This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people

Revelation 13:1-10

The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.

The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 

The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.  It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

“If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

The beast from the sea is a composite creature drawn from the four beasts which represent successive world empires in Daniel 7. With its crowns and horns and its open defiance of God. It stands for the authoritarian anti-God state. It derives its power from the evil one and it is seemingly indestructible. It dupes the world, but not those whose name is written in the lamb's book of life.

Why?

This beast is anti-God and won the honor and power from the world those names do not write in Lamb's book.

This world is divided into two. One belongs to the Lord, another belongs to the devil. This is the real world war on the final day.

Even the disaster on the world is allowed by the Lord, but God's people will be preserved and supported by the Lord.

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羅馬皇帝曾自稱是神，所以可以說這獸就是地上的政權。神格化的政權。極權的政府即是如此，對掌權者歌功頌德，灌輸愛國教育。許多人對政治的熱心程度，勝過對敬拜神的熱誠。愛國沒有錯，尊敬領袖也沒有錯，但是我們對神的敬拜，是否同樣熱忱?撒旦就是希望我們對神沒有那麼熱忱。以別神代替耶和華的，愁苦必加增。

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How?

My God is great and lets us be the faithful Christian. We need help from the Holy Spirit.