I have to admit; I’m kind of curious about what’s going though everyone’s mind after the scripture reading today. It…paints a picture, doesn’t it? Although exactly WHAT picture it paints is certainty subject to debate. With its confusing yet oddly specific symbolism, chapter 13 is one of the most closely scrutinized passages in the book of Revelation. You may be familiar with some of the wild interpretations that people have come up with over the years; you might even have a favorite theory yourself: that this chapter is talking about the Roman Empire’s persecution of the early Church, that it predicts the cosmic “end times” in the distant future, or even that it’s prophetically describing present-day political figures – you know, those ones you personally can’t stand.