The Monsters

The kingdom of darkness mimics or parodies the Kingdom of Light. The kingdom of evil impersonates the Kingdom of God. There's a worldwide attempt to replace the Holy Trinity with an unholy triad/trio and the first Christian churches are being counseled to cultivate discernment/perseverance in order to be saved from the great deception.

This challenge facing the "first-fruit" churches (see 14.5) is also a challenge for people today. Being able to distinguish between truth and falsehood isn't easy… AND in our cultural moment "PhotoShop" and "deep-fakes" and information overload where data are being sprayed at us from every direction (like a mechanized carwash!) it's more important than ever that we be able to differentiate the real thing from the counterfeit. The gospel (basic message of Christianity) is the way of TRUE spirituality… there's always a priority on TRUTH.

Let's get the help we need from this passage by looking at:

1. The Scary Monsters and Their Strategy
2. Excursus on Gematria and Symbolism
3. The Rest of This Passage