AC and Revelation 13

Good stuff sog thanks for sharing

Although I am not currently of the persuasion that the AC will die and be resurrected, I am not closed off to the possibility. 

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of its heads as slain to death, and its deadly stroke was healed, and all the earth did wonder after the beast

I differ with the pastor in that I see this passage as speaking of a kingdom, not specifically a king. No king/ruler has multiple heads (one of its heads), but the kingdom can. But I also am persuaded that believers will live into the tribulation and see the AC. Should I be alive & remaining and see someone appear to rise from the dead, I will not rule out the possibility I was incorrect!

Mike, what you said made me laugh because it is so true for me as well. "I will not rule out the possibility I was incorrect!" Yes! There are so many moving parts to this puzzle.

mike, I guess I heard it differently. I thought he was saying that it's not an actual death and resurrection. Only Jesus did that.  Rather it's a deception by the AC and supported by the False Prophet that he actually died and was resurrected, thereby creating the illusion that he is Christ. I thought he was saying that it's a counterfeit death and resurrection fooling the masses, but not true Christians.  I'll have to review that section again and report if I hear any different.

mike, Ok. I see what you are saying.  Right now, and what I thought he was saying, is that the beast is the AC and the system he represents (a monster) and the final kingdom.  The Horns are other Kingdoms and other Heads are it's kings (leaders). I haven't looked at the Greek and/or Hebrew words in each passage yet to see if there is a different meaning or multiple meanings of each. I admit I can be somewhat lazy in that regard. I'll try my best to decipher.  If you or anyone else has a take on that part, please contribute. Right now I'm of the opinion that the small horn, that later becomes a larger horn, and it's head (king or leader is wounded), the AC, leader of the final global kingdom (horn). Of course that may change.

mike , Yes, I agree. The four Horns of the OT, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome, scattered the Hebrews.  And then also in Psalm 75, look not to them, but to God.
Psalm 75 6-10:

6 For not from the east, nor from the west,
Nor from the desert comes exaltation;
7 But God is the Judge;
He puts down one and exalts another.
8 For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is well mixed, and He pours out of this;
Certainly all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink its dregs.
9 But as for me, I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 And He will cut off all the horns of the wicked,
But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

They will be cut off. God's Kingdom will be exalted. 

Now, the Fourth beast (system, Kingdom, and it's King) could be, could, be Rome (or smaller Horn, Vatican. And it's leader), wounded, but comes back.  An OT beast, but also NT and becomes greater. Just my opinion for now.  As we know, we will know more soon.

uscgvet - check the language there again. It is not idle shepherd as in a "do nothing who left the flock" it is IDOL shepherd.

To me it's not really an "either/or," but a "both/and." The beast is routinely described throughout Revelation in the third person singular, and seemingly described as a single individual (Rev. 17:8 as one example), as well as doing things an individual would do. Revelation 17:12 is also a really big clue. In Rev. 13 we see the beast described as the collective entity. Heads + horns + beast = beast. But in Rev. 17:12 it breaks it down further. Each of the 10 horns is an individual "king," as is the beast. So that's why I think it's a both/and situation. The beast is a kingdom (cf. Dan. 7:7), but it's also a king (Dan. 7:8). I think it helps to consider that there isn't a strong distinction between the state and the dictator in such a complete authoritarian system. E.g., empire vs emperor, kingdom vs king.