Are you keen to know the stark contrast in the lives of Christians, between those who triumph in their faith journey and those who falter? Will you be a lackadaisical Christian or a resolute one, standing strong in the spiritual realm, battling and prevailing? Today, Revelation 13 provides the answers. What is the ultimate fate of triumphant Christians, and what awaits those who do not overcome? The choice hinges on the decision within your heart.

To triumph, one must see past the veil of life and death. If one fears and cherishes their life above all else, victory will elude them. The Scripture states that those who cling to their lives will forfeit them, but those who do not treasure their lives will secure them. Which path will you tread?

Upon close reflection today, what principle can we discern? The fate of Christians who remain on earth and do not triumph is threefold. First, they are defeated by the beast. Second, they are slain for refusing to worship the image of the beast. Third, they are unable to engage in commerce without bearing the mark of the beast on their forehead or hand. Hence, triumph is paramount.

If you still harbour affection for this world, living for its allurements, the world's entanglements will bind you. To lead a triumphant life is arduous. Will you turn back to God today, forsaking the love of the world and its trappings? Today, we must be vigilant, lest we dwell in delusion, seeing through the facade of life and death, and living a Christian life of triumph, lest anything enslave us.

Introduction

This chapter of Revelation speaks of the essence of triumph. The frequent recurrence of the word triumph in Revelation underscores its significance as a central theme. Consider the words in Revelation 12: The brethren who did not love their lives overcame the devil in the heavens, that is, Satan, the ancient serpent. These brethren did not love their lives, even unto death; thus, this is the key to triumph.

To triumph, one must discern life and death. If one fears and cherishes their life above all else, victory will elude them! One must possess an intrinsic quality of not fearing death, for fear enslaves. Observe the world closely, and you will notice that those who fear death are often plagued with ailments and troubles. In the oncology wards of hospitals, those who dread death seem to succumb, while those who are fearless seem to endure.

Triumph Hinges on One's Inner State

An American entrepreneur, renowned for his sharp intellect, was the architect of many computer chips we use today. Diagnosed with cancer, he understood the inevitability of mortality and thus dismissed the fear of death. In fact, his fortitude was rooted in his eternal faith.

He stepped down from his senior management position to research cancer treatment in libraries, culminating in a book on cancer eradication. Two years later, his cancer had vanished, and he was in sound health. Some of our countrymen, upon reading this book, adhered to his prescriptions, only to find their conditions deteriorating. They wrote to the entrepreneur, querying the book's accuracy. But the crux of the matter lay in one’s fear of death.

The triumph over cancer hinges on one’s psychological state, which dictates their trajectory. Those who cherish their lives often fare poorly, while those who forsake their lives often thrive. Is this not peculiar? Yet, such is the paradox of life. Those who crave wealth may never attain it, while those who are indifferent to money may possess it abundantly.

Upon close reflection today, what principle can we discern? This principle mirrors the teachings in Scripture. Recall that in the preceding chapter, triumphant Christians were raised to meet the Lord, while those who did not triumph remained on earth.

Non-Triumphant Christians

And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the mortal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. People worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” (Revelation 13:2-4)

Where did this mortal wound originate? It came from the spiritual battles waged in the previous chapter by Christians who did not love their lives. The beast was wounded, but now it is formidable. The Christians on earth rise up to fight, but this time they are vanquished.

It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. (Revelation 13:7-8)

Consequently, this beast subdues every tribe, people, language, and nation. The world is unified under a single nation. Who is this beast? Extracting an identity is impossible, but we can discern that this beast resembles a leopard, with feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion, akin to a Pixiu (cf. Revelation 13:2). Now, we encounter another beast:

Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke with the voice of a dragon. It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of everyone. Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honour of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (Revelation 13:11-15)

For Christians who remain on the earth and do not triumph, their fate is threefold. First, they are defeated in battle against the beast. Second, they are compelled to worship the image of the beast, facing death for refusal. Third, they are barred from commerce without bearing the mark of the beast on their forehead or hand.

Triumph is Paramount

To reverse their fortunes, non-triumphant Christians must disregard death. To cherish life is to bow before the image of the beast. For non-triumphant Christians remaining on earth, if their names are in the Book of Life, death awaits them, unable to vanquish the beast or worship its image, and unable to participate in commerce. Triumph is the essence. The triumphant have been raptured; the non-triumphant now face such a fate.

For the first category of Christians, if they choose eternal life, opportunity remains. For the second, although Christians, they choose to worship the beast and its image, severing ties with the Book of Life. How long will they live? Those who evade execution live only three and a half years. The beast governs this world for a mere three and a half years, after which Jesus Christ reigns.

Revisiting the timeline of Revelation, the first segment focuses on the triumphant church. The second concerns the opening of the seven seals, which encompass the seven trumpets, which in turn contain the seven bowls.

Revelation 13 unveils the days before the seven bowls. To lead a servile existence by worshipping the beast grants survival for perhaps three and a half years, a period of immense tribulation. Today, brethren and sisters, we must triumph, becoming triumphant Christians who do not love their lives, even unto death, holding fast to the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of our faith.

Earthly Man's Greatest Delusion is to Live

Humanity is most deceived in its pursuit of life. Man's logic is simple: I must live, and to live, I need money, but this is not the truth. With money, one must labour diligently, but this is not the truth. It is only right to work, but one must not neglect their work. Man often fears mistakes in work, but the more they fear, the more mistakes they make, leading to a dire predicament. For in this world, what you fear will befall you, and what you cherish will enslave you. Thus, humanity's greatest delusion is to live.

Let me share a story from the Sino-Japanese War. The scion of a wealthy, multi-generational family married and, together with his wife, embraced faith. After embracing faith, he disregarded his family's enterprise, half of which was then seized by tenants, one of whom shrewdly usurped the majority of his estate.

Later, after liberation, the government began apprehending individuals, seizing this former scion and his grandfather. People questioned, Why arrest them? He is impoverished, left with only his dilapidated home. Seeing the error, the government released him and arrested the tenant who had commandeered the majority of his estate, executing him.

Alas, this tenant was unfortunate, spending most of his life as a tenant, then briefly seizing property, only to be executed. After a lifetime as a tenant, his appropriation of property led to his demise.

Why can man not see through this? How much money does one need in a lifetime? The truth is, one does not need so much. Therefore, brethren and sisters, we must discern these matters, lest we be misled. If misled, we begin to worship the beast, for if we do not, we face death. Do we choose to be slain or to live?

The beast likely reigns on earth for three and a half years, after which, like the unfortunate tenant, it fares even worse. Brethren and sisters, we must break free from this delusion, lest we perish in it.

Man assumes that death is the end, but the truth is, I am not concerned about life and death, for I live in eternity. Why fear? Whether life or death, I am indifferent. If indifferent to life and death, what can enslave us? Nothing can.

If nothing can enslave us, as we approach Revelation 13, the seventh trumpet has yet to sound. Revelation 11:15 records that day did not sound. Be triumphant Christians, starting with discerning life and death. Living a life of faith is very simple. If this is our reality, when the seven angels sound their trumpets in the heavens, we will be raised to meet the Lord in the air, and the tribulations of Revelation 12 to 15 will not concern us.

Do Not Be Confused About Life and Death; Believe in Living in Eternity

If you are confused today, when you get to Revelation chapter 13, you must know that at this time, you still have one more chance, which is to die for the Lord. Even if you are defeated by the beast, do not worship the beast or its image. You cannot even do business, or buy bread, or buy anything. Have the faith that even if it means death, so be it. When you get to chapter 13, listen to my advice. At this time, your name is still on the Book of Life. You still have eternal life. Do not be afraid. You ask: Is there really eternal life, or is it a false eternal life? Anyway, I believe that believing in eternal life is better than not believing in eternal life. There is hope; in fact, there is really eternal life.

A few days ago, I had a strong conviction to write a book called “The Spiritual Realm is Real.” If the spiritual realm is real, and ghosts and gods are real, then eternal life is also real. It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no value. So, if the flesh dies, let it die. Therefore, brothers and sisters, after listening to this passage today, by all means, be an overcoming Christian. If you have not overcome in the previous chapter, you must overcome in this chapter!

Do Not Indulge the Flesh and Care About Life and Death

Do not cherish your own life. Those who cherish their own lives end up in a very miserable state. Go to the cancer hospital and see how some cancer patients die. What conclusions will you draw after seeing this? Those who get cancer are the ones who cherish their own lives. So, if you do not have cancer, what should you do? Do not cherish your own life. Do not indulge your own flesh; indulging the flesh is of no value. I have said this many times. So, brothers and sisters, stop indulging in these carnal things. Some people like to use carnal methods to maintain their health. Today, I give you the best advice, which is to maintain your health through service. This is true health maintenance.

Therefore, the greatest confusion for people on earth is living. If you do not care much about living, then it is difficult for you to be deceived. A few days ago, a sister suffered from depression. We had previously cast out the spirit of depression, and after she was healed, she went back to trying to be above and not below, the head and not the tail, through her own efforts, and as a result, the depression returned.

So, you say, is this not bewitchment? Because hope is built on the world. In this world, there is only one thing, which is to trust in God, to be above and not below, the head and not the tail, not by one's own efforts. You say how painful it is for depression to return. It is very painful to have a mental illness, so I advise everyone not only to not care about your own life and death, but also not to care about the lives and deaths of your own family members. Once you care, you will collapse.

One day, my mother was lying in bed and said to me: Son, quickly call your younger brother to come. I said, what's wrong? My mother said: I'm going to die. If you were the child, what would you do? Half of the people would collapse, and half of the people should be like me, not collapse. I do not care much about who dies. People die every day, and they die in all kinds of ways.

A few days ago, we saw a video of a person staging a car accident who was spotted by the police. The police were going to arrest him, so he started to run away. While running, he dodged left and right and was hit and killed by a car. Then the judge ruled that the person who was hit and killed was fully responsible. In this era, you have to see through life and death. Just like when I saw my mother was about to die, I pulled her out of bed and led her to pray, and as a result, she got much better. She could stroll around and felt that she could live a few more years.

Today I tell you, indulging the flesh is death, and discerning good and evil is also death. Do not love the world or the things in the world, even if you love the world like Genghis Khan, or like Alexander, or like the Roman emperors, what does it amount to in the end? Today, they have all passed away. Alexander was very interesting. He was very good at fighting in his eastern and western expeditions. When he died, he realized: Oh, I messed up my life. When I was alive, I did not see through the eastern and western expeditions. When I was about to die, I had two holes dug on each side of my coffin, and I put my hands outside. Why did people do this? To let people see that my hands are empty. When I was alive, I grabbed this and that, and in the end, I only grabbed death.

Today, we must no longer live in confusion, but live clearly, see through life and death, and live out a victorious life. Nothing can control us, and nothing can deprive us of the blessing of eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ. You have to see through it. How can you see through if you do not have eternal life, right? So, do you really have eternal life? Yes, we do! When we know that the spiritual realm is real, you will not disbelieve in eternal life.

The Patience and Faith of Overcoming Saints

Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:10)

If you are a Christian, seeing the miserable end of those who are not overcoming, what choice will you make after reading this? You must learn the patience and faith of the saints. With the patience and faith of the saints, we are determined to be overcoming Christians and see through this world. Whether you like it or not, God has revealed to us the end of this world. Can you attain the patience and faith of the saints? Although it is hard today, it is much better than not overcoming, not overcoming is even harder.

So, brothers and sisters, who are the overcoming Christians in Revelation chapter 12 and the non-overcoming Christians in chapter 13 written for? They are written for today's overcomers. When these overcomers see the end of these non-overcomers, they think: Oh, this will not work. By all means, I must be an overcoming Christian. Then in chapter 14, those who worship the beast and its image and receive the mark of its name have no rest day or night. Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep God's commandments and persevere in the true way. The patience of these saints does not refer to the patience at this time, but to the patience of the overcoming Christians. So, brothers and sisters, after reading it, wake up immediately.

What else do you care about when you wake up? Things like life and death, boss, work, interpersonal relationships, making money, are no longer important, and you are no longer afraid. You only care about one thing: no matter what happens in this world, we can overcome the devil. Fight a victorious battle in this spiritual world. The price of not overcoming is too great. The pain of not overcoming is also written here. If some people have no peace day or night, and some people are killed, how can they live that kind of life? That is choosing not to be greedy for life and afraid of death, because even if you are greedy for life and afraid of death, you will not be able to live. Brothers and sisters, do not care about your own life and death, be an overcoming Christian! This is so important!

When I used to read Revelation chapter 13, the patience and faith of the saints, and the patience and faith of the saints in chapters 13 and 14, referred to those who were not overcoming. Today, I finally truly understand that it refers to the overcomers in chapter 13. The patience and faith of the overcoming Christians is because they have seen the result of not overcoming that the Holy Spirit has already revealed to us, so today, by all means, we must overcome.

You must truly know the goodness of the result of overcoming. What does the Chinese Mingding Destiny that we preach today mean? It is the theology of overcoming, not a mysterious thing about being saved and going to heaven, which is not explained so clearly in the Bible. But the Bible does say that if you are saved, you will strive to enter into perfection and become an overcoming Christian.

The Bible clearly records what the overcoming Christians are like. What could be better than doing this? We are in eternity, directly enjoying the glory of eternity with the Lord Jesus, receiving rewards, and overcoming the devil. Even if we are killed to death, we do not cherish our own lives. All the promises of God in the Bible are ours. Fight victoriously and obtain the promises. This is a wonderful thing.

It is very dangerous for people not to overcome, and all they get is pain. Not only must we overcome today, but also in eternity we must draw on God's promises. If you do not overcome today, you will not live well today, let alone in the situation in Revelation chapters 12 to 14, it will be even more uncomfortable. So today, brothers and sisters, the revelation that God has given us is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength, and to love Him alone. Even to the point of death, do not cherish your own lives, and all the good promises will be ours. Amen, may God bless everyone!