Yes its interesting stuff. I'm still a bit fuzzy on it so you've inspired me to do some reading. I'm wondering for example : it seems pretty clear that the beast is Rome and the name of the beast 666 seems to be a reference to Nero. There is also a verse about 7 kings - 5 fallen, one is and one to come ruling for a short time. That also seems to point to Nero as being the ruler at the time of writing as Nero is the 6th emperor and the next one only lasted 6 months or so. But that doesn't fit with the date of the Revelation being written which is around 95. There doesn't seem to be a satisfactory resolution to this and so there are competing ideas. If he was talking about kings as emperors rather than world empires then this indicates his view of the imminence of the end.
Your question about the power of mythology over the human mind. Mythology has a great deal of effect in manipulating our conceptual framework. I think of the difference between the Abrahamic tradition of good/bad as being opposite - with people and things falling into one category or the other. This creates black and white thinking which isn't nuanced and seems to be a recipe for conflict and domination. Compare that to the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang where there are two forces that are complimentary and interconnected. In Japan too there seems to be none of the mythology that generates black and white thinking and they focuses on kiving in harmony with nature. I have watched Japanese anime like spirited away and its very striking to see the difference to Disney cartoons for instance - good characters can do unpleasant things & unpleasant characters can do good things - its mixed up so characters you initially think of as bad you end up liking. Its very different. Their mythology therefore seems to have created a different way of viewing everything that fosters more acceptance and toleration in my view.
I listened to a series of conversations with Joseph Campbell a while back who has interesting things to say about archetypes in mythology. Its amazing how similar the archetypal imagery is from culture to culture. There are themes and motifs and stories that seem to resonate with humans everywhere. But he suggests it would be better for us as a civilization if we could abandon the Abrahamic structure that focuses on good vs bad & judges people - views certain things like sex as linked to shame and sin etc & create new myths that are more harmonious, flexible and enlightened.
