Today I’m gonna continue my series on Predestination in Revelation. I’ve been tackling Peterson and Williams’ book titled, “Why I Am Not An Arminian,” and investigating their misunderstandings of biblical passages. I’m hanging around their aforementioned verses in the book of Revelation because they quote them as referring to God’s spiritual protection upon His people. However, as we will see, the spiritual protection of believers comes through their faith and endurance—and both of these will be needed for the time on earth of which Revelation 13 speaks.
I’ll print the main verses here:
1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. (A) He [a] had 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems, (B) and on his heads were blasphemous names. (C) [b] 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear's, and his mouth was like a lion's mouth. (D) The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 One of his heads appeared to be fatally wounded, [c] but his fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. (E) [d] 4 They worshiped the dragon (F) because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? (G) Who is able to wage war against him?"
5 A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies. (H) He was also given authority to act [e] [f] for 42 months. (I) 6 He began to speak [g] blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. 7 And he was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. (J) 8 All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book [h] of life (K) of the Lamb who was slaughtered. (L) [i]
9 If anyone has an ear, he should listen: (M)
10 If anyone is destined for captivity,
into captivity he goes.
If anyone is to be killed [j] with a sword,
with a sword he will be killed. (N)
Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13: 1-10, Holman Christian Standard Bible).
The chapter itself refers to the beast of Revelation, the one whom the dragon will give power to the beast. The dragon will be the beast’s serpent—and everyone will bow down to the best. Notice the praise given to the beast: “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?” These words parallel those ascribed to the Lord in Exodus:
LORD, who is like You among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
revered with praises, performing wonders? (Exodus 15:11, HCSB)
Moses and the Israelites praised God for His victory over the Egyptians at the Red Sea; but in Revelation, “everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered” would praise and worship the beast (Rev. 13:8).
But in verses 9 and 10, we have something entirely different from what we would expect. Peterson and Williams may not have seen it, but it is pretty evident to most:
9 If anyone has an ear, he should listen: (M)
10 If anyone is destined for captivity,
into captivity he goes.
If anyone is to be killed [j] with a sword,
with a sword he will be killed. (N)
Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints. (Rev. 13:9-10, HCSB)
Here the Spirit tells us to listen to what He is saying. What is He saying? He’s already told us that those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life will worship the beast. Their lives will be spared because they worship him and are useful to him. But what about the believers? Will Christians be spared? No. To see this, go back to Revelation 13:7—the beast was given authority not just over every tongue, tribe, and nation, but “he was permitted to wage war against the saints and conquer them” (13:7a). This means that all power and authority on earth belongs to him at this point in the book. With all this power, he is now allowed to harm the saints of God—something that, evidently, wasn’t apparent through the earlier chapters of the book. With this power EVEN OVER THE SAINTS, the beast will now have his way with them. And what exactly do the saints have to look forward to?
They will be killed with the sword and taken into captivity: “if anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he goes. If anyone is to be killed with a sword, with a sword he will be killed” (Rev. 13:10).
Revelation 13:10 parallels an Old Testament passage regarding God’s people. God promised to punish Old Testament Israel for her sins against God, her constant turning away from the One true living God. This is what the Lord gave Israel for her punishment:
“Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My compassions would not [reach out] to these people. Send them from My presence, and let them go. If they ask you: Where will we go? You must tell them: ‘This is what the LORD says:
Those [destined] for death, to death;
Those [destined] for the sword, to the sword.
Those [destined] for famine, to famine;
Those [destined] for captivity, to captivity’” (Jeremiah 15:1-2, HCSB).
Because of Israel’s sin, God would let her experience “four kinds of judgment” (Jer. 15:3). However, this is placed in the context of Revelation 13, where God’s people, those who have been faithful, will endure harsh persecution because they REFUSE to bow down to the beast. Instead of the saints being persecuted for rebelling against God (which the Israelites did), they will now be punished for REBELLING AGAINST THE BEAST, and refusing to bow down and worship him!
The end of Revelation 13:10 is the part I want to emphasize:
“Here is the endurance and faith of the saints.”
Despite the persecution, Christians are called to maintain their faith and endurance (or perseverance).
Robert A. Peterson and Michael D. Williams would like to make readers believe that, no matter what, believers are spiritually protected. However, John in Revelation disagrees. To him, those who profess faith in Christ will be SPIRITUALLY VULNERABLE during the reign of the beast. Because of the power and authority given to him, every saint will be “under the microscope,” exposed to the world. And why? because the beast wants EVERYONE to worship him; and if he doesn’t have his way, then believers can expect to go to their deaths.
John states it here that those who profess faith will have to maintain FAITH AND ENDURANCE through this difficult time, a time that the world has yet to see. Whether or not a person endures is all based on that person: will the tribulation on the earth MAKE or BREAK the saints? That will all be revealed in time. However, we have Jesus words about the one who reigns victoriously with Him in the end:
“The victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will NEVER ERASE HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE, but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels” (Rev. 3:5, HCSB). I pray that we will inherit this promise.
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