Revelation 12 – 18
In these chapters, we meet “the large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads.” He is identified as “the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world.”
We also meet “a beast rising up out of the sea,” with “seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns.” Each head had names that blasphemed God. One of these heads suffers a fatal wound, but the wound is healed and the people worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power. They also worshiped the beast.
Those who worshiped this beast were those whose names were “not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb that was slaughtered.” Is you name written in this Book?
As if the dragon and the beast from the sea are not enough, we also see “another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of the dragon.” This beast is very powerful and performs miracles. He orders the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who came back to life. He is “permitted” to give life to this statue so it can speak. The second beast orders that anyone who refuses to worship this statue must die.
Everyone who wants to buy or sell must have a mark, either on his hand or on his forehead. This mark is either “the name of the beast or the number representing his name.” Hence, we see why the number “666” is so ominous.
We are introduced to the 144,000 who are described as “redeemed from the earth.” One angel flies through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world.” Another follows him shouting that Babylon is fallen. A third angel follows them shouting that anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts the mark on his hand or forehead “must drink the wine of God’s anger.”
We are told what all this means: “God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.”
An angel swings a sickle over the earth and loads the grapes into the great winepress of God’ wrath. The blood flows from this winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.
Seven angels are introduced who hold the gold bowls of the seven plagues. They are ordered to pour out on the earth these bowls containing God’s wrath. And they do: malignant sores, the sea becomes like blood and everything in it dies, the rivers and springs become like blood, the sun scorches everyone with its fire, the throne of the beast is plunged into darkness, the great Euphrates River is dried up so that the kings of the east can march toward the west, and, finally, a great earthquake which splits the great city of Babylon into three sections. Hailstones as heavy as seventy-five pounds fall from the sky onto the people.
Finally, we are introduced to the great prostitute who represents “the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”
Tomorrow, our last day of reading for the year, we’ll read Revelation 19 – 22.
Santa Barbara Beach
The first picture and the last picture are taken at the
beach in Santa Barbara right next to the pier. There is a veterans group that started putting a cross and candle for every death in Iraq and Afghanistan .
The amazing thing is that they only do it on the weekends.
They put up this graveyard and take it down every weekend.
Guys sleep in the sand next to it and keep watch over it at night so nobody messes with it.
Every cross has the name, rank and D.O.B. And D.O.D. on it.
Very moving, very powerful??? So many young volunteers.
So many 30 to 40 year olds as well. Amazing!
Did you know that the ACLU has filed a suit to have all military cross-shaped head stones removed?
And that they filed another suit to end prayer from the military completely. They're making great progress. The Navy Chaplains can no longer mention Jesus' name in prayer thanks to the ACLU.
Keep forwarding this e-mail to others. I'm not breaking this one. I'm asking that you not break it either.
Please, let us pray...
Please send this on after a short prayer. Prayer for our soldiers... Please don't break it!
Prayer:
'Heavenly Father, hold our troops in Your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in this, our time of need.
These things I humbly ask, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, Amen.'
GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!
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