Revelation Chapter 13
VERSE 8 “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
AND ALL WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH: This class represents those with an interest in the status quo – people with rooted interests in the present order of things. This verse is here to show a CONTRAST.
Even though the beast has authority over all (Verse 7), ONLY those who like the socio-political arrangement because their own selfish interests are tied to it (“those who dwell on the earth”):
WORSHIP HIM: No one else EXCEPT the “all who dwell-on-the-earth” class could possibly worship this monster. Note what might SEEM a contradiction.
In Rev 13:3, 4 it states that the whole earth worshiped the dragon and beast. This however is not contradictory as the word EARTH represents established society, the equivalent here of “those who dwell on the earth.” The group in 13:7 is the “SEA,” class (the restless masses of mankind, See Rev 17:15), NOT the “earth” class.
(HE) WHOSE NAMES HAVE NOT BEEN WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE OF THE LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD:
This long description, amplifying “those who dwell on the earth,” must be significant because of the amount of space it takes! First, it clearly identifies this class as being NON-spirit-begotten. Secondly, and more importantly, it encourages the spirit-begotten ones who must live through the experience.
It does so by reminding them that (1) the place of the TRUE Church has been established long before the false church (the “Tares”) came along and will, therefore, not be neglected or hurt by this beast, and that (2) the lamb, which they follow, experienced death which they will also experience. But, (3) death is of no significance if your name is recorded in the BOOK of LIFE.
(As explained in The Keys of Revelation)
Regarding the wide extent of dominion exercised by the Papacy, the following words are significant. “The extent and the character of Papal dominion, during the dark ages, is, in our days, little realized…The world can smile now at the puerility of the proud and preposterous pretensions, of the poor old man who occupies the chair of St. Peter, in his Vatican prison in Rome. It listens to his loud claim to infallibility with a laugh of contempt…But of yore it was quite another thing. Every utterance of the tiara-crowned monarch was heard with awe, every command was implicitly obeyed. Men trembled under his curse, and gloried in his benediction, as if they had been those of Deity.” 36
“The following is extracted from the ‘Ceremoniale Romanum,’…and describes the first public appearance of the Pope in St. Peter’s, on his election to the Pontificate. After the investiture with the scarlet papal robes, the vest covered with pearls, and the mitre studded with precious stones, the new Pope is conducted to the altar, before which he prostrates himself in prayer, bowing as before the seat of God. An awful sequel then follows.
We read: ‘The Pope rises, and, wearing his mitre, is lifted up by the cardinals, and is placed by them upon the altar to sit there. One of the bishops kneels, and begins the Te Deum (a hymn of praise to God). In the meantime, the cardinals kiss the feet and hands and face of the Pope.’ This ceremony is commonly called by the Roman Catholic writers ‘The adoration;’ it has been observed for many centuries, and was performed at the inauguration of Pius IX. A coin has been struck in the papal mint which represents it, and the legend is, ‘Quem creant adorant,’ ‘whom they create (Pope) they adore.’ The language in which this adoration is couched is blasphemous to a degree.
At the coronation of Pope Innocent X. Cardinal Colonna on his knees, in his own name and that of the clergy of St. Peter’s, addressed the following words to the Pope: ‘Most holy and blessed father, head of the church, ruler of the world, to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed, whom the angels in heaven revere, and the gates of hell fear, and all the world adores, we specially venerate, worship, and adore thee.’ . . . Pope Celestine III., when crowning Henry VI., expressed in action his sense of his own superiority to all monarchs:
‘The Lord Pope sat in the pontifical chair, holding the golden imperial crown between his feet; and the Emperor, bending his head, and the Empress, received the crown from the feet of the Lord Pope. But the Lord Pope instantly struck with his foot the Emperor’s crown, and cast it upon the ground, signifying that he had the power of deposing him, from the empire, if he were undeserving of it. The cardinals lifted up the crown, and placed it upon the Emperor’s head.’” 37
The selection of language denoting Jesus as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Verse 8) is significant. The head and forerunner of the new creation is the example set before the Church in the race toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. If trials, disciplines, and humiliations were necessary to prove the worthiness of the meek Lamb of God, then it should have come as no surprise to his followers that such should be their lot during the 1,260-year period of papal supremacy.
When one consecrates and unreservedly devotes his life to God in Christ Jesus, thus entering the divine family, his name is entered in the Lamb’s book of life. Generally speaking, in the time frame focused upon in this verse, all except the spirit-begotten ones worshiped the beast.
The atrocities of Antichrist during this period were so blatant that it did not take long for the spiritually informed ones to identify him. The deception of Papacy was so complete that the world was deceived as well as all the (nominally professing) Church, with the exception of the over-comers, whose names were “written in heaven.”
Even now the professing church is still deceived as to whom or what the Antichrist truly is, they have been brainwashed by the Antichrist itself.
From past events and practices has sprung the delusion so common to all Protestants that their names must be connected with an earthly church system or they are not the Lord’s saints. But how much more important it is for Christians to have their names recorded in the Lamb’s book of life—the only record of any true value.
......................................................................................................................................
36. Guinness, The Approaching End of the Age, p. 214.
37. Ibid., pp. 193–195.
We move on to Verse 9 in our next post.
