Revelation Chapter 13 — For Children and the Child Within
John looked,
and out of the sea rose something wild and strange…
A great beast with seven heads and ten horns—
a creature made from many things.
It looked like a leopard,
had feet like a bear,
and a mouth like a lion.
This wasn’t a real animal,
but a picture—a symbol—
of something powerful and proud,
something that tried to rule the world without love.
The dragon—
that old shadow from before—
gave the beast its power.
And the world watched.
Some people were amazed.
They followed the beast and said,
“Who can stand against this?”
But others—those with the Light inside—
knew this power was not true.
They remembered the Lamb.
The beast spoke with loud words,
pretending to be wise.
It told people to forget the Lamb,
to worship power, not love.
And for a time,
the beast was allowed to speak and rule.
It tried to make war
against the ones who followed the Light—
but even then,
it could not take away their truth.
Then John saw another beast,
this one coming from the earth.
It looked gentle—like a lamb—
but it spoke with the voice of a dragon.
It used clever signs,
and told stories that made people believe in the first beast.
It even made an image of the beast,
and told everyone to worship it.
Those who said no… were treated unfairly.
But they stood strong.
Then came a test.
Everyone was asked to take a mark—
on their hand or forehead.
It was called the mark of the beast,
and without it, people couldn’t buy or sell in the city.
It was a number—six hundred sixty-six—
but it wasn’t just a number.
It was a choice.
Would they follow fear…
or would they stay true to the Lamb?
John wrote this warning with care:
“Let the wise understand.
This number is not just for counting.
It is a symbol of what happens
when people forget who they are—
when they trade the Light for shadows.”
Even though the beasts seemed strong,
John knew something deeper:
Their time was short.
And the Lamb would shine again.
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