Revelation 13

Political beast given power by Satanverses 1-2

 And I stood on the sand of the sea – and saw a beast rise up out of the sea

having seven heads and ten horns – and on his horns ten crowns

and on his heads the name of blasphemy

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard

and his feet were as the feet of a bear

and his mouth as the mouth of a lion

and the dragon gave him his power – and his seat

and great authority

Religious worship of Satan worldwideverses 3-4

 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death

            and his deadly wound was healed

                        and all the world wondered after the beast

And they worshiped the dragon which gave power to the beast

            and they worshiped the beast saying

                        Who is like unto the beast?

                                    Who is able to make war with him?

Political beast spoke against Godverses 5-6

 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things

and blasphemies – and power was given unto him to continue

                        FORTY AND TWO MONTHS [3 ½ years]

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God

            to blasphemy HIS name – and HIS tabernacle

and them that dwell in heaven

Political beast persecuted Christiansverses 7-10

 And it was given unto him to make war with the SAINTS

            and to overcome them

                        and power was given him over all

                                    kindreds – tongues – nations

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him

            whose names are not written in the

BOOK OF LIFE of the Lamb slain from the

                                    foundation of the world

   IF any man have an ear – let him hear

            he that leads into captivity shall go into captivity

            he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword

Here is the PATIENCE and the FAITH of the SAINTS

False religious leader establishedverses 11-15

 And I beheld ANOTHER beast coming up out of the EARTH

and he had two horns like a lamb

and he spoke as a dragon

And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him

and he caused the earth and them which dwell therein

to worship the first beast

            whose deadly wound was healed

And he does great wonders – so that he makes fire come down

from heaven on the earth in the sight of men

and he deceives them that dwell on the earth

by means of those miracles which he had power

to do in the sight of the beast

Saying to them that dwell on the earth

that they should make an IMAGE to the beast

which had the wound by a sword – and did live

And he had power to give life unto the IMAGE of the beast

that the IMAGE of the beast should both speak

and cause that as many as would not worship the

            IMAGE of the beast should be killed

False worship establishedverses 16-18

 And he caused all – both small and great – rich and poor – free and bond

to receive a MARK in their right hand – or in their foreheads

                        and that no man might buy or sell

                                    save he that had the MARK – or the name of the beast

or the number of his name

Here is wisdom

            Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast

                        FOR it is the number of a man

            AND his number is SIX HUNDRED THREESCORE AND SIX

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 4        And they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like to the beast?” “Who is able to make war with him?” (4170 “war” [polemeo] means fighting, wage war, punish, quarrel, or do battle)

DEVOTION: There is a problem in worshiping of human power. During this time period the devil is giving power to the political leader that is worshiping him. So we have a government set up that forgets God’s rules and sets up a new set of rules for everyone to follow.

Included in these rules is the belief that the political president set up by Satan will do everything according to the rules of Satan. So all the laws of the land, will be against anything taught in the Bible. Satan will teach through his political leader or president that only those who obey him will be able to live a productive life with wealth.

People will worship a man rather than God. They will see this man as an individual who has great charisma. No one will want to fight against him because he will be in control of all that is going on in the world.

We are not too far from this happening in our life time. People are looking to people rather than God for answers. People are looking to the courts and lawmakers to make decisions that will be good for everyone. People think that as long as they have personal freedom to do whatever they want they will be happy.

Those who know that this belief is wrong will not have the inner power to fight against his coming to power because the majority will vote for him.

Remember his power comes for a fallen angel named Satan or the devil. This is being allowed because the LORD knows the future and the victory HE will have over all those who follow this false leader who is under the power of Satan.

CHALLENGE:  Our hope is based on our following of the Lord Jesus Christ.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 5        And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given to him to continue forty and two months. (988 “blasphemies” [blasphemia] means slander specifically against God, serious insult, denigration, slander, abusive speech, reviling, irreverence, or profane speaking)

DEVOTION:  God is in control even when it seems that evil is winning. HE has set up a time period which the Bible calls the Tribulation. This time period is limited to seven years.

We have covered the first three and a half years as a time period when judgment is coming to the earth. Many will die in the first three and a half years. In the final three and a half years we see what is happening in this chapter and beyond.

The devil has this Satanic trinity made up of himself, a false political leader and a false prophet. These three will be working together for the last period to try to raise an army to fight against Jesus Christ.

They will be able to control all the food in the world. They will be able to control all of the items produced by any factory or plant around the world. They will be in complete control of the economy of the world. Nothing will happen without their being involved.

What we see in this verse is that God has limited their time in power. HE has limited all that they can do to fight against HIM to a three and a half year time period. There is a lot of time used to lead up to this seven year time period but this period will be more intense than any other period in human history.

It is a time period called the seventy weeks of Daniel or the time of “Jacob’s trouble.” It is the final judgment on the nation of Israel for their rejection of Jesus Christ.

Fact: God is only allowing Satan a time of rebellion according to HIS plan. This plan was established before the foundation of the world. It is coming soon to a theater near you.

CHALLENGE: We should always be looking for the return of the LORD. It focuses our eyes on the LORD rather than on our personal world.

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: 8        And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (2602 “foundation” [katabole] means a deposition, founding, creation, conception, beginning or conceive)

DEVOTION:  God’s plan for the ages was formed before the creation of our world. The Lamb, who is Christ, was to be slain for our sins. HE is the only way to come to the Father for salvation. HE is the only way into heaven.

God knew that Adam would sin before he sinned. Does that mean that God caused Adam to sin? NO! God knew about Abraham. God knew about David. God knew about Mary. God knows about us and our life. This was all known to HIM before HE created the world. Do we understand these facts? NO! But God is not surprised by anything that will or has happened in the past, or present, or future.

HE knew that the Satanic trinity would be formed in the last days of the Tribulation, which is, the seventieth week of Daniel. This is also called the time of Jacob’s trouble. The first three and a half years are intense but the last three and a half years are more intense as Satan genuinely realizes that he is not going to win against God.

This Satanic trinity is made up of Satan, a false political leader and a false religious leader. Satan is a counterfeiter. Anything that God does he wants to copy to deceive people. The Bible says that he is trying to deceive even the elect of God. It is not possible but he is trying. This portion states that the false religious leader will sound like a lamb. Who is the Lamb of God? We know that it is Jesus Christ alone. If we are HIS sheep we will hear HIS voice and follow only HIM. This is true of the Tribulation saints as well.

Satan is the power behind the false political leader and religious leader. They speak for him. They want all to worship him. People worshiping the IMAGE of the false political leader will mark this time period called the Tribulation. Worshiping a false god is a sin. These people are being led into sin by this false religious leader. This is going to go on in the last half of the Tribulation.

Those who don’t worship will not receive the MARK of the beast and therefore will not be able to buy or sell anything. We don’t completely understand this MARK but it will be plain in that day. We know that it is possible to put a computer chip in the arm or other parts of the body to give a record of the person who receives it. It is presently being done in some schools in the Midwest for lunch money counting. It might not be long before each baby born will receive a chip in their body. They will use the excuse that they are trying to protect all children.

It has been part of some television programs. What we thought impossible twenty years ago is happening now. We need to remember that God is working HIS plan. HE knew before HE created the world what was going to happen in the year 2010. HE continues to not be surprise. We need to trust HIM!

Remember that all those who are followers of the Messiah in the Tribulation will not be able to buy or sell anything. In some countries today those who are followers of Christ are having their homes, money and businesses taken from them because of their belief in HIM.

We need to be busy reaching all those we can with the Good News that Christ died for their sins. We need to share our faith while we still have time.

CHALLENGE: Watch out for counterfeits. Watch out for false teachers. Watch out for political leaders who speak with the tongue of the devil. Warn all we can.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

:11       And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (2288 “death” [thanatos] means 1 the death of the body. 1a that separation (whether natural or violent) of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended. 1b with the implied idea of future misery in hell. 1b1 the power of death. 1c since the nether world, the abode of the dead, was conceived as being very dark, it is equivalent to the region of thickest darkness i.e. figuratively, a region enveloped in the darkness of ignorance and sin. 2 metaph., the loss of that life which alone is worthy of the name, 2a the misery of the soul arising from sin, which begins on earth but lasts and increases after the death of the body in hell. 3 the miserable state of the wicked dead in hell. 4 in the widest sense, death comprising all the miseries arising from sin, as well physical death as the loss of a life consecrated to God and blessed in him on earth, to be followed by wretchedness in hell.  [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])

DEVOTION:  What are you willing to die for?  We do not usually get to choose when we die or how, but we need to think about why we would be willing to die.  Many of our brothers and sisters in restricted access countries are making those decisions on a daily basis.  Our eyes were shocked earlier this year to see pictures of Christian brothers being martyred for their faith in ISIS-dominated regions, for example.

Notwithstanding the persecution of believers in Jesus today, the martyrdom of those who follow Him will be on a much larger scale in the future.  This persecution will like pale in comparison to the persecution which Christians encountered in the first two centuries.  Jesus Himself had predicted that His followers would undergo persecution.  But, as Tertullian observed in the second century that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church.  No matter how much Satan seeks to crush the church and true believers, He will always fail, for people are looking for a reality to live and die for.

We seemed to be obsessed with personal comfort today, and the idea of dying for a cause seems farfetched.  What we need to be reminded of again is that we can overcome the powers of evil by the blood of Jesus, our testimonies, and being willing to die for Him.

CHALLENGE:  What would you say that you are living for right now?  You have been called for a purpose.  Live up to that purpose. (MW)

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: 16      And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive the mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads (5480 “mark” [charagma] means stamp, imprinted, image, brand, scratch, etching, or engraved)

DEVOTION:  Satan wanted everyone to be loyal to him. He wanted to make sure that they would stay loyal to him. What did he do to cause this to happen?

He had everyone receive a brand on either their right hand or forehead. This brand was used as an indicator of whether a person can either buy or sell anything. He had control over every sale of any item during this time period.

Those that were believers would not receive this mark. They would have to genuinely look to the LORD for HIS provision for them. HE did provide a place for them to go, so that, they could escape the wrath of the beast or Satan.

It was hard for me to understand this mark when I started in ministry. How could someone put something on a hand or forehead that could be seen by those who were in control of all the food and produces during this time period?

Now I can see it. There are schools that are putting microchips into the hands of children that they use to pay for their lunches at schools. The reason given for doing this is so that those who are on public assistance are not embarrassed when they buy their lunch in the lunch line.

Today they even put microchips in animals to track them. It would not be hard to put a microchip in every new baby today. The reason they could give for this is so that they could track the baby or child if someone takes them.

We are living in a time period that is so different from the 1970’s. It wasn’t possible back then but now it can happen with no problem.

CHALLENGE: Realize that everything is working according to the LORD’S plan for the end of the age. Nothing is stopping the return of the LORD today.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Tabernacleverse 6

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

Godverse 6

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

Lambverse 8

Book of life of the Lambverse 8

Lamb slain from the foundation of the worldverse 8

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Dragon (Satan)verse 4

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Worldverse 3

Kindredsverse 7

Tonguesverse 7

Nationsverse 7

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Blasphemyverses 1, 5, 6

False worshipverses 4, 8, 12, 15

Killverses 10, 15

False wonders (miracles)verses 13, 14

Deceiveverse 14

Receiving mark of the beastverses 16, 17

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Saintsverses 7, 10

Book of lifeverse 8

Hearverse 9

Patienceverse 10

Faithverse 10

Wisdomverse 18

Understandingverse 18

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Beast: seven heads and ten hornsverses 1-8

Names of blasphemy

Leopard

Bear

Lion

One head wounded to death

Was healed

World wondered after the beast

Dragon gave beastverses 2-8, 12

Power

Seat

Authority

Worshiped

Gave power to beast

Mouth speaking great things

and blasphemies

Continue 42 months

Blasphemy against God

Blasphemy against those who dwell

in heaven

Make war with saints

Power given over all kindreds

tongues and nations

Worshipers not in the book of life

Deadly wound healed

Book of lifeverse 8

Another beast out of earthverses 11-15

Two horns like a lamb

Spoke as a dragon

Exercised power like first beast

Cause people to worship first beast

Does great wonders

Fire come down from heaven

Deceives

Miracles

Make image of first beastverses 15-18

Life to image

Those who didn’t worship image

Killed

Receive a mark of beast on

right hand or forehead

Number was 666

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QUOTES regarding passage

Here is wisdom (ὡδε ἡ σοφια [hōde hē sophia]). The puzzle that follows as in 17:9. See Eph. 1:17 for “a spirit of wisdom and of understanding.” He that understands (ὁ ἐχων νουν [ho echōn noun]). “The one having intelligence” in such matters. Cf. the adverb νουνεχως [nounechōs] (discreetly) in Mark 12:34. Let him count (ψηφισατω [psēphisatō]). First active imperative of ψηφιζω [psēphizō], old verb (from ψηφος [psēphos] pebble), to count, in N. T. only here and Luke 14:28. The number of a man (ἀριθμος ἀνθρωπου [arithmos anthrōpou]). “A man’s number.” But what man and what name? Six hundred and sixty-six (ἑξακοσιοι ἑξηκοντα ἑξ [hexakosioi hexēkonta hex]). Unfortunately some MSS. here read 616 instead of 666. All sorts of solutions are offered for this conundrum. Charles is satisfied with the Hebrew letters for Nero Caesar, which give 666, and with the Latin form of Nero (without the final n), which makes 616. Surely this is ingenious and it may be correct. But who can really tell?  (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Re 13:18). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)

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13:16–18. Enforcing his control over the human race and encouraging worship of the beast out of the sea, the second beast required everyone … to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, and without this evidence that he had worshiped the beast no one could buy or sell. The need to buy or sell such necessities as food and clothing would force each person in the entire world to decide whether to worship the beast or to bear the penalty. Apparently the great majority worshiped the beast.

There has been much speculation on the insignia or “mark” of the beast, but it could be any of several kinds of identification. Countless attempts have been made to interpret the number 666, usually using the numerical equivalents of letters in the Hebrew, Greek, or other alphabets. As there probably have been hundreds of explanations continuing down to the present day, it is obvious that if the number refers to an individual it is not clear to whom it refers.

Probably the best interpretation is that the number six is one less than the perfect number seven, and the threefold repetition of the six would indicate that for all their pretentions to deity, Satan and the two beasts were just creatures and not the Creator. That six is man’s number is illustrated in many instances in the Bible, including the fact that man should work six days and rest the seventh. (For further discussion of the many views cf. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, pp. 263–65; Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ, pp. 206–7; and Walvoord, Revelation, pp. 209–12.)

The practice of gematria, the attempt to find hidden meanings in numbers in Scripture, was prominent in the ancient world. Maybe John had in mind a particular person whom his close associates would be able to identify. Literature from the early church fathers, however, reveals the same confusion and variety of meanings that exist today, so probably it is best to leave this puzzle unsolved. Probably the safest conclusion is that of Thomas F. Torrance, “This evil trinity 666 apes the Holy Trinity 777, but always falls short and fails” (The Apocalypse Today, p. 86).

Chapter 13 is important because it introduces two of the main characters of Revelation: the beast out of the sea, the world dictator; and the beast out of the earth, the false prophet and chief supporter of the political ruler. There is no evidence that either of them is a Jew though some have identified one or the other as an apostate Jew based on the expression “the God of his fathers” (Dan. 11:37, kjv). However, the Hebrew word ’ělōhîm is a general word for god, quite different from Yahweh, and there is no proof that in Daniel it refers to the God of Israel. In recent translations it is “gods” (cf. asv, nasb, neb, niv, and rsv). Thus while it has been popular to consider either the first or the second ruler of Revelation 13 as an apostate Jew, the supporting evidence is lacking. Both beasts are probably Gentiles inasmuch as this will be the final hour of the time of the Gentiles, when Gentiles will tramp underfoot the city of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24), and both rulers will persecute Jews as well as believing Gentiles.

Revelation 13, however, gives much insight into the character of the Great Tribulation. It will be a time of one world government and one world religion, with one world economic system. Those who will resist the ruler and refuse to worship him will be subject to execution, and the martyrs may outnumber the believers who survive. It will be Satan’s final and ultimate attempt to cause the world to worship him and to turn them from the worship of the true God and Jesus Christ as their Savior.

This chapter also makes it clear that the postmillennial dream of a world getting better and better through Christian effort and gospel preaching is not supported in the Bible. Instead the final form of world religion will be apostate, satanic, and blasphemous. There are many indications today that the world is heading in this direction, with the corresponding conclusion that the coming of the Lord may be near. (Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 962–963). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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This special mark is the name or number of “the beast”—the mystical 666. In the ancient world, the letters of the alphabet were used for numbers, both in Greek and Hebrew; and Bible students have been attempting for years to unravel the mystery of this name and number. If you work at it hard enough, almost any name will fit!

Since man was created on the sixth day, six is the number of man. Creation was made for man and likewise has the number six stamped on it: twenty-four hours to a day (×), twelve months to a year (×). Seven is the number of perfection and fullness, but six is the “human number,” just short of perfection.

Despite all man’s imaginative calculations, we must confess that no one knows the meaning of this number and name. No doubt believers on earth at that time will understand it clearly. The “satanic trinity” cannot claim the number seven; it must settle for 666.

This much is sure: in recent years, we have seen a worldwide increase in the use of numbers for identification. In the United States, a person’s Social Security number is indispensable. In fact, numbers are more important to computers than names! Perhaps this is an advance warning of what will happen on earth when “the beast” is in control.

We have reached the middle of the Tribulation in our study, but we are not yet ready for the return of the Lord. Before John revealed how the great drama will climax, he paused to overview great events to come; and that will be our next topic.

An antichristian system pervades our world, and true believers must not be a part of it (1 John 2:15–17). We must shun false worship (1 Cor. 10:14–22), that we may be found faithful to the Lord in these last days! (2 Tim. 3) (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 606). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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13:18 his number is six hundred and sixty-six. This is the essential number of a man. The number 6 falls one short of God’s perfect number, 7, and thus represents human imperfection. Antichrist, the most powerful human the world will ever know, will still be a man, i.e., a 6. The ultimate in human and demonic power is a 6, not perfect, as God is. The 3-fold repetition of the number is intended to reiterate and underscore man’s identity. When Antichrist is finally revealed, there will be some way to identify him with this basic number of a man, or his name may have the numerical equivalent of 666. (In many languages, including Heb., Gr., and Lat., letters have numerical equivalents.) Because this text reveals very little about the meaning of 666, it is unwise to speculate beyond what is said. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Re 13:18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)

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Ver. 18. Here is wisdom, &c.] Not only in the above description of the two beasts, but in what follows as to the number of the beast, these two now coalescing in one, and have one and the same number; and to wrap it up, and conceal it in such an obscure manner, shews great wisdom in God, as it requires much in men, and serves greatly to exercise all his intellectual powers to find it out: let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; whoever has skill in numbers, let him make use of it, that he may know the name and nature of the antichristian beast, and the numerical letters of his name, or the number of him, and of the time when he arose, and when he will expire: for it is the number of a man; either a number that may be reckoned by man, or which is in common use among men; see ch. 21:17 or that which is contained in the name of a man: and his number is six hundred threescore and six; which some think refers to the time of the rise of antichrist, in the year 666; but that seems rather to be in the year 606, when the bishop of Rome obtained the name of universal bishop; others have been of opinion that it refers to the expiration of the beast, which they thought would have been in the year 1666, the number of the thousand being dropped, as it is in our common way of speaking; as when we say the Spanish invasion was in 88, meaning 1588, and the civil wars began in 41, that is, 1641; but time has shewn that this was a mistaken sense; the more prevailing opinion is that of Mr. Potter, who has wrote a peculiar and learned treatise upon this passage, who makes the counting of this number to be no other than the extracting of its root, which is the number 25, which when multiplied into itself, and the fraction in working it 41 is added, makes up the square number 666; and now 25 being added to A.D. 33, make 58, which was the time of the beast’s conception, to which if 666 is added, it brings us to the year 724, when he arrived to his age of manhood, and when the war about the worshipping of images broke out: but others think that the numeral letters in some man’s name which amount to this date, and which agrees with antichrist, are intended; and here various conjectures are made; some have observed, that in genealogical arithmetic the number of Adonikam’s posterity is 666, Ezra 2:13 whose name signifies a lord rising up, or risen; and suits very well with antichrist, who is risen up, and assumes a lordly domination over the kings of the earth; and it is further observed, that the Hebrew word דומייית, which signifies Roman, and, having the word beast or kingdom joined to it, designs the Roman beast, or kingdom, consists of numeral letters, which make up this sum; and so the Hebrew word סתור, Sethur, which is the name of a man, Numb. 13:13 and signifies mystery, in its numeral letters comes just to this number, and one of the names of the whore of Babylon is mystery, Rev. 17:5 but the name Lateinos bids as fair as any, which is mentioned by so ancient a writer as Irenæus, who was a hearer of Polycarp, a disciple of John, the writer of this book; now the numeral value of the letters of this word makes up exactly 666, thus; λ. 30. α. 1. τ. 300. ε. 5. ι. 10. ν. 50. ο. 70. ς. 200. in all 666; and it is well known that the church of Rome is called the Latin church, and the pope of Rome the head of the Latin church, and his seat is in the Latin empire, and the service of the beast is in the Latin tongue, and the Bible is kept in that language, from the reading of the common people: it has been observed that the numeral letters in Ludovicus, or Lewis, which is a common name of the French kings, and is the name of the present French king, make up this same number; and may denote the destruction of antichrist, which will quickly follow the downfal of the kingdom of France, under a king of this name; and the rather, since this was the last of the ten kingdoms that was set up, and in which the primitive beast subsists, and the only one that has not yet been conquered, or in which a revolution has not been; and since this is the tenth part of the city which shall fall a little before the third woe comes on: and that it may fall under Ludovicus, or Lewis, the present French king*, may be hoped for, and is desirable. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 796–797). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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 John Ploughman’s Pictures by C. H. Spurgeon

He who tries to make money by betting uses a wrong tool, and is sure to cut his fingers. As well hope to grow golden pippins on the bottom of the sea as to make gain among gamblers if you are an honest man. Hard work and thrifty habits are the right razor; gambling is a hand saw. (p. 24)

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 JUST DO SOMETHING by Kevin DeYoung, Moody Press

 When picking a place to live: Think about what ministry you can do and what church you can be a part of and whether you can get there in a reasonable car drive. (p. 101)

You can be just about anything you want as long as you aren’t lazy (Proverbs 6:6-11; 26: 13-16), and whatever you do you perform to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31) (p.102-103)

But we must all serve the Lord with heart, soul, strength, and mind wherever He’s placed us. (p. 103)

I’m not arguing for complacency in or bitter resignation to your present circumstances. I am arguing for what the apostle Paul advocate: godliness with contentment. (p. 103)

Marriage should be between one man and one woman. (p. 105)

You want to yoke yourself to someone who is going to be plowing in the same direction you are. (p. 105)

Ask God for help not to make decision based on your hormones, and that you won’t refuse to make a decision out of cowardice. (p. 106)

No matter who you marry, it will be hard work. (p. 107)

The problem with the myth of “the one” is that it assumes that affection is the glue that holds the marriage together, when really it is your commitment to marriage that safeguards the affection. (p. 109)

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In Rev. 13:11ff. the second beast demands cultic recognition of the image of the first. The mark which is required in vv. 16–17 probably indicates the religious totalitarianism of emperor worship. Marking is common in antiquity (cf. slaves, and the branding of devotees with the marks of deities). The number 666 may well be a cipher for Nero; we thus have a confrontation between the claim of the emperor with his mark and the claim of Christ with his seal (Rev. 7:1ff.). The angel threatens with eschatological judgment all who bear the cháragma of the beast (14:9, 11; cf. 16:2; 19:20). Those who do not bear it have the role of eschatological judges (20:4). A different sense is apparent in Acts 17:29, where “handiwork” is meant. What we make cannot resemble deity, but we ourselves are God’s offspring and are thus close to him (vv. 27–28). (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (1308). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.)

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Created 75 years ago this October, the United Nations was hailed as “the last, best hope for peace,” a moniker that proved neither true nor possible (though, as I once heard a former Israeli special forces guy put it, “no one ‘monitors’ better”). A recent tweet reveals how the organization’s goal has been expanded to include the ever-elusive “equality.”

“Help create a more equal world,” said the Tweet, “by using gender-neutral language, if you’re unsure about someone’s gender or are referring to a group.” As part of the “System-Wide Strategy on Gender Parity,” UN employees are being encouraged to speak and write in ways “that [do] not discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity.”

Of course, some of the strategy suggestions, such as using “humanity” instead of “mankind” or “police officer” instead of “policeman,” are fine. Others are bit more difficult to understand, such as substituting “representative” for “businessman,” as if those words mean the same thing. And then, there are those suggestions that can only be called linguistic nonsense, attempts at retrofitting established languages to an imaginary, genderless world.

Many European languages, such as Spanish and French, are very “gendered.” Every noun is either male, such as “book” or “hat,” or female, such as “table” or “coronavirus.” All previous attempts, especially in France, to de-gender these languages have gone nowhere – not with everyday speakers nor official language-guardians. As one wag put it, attempts to de-gender the language of love “make it look like algebra.”

In the midst of a global pandemic that has killed a few hundred thousand people, unleashed a global recession, and will likely exacerbate food shortages and political instability around the world, one might wonder how this became a United Nations priority.

Well, the secular impulse to recreate the world, and the power of language to do just that, is strong. Those pushing for “gender-neutral” language aren’t as concerned with linguistic sense or what now-dead folks like Victor Hugo thought about life and the world, as they are with ridding the world of gender differentiation.

While, as the guidelines suggest, replacing the words “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” with the word “partner” may seem odd but harmless, using a term associated with business instead of gendered relationship words reveal a significant worldview shift: one in which love, marriage, and family are understood as contractual obligations rather than moral or spiritual ones, and in which people love and marry and mate and have children because “it feels good,” not because these things are good in and of themselves.

Individual languages are the products of a group’s particular history and culture — the Inuit of Greenland will describe weather differently than an Amazonian tribe — but every language reflects certain universal realities.

There isn’t a known language without words for “foot” or “hand” or “head.” Though some languages are not as gendered as others, in the sense that not every object is assigned a gender or a gendered article, no language in the world is without words to describe sexual differences. Every language has words for male and female. Though gender roles differ from culture to culture, the underlying biological realities that make male and female remain the same.

The Scriptures describe God’s words as creating the universe ex nihilo, out of nothing. As His image bearers, our words also have incredible power, to describe reality and even, in a sense, create. But we don’t create ex nihilo. Our words are confined within the world God created.

Any worldview that denies that the world is a creation of God also sees reality as more pliable than it actually is, and the world as a place we not only inhabit and steward but control. In such a world, there are no words higher than ours, and so we hear folks at the UN talk and write as if they can re-create the human person. They cannot. But, then again, the UN was never the last, best hope for peace either. (BREAKPOINT)

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1 Samuel 17

Goliath the Philistine challenges Israel’s army.

INSIGHT

When God goes to war, there are no accidents. Just as He uses Gideon and an army of only 300 to rout the Midianite army that was “without number,” so He uses a boy with a slingshot to rout the Philistine army. In 2 Chronicles 18:33, “a certain man drew a bow at random,” but it “struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor.” There are no accidents when God goes to war.

We can take comfort in this fact in relationship to the spiritual warfare in which we all find ourselves. The obstacles may seem insurmountable. But if we are on God’s side, no foe is too great. (Quiet Walk)

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MISGUIDED ZEAL

I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Romans 10:2
The Jews were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, but they did not recognize Him when He came. They who declared themselves anxious to be just with God were rejecting the one way whereby mankind can be justified before God.
To Paul there was but one explanation of that tragedy. He expressed it in the words, “I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” He granted that their view was quite honest and quite sincere. The trouble with the Jews was not that they lacked sincerity, but rather that they trusted to it and, because of their reliance on it, neglected to consider the further light and knowledge that the gospel could give them on the very object that they desired. Again their difficulty was not that they lacked fervor, but that they trusted to it and argued that because they were zealous they were therefore of necessity right. “They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” Indeed, they rejected the knowledge the Gospel was offering them because of that very ardor. The conflict in their case was between zeal and knowledge, between sincerity and truth.
There can be no doubt at all but that these qualities—zeal and sincerity—are being exalted in our day precisely as they were by the Jews of old. Knowledge is being depreciated, almost despised. Clear, logical thinking and exact definitions are discounted. Doctrine and dogma are taboo and regarded as being almost the enemies of truth, and even good deeds are not given the prominence they had a few years ago.
A Thought to Ponder: These qualities—zeal and sincerity—are being exalted in our day precisely as they were by the Jews of old.
     (From Truth Unchanged, Unchanging, pp. 60-61, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Nine Forty-Day Periods
“To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)
It is interesting how often the Scriptures refer to a 40-day period. There are nine different 40-day periods noted in Scripture (the phrase itself occurs 17 times), and it may be noteworthy that 40 days is one-ninth of the original (and prophetic) lunar/solar year of 360 days (note Genesis 7:11; 8:3-4; Revelation 11:2-3). Thus, the total of the nine 40-day periods equals the ideal year.
These nine 40-day periods are as follows: (1) The intense rainfall at the start of the Flood (Genesis 7:12, 17); (2) The first giving of the law (Exodus 24:18; Deuteronomy 9:9, 11); (3) The second giving of the law (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:18, 25); (4) The searching of Canaan by the fearful spies (Numbers 13:25; 14:34); (5) The defiance of Israel by Goliath (1 Samuel 17:16); (6) Elijah’s journey to Horeb (1 Kings 19:8); (7) Jonah’s reluctant preaching in Nineveh (Jonah 3:4); (8) Christ’s temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2); (9) Christ’s post-resurrection ministry (Acts 1:3).
Each of these periods was a time of great stress and intense testing for one or more of God’s people, except the last. Instead, the final 40-day period, encompassing Christ’s ministry to His disciples after His resurrection, was a time of triumph and great blessing. He had come victoriously through the most intense time of stress and testing that anyone could ever experience, and now He could show Himself alive eternally to His disciples and promise them the same victory. Forty days of testing, then 40 days of triumph! Even a lifetime of testing is more than balanced by an eternity of blessing.

                          (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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