The Bible is tough.

This passage is supposed to refer to a false church?

And this one a false prophet?

Where are they getting the papacy from those? I think the one voice we worship most is TV.

Most people I know would argue that trying to scientifically analyze the Bible is a waste of time. I'm inclined to agree. On the other hand, Iaasic Newton spent a good bit of time at it. He even had a posthumous publication, Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John. Of course that doesn't make it not a waste of time, but if it drew the attention of one of the most innovative scientists ever, well at least the folks over at rapturewatch are in prestigious company.

One final apocolyptic tidbit. The church where I had Sunday School was about 2 miles from a nuclear submarine base. Everyone in that town knew exactly what the apocolypse would look like. Sirens, then a flash. You won't feel a thing. Let's not be nostalgic for the Cold War.