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Two House Chronicles
The Proper Rendering of the Apocalypse of John
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- Published: Friday, 16 September 2016 21:07
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By Hope Helen, Marsue and Jerry Huerta
Copyright 2017
Before rendering the Revelation of John the proper method of interpreting the genre of apocalyptic literature or scripture in general must be addressed. Conflict manifests in three differing methods over the "historic" rendering of Revelations: Historicism, Preterism, and Futurism. "Historic" is emphasize so as not to confuse the former three with Idealism, which is another alternative method that holds there are no historic phenomenon in the book; they see it simply symbolically as representing persistent experiences common to all ages.
The Preterist orientation views the Revelation as dealing with historical phenomenon that took place within the first few centuries of Christ's first advent, and it must be emphasized here that they are not in complete agreement exactly what the symbols represent. There are endless debates on what emperor fulfilled the antichrist or the little horn mentioned in Daniel, as well as other criteria. And rightfully so because great conflict arises when trying to reconcile Roman emperors with the heads of the beasts in the Revelation.
The Futurist's orientation interprets the Revelation as predominately revealing occurrences that happen just prior to Christ's return and they too have difficulty agreeing on how the prophecies will work out. The identity of Babylon runs the gambit of the resurgent Roman Empire, the Catholic Church, Iraq, the United States, etc.
Historicism views the Revelation in the continuous-historical approach; it views the Revelation as the unfolding of historical phenomenon and entities, permitting recapitulation and interludes of parenthetical matter that stretch from John's time until the eternal estate. The controversies within the methods Preterism and Futurism were mentioned because, ironically, the greatest criticism against Historicism has been that its proponents are not in one accord concerning details, which the critics attribute to the subjectivity of its proponents. As Leon Morris stated:
"Historicist views also labour under the serious disadvantage of failing to agree. If the main points of the subsequent history are in fact foreshadowed it should be possible to identify them with tolerable certainty, otherwise what is the point of it?"1
George Eldon Ladd criticized Historicism in the same manner when he stated:
"Obviously, such an interpretation could lead to confusion, for there are no fixed guidelines as to what historical events are meant."2
Failure to agree on all details over the apocalypse troubles Preterists as well as Futurists, so Morris's objection hardly perseveres under scrutiny. And all the paradigms, including Historicism, have guidelines by which they interpret fulfilled, or unfulfilled prophecy; consequently, Ladd's objection to Historicism was clearly flawed. Without fixed guidelines any attempt to interpret prophecy is futile; yet, both Ladd and Morris by some guidelines were compelled to assert that the Preterism's view of kings in Revelation 17 leads to conflict when viewed as the Roman emperors in John's time.3 The most significant aspect of the beasts or kings in Revelation is that they persecute God's elect, which all the paradigms concede and certainly qualifies as a fixed guideline to render the apocalypse; yet, from John's time all renderings of the kings cannot abide without ad hoc explanations. The unfavorable judgment of the Preterism's view of the heads by Ladd and Morris is supported by Historicism whether they realize it or not, but for not quite the same reasons. Futurists, such as E.W. Bullinger also attempted to harmonize the kings as successive dominant world powers,4 which recognizes the nouns below as appositives (seven heads renamed seven mountains and etc.).
"And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition." Revelation 17:9-11
Nevertheless, Bullinger's rendition of the heads also fails to agree with other Futurists. Indication that the eighth king somehow was before John's time, but was not existing in John's time and yet will be in some distant future from John's time produces the most ad hoc explanations and disagreements in Preterism and Futurism. The point being, the issue is not that guidelines do not exist in all the paradigms, but what are the superior guidelines that can render the Revelation according to scriptures and that harmonizes with history?
Morris and Ladd have applied "classic prophecy" or general prophecy as a guideline, which Historicist Jon Paulien defined as, "contemporary perspectives," that, "are mixed with a universal, future perspective," in his essay: The End of Historicism? Reflections on the Adventist Approach to Biblical Apocalyptic—Part One.5 Classic prophecy utilized expressions of imminence concerning impending judgment in the same context with distant eschatological phenomenon, without chronological notation; the technique has come to be called Prophetic Telescoping.6 Ladd affirms this dual focus in his introduction of his commentary on the Revelation:
"...the prophets had two foci in the prophetic perspective: the events of the present and the immediate future, and the ultimate eschatological event. These two are held in a dynamic tension often without chronological distinction, for the main purpose of prophecy is not to give a program or chart of the future, but to let the light of the eschatological consummation fall on the present (II Pet. 1:19). Thus in Amos' prophecy the impending historical judgment of Israel at the hands of Assyria was called the Day of the Lord (Amos 5:18, 27), and the eschatological salvation of Israel will also occur in that day (9:11)."7
Morris and Ladd, for the most part, interpret of the Revelation as classic prophecy, as if the apocalypse focuses strictly on circumstance in John's time and the time immediately preceding Christ's return, which conveys that the book has little relevance for the people of God during the interim. This creates tension with the promise of blessings for those who read and "keep those things which are written therein" (Revelation 1:3). If the book has nothing to say about the lives of people who live during the interim—there is nothing to keep. Ladd, in his rejection of Historicism, verified he viewed the book as classic prophecy by conflating Preterism and Futurism:
"Therefore, we conclude that the correct method of interpreting the Revelation is a blending of the Preterist and the Futurist methods. The beast is both Rome and the eschatological Antichrist—and, we might add, any demonic power which the church must face in her entire history."8
Such a view is clearly taken from classic prophecy and proves inadequate as the guidelines of Preterism and Futurism are irreconcilable, worlds apart. The most salient conflict comes in interpreting the heads/mountains/kings upon the beast in chapter 17 as appositives. Are the heads to represent the fall and rise of prominent worldly powers merely at the first and/or second advent—or are they intended to portray the continuous-historical approach of the rise and fall of worldly dominions prior to John's time and leading up unto the second advent of Christ? Here we have the advantage of Daniel's explanations of beasts as successive dominant world powers. The Revelation complements Daniel, which reveals the beasts as dominant world powers, which challenges the Preterist and Futurist guidelines that interpret the mountains, renamed heads and then kings, as individuals. They are forced to interpret the kings as individual because of the time constraints in pushing everything back or forwards. The continuous-historical guidelines hold the complementary nature of Daniel and Revelation without such restraints and for this reason represents the true hermeneutic in rendering the apocalypse of John as a unique genre in contrast to Classic prophecy: the apocalyptic genre. The Revelation has something to say about the lives of all the people who live during the interim between the advents when the mountains, renamed heads and kings, are perceived as successive dominant world powers.
Ladd is simply in error; Historicism has "fixed guidelines as to what historical events are meant" to determine the five dominant kingdoms that had fallen prior to John's perspective. Morris clearly employed some of the same guidelines observed by Historicism in asserting the five kings that had fallen as the Old Babylonian, Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, Persian and the Graeco-Macedonian empires.9 It is evident that such a rendering must be determined by some "fixed guidelines" and Ladd verbalizes such guidelines in his book in determining the great harlot as one who:
"... seduces the nations and persecutes the saints finds her support from the beast who appears in history in succession of secular, godless kingdoms; five belong to past history; a sixth kingdom—Rome—ruled the world when John wrote."10
The only conclusion that makes sense is that Ladd's and Morris' criticism against Historicism is contradictory. Like Historicism they attempt to reconcile the heads/mountains/kings in the Revelation with history through a set of guidelines, which are not completely different from Historicism's; they too see the heads as consecutive dominant world powers, which coincides with some in their renditions. The problem that arises concerning guidelines or presuppositions are the proper ones and not that guidelines do not exist in Historicism and the other paradigms. The guidelines of Ladd and Morris are flawed incipiently because they both fail to grasp that John's perspective is not the first century but the distant future, the day of the Lord, preceding Christ's return, which shall be explained presently. Ladd makes a salient mistake in his guidelines with the misapprehension that "secular" kingdoms existed in the distant past when they are a modern aberrant; his guideline is an anachronism. Consequently, the rejection of Historicism and its guidelines cannot be sustained in the common objections that its proponents are not in complete agreement when the same can be confirmed concerning Preterism and Futurism.
An in-depth analysis of the genre of Daniel and the Revelation must come to the conclusion that both books are contrasted from classic prophecy as they prophesy phenomenon during the intervening time betwixt the prophets and the eschatological consummation. Ladd inadvertently conceded this in his assertion the little horn of Daniel 8:9 was the historical, "person of Antiochus Epiphanes,"11 who lived some three hundred plus years after Daniel; such an assertion pertains to the intervening time betwixt the time of Daniel and the eschatological consummation. When we consider that Christ affirmed the abomination of desolation spoken of in Daniel as yet future (Matt. 24:15) then we have an even greater time span of events covered by Daniel and Ladd's view of Daniel 8 is called into question. Christ provided one of the guideline upon which Historicism is founded in Matthew 24:15; the apocalyptic genre is to be contrasted from classic prophecy as it anticipates intervening phenomenon betwixt the foci Ladd mentioned, which exposes Ladd's deficiency in attempting to blend Preterism and Futurism to explain the apocalypse of John. Moreover, Daniel is given additional data concerning the "vision" in chapter 8 in chapter 9 that clearly confirms the desecration of the temple in the vision was fulfilled by the Romans and not Antiochus Epiphanes and Ladd had to concede this concerning chapter 9 of Daniel.12 Ladd overlooked that the vision in chapter 8 is explained in chapter 9. Ladd, as a covenant-Premillenialist, rejected Historicism but here inadvertently affirms that Daniel is not to be gasped as classic prophecy but as depicting continuous-historical phenomenon and entities from the prophet's time reaching into the time when the saints possess the kingdom (Dan. 7:22), which, again, supports the guidelines of Historicism. This reinforces that the Revelation is interpreted not as classic prophecy but the unique genre of apocalyptic in the nature of Daniel: the continuous unfolding of history from John's time until the consummation of the kingdom of God, albeit viewed from a future perspective and not the first century.
One of the guidelines that cannot be overlooked in understanding the apocalypse is the perspective from which the phenomenon and entities are being viewed by John. The sixth head on the beast in Revelation 17 is the kingdom ruling at the time of John; consequently, if the period of time from which the scarlet beast and its rider are seen by John was the first century then the sixth head was fulfilled by pagan Rome. Starting with the guideline that the beasts persecute God's people, if the sixth dominant world powers in Revelation 17:10 was fulfilled by pagan Rome then Egypt and Assyria must be considered in the five kingdoms that fell but Daniel is silent concerning these kingdoms. Here, the relevance that the beasts in Daniel are seen again in the Revelation cannot be dismissed; John's beast from the sea is a composite of the four beasts in Daniel. This demonstrates concurrence between the books, which led to the reevaluation of the traditional Historicist's perception of the sea-beast and the two-horned beast. By the mid-19th century the Protestant secularization had all but succeeded in the West, the power of the Papacy had all but abated and led to the reexamination of the traditional interpretation of the sea-beast and the two-horned beast in Revelation 13. From that perspective it could no longer be dismissed that the rise of America had led to the French Revolution which ended the 1260 years reign of the Papacy and fit precisely with the wounding prophesied in Revelation 13:3. This led to the progressive revelation that John's sea-beast was the Papacy and the two-horned beast was Protestant America in place of the traditional Historicists' interpretation the former was pagan Rome and the latter was the Papacy. Noted Historicist, theologian and editor of the Review and Herald, Uriah Smith wrote concerning this change.
"It was at the time when this beast went into captivity, or was killed with the sword (verse 10), or had one of its heads wounded to death (verse 3), that John saw the two-horned beast coming up… Can anyone doubt what nation was actually "coming up" in 1798? Certainly it must be admitted that the United States of America is the only power that meets the specifications of the prophecy on this point of chronology."13
Progressive revelation also revealed Daniel's little horn as John's sea-beast, supported in their parallelism: they both came out of pagan Rome, spoke, "against the most High," were diverse from the other beasts, had the same span of time given them to persecute the saints and were both, "given to the burning flame," at Christ's return.14
With the aforesaid in mind, there are four beasts in the Revelation, one of which is the image of the sea-beast (Rev. 11-20): first, the sea-beast (Rev. 13:1); second, the lamb-like beast (Rev. 13:11); third, the image of the sea-beast; fourth, the scarlet-colored beast (Rev. 11:7: 17:8, 11). One of the beast is resurrected, which reveals two of the beasts are actually the same dynastic kingdom that has an "is not" span, making but three beasts to determine. Considering Daniel's little horn is John's sea-beast we are left with but two beasts in the Revelation in addition to Daniel's five beast which comes to seven, the exact number of heads/mountains/kings in Revelation 17:10. The progressive Historicist's rendition of the sea-beast and the two-horned beast conforms to the actual history in the mid-19th century and more precisely parallels Daniel, while the traditionalists view was found wanting.
The traditional Historicists can only sustain their perception in abstracts, while Daniel and John relate observable dynastic, religion-state regimes, or predetermined to reinstate religion-state autocracy, as in the two-horned beast, which is ultimately reconciled as the sixth king in chapter 17. This supports the eighth king ruled prior to the sixth king and not that the sixth king's power was interrupted, as earlier Historicists have reckoned. The only determination that works is that the five fallen kings commence with Babylon, which makes Rome the forth king and the Papacy the fifth king—the sea-beast in the Revelation. Certainly, the Papacy followed Rome—and "was" prior to the sixth king when determining the Papacy as the fifth, one of the five that were fallen. The older, traditional Historicist's have attempted to hold the misapprehension Rome "was, and is not" by a wound inflicted by Christ, not to be healed again until the Papacy interacts with an international empire. It was Christ, not Rome, that suffered the deadly wound at the first advent. The traditional view pales in comparison with progressive Historicism's view that the wounding of Papacy occurred with the rise of America and secularization. The older Historicist's determination that the sixth king was Rome cannot be taken as seriously as the progressive, today. John picked-up where Daniel left-off to unveil two more kingdoms that persecute God's people, bringing the number of these kingdoms to seven, the complete, full number of the kingdoms that subjugate the covenant people of God in Revelation 17:10-11
Contrary to the opinions of Ladd and Morris concerning Historicism there is remarkable agreement with the proponents of Historicism; there is overwhelming agreement concerning the fulfillment of the five beasts in Daniel, including the little horn that rises out of the fourth beast. Historicism holds that Daniel prophesied that Babylon (the lion) would fall and be succeeded by the Persian empire (the bear), which fell and was succeeded by the Greek empire (the leopard) that fell and was succeeded by the pagan Roman empire (the diverse beast) that fell and was succeeded by a fifth dominant world power/beast that would persecute the saints. Historicism holds that the fifth beast in Daniel, the little horn, was fulfilled by a loose federation of western nations under the dominant and worldly power of the Papacy "over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (Rev. 13:7). Herbert W. Armstrong is a typical example of a Historicists who wrote:
"We read in history that the popes were accepted as the "Vicars of Christ," which means "IN PLACE OF Christ." The teaching was that the Second Coming of Christ had occurred — Christ had returned to earth, as KING of kings and as LORD of lords, in the person of the popes. The millennium had begun.
_"For the entire 1260 years, the emperors accepted the popes as such, ruling the nations with a "rod of iron" as Christ is to do WHEN He really comes. Consequently they acknowledged the supreme religious power of the popes. The Church was organized as a GOVERNMENT... It embodied CHURCH government, and it also was a STATE, or civil government, always occupying a certain amount of territory over which it, alone, ruled as an independent sovereign state— in addition to actually ruling over the vast civil kingdom... Most nations send ambassadors to the Vatican, just as they do to the United States, or to Italy, Britain or the USSR."15
Details vary but Historicists hold that the Papacy fulfills the little horn in Daniel and the sea beast in the Revelation, which exercised power over the Western nations up until the time of the Reformation when the nations started breaking away from its authority; it suffered a deadly wound. The authority of the Papacy was ultimately broken by Napoleon when he abducted the pope and confiscated his lands in 1798 AD, fulfilling the deadly wound in Revelation 13:3. With its power broken this gave way for the two-horned beast to rise, which is the sixth head in the sequence conveyed in Revelation 17:10. This is the perspective from which John saw the harlot woman riding the scarlet-colored beast. The truth is that Historicism was the dominate method of interpreting prophecy prior to the others. It was the method used by the early reformers for over three hundred years who witnessed the iniquities of the Papal institution, such as Martin Luther, who viewed the Pope as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Antichrist. Today most people are ignorant of the history of the Papacy and cannot appreciate the religious freedoms we enjoy today as the outcome the suffering of thousands of martyrs throughout the ages who stood against the institution and were persecuted and tortured. Historicism commenced to be marginalized by the beginning of the nineteenth century due to its abuse by some in setting times for the return of Christ, which obviously did not come to fruition. It is ironic that Preterism does exactly the same thing through a hyper-allegorical method, yet it seems to be on the rise in recent times.
At this juncture it becomes unsustainable that the perspective of John was the first century or that the sixth king below was fulfilled by the pagan Roman empire. The sixth head of the beast is ruling at the time John sees the vision in Revelation 17 and when Daniel's and John's prophecies are reconciled the seven beasts correspond to the seven heads of which we are told:
"And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." Revelation 17:10
When the visions of Daniel and John are reconciled the little horn in Daniel is the same beast John perceives rising "up out of the sea", which is the fifth head/king, above. The next and sixth head is definitely the two-horned beast in Revelation 13 and as stated, above, there is almost universal agreement in Historicism that the little horn in Daniel, the fifth, was fulfilled by the Papacy during the dark ages and is the sine qua non of Historicism—which makes John's perspective our day, as the Papacy's hegemony "over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" in the west has long since passed, but is rising again today. In support that John's perspective is from our day and not the first century the controversy over the meaning of the phrase τη κυριακη ἡμερα or "the Lord's day" in Revelation 1:10 enters. The controversy concerns John's intent concerning the phrase whether he meant the Hebrew idiom "the day of the Lord" or an expression just beginning to develop in his day meaning "the first day of the week" or Sunday. In support of the former the author Jerome Smith wrote:
"However, such an interpretation is open to the objection that (1) such a meaning has no relevance to the context; (2) the term is never so applied in Scripture, where the day of Christian worship is uniformly called the "first day of the week"; (3) such an interpretation does not agree with the Patristic understanding of the verse; (4) the interpretation is a reading back into the text of a term subsequently applied to Sunday. The term "Lord's day" is better understood as John's way of expressing the common Hebrew term "day of the Lord," in a manner in Greek which places the emphasis upon "Lord's" (by placing it in an initial position) in the same manner as the Hebrew expression places emphasis upon "Lord" (by placing it in the final position) in "day of the Lord." Supposing the expression refers to Sunday cannot account for the presence of the Greek article "the" used in the expression. When the article is lacking, there are several possible explanations to account for the fact, but when an interpretation cannot account for the presence of the Greek article, the interpretation stands self-condemned (J. B. Smith, Comm. on Revelation, Appendix 5, p. 320). The expression "on the Lord's day" would better be translated "in the Lord's day," as a reference to this specific prophetic time period. The Greek preposition en is more usually rendered "in," only once in Revelation is it translated "on," in the expression "on the earth," Rev. Rev. 5:13. Everywhere else where en is followed by the word "day" it is rendered "in" (Rev. Rev. 2:13. Rev. 9:6. Rev. 10:7. Rev. 11:6. Rev. 18:8). Understanding this term to refer to the "day of the Lord" emphasizes that the events which transpire in the third division of the book ("things which shall be hereafter") are events which take place during the "day of the Lord," a future time which begins at the Great Tribulation and concludes with the judgment of the Great White Throne at the end of the Millennium, and specifically ties in the prophecies of this book with the rest of Scripture relating to this coming day."16
There are arguments that John's intent was the novel expression just rising into use meaning Sunday worship but as Smith stated, such an expression has no relevance to the theme of the apocalypse, where the Hebrew idioms of the little horn in Daniel and the sea-beast in John do. The correspondence between Daniel and Revelation reveals that John's perspective is from our time as the sixth head, reigning from his perspective is the two-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-18, which will be revealed in succeeding essays. Grasping that John's vision transcended time is not a great leap from grasping that Ezekiel's visions transcended space.
"And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house... Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire... And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem..." Ezekiel 8:1-3
Ezekiel's vision transported him geographically and since prophecy does concern the future it is evident that John's vision was given an additional dimension of a future perspective, which is why it requires wisdom to discern (Rev. 17:9): "And here is the mind which hath wisdom..."
John's perspective is not the first century but is from the future Day of the Lord surveying events past and the future to come. The evidence above exposes the inadequacies of Preterism, Futurism and reevaluates the interpretations of Historicism concerning the events succeeding the Papacy. In pursuing the reevaluation of the events succeeding the Papacy the correct interpretation of the locusts is a large part of this website. The Revelation is replete with Hebrew idioms associated with eschatological events concerning tribulations upon God's people by the reprobate, followed by their deliverance from the enemy and concluded by the termination of the enemy. The idioms concerning the extraordinary phenomenon related with the earth, sun, moon and stars are clearly associated to the eschatological Day of the Lord. The call for the mountains and the rocks to fall on men who hide them from the wrath of God is clearly associated with the Day of the Lord. The devastation of Babylon is clearly associated with the Day of the Lord. The sounding of trumpets is associated with the Day of the Lord. The conflagration of the earth is associated with the Day of the Lord. The destruction of sinners, the punishment of the nations, the restoration of Israel and the consummation of the God's kingdom on earth are all associated with the Day of the Lord and most significantly the locusts of the fifth trumpet are associated with the Day of the Lord. The 7 trumpets and 7 bowls depict eschatological events concerning trials upon God's people followed by their deliverance from their enemies and then punishment upon their enemies at the return of Christ.
1 Leon Morris, The Book of Revelation-An Introduction and Commentary, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1987, p.19
2 George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1972, p.11
3 Ibid., pg. 229, "Preterists interpreters usually apply the verse to the succession of Roman emperors... This interpretation makes no sense.... The problem is altogether avoided if John does not mean to designate a succession of individual kings or emperors, but a succession of kingdoms."
Leon Morris, The Book of Revelation-An Introduction and Commentary, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1987, p. 203-204, "The identification of the sixth depends on whether we accept Galba, Otho and Vitellius as emperors.... A different point of view is put forward by, for example, Hendriksen. He thinks that the kings symbolize not individual rulers but empires (so Ladd)."
4 E.W. Bullinger, Commentary on Revelation, Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, pg. 336, "Five are fallen, the 48 one (the sixth) is (at this stage of the Vision), the other (the seventh), is not yet come. If this be interpreted of Gentile Dominion at the future point of the Vision referred to by the Angel; then, as to the dominions, the five will have fallen: (1) Babylon, (2) Medo-Persia, (3) Greece, (4) Rome, (5) Mohammedan. The sixth will be the Kingdom of the Beast, (7) the seventh will be the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.
5 Jon Paulien, The End of Historicism? Reflections on the Adventist Approach to Biblical Apocalyptic—Part One, Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 14/2 (Fall 2003): 15–43., 2003, "It was argued that general prophecy, because of its dual dimensions, may at times be susceptible to dual fulfillments or foci where local and contemporary perspectives are mixed with a universal, future perspective."
6 Dr. David R. Reagan, The Interpretation of Prophecy, Lamb & Lion Ministries website, http://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-interpretation-of-prophecy/, "Another peculiar feature of prophetic literature is called 'telescoping'… The reason for it has to do with the perspective of the prophet. As he looks into the future and sees a series of prophetic events, they appear to him as if they are in immediate sequence. It is like looking down a mountain range and viewing three peaks, one behind the other, each sequentially higher than the one in front of it. The peaks look like they are right up against each other because the person viewing them cannot see the valleys that separate them."
7 George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1972, p.13
8 Ibid. p.14
9 Leon Morris, The Book of Revelation-An Introduction and Commentary, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1987, p.204
10 George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1972, p. 229
11 Ibid. p.230
12 George Eldon Ladd, The Antichrist and the Great Tribulation, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. 1978. Pages 58-72 "'The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy. the city. and the sanctuary' may well refer to the utter destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 A D by. Titus Vespasian, who later became the emperor of Rome 'To the end' of the destruction, war and desolation will continue."
13 Uriah Smith, Daniel and Revelation, Review and Herald Publishing, 2006, pg. 229
14 Ibid. pg.226
15 Herbert W. Armstrong, Who is the Beast?, 1960
16 Jerome Smith, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992, s.v. "Not Sunday."


text: Latest LP from this Marked Men-related band. I'm not sure how the chronology actually works, but it seems as though with Radioactivity getting going, Mark Ryan now has an outlet for his straight up Marked Men-style songs, giving Mind Spiders a little bit of freedom to be something slightly different. They've been new wave-y and keyboard heavy since the very beginning, but it really feels like that sound is maturing on Inhumanistic, rather than just being kind of dropped on top of Ryan's normal songwriting style. Still, fans of everything from Marked Men to Hex Dispensers to, say, Tubeway Army will find a lot to like here.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
When you enter the office, you will find it very cool inside, this is for your body to acclimate down to a cooler temperature. You will disrobe and be given an exam cape, after which you will be given some forms to fill out, so we can get a medical history and other pertinent information. A total of 5 breast images will be taken, which will be electronically sent to our thermologists. All scans are read and interpreted by Thermologists, Medical Doctors that are Board Certified in Thermology.
Since this will be your baseline scan, and more critically, because active cancer cells double every 90 days, you will be asked to return in 3 months, in order to establish the stability of your breasts' vascular patterns. This follow-up is essential in determining future risk. An abnormal vascular development in the breast tissue can be an early warning sign of breast cancer, which may be reversible with the proper nutrition and hormone balancing (if needed).


text:
Ciao everyone,
Do you ever feel like everything that could ever possibly go wrong does just that? Like everything you've ever wanted and dreamed of is suddenly impossible? Like everything you've worked so hard for was a waste of time? Like all your worst nightmares started coming true one by terrifying one? What do you do? What is there to do but keep trying to fix things…? What if you can't fix it? I try to be a positive person, but there's only so much one person can handle before they break. I never give up on most dreams and goals though, which makes things more difficult in a way. Life just does not want to cooperate with me lately. I do what I'm "supposed" to do, I try hard at everything, I do well in everything I can possibly manage, yet still, everything seems to be crushing my dreams. There's just too much darkness for a happy tutu-loving wanna-be princess to continue to deal with on a daily basis. I have a strong urge to pack my tutus and some chocolate and hide away in Disney World, because who could ever be miserable, melancholy, or depressed there? If only that were possible at the moment.
So, I've been having a terrible time looking for a teaching job. It's one of the many issues I'm referring to in that depressing paragraph up there, but I don't need to tell the world about all of them. Other than enjoying my summer before having to accept reality, I've been spending a lot of time looking for a job and being depressed that I haven't found one yet...making blogging a bit hard. (I really do love to write and edit my blog though, I just need to get back in the habit of finding time for it. I miss it and any of you who read it.) I just happen to live near school districts that are a complete disaster. They can't afford to hire back teachers they already had from last year, so there's little to absolutely no hope for new teachers to get a job. Since I don't want to move to another state, I'm stuck trying to figure out what to do. I've resorted to applying for substitute teaching positions (which I'd really rather not do… I hate the idea of being in different classrooms every day and not having a full time job). I've also started applying to preschools, some of which have Kindergarten classes, which I would love to teach, but most of the jobs are for preschool age (3-4) and toddlers… I love children…so I guess it'd be nice if I can get one of those jobs. It's a teaching job…not exactly what I wanted, but better than nothing I suppose. I really seriously though somehow, even though there's not much hope for elementary teaching jobs where I live, that I would somehow get one. I thought that because I got almost all A's in college, had a high G.P.A., did great during my student teaching, was a member of the education club at school, received School of Education Honors, had experience as a child care provider (babysitter), and just because I have such a strong passion for teaching and working with children, that maybe all that would encourage a school to hire me. I guess I was just dreaming, or being overly positive about a sad situation, or refusing to accept my dreams are crushed, or being really hopeful and too much of a dreamer…?? It's one or all of those I suppose.
I really wish I could just fix the school districts…or the entire school system. It's such a shame the people in charge do not realize the importance of schools and good education for children. The government should spend less money elsewhere and more money investing education, which is investing in the future. Why people don't realize the importance of this issue, I cannot understand. Is it not basic? Education is the foundation for everything. Students in a classroom of 40 or 60 children are not going to get the education they should. There's not enough time for a teacher to give them enough attention. Plus, a stressed out under-paid teacher is not going to benefit students either. There's so many other problems, I don't even know where to start… So, I'll stop before I go off on another tangent.
I did have a pretty nice summer, aside from the job issue and others I've been trying to ignore, but can't. Being sad and depressed all the time lately has made me realize it's not for me…ha! I need to try really hard to find the positive. Even if it's in little things like cupcakes (not too often,still trying to lose more weight…fun!), dressing up and twirling, posting on my blog (Really this time I'm going to post a bunch of stuff I've been planning since forever and a day! Otherwise harass me to do it, ok? lol) or my sweet supportive boyfriend who brings me flowers and makes me smile. (Hi sweetie!)
I hope you all had a wonderful summer! Tell me what you did this summer in the comments. Anything fun or exciting? Or just relaxing? Also, is anyone else a teacher? Any advice on the job situation? Sorry for the depressing start to this post…maybe it helped me to write things down…
♥♥Xoxo, A Certified Teacher, Cupcake Baker, and Tutu Twirler,


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25 U.S. Code § 1616i - Additional incentives for health professionals
The Secretary may provide the incentive special pay authorized under section 302(b) or 335(b) of title 37 to civilian medical officers of the Indian Health Service who are assigned to, and serving in, positions included in the list established under subsection (b)(1) for which recruitment or retention of personnel is difficult.
The Secretary may establish programs to allow the use of flexible work schedules, and compressed work schedules, in accordance with the provisions of subchapter II of chapter 61 of title 5, for health professionals employed by, or assigned to, the Service.
2017—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–91 inserted "or 335(b)" after "section 302(b)".
1992—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102–573, § 901(1), struck out subsec. (d) which required a report to Congress by the Secretary no later than 6 months after Nov. 23, 1988, relating to overtime pay for individuals employed by the Service.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 102–573, § 117(b)(8), struck out subsec. (e) which authorized appropriations for fiscal years 1990 to 1992.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Thar's Goooold in them thar IRAs! New record $1462…
Benny and the Inkjets cant hold the precious down~and Sister Silver is right behind
And don't forget WTI Crude ~ $109 baby…..demand destruction coming to a local economy near you!
(Click thru if the frakkers at BMG UMG and SONY block the embed)


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Drop Dead Diva Season 4 Episode 10
Lady Parts
Air Date:
- Dance Moms' Abby Lee Miller guest stars.
- Deb's mom gets sued by a dance student.
- Grayson takes on the case of a classmate who created a controversial sculpture.
- Staci thinks Luke is going to ask her out.
- Owen doesn't want Jane to keep treating him so delicately.
- Show:
- Drop Dead Diva
- Season:
- Drop Dead Diva Season 4
- Episode Number:
- 10


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Bayswater is a slightly rich and wildly cosmpolitan. It's close to Paddington Station, in the northwest of central London. It's next to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. It has a large amount of restaurants, pubs and shops and a really great community feel.
As is usal with this type of area, rent is high. Rents tend to very between 'just expensive' and 'ridiculously prohibitive.' It's probably a bit too expensive for the average student, but if you can afford to live here, in one of the beautiful terraces, then it is a perfect area to experience and explore central London.
Ironically, living in Bayswater is most convenient for those studying at the Royal College of Art. It's also close to the Imperial College in Knightsbridge, but you can always get to other nearby universities quickly, such as SOAS, The University of London, The University of Westminster or City University.
From all over the world. Bayswater is one of London's more multicultural areas. It has a large Arab, Greek and Brazilian presence alongside Americans and local Londoners. Expect a true melting pot.
The incredible location, mostly. But maybe also with the amazing amount of ethnic food on offer or all the events in Hyde part, especially the Winter Wonderland.
The Porchester Spa in the area is an old Victorian bathhouse, complete with sauna, steam rooms and plunge pools. It was recently restored and is a classic, and historic, way to relax.
Cultured, modern and historic and very comfortable, Bayswater is a rich area with a multi-cultural feel.
At Uniplaces we make the process of booking an apartment as easy as possible for both tenant and landlord.
That's why we have our own team of professional photographers that verify our properties and pick our landlords carefully in order to save time on viewings: we think it's old-fashioned and time-consuming.
You can look at forty different apartments on our platform in the same amount of time that it takes to see a room.
The pictures you see here haven't been photoshopped, so they'll be really accurate.
If you've still got any doubts, we'll keep the money that you transfer us until 24h after your move-in date.
If something's not exactly what you saw online, we'll help you move somewhere else and return your money.
We can only give you the contact details of your landlord after your booking is accepted. But we can guarantee that Uniplaces chooses the landlords it works with very carefully.
Besides, we've had students whose favourite part was living with a local!
Landlords and host families can be great city guides, help you out with translations and even become your friends.
As soon as your booking is accepted, you're given the landlord's contact details. Then, you can discuss all details directly with them, such as when you'll be moving-in.
Students move in and out at different times, so your flatmates might change during your stay.
It's a great opportunity to make new friends!
We personally speak to students who we place in Uniplaces apartments and are sure we will find the right place for you as well!
At the bottom of the property page, you have a calendar where you can see the availability of that room/apartment, according to the landlord.
But if you're still unsure about that we're happy to help.
Tell us your move-in and move-out dates and we will double-check if the place is available for you!
There are two different types of deposits: the Holding and Security deposits.
By clicking on "Deposit" at the bottom of the offer page you will get more information about each type of deposit.
In general, the deposit is paid to cover for any potential damages that may occur during your period of stay or will be used as rent compensation in case you leave earlier than originally planned.
If no damages occur and you leave on the agreed move-out date, your deposit should be refunded by the landlord in a way you both agree on.


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The latest and greatest on CNN iReport, brought to you by Team iReport.
We are excited to announce that CNN iReport is getting a new look to make it easier for you to share your stories, photos and videos with CNN. By simply including the hashtag #CNNiReport on your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts, the content of those posts will be sent automatically to CNN.
iReport was one of the first user-generated social networks by any news organization when it launched in 2006. With the changing landscape in news becoming more mobile and social-media focused, we are making these updates to allow our CNN and iReport community to better connect with the network's growing mobile and social presence around the world.
CNN's teams are working hard to make these changes, and you should start to see them next week.
Questions about iReport? Please feel free to contact us. You can post questions in the comments below and we will respond throughout the week. You can also reach us on Twitter and Facebook at @CNNiReport or email email@example.com.
Thank you for being a part of the iReport community and sharing your stories with CNN. We look forward to telling more amazing stories together!
Notice anything different on CNN iReport?
Today, we changed the banner on unapproved photos and videos from "Not Vetted By CNN" to "Not Verified By CNN." We decided to make the switch because the term "vetted" isn't as widely understood and recognized as "verified," especially as our community is located worldwide. While our verification process hasn't changed, we hope that the shift in language will help to clarify what's cleared by CNN and what isn't.
We receive hundreds of iReports a day, and only a fraction of those are cleared and approved for CNN's non-user-generated networks and platforms, after a CNN producer fact-checks and verifies the details of a story. When a story is approved, the "Not Verified for CNN" bar disappears and is replaced by a red "CNN iReport" bug that lets the community know a story has been cleared. Our producers also give iReport stories extra context, by adding producer notes with further details and/or additional quotes from the iReporter.
Sometimes people post deliberately untrue stories on iReport – about celebrity deaths or giant asteroids, for example. Hoaxes are one of the risks of user-generated content and we take them very seriously. In addition to changing the "Not Verified" banner, we're constantly looking for ways to improve our internal tools and workflows to better identify false content that may go viral. And as always, we encourage our users to flag any content they deem inappropriate.
Thankfully, the deliberately false stories are few and far between. The most powerful stories, of course, are the true ones – like Joe O'Neill's touching video of a centenarian's 80th college reunion; Raymond Angeles' colorful portraits of Berlin Fashion Week protesters; and Palestinian-American Naim Naif's heartbreaking account of what it's like to watch the ongoing Gaza conflict from afar. These are the stories worth sharing with the world.
We're so thankful for all of you who are part of the iReport community, and look forward to telling more amazing stories together. If you have other suggestions on how to improve the iReport experience, please let us know in the comments below.
Here's some cool news: We launched a new feature that invites you to share photos and videos with CNN directly from Google Glass. Yep, iReport is part of the wearable technology trend and we're pretty excited about it.
iReport has led the way with citizen journalism for years, and this is no exception. CNN is the first major news network to allow its audience to contribute stories directly via Google Glass.
If you're part of the Glass Explorer program, we hope you'll test out the iReport functionality. You never know when you'll spot breaking news, and it's a simple, fast way to share the images and videos you capture with your Glass.
To get started, you will need to authorize CNN to send notifications to your Glass. Once that's completed, you can manage your settings, like linking up your iReport profile. "CNN iReport" will then appear as sharing option for your photos and videos.
If you're a Glass Explorer, give it a try! We can't wait to see what kinds of stories you'll share.
Update: This problem has been fixed!
Good news! The new version of the CNN iPhone app corrected the login problem some users have been having. We tested it out today and everything is working properly. The update is available now.
One new thing you need to know about the app is that iReport is now located in the "This is CNN" section in the navigation menu.
Thank you for your patience and we look forward to seeing your iReports while you're on the move.
We heard recently that some people are having trouble posting iReports from the CNN iPhone app, so we asked our developers to take a look at the problem.
It turns out that there is something wrong with the login process, so you'll get an error message when you try to log in to your iReport account or create a new account.
We know it's a pain in the neck, so we're working on an update to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
The good news is, there is a workaround so you can still share stories from your iPhone. After you select your photo or video in the app, you'll get an option to submit your iReport through your user account or as a guest. If you submit as a guest, you can bypass the whole login problem and your iReport will post as unclaimed. Once it posts, you can email your user name and a link to your report to firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll add it to your account.
We are sorry for the inconvenience and we will let you know when the updated app is available.
Ever wonder who's following your iReport activity? Who's reading your stories the day you post them? Who's paying attention to all your iReport favorites? Who are your #1 fans? (Besides Team iReport, of course)
Today we're introducing a new feature that lets you see just that.
Before today, only a list of the users that you follow would appear on the left sidebar of your profile page. We knew iReporters wanted to see who was following them — they let us know through emails and comments on our monthly Roundtable discussions — so we're excited to introduce the new feature.
Now, under the "Followers" label you can see how many users are following YOU, along with their usernames, avatar images and their bios. The list is also available for public view, a common feature on other social media sites as well. And you too can see everyone else's followers by visiting their profile pages.
Well? What are you waiting for? Go quench your curiosity!
And if you have an idea for a killer new feature that we haven't thought about, let us know in the comments. We're listening.
* No connection to the NSA — that we know of.
As anti-government protests have swept across Turkey in the past week, CNN iReport has received more than 800 photos, videos and stories from people on the ground. While some of these reports are original and have been verified by CNN, many others aren't.
Everything you see on iReport starts with someone in the CNN audience, and the stories are not edited fact-checked or screened before they post. CNN producers will check out some of the most compelling, important and urgent iReports and, once they're cleared for CNN, make them a part of CNN's news coverage. The red "CNN iReport" logo indicates that a story has been verified and approved by a CNN iReport producer. The stories with the black "NOT VETTED FOR CNN" bar are exactly that – not approved for or verified by the network.
As a news organization, CNN reports both what it knows and does not know about a story. Our vetting process at CNN iReport reflects that as well. In situations such as this, with countless accounts (and plenty of misinformation) from citizens spreading across social media and coming in through iReport, it's increasingly important to curate that content and verify what's factual.
It's not an easy job, but it's one we take very seriously.
This weekend a user posted a story to iReport claiming that police in Istanbul had used Agent Orange against protesters. The story and claims were being widely circulated on Twitter and in other social media, and the iReport itself was seeing significant traffic, even though it was not vetted by CNN and clearly marked that way. We received questions and criticism about why CNN hadn't taken the story down and in response, we followed up with CNN reporters in the field, who confirmed that there was no reason to believe the claims about Agent Orange were true, but that police had been using a colored substance on protesters. So we put an editor's note on the original story to add that additional context from CNN reporting. Again today, we saw a similar issue with a claim that a communications company called Turkcell had received pressure to block communications, which the company refuted, and which we clarified in an editor's note.
In the age of digital journalism and in with cases such as these, we believe it's more responsible and clear to our audiences to keep content visible and add context and links that explain and clarify it, instead of deleting it completely. As long as an iReporter isn't purposefully spreading misinformation – which would be a violation of the community guidelines for iReport that govern what is welcome and what is not – we err on the side of keeping that content visible to the public.
In these cases, though, we ultimately decided to remove the stories but leave up the additional context from our reporting because they were so widespread. It's our job to dig into the content we receive on iReport, sort fact from fiction, and make those decisions as clear and available as we can. We believe this is the best approach for right now.
We often say that we're writing the rules of citizen journalism as we go along, which is an exciting but sometimes daunting position to be in. It's our hope that we can be transparent along the way, explain why we make the choices we do, and continue to listen to your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions, you're welcome to share them below.
It's no surprise that there's an overlap between Facebook users and the iReport community, which is why we're excited to bring you some great news: Our Facebook integration is about to get a whole lot better!
Starting today, you'll be able to connect your iReport and Facebook accounts in a way that will give you more control and make it easier to share your iReport posts (and your comments too!) on Facebook.
For some time iReporters have been able to connect their accounts so that a Facebook "wall post" was automatically created whenever they uploaded a new iReport. The post included the headline and link to their story, as seen below on the right.
Now, thanks to Facebook's Open Graph technology, you are able to seamlessly share high-quality images you upload to iReport on your Timeline whenever you post a new iReport. The Timeline post will also include the text of your story and a link to the iReport itself. All your shared iReport images and their accompanying stories will live in a special album that will be automatically created for you on Facebook.
But that's not all! In addition to iReport stories and photos, you are alse able to share your comments with Facebook friends, too.
These changes also offer increased control over shared posts. Users that opt-in to connect their Facebook and iReport accounts will now decide which comments and stories get shared, one by one. Checkboxes allowing the choice are now present on the comment and upload pages. Users who have never used the feature before will be prompted with a Facebook permissions dialog in order to connect their accounts.
A checked box means that the comment, or the story and images posted, will also be posted on Facebook. If the box is left unchecked, the post or comment will publish on iReport, but will not be shared on Facebook.
Here's how to get started:
1. Click on the "Post to Facebook" checkbox that now appears on the upload dialog and under the comment box in any iReport story.
* You can also connect and disconnect your accounts from your iReport profile page.
* If this is your first time connecting your iReport and Facebook accounts, you'll be presented with a permissions dialog. Click "Log in with Facebook" to connect your accounts. You may also be presented with a confirmation dialog: If you see your avatar and username, click "close".
2. Once the checkbox is marked and your upload form or comment is complete, click on the respective "Upload your story" or "Post comment" button.
3. Rejoice! Your Facebook post or comment will be shared on your Facebook Timeline with your friends.
Please note that we're still working on adding this new functionality to the iReport and CNN mobile apps. Stay tuned for more updates.
Got any comments or questions about new functionality? We're all ears! Let us know what you think in the comments.
Say hello to our fall intern, Jamescia Thomas!
Jamescia is in her last semester at George State University, pursuing a bachelors degree in sociology. She is a native of Atlanta and previously interned with Zoo Atlanta, Cartoon Network / [adult swim] and the Cannes Film Festival in France, where she studied for four months.
We asked her to tell us something about herself, and this is what she wrote:
"Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, many of my school field trips included visiting the CNN Center. The tours were always so exciting, from viewing the newsroom to hearing live audio feeds of different broadcasts.
"After every visit, a tour guide always asked 'Who wants to be a part of the CNN team?' Each time, I remember enthusiastically waving my hand with the rest of my class. Having this experience and now working with CNN makes the excitement of joining the iReport team so much sweeter!"
In her spare time, you can find Jamescia looking for the next best recipe on Pinterest or at the golf course improving her swing. She's on Twitter at @JamesciaThomas and Jamescia on iReport.
Please welcome her to the iReport team!
Due to a technical malfunction this afternoon, the page views on recently uploaded iReports are not updating properly. Our tech team is aware of the issue and working to fix it. So if you see an iReport that has comments but zero page views, that's why.
We hope to have the problem resolved soon. As always, if you have a question or concern about iReport you can email email@example.com.
UPDATE: [9:45 p.m. ET] The issue has been resolved. Thanks for your patience!
This week we put out a few fixes and changes to the site that you should know about:
* Share buttons restructured: We're introducing a new way to share your favorite iReports on the emerging G+ network with a Google plus sharing button. To give it some breathing room, we moved the Facebook recommend button just underneath the headline.
* iReporter info module redesigned: Profile pages got a nice nip and tuck in the area of iReporters' avatar and personal info. The change makes the area more concise and compact so you don't have to scroll so much -- you're welcome, fingers.
* Our embeded video player also got some love on this round of tech updates. Now you can see a higher quality thumbnail preview of the video before you decide to play it. No more blurriness!
We're also looking into a few things on the site:
* Upload issues: We're taking a good hard look at how to make the upload process faster and more reliable.
* Disappearing comments: We've been alerted to the fact that some comments appear to be disappearing from stories and blog posts. We're looking into the cause and hope to have a fix soon.
As always, we're all ears on how to make your experience better on iReport.com. Let me know in the comments if you already have something in mind or if you come across a brilliant idea later, shoot me a PM.
You might notice a little change in the Explore page starting today. We replaced the "Most active iReporters" section with a new "Featured iReporters" section.
The new section is editorially curated and will be updated regularly, in order to better maintain balance and diversity, which means exposure for more of you.
Check out featured iReporter profiles and give them a "follow" or leave a comment on their reports. We're sure you'll find something you like.
On iReport, we invite people around the world to upload stories, photos and videos that they think deserve attention from a wider news audience. Everything that's posted receives a very visible "Not Verified for CNN" banner, and a team of moderators reviews the posted content and pulls material that is flagged by the community as in violation of iReport's Community Guidelines.
iReport receives, on average, 500 iReports a day, and a fraction of those are approved for CNN's non-user-generated networks and platforms, which involves fact-checking and verifying the details of a story. When a story is approved, the "Not Verified for CNN" bar disappears and is replaced by a red "CNN iReport" bug that lets the community know a story has been verified. Our producers also give iReport stories extra context, by adding producer notes with further details, CNN reporting, and/or additional quotes from the iReporter.
Sometimes people post deliberately untrue stories on iReport -- about celebrity deaths, for example. Hoaxes are one of the risks of user-generated content and at CNN we take them very seriously. Fortunately, they have been few and far between on iReport. The number of real, important and excellent iReports is far greater than deliberately untrue stories. Just this past week, for example, our site was filled with people sharing their photos and videos of the wildfires in Colorado, views on the Supreme Court's health care decision, and first-person stories from voters in Mexico's presidential election. These stories matter and they're why we are confident in and excited about the future of participatory journalism.
We'd love to hear from you: Are incidents like death hoaxes part of the territory of citizen journalism? What questions do you have for iReport's editorial team? We look forward to reading your comments below.
Calling all college and university students! We're looking for a fall intern to join our team at the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
The full-time, paid internship lasts about 12 weeks and is open to college students currently enrolled in school. Course credit is available, and preference is given to candidates who have previously contributed to CNN iReport.
One lucky intern will work with iReport's editorial team helping lead CNN's user-generated news platform, participatory media, and community efforts. In addition to vetting iReports, producing content, and helping with brainstorming and editorial planning, interns will also have the opportunity to learn from a host of CNN professionals in various departments. (If you want to learn more, just ask Jake, our current summer intern, how awesome the opportunity is.)
Interested? Go here for more details and to formally apply.
iReporters have long shown a talent for breathtaking photography. So it's no wonder that the iReport team here at CNN is always looking for new places to show off your images! Our latest conquest? CNN Games.
You may have noticed that CNN.com recently added games to its long list of features. You can find them at the bottom of the CNN.com homepage on the right. And we have some good news: starting today, the jigsaw puzzle game will feature iReport images!
The game, which works just like a regular jigsaw puzzle, rotates through a series of iReport, CNN and stock images, so you may have to play a few times before you get a puzzle that features an iReport photo. We'll switch up the iReport images each week since there are so many strong ones to choose from, and as always, we'll give you full credit.
Here are the photos we selected for the puzzle this week:
The colorful Aliwan Fiesta, by Roland Roldan
Zoo portraits, by James Amerson
Times Square at night, by Lulis Leal
Northern Lights over Iceland, by René Oesterheld
Up-close and personal with snowflakes, by Kristen Cook
Snow calms Manhattan, by Julio Ortiz-Teissonniere
Images are selected for the puzzle based on photo quality, visual interest and difficulty (i.e., an image of a blue sky might not be chosen because it would be too hard for the user to put back together). You don't need to submit photos to a specific assignment to have them considered for the jigsaw -- we'll look at everything that's been vetted for use on CNN. But if you're looking for a place to show off your photography, we'd suggest taking a look at the photo essays, Travel Photo of the Day, or Light Years assignments. Happy gaming!
Starting this week, you might notice a new face popping up on the iReport site: Our Spring intern, Supraja Seshadri, is officially part of the family now!
You'll get to know her over the next few weeks, but by way of hellos and handshakes, we asked her to pen a short bio to introduce herself to the iReport community:
Supraja is currently a senior at Emory University and will be graduating this May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.
Supraja had a great experience interning with the CNN Medical Unit in New York last summer, where she worked on Sanjay Gupta's "Terror in the Dust" documentary. She has a solid foundation in multimedia and print journalism. She was able to hone these skills in her two previous internships, ShareWIK.com, where she was responsible for a lot of the video content on the website and DNA (Daily News & Analysis) Newspaper in India, where she wrote and published 15 stories on various topics.
Supraja is president of an all-female fusion dance team at Emory and is Publicity Chair of Emory's Indian Cultural Exchange. She's artistically inclined and loves to read, write and draw in her free time.
Supraja plans to pursue journalism, particularly on the production side, after college.
So please, join all of us in welcoming Supraja to Team iReport!


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Part 1: Abstraction and Impounding
Sections 1 to 10 Restrictions on abstraction and impounding
32. .Section 1: Licences to abstract water.
This provides that abstraction licences will be of one of three types: a "full licence", a "transfer licence" or a "temporary licence".
33.One of these three forms of licence is required in order for a person to abstract any quantity of water which is above the licensing threshold (see section 6) and which is not otherwise exempt.
34.A "temporary licence" is required for any abstraction from a source of supply lasting less than 28 days.
35.A "transfer licence" is available for abstraction of water for 28 days or more for transfer from one source of supply to another without intervening use – for example, from one watercourse to another for the purposes of navigation. A transfer licence is also available for transfers between two points in the same source of supply where the abstraction is related to dewatering of works such as within a quarry. But it is possible to apply for a full licence if the applicant wants full protection from derogation for his transfer abstraction (see section 16).
36.A "full licence" is required for any other abstraction for 28 days or more. All current abstraction licences are of this type, by virtue of the provisions of section 102(1), even though some relate to abstractions that would require only a "transfer licence". There is no need for existing licences to be converted unless the holder wishes to do it.
37.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
38. .Section 2: Restrictions on impounding.
The current restriction on impounding of water makes it an offence to begin to construct or alter an impounding works unless an impounding licence has been obtained. This section amends the current restriction on impounding in order to impose controls throughout the lifetime of new impounding works. Impounding licences (whether issued before or after the coming into force of this section) will remain in force for the lifetime of the works, allowing the Agency to attach or modify conditions to the licence to ensure that impounding works do not cause damage to the environment.
39.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
40. .Sections 3 and 4: Existing impounding works.
The new restriction on impounding introduced by section 2 does not apply retrospectively. However, there are impounding works that are unlicensed, either because their construction pre-dated the licensing regime or a licence has been revoked and some of these works are, or in the future may, cause environmental problems that cannot be addressed by the Agency under its current powers. Section 3 provides the EA with a new power to serve notice to require that an impounding licence is obtained and failure to comply with such a notice would be an offence. Section 4 provides the EA with a power to serve a works notice on the relevant person (normally the owner) to carry out remedial works on an existing impoundment that is causing environmental damage. Failure to comply with the notice is an offence.
41.Provisions in these sections are devolved to the Assembly.
42. .Section 5: Rights of navigation, harbour and conservancy authorities.
Under the current regime, all transfers of water from one area of inland water to another by navigation, harbour and conservancy authorities in the exercise of their functions as such are exempt from licence control. The effect of this section, taken with section 1, is to limit that exemption and to require the licensing of transfers of water from any source of supply to a water system operated by these authorities. While a transfer licence will suffice, those authorities may also apply for a full licence if they wish (see section 16). Transfers wholly within water systems operated by those authorities (for example, transfers from canal pounds to canal locks) do not require a licence. Neither do transfers between any such system and other inland waters which are connected only to that system (for example, ditches draining only to canals, or reservoirs capable of discharging only to canals). Where a transfer is made to another source of supply from which it is subsequently abstracted, the transfer will be licensable. Construction or alteration of impounding works by those authorities will remain exempt from licensing if the works do not have any effect beyond the authority's water system.
43.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
44. .Section 6: Rights to abstract small quantities.
This section sets a quantity of 20 cubic metres in any period of 24 hours as the normal threshold above which an abstraction licence is required, irrespective of the source of supply or the purpose of the abstraction (unless it is otherwise exempt). This replaces the present, more complex exemptions framework for small abstractions, under which more than 20,000 abstractions of less than that quantity require licences. The section also provides that where a licence exists, the small quantity exemption does not apply in addition to the licensed quantity for abstractions for the same purpose, but it can be used in addition to a licensed abstraction for a different purpose.
45.The Agency may apply (or can be directed to apply) to the Secretary of State for an Order setting a different threshold, which may be greater or less than the normal figure in specified areas, inland waters or underground strata. If the threshold is reduced and a previously exempt abstractor is unable to obtain a licence to abstract the volume he had previously abstracted, then compensation may become payable for loss or damage caused to that abstractor.
46.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
47. .Section 7: Rights to abstract for drainage purposes, etc.
Abstractions for dewatering mines, quarries or engineering excavations will generally require a licence (usually a temporary or transfer licence – see section 1). But this section also recognises that such abstractions may be required as an emergency measure and it therefore allows them to take place without a licence provided that the EA is notified within five days of their commencement. The Agency may determine that the abstraction is not necessary by reason of an emergency and is able to require a licence application to be made in the normal way. The Agency may also serve notice on the operator that it considers that what started out as an emergency abstraction has ceased to be one.
48.This section also removes two activities from the definition of "land drainage", and thus from the exemption from licensing. These activities become subject to licensing control. They are: warping (which is the abstraction of water which contains silt onto agricultural land so that the silt can deposit and act as a fertiliser) and irrigation. At present, of those abstractions made for irrigation it is only those that are made for spray irrigation that require abstraction licensing. The growing use of trickle irrigation and the use of land drainage systems in reverse to maintain field water levels and for warping prompts the proposed change. Land drainage i.e. removal of flood water, remains exempt from abstraction licensing. The many minor transfers of water within an Internal Drainage Board district are exempt from licence control, but initial transfers into a Board's district will be licensable.
49.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
50. .Section 8: Amendments relating to section 7.
The amendments provided by this section are consequential on section 7. They move to sections 199 and 199A the provisions of sections 30 and 31 of the WRA, which require an operator to give prior notice to the EA of mining operations affecting water resources. The section provides that the Secretary of State may delegate decisions on appeals against notices to a third party. The section also brings the definition of flood defence for the purposes of defining minimum river flows in section 21 of the WRA into line with that used for flood defence purposes in section 113 of the Act.
51.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
52. .Section 9: Power to provide for further exemptions.
This section provides the Secretary of State with the power to make regulations so that the restriction on abstraction and impounding works shall not apply in certain cases. Such cases are referred to as "exemptions". Regulations ensure that an exemption must satisfy any prescribed conditions that may be attached to it, and provide the Agency with the power to determine whether any exemption should apply. Any exemption may apply generally or relate to a geographical area or particular source of supply. Again, this is intended to enable the Agency to exercise levels of control of water resources appropriate to the environmental impact of an abstraction in relation to local conditions.
53.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
54. .Section 10: Orders under section 33 of the WRA, etc.
Existing legislation provides that a navigation, harbour or conservancy authority or the Agency may apply to the Secretary of State to remove the restriction on abstraction from any source of supply. This new provision provides for the Secretary of State to make regulations to revoke any such order. That revocation can include a similar order made under any local or private Act. In addition, the orders under this section can also repeal the provision in any local or private Act containing the power to make such an exception order in future, once all orders under that power have been revoked. The section also allows an order to make provision for the continuation of existing rights to abstract without a licence and for compensation where these are curtailed and result in loss or damages.
55.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
Sections 11 to 14 Applications for a licence
56.Provisions in sections 11 to 14 are devolved to the Assembly.
57. .Section 11: Who may apply for a licence.
This establishes the qualification necessary in order to apply for abstraction licences: a right of access to the land where the abstraction takes place. Occupation of land continues to serve as evidence of a right of access. Applicants have to demonstrate that they have the right of access for at least one year from the date on which the licence is to take effect, or for the intended duration of the licence if that is less than one year.
58. .Section 12: Abolition of combined licences.
Currently, the EA can issue a licence for both an impoundment and an abstraction as a 'combined licence', although only a small number of such licences exist. With the proposals to time limit all new abstraction licences and for an impoundment licence to remain in force until revoked, there are unlikely to be situations in future where a combined licence might be issued. This section therefore repeals section 36 of the WRA, thereby removing the Agency's power to issue a combined licence. Existing combined licences will be converted into separate abstraction and impounding licences.
59. .Section 13: Applications: types of abstraction licence.
Applicants have the initial choice of what type of abstraction licence to apply for. This section enables the EA to require an applicant for one type of abstraction licence to apply instead for another type, or to group several related applications together. The applicant can appeal to the Secretary of State against the Agency's decision.
60. .Section 14: Publication of application for licence.
Licence applications must be brought to the attention of those likely to be affected by them. This section enables the detailed publication requirements, including the circumstances in which they are dispensed with, to be prescribed in secondary legislation. Where necessary, publication requirements may be undertaken by the EA, whose costs are reimbursed as a separate element of the licence application fee.
Sections 15 to 18 Consideration of licence applications
61.Provisions in sections 15 to 18 are devolved to the Assembly.
62. .Section 15: General consideration of licence applications
This section provides that where an application for the renewal of a time-limited abstraction licence is sought on terms that would constitute a variation of the licence if the licence were continuing, the licence is considered in two stages. Firstly, those aspects that constitute the variation element would be determined, and then the application is determined for the licence as a whole, so that the impact of the variation element on the protected rights of other abstractors (see sections 16 and 17) can be assessed for the new licence. Where renewal is sought on the same terms as the expiring licence then this two stage determination is not applied, because there would be no need to reconsider the impact on existing protected rights.
63.The section also provides that the EA is to have regard to the statutory duties of bodies such as drainage and navigation authorities brought into the licensing system by sections 5 and 7 when considering licence applications from those bodies.
64. .Section 16: Protection from derogation.
Under the current legislation, the EA cannot grant an abstraction or impounding licence that derogates from any "protected rights", except with the consent of the person entitled to those rights. Those rights recognise an established entitlement to abstract a certain quantity of water, for certain purposes. This section limits the protection against derogation for new licence holders to rights arising from a full licence. For transfer and temporary licences however, some effective protection of licence-holders' rights is delivered by the continuing requirement upon the EA to have regard to river flow levels and other lawful uses of inland waters when granting licences. Existing licence holders who fall outside licensing as a result of the revised threshold introduced by section 6 continue to benefit from protection from derogation. Where an application is made to renew an existing time-limited licence, then that application will be assessed against the protected rights of other abstractors which existed at the time of the original grant. The rights of those later abstractors will therefore not trump the rights of earlier, established abstractors.
65. .Section 17: Protected rights.
Currently, owners of land bordering rivers or lying above groundwater are taken for the purpose of the WRA to have rights to abstract up to 20 m3 of water per day for domestic purposes or agricultural purposes other than irrigation (e.g. for stock watering). Section 17 preserves the classes of abstractor that benefit from the protected rights. The volume of water to which the protected right applies may, however, be reduced to coincide with a lower threshold introduced by an order made under new section 27A (section 6). Should the threshold subsequently rise, the protected right will remain at the lower level. Examples of how this works are given in the box below
The exemption threshold – worked examples
Consider the case of an abstractor A who has a protected right for his abstraction from groundwater for domestic purposes and is in a position to abstract 13 cubic metres per day in an area where the exemption threshold is 20 cubic metres per day.
Case 1. Where the local threshold is raised to 25 cubic metres per day. The abstractor may abstract up to 25 cubic metres per day but his protected right remains at 13 cubic metres per day (assuming he remains in a position to abstract that amount).
Case 2. Where the local threshold is reduced to 10 cubic metres per day Abstractor A will require an abstraction licence for 13 cubic metres per day, and (if that were granted) would enjoy corresponding protected rights by reason of that licence.
If abstractor A can only obtain a licence for 10 cubic metres per day, then he may be able to seek compensation in relation to losses suffered as a result of the difference in volume between what he could previously abstract, and what he can now abstract.
Where the licence is issued for 13 cubic metres per day then no loss arises.
Case 3. If the threshold under case 2 is raised at a later date to 25 cubic metres per day. In this case, the licence would no longer be required and the protected right would be set at the previously licensed volume of 10 (case 2 a) or 13 (case 2 b). But abstractor A could take up to 25 cubic metres per day in total without an abstraction licence.
Case 4. If the threshold under case 3 is lowered to 5 cubic metres per day then a licence to abstract more than this volume would again be required. Compensation could become payable if a licence cannot be granted for the volume bring abstracted under the protected right (either 10 or 13 cubic metres per day). The protected right under the licence will be set at 5 cubic metres per day. If a further change results in the threshold rising again, then the protected right for the unlicensed abstraction will remain at 5 cubic metres per day, but abstractor A can abstract volumes up to the new threshold without a licence.
66.The section also applies a protected right to those abstractors whose licence lapses by virtue of falling below the relevant volume or purpose threshold for so long as they continue to abstract. The protected right lapses after four years of non-abstraction unless the abstraction is irregular in nature (e.g. it is only required under certain conditions) in which case it may continue if the Agency agrees. These provisions will also apply where a person transfers part of his licensed abstraction rights to someone else, and that part (or his remaining part) no longer requires an abstraction licence (provided some abstraction occurs within any given period of four years).
67. .Section 18: Register of certain protected rights.
In water stressed areas, it may be necessary for the EA to have detailed knowledge of all the protected rights to which it must have regard in its licensing activity. Section 18 provides a power to make regulations to set up a Register of Protected Rights in such areas. Where a Register exists, an abstractor will need to register his protected right within two years of the Register coming into existence if he wants that right to continue.
Sections 19 to 20 Form, contents and effect of licences.
68.Provisions in sections 19 to 20 are devolved to the Assembly.
69. .Section 19: Form, contents and effect of licences.
Currently, abstraction licences granted to some types of applicants (notably water undertakers) are not required to state the purpose for which the abstracted water is used or the land on which it is used. This section places all new abstraction licences on the same footing by requiring them all to state the purpose of the relevant abstraction, but none to state the land on which the water is to be used.
70.This section also requires every new abstraction licence to state the dates on which it takes effect and expire, but it does not specify a licence length. The Environment Agency will determine licence length on a case-by-case basis according to local circumstances. There is a policy presumption, set out in Taking Water Responsibly, that a licence will be renewed subject to three tests being met. These tests, in outline, are: that water resources in the area are sustainable and the abstraction will not create unacceptable environmental effects; that the holder has a continuing requirement to abstract; and that the abstracted water is used efficiently.
71.Full licences must state the quantity of water authorised for abstraction but this is at the EA's discretion in the case of transfer and temporary licences. A licence with a duration of longer than 12 years must also state a minimum volume to which abstraction can be reduced without compensation being payable under section 25.
72. .Section 20: Limited extension of abstraction licence validity.
If the Agency receives a valid application to renew a full or a transfer licence which has a duration of more than twelve months on the same terms at least three months before its expiry date, this section provides that the licence will not expire until the application is determined.
Sections 21 to 22 Modification of licences
73. .Section 21: Modification of licences.
At present the EA is under a duty to revoke an impounding licence at the request of the holder, who can thereby avoid any conditions attached to the licence that impose continuing obligations. The section changes the Agency's duty to revoke to a power and allows the revocation of an impounding licence to be made conditional on removal of the works or restoration of the site to the Agency's satisfaction.
74.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
75. .Section 22: Proposals for modification at instance of Agency or Secretary of State.
This ensures that the EA is able to vary impounding licences in a way that requires that the impounding works themselves are modified as necessary. Specific publication and notification arrangements for licence modification proposals are removed from the primary legislation.
76.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
Section 23 Transfer and appointment of licences
77. .Section 23: Transfer and appointment of licences.
The current provisions for succession to abstraction licences are replaced by this section. The condition for allowing transfer is that the transferee has a right of access to the abstraction point. A licence may also be apportioned between two or more people as long as the total quantities of water abstracted by the new holders do not exceed the quantity authorised to be abstracted under the old licence. The holder of a licence and the proposed transferee(s) are required to give notice to the EA of their agreement to the transfer or apportionment of that licence.
78.Licences are considered to be part of the estate of a deceased holder, and of the property of a bankrupt, and vested accordingly. Full or transfer licences will lapse after 15 months if the EA is not informed of the vesting by the person in whom the licence vests.
79.Impounding licences will also be transferable in the same way as abstraction licences (but may not be apportioned), and similar arrangements apply for licence succession on death and bankruptcy.
80.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
Sections 24 to 27 Claims and compensation
81.Provisions in sections 24 to 27 are devolved to the Assembly.
82. .Section 24: Claims arising out of water abstraction.
This section establishes a new statutory right of action against an abstractor, whether licensed or not, whose abstraction causes loss or damage to another person. It also removes the existing defence against civil actions in respect of licensed abstractions. This means that those persons who do not have protected rights or fishing rights and who have suffered loss or damage as a result of an abstraction may seek financial compensation for that loss or damage from the abstractor. The courts are not able to grant an injunction against a licence holder if that risks interrupting the public water supply, or putting public health or safety at risk. Bearing in mind the new statutory right of action, other civil claims (except for negligence or breach of contract) are now excluded.
83. .Section 25: Compensation for modification of licence on direction of Secretary of State.
The Agency has powers to revoke or vary any abstraction licence; its decision is subject to appeal to the Secretary of State. Currently, if a licence that has not been used for seven years is revoked or varied, then the holder is not entitled to compensation. This section reduces the period of non-use for this purpose to four years. The Agency would not be expected to revoke licences that are held for valid contingency planning reasons (so-called 'sleeper' licences).
84.For new licences, this section removes any entitlement to compensation if a licence is varied in order to protect water availability in the source of supply to which the licence relates. Compensation is not payable where a variation does not reduce the amount of water licensed to below the minimum amount specified in any licence. This provision only applies to a licence (of greater than 12 years duration) that has been granted after section 19 of this Act has come into force, where the variation takes effect twelve years or more after the licence was granted.
85. .Section 26: Recovery of compensation from new licence-holder.
The EA can already revoke a water undertaker's abstraction licence and grant a licence to another undertaker for water resources management reasons. In such circumstances, this section allows the Agency to recover costs from the water undertaker granted the licence to compensate the undertaker whose licence was revoked.
86. .Section 27: Withdrawal of compensation for certain revocations and variations.
This section provides that, with effect from 15th July 2012, an existing abstraction licence without a time limit may be revoked or varied without compensation. This power is confined to cases where the Secretary of State is satisfied that it is necessary in order to protect any waters, channels or underground strata, or any flora and fauna dependent on them, from serious damage. The conservation agencies and the Government will consult on guidance to define such damage.
Sections 28 to 29 Water resources management schemes
87. .Section 28: Water resources management schemes: other abstractors.
This section gives the EA the power to enter into arrangements with holders of abstraction licences other than water undertakers for securing the proper management of the waters they use and the reservoirs and works under their control. The arrangements may require reference of any questions arising under the arrangements to the Secretary of State for determination.
88.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
89. .Section 29: Water resources management schemes: referral to Secretary of State.
Water undertakers or other abstractors may be unwilling to enter into or maintain (or vary) water management arrangements with the EA. This section gives the Agency the power to refer to the Secretary of State the question whether such arrangements should be entered into, renewed or varied and, if so, what their terms should be. The Secretary of State may refer such issues to an appointed person for determination.
90.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
Section 30 Enforcement
91. .Section 30: Enforcement notices, and related procedures and offences.
Where abstraction or impounding takes place without a licence or does not comply with the terms of a licence, this section gives the EA the power to issue an enforcement notice. This can only be done where it appears to the Agency that the licence breach or failure to comply is causing or could cause significant damage to the environment. The enforcement notice requires cessation of the breach or failure to comply and the carrying out of specified works or operations to remedy or mitigate the effects. The Secretary of State may make regulations about enforcement notices. A person who fails to comply with an enforcement notice is guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £20,000 or, on conviction on indictment, to a fine. If necessary the Agency may take proceedings in the High Court to secure compliance with the notice. The Agency may also carry out the works itself at the expense of the person on whom the enforcement notice is served, if the person fails to comply with the notice. The Agency may also carry out the works itself at the expense of the person on whom the enforcement notice is served, if the person fails to comply with the notice.
92.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
Sections 31 to 33 Miscellaneous
93. .Section 31: Bulk supplies.
This section permits the EA, in consultation with the Authority, to propose to a water undertaker that they enter into a bulk supply agreement with another water undertaker where that is necessary for the proper use of water resources. The Agency would be able to take any refusal to enter into such a bulk supply agreement into account when considering whether to grant abstraction and impounding licences.
94.Provisions in this section are devolved to the Assembly.
95. .Section 32: Visiting forces.
This section ensures that visiting forces are placed in no more favourable a position than UK forces when Crown exemption from abstraction or impoundment licensing is lifted.
96. .Section 33: Application of certain water resources provisions to this Act.
The changes to the abstraction and impounding regime introduced in Part 1 of the Act generally modify the WRA. But sections 3, 4 and 10 do not, and instead they will remain as free-standing provisions of the Water Act 2003. Sections 3,4 and 10 do, though, relate to the functions and powers under Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the WRA. The provisions of section 33 therefore apply a number of the general provisions of the WRA to these sections as if they are part of the WRA. This includes for example, the power to obtain information from abstractors under section 201.


text: The IMPROV Club is a club designed for students interested in improvisational acting. Various improvisational games are played during the meetings. Students may choose to only observe or may join-in on any of the activities.The 2015-16 club president is Calvin Smith, The club meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday's of each month, from 3-4 PM, in room 718. All students 9-12, are welcome to join, at anytime during the school year. The sponsor for the club is Ms. Bowles. No dues or fees are required.