Lamb or Beast
In Revelation, humanity is divided into two and only two groups – followers of the Lamb and the subjects of the Beast.
Every man and woman either “tabernacles in
heaven” or is included among the “inhabitants of the earth.” These
descriptions are NOT geographical or spatial. Instead, they reflect the allegiance of either group.
The men who
“tabernacle in heaven” are the ones who “follow the Lamb wherever he
goes” no matter the cost. The group called the “inhabitants of the earth” is comprised of all men who choose
to give their allegiance to the “Beast from the sea” and take its “mark.”
There is no third alternative.
And the “inhabitants
of the earth” include men and women from “every tribe and
people and tongue and nation.” No one is excluded because of his or her
nationality, ethnicity, or gender. What qualifies someone for membership is his or her submission to the “Beast.”
Likewise, anyone who elects to follow the “Lamb” has his name
written in the “book of life,” and he is included among those who
“tabernacle in heaven,” namely, all men and women redeemed by the “blood
of the Lamb” from “every tribe and
people and tongue and nation.”
INHABITANTS OF THE EMPIRE
In the book
of Daniel, the majority of citizens in the Babylonian Empire heed the king’s
“herald” by rendering homage to the golden image “erected” by Nebuchadnezzar.
It measures 60 cubits by 6 cubits – (Daniel 3:1-6).
By swearing
fealty to the king and his image, the inhabitants of Babylon avoid death in the
“burning fiery furnace.” No citizen must suffer that horrific fate except
the ones who refuse to give Nebuchadnezzar the absolute loyalty that he demands. But if anyone refuses, he
suffers death by fire in Babylon’s “furnace.”
In contrast, in the book of Revelation, the “inhabitants of the earth” that do render homage to the “Beast” seal their own fate in the “lake of fire that is burning with brimstone.”
The “inhabitants”
of the beastly World Empire bear the “brand” of the “Beast,”
and because they take its “number,” 600, 60, and 6, their names
are excluded from the “book of life,” and consequently, they endure the
“second death” in the “lake of fire.”
TABERNACLING IN HEAVEN
Those who “tabernacle
in heaven” are identified by Revelation variously as “saints,”
“lampstands,” those who have the “testimony of Jesus,” and those
who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
Rather than
bowing before the image of the “Beast,” they are found standing with the
“Lamb” on “Mount Zion.” Rather than the “mark of the beast,”
they have the “seal of God” inscribed on their foreheads.
This group
includes men who have been redeemed by the “blood of the Lamb from every tribe, and
tongue, and people, and nation.” No one
is excluded because of his or her nationality, gender, or ethnicity.
What
distinguishes members of this group from the “inhabitants of the earth”
is their allegiance to the “Lamb.” They “follow him wherever he goes”
even when doing so means death. And when they do, they “overcome” in the
very same way as the “Lamb”:
- “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and BECAUSE they loved not their life unto death.”
Therefore,
their names are “written in the Lamb’s book of life,” and they will not
taste the “second death.” Instead, they participate in the “first
resurrection” and are found in the city of “New Jerusalem” standing
before the Throne and the “Lamb” - “And he that sits on the throne
shall spread his tabernacle over
them.”
And there
is no middle ground, no third option, no “safety zone” in any supposed holdout
nation. The “Beast” is granted authority over “over every tribe and people and tongue and
nation,” and in Revelation, “all” means ALL without exception.
Either you “follow the Lamb wherever he goes” and inherit life, or you render homage to the “Beast” and endure the “second death.” It is one or the other.
Believers
must decide now to whom they give their allegiance. In the kingdom of God,
there is no concept of “dual citizenship” or room for split loyalties. At the
critical moment, will they follow the “Lamb” no matter what he requires or
will they bow in submission to the “Beast”?
Ultimately,
how you respond to the “Lamb” now determines whether your name is “written
in the Lamb’s book of life,” or expunged from it forevermore.
