January 23, Revelation 13
John’s first readers faced life-threatening persecution at the hands of powerful enemies. The message from heaven he relayed to them was designed to bolster their faith and fortify their endurance. Believers in every age and place need such encouragement, but especially when the threats are coming from formidable
adversaries.
The first beast that rose from the sea seems to be a compilation of the beasts Daniel saw and identified as kingdoms or governments. The Bible says government is ordained by God. But when a government exalts itself against God, it declares war on God’s people and uses its might to persecute them. The imagery fits the Roman government late in the first century, but also fits other governments before and after
Rome, too.
The second beast that rose from the earth also seems to be an institution, not limited to a single person or group. Could it be false religion? False religion is a dragon in lamb’s clothing. It appears to be spiritual, but in reality it turns people away from worshipping God. Cooperating with ungodly government, false religion deceives through counterfeit signs and applies economic pressure to ensure conformity.
John’s encouraging words to the saints about all this is that Sovereign God is still in charge. The beasts are “allowed” to do the things they do. Depending on the version you’re reading, there are two possible ways to read his words of encouragement. Some translations say those who were appointed to captivity and martyrdom will keep those appointments, as permitted by God for his purposes. Other translations say the captors will become captives and the executioners will be executed. To read it one way is to find encouragement to rest in God’s sovereignty; to read it the other brings a promise of retribution. Either way, God’s in charge. The dragon and his beastly helpers will not win the battle.
John said wisdom and understanding were required to calculate the beast’s number. Some scholars apply symbolic significance from numerology or gematria to interpret the infamous “666.” Efforts to identify a specific individual by these methods have produced wildly varied results. If “7” is the number of perfection in apocalyptic literature, perhaps the one identified by this repeated sixes is supposed to be seen as counterfeit, always less than genuine, divine or complete.
Beware of specific conclusions about these ominous figures that require a literal interpretation of something obviously symbolic. It’s OK if you can’t agree with the ideas I’ve shared here about the beasts or the number. Don’t allow a dogmatic teacher to terrify you about these matters. It’s not necessary to get bogged down in the meaning of every horn and crown on the beast. John’s original message was, “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” Don’t miss the big picture by fretting over the details.
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament,
Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—January 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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