Could This Be the Christ?

²⁵ Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to ^(A)kill? ²⁶ But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. ^(B)Do the rulers know indeed that this is ^[a]truly the Christ? ^27 (C)However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

²⁸ Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, ^(D)“You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and ^(E)I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me ^(F)is true, ^(G)whom you do not know. ^29 [b]But ^(H)I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

³⁰ Therefore ^(I)they sought to take Him; but ^(J)no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. ³¹ And ^(K)many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

Jesus and the Religious Leaders

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. ³³ Then Jesus said ^[c]to them, ^(L)“I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I ^(M)go to Him who sent Me. ³⁴ You ^(N)will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you ^(O)cannot come.”

³⁵ Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to ^(P)the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? ³⁶ What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

The Beast from the Sea

13 Then ^[a]I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw ^(A)a beast rising up out of the sea, ^(B)having ^[b]seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a ^(C)blasphemous name. ² Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The ^(D)dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³ And I saw one of his heads ^(E)as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And ^(F)all the world marveled and followed the beast. ⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ^(G)“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

⁵ And he was given ^(H)a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to ^[c]continue for ^(I)forty-two months. ⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, ^(J)His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ It was granted to him ^(K)to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And ^(L)authority was given him over every ^[d]tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, ^(M)whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain ^(N)from the foundation of the world.

^9 (O)If anyone has an ear, let him hear. ^10 (P)He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; ^(Q)he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. ^(R)Here is the ^[e]patience and the faith of the saints.