Introduction
Picking up from
11:15 where we left off last time, the seventh trumpet is finally sounded. The
long hidden mystery of God is at last revealed. [Remember?
In the Bible, a "mystery" is something we could never have guessed or
worked out, but which God Himself has to reveal] So what's the mystery here? That King Jesus, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah, has already
conquered His enemies and His Kingdom is now a reality (v15) - despite the
turmoil and chaos that the earth and its inhabitants experience (chapters 8-9). Victory was won by
the sacrificial and redemptive death of the Lamb (5:5-6) on the Cross. That's
the mystery now revealed! The great defeat of the death of Jesus was His decisive victory
(Colossians 1:19-20; 2:15), thereby establishing His reign in believing
people's lives. This news of the triumphant Christ despite the suffering that
His people are enduring is the bitter-sweet message that John hesitates to
proclaim (10:9-11) but which the world needs to hear and believe. But note: it is not the message of a
still-in-the-future last battle, rather it is the truth of the Gospel that
declares that Christ has already died to free us from our sin and the power of
evil over us, crying out "It is finished!". The Gospel is the message
of a battle already fought and won that first Easter and of a Saviour who
has already "begun to reign" (11:17).
It is this news that
God's enemies are already defeated that stirs within them deeper hatred of God
and more intense opposition and persecution of God's people (v18). This is the
explanation as to why the Asian Christians are experiencing hardship from the
Roman authorities. God's wrath against His Son as "He bore our sins in His
body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24; see also 2 Cor 5:21) triumphing over His
enemies has provoked a spiritual backlash against God and His people. This
conflict which began with Christ's first coming will persist until His second
glorious appearance. This is what Revelation reveals and which chapters 12-14
will unpack. How we understand and respond to the truths disclosed in these
chapters will determine the direction and destinies of our lives.
Once again the whole
of human history is depicted as a drama, now with just three characters: a
woman, a child and a dragon (12:1-6). At a literal level, the woman represents
Mary (v1-2), from whom the child (v5), Jesus, destined to rule over the nations
was born (Psalm 2:9). More figuratively, the woman may also represent the whole
people of God from whom the Messiah came (see Isaiah 26:17). The dragon is
Satan (12:9), waiting like a murderous midwife to destroy the child (at his
birth and at the cross) but is defeated as the child resumes His rightful place of
heavenly authority (following His ascension, v5).
So, how is this war
against the Church played out? If believers' salvation is secure, how does the
devil seek to attack the Church? Chapters 12-13 give us the below-the-surface
satanic strategies (graphically and memorably depicted, of course) that we saw
impacting the lives of (some of) the Christians in Revelation 2-3. Among the
seven churches, Satan's tactics involved deception (false truth) and domination
(oppression and persecution), and that is what is described here. The land
beast fools the inhabitants of the earth with signs and wonders (13:13-14), and the
dragon promotes false religion (v3-4). This land beast also uses might and fear
to influence others (v15-17) as does the beast from the sea (v5-6). So what
these creatures symbolise? First, the might of state and military oppression
directed against the people of God, and secondly, the propaganda of false
religion and ideologies that justifies the political power base and which aims
to seduce, threaten, impress, deceive and overwhelm the peoples of the earth.
Human history is sadly littered with civilisations and empires which were built
on power and oppression, only to be replaced by succeeding, authoritarian
regimes. In the face of such attack, God's people require patient endurance
(v10) and wisdom (v18).
Congregational Bible Experience Day #84
Bible Reading: Revelation 12-14
Bible Reading: Revelation 12-14
'Things are not as they seem.' This, we have proposed, is the suggestive tagline that helps us more fully understand the book of Revelation. In other words, below the surface of everyday life, malevolent, satanic-driven, supernatural forces are at work aimed at drawing us away from Jesus by threat and tyranny or temptation and deception (chapter 13). While the Apostle Paul describes this as a spiritual struggle or 'wrestling match' (Ephesians 6:12), in these chapters of Revelation John grabs our attention and declares: This is war! But it's a war that has already been won by Jesus (12:10). Satan is still dangerous but defeated, and dangerous because he is defeated. But God's people are safe, despite the attacks and assaults, for they stand with Jesus on the victory side (14:1).
---
We're trying hard,
really hard, not to get bogged down in the details of these readings in
Revelation but simply to provide an informed overview so that you have an idea
of what John is saying underneath the strange and intimidating images and
confusing storyline. Perhaps it's necessary to step back, pause and remember
the reason John is writing this book: John is writing to the Christians in the
churches in the Roman Province of Asia (Revelation 2-3) to both explain why they are experiencing the trials
and temptations of sufferings and seductions from their surrounding culture,
and then to help them faithfully endure.
If they know why their life is so tough
as believers, and if they understand what
Christ has done and is doing for them now in the midst of their tribulations,
then they will be encouraged to 'hang in there' as Jesus holds onto them.
That's the big picture of the book, and that's really what Revelation 12-14 is
about…
Picking up from
11:15 where we left off last time, the seventh trumpet is finally sounded. The
long hidden mystery of God is at last revealed. [Remember?
In the Bible, a "mystery" is something we could never have guessed or
worked out, but which God Himself has to reveal] So what's the mystery here? That King Jesus, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah, has already
conquered His enemies and His Kingdom is now a reality (v15) - despite the
turmoil and chaos that the earth and its inhabitants experience (chapters 8-9). Victory was won by
the sacrificial and redemptive death of the Lamb (5:5-6) on the Cross. That's
the mystery now revealed! The great defeat of the death of Jesus was His decisive victory
(Colossians 1:19-20; 2:15), thereby establishing His reign in believing
people's lives. This news of the triumphant Christ despite the suffering that
His people are enduring is the bitter-sweet message that John hesitates to
proclaim (10:9-11) but which the world needs to hear and believe. But note: it is not the message of a
still-in-the-future last battle, rather it is the truth of the Gospel that
declares that Christ has already died to free us from our sin and the power of
evil over us, crying out "It is finished!". The Gospel is the message
of a battle already fought and won that first Easter and of a Saviour who
has already "begun to reign" (11:17).
Once again the whole
of human history is depicted as a drama, now with just three characters: a
woman, a child and a dragon (12:1-6). At a literal level, the woman represents
Mary (v1-2), from whom the child (v5), Jesus, destined to rule over the nations
was born (Psalm 2:9). More figuratively, the woman may also represent the whole
people of God from whom the Messiah came (see Isaiah 26:17). The dragon is
Satan (12:9), waiting like a murderous midwife to destroy the child (at his
birth and at the cross) but is defeated as the child resumes His rightful place of
heavenly authority (following His ascension, v5).
The "war in
heaven" (v7-12) is - I think - not
a timeless spiritual battle between God and the devil ('good and evil'), but
refers to Satan's ejection from heaven because he has been defeated by the
Cross. He can no longer justly accuse
God's people (v10) for they have been made righteous "by the blood of the
Lamb" (v11; Romans 8:1). Satan has been thrown out of heaven (v8) allowing
us to enter. Now, "filled with fury" (v12), Satan continues to wage
war against God's people (v17) which is why it is so tough to live as a
believer.
So, how is this war
against the Church played out? If believers' salvation is secure, how does the
devil seek to attack the Church? Chapters 12-13 give us the below-the-surface
satanic strategies (graphically and memorably depicted, of course) that we saw
impacting the lives of (some of) the Christians in Revelation 2-3. Among the
seven churches, Satan's tactics involved deception (false truth) and domination
(oppression and persecution), and that is what is described here. The land
beast fools the inhabitants of the earth with signs and wonders (13:13-14), and the
dragon promotes false religion (v3-4). This land beast also uses might and fear
to influence others (v15-17) as does the beast from the sea (v5-6). So what
these creatures symbolise? First, the might of state and military oppression
directed against the people of God, and secondly, the propaganda of false
religion and ideologies that justifies the political power base and which aims
to seduce, threaten, impress, deceive and overwhelm the peoples of the earth.
Human history is sadly littered with civilisations and empires which were built
on power and oppression, only to be replaced by succeeding, authoritarian
regimes. In the face of such attack, God's people require patient endurance
(v10) and wisdom (v18).
Chapters 12-13 have
unmasked the seemingly harmless structures of (godless) state authority and
cultural (religious) ideologies and revealed them to be dangerously employed by
the devil in his attempt to make war and defeat God's faithful servants. In contrast to
those who are 'marked' by their unbelief (13:17-18), God's people are saved and
safe, personally sealed by His protecting presence (14:1-5). Despite the
assaults of Satan (12:17; 13:7), they sing songs rejoicing in God's grace and
the glory of His victory. The rest of chapter 14 underlines that God's enemies
are doomed (v6-20), even though God still offers them the opportunity to repent
and turn to Him (v6-7). All who
unrepentantly worship the beast, then experience the full strength of God's
wrath against them (v9-11) as the final Harvest is gathered in (v14-16) by
Jesus the Judge of all the earth.
The "End"
is the time of the 'great divide' - but it begins here and now. There are only
two possibilities in life: either, to stand on Mount Zion with Jesus, the Lamb
(14:1), or to share in the fall of Babylon - the unbelieving world (v8); to bear
God's name (v1) or to bear the mark of the beast - unbelief (v8); to sing the
new song of redemption (v3), or to drink the cup of God's wrath - judgement (v10); to follow
the Lamb (v4), or worship the Beast (v9).
John is encouraging his flocks to believe and not waver from what they
already know: there are only two destinies, life or death, salvation or
judgement, with Christ or with Satan. Those who claim not to know, or remain
unsure or undecided have effectively rejected Jesus, there is no neutral
ground. And for those who are trusting in Christ, the message is also equally
clear, we must 'refuse to believe error or give in to terror'; we must again
resolve with all of our hearts, in the midst of battle, to
"obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus" (14:12). Amen?
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