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Message
How real is evil? I think we can all agree that evil is very real.
Now here is a slightly different question. How powerful is evil?
There is an Old Hymn by Martin Luther called A Mighty Fortress is Our God.
Here is one of the verses
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
How powerful is evil? One word is all it takes to bring him down. Surely then we are able to keep evil in its place. With that question in our minds let’s read Revelation 12:1-13:18.
It may be true that one little word can feel him. But as I read through this passage I cannot help but be confronted by the reality that evil – the dragon, the sea beast and the earth beast – that right through history evil has been, and is winning, a few battles.
In fact, I would go one step further and say that we, as Christians are involved in a spiritual war with a fearsome enemy. Let me show you why as we have a closer look at these chapters.
Revelation 12:1-13:1a
Do you know what I like about this chapter?
It is actually quite easy to understand.
For one thing the dragon is identified for us in verse 9.
The great dragon was hurled down – the ancient serpent called the devil or Satan.
The seven heads with the seven crowns is a claim of power and authority; and it isn’t a false claim
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4
When speaking to His disciples Jesus describes Satan as
The prince of this world John 14:30
When Jesus was being tempted in the desert Satan says
I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. Luke 4:6
In response Jesus doesn’t say “No you don’t have that authority”. Satan was not making a false claim here.
Satan – the dragon, the serpent, the accuser, the devil – has a lot of authority …
How is he using that authority?
That brings us to the woman.
The woman represents the people of the Old Testament.
In Genesis 37:9 Joseph, the boy who got a special coat from his dad, had a dream. In that dream The sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me. God’s OT people were stars, the sun and moon were under their feet.
The woman represents the faithful people of God.
She is the one who gives birth to a male child who will rule with an iron sceptre. That can only be Jesus can’t it. The woman isn’t Mary specifically, but the Messianic line of faithful people.
The woman represents the New Testament people.
She is protected by God for 1260 days which, we have said, is the time of the church age. She also has offspring who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The woman is all of God’s people, from all generations and ages, at all times. And for all this time she has been harassed by Satan.
Satan – the dragon, the serpent, the accuser, the devil – has a lot of authority …
and He is singularly focused on using that authority against the church.
That is what makes Satan a powerful enemy. He just never gives up. All he wants to do, all he is focussed on doing, is sabotaging the people of God. And he often succeeds in wearing them out.
Think all the way back to Genesis 3
We are only in the third chapter of the whole bible story. Already Satan has stepped in a created sinful chaos. Adam and Eve have been banned from the garden. Cain will soon kill his brother Abel. And it is only just begun.
Think about the days of Elijah
It is so bad that Elijah thinks he is the only faithful person left. God encourages him by reminding him that there are still 7000 people who have not given up on God and not worshipped false idols. The nation of Israel at the time was over 2,000,000 people – and only 7000 are faithful!! Satan has been at work.
Earlier in Revelation we read about Laodicea
This is the church that Jesus is going to spit out of His mouth. They compromised, they were unfaithful, they lived for themselves. Satan’s focussed authority has been pretty active.
50 years ago many countries in Europe were 60 or 70% Christian
Some countries in Europe now have less than 5% Christian population.
One little word shall fell him – but what if no-one uses that word?
What if people just keep compromising their faith?
What if the Gospel is continually watered-down?
What if the popularity of a Pastor is more important than the preaching of the truth?
What if there are whole nations of Christians who sit in their comfortable churches, with their comfortable Christian friends, in their comfortable suburbs, having driven from their comfortable homes?
Evil is powerful because it is singularly focused on a goal. When you are singularly focussed then you are going to succeed – that means we are in a dangerous spiritual war.
Which brings us to the beast from the sea in
Revelation 13:1b-10
Like the serpent Satan, this beast has 10 horns and seven heads.
Instead of 7 crowns – there are 10 diadems on the horns. A diadem is a small crown.
Power and authority are here as well, but it is relegated power. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
Satan – the dragon, the serpent, the accuser, the devil – has passed on his authority to the beast from the sea …
The beast has:- Leopard-like qualities. Bear-like qualities. Lion-like qualities. Which helps us to understand what is going on here. Let’s have a look at a passage from Daniel 7:4-6. Here Daniel is telling us about a dream he had describing different beasts which he saw. The first was like a lion … There before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear … After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard … This beast in Revelation 13 combines all 3 animals from Daniel 7. So it is from the same line. In Daniel the beast represents oppressive kingdoms, political powers and social structures. And that is the same here.
Everyone is looking at the beast and saying, “Here is the answer”. We don’t want to make war with the beast – we want to embrace the beast. The beast is our salvation.
Some think materialism is going to be the answer. Money makes us happy and gives us power. When we are surrounded by a nice home and fancy cars and good food – well that makes us satisfied. This is the good life. This is what we work for. This is our god.
Some think tolerance is the answer. If only we could all agree to get along – to view our differences as personal perspectives; to agree to disagree. Then we could look one another in the eye and say, “You have a different truth to me, but we are still both right”. This is our god.
Some think democracy is the answer. We need to have a democratic world, because countries with democracy have less problems – don’t they!! If only everyone had the right to say what they think without fear of being ridiculed or punished. This is our god.
Satan – the dragon, the serpent, the accuser, the devil – has passed on his authority to the beast from the sea … this beast is worshipped as a god.
Sometimes people see through it all.
They see that materialism, or tolerance, or democracy or whatever other philosophy is going – is not the answer.
The beast receives a fatal blow.
But then he recovers and tries something else, the old philosophies are wrapped in new paper. Soon enough people are deceived again. The fatal wound is healed.
The serpent is playing an easy game – because mankind, men and women, will always be attracted to the ways of the world. And everyone worships the ways of the world.
One little word shall fell him.
But what happens when we are materialistic?
Or when we strive merely for tolerance?
Or when we turn faith into a democracy where everyone has a vote?
What happens when we get sucked in by the empty, self-serving, political and social philosophies of this world?
Evil is powerful because there are many paths it can use to distract us from the way of truth. When you are a master of distraction then you are going to succeed – that means we are in a dangerous spiritual war.
So we move on to the beast of the earth
Revelation 13:11-18
Probably this is one of the most well known passages in Revelation because of the number 666. Even people who don’t know anything about the Bible know that 666 is the number of the beast.
Let me tell you now 666 has nothing to do with barcodes, or social security numbers, or micro chips in humans, or Catholic popes, or Roman Emperors, or 101 other interpretations that have been offered over the years. The number 666 is not an exercise in maths – it is an exercise in discernment.
666 is asking a simple question – what is your spiritual identification?
For this beast from the earth is a deceptive copycat. He has two horns like a lamb – like Jesus the Lamb of God. He performs great miracles – like our Lord who healed. He is focused on all; small and great, rich and poor, free and slave – like Christ who wants disciples in all nations. Those who follow the beast are identified with a spiritual mark 666. Those who follow our Lord Jesus Christ are also marked – by the Holy Spirit. Either way we have been identified spiritually. The earth beast is a cheap copy-cat.
Satan – the dragon, the serpent, the accuser, the devil – gives authority to the beast from the sea to establish cheap salvation …
Given a vote between suffering and comfort … comfort will win.
Given a vote between sacrifice and peace … peace will win.
Given a vote between hardship and prosperity … prosperity will win.
By nature we all want to take the easy road, the smooth highway, the express train.
Real Christianity. Quality Christianity. Superior Christianity. Isn’t easy.
Yes we are protected by God – the woman of Revelation 12 has been give a place – but that place is the desert. Deserts are not comfortable. Deserts take the lives of those who don’t treat them seriously. A stay in the desert requires planning, courage, determination, vigour, drive and commitment. That isn’t cheap.
The beast out of the earth offers salvation at the cheaper rate.
Comfort, peace, prosperity.
That is the false religion.
Satan – the dragon, the serpent, the accuser, the devil – gives authority to the beast from the sea to establish cheap salvation … and everybody buys it.
The serpent knows that the best way to wage the war is to provide the way of least resistance. And many spiritually identify with the beast because they just can’t be bothered to make a difference.
One little word shall fell him.
But what happens when our suffering causes anger at God, not the joy of salvation?
What happens when we can’t make the sacrifices because we are too comfortable?
Or when we just go along with everyone else because we don’t want to stand out?
Or when we are silent about our faith because we don’t want to miss out?
What happens when we have nothing but cheap faith, cheap commitment and cheap religion?
Evil is powerful because it always promises the easiest path. When you are a master of deception then you are going to succeed – that means we are in a dangerous spiritual war.
Do you know what we are facing here?
We are at war with the unholy trinity.
The dragon – who is singularly focused against the people of God.
The beast of the sea – who distracts us with worldly philosophies.
The beast of the earth – who deceives us with cheap salvation.
One little word will fell him. The dragon isn’t that powerful. He fails to stop the male child. He and angels fail against Michael the archangel. He fails to keep a place in heaven. He fails against those who overcome him through the blood of the Lamb. He fails to drown out the woman who is the people of God. He fails against those whose names are written in the book of life. He fails against those who don’t receive the mark.
The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
The “god of this age”, the “prince of this world”; the one who claims authority.
Is more afraid of you … when you have Jesus in you … is more afraid of you then you are of him. Because you have the greater winning team.
The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:10
In the end the unholy trinity … for the beast from the earth is the same as the false prophet … the unholy trinity … the dragon … Satan … is doomed. And he is angry because he knows his time is short.
One little word shall fell him.
But are you willing to do what it takes to say the word?
For, at every point in this chapter, the ongoing call to the church is that they need to be willing to stand up and stand out.
We may have to go into captivity.
We may be killed.
We may be financially disadvantaged.
We are at war. Don’t de distracted. Don’t be deceived. Just say the word … Jesus.
Prayer
