http://forerunner.com/beast/beast.html Question:- You've made some very interesting and persuasive points. Could it be that the book of Revelation works on a number of different levels? That it was, on one level, speaking to the first century church about some things that were about to happen -- but that it could be just as precisely speaking to us today about things that are about to take place? Is there such a thing as a "dual fulfillment" of the prophecies in Revelation? No, for at least two deadly reasons: (1) The book itself claims the events are "near." Who are we to say, "Yes, but"? An angel commands Daniel to "seal up" his prophecy for later times (Dan. 12:4), but commands John to "not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand" (Rev. 22:10) If you adopt a dual-fulfillment view, you are doing so on the basis of theological desperation, not exegetical conclusions. (2) Are we to believe that all of the details of Revelation occur twice? Two six sealed scrolls? Two beasts? Two groups of 144,000? Two "two witnesses"? Two Armageddons? Two Millenniums? On and on we could go.