hotcoffee
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Revelation 13:5 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.
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
10 “If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword,
with the sword they will be killed.”[d]
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
10 “If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword,
with the sword they will be killed.”[d]
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
Revelation 13:8 Or written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain
Revelation 13:10 Some manuscripts anyone kills
Revelation 13:10 Jer. 15:2
One of the commentaries puts it this way.
In the case of Antichrist during the Tribulation period, it will be untrue, but such supernatural powers will be given him by the devil himself that he will appear to have Godlike characteristics and thus deceive many human beings.
Thus during the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation the Antichrist will be merely a man endowed with demonic power, but during the last 3-1/2 years, he will actually be Satan himself, clothed with the Antichrist's body as the antichrist is the second person to be indwelled by Satan. Judas was the first. Remember Satan is not divine. He does not have the power to create, that is, to make something out of nothing.
He can only take what God creates and manipulate it or manufacture it into something else. He can, however, indwell individuals. Even his demonic imps have that power.
Thus during the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation the Antichrist will be merely a man endowed with demonic power, but during the last 3-1/2 years, he will actually be Satan himself, clothed with the Antichrist's body as the antichrist is the second person to be indwelled by Satan. Judas was the first. Remember Satan is not divine. He does not have the power to create, that is, to make something out of nothing.
He can only take what God creates and manipulate it or manufacture it into something else. He can, however, indwell individuals. Even his demonic imps have that power.
God will punish those who do evil. The Beast and his followers will be overthrown and judged. Patience (Gr. hupomone) is perseverance or endurance. Those who have genuine saving faith will endure all the persecution of the Beast because they are God's saints.
Another commentary points out that this blasphemous language is definitely a sin. It made the top ten.
To blaspheme God’s name is to break the third commandment—"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (Exod 20:7)."
That same commentary gives a good interpretation of dying by the sword.
While some saints are destined for captivity, others are destined for martyrdom. The sword is the instrument of death by the State (Romans 13:4). God has destined certain ones to be martyrs by the state/government of Antichrist. This is God’s will. Those destined to die will die. This is the sense of the text. That believers will die by the sword is confirmed in Revelation 20:4. Both captivity and death by beheading is a part of God’s sovereign plan.
