6th July 2024 – Revelation 13:11-18

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 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. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 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. 15 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. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.


In a booklet on 'Communism and Christianity' a C.I.M. missionary, Mr David BentleyTaylor says: 'It is a matter for great regret that the book of Revelation is so little expounded among Christians. Nowhere else in Scripture is the position of the Lord's people in China so vividly and accurately depicted as here. If you want to sense the atmosphere, read the 13th chapter of Revelation and set down Chinese Christians and missionaries in the midst of it. The first ten verses suggest the force which faces them; the remaining eight verses give an idea of the propaganda and efficiency which are associated with it'. These are words that have come right out of the heart of the oppression that the Church in China has faced in our time, and indeed that whole situation serves us with an eloquent commentary on what John unfolds here. Readers of the book, 'Come Wind, Come Weather', by Leslie T. Lyall, another C.I.M. missionary, will know just how grimly these prophesies have been fulfilled. Speaking of the advance of the Communists, he tells of how a Colonel of the Nationalist Army gave him this warning: 'The Communists will soon be here; we are about to withdraw and go to Formosa. But don't trust the Communists; they will not interfere with you at first, and will be very polite. On no account fall into the trap and be deceived by fair words. When they have gathered all the information they need, then after a year, or perhaps two, they will act. You have been warned'. So startlingly similar in spirit and atmosphere to this chapter are these words that one might be pardoned for suspecting that the Chinese Colonel had been reading it. 'Fair words.... very polite....'. The second beast came 'like a lamb' and 'deceiveth them that dwell on the earth'.