To me they are different because the "short time" is not a literal short amount of time, as I've explained twice now, but the little season is a literal short amount of time. And I base that on the meaning of the Greek words used for "short time" compared to "little season". And, also on the belief that Satan was cast out of heaven long ago and that the "short time" began back then.
In Post #86 I show why I believe that's Satan's limited time (Revelation 12:12) which began when he was cast out of heaven and lasts for the entire Age, ends with his short time, which is the 42 month reign of the beast.
I don't have to be right about it. I'm definitely
not arguing about what you believe, but Post #86 shows why I disagree with you. I posted that before coming to post this.
Show me where in Revelation 13, which I know you are referencing here because of the mention of 42 months, says that the beast comes out of the opened abyss. I see what it mentions him coming out of the sea, but not out of the abyss. Why would it say he comes out of the sea if he's coming out of the abyss there? When John meant to refer to the beast coming out of the abyss he specifically mentioned it coming of the abyss in Revelation 11:7 and Revelation 17:8. So, why not in Revelation 13:1 if he was intending to say that he saw the beast ascending out of the abyss there? Instead, he saw the beast ascending out of the sea.
* Revelation 12's dragon has seven heads and ten horns, and
each head has a crown on it.
* In Revelation 13 the dragon gives the beast ascended out of the sea his seat, power and great authority -
and now there are ten crowns on the ten horns.
* In Revelation 17 each head has a king (the dragon's seven heads each had a crown on it).
"And
the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have received no kingdom yet, but will receive authority as kings one hour
with the beast. These have one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast." (Revelation 17:12-13)
Chapter 17 says that this beast will rise from the abyss and go to perdition. Chapter 13 says that this beast will rise from the sea, and chapter 19 says it will be destroyed by Christ. Chapter 17 says it will war against the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome him, and chapter 16 says it will gather its armies for Armageddon. Chapter 19 says Christ will overcome it and throw
it and its false prophet (mentioned again in chapter 13) into the lake of fire. The three chapters together most certainly seem
to me to be talking about
the same powers in the world,
and chapter 13 and 17 seem to me to be talking about the same ten kings.
Chapter 13 says he will be controlled by Satan and chapter 17 says he will ascend from out of the abyss. I can't see how this is NOT telling us about the same beast - the beast that ascends from out of the abyss
is controlled by Satan, the destroying king of the armies ascended from out of the abyss, and
Revelation 13 says the beast will be controlled by Satan.
You may see different beasts controlled by Satan being spoken of in the Revelation, but I only see one. IMO (and for the reasons given above) Revelation 13 telling us it will ascend
out of the sea is just giving us more information about the same beast that Revelation 17 says will ascend
out of the abyss. So IMO opinion chapter 13 tells us that it will rise from
out of the Gentile nations and be controlled by Satan and chapter 17 tells us it will ascend
from out of the abyss. One and the same beast that will be controlled by Satan. Same beast, same ten kings,
some info on it given in chapter 13 and some more info given on it in chapter 17, which also introduces another actor in the final scene - the harlot city.
Do you see the reference to the 42 months and 1260 days in Revelation 11:2-3 as being the same time period as the 42 months mentioned in Revelation 13:5? I do.
I also do.
If that is the case then when we look at Revelation 11:7 we can see that the beast does not ascend out of the abyss until AFTER the 1260 day testimony of the two witnesses comes to an end. And then it mentions a 3.5 day time period after that (Rev 11:9). I equate that with Satan's little season rather than the 42 months/1260 days.
Why do you make that assumption? There's nothing in the text of Revelation 11:1-7 to prompt you to assume that the beast that martyrs the two witnesses will only rise from the abyss just before it martyrs the two witnesses. Moses and Aaron were the two witnesses to Pharaoh who turned the waters to blood etc, and while this was taking place, Pharaoh was persecuting God's people in Egypt, relenting for brief periods when God softened his heart, and tightening the screws of his persecution of God's people more and more whenever God hardened his heart again.
All the time while this was going on Pharaoh was persecuting God's people in Egypt,
and the two witnesses God sent to Pharaoh were bringing plagues upon Egypt.
Revelation 11:10 tells us that the two witnesses will be hated and their dead bodies will be rejoiced over because
up until the time that are killed, they had been tormenting the people living on the earth. The passage says they "have authority to shut up the heaven, that it may not rain in the days of their prophecy.
And they have authority over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire." (Revelation 11:6).
I've heard this Amil belief about the beast "only ascending out of the abyss immediately before he kills the two witnesses" before you said it - but honestly, there is nothing in the text to prompt such an assumption, IMO, and IMO, it's a 100% false assumption - and there's more evidence from the Revelation proving what I say below:
If the 1260 days and 42 months are the same time period then that would mean you have the beast ascending out of the abyss BEFORE the 42 months/1260 days rather than AFTER as Revelation 11:7 indicates.
as you can see from my reply above, not at all. The beast ascends out of the abyss/the sea. At the same time the two witnesses, who have been given power by God to perform miracles and bring plagues upon the earth, begin to prophesy -
because NOW is the beginning of the last days:
Revelation 14
6 "And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those dwelling on the earth, even to every nation and kindred and tongue and people,
7 saying with a great voice, Fear God and give glory to Him! For the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And another angel followed, saying, The great city, Babylon, has fallen, has fallen; because of the wine of the anger of her fornication; she has made all nations to drink.
9 And a third angel followed them, saying with a great voice, If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark in his forehead or in his hand,
10 he also will drink of the wine of the anger of God, having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. And they have no rest day or night, those who worship the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints. Here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from Heaven saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they shall rest from their labors, and their works follow them."
Immediately after the above part of the passage, we read about the harvest, and then the grapes of the wrath of God being poured out.
During the same 42-month period, Pharaoh (the beast) will be persecuting God's people. It does not have to be an "all in a day" thing. Pharaoh's heart was softened, then it was hardened, then it softened, then it hardened - and all the while, every time his heart was hardened again, he tightened the screws on God's people even more. Eventually, the judgment of Pharaoh's armies = the deliverance of God's people.
Then it was passing through the sea, which is a type of the resurrection of the dead.
PS: I'm not trying to make you believe what I believe. I'm not trying to "force my opinions on Amil". If those who believe Amil take offense if I criticize the Amil view (because they take what should be an impersonal matter up personally), then I dunno - hopefully maybe one day someone will discover a pill for that.