The Mark of the Beast

The Road Not Taken

Many of you will be familiar with these words...

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

(Robert Frost / Poem: “The Road not Taken”)

These words are from the famous Poem titled: “The Road not Taken” by Robert Frost

When I read and study scripture passages like the ones we heard read here this morning…I sometimes wonder if Robert Frost was reading the book of Revelation…when he wrote those words...

I think its safe to say…that a church wide study on the book of Revelation…in most churches…is the Road less traveled by.

It would certainly be an easier task…making sense of other parts of scripture…than to make sense of what we heard read today.

Revelation Part II

Beginning with ch. 12 of today’s reading…up to ch. 16…we have the third and final interlude (or interruption) of the book of Revelation…that comes just before the bowl judgments in chapter 16.

quite frankly…what we heard read today is.. a little weird…if not outright terrifying...

Laura…when she read this week’s scripture this week…she used a word that…I think…perfectly describes what we heard read this morning…she said its “fantastical”!

I could see C.S. Lewis writing something similar in one of his allegorical fantasy novels of Narnia...

Biblical Scholar Grant Osborne summarizes this FANTASTICAL section of the book of Revelation…in more concrete terms. He writes:

“Here we have an extended description of Satan's purpose and strategy…and the triumvirate of dragon, beast, and false prophet will dominate chapters 12-20.”

(Revelation BECNT; 452)

Last week we talked about the two witnesses…and how they…in some ways…resembled Moses and Elijah…and even Christ himself…when God raised them and they ascended to heaven…after being killed by the beast...

In chapters 12 & 13 of today’s readings we are introduced to the unholy trinity…if you will…

the dragon = Satan

The Beast from the Sea = Antichrist

The Beast from the earth = the False Prophet

But before we go getting scared and letting our imaginations run too wild…I want to direct your attention to the part of chapter 12 we did not read this morning...

The section describing Stan being thrown out of heaven. Check out these verses…because they frame…or put boundaries around our readings this morning.

Look at Revelation 12:7-17

We won’t read the entire section but notice a few things. Number one: Satan, the Devil, the Deceiver of the world…THE DRAGON…(12:9) is defeated and thrown down to earth...

Then...

Revelation 12:11–12 ESV

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

In other words…the devil has already been defeated by “the blood of the lamb” (Jesus) and “the testimony” of the saints (or believers/followers of Jesus)…

Satan

The Antichrist

The False prophet

The unholy trinity…has already been defeated…that’s the beginning point of the rest of the book of Revelation…including what we read here today…

God has already won!

Satan is already defeated...

All the terrible things we will read about the mission of the unholy trinity…to turn people from God…are just machinations …of an already defeated enemy…who knows his time is short.

Osborne notes…that in Satan’s attempt to fool…and rule...the world…are a “parody” of what God has already done.

Satan’s diadems or crowns copy Christ's crown (19:3)

The mortal wound and miraculous healing of the antichrist..the beast from the sea = Jesus death and resurrection

The great signs of the false prophet (the beast from the earth) parody's Jesus’ sign miracles in John’s gospel...

and the mark of the beast parodies God’s sealing of the saints back in 7:3...

The say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”…if that’s true…Satan…and his plans…are really flattering to God...

No originality whatsoever…we simply have to keep our focus on God and what God has done…and we will easily be able to spot the fake imitation that Satan will attempt to fool humanity.

Sadly…for those who love their lives in this world so much that they are not willing to face persecution as witnesses to God…many of them will fall for the cheap knock-off…instead of the real thing...

Chapter 12

Many believe that the woman in ch. 12 is the nation of Israel…due to the allusions to Old Testament imagery of Sun, moon and stars sometimes referring to faithful Israel (Osborne; 456)

Some see her as the “true church”…still others see her as “messianic Jewish people”…some consider the real representation of “faithful Israel”

Satan…the dragon…clearly wants to destroy the child

Many believe her offspring…is the shortest possible biography of Jesus…he’s born…and ascends to heaven…the end!

It makes for a quick read but wants in detail…but the idea is that Christ’s reign is part and parcel with his ascension to the Father...

Coming to rule with a rod of iron…is referencing Psalm 2:9 and is an image of the return of Christ (the messiah) coming to rule and reign…an in Psalm 2…smashing the nations like pottery...

Ultimately this is a cosmic scene…the drama of human history…The woman…Israel…produces and offspring…Jesus…Satan (the dragon) attempts to ‘devour’ or destroy Jesus…but God snatches Jesus back to Himself through his resurrection and ascension...

The woman then fleas to the wilderness where God provides and care for her…as He has done so often for His people…throughout the Bible...

Chapter 13

To truly due justice to chapter 13…is not possible in the sermon this morning…I hope to add a video discussing the more juicy parts…like the mark of the beast…and the war of the beast and the people of God...

However…today I want to close with a common theme in the book of Revelation…that we have discussed before…and I think is important to continually emphasize…because it is so easy to get distracted and “caught up” in the fascination about:

“who” the beast is…and

what is this passage really describing?

What is the Mark of the Beast?

Can I get the mark and not know it?

Is this talking about our day and time or only about the past?

All great questions…and worthy of our time and study…and I will attempt to provide responses to these questions sometime later this week in a video posting...

But for this morning…I want us to notice and pay attention to something else...

Look with me if you will at Revelation 13:5-10

Listen carefully…and focus…Lord helps us hear what you are saying to us…in these words...Revelation 13:5-10

Revelation 13:5–10 (ESV)

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and... it was allowed to exercise authority ...for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war ...on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe ...and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

If anyone is to be taken captive,

to captivity he goes;

if anyone is to be slain with the sword,

with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

What did you notice?

Four times it is stated that the Beast “was given” something...

a mouth

to exercise authority

to make war

authority over every tribe

What’s the point?

God is sovereign over all things…even the unholy trinity…which can operate…only within the boundaries God allows...

We cannot resist God…As God’s people…through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior…we can…should…and (according to scripture) we WILL…RESIST THE BEAST AND HIS SYSTEM in the world…Satan and all his schemes...

We should resist mightily…however…we to must resist within the boundaries which Christ resisted Satan and worldly powers and institutions…not by sword or through physical resistance...

But through patient reliance on God.

Speaking against the evil we see and calling people to repentance and faith and trust in God alone…and away from worldly systems, structures, and beliefs...

But...Silent when being persecuted for our faithfulness to Christ…even to the point of our own death...(loving our enemies and praying for them)

and in this way…sharing in the sufferings of our LORD...

May God grant us…STRONG FAITH…and…PATIENT ENDURANCE...in the days of EVIL and trouble...

Thanks be to God…AMEN.