Revelation 13 is a chapter that engenders a lot of controversy. Who is the beast? Who is his prophet? Have these figures lived already or are they yet to come? What is the meaning of that infamous number 666? In the midst of all the debate in this chapter, we often miss a very chilling verse, verse 7. That verse says in part: "He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them."
That verse doesn't fit too neatly with our theology. We don't like to think that there are times that Satan (or his emissary) gets the victory over the Church. Preachers on TV tell us that we should always be healthy and wealthy. But that is not the reality that the Scriptures present. The Bible tells us that there are times when Satan has great power and when there is a great cost for being a Christian. When these times come, what are we to do? Verse 10b tells us: "This calls for patience and for faithful endurance on the part of the saints." American Christians especially need to know that we will not always be the church triumphant. Sometimes, we will be the church patient and faithful.
1 comment:
You're so right. People pay a lot for the privilege of being lulled into a false complacency.
Check out my free e-book, Walkabout: The History of a Brief Century for a story much more to your liking!
Post a Comment