REVELATION ITS GRAND CLIMAX AT HAND!/Chapter Twenty Eight - The Death Stroke - Continue

 Mankind has even gone beyond admiring the wild beast, as John next states:  "And they worshiped the dragon because it gave the authority to the wild beast, and they worshiped the wild beast with words: 'who is like the wild beast, and who can do battle with  it?'" (Revelation 13:4) While Jesus was here on earth, Satan claimed to have authority over all the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus did not dispute this; in fact, he himself referred  to Satan as the ruler of the world and refused to participat in the politics of that day.  John later wrote of true Christians:  "We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one." (1 John 5:19; Luke 4:5-8; John 6:15; 14:30)  Satan delegates authority to the wild beast, and he does this on a nationalistic basis. Thus, instead of being united in bonds of godly love, mankind has become  divided by pride of tribe, race, and nation. The majority of people  worship in effect, that part of the wild beast having authority in the land where to happen to live. Thus the whole beasts gains admiration in worship.

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