Our Patience and Faith in Tribulation

Revelation 13:1-10 

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” 5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

After John saw the dragon who is the serpent Satan, he watched a great blasphemous beast arise with power and authority given to him.  The devil temporarily provided this wild and dangerous animal with power, a throne to rule from, and worldly authority (John 14:30, John 12:31).  This one will be party wounded, but heal from what looks deadly that it may deceive many who will fear and follow it.  This one will be on his way to blaspheme God along with His temple and other heavenly inhabitants as an outcast of furious evil.  He will even war against God’s people with temporal victories, ruling over and gaining worship from many.  But God’s elect will not fall under the rule or reign because their names have already been recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  This Book of the Lamb was written by the One sacrificed for His people before they or even the world itself was created as part of His planned timeline.  Our sovereign God is in absolute control of all these events, and so warns all in this book of Revelation to turn to Him and to endure in following with complete trust that is patient to endure tribulations for His name’s sake.  We do not fight these things with earthly weapons, but spiritual truth and enabling (2 Corinthians 10:4).  As the battles rage on toward the final judgement, we who are His endure with joy at the outcome of God’s glory and plead with others to repent, to trust Christ’s good news amidst this bad news of condemning judgement, and to turn from sin to Him.  The time is always short.