These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These have one mind means the ten kings who receive authority for one hour with the beast form a last-days universal bond of union, a confederacy of every apostate power united in opposition to God and His people. Giving their power and strength to the beast means manifesting the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty that the papacy showed in the past, a union of church and state that enacts laws controlling conscience and brings persecution. This corrupt union seeks to make void the law of God by exalting Sunday, the idol sabbath of the Catholic church and the man of sin, which God has not blessed. It tears down God's memorial of creation, the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and forces every person to take sides, setting up the false sabbath like Nebuchadnezzar's golden image in Dura to be enforced by imprisonment and death. This surrender of authority is a last effort to make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them as Lord of lords and King of kings with those who are called and chosen and faithful, just before the final call of Revelation 18 and the destruction of the beast and false prophet pictured in Revelation 19.
Context and Meaning
In its setting Babylon is pictured as a woman, and a woman is the symbol of a church, with a virtuous woman standing for a pure church and a vile woman standing for an apostate church. The name Babylon comes from Babel and signifies confusion, denoting the various forms of false or apostate religion. Turning away from Christ to give trust and affection to worldly things is spiritual unfaithfulness, like the breaking of a marriage covenant.
The allied powers are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet but receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast. Having one mind is a last-days universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan's forces. It is made up of all the corrupt powers that have apostatized from allegiance to God's law, involving every nation, united in opposition to God's people.
Giving power and strength to the beast is manifesting the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty and freedom to worship according to conscience that the papacy showed in the past in persecuting those who refused to conform to Roman rites and ceremonies. Men in authority enact laws controlling the conscience after that example. It belongs to the prophecy of apocalyptic beasts arising from the union of church and state, a union that becomes destructive and brings persecution on opposers.
Sabbath Conflict and Enforcement
The one mind is a corrupt union to make void the law of God by giving influence and might to the beast, and that union is the exalting and worshiping of Sunday, the idol sabbath which God has not blessed. That day is entirely the institution of the Catholic church and of the man of sin. Those who join in it help the devil and his angels with God-given ability perverted to a wrong use, while blinded by another spirit so they cannot discern the truth of what they are doing.
The united powers tear down God's memorial of creation, the seventh-day Sabbath He hallowed and blessed and gave as a sign between Himself and His people forever. They force every person to take sides between the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and the spurious sabbath. The Sabbath of the fourth commandment will be the great point at issue in the warfare, because in it the great Law-giver identifies Himself as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Against this confederacy, God's people stand united with Christ under the banner of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, keeping holy God's memorial, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.
The false sabbath is set up like the golden image in the plains of Dura, which Nebuchadnezzar enforced by decree of death for all who would not bow and worship. So reverence for the Sunday institution will be enforced by proclamation that all who will not reverence it will be punished with imprisonment and death. In this the Sabbath of the Lord is trampled underfoot and the worship of the beast is compelled, as part of Babylon making all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
This unity is Satan's last and most powerful effort for mastery in his last conflict against the principles of God's law. It is marked by abounding defiant infidelity. The so-called Christian world will be the theater of these great and decisive actions, in a universal bond involving every nation.
Prophetic Timing and Triumph
The verse belongs to the prophecies of Revelation 12 to 18 that are being fulfilled now, while the last message of warning is to go to all. Its fulfillment comes just before the very last call to the churches recorded in Revelation 18, which is now to be given. It stands before the time pictured in Revelation 19 when the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire. After that follows the binding of the dragon who instigated the great rebellion against heaven in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, the resurrection of the wicked, the final destruction of Satan and all the wicked, and the final triumph and reign of Christ on this earth.
The united surrender of authority and might by the ten kings who receive authority for one hour with the beast is an effort of fallen powers to make war with the Lamb and with His people. Those people stand united with Christ under the banner of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and keep holy God's memorial, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The Lamb will overcome the confederated powers because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, together with those who are with Him as called and chosen and faithful.
The verse belongs to John's view of what will be in the last days. It warns God's people of the perils now present before them, when a deceived company works counter to God.
These have one mind means the ten kings who receive authority for one hour with the beast form a last-days universal bond of union, a confederacy of every apostate power united in opposition to God and His people. Giving their power and strength to the beast means manifesting the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty that the papacy showed in the past, a union of church and state that enacts laws controlling conscience and brings persecution. This corrupt union seeks to make void the law of God by exalting Sunday, the idol sabbath of the Catholic church and the man of sin, which God has not blessed. It tears down God's memorial of creation, the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and forces every person to take sides, setting up the false sabbath like Nebuchadnezzar's golden image in Dura to be enforced by imprisonment and death. This surrender of authority is a last effort to make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them as Lord of lords and King of kings with those who are called and chosen and faithful, just before the final call of Revelation 18 and the destruction of the beast and false prophet pictured in Revelation 19.
Context and Meaning
In its setting Babylon is pictured as a woman, and a woman is the symbol of a church, with a virtuous woman standing for a pure church and a vile woman standing for an apostate church. The name Babylon comes from Babel and signifies confusion, denoting the various forms of false or apostate religion. Turning away from Christ to give trust and affection to worldly things is spiritual unfaithfulness, like the breaking of a marriage covenant.
The allied powers are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet but receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast. Having one mind is a last-days universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan's forces. It is made up of all the corrupt powers that have apostatized from allegiance to God's law, involving every nation, united in opposition to God's people.
Giving power and strength to the beast is manifesting the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty and freedom to worship according to conscience that the papacy showed in the past in persecuting those who refused to conform to Roman rites and ceremonies. Men in authority enact laws controlling the conscience after that example. It belongs to the prophecy of apocalyptic beasts arising from the union of church and state, a union that becomes destructive and brings persecution on opposers.
Sabbath Conflict and Enforcement
The one mind is a corrupt union to make void the law of God by giving influence and might to the beast, and that union is the exalting and worshiping of Sunday, the idol sabbath which God has not blessed. That day is entirely the institution of the Catholic church and of the man of sin. Those who join in it help the devil and his angels with God-given ability perverted to a wrong use, while blinded by another spirit so they cannot discern the truth of what they are doing.
The united powers tear down God's memorial of creation, the seventh-day Sabbath He hallowed and blessed and gave as a sign between Himself and His people forever. They force every person to take sides between the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and the spurious sabbath. The Sabbath of the fourth commandment will be the great point at issue in the warfare, because in it the great Law-giver identifies Himself as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Against this confederacy, God's people stand united with Christ under the banner of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, keeping holy God's memorial, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.
The false sabbath is set up like the golden image in the plains of Dura, which Nebuchadnezzar enforced by decree of death for all who would not bow and worship. So reverence for the Sunday institution will be enforced by proclamation that all who will not reverence it will be punished with imprisonment and death. In this the Sabbath of the Lord is trampled underfoot and the worship of the beast is compelled, as part of Babylon making all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
This unity is Satan's last and most powerful effort for mastery in his last conflict against the principles of God's law. It is marked by abounding defiant infidelity. The so-called Christian world will be the theater of these great and decisive actions, in a universal bond involving every nation.
Prophetic Timing and Triumph
The verse belongs to the prophecies of Revelation 12 to 18 that are being fulfilled now, while the last message of warning is to go to all. Its fulfillment comes just before the very last call to the churches recorded in Revelation 18, which is now to be given. It stands before the time pictured in Revelation 19 when the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire. After that follows the binding of the dragon who instigated the great rebellion against heaven in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, the resurrection of the wicked, the final destruction of Satan and all the wicked, and the final triumph and reign of Christ on this earth.
The united surrender of authority and might by the ten kings who receive authority for one hour with the beast is an effort of fallen powers to make war with the Lamb and with His people. Those people stand united with Christ under the banner of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and keep holy God's memorial, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The Lamb will overcome the confederated powers because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, together with those who are with Him as called and chosen and faithful.
The verse belongs to John's view of what will be in the last days. It warns God's people of the perils now present before them, when a deceived company works counter to God.