RSS

Enjoy Life, Enjoy God


Dale Patterson

666

December 1, 2009

A number of terror? 666, the "mark of the beast" (Rev 13:18) For all the ink spilled on this controversy, a reverent reading by faithful Christ-followers should be a note of hope and encouragement, not terror.

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness of the part of God's people.

- Revelation 13:10 TNIV

Revelation 13 continues the vision given John. The focus is a plague of world domination, the tyranny of, and the easy embrace of people bowing the knee to gods who are not gods. The Dragon of chapter 12 joins forces with a beast. Yet in spite of the terror, in spite of the titillation of the mysterious unknown, and our fascination with a number 666, "the mark of the beast," the good news reigns through. The issue is NOT terror, the issue is NOT figuring out apocalyptic riddles, the issue IS faithfulness.

Faithfulness and patient endurance defeat three sixes every time! John's message then is our message today: be about faithfulness and patient endurance as Christ followers. The Beast has no weapons to defeat such.

Joyfully,

Dale Patterson