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Daily Devotions

Revelation

Revelation 
Day 
Day 92

"The patience and the faith of the saints"

Text: Revelation 13:10

GIVING HEED TO GOD’S WORD

The visions that John had received were solemn, even frightening! John urged that whoever hears these words must determine to make a good and proper response.

“If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity;
he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”
Revelation 13:9-10

1. “If anyone has an ear, let him hear”

a) This phrase was used repeatedly with reference to the Seven Churches
(Revelation 2-3).

b) It was used by the Lord Jesus Christ too when He spoke in parables to the multitudes (Matthew 13:9).

2. The significance of this phrase.

a) John had fulfilled his responsibility to faithfully writing down these visions given to him by God.

b) The responsibility is placed on the hearer of the Word of God.

i) He has ears given by God.

ii) He must use his ears to listen to what God says through His servants, the prophets and the apostles.

3. The principle we may call “Reciprocation”.

a) When the Beast of the Sea, also known as the Antichrist arises, he will wage war.

b) Two groups may be expected to arise:

i) Those who worship the Dragon and the Beast of the Sea would become hostile and violent.

ii) They will cause many to go into captivity.

iii) But the end result is that they too will become captives one day.

iv) This is how the principle of “reciprocation” works.

c) The second group are even more violent.

i) They live by the sword.

ii) They will not hesitate to use the sword on anyone who opposes them.

iii) The principle of reciprocation warns that the person who lives by the sword
must be prepared to die by the sword.

4. The proposed response for the saints.

a) They must practise “patience”.

i) There must be endurance.

ii) There must also be patience.

b) They must also exercise their “faith”.

i) Resorting to violence is not the answer.

ii) Faith must be exercised.

iii) There must be faith in God’s power and protection.