One of the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, which Christians have prayed throughout the centuries, is Thy Kingdom Come. Near the end of chapter 11 of Revelation the declaration is made in the heavens: the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah. This petition of the Lord’s Prayer is finally answered. God’s kingdom has come. At the same time, the non-linear nature of John’s vision is most clearly seen at this point in his narrative. The beginning of chapter 12 describes further conflict and trial. It is clear that the world has not yet become the kingdom of our God. With chapter 12 we begin a new scene, Scene Four. Unlike the previous two scenes of seven seals and seven trumpets, the visions of this scene are not numbered. Scene Four consists of visions of cosmic conflict. In it we see the drama of human salvation history against the backdrop of heaven conflicts.
Where do you start to tell the world’s history? John’s vision in this scene begins with the birth of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:1–12 is a retelling of the Nativity in highly symbolic language. We are told explicitly in vs. 1, 3 that what John sees are signs and portents. These images are obviously not to be understood literally, they point to some truth beyond themselves. First, we see a woman clothed in brightness about to give birth to a child. Next, we see a crimson dragon ready to devour the child. The dragon has seven crowns. He has unquestioned and complete political authority. He has ten horns. A horn—think of a rhinoceros—is a symbol of great power. The dragon has ten horns: he is powerful beyond our measure. We are not left in doubt as to the identity of the dragon; we are told in v. 9 that he is Satan.
In v. 7 we see that the consequences of this birth are not Christmas Carols and chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but war in the heavenlies. The result of this war is that Satan is cast forth from the heavenly realms. When did this event occur? The reference is probably to a time during Jesus’ ministry. The Lord Jesus tells his disciples after they return having preached that news of the Kingdom of God to the villages of Israel (Luke 10:18) “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.”
Unable to harm the child, and now defeated and evicted from heaven, Satan then determines to harm Christ’s followers (vs. 13–17). He attacks the woman but she is given wings like an eagle (Isaiah 40:31) enabling her to escape the dragon’s persecution. The dragon next spews forth a cataract of water. Throughout the Psalms the imagery of the overwhelming flood is used to portray our sense that evil is about to drown us. Though the threat is real, the woman (and her offspring) are protected. How long are they protected? John’s enigmatic phrase for a time, and times, and half a time equals the number three and one half. As we learned in our previous study, the number three and one half is a symbol of the time in-between. It is the time in which we live. The protection offered is for the entirety of the time between the arrival of the promise and its fulfillment.
Satan’s Allies
After the repeated defeats of chapter 12 Satan is in need of help. In chapter 13 we meet the two beasts: one from the sea and the other from the earth, he recruits from the underworld to serve his cause. The sea beast is a terrifying creature. He is a patchwork: part leopard, part bear, part lion. He too has seven crowns symbolizing earthly authority and ten horns symbolizing brute power. The image is probably intended to be that of the Roman government in particular and the power of the state in general. It is an image of civil governments extending their reach beyond the authority given them in God’s economy. Sadly, civil government often does make war against God’s people. The creature’s blasphemies should probably be understood as the tendency, in Roman times and in the present, of giving its rulers divine titles: Nero was Savior of the World; Augustus was Divinus; and Domitian was Our Lord and our God. In v. 3 there is a description that one of the seven heads appeared to have been mortally wounded but was now healed. The image is that of a previous battle between this creature and the Lamb of God. Some commentators seek to tie this image to a particular Roman Caesar (or a coming false messiah), but I think there is a better interpretation. God’s pronouncement of judgment upon the Serpent in Genesis 3:15 is seen traditionally as the first Messianic prophesy of the Bible. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” This bruised head has now been accomplished in John’s vision. When did this battle take place? It was fought at Golgatha and in the Garden Tomb. Christ’s resurrection is the crushing blow.
The second beast is not as powerful, for he has only two horns. However, the source of his power and influence is his ability to deceive. He is a substitute, offering a clumsy imitation of the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ is the image of God. This beast is in the image of Satan. The two beasts together symbolize the twin challenges faced by believers in all ages and locations. On the one hand there is the coercive power of those in civil authority who resist the work of Christ. On the other, there is the deceptive influence of false religion that undermines Christ’s work and leads people astray. Intimidation and deception are the two great forces arrayed against the church.
In v. 18 we encounter the mysterious (and well known) number of the Beast – 666. John tells us that interpreting this number will take wisdom. If we wish to see beyond the deceit then we must do so through the exercise of thinking biblically, Christianly. As before, we will resist fanciful interpretations and note the following. It is possible that this number was well known and associated with the Emperor Domitian. It was under Domitian that the church experienced the closest to a systematic persecution by the Roman Empire. But the meaning lies deeper still. As we saw in our previous study of the symbolic numbers of Revelation, the number six is the number for sin. It is the number that is one short of perfection. The principle word translated as sin in the NT (hamartia) is taken from the sphere of archery. It means to miss the mark. Sin misses the mark. Further, in Hebrew idiom, intensification is achieved by doubling. If something is very red, then in Hebrew it is rendered red, red. The repetition intensifies the meaning. The highest form of intensification is three-fold. We say that God is holy, holy, holy. He is intensely holy. He is as holy as you can get. We see then that the three-fold repetition of the number 6 symbolizes the intensification of sin. It is sin at its greatest.
The mark of the beast, 666, is upon small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave. This means simply that they are enslaved to sin, incapable of doing otherwise. The sad fact is that this is the false counterpoint to the assurance of God’s people who were sealed in 7:4. God’s own belong to him and are so marked, sealed. Satan’s own also belong to him, and they too are marked, their fate is also sealed.
However, John’s message is not one of discouragement. He offers a word of encouragement at the end of the beast’s description. In v. 10 John counsels patience and endurance even in the face of hardship, loss and martyrdom. Our temptation is to follow the way of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane: to offer force against force. John counsels simple faith in God. V.10 is central to the application of the Book of Revelation in our lives. “If you are to be taken captive, into captivity you go; if you kill with the sword, with the sword you must be killed.” Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. Because of its fantastic imagery, Revelation particularly appeals to those who desire the near apocalyptic announcement and establishment of God’s justice. The temptation is to believe that we can play a role in catalyzing the arrival of God’s kingdom here on earth. We want to march on Hell to the tune of Onward Christian Soldiers. But here (and, notably in the Eph. 6 descriptions of the armor of God) we are not called to march, but simply to stand. The counsel of v. 10 stands against our desire to bring in the kingdom appearance. Apparently, in the spiritual realms, simple endurance yields the fruit of victory.
This study first appeared in Theology Matters, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jan/Feb 2002).
