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(KJV) Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
THE BOOK OF LIFE FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD – BEAST … ONCE WAS … NOW IS NOT AND YET WILL COME / REVELATION 17:8
THE BOOK OF LIFE FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD
These words do not mean that God has already determined who will be saved and who will be condemned. Though He knows all, He does not override the free will He gave us to choose whether to accept or reject Him. John even indicates that a person’s name may be erased from the book of life by disloyalty to Christ and failure to overcome sin and evil (Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Psalms 69:28). The original Greek text can be understood as meaning that “the book of life” itself existed from the creation of the world, not the names that would be in it. Those described here are people who have rejected Christ by their own choosing; they can be identified with the ungodly who follow the beast and are headed with him toward eternal destruction in the lake of fire.
BEAST … ONCE WAS … NOW IS NOT AND YET WILL COME
Some interpret this verse to mean that the antichrist is a person who once lived in history, but is now dead, and in the future will come up out of the Abyss, remain on earth for a period of time and then finally be destroyed (Revelation 17:8-11; 19:20). However, the Bible is clear that after death comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27-29), not another life on earth. Also, since God is the only one who can give life or resurrection, there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that He would ever give that power to anyone but His Son, Jesus. Others relate this passage to John’s statement in Revelation 13:3 about the beast recovering from a fatal wound. But it is more likely that the beast of this prophetic vision represents the world political system that has existed in the form of many dominant world empires of the past, which have risen and fallen. Yet such a system has not existed in the form described here since the fall of the Roman Empire (the context in which the original readers of John’s time would have viewed Revelation). Since that time, the world political system has been like the mixture of iron and clay described in Daniel’s vision (Daniel 2:41-43). However, during the tribulation period, a new dominant world empire will emerge for a brief time, ruled by the antichrist who is possessed and empowered by Satan. This explains why the beast’s empire is described as ascending “ out of the Abyss” (“bottomless pit”). Perhaps “the world will be astonished when they see the best” (Revelation 17:8) because the possibility for a unified world government had seemed unlikely before he came along. Yet, this empire will not last for long because its destiny is destruction (along with its leader). The antichrist is destined both to destroy and be destroyed (Revelation 19:20)
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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter
- THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS / REVELATION 17:6
- MYSTERY – BABYLON THE GREAT / REVELATION 17:5
- A GOLDEN CUP / REVELATION 17:4
- A SCARLET BEAST / REVELATION 17:3
- INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH / REVELATION 17:2
- SAID TO ME – THE GREAT PROSTITUTE / REVELATION 17:1
- ARMAGEDDON / REVELATION 16:16
- SPIRITS OF DEMONS PERFORMING MIRACULOUS SIGNS / REVELATION 16:14
- FROGS / REVELATION 16:13
- KINGS FROM THE EAST / REVELATION 16:12
- REFUSED TO REPENT / REVELATION 16:11
- THE THRONE OF THE BEAST / REVELATION 16:10
- INTENSE HEAT / REVELATION 16:9
- JUST ARE YOUR JUDGEMENTS / REVELATION 16:7
- IT TURNED INTO BLOOD / REVELATION 16:3
- GOD’S WRATH / REVELATION 16:1
- FILLED WITH THE WRATH OF GOD / REVELATION 15:7
- THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY / REVELATION 15:5
- VICTORIOUSS OVER THE BEAST / REVELATION 15:2-3
- SEVEN LAST PLAGUES / REVELATION 15:1
- BLOOD FLOWED OUT / REVELATION 14:20
- THE GREAT WINEPRESS / REVELATION 14:19
- LIKE A SON OF MAN / REVELATION 14:14-16
- BLESSED … DIE IN THE LORD / REVELATION 14:13
- WHO OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS / REVELATION 14:12
- IF ANYONE WORSHIPS THE BEAST / REVELATION 14:9-10
- FALLEN IS BABYLON / REVELATION 14:8
- THE ETERNAL GOSPEL TO PROCLAIM / REVELATION 14:6
- DID NOT DEFILE THEMSELVES WITH WOMEN / REVELATION 14:4
- MOUNT ZION – WITH HIM 144,000 / REVELATION 14:1
- HIS NUMBER IS 666 / REVELATION 13:18
- A MARK / REVELATION 13:16
- REFUSED TO WORSHIP THE IMAGE TO BE KILLED / REVELATION 13:15
- WORSHIP THE FIRST BEAST / REVELATION 13:12
- ANOTHER BEAST / REVELATION 13:11
- ALL WILL WORSHIP THE BEAST – LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN FROM THE CREATION / REVELATION 13:8
- MAKE WAR AGAINST THE SAINTS / REVELATION 13:7
- A FATAL WOUND / REVELATION 13:3
- BEAST … LEOPARD / REVELATION 13:2
- A BEAST COMING OUT OF THE SEA / REVELATION 13:1
- DRAGON … WENT OFF TO MAKE WAR / REVELATION 12:17
- PURSUED THE WOMAN / REVELATION 12:13
- DEVIL … FILLED WITH FURY / REVELATION 12:12
- THEY OVERCAME HIM / REVELATION 12:11
- ACCUSER OF OUR BROTHERS / REVELATION 12:10
- WAR IN HEAVEN / REVELATION 12:7-9
- THE WOMAN FLED / REVELATION 12:6
- A MALE CHILD / REVELATION 12:5
- A THIRD OF THE STARS / REVELATION 12:4
- AN ENORMOUS RED DRAGON / REVELATION 12:3
- WONDROUS SIGN APPEARED – A WOMAN / REVEALATION 12:1
- TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS / REVELATION 11:16
- THE SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDED / REVELATION 11:15
- TERROR STRUCK THOSE WHO SAW THEM / REVELATION 11:11
- THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH WILL GLOAT / REVELATION 11:9
- THE BEAST … KILL THEM / REVELATION 11:7
- OLIVE TREES … LAMPSTANDS / REVELATION 11:4
- MY TWO WITNESSES / REVELATION 11:3
- TRAMPLE ON THE HOLY CITY / REVELATION 11:2
- MEASURE THE TEMPLE / REVELATION 11:1
- TAKE IT AND EAT IT / REVELATION 10:9
- MYSTERY OF GOD / REVELATION 10:7
- SEVEN THUNDERS / REVELATION 10:3
- A LITTLE SCROLL / REVELATION 10:2
- ANOTHER MIGHTY ANGEL / REVELATION 10:1
- THEIR MAGIC ARTS / REVELATION 9:21
- STILL DID NOT REPENT / REVELATION 9:20
- FIRE, SMOKE AND SULFUR / REVELATION 9:18
- MY VISION LOOKED LIKE THIS / REVELATION 9:17
- TWO HUNDRED MILLION / REVELATION 9:16
- RELEASE THE FOUR ANGELS / REVELATION 9:14
- AS KING OVER THEM / REVELATION 9:11
- THE LOCUSTS LOOKED LIKE HORSES / REVELATION 9:7
- SEEK DEATH BUT WILL NOT FIND IT / REVELATION 9:6
- LOCUSTS CAME DOWN / REVELATION 9:3
- THE STAR … THE ABYSS / REVELATION 9:1
- AN EAGLE THAT WAS FLYING / REVELATION 8:13
- A THIRD / REVELATION 8:12
- WORMWOOD / REVELATION 8:10-11
- HAIL AND FIRE MIXED WITH BLOOD / REVELATION 8:7
- PRAYERS OF ALL THE SAINTS / REVELATION 8:3
- TRUMPETS / REVELATION 8:2
- THE SEVENTH SEAL / SILENCE IN HEAVEN / REVELATION 8:1
- GOD WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR / REVELATION 7:17
- THE GREAT TRIBULATION / REVELATION 7:14
- GREAT MULTITUDE / REVELATION 7:9
- SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD / REVELATION 7:2
- 144,000 FROM ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL / REVELATION 7:4
- I SAW FOUR ANGELS / REVELATION 7:1
- FALL ON US – THE WRATH OF THE LAMB / REVELATION 6:16
- GREAT EARTHQUAKE / REVELATION 6:12-13
- BROTHERS WHO WERE TO BE KILLED / REVELATION 6:11
- JUDGE AND AVENGE OUR BLOOD / REVELATION 6:10
- SLAIN BECAUSE OF THE WORD OF GOD / REVELATION 6:9
- A PALE HORSE / REVELATION 6:8
- A BLACK HORSE / REVELATION 6:5
- HORSE … FIERY RED ONE / REVELATION 6:4
- A WHITE HORSE / REVELATION 6:2
- THE LAMB OPENED / REVELATION 6:1
- WORTHY IS THE LAMB / REVELATION 5:12
- THE PRAYERS OF SAINTS / REVELATION 5:8
- A LAMB AS IF IT HAD BEEN SLAIN / REVELATION 5:6
- THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH / REVELATION 5:5
- I WEPT AND WEPT / REVELATION 5:4
- A SCROLL / REVELATION 5:1
- THEY LAY THEIR CROWNS / REVELATION 4:9-10
- HOLY, HOLY, HOLY / REVELATION 4:8
- FOUR LIVING CREATURES / REVELATION 4:6
- SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD / REVELATION 4:5
- TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS / REVELATION 4:4
- A THRONE IN HEAVEN / REVELATION 4:2-3
- AFTER THIS / REVELATION 4:1
- THE SPIRIT … THE CHURCHES / REVELATION 3:22
- IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE / REVELATION 3:20
- YOU DO NOT REALIZE / REVELATION 3:17-18
- NEITHER COLD NOR HOT – LUKEWARM / REVELATION 3:15-16
- THE AMEN / REVELATION 3:14
- I AM COMING SOON / REVELATION 3:11
- THE HOUR OF TRIAL / REVELATION 3:10
- PHILADELPHIA / REVELATION 3:7
- A FEW PEOPLE IN SARDIS / REVELATION 3:4
- YOU ARE DEAD / REVELATION 3:1-2
- I WILL GIVE THE MORNING STAR / REVELATION 2:28
- HOLD ON … UNTIL I COME / REVELATION 2:25
- THE REST OF YOU / REVELATION 2:24
- HER CHILDREN /REVELATION 2:23
- YOU TOLERATE THAT WOMAN JEZEBEL, WHO CALLS HERSELF A PROPHETESS / REVELATION 2:20
- HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS – A WHITE STONE WITH A NEW NAME / REVELATION 2:17
- HE WHO OVERCOMES / REVELATION 2:17
- FIGHT AGAINST THEM / REVELATION 2:16
- THE TEACHING OF BALAAM / REVELATION 2:14
- WHERE SATAN HAS HIS THRONE / REVELATION 2:13
- THE SECOND DEATH / REVELATION 2:11
- CROWN OF LIFE / REVELATION 2:10
- POVERY / REVELATION 2:9
- TO HIM WHO OVERCOMES / REVELATION 2:7
- YOU HATE THE PRACTICES OF THE NICOLAITANS, WHICH I ASLO HATE / REVELATION 2:6
- REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND / REVELATION 2:5
- FORSAKEN YOUR FIRST LOVE / REVELATION 2:4
- WHO CLAIM TO BE APOSTLES / REVELATION 2:1-2
- WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN – WHAT IS NOW AND WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE / REVELATION 1:19
- SEVEN STARS / REVELATION 1:16
- A SON OF MAN / REVELATION 1:13
- SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS / REVELATION 1:12
- IN THE SPIRIT / REVELATION 1:10-11
- ISLAND OF PATMOS / REVELATION 1:9
- THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA / REVELATION 1:8
- HE IS COMING / REVELATION 1:7
- HIM WHO IS, AND WHO WAS, AND WHO IS TO COME / REVELATION 1:4-5
- TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES / REVELATION 1:4
- BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO READS / REVELATION 1:3
- REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST / REVELATION 1:1-2
- DEATH AND HADES – THE LAKE OF FIRE / REVELATION 20:14
- ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY HAD DONE / REVELATION 20:12
- EARTH AND SKY FLED / REVELATION 20:11
- GREAT WHITE THRONE / REVELATION 20:11-13
- THE FIRST RESURRECTION / REVELATION 20:6
- THRONES ON WHICH WERE SEATED / REVELATION 20:4
- KEEP HIM FROM DECEIVING THE NATIONS ANYMORE / REVELATION 20:3
- BUT THE COWARDLY, THE UNBELIEVING / REVELATION 21:8
- DRAGON … BOUND HIM FOR A THOUSAND YEARS / REVELATION 20:2
- THE DEVIL … THE LAKE OF BURNING SULFUR / REVELATION 20:10
- SURROUNDED THE CAMP OF GOD’S PEOPLE / REVELATION 20:9
- DECEIVE THE NATIONS / REVELATION 20:8
- SATAN WILL BE RELEASED / REVELATION 20:7
- FALSE PROPHET … THE MIRACULOUS / REVELATION 19:20
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