Part 5/9
Series: Revelation | Will the Church Be on the Right Side of History?
Read: Revelation 12-14, Genesis 3
If you had to guess, what sort of foothold would you suspect the devil has in your life? What would he use if he were to attempt a full out assault on you and your family? How would you fare?
Satan is cunning and crafty. He’s been deceiving people for a long time, but we don’t often think about how he might have influence over us. The early Church that the Apostle Paul was writing to had a lot of vulnerabilities. They needed to see that Satan was working against them, to seduce them, corrupt them, or persecute them.
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Right here in the middle of the Book of Revelation and in the middle of what some believe to be the tribulation period, we are told of a vision that takes us out of the judgment and gives us a flashback of what was, what is, and what is to come.
In this vision we see a woman who is about to give birth. Then a red dragon with seven heads and ten horns appears. This is the retelling of a cosmic battle between good and evil. It takes us back to the Garden of Eden where Eve was deceived by the serpent and, with Adam, they disobeyed God. The resulting curse of their sin brought destruction into the world, but there was also a gospel prophecy. The woman would give birth to a son who would crush the head of the serpent.
The prophecy would take thousands of years to unfold, but in the meantime, a war would rage between heaven and hell. When Jesus was walking with two of the disciples on the road to Emaus after His resurrection, He showed them from all of the Scriptures how they were ultimately pointing to Himself. But you could also look through those same passages and see how Satan has always been in the shadows trying to disrupt God’s plans.
When Jesus came into the world at the advent of His birth, the devil used the ruling king, Herod, to slaughter all of the children to prevent a savior from rising to power. This is similar to what the Pharaoh in Egypt did when the Israelites were still in slavery. But no matter how hard Satan tries to disrupt the purposes of God, he always fails. In fact, he has already been defeated when Jesus died on the cross and secured the salvation of the world.
But this hasn’t stopped Satan’s attempts to destroy the work of God. In Revelation 12:10 we see that Satan is called the accuser of the brothers. If you remember in the story of Job, we see Satan going before God and asking for permission to torment God’s servant saying that Job is only faithful because he has been so richly blessed. But after all that Satan does to Job, his faith does not falter. So it is with us. Satan has accused us before God, but we have an advocate, Jesus Christ is our lawyer, defending us and showing that we have been forgiven through the shedding of His blood. One little word destroys Satan’s accusations. “Liar!” And he is thrown out of the throne room of God. He can no longer accuse us.
The Counterfeits
Satan’s crafts and powers are great. His method for deceiving the nations has developed in sophistication over millennia. He is in every realm of power. He has corrupted governments and religion. But his originality is lacking. Everything he sets in place is a counterfeit of what God has already done to capture the hearts and worship of true believers.
In this next vision, we see that a beast comes out of the sea, a clear reference back to Daniel’s prophecies, and this beast is similar to the dragon. It, too, has seven heads and ten horns. This is likely referring to powers of influence, again, referencing back to Daniel. This may be seven kingdoms representing ten countries coming together in an alliance under the power and the authority of Satan. What is interesting is how they gain power and influence. One of the heads seems to suffer a fatal wound, but is healed. This sparks a worship of Satan and a worship of the beast.
Then there is a second beast. This one is described as having two horns, like a lamb, but it sounds like a dragon. The implications are obvious that Satan is trying to counterfeit Christianity. The devil is not only an accuser, he is also a deceiver, and his deceptions have led many away from the truth.
Satan has tried this before. Remember when Moses threw down his staff and it turned into a snake before Pharaoh? Well, the Egyptian priests were able to perform the same trick. You should note that this is a definitive sign that Satan was behind Pharaoh. Even the Apostle Paul uses this point when telling Timothy how bad the last days will be. Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so others will resist the truth.
This second beast is the antichrist that John is referring to in his first letter to the Church. He says that it is the last hour before reminding them that an antichrist is coming, but there are still many antichrist who would deceive believers. How will they go about this? By elevating the treasures of this world over the treasures of the Kingdom of God. John warns us not to love the world, or the things that are in it.
So, what is the mark of the beast? Is it a subdermal chip that allows those who worship the devil to purchase their food at the supermarket? Maybe. But more to the point of the text, this is a counterfeit of what God is doing to seal those who follow Him. We see that addressed again in the next chapter as the 144,000 are brought up again and they have the name of God written on their foreheads.
The point is, Satan is trying to build his own kingdom of earth and he is imitating God’s story, plans, and purposes. His desire is to build loyalty and worship around himself. He has great power and is able to deceive people with good intentions. He has used power and religion in the past, he is using it in the present, and we should expect him to use it in the future as well.
We have to be careful that we are not falling in love with the things of this world and giving the devil a foothold in our lives. What would your testimony be if everything was taken away from you? Would you be like Job and be found faithful? We also need to be wary of putting our trust in the systems of this world. Both governments and religion are easily corrupted. We must keep our faith pure and not be deceived by the angle of light and the master of lies.
The Eternal Gospel
Fortunately, we are not left with the image of the devil in power. Remember, he has already been defeated on the cross. Everything he is doing is a last ditch effort to thwart God’s plan, but he will not succeed.
In this next vision we see angels announcing the glory of God, starting with the eternal gospel, “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.” The devil might look scary, but you are not to fear Satan. Fear God. Give Him your glory and honor. Worship Jesus.
The next angel announces the fall of Satan and all his systems in this world, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.” And with this, we are reminded not to build our kingdoms on this earth or store up our treasures where they will corrode or be stolen away. Satan will be defeated, and all those who aligned with him will go down with him as the third angels announces, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath.”
And just like that we see a glimpse of what was, what is, and what is yet to come. Jesus is seen riding on a cloud, coming to take back what is rightfully His and pour out God’s wrath on all those who have chosen the dragon over Him. Don’t be deceived. Don’t allow your heart to be seduced by the treasures of this world and give the devil a foothold in your life. Don’t go down with Satan. Fear the Lord and trust in the one who was slain for you.
Adam Miller is the president and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church. This article is a condensed version of one of his sermons.