Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 481
12:17–13:14
R e v elati o n
469
and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.
And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest
of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their
testimony for Jesus.
Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea.
Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten
horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names
that blasphemed God. This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet
of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own
power and throne and great authority.
I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond
recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at
this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshiped the dragon
for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who
is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God.
And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two
months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven. And
the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people
and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world
worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written
in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before
the world was made.
Anyone with ears to hear
should listen and understand.
Anyone who is destined for prison
will be taken to prison.
Anyone destined to die by the sword
will die by the sword.
This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and
remain faithful.
Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns
like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised
all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its
people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He
did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky
while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to
perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong
