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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Revelation 13:7 - 13:10
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rev_13:7-10
7It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. 9If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10If 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.
Rev_13:7 "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them" This is an aorist passive indicative and an aorist active infinitive. The implication of the passive voice is that God allowed this to occur. We do not understand all that is behind this but it is obvious from the book of the Revelation that God is in control of all history. This war on His saints is mentioned in Dan_7:21; Dan_7:25. It refers to the physical death of God's people. There is a time when the enemy seems to be the victor (like Calvary), but Revelation and Daniel teach that this victory is short-lived! Notice that God's people are protected from the wrath of God, but not from the wrath of the beast and his followers. God allows evil an apparent victory in order to reveal its true intentions and nature.
▣ "saints" See Special Topic at Rev_5:8.
▣ "and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him" This phrase indicates (1) that Revelation needs to be interpreted in a wider sense than the Roman Empire only, because of this universal, inclusive phrase or (2) that this refers to an Empire-wide event.
Rev_13:8 "All who dwell on the earth" This is a recurrent phrase referring to unbelievers in Revelation (cf. Rev_3:10; Rev_6:10; Rev_8:13; Rev_11:10; Rev_13:8; Rev_13:12; Rev_13:14; Rev_17:8).
▣ "whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain" It is uncertain syntactically whether the phrase "from the foundation of the earth" is to be taken with (1) "our name written" (cf. RSV, NRSV, TEV, NJB and Rev_17:8; Eph_1:4) or (2) "the Lamb being slaughtered" (cf. KJV, NKJV and 1Pe_1:19-20). The word order of this text and Rev_17:8 implies that the phrase probably describes believers' names written in the book of life even before creation!
The phrase "the foundation of the earth" is used several times in the NT (cf. Mat_25:34; Joh_17:24; Eph_1:4; 1Pe_1:19-20). There is also a very similar phrase in Mat_13:35; Luk_11:50; Heb_4:3; Heb_9:26 and Rev_17:8. The combination of these phrases shows God's redemptive activity before the creation of the world. Believers are secure in Christ (cf. Rev_7:4; Rev_11:1; Rev_13:8). Evil is limited by a sovereign God (number of passive verbs in this chapter and the time limit). It looks bad in the short run, but look at the big picture!
▣ "the book of life" From Dan_7:10 and Rev_20:11-15 we understand that there were two metaphorical books mentioned in connection with human destiny:
1. the Book of Life, which contains the names of those who have personally known God (OT) and have received Christ (NT) [cf. Exo_32:32-33; Psa_69:28; Dan_12:1; Isa_4:3; Isa_34:16; Luk_10:20; Php_4:3; Heb_12:23; Rev_13:8; Rev_17:8; Rev_20:15; Rev_21:27]
2. the Book of the Deeds of Mankind, which record human activity, both positive and negative (cf. Psa_56:8; Psa_139:16; Isa_65:6; Mal_3:16)
These are obviously metaphors, but they do accurately describe God's ability to know those who are His and to hold those who have rejected Him accountable (cf. Gal_6:7).
▣ "who has been slain" See note at Rev_5:12.
Rev_13:9 "If anyone has an ear, let him hear" This is a recurrent theme in the letters to the seven churches (cf. Rev_2:7; Rev_2:17; Rev_3:6; Rev_3:13; Rev_3:22). It, like the other phrases in Rev_13:9-10, is a first class conditional sentence, which is assumed to be true for the author's literary purposes. The fact that these phrases relate to the churches seems to imply that the next phrase (Rev_13:10) is also directed to the people of God.
Rev_13:10 This verse may be an allusion to Jer_15:2 or Jer_43:11, which speaks of God's judgment. There are several Greek manuscript variants related to the verb "kill." This has caused the different English translations of this verse.
1. The KJV and NKJV relate both of these phrases to the persecutors of God's people.
2. The RSV and NRSV make the first clause relate to the persecuted Christians and the second clause to the anti-God persecutors.
3. A third possible interpretation (TEV and NJB) is that both clauses refer to persecuted Christians.
The very fact that there is so much variance in the translations shows the uncertainty. It is obviously a spiritual truth that God is in control of history. The only question is to whom the phrase was directed.
1. to Christians to encourage them to remain faithful (cf. Mat_26:52; Php_1:28)
2. to persecutors to assure them that they will one day be accountable before God for their choices and actions?
NASB "Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints"
NKJV "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints"
NRSV "Here is the call for endurance and faith of the saints"
TEV "This calls for endurance and faith on the part of God's people"
NJB "This is why the saints must have perseverance and faith"
Rev_13:9 and the end of Rev_13:10 show that this phrase must refer to the people of God (cf. Mat_26:52). This verse also describes the true believers (cf. Rev_14:12; Rev_12:11; Rev_12:17). They are encouraged to hold out until the end (cf. Rev_2:3; Rev_2:7; Rev_2:11; Rev_2:17; Rev_2:26; Rev_3:5; Rev_3:12; Rev_3:21; Rev_21:7). Perseverance is evidence of true salvation (cf. 1Jn_2:19). See note and Special Topic at Rev_2:2.