spirit going out of the man is Satan being bound. Satan then goes through dry places or is cast into the bottomless pit.
When he is loosed he returns to his house and finds it swept, empty, and garnished or put in order. This would then relate to the action that happened while the strong man was bound; which I think is referring to the Gentiles being saved and the house being empty meaning the fullness of the Gentiles or the total number that were written in the book of life have now been removed or saved from Satan’s house. Satan’s house has now been spoiled.
Satan then takes 7 other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there. The seven other spirits being more wicked than Satan could be understood using Matthew 23:15 as something similar happens where the scribes and Pharisees convert someone and he is twofold the child of hell than they are. The strong man’s house now has Satan and seven other spirits, this then seems to correlate with Revelation 17:11 where the beast is called the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition; and also with Revelation 20:8 where Satan goes out and deceives the nations after the 1,000 years.
The last statement in the verses is “even so shall it be also unto this generation”. I’m interpreting this as meaning that there are 2 distinct groups this happens to, one being obviously this generation and I place the other as the Gentiles or the nations in the 4 quarters of the earth. I’m thinking that what happened in 70AD and the years prior to it is what is meant by the statement also unto this generation.
Thanks for that. It's difficult understanding everything we have been given in the prophetic utterances of prophets, of the lord Jesus Christ, and of his apostles. Many think they have it all fathomed out, but I'm not one of them.
I don't see the spiritual application to the beast of the Revelation and Daniel 7 that you are talking about, but I don't know the identity of the beasts mentioned in Revelation 17 and 13, so I can't say anyone is wrong.
Personally, I believe that the word "beast" is symbolic of a literal political authority in the world, and when John received the visions, he was told that 5 of the kings (the "heads" of the beast which he was told were "mountains", and which he was also told were "kings") had fallen, one existed at the time John saw these visions, and the other had not yet come.
John was also told that the beast itself existed at one time, but did not exist at the time John saw the visions, and would ascend out of the abyss and go to perdition.
John also saw 10 "kings" on one of the beast's heads, and he saw what their activities would be: They would hate the harlot (which we are told in Revelation 17 & 18 is a city), "make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire". This is what happened to Jerusalem in 70 A.D, and from what I can see, Jerusalem on the earth and the new Jerusalem are the only two cities compared in a thesis-antithesis comparison in both the Revelation and other statements made by Paul in his epistles.
But John saw those same ten kings making war against the Lamb, and being overcome by Him. All this we read in Revelation 17, but we also read in Revelation 13 that the beast itself would also make war against the saints and overcome them. We are also told about another beast rising out of "the earth" that will build an image to the first beast, etc.
I don't know the identity of these beasts, although I have had some thoughts about the beast from the earth possibly being the modern-day state of Israel, but these are thoughts which I obviously cannot support Biblically.
So though I disagree with a spiritual application to these beasts, I can't say you are wrong, because I don't know their identity.
