Dragon Fire - Photo by Carlos Cram on Unsplash
Beast from the Sea, Persecution, War

WAR AGAINST THE SAINTS

The Beast from the sea is authorized to wage war against the โ€œsaintsโ€ for its overlord, the Dragonย โ€“ย Revelation 13:6-10.

Next, the โ€œDragonโ€ tasked the โ€œbeastโ€ with the annihilation of the โ€œsaints,โ€ and to facilitate it, he received authority over all nations and peoples. Humanity is divided into two groups: Those who โ€œrender homage to the beast,โ€ and those who โ€œfollow the Lamb wherever he goes,โ€ that is, the โ€œsaints.โ€

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Dragon, Persecution

WAR ON THE EARTH

After his expulsion, Satan waged war against the โ€œseed of the Womanโ€ โ€“ Those who hold the โ€œtestimony of Jesusโ€Revelation 12:7-17.

Having failed to destroy the messianic โ€œson,โ€ and thoroughly enraged, the โ€œDragonโ€ vents his rage by pursuing the โ€œwomanโ€ into the โ€œwilderness,โ€ and not by waging war against the unsaved “inhabitants of the earth.โ€ Instead, prevented from destroying the โ€œwoman,โ€ he persecutes her offspring.

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Martyrs, Seven Seals, Testimony

Martyrs under the Altar

The opening of the Fifth Seal revealed the souls of men kept โ€œunderneathโ€ the Altar, saints who had been slain for their โ€œTestimony.โ€ They pleaded with God for their vindication and for judgment on the โ€œInhabitants of the Earthโ€ who had persecuted them. They were told to wait for Him to answer their plea until the full โ€œnumberโ€ of their โ€œfellow servantsโ€ who were going to be slain โ€œjust as they wereโ€ was added to their company.

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Beast from the Sea, Persecution, Saints

VICTIMS OF THE BEAST

SYNOPSISย –ย The Beast from the sea wages war against the followers of the Lamb in obedience to its overlord, the Dragonย โ€“ย Revelation 13:6-10.

Inย Revelation, the โ€œbeast from the seaโ€ was assigned by the โ€œDragonโ€ to annihilate the โ€œsaints.โ€ To facilitate this, he was given authority over all nations and peoples. In the vision, humanity was divided into two groups –ย Men and women who โ€œrender homage to the Beast,โ€ the โ€œinhabitants of the earth,โ€ and those who โ€œfollow the Lamb wherever he goesโ€; that is, the โ€œsaintsโ€ – โ€œThey who tabernacle in heavenโ€ and have the โ€œtestimony of Jesus.โ€

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Discipleship, Persecution

PERSECUTION, SUFFERING, DISCIPLESHIP

To follow Jesus means self-denial and the willingness to suffer for him. For the disciple, persecution is the highest honor โ€“ Matthew 5:10-12.

For disciples of Jesus, retaliation and violence are NOT appropriate reactions when they are persecuted. Rather than respond-in-kind, they must meet threats with humility, mercy, even love. That is what it means to โ€œdeny oneselfโ€ and to โ€œtake up his cross.โ€ Praying for oneโ€™s โ€œenemiesโ€ is contrary to the โ€œwisdom of this age,โ€ but it epitomizes the paradigm of Christ crucified.

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