Sunday, December 13, 2009

Rev 13 discusses two more evil beasts, one who rises from the sea and the other from the earth. They are allowed to speak great blasphemies against God and deceive all the people who belong to the world. They were allowed to wage war against God's holy people. The people of the world, those whose names were not written in the Book of Life, all worshiped the beasts. John tells us also that the beast's number is 666, which has some mysterious relevance to Satan's attempt to undo Chris's work.
Rev 14 describes the destiny of the body of believers who have endured persecution on earth and will soon enter eternity of blessing and glory with Him, and forever "will rest from all their toils and trials". Jesus is described as having separated the "harvest", which is a "ripe crop" among the whole earth. Believers will receive their long-awaited reward and God's wrath and judgement will be proceed against the unbelievers, symbolized by imagery of grapes being trodden and blood flowing from a winepress.