“And we all lived happily ever after…” Well, not quite. We all love happy endings. We all love to talk about and write about the “sweet by-and-by,” but we dread the “nasty now-and-now”!
We live in an age when we are fascinated with all things apocalyptic. We just love movies that scare the Hell out of us … well, almost! End-of-the-world apocalyptic, cannibalistic, “We’ve-got-ya!” stuff – it’s all blood, guts, gore, and the dirty vampire whore! This is what people love nowadays. Playing hide-and-go-seek with the walking dead that wants to eat you alive!
But let’s get serious. I know all the above is entertaining to people, but there are actual terrifying events that lie ahead that we can read about. These are not some scripts written by movie makers, either.
The genre I’m writing about is a true story of the future: we can read about the “Victor,” that is, Christ; and the “Vanquished,” that is, satan and his demon forces. We find these truths in the book of Revelation.
The topic here is futuristic in nature, a future foretold by John the Apostle. Note: There are some who believe that John didn’t write some of the things attributed to him. Revelation does speak of John as the author. John received visions and revelations from the Divine realm (Revelation 4:1 – 22:19).
For the record, I do not understand some parts of this book; some parts, yes, but most, no. So, I’m not writing as an “expert” or even as a Bible “scholar.” I merely want to draw our attention to the “Victor” and the “vanquished.”
Chapter 5
I’ve always loved chapter 5. Revelation 5:5 speaks of “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.” Verse 6 speaks of “a Lamb.” Totally opposite creatures, the lion and the lamb! Yet we can see the figure, Jesus glorified, both Majestic and Humble, both Conquering and Submissive, who dominates the Apocalypse, dominates the revealing/unfolding of God’s purpose.
The risen, glorified Christ is both Lion and Lamb. He comes in humility as “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). (See also 1 Peter 2:24.) CHRIST WON VICTORY over death and the satanic powers that tried to destroy Him, hence, He was the ONLY One worthy TO UNROLL THE SCROLL (5:2). After this is an elaboration through a “complicated symbolic matrix” that has “mesmerized readers for centuries,” as one said, “and some have even been hypnotized.”
Terrorizing and fearful conditions will arise on earth (6:5-6). No doubt many such things have already come and gone when this was written; many are yet to be fulfilled before the END. Wars, civil/religious strife, famine, epidemics, pandemics, plagues, disasters of all kinds that destroy both creation and creature … it has all happened and will continue to happen.
Nuances
Exploring the nuances of meaning of imageries put forth in the book of Revelations goes far beyond most who read its contents. This includes me. Some believe Revelation was a book of secret codes. Orthodox mainstream of Christian theology consistently affirms that Jesus, even during His historical life, was a “REVELATION” of God: God revealed His passive (Lamb) and aggressive (Lion) nature in and through Jesus.
The writers of the New Testament knew that even their salvation could result in martyrdom. (Note: “martyr” is a transliteration of a Greek word meaning “witness.”]
Revelations Poetry
Revelation 7:15 NKJV — “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.”
Revelation 7:17 NKJV — “…the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Many of John’s visions are really terrifying. As a child I had nightmares when my parents would read from Revelation. But there is no doubt that the primary intent was not to frighten but to comfort the Christians living under the shadow of persecution: BEYOND TRIBULATION LAY PEACE AND “VICTORY.”
The Beast, False Prophet, Dragon, demons and devils, Bowls of God’s wrath – all frightening. No doubt John wrote about certain current emperors and wicked rulers to come at the end of time. The emperor Domitian was the first of the Roman rulers to command that he be acclaimed as “Lord and God” (AD 81-96). Some believe Revelation was written as an encouragement to Christians to defy his demand for divine honor.
The Vanquished
Visions of the struggles with “EVIL power” are presented under the figure of the Seven Angels with trumpets (Revelation 8:1-2). They announce BAD things to come upon the earth; not only this, but they release FEARFUL creatures that spread DEATH AND DESTRUCTION upon the wicked of the earth.
666
Oh, how many books have been written about who and what this was or is! I’ve heard all kinds of things over the years. Be it cryptogram or not, 666 has put fear upon the world over the centuries.
In Contrast
In contrast to all the demonic beings, John writes about Christ, through whom the promise of VICTORY is fulfilled. No matter how dark it gets, in the END, there will be LIGHT! There will be VICTORY!
Lamb Standing on Mt. Zion
Chapter 14 gives us a glimpse of Christ and 144,000 saints with Him. (There is no way I believe only 144,000 will be there, literally. It is impossible to determine what that number did mean.) It speaks of God’s wrath being poured out; His cup of indignation will be poured upon those who’ve taken the mark of the Beast: they shall be tormented with FIRE AND BRIMSTONE in the presence of the Holy angels and in the presence of the LAMB.
Chapter 14 portrays Christ as the LAMB in His purity (14:1-5), the herald of DOOM for the emperor worshippers (?). Then, in verses 8-11, Christ is the Son of Man who both announces the judgment (14:14-17) and executes it. Note: Isaiah 63 speaks of God’s wrath; He is pictured as trampling the grapes in verses 2-3. Revelation 14:18-20 echoes Isaiah. Here in Revelation God’s feet and garments are spattered with the blood of the fallen just as a winepress would be stained with the juice from grapes.
Great Marvelous
After the winepress vision, the blood of the trampled wicked, the vision switches to “those who have the VICTORY over the Beast” – over his image, over his mark. These VICTORIOUS saints of God sing the song of Moses: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, king of the saints! Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You. For Your judgments have been manifested (i.e., revealed)” (vv. 3-4).
WOE!!!
After that song of praise, John introduces 2 new series of 7 woes each … in an attempt, a vain effort, to bring the wicked to repentance (Revelation 15-16).
The Winners Are…
We know who the winners and losers are. In the days of early persecution, the Roman Colosseum was built by Vespasian and Titus as an arena for public, bloody spectacles. In later years of the empire, many Christians were SLAIN by Roman gladiators and wild beasts. Well, in the end, the wicked will be slain by the sword of Christ’s mouth (Revelation 1:16).
Eventually!
Political Babylon and religious Babylon will fall. The completeness of the destruction will be celebrated:
Revelation 18:2 NKJV — “…Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!”
Revelation 18:3 NKJV — “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, …”
Revelation 18:16-17 NKJV — “…‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!’”
It has always been believed that Babylon was and is the Roman Catholic Church. Well, I don’t know. What I do know is that whatever, whomever this was and is, God abhorred/abhors her.
Revelation ends in majestic fashion. The Present Age ends and a New Age opens with God’s people in it – as the “VICTORS.” A new Heaven and a new Earth “arises out of the old, worn, and torn age where demons ruled.”
— Gen. Jim, POW