Revelation 13:5-8 – 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.
“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.” As we have seen throughout Revelation, Satan and his beasts have no authority and no power unless God allows them. When they can do what they do is also determined by God. It is amazing that the devil still thinks he can do something to defeat God. He is utterly boxed in. God is in control.
1 John 4:3 “but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” In the first century church the antichrist spirit was already at work. This end time scenario is not something that just happens. It is something that has been brewing for at least two thousand years (Just look around us). According to this verse, every spirit, every soul, that does not acknowledge Jesus as Savior does not have the Holy Spirit within, but has the spirit of the antichrist. That should surprise none of us. After all isn’t the spirit of the antichrist the spirit of the devil. It is clear that those who are not with Christ are against Him (Luke 11:23) (No middle ground) and in fact belong to the devil (John 8:42-47), as we all once did (Romans 5:10). When we hear these so called great intellects standing up and making boastful and slanderous statements about God, they are part of the antichrist spirit that is in the world. We must remember that they are not completely lost until they die without knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior. I am certain that, as the thief on the cross (John 23:39-43), plenty a proud rascal has called upon the Lord from his death bed. Still, we see the slanderous spirit of the antichrist among us today. The arrival of the Antichrist will not arrive without the enemy preparing the way first. Those who slander God and teach others to do so are aligned with the Antichrist spirit, and thusly with the devil. The scriptures are clear. Pray that they repent and pray that the Truth, who is Jesus, shines brightly to a world who so desperately needs Him.
The Antichrist is given forty two months to spread his blasphemy and slander. Who, ultimately, is the one who gives him this time? It is God Himself. Family, God is not worried by those who spread lies. No matter what man says or does, God remains the same. Who God eternally is remains true. God does not change. As the world facilitates aimlessly, God remains the same. Man may praise God or may curse God, but God is the same and always worthy of our love and adoration. Someone could slander me, and that would hurt. It might affect me. But nothing that man does affects who God is, who He always has been, and who He evermore shall be. Praise God that He does not change. If He did change, that would be a very fearful thing! But He does not change (Malachi 3:6).
“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.” Again the enemy and his henchmen were given a time to do their evil. Yet, we will remember the book of Job and its lesson that nothing the devil does brings about his victory. Again “God is in control.” Though we don’t always understand, we see God’s victories more clearly is we keep His perspective. The Antichrist will kill an untold amount of people, still, he wins nothing. In fact, he blesses the ones he kills. Because we agree with 2 Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” We are happy to continue on earth, as the Lord wills, but we prefer to be with the Lord. Praise God!
“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.” All who are now Christians will long be gone from the earth. This is the final three and a half years of the Great Tribulation. Those who have turned to Jesus during this most difficult time will see a large portion of fellow believers martyred for their faith. It is easy to suppose that the ones who are martyred are more blessed than those who are not. They will endure as much or see the most horrible sights. Today is the day of salvation. The Lord could come back at any moment, as the Word says, as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Family, let us be diligent to the work the Lord has given to us. Let us be committed to the Lord and to His Gospel. Let us love the world and share the Word. There is nothing more valuable than to seek to hear, when we are before Him, Jesus say “…Well done, good and faithful servant…” Then we shall take a deep sigh of relief and laugh and cry the laugh and cries of those who have entered into our rest. We will persist, we will continue, we will endure and we shall be eternally grateful to God that we did. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.