Fatal Wound Enigma - Rumor notes 104

 Revelation 13

3 One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"

One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally

ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. (v. 1)

There is only one of the seven heads that is wounded with an apparently fatal blow. Yet all of the heads have blasphemous names. We need to keep this in mind, for as we have noted above, the entire system of governance and this kind of authority is foreign to God's system because it was conceived in iniquity . What this passage highlights here is that one head in particular receives the great blow, meaning that likely this one entity likely was the most assertive, outspoken and aggressive in its rebellion against God's principles of love.

This head that is wounded is described more fully in the following verses.

A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven. It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed. (Revelation 13:5-8)

This apparently fatal wound resonates with the very first prophecy given designed to bring hope after the initial entrance of sin into our world, indicating there would be a compelling pushback by the kingdom of light to resist the dominion of Satan.

I [Yahweh] will put enmity between you [serpent/dragon] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

I want to point out an important correlation between two events that may be alluded to here. First, Satan seized control of the dominion of this planet as soon as Adam acquiesced to eat from the Tree, relinquishing his dominion by presenting himself to serve the dragon through eating the fruit from the tree representing the serpent's form of governance.

Don't you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

Humanity's head chose deliberately to obey the author of the counterfeit system of governance, so all of Adam's descendants were brought under the tyranny of slavery and lost their freedom collectively. That is the law of inheritance operating. Children born to slaves are also slaves and owned by the slave-master who owned their parents. This is what we are up against living in these last days longing for full deliverance from the power of our fallen flesh nature.

The first major blow to the dragon's authority happened when Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, given Him the right to take away Satan's authority as representative of humanity in the courts of heaven to assume that position Himself. Additionally, the stunning revelation of the truth about God's character of pure love, light, truth and humility was exposed through the perfect reflection of God's heart in the human demonstration by the Son of Man. This caused the dragon to be exposed as the great fraud that he is and sent him scrambling to invent new deceptions to recover his credibility and to cover up and suppress the truth that had been released by Christ that was like a fatal blow to the entire system based on inventions originating in the head of the dragon.

Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

The arrest of the Pope in Rome in 1798 by a french general to put an end to the reign of terror propagated by the Holy Roman Empire was an apparently fatal wound not unlike the one the dragon had experienced around 1800 years previous. For a time it appeared that this wound would be irreversible, yet given enough time we see that this same power that received that mortal wound is coming back with even greater force, though presently still seeking to camouflage its true agenda until the time is ripe to reassert its power and make war on the saints of God to overcome them.

This reference to Rome must be kept in the forefront, for in the vision of Daniel it was represented by the fourth beast coming after the other three beasts already mentioned here in Revelation 13.

After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the animals that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:7-8)

As political Rome weakened in power, its tactics and character were absorbed into a new amalgamation power that mingled both politics and religion, gaining ascendancy over other weaker powers until becoming the prominent force that dominated the Western hemisphere, ruling the world through relentless tyranny and relying on the principles and methods of the dragon in order to increase and assert its authority mercilessly until it confronted by the French revolution.

After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. (Daniel 7:7-8 NAS95)

I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them (Daniel 7:21 NAS95)

As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:24-25 NAS95)

This entity figures prominently in both the prophecies of Daniel as well as in Revelation, meaning that it must be a major player in the war between the dragon with the forces of darkness, against the Lamb leading all who choose to embrace the true light about God. This is given to alert us to watch and be ready in our minds and hearts in order that we not be caught unawares when these events explode in the last assaults initiated by the dragon in his fierce attempts to exterminate all who dare retain their loyalty to the Lamb and all that He stands for.

His fatal wound was healed

He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (Revelation 13:12)

He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. (Revelation 13:14)

One way of 'healing' the apparent fatal wound that was initially delivered by the true Lamb who exposed the charges of Satan against God as invalid, has been through the development of a matrix of new compelling lies about the meaning of the cross of Christ. All the world generally embraces the lies of appeasement atonement that eclipses the radical revelation of the true atonement.

The second and primary application of this healing refers specifically to the recovery of papal power resurfacing presently and soon to be fully recovered in an astonishing display of religious and political clout. This will be achieved partly by gaining the admiration, cooperation and renewed authority from the world who gives it power to finally accomplish its original sinister goal of crushing out all resistance to its teachings and world domination.

This amalgamated beast worked ardently to reestablish old lies along with myriads of new ones until its power was curtailed by its overthrow in 1798. But again it strangely survived, primarily because the underlying misrepresentations of God developed by Satan have remained in tact, so despite the political blow dealt to this surrogate power by an earthly political power, the root belief system has been able to regain status in the world and strengthen its base until today it is once again poised to assert its power with the same motives and methods as that used by the dragon.

the whole earth marveled at the beast

I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement. The angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, and shall be present. (Revelation 17:6-8)

These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. (Jude 1:16 NIV)

But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one, to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is that great power of God." They listened to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. (Acts 8:9-11)

Practice sorcery – magic, a magician, one who practices sorcery.

The word sorcery itself has very compelling inferences especially in what we are seeing happen around the world right now. Consider the chilling prediction of heaven in reference to how deception will be accomplished in the last days.

The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived. (Revelation 18:23)

Here the word sorcery comes from the Greek word pharmakeia: medication ("pharmacy"), i.e. (by extension) magic (literally or figuratively):--sorcery, witchcraft.

In turn this word is based on another Greek word pharmakeus: from pharmakon (a drug, i.e. spell-giving potion); a druggist ("pharmacist") or poisoner, i.e. (by extension) a magician:--sorcerer.

In the Hebrew this word is `anan and means to cover; to cloud over; figuratively, to act covertly, i.e. practice magic, enchanter, observer of times, soothsayer, sorcerer. It also means a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e. the nimbus or thunder-cloud: cloudy.

With these clear definitions relating to deception by obscuring the light of truth, I can't help but see strong links to another prophecy we studied sometime ago in chapter 9.

The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. Then out of the smoke came forth locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don't have God's seal on their foreheads. They were given power not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when it strikes a person. In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people's faces. They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war. They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is "Abaddon," but in Greek, he has the name "Apollyon." (Revelation 9:1-11)

What else can we do but to connect the dots that God has laid out long ago. Those who have ears, let them hear as Jesus said a number of times.

They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast

Worship involves who we rely on to show to us what God is like, which in turn is how we determine what it is like us to act like ourselves in whatever situation we come into. The god we worship is whomever is given our authority to guide our decisions and reactions and define how like to act like ourselves in our group identity as defined by that god. The reason they worship both the dragon and the beast is because they share common attributes, common goals, common craving for power, worship and control to dominate the world. As the dragon brings to the forefront his surrogate agents to carry our his agenda on earth, the attention and compliance given to them is by extension worship directly given to him, for it is through embracing the spirit and coming to share desires and beliefs about what methods God should use to win the war that constitutes the worship given to them.

When we appreciate the actual way authority is given to another, this phrase takes on new perspective. True transfer of authority means consent for someone else to access the soul, to get involved in their life. It involves the exercise of the will, so in order to give God authority in our lives we must make choices to give Him access to our will and consent to let Him have His way rather than insisting on our desires. We defer everything to God, trusting in His goodness and superior perspective in every situation. This was exampled by Jesus when He prayed in the garden for God's will to be done rather than His own. This is how God was given full authority in the life of Christ, not just in that instance but all throughout His life where here on earth.

What would it look like for the dragon to give his authority to the beast given this perspective of how authority is released? I don't think the dragon consents to defer to the beast as the final word, that is unless the beast is already so tuned to the spirit of the dragon that it would make no difference. What this could refer to is the investment of power, for when we give God full authority through submission of our will to always defer to His will, God's power is then authorized to carry out God's work in and through us which is part of the good news of the gospel.

What we are witnessing here is the operation of the counterfeit imitating the true power of the gospel from God in our lives. It is the power of Satan that is released through manipulation and cooperation of these entities making their appearance in this chapter who all synchronize with the agenda and spirit of the dragon and who are so bent on taking control that the dragon trusts them with his power to do his will in them. And we know what the desire and will of the dragon is, for it has not changed since the outset of this war. The dragon wants to overcome and destroy all who are in alignment with the light of truth and love, for that is a mortal threat to the very existence of the dragon and his agenda to exalt himself and gain power, not just over this world but to extend it to the whole universe if possible. He wants to consolidate his power first here on earth, and if that is achieved he might be in a position to export his rebellion further once God's authority is eliminated from this planet. Introducing a false trinity and creating an image to the beast and bringing it to life like God did with Adam at the beginning could then replace God's likeness in humanity with the likeness of Satan's version of God. That is what this whole war is all about, who humanity will reflect in regards to how we perceive God as His created reflectors.

The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn't repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn't worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. (Revelation 9:20)

They served their idols, which became a snare to them. Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood. (Psalms 106:36-38)

Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. He said to him, "I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" (Matthew 4:8-10)

But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don't desire that you would have communion with demons. You can't both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can't both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Corinthians 10:20-22)

Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish; in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. For we don't preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake; (2 Corinthians 4:3-5)

they worshiped the beast

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:9-11 NIV)

I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn't worship the beast nor his image, and didn't receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived, and reigned with Christ for the thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)

The head mentioned as receiving an apparently fatal wound, was the singular power that engaged most aggressively after the ascent of the Son in misrepresenting God, distorting His image by portraying Him as harsh, severe, condemning, demanding and needing to be bribed before relenting to grant forgiveness. These beliefs had been developed in pagan religions long before, but now they become amalgamated into an entity resembling the dragon, meaning that this power reflects the attributes and disposition of the dragon rather than the Lamb. In doing so the dragon is worshiped, for whenever we view God according to the spin placed on Him by this massive religious-political entity or anything similar, our perception of reality and how to act like ourselves is shaped by this power that claims to be God's representative vicar on earth, and in effect the dragon is worshiped.

Given the definition of worship explained above, what does it mean to worship the beast? This whole passage actually explains how worship happens, and it begins with marveling or wonder, amazement over something or someone, even if we do not like what we are witnessing. Wonder and amazement is how our imagination is captured, and since our imagination is synonymous with faith, you can see the implications of allowing our imagination to be riveted by a sinister, evil power that so preoccupies our thinking that it blinds us to the light of truth, love and wonder for God that we must have in order to remain close to the Lamb. This is why the angel guide for John in this vision reacted so strongly when he was caught up in this kind of wonder when he caught sight of the woman in the wilderness that had transformed herself into a superstar prostitute wielding magical spells over all the kings of the earth and in tight collusion with the dragon beast.

Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"

Who is like... This directly alerts us that this really has to do with character shaped by what we have chosen to believe about what God is like. To be human means to reflect whatever image we imagine God's heart is towards us, and the process over time of beholding or imagining our character is transformed into the same image, either forming a character in harmony with the character of God as reflected by His Son as a human being on earth, or into the image of the beast's version of God that reflects the disposition and character of the dragon, the opposite of God.

God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion...." (Genesis 1:26 WEB)

Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

These people are wondering after the beast, living in amazement over its power, intimidated by its threats of overwhelming force designed to compel any and all opposition to conform to its agenda. By convincing people there is no possible way this compelling force can be defeated, whether or not they agree with its agenda, they end up complying to its demands just to preserve their own lives.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. (Mark 8:35)

This is not just a promise but a statement of a foundational principle of reality. We must remain constantly aware that what we allow to occupy our imagination most of the time will define the nature of the character we end up with, for it is impossible not to take on the spirit and nature of whatever it is that occupies our imagination. Our imagination is our faith, and whoever receives our faith has the deciding influence over our destiny. This is where the real war is being fought, and today we see it intensifying as never before as these surrogates of the dragon unleash their strategy and articulate deceptions to capture the imagination of every person on the planet through use of intimidation, threats, enticements and compulsion.

Who is able to make war with him?

They told the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath has come; and who is able to stand?" (Revelation 6:16-17)

Hear, Israel: you are to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to the sky, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard say, Who can stand before the sons of Anak? Know therefore this day, that Yahweh your God is he who goes over before you as a devouring fire; he will destroy them, and he will bring them down before you: so shall you drive them out, and make them to perish quickly, as Yahweh has spoken to you. (Deuteronomy 9:1-3)

He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of Yahweh, he struck of the people fifty thousand seventy men; and the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the people with a great slaughter. The men of Beth Shemesh said, Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us? They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of Yahweh; come you down, and bring it up to you. (1 Samuel 6:19-21)

As he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them. All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. (1 Samuel 17:23-24)

Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down its tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in its nose, or pierce its jaw with a hook? Will it make many supplications to you? Will it speak soft words to you? Will it make a covenant with you to be taken as your servant forever? Will you play with it as with a bird, or will you put it on leash for your girls? Will traders bargain over it? Will they divide it up among the merchants? Can you fill its skin with harpoons, or its head with fishing spears? Lay hands on it; think of the battle; you will not do it again! Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed; were not even the gods overwhelmed at the sight of it? No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up. Who can stand before it? (Job 41:1-10 NRSV)

Nebuchadnezzar answered them, Is it on purpose, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don't serve my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, well: but if you don't worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands? (Daniel 3:14-15)

Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another? (James 4:12)

Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. They didn't prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:7-9)

These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. They also will overcome who are with him, called and chosen and faithful. (Revelation 17:14)

I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. (Revelation 19:11)

A wise man has great power; and a knowledgeable man increases strength; for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors. (Proverbs 24:5-6)

The multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all who fight against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, will be like a dream, a vision of the night. It will be like when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his hunger isn't satisfied; or like when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and he is still thirsty. The multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like that. (Isaiah 29:7-8)

For thus says Yahweh to me, "As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, if a multitude of shepherds is called together against him, will not be dismayed at their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them, so Yahweh of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its heights. (Isaiah 31:4)

He shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land. His sons shall war, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on, and overflow, and pass through; and they shall return and war, even to his fortress. The king of the south shall be moved with anger, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall set forth a great multitude, and the multitude shall be given into his hand. The multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. The king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former; and he shall come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with much substance. In those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among your people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall. So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city: and the forces of the south shall not stand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to stand. But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction. (Daniel 11:9-16)

Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members? (James 4:1)

Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11)

In all these passages we see violence and war throughout all the history of this world. Yet what we must come to discern is what this book exposes to those open to the discernment from the Spirit of God – that the big war is not about who has greater power to crush the opposition to subjugate or destroy them by force, but rather it is a war over what kind of power will succeed in overcoming the opposition in the end.

This book highlights the reality that this war is between the Lamb and the great dragon and involves what these two opposite symbols represent, what disposition they have and which one will elicit our allegiance and will capture our imagination. Which kind of power will we choose to believe will come out on top in the end, for what we believe has the best chance of winning will be the side we will reflect in our own relationships and disposition to others.

This war is all about worship, about what source we will choose to receive our identity from, who we will admire as most worthy of our obedience, meaning who will we act like especially when under pressure. This whole chapter is describing in vivid detail the spirit and nature of the dragon's version of this war and how he intends to defeat the Lamb and all who choose to remain loyal to Him. The unavoidable challenge for each one of us is who we will choose as most trustworthy to save us in the end. Will we choose a version of God who uses force and compulsion to get His way when necessary, or will we surrender our lives entirely to the weakest of the weak, trusting that what appears impossible is in fact the path to full restoration to abundant eternal life free of all fear, pain and sorrow? The final choice is ours, not God's. And this choice is made by our choosing what version of power we will believe has the greatest chance of success in defeating the power on the other side.

When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. (Numbers 10:9)

Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace. So therefore whoever of you who doesn't renounce all that he has, he can't be my disciple. (Luke 14:31-33)