Book Excerpt - Tumblr Posts
Who are you to judge, I'm not the sharpest knife in the kitchen. I've fallen to the subduction of the bootie
Unknown
Well yeah, I still watch cartoons Saturday afternoons. I'm sorry someone told you you're not a Disney princess. Maybe you should have kissed that guy on the head before you left him for dead.
Unknown
Living Vicariously: A word from the author -
The article's a self reflection on book one and the start of book 2.
Russia: The Origin of the Biblical Antichrist
By Author Eli Kittim
This paper is an excerpt from Eli Kittim’s book, The Little Book of Revelation: The First Coming of Jesus at the End of Days.
Daniel has a follow-up vision of a mighty ram, followed by a male goat that attacks and overwhelms it (8:3-7). In time, the goat’s horn [power] was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns (8:8). Daniel recounts the oracle:
'And out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land [Israel]. And it grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host [God]; and it removed the regular sacrifice [Holy Communion] from Him, and the place of His sanctuary [Church] was thrown down' (8:9-11).
The angelic messenger named Gabriel appears once again and interprets the vision to Daniel (8:16). Gabriel says: ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end’ (Dan. 8:17). The celestial being now begins to expound the oracle:
‘Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation [God’s wrath], for it pertains to the appointed time of the end. The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. And the shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king [Alexander the Great]. And the broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation [Hellenistic Empire], although not with his power. And in the latter period [in the last days] of their rule, when the transgressors [the succeeding empires] have run their course, a king will arise insolent and skilled in intrigue. And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will’ (Dan. 8:19-24).
In chapter 11, Daniel receives additional information concerning the previous vision:
‘But as soon as he [Alexander the Great] has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded; for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them [the Greeks]’ (11:4).
In Daniel chapter 2 (the statue vision), the Antichrist, who mingles ‘in the seed of men’ (2:43), comes from the part of the Roman Empire which is represented by the symbol of iron (2:40-43), namely, the Byzantines. But in Daniel chapter eight, he arises out of one of the four successors of Alexander the Great. As you will see, both lines of succession are correct and coalesce so as to give us a more precise understanding of where the Antichrist comes from.
Following Alexander’s death, the heirs to the Hellenistic Empire were called the Diadochi, which means ‘successors’ in Greek. The four Generals alluded to by scripture appear to be Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander and Lysimachus, all of whom had ruled over different Hellenistic Kingdoms after the partition of the Empire (Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. The Footsteps of the Messiah: A study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events. [Tustin: Ariel, 1990], p. 20). The book of Daniel clearly indicates that the smallest territory in land size, held by one of these four generals, denotes the symbolic ‘small horn’ (the Antichrist) of the end times (8:8-9). Interestingly, the text also states that this small territory cannot possibly come from Alexander’s ‘own descendants,’ namely, the Greeks (11:4). Historically, Greece was conquered by the Romans in the 2nd century B.C., and so their empire came to an abrupt end.
On that account, in order to locate the actual place that represents the little horn, we must search elsewhere. By implication, Cassander, who controlled Macedonia and most of Greece, must be ruled out of the equation. On the other hand, Lysimachus’s terrain, which originally consisted of the tiny area called Thrace, is the only one to qualify as the smallest amount of land size in comparison with the other Hellenistic Kingdoms. If you recall, Daniel mentioned that the little horn ‘grew exceedingly great toward the south’ and ‘toward the east’ (8:9). Evidently, after the major Battle of Ipsus in 301 B.C., Lysimachus gained vast amounts of land to the south and to the east, as he was awarded Anatolia for his decisive allied victory. By that time, General Lysimachus had become a very wealthy and powerful man, as he presided over all aspects of life, political and otherwise, within the geographic region we now call Asia Minor. He also founded his capital at Pergamum, in modern-day western Turkey, where all his wealth was kept.
Anatolia then becomes the seat of the Ottoman Empire, which destroyed the last remaining vestige of the Roman Empire in 1453 of the Common Era. By the late 19th century, the Turks were in turn defeated by Imperial Russia through various wars, but especially after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 A.D. If we trace the succession of empires that supplant one another in the region denoted by the symbol of the little horn – namely, Thrace and Asia Minor – we will notice a sequence that begins with General Lysimachus and continues on with the Byzantine Romans, whose capital (Constantinople) was actually situated within the former’s domain. Next, the Ottoman Turks come forth from this same territory and are subsequently defeated by the Great Russian Empire. Since Lysimachus represents the little horn, we can trace the roots of the Antichrist from this foregoing General all the way up to Russia, the so-called Third Rome. It is for this reason, no doubt, that the book of Revelation features ‘Pergamum’ as the place ‘where Satan’s throne is’ (Rev. 2:12-13) located, indicating not only the origin of the little horn, but also the succession of empires that lead to his proverbial doorstep. In this respect, the small horn, the kingdom of Lysimachus, becomes a key piece of the puzzle that decidedly affirms the link that leads to the Antichrist (Dan. 8:9-12). That is to say, the Lysimachaean province gave rise to the Byzantine and Turkish empires, and in the process of usurping the latter, the modern Russian Empire was born.
Ezekiel, a dominant force in Jewish apocalyptic literature, prophesies that ‘in the latter years’ a mysterious ‘prince of Rosh’ and ‘Meshech’ will come ‘from the remote parts of the north,’ from ‘the land of Magog,’ to invade Israel, ‘whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations’ (Ezek. 38:2, 8). It is customary for scholars to identify the abovementioned locations with modern day Russia, which will be in league with many nations during its latter-day military campaigns. Historical investigations reveal that the term ‘Rosh’ is derived from the tribe of the ‘Rus’ who migrated from Scandinavia and founded Russia (Kievan Rus) roughly around the 10th century of the Common Era. By the same token, the term ‘Meshech’ originates with the clan whom the Greeks called ‘moshoi,’ and whence the name Moscow is traced.
The Septuagint, an early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, translates the term ‘Rosh’ (Ezek. 38:2) with the Greek word ρως, which stands for Ρωσία (the Greek word for Russia). The earlier Ezekiel quotation referred to ‘the land of Magog.’ In ancient times, it comprised the lands where the Scythians once lived, and thus represents contemporary Russia. In his sobering book, the biblical scholar Arnold Fruchtenbaum provides a supplementary elaboration of Ezekiel 38:
‘The identification of Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal is to be determined from the fact that these tribes of the ancient world occupied the areas of modern day Russia. Magog, Meshech and Tubal were between the Black and Caspian Seas which today is southern Russia. The tribes of Meshech and Tubal later gave names to cities that today bear the names of Moscow, the capital, and Tobolsk, a major city in the Urals in Siberia. Rosh was in what is now northern Russia. The name Rosh is the basis for the modern name Russia. These names, then, cover the modern territories of northern and southern Russia in Europe and Siberia to the east in Asia’ (Footsteps of the Messiah 70).
In addition, Ivan the Great adopted the official emblem of the Byzantine Monarchy: the double-headed eagle. He then went on to marry Sophia Paleologue, the niece of the final Byzantine ruler Constantine XI. In the aftermath of the Ottoman Turks’ conquest of the Eastern Roman Empire and in an effort to salvage the last vestiges of Christianity, Ivan designated Moscow as the Third Rome in 1497 A.D. In effect, Moscow became the offspring of the Roman Empire; heirs to the legacy. Russia, then, becomes the link of the little horn (Antichrist) to the Roman Empire (cf. Daniel 7:7-8 f.).
The celebrated seer Nostradamus confirms this conclusion and gives us an insightful clue in this regard:
‘The great Empire of the Antichrist will begin where once was Attila’s empire and the new Xerxes will descend with great and countless numbers’ (The Prophecies, Epistle to Henry II).
Maps that show the extent of Attila’s empire reveal that it comprised areas of the former Soviet Union and modern-day Russia. Moreover, Nostradamus calls the Antichrist the new Xerxes. The differences between Russia and Persia (modern-day Iran) are worlds apart! Nevertheless, Nostradamus pierces through the opaque veil of prophecy to glimpse an intimate alliance built for conquest: ‘Arabs will be allied with the Poles’ (The Prophecies, Century 5, Quatrain 73). The term Poles refers to those who dwell in ‘the remote parts of the north’ (Ezek. 38:6, 15). Here, following, is a prophecy that might lend support to the idea that a military buildup in Asia could ignite the end of the world:
‘When those of the arctic pole are united together, Great terror and fear in the East’ (The Prophecies, Century 6, Quatrain 21).
There are several reasons for the cardiovascular benefits of exercise. To begin with, exercise trains the heart, just as it does any other muscle. The fit heart pumps more efficiently, allowing it to pump the same volume of blood with fewer beats. Ironically, elevating your pulse rate during exercise reduces your resting heart rate so much that the total number of beats a day is diminished. That gives your heart more rest, making it inherently stronger. As a by-product, exercise lowers blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke and eliminating the need to take blood pressure medications.
Running also helps develop the system of small arteries that provide blood to the heart muscles. If coronary heart disease clogs some of these arteries, the others would be better able to compensate. This doesn’t make you immune to heart attacks, but it does help reduce the risk.
The biggest benefits, however, occur in the blood itself. There are two types of cholesterol, so-called “bad” LDL cholesterol, which accumulates in artery-clogging plaques, and “good” HDL cholesterol, which acts like a chemical vacuum cleaner, sucking LDL away from vulnerable artery walls. Shifting to a low-fat diet helps lower your LDL. That alone won't raise your HDL level, but for reasons that aren’t well understood, exercise does.
*Alberto Salazar's Guide to Running, Alberto Salazar & Rick Lovett*
High expectation is an imagination of the mind. The mind fools you to expect perfection in every sphere. But relationships that are expectation-oriented fail; while relationships that are discernment-oriented last. Discernment or the ability to judge helps evaluate people based on realities and not imagination. Discernment is about seeing people as they are and not how you want them to be.
Most people want to deal with successes and not failures. Similarly, most people want to deal with others’ strengths and not weaknesses; their stabilities and not idiosyncrasies; their good and not bad natures. Everyone expects a perfect masterpiece in others, while they themselves are happy to be deformed relics,
*Open-eyed Meditations, Shubha Vilas*
'How shall we hoodwink them?'
Asked the young demon of the old story.
'Tell them there's plenty of time', said the old demon of experience. 'Lots of time. They always fall for that.'
The Little Book of Comfort, Ruskin Bond
Another example of beautiful writing. The entire book is like reading an adventure described in poetic grace.
The Darkening by Sunya Mara
creepy puppets scare me
so i knew absolutely nothing about this book going into it and turns out i hate it!
not really, i do really like the writing and the story so far i'm almost six hours into it and i honestly do not have any complaints.
i just get really creeped out by dolls and puppets, especially clown dolls/puppets so this book is actually a little scary to me but i do really enjoy it!
i hope it sticks this well throughout it because i do like this author a lot and i want to get into his other works. but anyway, if you've read this book let me know! i'd love to hear your thoughts!
How do we feel about a little book excerpt? 👀
Leaving the apartment more and more often wasn't that easy. In fact, she'd probably still be sat in her bed, if it wasn't for Darkness and his annoying pushiness. Which Lyra found annoyingly working. The weather in Birmingham became friendlier since the start of June, and the man – yes, it turns out he was, in fact a man – was somehow aware of it. The two knew he didn't have to do it. He didn't have to care, send messages all day and night, when Lyra needed someone to talk to or just get her mind off of the case. After finding out about the disturbingly burnt body, it occurred to her that all this was just pity. That a stranger took pity on her and got so involved that he can't get out of it. But as the days passed, she realized that this wasn't the case. Both of them were lonely, and in it, they found a partner. Lyra continued to be discreet about anything that might tie her to Duskwood's story. Including her own name. But it was because of this continuous mysteriousness that she attracted the man's attention. He was determined to find out the secret.
What a liberation to realize that the “voice in my head” is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that. The awareness that is prior to thought, the space in which the thought – or the emotion or sense perception – happens.
~Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth♡
Part 1
Acceptance of his absence was always entrusted within my soul until yesterday. Been a year, sadly only a year and memories were still fresh like that day only we said goodbye to each other before leaving our town for future. Supposedly we weren't meant to meet each other but destiny have other plans.
He was standing right infront of the place we always used to hangout with our friends. Like the central character, he wore my favorite colour pink but never knew about his new addiction of cigarettes. For a split second something happened within me. I shivered internally, I never knew he could affect me that much. We crossed path, probably he hadn't seen me there then. I sat next to our old friends and internally cussing myself why at the first place I agreed to meet for the reunion not something grand. I was hoping he won't be here, but his presence is always felt. I remembered my town and a big part of it was him. When I smell this place, I can smell him quite vividly.
Felt a heavy gaze on me, not like I wasn't looking at him but it was for split second to search for all the changes he adopted when he wasn't with me. His lips got darker, his gaze more thicker and probably his charm remains the same. Our eyes met, it was not supposed to though. Not for a silly second but as before and as now, his stubbornness remains the same. "I'm glad you came." I thought this to myself, when did he get so mature to approach me first after all that we went through but me simply smiled.
We talked with ourselves and with our friends. It wasn't that heavy the way I thought it would be. Until we left alone by the crowd. It was just us like it used to be the only difference was the feelings are changed, people are changed and some memories are fade away intentionally. Neither him nor I was speaking, we were at peace in a chaos amongst ourselves.
"What of art?" she asked.
"It is a malady."
"Love?"
"An illusion."
"Religion?"
"The fashionable substitute for belief."
"You are a sceptic."
"Never! Scepticism is the beginning of faith."
"What are you?"
"To define is to limit."
— Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
"What of art?" she asked.
"It is a malady."
"Love?"
"An illusion."
"Religion?"
"The fashionable substitute for belief."
"You are a sceptic."
"Never! Scepticism is the beginning of faith."
"What are you?"
"To define is to limit."
— Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.
― Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.
― Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous