Revelation

Revelation 13: Life belongs to the slain Lamb

Begin in prayer

Before seeing the beasts demand worship in Revelation 13, ask God to strengthen your family's reverence for Him alone. Ask Him to show you the slain Lamb whose book holds His people's names, and the faith that endures even captivity and death.

You shall walk after Yahweh your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cling to him.

Deuteronomy 13:4

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that the beast has only the power that is given to him, and help us to turn from our sin and trust the Lamb. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

A beast rises from the sea with the dragon's power, and the healing of its apparently fatal wound draws the earth into worship. It blasphemes God and receives authority to make war for forty-two months, even overcoming the saints. Those without names in the slain Lamb's book worship it, while the saints are called to endurance and faith through captivity and death. A second beast looks like a lamb yet speaks like a dragon, using granted signs to deceive and demand worship of the first beast. It gives breath to the beast's image, which speaks and causes those refusing worship to be killed. Its mark on hand or forehead controls buying and selling, and its number, six hundred sixty-six, calls for wisdom.

As you read Revelation 13, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God calls His saints to endure, for their life belongs to the slain Lamb whose book holds their names.

The sea beast gathers Daniel's hostile kingdoms into one enemy, drawing strength from the dragon and worship from the world. Its healed wound copies the slain and living Lamb, making a rebel power appear worthy of trust. Its blasphemy reveals that this apparent savior demands the honor belonging to God alone. The given forty-two months limit even its killing of the saints, so persecution never becomes an independent power. Their life belongs to the slain Lamb, whose book holds names written from the foundation of the world. Captivity and the sword make endurance costly, and the saints receive a command to keep faith through that cost. The earth beast makes deception harder to recognize by looking like a lamb while speaking like a dragon. Its signs and speaking image recall imperial worship and Daniel's account of worship demanded under threat of death. The mark pushes the same demand into daily trade, requiring allegiance where only God may command worship.

How does Revelation 13 show us that God calls His saints to endure, for their life belongs to the slain Lamb whose book holds their names?

The beast demands worship with power that God has bounded.

The sea beast combines Daniel's leopard, bear and lion, and receives power and a throne from the dragon (verses 1 and 2). Its healed wound draws the earth to marvel and worship both dragon and beast (verses 3 and 4). It blasphemes God, His name and His dwelling, including those in heaven (verses 5 and 6). Its given authority to make war lasts forty-two months, and even its apparent triumph remains under God's rule.

The slain Lamb's book gives His saints reason to endure in faith.

The beast receives authority over every tribe, people, language and nation, making war on the saints and overcoming them (verse 7). Those whose names are absent from the Lamb's book worship the beast (verse 8). The names in that book were written from the foundation of the world. Captivity and death by the sword are stated plainly as the saints are called to endurance and faith (verses 9 and 10).

The second beast imitates a lamb while leading people away from the true Lamb.

It has two horns like a lamb and speaks like a dragon, exercising the first beast's authority (verses 11 and 12). Its signs include fire from heaven, using granted wonders for deception (verses 13 and 14). John says it “deceives my own people who dwell on the earth” (verse 14). It orders an image, then gives it breath to speak and cause those refusing worship to be killed (verses 14 and 15).

The mark pressures every rank to serve the beast instead of the Lamb.

Small and great, rich and poor, free and slave receive the mark on right hand or forehead (verse 16). Buying and selling are forbidden without the mark, name or number of the beast (verse 17). The pressure reaches ordinary livelihood, making false worship costly to refuse. John calls for wisdom to calculate the man's number, six hundred sixty-six (verse 18).

Memorise

If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:10

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, who do I worship, and what must I turn from to follow the Lamb?

Out of the sea rose a beast, and the whole earth marveled at him. Authority was given to him for forty-two months, and he spoke against God and made war with God's people. Many worshiped him. But John also tells of “the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed”.

That Lamb is Jesus Christ. He was killed on the cross, and there He gave His life for His people and paid for their sin. His death is enough. Then the tomb was empty, for He rose to life. The beast has only what is given to him, but the book of life belongs to the Lamb.

So do not give your heart to the beast, or to anything that takes the place of Jesus. Come to the Lamb who was killed. Turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus. When you come to Him, He will forgive all your sin. The beast's months will end, but the Lamb who was killed lives forever.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the Lamb was killed for His people, and that the beast's power is given. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. John does not say who the beast is, so please do not guess names or dates.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that the names of the Lamb's people are written in His book of life, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Revelation 3:5

Father, thank You that the beast's time is limited and that the book of life belongs to the Lamb who was killed. Please turn each of us from worshiping anything but You, and bring us to trust Jesus. Help us to hold on to Him this week. Amen.