 Carl, having just learned something about you by this incident, I see you are an experienced man of letters and some depth. In retrospect, while I am disappointed you removed my post in the strict application of the Talk page guide lines, this is tempered by the fact you revisited the page and applied the same standard WP to other posts.  The guide line you referred to also says this: You can chat with folks about Wikipedia-related topics on their user talk pages. In this Spirit, I would like to know your thoughts on this. I have come to this POV by actually believing Isaiah when he wrote, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.   I think the beast is the government of men. President Obama´s limousine ¨the beast¨ is an apt symbol for this reality. People make this more mystical than it is to avoid facing the reality and hard choices.  [16] And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:  [17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.  What is the image of the beast? Money. It takes money in any buy/sell transaction. Money is the foremost thought in the forehead of people for the most part. ¨It is able to give life to this image so that it could speak.¨ Ever heard the expression, Money Talks? You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. Either you will love one and hate the other or you will serve one and neglect the other.  Furthermore, in Revelation 18 it says;  [11] And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buys their merchandise any more. This describes the current global economic meltdown or economic tsunami. World leaders are trying every way to stimulate people into buying merchandise. This is a futile attempt because this is a Spiritual problem not recognized or addressed as such yet.  From my POV the world has arrived at the end of the 3600 Imperial Babylonian system of value for people and things as foretold in Scripture. For the first time since Daniel V, the whole world can see the Writing_on_the_wall.  