“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.”
~ Revelations 13:8
Hi James and Ellen,
Does eschatology intrigue you? Eschatology is the theological branch that is concerned with finality. Death and judgment, heaven and hell and the end of plant Earth’s existence are all within eschatology’s purview. There have been a lot of books written that have an eschatological focus. A popular series of books that are known as the ‘Left Behind’ series were written several years ago by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. Even though your grandpaa has a ‘beef’ against Jerry Jenkins, your grandpaa read the first couple of books in the ‘Left Behind’ series. When your grandpaa was a Moody Bible Institute freshman – which was from the fall of ’74 through to the spring of ‘75, your grandpaa had to take English classes. One of the assignments in one of the English classes that your grandpaa was required take was to write a short story. Dick Van Dyke was your grandpaa’s teacher in the English classes that your grandpaa had to take at Moody Bible Institute. Your grandpaa was older than Dick Van Dyke. Dick Van Dyke befriended, encouraged and inspired your grandpaa. Out of the short stories that were written by students as a class assignment in his English classes, Dick Van Dyke selected about a half a dozen of the short stories that he thought were the best for the editor of Moody Monthly to read. At the time that your grandpaa was a Moody Bible Institute student, Jerry Jenkins was the editor of Moody Monthly. Your grandpaa’s short story was one of the short stories that Dick Van Dyke gave to Jerry Jenkins to read. Your grandpaa does not remembers exactly what Jerry Jenkins wrote in his short story’s margin; what your grandpaa more or less does remember what Jerry Jenkins wrote in his short story’s margin was that if your grandpaa was going to write about something as if it was a real incident, that your grandpaa needed to make sure that what he wrote was truthful. Even though your grandpaa’s short story was fictional, your grandpaa knew that what he had written was factual. Your grandpaa wonders today how accurate or true Jerry Jenkins has been in what he has written or has helped to write.
Much of eschatology today is centered around what was scribed on a lonely, windswept Aegean Sea island called Patmos. Domitian – a Roman emperor, in 95 A.D. banished Jesus’ last living disciple to this forsaken, barren island. Apostle John was this disciple. What would you do if you were one day banished to an isolated place that has no amenities? Your grandpaa believes that Apostle John spent his time intimately conversing with God. During Apostle John’s exile on the Island of Patmos – because of his teachings that were centered on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, Apostle John had God – as God the Spirit, breathe on him what is now the Revelation Book. Your grandpaa thinks that Revelation 13 is one of the top eschatological theological vortexes in the Bible. Your grandpaa wonders what Apostle John’s reaction was when God – as God the Spirit, had him scribe about a dragon meeting a beast that came out of the sea that had ten horns and seven heads and about a beast that came out of the earth that had two horns and who sounded like the dragon. The beast that came out of the sea also had ten crowns on its horns and each of its seven heads had a blasphemous name. This beast looked like a leopard, had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. One of the seven heads of the beast that came out of the sea had a fatal wound that had healed. The dragon gave this beast his power, throne and great authority. The dragon is Satan. Satan is the devil. Satan is presently planet Earth’s overseer. Some Biblical scholars think that the beast that came out of the sea represents an antichrist. Christ-follower guys and gals over the years have been on the lookout for the feared antichrist. Some Christ-follower guys and gals at times have thought that a particular guy is the antichrist. Other Christ-follower guys and gals have thought that a cultish style religious belief has been the antichrist. Your grandpaa is intrigued with happenings taking place today on planet Earth. An apostate belief system is being embedded today into the hearts and minds of guys and gals everywhere on planet Earth. The recent advent of technology is making it possible for any smooth-talking narcissist to make planet Earth his or her center stage. Your grandpaa wonders that just maybe there is a day very soon when a devil driven religiosity will be the required belief paradigm to adhere to or else.
Even though the beast that will come out of the earth will be subservient to the beast that will come out of the sea, the beast that will come out of the earth will have its own sign and healing powers. The beast that will come out of the earth – even though the beast will have unlimited religious power, will promote the role of the beast that will come out of the sea. The beast that will come out of the sea will have 42 weeks to accomplish whatever mayhem that it has been preprogrammed to accomplish. The beast that will come out of the sea will wage war against and conquer the guys, gals and kids who are Christ-followers. The beast that will come out of the earth will enable the beast that will come out of the sea to speak and kill each guy and gal who refuses to worship his image and who does not have 666 imprinted on his or her right hand or forehead. Verse 8 paints a dire picture of what life is going to be like for a Christ-follower guy or gal when the beast that comes out of the sea and when the beast that comes out of the earth begin doing the things that they have been hardwired to do, “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” As the Lamb’s special elected kids, you can live daily knowing that you are heaven bound.
Revelation 13 (906)