Insight from Revelation 13:<\/p>\n
Revelation 11, 12, and 13 are all related to the same time period. They all are telling the same basic story. However chapters 12 and 13 provide details that were not seen in Revelation 11.<\/p>\n
In chapters 12 and 13, the reader is able to read about Satan\u2019s war against Christ, Satan\u2019s war with the angels, and Satan\u2019s war against the churches. These chapters remind the Christian that \u201cwe do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places\u201d (Ephesians 6:12). Satan\u2019s great desire is to destroy the church. Christians must resist him. \u201cBe sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world\u201d (1 Peter 5:8\u20139).<\/p>\n
These chapters remind the churches that Satan was not successful in his war against Christ. Christ was \u201ccaught up to God and to his throne\u201d (12:5). These chapters remind the churches that Satan was not successful in his war against the angels. He was \u201cthrown down to the earth\u201d (12:9). These chapters remind the churches that Satan will not be successful in his war against the churches. Even if the church appears to be conquered, it, actually, conquers Satan: \u201cAnd they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death\u201d (12:11). The churches need to know that Satan\u2019s beast is \u201callowed to exercise authority\u201d during this time period. It is \u201callowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them\u201d. God is allowing the saints to be conquered! He is allowing them the privilege of walking in the footsteps of their Lord. In the end, however, the saints will be the conquerors. The saints conquer by being conquered. These chapters are \u201ca call for the endurance and faith of the saints\u201d (13:10). Tom Kelby, The Book of Revelation with Study Notes: A Preacher\u2019s Guide to the Book of Revelation<\/em> (Webster, WI: Hands to the Plow, 2016), 87.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_crdt_document":""},"class_list":["post-4750","reading-plan","type-reading-plan","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan\/4750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reading-plan"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}