Revelation 13:9: If any man have an ear, let him hear.

John ends his description of the Great Apostasy in Revelation 13:8 with a dire prediction that all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Satan.¹ Revelation 13:9 reinforces that prediction with a solemn admonition,² saying: "If any man have an ear let him hear."³ John used the same phrase in each of the seven letters he wrote to the seven churches in Asia.⁴ This phrase emphasizes the importance of what John said about the Great Apostasy,⁵ and what he was about to say in the following verse⁶ about the Renaissance⁷ and the Reformation.⁸

Revelation 13:10: He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

John defined the Great Apostasy as a period of 1260 years, when there was no priesthood on the earth from 570 to 1830 AD.⁹ In 570 AD, the last priesthood holders on earth were translated with the Lost Ten Tribes.¹⁰ After that date, and throughout the Dark Ages, there were no saints on earth in the truest sense of the word¹¹ because all were overcome by Satan.¹²

The spiritual darkness of Dark Ages slowly came to an end as the light of the Renaissance began to emerge.¹³ This was a progressive process that took many years, but the prophet Daniel pinpointed 1360 AD as the year when the flood of spiritual darkness reached its peak.¹⁴ He prophesied that the spiritual darkness would begin to recede from the earth 1290 years after Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD.¹⁵ Most historians agree with Daniel's prophetic date, and confirm that the Renaissance began in the late 1300's and early 1400's.¹⁶

The Renaissance was a time of spiritual awakening and enlightenment in science, art, literature, and religion.¹⁷ Spiritual darkness was dispelled as the light of Christ steadily grew¹⁸ for several hundred years.¹⁹ As spiritual light increased on the earth, courageous people with great faith in Jesus Christ²⁰ began to separate themselves²¹ from the captivity of the Roman church.²² Millions did so at great personal sacrifice and even death.²³ John saw these faith-filled protestants²⁴ and called them saints in Revelation 13:10 because they distinguished themselves as a principled people with strong faith in Jesus Christ who strived to be holy as he was.²⁵

The Renaissance matured into the Reformation²⁶ as the spirit of enlightenment and inspiration from God increased among reformers in the 1500's.²⁷ The spirit of protest brought much bloodshed, however, beginning in France.²⁸ During the Reformation, people who objected to Catholic orthodoxy²⁹ were branded heretics³⁰ and were executed in the most cruel and inhumane manner.³¹ Millions of people died throughout Europe³² during the persecutions and religious wars of the Reformation.³³ Sadly, both Catholics and Protestants³⁴ were intolerant of the other³⁵ and willingly defended their religious views with bloodshed.³⁶

The Catholic Church responded to the success of the Protestant Reformation with a Counter-Reformation³⁷ that included more aggressive use of the Court of Inquisition.³⁸ This system of courts, also known as the Holy Office,³⁹ were convened in various nations⁴⁰ to execute accused heretics.⁴¹ When sentences of torture and death were issued by the Holy Office, they were carried out by civil authorities.⁴² The Court of Inquisition inflicted unspeakable horrors on millions of reformers⁴³ whose only crime was the form of their faith in Jesus Christ.⁴⁴

In Revelation 13:10, John consoles the persecuted and martyred saints of the Renaissance and Reformation,⁴⁵ as he consoled the saints in his own day.⁴⁶ He foresaw that the captors of the reformists would be taken captive⁴⁷ and their killers would be killed.⁴⁸ In other words, whatever goes around comes around.⁴⁹ However, the day of vengeance would have to wait until Christ's Second Coming⁵⁰ because the power of the First Beast representing the Roman Empire in Revelation 13:1-10⁵¹ evolved into, and merged with, the power of the Second Beast in Revelation 13:11-18.⁵² The Second Beast will continue to captivate⁵³ and kill the saints⁵⁴ until the Second Coming.⁵⁵ Nevertheless, vengeance shall come because the wicked people that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.⁵⁶

John wrote to all saints of the Renaissance and Reformation in Revelation 13:10 with a sense of awe when he said: "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."⁵⁷ It is both miraculous and awesome that after centuries of spiritual darkness,⁵⁸ the saints of the Renaissance and Reformation had the patience (endurance),⁵⁹ unparalleled faith and an inner conviction⁶⁰ to successfully challenge and bring an end⁶¹ to the Holy Roman Empire as the greatest worldly power on earth.⁶² For at least 500 years, from 1360 to 1830 AD, people of faith died to secure the religious liberties⁶³ and political freedoms⁶⁴ that made possible the restoration of the gospel.⁶⁵ That is, the faith and sacrifices of these many patient saints during the deadly period of the Reformation paved the way⁶⁶ for the restoration⁶⁷ of the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830.⁶⁸