Morning Prayer: 17 Oct – Revelation 13:11-15 ~ the beast from the earth

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

Revelation 13:11-15 (ESV) – to be read aloud

The Beast out of the Earth by Shinji2821

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (8:2-14:20)

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

The beast from the earth (13:11-15)

The second beast is the servant (henchman) of the first. He has the sole objective of compelling men to worship the first beast…. In its eschatological form, the second beast suggests the capture of organized religion to help promote the civil and political aims of the first beast.

The first beast represents civil power, satanically inspired; the second beast represents religious power employed to support civil power…. His single objective is to capture the religious loyalties of men for the first. (Ladd, p.183-4)

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The second beast imitates the miracles of the true prophets to deceive people into worshiping the beast,,,, He is the Antichrist’s Minister of Propaganda,

In the last days there is to e a great division of the human race. Some will remain true to the faith even in the face of death; others will turn in worship to the Antichrist. It is this apostasy that is to precede the return of Christ. (Mounce, p.257-8)

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Canticle

Christ, as a light – illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield – overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Peanut Gallery: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.

This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).

The general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) On Sundays, we’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world. Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

Morning Prayer: 16 Oct – Revelation 13:5-10 ~ call for endurance and faith

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Revelation 13:1-10 (ESV) – to be read aloud

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (8:2-14:20)

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

The beast from the sea (13:1-10)

Overview Although martyrdom is impending, the final triumph of the saints is assured, because Satan is already a defeated foe. Defeated though he is, he will be allowed at the end time to wage one final convulsive warfare against the saints through the agency of the beast. (Ladd, p.176)
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War on the saints (13:5-7)

Blasphemy here means to do or say anything that desecrates God’s name or violates his glory and deity…. It is the exaltation of a human claim over the claim of God upon man’s loyalty and worship. (Ladd, p.180)

Mosul: ISIS has been going door to door, marking houses occupied by Christians, and setting conditions: Either convert to Islam, leave the country, pay tax for being none-Muslim, or die. (July, 2014) — Mosul: ISIS has been going door to door, marking houses occupied by Christians, and setting conditions: Either convert to Islam, leave the country, pay tax for being non-Muslim, or die.
(July, 2014)

The primary purpose of the beast is to turn men away from Christ, which he attempts by fierce persecution. That he conquers them does not mean in this context that he succeeds in perverting their loyalty from Christ to the beast – i.e., in apostatizing them, but he does succeed in waging terrible persecution…. Their very martyrdom was their victory; they stood steadfast in their loyalty to Christ and refused to worship the beast or the dragon…. John looks far beyond his own horizon to a time when an anti-Christian ruler will be allowed to exercise a worldwide sovereignty. (Ladd, p.180-1)

The Lamb’s book of life (13:8)

In this last day no one will be exempt except Christians, who will pay for their loyalty to Christ with their lives…. The Lamb’s book of life (Rev 3:5)… is the register of those who have been saved by faith in the crucified Lamb of God. That their names were written before the foundation of the world carries the assurance that even though they seem to be powerless before the attacks of the beast, they are really in the keeping providence of God and have been since the foundation of the world. (Ladd, p.181)

Endurance and faith (13:9-10)

There is a certain grim reality that lies ahead for believers. They will be taken into captivity, and many will be put to death by the sword. As their Master met death at the hands of a hostile secular power, so also they will meet the same fate…. (Mounce, p.253)

When the impending persecution breaks upon the church, believers will need to meet it with steadfast endurance and an unwavering faith…. The view that God will remove his people from the suffering of those days creates a faulty expectation that will work against their need for patient endurance and faithfulness. (Mounce, p.254)
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Canticle

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Morning Prayer: 15 Oct – Revelation 13:1-10 ~ the beast from the sea

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Revelation 13:1-10 (ESV) – to be read aloud

The Beast of the Sea (Apocalypse Tapestry, 1377–1382) Musée de la Tapisserie, Château d'Angers, Angers — The Beast of the Sea
(Apocalypse Tapestry, 1377–1382)
Musée de la Tapisserie, Château d’Angers, Angers

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.

And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (8:2-14:20)

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

The beast from the sea (13:1-10)

Overview: In chapter 13 we are introduced to the two agents through whom Satan carries out his war against believers… described as beasts.The first comes from the sea, a grotesque, seven-headed monster (one head mutilated by the slash of a sword) who combines characteristics of leopard, bear, and lion. The unbelieving world worships both the beast and the dragon who gave him authority. The beast is allowed to blaspheme God and exercise his authority for forty-two months. He is permitted to make war against saints and conquer them. Those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life worship the beast. (Mounce, p.243-4)
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The beast from the sea (13:1-4)

The beast is the eschatological Antichrist who was foreshadowed in certain aspects of Rome, and in other totalitarian states as well…. The beast is to claim divine prerogatives… so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

The deification of the state and its ruler is not a phenomenon limited to the last days of the Antichrist;we have witnessed manifestations essentially of the same phenomenon in modern totalitarian states.

The beast, like Paul’s man of lawlessness (II Thess 2:9), is not merely the concentration of political and military power; it is the embodiment of satanic evil, drawing its power and authority from the dragon.

The purpose of the beast… is capturing the loyalties of men and diverting then from the worship of God. To turn from God and submit to the beast is in reality to worship Satan. The time of the Antichrist is a struggle for the souls of men. The beast will manifest such mighty power that he will convince the world of the futility of resisting him (cf. II Thess 2:9-10). (Ladd, p.177-9)
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Canticle

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Morning Prayer: 14 Oct – Revelation 12:13-17 ~ it’s war

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

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Revelation 12:13-17 (ESV) – to be read aloud

And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (8:2-14:20)

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

War on earth (12:13-17)

The major theme of the paragraph is the persecution of the woman and her seed. It is important to note that the antagonism directed against the church has its origin in the hatred of Satan for Christ. Jesus taught his disciples that they would receive the same hostile treatment from the world that he had received. “They will treat you this way because of my name” (John 15:21). (Mounce, p.240-1)

During this period the woman is secure in her hiding place and inaccessible to Satan…. This is John’s way of assuring the church of their ultimate safety, even in the face of martyrdom…. Even in death, God will preserve his people; every effort of Satan to destroy them will be in vain…. Nevertheless, Satan can inflict fearful persecution; and his final persecution is reflected in the war on the rest of her offspring. (Ladd, p.174-5)
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Canticle

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Nigeria: Habila Shot for Refusing to Deny Jesus – Reblog The Voice of the Martyrs

Nigeria: Habila Shot for Refusing to Deny Jesus
October 2014 Newsletter

Listen to Habila’s story in his own words…

The pounding on the door was followed by the sound of men yelling for Habila to come out with his family.

Habila rushed to get dressed. When he entered the front room with his wife, Vivian, and their young son close behind, he faced intruders wearing robes and masks. One was armed with an AK-47. Habila said a short prayer to the Lord.

After announcing that they were there to do the work of Allah, the men began to question Habila. They asked him his name, his profession, whether he was a policeman or in the military, and whether he was a Christian or Muslim.

“I am a Christian,” he replied.

Vivian was terrified, knowing the men were members of Boko Haram.

The intruders told Habila that they were giving him the opportunity to live—and live a better life—if he would only become a Muslim and say the shahada [Islamic profession of faith that includes, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger”]. They even asked him to join them as a member of Boko Haram.

All the while, Habila was prepared to die. “I am a Christian and will always remain a Christian,” he replied, “even to death.”

Learn more about the October 2014 newsletter at www.persecution.com/october2014.

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