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3. The Angel of Judgment Testifies to the End of the Antichrist (Revelation 17:7-9a)
Registration in the Book of Life (v 8): Our Father in heaven knew in advance who would and who wouldn’t accept the complete reconciliation with Him through Jesus. In His prescience, He wrote the names of all who were reconciled by their faith in His Lamb into the Book of Life (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:4-8; Revelation 17:8). Jesus breathed His Spirit into them and gave them His eternal life (John 3:16; 14:17, 23, 26-27; 20:21-23). Whoever loves the Crucified One, entrusts himself to Him, and worships Him together with the Father. He has his name written in the Book of Life.
Because the temptations and working of wonders of the beast and his prophets will have charmed and enthralled masses of people, only those who are anchored in eternity will have the prospect of not falling into temptation! The angel of judgment assures us that the predestination of the merciful God will be our only guarantee, for time and eternity, of not becoming a part of the great falling away, brought about by the son of the evil one. “For many are called, but few are chosen!” (Matthew 20:16; 22:14) No man is by nature worthy to be called of God. The blood of Jesus alone cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:14; 10:14; Revelation 1:5). Fundamentally, Jesus is the only one chosen of God! (Matthew 12:18-21). His heavenly Father confessed openly: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17; Isaiah 42:1) Whoever believes in the Son binds himself to his calling and receives the allotment of his eternal life (Ephesians 1:4-6). The comforting certainty of our calling we receive only in Christ.
As the high-point of end-time temptation the antichrist personally appears. Whoever gets to see him, will be fascinated, unless he knows Jesus, the Lamb of God. For only then has he found the singular and eternally valid measure of true greatness and authority. Whoever compares the antichrist with man will find him to be incomparably strong, intelligent, beautiful and immortal. But whoever compares the son of Satan with the Son of God quickly recognizes that the beast is devoid of all divine love, meekness, humility, purity and truth. The evil one is evil from the root up. But the Good One is good from God, His Father.
The son of the evil one bristled and willfully blocked his cleansing and sanctification from Jesus. He did not want to be holy, merciful and meek, like the Son of Mary (Matthew 4:10; 8:20; 21:3). The son of perdition strove for world power, and wanted everyone submitted to his transitory rule. Jesus carried away the sin of the world and died in the place of sinners (John 1:29). Whoever loves Him has his name recorded in the Book of Life, and will live with Him for eternity.
PRAYER: Our Father in heaven, we worship You in the name of Your Christ Jesus because You are the Almighty and Omniscient. You registered the names of Your children in the Book of everlasting life before the establishment of the world, because You knew in advance who would stand firm in Christ during the last temptation and who would deny Him. Help us to love Your Son at all times from the bottom of our heart and not to let the wonders of the Evil One draw us to him. Amen.
QUESTIONS:
- What is the convincing miracle for the followers of antichrist that they would come and believe in him and his father Satan?
- What is the last ultimate reason, that some redeemed sinners have become truly registered in the Book of Life?