Revelation – The Last Word
Revelation 14 – The Mark of the Beast
October 25, 2020
Revelation 14:6-12 NIV
Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”8 A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” 9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
We’re given a choice in Revelation 14.
We can choose the ways of the fallen world and find no rest, or we can trust in the plans of God and patiently endure.
Instigate
Matthew 5:7 NIV
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Integrate
Matthew 5:13 NIV
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
Isolate
Matthew 5:14 NIV
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Our call is to endure and persevere.
v.8 Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.
Babylon was a city that represented cruelty, evil and torment.
Babylon is a twisted reflection of God and His people.
What’s the mark on the forehead?
It’s a means of domination and control. Instead of having our foreheads sealed with the Holy Spirit, we settle for a cheap substitute.
Remember Revelation 7 &9 – Seal of God on their foreheads
We lack the courage and faith to trust God, when the world seems to offer an easy way out.
Politics is the management of power.
It’s difficult not to use the vile means of ordinary politics.
Rome’s way seems to work quicker than the slow perseverance required by Christ.
Death is not the worst thing that can happen to us.
Jesus is going to sort everything out.
God’s judgment will be just.
This isn’t cowardly caution or dumb passivity. It takes faith and courage to endure and persevere.
