Whoever Has Ears
Today’s passage: Revelation 13
Focus verse: Whoever has ears, let them hear. (Revelation 13:9)
After the expulsion of the dragon (that is, Satan, the devil) from heaven, he comes to earth and waits at the seashore. A beast emerges and the dragon gives him power.
The beast blasphemes God, slandering God’s name, heaven, and the people who live there.
He fights against the Lord’s people on earth and wins. He receives authority over all who remain and everyone whose name does not appear in the Lamb’s book of life now worships the beast.
At this point, John writes, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
If this phrase sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve already seen it seven times in the book of Revelation. This phrase wraps up each of the letters to the seven churches.
In each case, Jesus shares with them his message of encouragement and correction and then says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Reading his letters is not enough. They must hear them too. So must we.
In this passage, the phrase occurs an eighth time, encouraging us to take to heart John’s message, to really hear what he says. And what are we supposed to hear? The words that precede it.
In this case it’s a warning that everyone whose name does not appear in Jesus’s book of life will worship the beast. This implies that those of us whose names are in the Lamb’s book of life will not succumb to this false worship.
Our right standing with Jesus will keep us focused on him and not the beast. We will prevail through our Savior.
The message is simple: we want our names in the book of life. We do this when we follow Jesus and become his disciple.
There are many times, however, when the Bible talks about people who have ears but cannot hear. God’s message is there for them, but they can’t comprehend it.
That’s why it’s important for us to hear what God is saying and respond before it’s too late and we risk losing the ability to understand it.
Say yes to Jesus today.
Questions:
- What does it mean to blaspheme God?
- What should we do when others commit blasphemy?
- Do we have ears that hear what Jesus is saying?
- How should we react to his message?
- How can we keep our focus on Jesus?
[Discover more about ears that hear in 1 Chronicles 17:20, Job 42:5, Proverbs 20:12, and Isaiah 32:3. Read where else Jesus says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear,” in Matthew 11:1–15, 13:1–9, and 13:36–43.]
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Read the next lesson or start at the beginning of this study.
Read more in Revelation Bible Study: Discover Practical Insights from John’s Epic Vision.
Discover practical, understandable insights from the book of Revelation.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.