Revealing the RUSE of Revelation

John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 

Revelation 13:1, 3-8, 11-18 – The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. 11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666. 

The BEASTS & RUSE of Revelation reveal… 

#1 – We’re not meant to be our ! 

Daniel 7:1-3 –  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. 2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. 

Daniel 7:15-18 – 15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. “So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’ 

Revelation 13:7 – It was given authority over every tribe, people, language and NATION.

Revelation 13:8 – All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast…

Revelation 13:7 – It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them.

John 15:5-6 – 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Revelation 13:3 – One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 

The BEASTS & RUSE of Revelation reveal… 

#2 – Our is not ! 

Revelation 13:12 – It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast… 

Revelation 13:14 – It deceived the inhabitants of the earth.  It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast… 

Revelation 13:16-18 – 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Jeremiah 17:5 – Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 

Isaiah 2:22 – Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem? 

Psalm 146:3 – Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. 

Taking Action… 

the beasts with in the thing!

Revelation 13:18 – This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.  

Revelation 13:10 – This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people. 

Psalm 61:4 – I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  

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