Lesson 15
Chapter 11 began by introducing us to two witnesses. At
first, they seemed unstoppable, but a beast from the
bottomless pit killed them. Afterward, those who dwelled on
the earth celebrated and exchanged gifts. Why? Because the
two witnesses had been a torment to them. Things looked
bleak in verse 10 — but that’s all about to change. Those
who were celebrating and exchanging gifts in verse 10 will
be in great fear in verse 11.
11:11 But after the three and a half days a breath of
life from God entered them, and they stood up on their
feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then
they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come
up hither!” And in the sight of their foes they went up to
heaven in a cloud. 13 And at that hour there was a great
earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand
people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were
terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The
second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to
come.
There are many wonderful words in the Bible, but “but”
has to be one of the most wonderful! And there are few uses
of “but” that are more wonderful than the “but” in verse 11
― “But after the three and a half days a breath of life
from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and
great fear fell on those who saw them.” Some of the most
important verses in the Bible begin with the word
“but.”
The “but” in Romans 3:21 is one of the few that rivals
the “but” here in verse 11. Another important “but” appears
in Psalm 22:3, which offers an interesting parallel to what
we see in Chapter 11. The early Christian must have also
asked the question in Psalm 22:1 — “My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me,
and from the words of my roaring?” And they must also have
found comfort from the reply in 22:3-4 ― “But thou art
holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our
fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst
deliver them.” In fact, much of Revelation is a reminder to
them of what the Psalmist said in Psalm 22:3-4. God
delivered his people before, and he will do so again.
Things look very bleak for the church ... but. It looks
like Rome is going win ... but. It looks like Satan may
have the last word this time ... but. It looks like the
church is finally finished ... but. God will always have
the final word!
After 3½ days God raises the church from the dead. The
two witnesses start breathing again and get back on their
feet. Where is the celebration now? Just one verse ago, the
world was making merry and exchanging presents! What are
they doing now? Verse 11 tells us they are now in great
fear. My, how the situation has changed!
And that’s not all that has changed. Notice how the verb
tenses have changed in verse 11. In verses 9-10, we read,
“And they ... shall see their dead bodies ... and shall not
suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that
dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them.” But in verse
11, we read, “They stood upon their feet.” So certain is
this course of events that John speaks of future events as
though they were past events.
The earlier persecution was temporary, as depicted by
the symbolic 3½ years. The apparent defeat is even more
temporary, as depicted by the symbolic 3½ days.
In the sight of their foes, the two witnesses ascend
into Heaven. They are completely vindicated. Few saw Christ
ascend into Heaven, but this ascension occurs in full view
of God’s enemies. All the world now knows that they are on
God’s side and under God’s protection. And God is moving
them to safety — which must have caused the greatest fear
of all. Why did they need to be moved to safety? Rome was
about to find out!
The first thing that happens is a great earthquake,
which serves as an omen of a coming judgment on those who
rejoiced at the apparent defeat of the church.
A tenth of the city falls and 7000 are killed. Once
again only a fraction is affected; that is, even this
judgment is not yet final. More is on the way.
Why a tenth and why 7000? The destruction of a tenth is
an image of decimation (which literally means to take one
in ten). The use of 7000 foreshadows the perfect and
complete judgment that is coming and that will not allow
for repentance.
What about those who are not killed? Verse 13 tells us
they were terrified and gave glory to God. Does this mean
that finally someone was led to repent? Did the message
finally get through to them? Can the judgment be called off
as it was in days of Jonah? No.
This apparent repentance is not a real repentance.
Things are not what they seem, and we have seen this
before. The great city here is modeled after the city of
desolation in Isaiah 24-27. In those chapters, the prophet
looked beyond Judah and saw a world of sin, called a waste
city or city of desolation. God shook the earth, and that
lofty city was brought low. The Bible tells us that out of
the destruction there emerged a people who feared God — and
they were right to fear God! What we see here is not
repentance, but rather rationality!
Those left alive in verse 13 are not Christians. Their
motive is not love but rather fear. How do we know their
conversion is not genuine? For the simple reason that they
remain on this earth. In this book, the faithful are
pictured as being in Heaven with God, while the wicked are
repeatedly referred to as those who dwell upon the earth.
The witnesses ascend into Heaven. Those looking on in
astonishment do not. Those called the foes of God in verse
12 remain the foes of God in verse 13 — they are now just
astonished foes probably wondering for the first time
whether they chose the winning side! They are much like a
sports fan who roots for whichever team seems to be winning
at the moment. Remember that one day every knee will bow to
Christ and every tongue will confess to God. (Romans
14:11)
What did Nebuchadnezzar say after he saw Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego come out of that fiery furnace
unhurt? Read Daniel 3:28-29 ―
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered
his servants, who trusted in him, and set at nought the
king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than
serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I
make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks
anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in
ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in
this way.”
What was Nebuchadnezzar’s motivation? We see the same
motivation and the same response here in verse 13. Those
who remain alive now recognize that God is going to win,
and they want to be on the winning side. Verse 13 doesn’t
tell us that they are Christians — rather what it tells us
is that they are not fools!
The people in verse 13 “worship” with the same
motivation as that of Nebuchadnezzar. Their fate remains
unchanged. We are not told that they repented in any way
from their murders, thefts, sorceries, and idolatries. Just
a few verses earlier they were exchanging gifts to
celebrate the apparent demise of the Lord’s church!
There are many atheists in this world — but there are no
atheists in the next. The Psalmist tells us that it is the
fool who says in his heart there is no God. (Psalm 14:1)
There are many fools in this world — but there are no fools
in the next. No atheist or agnostic will remain so forever!
Some day all atheists will believe, and all agnostics will
care. Someday all fools will repent of their
foolishness.
Nikita Khrushchev once gave a speech in which he said
that the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin “flew into space,
but didn't see any God there.” If Yuri had really wanted to
see God from his tiny space capsule, all he needed to do
was open the door! Nikita and Yuri are believers today. I
don’t know if there are any atheists in foxholes, but I do
know there are no atheists in Hell (only former atheists).
We are seeing that same sort of realization in verse
13.
Verse 14 tells us that the third woe is soon to come.
The seventh and final trumpet will be the third and final
woe of the three woes proclaimed by the eagle in 8:13. The
Greek word translated “soon to come” means “without delay,
quickly, speedily.”
Let’s take a moment to review where we are: The message
John is told to relay is that the church will undergo
severe hardship and may at times appear to be defeated. But
John’s message also tells us that God is on the church’s
side and all will be well in the end. The church’s final
victory is assured.
So far, John has relayed this message in two ways:
First, the city of God will be trampled under foot for 3½
years, but the inner sanctuary will be protected. Second,
two witnesses will prophecy for 3½ years , but then be
killed by the beast. Their apparent defeat, however, is
only temporary. After 3½ days they come back to life and
ascend to Heaven.
In Chapters 12 and 13 this message will be told again in
two different ways: First, in Chapter 12, a woman will be
forced to flee into the wilderness for 3½ years, yet will
find there a place of nourishment and protection. Second,
in Chapter 13, a beast will overcome God’s people, and yet
his authority will last for only 3½ years.
As we study this book, I know that sometimes it seems I
repeat myself a lot. The reason for that is that God is
repeating himself a lot! The central message of this book
is being told again and again through many different images
and symbols. Do you want the Cliff’s Notes version? Here it
is: God loves the church! Things may appear bleak, but the
church will be victorious! God’s enemies will not win, but
rather will be judged and punished! (But isn’t God’s
version so much better!)
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there
were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the
world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
A great silence followed the opening of the seventh seal
in Chapter 8. The sounding of the seventh trumpet is
followed by loud voices in heaven.
Most (but not all) commentators think that the seventh
seal contained (or unleashed or revealed) the seven
trumpets and the seven bowls that followed, and that the
seventh trumpet contained the seven bowls of wrath that
followed. If so (and this view makes sense to me), then
this seventh trumpet marks the end of Rome.
It may be that as the seventh trumpet sounds, the seven
bowls containing the full and destructive wrath of God are
poured out. That is, although we will hear the details
later, it may be that the bowls are poured out when this
final trumpet sounds.
Recall, for example, what we were told in 10:7— “but
that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the
seventh angel, the mystery of God, as he announced to his
servants the prophets, should be fulfilled.”
In any event, we know that at this point the judgment is
done and the outcome is inevitable. Hence the cry goes out:
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our
Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and
ever.”
What is meant by the phrase “the kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord”? The judgment of Rome
and the victory of the church depict a public vindication
of something that was already true in fact — Jesus is king!
This verse does not mark the beginning of Christ’s kingdom
or of Christ’s authority over anyone. Instead, it depicts a
public reaffirmation of that kingdom and that authority.
Recall ―
• Revelation 1:5 Jesus is [not will be] the ruler of the
kings of the earth.
• Ephesians 1:21 Jesus sits [not will sit] at God’s
right hand, far above every principality and power and
every name that is named.
• 1 Peter 3:22 Jesus “has gone into heaven and is at the
right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers
subject to him.”
• Psalm 29:10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever.
• Daniel 4:17 The Most High rules the kingdom of men,
and gives it to whom he will, and sets over it the lowliest
of men.
The word “kingdom” as used here includes more than the
church. (The two terms are not always synonyms. See the
lesson on God’s kingdom available at ThyWordIsTruth.com as
part of our series of lessons on the Lord’s church.) Here
the kingdom includes all of the people and nations of the
world. Jesus has all authority. In the widest sense, the
universe is his kingdom. Jesus does not just have authority
over believers. He is king of everyone and everything. All
are subject to the rule of Christ. In Acts 2:36-38, those
who heard the first gospel sermon were told to obey Christ
— not to make him Lord — but because he was already Lord.
We obey Christ because he is our Lord and King — not to
make him our Lord and King. It is a subtle distinction, but
it is an important distinction.
Verse 15 says that Jesus shall reign forever. Again,
note that Jesus is reigning now and was reigning then. Paul
tells us about the reign of Christ in 1 Corinthians
15:24-28 —
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the
kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put
down all rule and all authority and power. For he must
reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The
last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath
put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all
things are put under him, it is manifest that he is
excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all
things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also
himself be subject unto him that put all things under him,
that God may be all in all.
What do those verses tell us? They tell us that Jesus is
reigning now — “For he must reign, till he hath put all
enemies under his feet.” They tell us that he will reign
until his enemies are destroyed, with the last of those
enemies being death.
But hasn’t death already been defeated? Yes. We were
freed from the bondage of sin and death by the cross. Death
has been defeated, and yet it continues. (Rome also
continued for quite awhile after being defeated.)
The writer of Hebrews described mankind’s relation with
death in Hebrews 2:14-15 ―
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood,
he himself likewise partook of the same things, that
through death he might destroy the one who has the power of
death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who
through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
In Romans 5:12, Paul personifies death as a cosmic power
that entered the world through Adam and that reigns over
everyone.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one
man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men
because all sinned.
And yet when Paul wrote, death had already been
defeated. Paul told us in Romans 8:38-39 that not even
death could separate us from the love of God ―
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels
nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
powers, 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.
The defeat of death occurs at the resurrection of the
dead; the two are one and the same. And that is precisely
Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 15 — if there is no
resurrection of the dead, then death will forever remain
unconquered. When Jesus rose from the dead never to die
again, death was forever defeated! Death will have been
finally destroyed on that great day when we too rise never
to die again.
And 1 Corinthians 15 tells us something else about that
last great day. Paul tells us that when Jesus comes again,
it will not be to establish a kingdom, but rather it will
be to offer up to the Father an already established
kingdom. And once Christ delivers his kingdom to the
Father, God will be all things in all. His reign will be
unchallenged. Death will not just have been defeated; death
will have been destroyed. No one will doubt the defeat of
death on that day!
16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones
before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17
saying, “We give thanks to thee, Lord God Almighty, who art
and who wast, that thou hast taken thy great power and
begun to reign. 18 The nations raged, but thy wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding thy
servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear thy
name, both small and great, and for destroying the
destroyers of the earth.” 19 Then God’s temple in heaven
was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his
temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals
of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
In verse 17 the 24 elders say to God, “thou hast taken
thy great power and begun to reign.” What does that mean?
This is the same question that we just considered with
regard to Christ in verse 15.
As we often do, let’s start with what it does not mean.
It cannot possibly mean that God was not reigning prior to
the judgment of Rome because we know that God has always
reigned over his creation. If God was not reigning over
Rome, then how were they in subjection to him? What right
did God have to judge them and punish them if they were not
his subjects?
But the world is in such a mess! How can God be reigning
when everything seems to be going so wrong?
Premillennialists often make that argument to support their
warped views about the kingship of Christ. But what does
the Bible say? Psalm 29:10 tells us that “the LORD sat
enthroned at the Flood, and the LORD sits as King forever.”
Was the world in a mess at the Flood? Was God reigning over
the world when it was in a mess? Yes and yes. And God is
reigning over our world as well. Remember Psalm 47:8 ― “God
reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of
his holiness.”
What then does verse 17 mean when it says that God has
“begun to reign”? We know what it means! It means that the
events described in this book are a powerful reminder of
his reign. They are a new expression of his reign. They
depict a public vindication and reaffirmation of his reign.
If anyone ever doubted that God was king, look at what he
is doing here! He has begun to reign! He is coming in
judgment to exercise his royal power against his rebellious
subjects.
Hailey: “The kingdom of prophecy was now a definite
realization among men, for at the defeat of His enemies God
had taken His power and rule over the world.”
Did the kingdom come in Acts 2? Yes. Did the kingdom
come with power in Acts 2? Yes. Did the world know it at
that time? No. Does the world know it following the events
described here? Absolutely! After God judges Rome, there is
no doubt about which kingdom is the eternal kingdom!
Verse 18 tells us “the nations raged, but thy wrath
came.” We are about to see the bowls of God’s wrath poured
out on top of Rome. The time for repentance is over; the
time for judgment is here. This verse is modeled after
Psalm 2 —
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain
thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the
rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against
his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and
cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the
heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in
his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy
hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said
unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou
shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise
now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with
trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish
from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
And how does God respond to the raging nations? “He that
sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have
them in derision.” That reminds me of Isaiah 52:15 — “The
kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had
not been told them shall they see; and that which they had
not heard shall they consider.” God is in control of the
nations of this world, and he takes them out when he sees
fit. Remember Psalm 110:5-6 —
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in
the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he
shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound
the heads over many countries.
It is comforting today in a world filled with raging
nations and people who imagine vain things to know that God
reigns.
Verse 18 tells us that this is “the time for the dead to
be judged, for rewarding thy servants, the prophets and
saints, and those who fear thy name, both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” Thayer
tells us that “to destroy does not mean to extinguish or
bring to extinction, but to change for the worse, to
corrupt,” as moths corrupt garments in Luke 12:33 or as
evil dispositions corrupt minds inn 1 Timothy 6:5.
Now verse 18 has to be the end of the world, right? No,
it doesn’t have to be, and, in my opinion, it isn’t. We
need to remember the all important time frame, and we need
to read verse 18 in it context, right there between verses
17 and 19. And we need to remember how Old Testament
judgments were described. When we do, I think we will
discover that this language is yet another vivid image of
Rome’s judgment. The details of this judgment will be given
in Revelation 20, and I will have much more to say on this
topic when we get there. But for now, whenever verse 18
happens, the message is clear — Christ’s enemies will be
judged and destroyed; Christ’s servants will be
rewarded.
Notice that the prophets are among those rewarded in
verse 18. They had looked for and foretold the coming King
and his eternal kingdom, and now their reward was to see
those prophecies fulfilled. Their reward was to witness the
unfolding of the mystery.
Why is the ark of the covenant seen in verse 19? The ark
of the covenant was located in the Holy of Holies, the
inside of which no ordinary person had ever seen and into
which the High Priest went only on the Day of Atonement.
But that is no longer the situation for a Christian. Recall
Hebrews 10:19-22 ―
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the
holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way,
which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is
to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house
of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
The ark of the covenant provides reassurance that God
remembers his promises. It is always in his presence to
remind him of those promises. Whatever the terrors to come,
God will not forget his promises.
In a similar way, the thunder, the lightning, the
earthquakes, and the hail are Old Testament symbols of
judgment intended to remind us that God keeps his promises.
He promised to judge and punish the church’s enemies — and
he will. He promised to vindicate the church — and he will.
God keeps his promises.
Chapter Twelve
1 And a great portent 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 with child and
she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for
delivery.
Chapter 12 begins with a great portent or great sign. In
the gospels. John uses this Greek word for “sign” where the
other three gospel writers use the Greek word normally
translated “miracle.” The Greek word for “sign” occurs
seven times in Revelation — three times in reference to God
and four times in reference to the deceptions of Satan.
This sign, of course, is from God, and the first thing we
see is “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under
her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”
Who is this woman? Let’s look at the clues. First, she
wears the sun and the moon, which Genesis 1:17 reminds us
were designed to give light to the world. Second, she wears
a crown of twelve stars, where we recall that 12 is the
number that depicts God’s people (12 patriarchs, 12 tribes,
12 apostles).
So she gives light to the world, she wears a crown, and
that crown has 12 stars. She must be yet another symbol for
the church, right? Wrong! (And just when you thought things
were getting predictable!)
It’s not entirely wrong, but this woman represents more
than just the church in its general New Testament sense.
How do we know? Because she is shown to have existed before
the birth of Christ and before the establishment of his
kingdom in Acts 2.
So who is she? Some say she is the church, while others
argue she is the virgin Mary. In my opinion, she represents
all of God’s people throughout time. She is the faithful
remnant. She represents those who keep God’s covenant. We
see similar images in the Old Testament. Recall Isaiah
54:5-7 ―
For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his
name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of
the whole earth shall he be called. For the LORD hath
called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and
a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For
a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies
will I gather thee.
And also Isaiah 66:7 ―
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain
came, she was delivered of a man child.
And also recall Micah 4:10 ―
Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of
Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth
out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and
thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be
delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand
of thine enemies.
It is in the very next chapter, Micah 5:2, that we
read:
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come
forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings
forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Some commentators see the reference to the sun, the
moon, and the stars in the description of the woman as
further evidence that she embodies the faithful remnant
throughout time. The stars, they tell, us depict the
Patriarchal age, in which the mystery was still very much
hidden. The moon depicts the Mosaic age, in which the
prophets proclaimed the mystery, and yet it was still only
dimly understood. Finally, the sun represents the Christian
age in which the mystery was fulfilled and revealed.
I said a moment ago that this woman is not the church in
its general New Testament sense. What does that mean? When
we think of the church we rightly think of the body of
Christ to which each of us was added at our baptism. But
what about the faithful people of God who died before the
establishment of the church? After the great roll call of
faith in Hebrews 11, that chapter ends with verses
39-40:
And these all, having obtained a good report through
faith, received not the promise: God having provided some
better thing for us, that they without us should not be
made perfect.
The faithful remnant under the old covenant were not
made perfect without us, but rather we were all made
perfect together by the blood of Christ. Also, read Hebrews
9:13-15 ―
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of
an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the
purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works
to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the
mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for
the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament, they which are called might receive the
promise of eternal inheritance.
Thus, if we understand the church to be the collective
spiritual body of God’s people, including that faithful
remnant who died prior to Acts 2 but who received the
promise in Christ, then this woman represents the church
after all.
Who is the child? No one who has read this far in the
Bible could have any doubt as to the identity of this
child! It is, of course, Jesus, who descended through the
Jewish line; that is, from those who were God’s people
under the old covenant. We will witness the birth of this
child in verse 5. The child is Jesus, who from a physical
perspective was brought forth from out of God’s people.
This child had been in the womb of the faithful remnant
since Genesis 3.
Some of the most beautiful and dramatic images in the
Bible are found here in Chapter 12. The destiny of this
woman depends upon her child; it was her own sin that made
his birth necessary.
3 And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a
great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven
diadems upon his heads. 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 bear a
child, that he might devour her child when she brought it
forth;
J. R. R. Tolkien once said, “It does not do to leave a
live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near
him.” That’s good advice for us, for here we meet a
powerful, blood thirsty dragon who appears before the woman
waiting to devour her child.
Where have we seen this same cast assembled before? For
that we must turn from the last book of the Bible all the
way back to the first. In Genesis 3:15, God said to the
serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” This battle has been going
on for a long time — and guess what! It’s head bruising
time!
This dragon is Satan, but it also depicts Rome. This
dragon is Satan acting through the most powerful weapon in
his arsenal, the mighty Roman empire and its godless
emperors. It is Satan who John 8:44 tells us was a murderer
from the beginning. It is Satan who is ever working for the
death of God’s people.
How do we know that Rome is involved here? We know that
from the dragon’s description — seven heads with diadems
and ten horns. Why seven? Why ten? Why horns? Stay tuned.
The details regarding these symbols will be given when they
appear again in Chapter 13 and when they are explained by
an angel in Chapter 17, and we will see that they represent
Rome.
Even here, however, we have enough clues to get a
glimpse of what we will discover in those later chapters.
The word “diadem” in verse 3 occurs three times in
Revelation, but nowhere else in the New Testament. It is
different from the crown of victory (stephanos) that we
have discussed before. The diadem originated with the
Persians and is a headdress of royalty. It always denotes
royal power or royal rule. Which royal rule is in view
here? Well, who was reigning at this time on earth? What
royalty was Satan using to attack the church? Satan is
arrayed with the emperors of Rome! It was through their
reign that Satan sought to destroy the church. This
connection will be confirmed for us in Chapter 17.
What are the stars of Heaven in verse 4? They likely
represent God’s people. They certainly remind us of God’s
promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 ― “Look now toward
heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them:
and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” And they
remind us of Philippians 2:15 ― “That ye may be blameless
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst
of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as
lights in the world.”
But the dragon causes some of these stars fall to earth.
Their fall to earth most likely indicates that the dragon
caused them to fall away from God. That is, they become
part of “those who dwell upon the earth.” The word
translated “cast” in verse 4 means to drag away or to pull
away. It was through Roman persecution and emperor worship
that Satan caused some Christians to compromise with the
world and be lost. Satan’s success did not occur when a
faithful Christian died physically, but rather when a
faithful Christian was pulled away and died spiritually.
And he did that to some, but not to all. Just as we say
thirds in the descriptions of God’s earlier partial
judgment, so we see a third here to describe Satan’s
partial success in causing Christians to fall away.
There is a lesson here for us. This dragon should not be
underestimated. Yes, Satan has been defeated. Yes, Satan is
acting out the role in this book that God has given him.
But, Satan is real, and Satan is dangerous. He causes
people to fall away from God, and when that happens it is
as if a star has fallen from Heaven ― whether it be because
of Roman persecution or just because you have other things
you would rather be doing on Sunday.
A challenge of this book is that we begin to see things
as God sees them, and I fear we do not always see a
Christian’s fall from grace in the same cataclysmic terms
in which Heaven views that departure. It looks like such a
non-event from our perspective — the person is here, and
then sometimes here, and then never here. We may ask about
them, we may even call him, but then very often that is the
end of it. Perhaps we need to picture that person as a
shining star cast back down to earth by the tail of a great
red dragon. That’s how God sees it.
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