Reflections on Revelation #228

Day 228

The focus of Revelation 13 is on the church of the Middle Ages and beyond; the rise of America. Revelation 13 also is an extension of the end-time war of Revelation 12:17. The climax of Revelation 13 is on the final battle of earth’s history, with its fiery deceptions, image of the beast, death decree, and mark of the beast (Rev. 13:13–17). Notice the verb tenses throughout the chapter. The main sentences of Revelation 13:1–7 and verse 11 are all in past tenses. The main sentences of Revelation 13:8–10 and 12–18 are all present or future tenses. So, the chapter itself contains evidence for sequences of history. Each of the two new beasts has an introduction, including a visual description, followed by a summary of its previous history in past tenses (sea beast: Rev. 13:1–7; land beast: Rev. 13:11). So, the description of Satan’s final attacks (Rev. 13:12–18) is preceded by the previous history of the two main characters in that battle.

Revelation 13, then, covers the last two of the historical periods listed in Revelation 12. The past-tense sections of Revelation 13 (Rev. 13:1–7, 11) parallel the middle period of Revelation 12 (Rev. 12:13–16). The present- and future-tense sections of Revelation 13 (Rev. 13:8–10, 12–18) parallel the final period of Revelation 12:17. I’m sorry if that sounded complicated but it helps understand the pattern of what is happening.

In Revelation 12:16, it is the “earth” that helps the woman by swallowing up the flood of water that the serpent/dragon spews out of its mouth after her. “Those who dwell in heaven” are always positive in Revelation, whereas those “who dwell on earth” refer to opponents of God and His people. 
When earth is contrasted with sea or flooding waters, the earth is a positive symbol rather than a negative one, and that is the case here. The earth helps the woman, who represents the faithful people of God. The relatively positive history of the beast from the earth (Rev. 13:11) may lie in its contrast with the beast from the sea (Rev. 13:1–7).

The sea beast who had led the followers of the Lamb into captivity was taken into captivity itself. In 1798, his dominion was taken away. But John said he saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and only one nation was rising to power at that time. The sequence of events identifies who the scripture is talking about.

The pilgrims, fleeing persecution, established the American colonies from 1620 onwards. They sought freedom to govern as they believed – a nation without a king, and a country without a pope – so they broke with England and gained independence in 1776. The American bill of rights was written in 1789 and adopted in 1791. The Papal ‘power’ came to its end in 1798, so another nation was rising just as the first beast was going into captivity. The land beast made his appearance right on schedule.

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