Rev. 13:10 ... "If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints."
The early Christians faced dangers and challenges that to us today are incomprehensible and almost incredible. Often they were dragged from their homes and thrown into prison. Even worse, they were sometimes killed in ways that were grotesque and fiendish. A person truly had to "sit down first and count the cost" when he considered becoming a Christian in that age. And he also had to resolve to look upon himself as being only a "stranger and exile on the earth," (Heb. 11:13). Since there was the great possibility he would be brutalized and his life cut short, he had to look for his relief and reward beyond this earth -- in heaven.
But our Lord does not will that His disciples on earth should never enjoy rest and the fruits of life while they walk in the narrow road of righteousness. He takes careful note of those who persecute and oppress His people, and in a time of His own choice He executes vengeance upon them, thus bringing relief to His disciples. The select verse above calls our attention to this very action of Christ. Those who have led Christians into captivity shall themselves be led into captivity, and those who have killed Christians shall themselves be killed. Christians who suffer persecution can put their faith in this pro-mise and endure their present hardships with patience in the confidence that Jesus will eventually bring relief to them.
Revelation 13 introduces two of the major enemies of Christianity. They are presented in symbolic form so that it requires a great deal of investigation and comparison of Scriptures to interpret them and defend the conclusions. There is, of course, not space in this brief article to do that. The first enemy is symbolized as a beast that arises from the sea. It wears crowns that boast of victories and inscriptions that blaspheme God. The world looks upon it with great wonder, submits to its power, and even offers it worship. But behind this great sea beast we can see Satan, who gives the beast its power, who promotes its position in the world, and who induces the world to worship it. This beast especially devotes its attention to blaspheming God and waging war against the church. It is the view of this writer that the sea beast is a symbol of earthly nations which surrender to Satan's influence. During the first few cen-turies of the church's existence this beast was without doubt the Roman Empire.
The second enemy presented is symbolized as a beast that comes up from the earth. It "perforns great signs" and even miracles, and infuses life into an image of the sea beast whose worship it pro-motes among men. Indeed, its primary goal seems to be to promote the status and power of that sea beast, elevating it to the level of God and forcing men to worship it. This writer considers the land beast to be a symbol of anti-Christian religion. During the period of the early church it was the great system of idolatry that promoted Roman power and enforced the worship of Caesar.
To Christians there might have seemed no chance ever to have peace or even survive as long as the powers of the sea beast (anti-Christian government) and the land beast (anti-Christian religion) were focused upon them. But the text above is a short note of encouragement to Christians never to lose courage or cease to be steadfast in active faith, since their Lord will in time destroy these awful powers. And indeed, we later read of these two beasts being "thrown alive into the lake of' fire which burns with brimstone," (Rev. 19:20). One of the primary objectives of the Book of Revelation is to encourage Christians to withstand at whatever cost all the manifestations of evil power, since in the end our King will conclusively overthrow them and give the ultimate victory to those who have been loyal to Him.
