Revelation 13

Bible Passage:  Revelation 13

In many ways, like biblereadingcompanion, reading the book of Revelations serves as a wake-up call for me.

We cannot afford to fuddle along in life while the devil is prowling around (Rev 12:12) seeking us out as preys.

“It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them…all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life…”

~ Rev 13:7-8

Why are people described to be ‘worshipping the devil’?

We all know that the devil was a fallen angel who was cast out of heaven and to the earth (read Rev 12:7-9). His end and the end of the false prophet is the burning lake of fire (Rev 19:20). It is in his interest to drag as many as are willing to go with him into this everlasting burning furnace.

But who in the right mind would be willing to meet such an end?

This is when the devil makes use of deception to trick us into his camp. If he appears in red tights, two evil-looking horns and green smoke coming out of his nostrils, we will shout ‘hallelujah, cast away the evil spirit’ and create a one mile headstart before the devil has time to react.

The reality is that the devil too, has a plan, and his army of little devils working for him in his attempt to bring God’s children down. And he has been described as the father of lies in the book of Luke. If we are not watchful, it is very easy for us to fall prey to the allure of prettily-packaged lies. They come in many forms – white-washed tombs, sparkling red wine, a proud look, sexual temptations, vain ego and the passing pleasures of sin. The author C.S Lewis wrote, “As he (man) cannot see or hear himself, this is easily managed.”

Should we acquiesce to those little ‘harmless’ doses of evil which we meet with on a daily basis, we are in fact shifting our yardstick to create a tolerance for evil. But God does not tolerate evil!

The devil knows he has a short time (Rev 12:12). Are we aware that our time too is short?

This is an urgent call to all fellow Christians to be discerning in all aspects of our lives – to know the truth and dispel the falsehood. To then act upon the truth, lead lives worthy of our status as children of God and bring others to Christ.

The devil wants to leave his mark on us, but we are striving after a different mark on our foreheads – the mark which identifies us as a redeemed child of God (Rev 7:3, Rev 14:1).

It takes plenty of constant self-examination and discipline to remain faithful to our Heavenly Father who redeems us from a terrifying ending in hell. We cannot afford to lose our alertness and vigilance. After all, the number 6 is just one short of the number 7 which signifies completeness in the Bible. Is the number of the beast (666) not sufficient warning to us to steer clear of such intensified incompleteness and deceit?