“The Great Unveiling: The Great Impressionist”
Revelation 12:1-13:18
I’m always captivated by good impressionists – people who can mimic the voices, quirks, and facial nuances of others. It’s a tremendous talent and takes a great amount of study and work to do it well. And when it’s done well, it commands our attention. Revelation 12 & 13 introduces us to the greatest impressionist of all, who also commands our attention. His stage name is Satan and he mimics the trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Let’s look first (12:1-17) at the FATHER IMAGE of this other trinity. In these verses he is pictured as THE DRAGON. We believe that God the Father is the Creator, who shared His authority and power with His Son in order to bring about worship and praise of Himself. And this dragon, is a father image who mimics God perfectly. The dragon, Satan by name, is THE CREATOR OF EVIL WHO SHARES HIS AUTHORITY AND POWER WITH ANOTHER TO BRING ABOUT WORSHIP OF HIMSELF.
Rev. 12:1-2 sets the stage for his impressions. Here we find a brief SUMMARY OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. The woman, Israel, is awaiting her child, the Messiah. She’s ready to give birth. Christmas and Revelation are connected! In verses 3 & 4, SATAN IS POISED and ready to capture and kill this newborn child. Recall that Satan used the jealousy and wrath of Herod to slaughter the innocents in a vain attempt to reach the child; he went himself into the wilderness to try to tempt and topple Christ, but to no avail; as Jesus began to minister, Satan aroused the Pharisees and the established religious leaders, and governmental authorities to suppress Him. Eventually they had their day as they nailed Him to a deadly cross.
But, (verses 5&6), CHRIST CAME TO LIFE AND WAS “SNATCHED UP” INTO HEAVEN, (He ascended) thereby sealing Satan’s doom. And, before Satan could recover, THE CHURCH was given a SPIRITUAL SANCTUARY to assure her safety throughout her earthly life. Satan was foiled; Christ had won! And now the church is safe for these “1260 days” in which we live, until Christ comes again. Satan will chase and attack her, but Satan will not win. The wilderness protection here is parallel to the spiritual sanctuary of Chapter 11 – again we are promised that even as Satan is sleepless in his attacks on us, God cares for us. And this framework of spiritual safety for the Church allows us to proceed with this chapter and better understand the conflict between evil and the Church.
Verses 7-12 show us THE REASON SATAN FIGHTS so hard against the Church. We see Satan fighting in heaven. This represents the conflict between Eve and Satan, between Israel and idolatry, between evil and good right on through the time of Christ. Satan was trying to re-establish himself as a power in heaven. As Christ rose victoriously and took up His throne in heaven, SATAN WAS CAST DOWN! So heaven was glad and rejoiced! But it says, “woe” to those who still dwell on the earth! Why? Since Satan can no longer fight in heaven and therefore cannot get Christ, he TURNS IN ANGER AGAINST THE CHURCH. He knows his time is short, he knows he’s defeated, and he knows he’s living on borrowed time. So he’s going to make the most of it. Like a dog frothing at the mouth, he is out for us! The end is underway! The bell has rung and he’s come out fighting! As Paul told the Ephesians (Eph. 6:12): “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
So verses 13-17 show Satan coming after us. This, also, is parallel to chapter 11, where the church, though safe, is trodden under foot outside the temple. Jesus predicted all this when He said to his disciples (John 15:18-21): "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.”
Here’s the reality with which we live: we are participants in two worlds. We live in a daily tension between this earthly world of evil and the heavenly world of good. We travel and do battle here on this earth, but our citizenship is in heaven. As long as we are earthbound, life will never be easy; THERE WILL ALWAYS BE TURMOIL AND TRIBULATION; WE ARE LIVING IN ENEMY OCCUPIED TERRITORY. Wherever the seeds of Christ’s Kingdom are sown, there will be opposition. Wherever firm commitments are made, Satan will go to war. Whenever congregations make a commitment to deeper faith or greater service, we will see signs of Satan’s increased activity. I tell you, he will not be happy. And he will increase his efforts to defeat us. It reminds me of soccer goalie I once saw who defiantly wore a shirt on which was a bulls’-eye – it was his way of saying, “Go ahead! Shoot at me! Bring it on!” As soon as we make a firm commitment we challenge Satan to bring it on – and make no mistake about it, he will! As Martin Luther wrote, “For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.”
But again, note that the Church will not be defeated! Satan will wage his war against the Church throughout the ages (the offspring), but WILL NOT WIN! Satan will be no more successful in his pursuit of the Church than he was with his pursuit of Christ! We can take heart. God protects His own. The Church may have her martyrs, but she will also have her victory!
The Father figure couldn’t do the job alone! So chapter 13 introduces 2 new persons to us. The first, THE SON IMAGE, is introduced in verses 1-10, as THE SEA BEAST. Even as God called on Christ to represent Him and help carry out His purpose, so Satan calls forth the sea-beast to REPRESENT HIM AND CARRY OUT HIS PURPOSE. And even as Christ was dealt a mortal wound and rose again, so the sea-beast also was dealt a mortal wound only to come back to life. The reference here would take John’s readers back to the prophecy of Daniel and his visions of the beast. There, 4 beasts came out of the sea, which stood for the place of chaos and evil. They represented the power of ruling nations, the strength of man independent from God. They stood for THE DESIRE FOR EARTHLY POWER AND DOMINATION. It all pictured a way of life that sought to exalt man. The sea-beast here in Revelation is all of these beasts, and more!
The 10 HORNS AND 7 HEADS MARK COMPLETE OPPOSITION TO GOD in all its fullness. And this opposition will be around for those “42 months”, the time in which we live, until Christ comes again. It represents a godless world system that seeks to exalt humankind, a system that has been around as long as humans. It’s the system Adam and Eve really wanted; it’s the system people tried to build at Babel where they figured they could reach right up and into the heavens! What Satan wants most is the omnipotence of God! He wants it, he’ll give – and has given – his life for the power of God! And he thinks he has it in this world and its systems – but he has forgotten that these have only been given to him temporarily, by God!
This reference has a sense of reality to it. John’s readers would have thought immediately of Rome and Roman power. Yet every generation has known some great power that has striven for world recognition and control. Wars and revolutions have been spawned most frequently because of desire for land, possessions, and power! Satan has taken what God has instituted for humans’ welfare – government – and twisted and corrupted it. God has established it because He wills law and order and protection; Satan has used it to establish tyranny and control.
And that’s what brings THE MORTAL WOUND (13:3) into the picture. Again and again, because of the cross, such godless systems have been fatally wounded. THE SYSTEMS OF HUMANKIND RISE AND FALL. And there’s always another system coming to life. One generation lived in fear of Nero, whose insane ways included dipping Christians in pitch and using them as torches for his parties; when he reportedly committed suicide people were sure he was either in hiding or that he would come back to life. Another generation stood in awe and fear of Hitler as the Holocaust took place. Some still wonder if he’s alive. One thing’s for certain – his grab for power and the drive for the perfect society still lives! People marvel at how this idea and system keeps coming back; it must be truth, they figure, or it would die! They marvel at it; they fall for it; they worship it; they dedicate their lives to it!
Verse 10 of this 13th chapter tells us the danger of these systems: “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” THE SYSTEMS OF HUMANKIND DEMAND UNCONDITIONAL ALLEGIANCE. God’s people cannot give it. The message to the Church is that if we are to be taken captive for our faith, let us go into captivity. We are not to defend our faith with swords! Now, we are not dealing here with nations warring against each other and whether or not we ought to take up arms as a nation. The message here is that if we are persecuted for our faith, the solution does not lie in power or might or force. It’s a contradiction to defend the Christ of love with a sword, to defend the Lord of life with death and murder. To use the sword is to die by it. Just remember that the Devil may mimic the Father and the Son, but he will not succeed.
Recognizing he doesn’t yet have the power he needs, Satan tries another approach. We meet THE HOLY SPIRIT IMAGE in verses 11 – 18. He’s in the form of THE EARTH BEAST. This beast exists, like the Spirit, TO LEAD OTHERS TO HIS FATHER. It brings great signs and wonders and is concerned with worship. He works hand in hand with the sea beast so together they can CONTROL SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS LIFE. And, again, he is deceptive. He looks like the Lamb, but sounds like the dragon.
In other words, he’s a counterfeit and leads people away from God. Remember Jesus said (Mt. 7:15): “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” This earth beast is the Dragon’s minister of propaganda! He stands for THE FALSE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD. Certainly not all non-Christian religions appear outwardly evil and sinister. No! Satan knows that very few people will respond to an invitation to worship him; so he is subtle – he clothes worship of him in different suits.
Our task is to remember that Jesus said firmly, “No one comes to the Father but by me.” Not through self, not through another individual, not through a system; only through Him. That was the trouble in Eden – they couldn’t be like God by asserting themselves! My friends, we become like what we worship! False religions draw us into doing our own things. Religions which make our loyalty to the state, or which tell us our supreme loyalty is the government or some worldly system, rather than Christ, are simply that – false! Even the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they do not turn us to the system of the state, try to turn us to their systems and their allegiances rather than to Jesus the Christ, the Living Lord!
But catch verse 14: all of this deceives only those “inhabitants of the earth!” THOSE WHO SERVE GOD WITH HEART, SOUL, MIND, AND STRENGTH, WILL NOT BE DECEIVED! That’s why knowledge of the Word and service to Christ are so important! When we stand with the Lord and serve Him, Satan’s foolishness is clear to us. And that’s why apostasy and falling away will increase – too many have signed on for the ride and will be deceived! Woe to them!
The reality of this reference to false religions is clear. There will be many, we are told, who WILL WEAR THE MARK OF THE BEAST. And here is where there has been so much controversy in interpretation. Let’s look at it carefully. First, the mark is on the hands, and forehead. This is exactly PARALLEL TO REVELATION 7 where we were introduced to the seal of God. Recall it was in invisible seal, a spiritual mark. This beastly mark is the same type; it is, in fact, the ANTITHESIS TO EXODUS 13:9: “And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth.” It is purely A SYMBOL – just as the 3½, 1260, and 42 months is a symbol; just as the 144,000 is a symbol; just as the 144 cubits of the heavenly city in Rev. 21 will be a symbol. If true religion is pictured symbolically, why not false religion as well?
So the number 666 IS SPIRITUAL AND SYMBOLIC; but what does it mean? By assigning numbers to the letters of the alphabet people have come up with all kinds of possibilities for what ads up to 666! The names of Nero, Luther, Hitler, Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan, and even one of the popes, have all been suggested and “proven.” But deity and perfection is symbolized in the number 7; so 777 is the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The number 666 falls just short of 777. The 666 stands the other trinity we are looking at today, for HUMANKIND’S EFFORT TO USURP THE PLACE OF THE SOVEREIGN GOD. Now what could better symbolize the evil of our age than something less than the perfection of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, something that looks like the truth but isn’t? That’s 666. It’s been said that Bach’s children could awaken Bach by playing a tune and leaving off the last note; his whole being was so tuned to perfection that he’d awaken at the imperfection! And what a commentary on this world! We want perfection and completion! The 666, the evil of the world, will play all the tunes, but never the last note! It cannot provide the perfection and harmony we desire! And that should awaken us!
Let’s face it. If John knew what else the 666 could have stood for, he intended it only for his own intimate associates. 2000 years of conjecture have been indecisive. We must allow for the mystery of God! The day will come when this symbol will be as clear as the 22nd Psalm was to Israel and now is to us – people will understand. For now, if we understand the character and personality of what 666 represents, we will know all we need to know to withstand. Whether or not the 666 will issue forth in some future “fuehrer”, the power of evil inherent in 666 will continue to build systems and religions in the world to destroy and deter our allegiance. It will force us to choose: buy into its system or perish. And it will be increasingly so.
So John’s message includes two ACTION verses, two verses that teach us how to respond to powerful 666 forces on our world. First, 13:10: “This call for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” PERSEVERE. Perseverance is a choice; choose to be faithful. As Hebrews 12:1-3 urges: “So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne. Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up.” Our task is to persevere! It’s what Revelation is all about; it’s what Hebrews is all about! Let us accept the realities of life – Satan and his agents in our world systems will be active throughout history! But they will fall – like the tower at Babel and the walls of Jericho, they will crumble! But we can stand with Christ!
Oswald Chambers put this succinctly and powerfully. “God allows these things for His own purpose. We may say what we like, but God does allow the devil, He does allow sin, He does allow bad men to triumph and tyrants to rule, and these things either make us friends or they make us saints, it depends entirely on our relationship with God. If we say, ‘Your will be done,’ we get the tremendous consolation of knowing that our Father is working everything according to His own wisdom.” (1)
The second action is found in 12:11 – in reference to Satan being hurled down, the loud voice proclaims, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” The blood of the Lamb defeated Satan and overcame his power. And THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY helps hold his power in check. Every time we stand up to opposition, every time we speak up against the evil of our age, every time we witness to Jesus – especially the face of persecution and death – Satan is knocked down, defeated again. This is a call to stand up, speak up, and shout out for Jesus.
Satan knows (12:12) his time is short. So he will try to mimic God, even in the form of a trinity. But Jesus has decisively beaten him! Satan is a lame duck power! It’s like the poor man who envied and hated the rich man who owned a mansion on the hill. One night he decided to vent his hatred by cutting down the choicest and most valuable tree in the rich man’s yard. All night he toiled and worked to cut it down. In the morning, when he still had a few chops left, he saw the owner, with another man, riding down the hill towards him. Hurriedly he struck the tree for the last times. Tired, he was unable to get out of the way and it fell on him. As he lay there dying, the owner rode up to him and simply said, “What a help you’ve been. This is my architect and we’ve spent the night going over the plans for my new house. We’ve just decided that this is the best place of all. You’ve cleared out the biggest of the trees. That will save me a great deal of money and effort. Your effort and life has been my gain!”
So Satan will continue to work – but his life and effort will be Christ’s gain. “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing; were not the right man on our side”, we would never win. But Christ is on our side! We bear not the mark of the beast, but the mark of God. Our trinity of our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is greater than any other. Let us rise up and persevere by standing up, speaking up, and shouting out, until Christ comes! Amen!
(1) Oswald Chambers, p. 283 of Utmost Daily Bible
