Revelation 13:7 Part 2: War With the Saints and Eating of the Tree of Life

Today's Bible study focus is on this verse:

"Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."

to make war with:

Many verses are connected to this, but I will highlight a few.

God is the one who sets up kings. Requesting and acknowledging a king other the Lord Jesus brings on God's wrath.

"1 Chronicles 12:38-39 All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them."

Parallel: "Matthew 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:"

One war tactic is Satan and his kingdom sending false prophets and teachers that speak false prophecies. They, like what Satan did to Eve, cause people to believe in lies that distort the truth and cause people to doubt what God commanded. They also spread misinterpretations of God's word and prophecies (example: the Left Behind books/movies). This is also part of God's judgment: demon possession.

"Isaiah 37:9-10 And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."

Parallel: "Ezekiel 37:9-10 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army."

"Ezekiel 17:17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:"

Parallel: "Deuteronomy 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold."

"Luke 14:31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?"

Parallel: "Proverbs 14:31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor."

"Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Parallel: Satan and his followers do exactly what Esau did which was rejecting his birthright which is also salvation.

"Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

Satan is an instrument of God's wrath. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ is our righteous judge and our ordained minister of the law of faith, God uses Satan to do the opposite: punishment and corrupted judgment. Satan is an ordained minister of the law of works and ordains false prophets, teachers, ministers, etc. These ministers are carnal and are not born again in the Holy Spirit.

"Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?"

God uses Satan for good towards those who God wants to try faith by fire (1 Peter 1:7-12).

"Romans 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

"Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Deeper Study

war with the saints:

The horn and horns represent evil secular and evil church leaders (kings/kingdoms). Daniel is a detailed prophetic book that explains, in conjunction with other books, of our time and future last days that lead up to the second coming of the Lord Jesus. The fourth beast does the most wicked things that the world and the saints have ever experienced (read Matthew 24).

"Daniel 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;"

All of Daniel Chapters 3, 4, 5, 7 and 12 speak more on this.

Let's explore this verse in greater detail for more clues.

and the same:

The land of Ethiopia symbolically represents where Satan dwells and rules.

"Genesis 2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia."

Parallel: "Revelation 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."

The giants of Genesis 6, spiritually, return to the earth after being destroyed, in the flesh, by the flood. Spiritually, this verse explains apostasy and eventual demon possession. Apostates then become spiritual giants (Christian celebrities, famed false prophets, renowned teachers, popular ministers) who go into churches and pollute God's sanctuary, create carnal, unsaved, and corrupted church members. Instead of imparting the Holy Spirit, they impart demons who then possess their members. As a result, these actions create antichrists (Satan's soldiers and men of war) and the Mystery Babylon church is formed.

"Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."

Parallel: The riders of the horses of the Apocalypse are Satan, and his soldiers or men of war. These evil spirits spiritually kill, through teaching unbelief in Jesus and causing demon possession, and they control and manipulate their human hosts to physically kill. Think of senseless shootings.

"Revelation 6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."

False teachers and prophets are teaching disobedience and unbelief.

"Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Mystery Babylon church is vexed with a devil (demon possessed) and will receive God's wrath.

"Matthew 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."

"Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:"

and prevailed against them:

"Judges 6:2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds."

Revelation 6:5-6's third seal connection is in the below verse. Jotham represents an antichrist king who taxes the people by making them sacrifice silver, wheat, barley (human souls).

"2 Chronicles 27:5 He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third."

"Acts 19:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."

More context on the above verse:

Exorcisms are not powered by the Holy Spirit, and a vagabond is spiritually homeless and unemployed. No one can overpower the Lord Jesus when that person's faith is valid.

"Acts 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth."

"Acts 19:14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so."

"Acts 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?"

In conclusion, the Lord Jesus Christ is the ONLY path to eternal salvation, to not be demon possessed (mark of the beast), and to not be controlled by Satan (mark of the beast). He tells us this in many verses what He will do we believe in Him, trust in Him, and obey His commandments.

The Lord Jesus was Himself bothered by the devil and never gave into temptations which are also sin. God carried and delivered Him through His Holy Spirit power and guidance. After the Lord Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit, He then casted out and healed people from those demons that cause poverty, homelessness, unemployment, sickness, mental health problems, physical disabilities, and mental disabilities.

He also gives spiritual gifts such as faith, prophecy, healing, ability to discern spirits, the ability to cast out demons, and save other people from hell through the Holy Spirit; these are the angels that reap at the end of the world.

"Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

"Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."

"Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw."

"Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."

"Matthew 17:18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour."

"John 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

"John 10:21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?"

"Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"

"1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

"Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."

"Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,"

Warnings against being captured by the devil through demon possession are all over the new testament. True faith, which involves obedience, is the block to captivity and demon possession.

"Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

"2 Timothy 2:25-26 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

"Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

We resist the devil not by fighting him directly, but through faith, prayer, obedience to the Lord Jesus, His commandments, and teachings. The Lord quoted scripture to Satan and kept obeying God when He was tempted.

"James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."