PONDERING... There Be Dragons part 2 (Revelation 13-14)

There Be Dragons (Part 2)

GIST: Satan will work to usurp God’s authority, wreaking havoc on earth and misleading many, but in the end, the Truth wins.

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 13-14

I must admit, this week has been very long. Between taking care of sick children, preparing for the morning and evening services, teaching summer school, and coaching 6-7 year old baseball...there has been very little sleep. This lesson, therefore, is not as “typed out” as I would like. For that, I ask your forgiveness.

However, this also exemplifies the point being made in these two chapters. In this world there will be opposition, but standing strong is most definitely worth the cost. Now, these situational distractions are minor in the grand scheme of spiritual warfare, as we’ve been seeing these past two weeks, but battles that will be waged to pull you from Christ and His purpose will come in many different forms. Nonetheless, we must never forget they are constantly coming.

Last week we looked at chapter 12 and saw the big picture of Satan working on earth until Jesus returns. He is defeated and angry, and therefore, his wrath is deliberate and real. In chapters 13-14, we see a continuation of this picture. These chapters have been amongst the most frequently debated. I do not want to get into those squabbles. What we see is Satan mimicking God (3 Beasts= Unholy Trinity) and misleading many. Yet, in the end, truth wins, so stay strong in the Lord.

There is a TON here, but I’m just going to break this down in more of a “highlights mode”. In class, we’ll be talking through questions that you have in more detail. If you’re just stumbling on this and want to know more, feel free to contact me directly, and I’ll do my prayerful best.

13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,[a] that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.[b] And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 If anyone is to be taken captive,

   to captivity he goes;

if anyone is to be slain with the sword,

   with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

1. WHO IS THIS FIRST BEAST?

Probably the most common assumption is that this is the figure referred to as the Antichrist. Interestingly, this term is never used in Revelation, but only in the letters of John, where he also says that there will be many antichrists. So, the idea is not that there will be one person who will embody this one time, but that there will be opposition which comes from Satan ( And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority) and tries to appear like Jesus (One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast), but stands against Him (And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words).

This opposition will have authority (with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.), and will continue to come in waves from now until Jesus returns (and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months). Though it might seem for a time to be destroyed (but its mortal wound was healed), it will always return making resistance seem futile (4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”...7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.[b] And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear: 10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.)

So, is it futile? No. (Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints). Like always, Jesus is giving us a clear and honest picture. This will happen. It will be hard. Everything will seem like it is going against Him, but it’s not over yet!

The Second Beast

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,[c] and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of[d] the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,[e] to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.[f]

2. WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THIS SECOND BEAST?

Again, we have the last piece of the unholy trinity here. This beast is later called the “false prophet”. The idea is that of false teachers pointing people to the first beast, and, therefore, Satan. Like the false magicians in Egypt, they will perform signs and miracles to try and give validity to this lie--and people will believe it. This image seems to parody the two witnesses from chapter 11 (it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon). Just as the Church witnesses faithfully for Christ, so will there be active witnesses against Him. And they will be very persuasive (16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,[e] to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.[f])

Now, we’ve addressed this before, and, oh my, there have been about a bazillion proposed answers for what this number means. However, in the context, I think we see what it means. The people of God were said to also be sealed with a mark, which meant they were Gods. In allusion to Deuteronomy 6:8 (8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.), the idea here presented is being marked in thought (head) and deed (hands) as being “of God”. In the same way, the followers of Satan will be marked by their thoughts and deeds as...not God--666 the number of man, incomplete in comparison with 777. The result? Those who follow God will suffer persecution to the point of not even being able to participate in the market place. Don’t you see this happening already? What happens to a Christian Baker who refuses to cater a homosexual wedding?

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

The Messages of the Three Angels

6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion[g] of her sexual immorality.”

9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.[h]

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

The Harvest of the Earth

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.[i]

3. OK, SO WHY TALK ABOUT CHAPTER 14 NOW, TOO?

Again, we could break down so many wonderful images here, but the picture is one we’ve seen before--the saved in Heaven contrasted with the lost in Hell. This world may seem to be crumbling around us. But that is not the end of the story. Wretched as we are, if we have been saved by Jesus, we will be called pure and blameless and sing a new song of praise to Him. We will be part of the great harvest taken into His presence. If not… 8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion[g] of her sexual immorality.”

9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name…. 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.[i]”

Final takeaway? How about we just read Revelation 14:12 again:

12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.[h]

Need More?

Again, I apologize for my brevity in context today. It has admittedly sermon #3 for the day. So, here’s some solid resources: Sam Storms Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

PONDERING... There Be Dragons [Part 1] (Revelation 12)

There Be Dragons (Part 1)

Disclaimer: There is a lot in this passage. I’m going to walk through it fairly briskly. As in the past, I’m linking some helpful resources for further study to fill in the gaps.

GIST: Spiritual warfare is real and will effect your life, but the war is already won.

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 12

Chapters 12-14 weave together one central story. Essentially, we’re given a two-part vision in chapter 12. Then, the some of the details of how the vision is worked out are explained in chapters 13-14. I considered covering all of this in one lesson, but given my track record, I felt it would be more digestible (and realistic) to divide this into two parts.

Let’s walk through what’s going on in this passage, and then get some takeaways.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

The Woman: Drawing heavily on one of Joseph’s dreams of seeing his family bowing down to him, the picture of the woman is a picture of the people of God. The clearest portrayal of this is the twelve stars which symbolize both the twelve tribes (OT) and twelve apostles (NT).

The Dragon: Satan. Check out verse 9: “9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world…” (You have to love those passages!) The reference to him taking out ⅓ of the stars likely refers to his destructive power, especially against the people of God (Remember the ⅓ references from earlier in the vision? Symbolically, this refers to ‘many, but not all’). His horns and crowns point to his earthly authority and power, which he is allowed to have (never forget that part) for a time.

The Child: The child is Jesus. We have his life in a nutshell. Born to reign. Pursued by Satan. Murderously sought after by many. Ascended into Heaven. Reigning on His throne.

The Events: So, why does this matter? We’ll see this developed more in the next vision, but we’re given a picture of why life is the way that it is. Spiritual warfare. Satan wanted to destroy Jesus, but didn’t. Jesus ascended to heaven, and His people were taken into the desert or wilderness. This is where we are now. Remember that 1,260 days thing we talked about last week? This is the time between Christ’s ascension and return (now). And during this time, God’s people are said to be nourished in a prepared wilderness. In the Old Testament, the wilderness is always a place of both trials and provision. It is not easy, but it is blessed. So is the life we will live in Christ on earth. It will be hard, but it is here we will be nourished. Furthermore, we cannot miss out on the fact that the wilderness is the place where God’s people were just before entering the promised land. We have the same hope!

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Another Perspective/Defeated and Raging: There is, of course, some debate on chronology here. I would say this is not a new scene, but another perspective on the same. We see a picture of Satan being cast from Heaven. He is defeated by the blood of Lamb, by Jesus’ sacrificial death, and is now roaming the earth enraged. He’s been beaten, but has not yet been cast into Hell. He is furious, and determined not to squander his short time.

We’ll dive more into this in the application, but this is simultaneously an encouragement and a warning. Jesus has defeated Satan, and we conqueror him by clinging to and witnessing about the blood of the Lamb. Nonetheless, Satan is still actively working on earth against God and His people.

13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Pursued and Protected Saints: Lots of imagery here. The message? Satan is attacking God’s people. He is flooding them with his onslaught, but God raises them up on eagle’s wings. Man this makes me think of Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Yet, the war continues, and it will continue until Jesus returns (time, times, and ½ a time=3 ½ years=42 months=1,260 days=now). Then, however, it will be over forever.

TAKEWAYS:

1. Spiritual warfare is real The worst thing we can do is not take this point seriously. Satan is real. Demons are real. Yes, we are impacted first and foremost by the effects of sin because it rests within our own nature. On top of that, however, there is a spiritual battle taking place all around us. We can look at the problems of this world and attribute them to many earthly causes. On a deeper more profound level, though, they all have spiritual causes. We cannot forget this. D.A. Carson put it something like this: ‘If we focus on the earthly causes for our problems, we will try to solve them primarily by earthly means. Recognizing the more fundamental spiritual side gives us a better perspective.’ (Not anywhere near a direct quote, but the gist of what he said. See the link at the bottom to hear it put more eloquently :D.)

2. And will effect your life. We’ve addressed this many times lately. Yet, it’s one of the central themes in revelation--and we have to be reminded of this. Our lives will not always be peachy. There is a very real spiritual battle, and Satan is devoted to destroying God’s people. He wants to see us fall. He wants the Church discredited because we are just like the world--or worse. Turn on the news. Nearly every day some Christian (real or nominal) is being dragged out in a negative light. If they fall into sin, it is a public spectacle. If they stand on the word of God, it is called evil by the world. Until Jesus returns, this will continue to intensify. Satan knows his time is limited, and he is not wasting it.

3. Yet, the war is already won. Be encouraged. If you are in Christ, Satan can no longer accuse you. Though the battle is real, the war is won. If we are in Christ, we have this assurance that : “...37b we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-38) And James put it better that I could, “7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:7-8) This is not a message that tells us to go and slay Satan. We cannot, but God already has. We fight this spiritual battle by drawing near to God, clinging to Him. Look at what the passage says: 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Our victory is won by clinging to Jesus and sharing that hope with the world. It also requires perspective on our parts. We must come to value Jesus above all else...even our own lives.

We see this all throughout the Bible, but let’s close by looking at what Paul calls the “armor of God”. 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:10-18 emphasis added). Oh, we could camp out here for a long time, but let’s just point this out in closing. Our spiritual armor is nearly all defensive. Our only weapon is… GOD’s Word. Get into it. Know it. Use it. Spiritual warfare is real and will effect your life, but the war is already won. How well do you know that Champion?

Helpful Resources for Further Study:

1. Sam Storms’ Notes Part 1
2. Sam Storms’ Notes Part 2
1. I looked over these first two after preparing this lesson. They are a very thorough treatment of the passages, and worth a discerning read.
3. D.A. Carson Audio
1. Carson is a wonderful teacher. His sermon is long, and admittedly, I listen to him at 2x speed to process through more of his material faster. Nonetheless, this is a really helpful exposition.
4. Sinclair Ferguson Audio
5. Kevin DeYoung Audio
1. These last two are very practical messages drawn from chapter 12. Ferguson and DeYoung have pastors’ hearts. These are worth your time.