"The First Beast" Sermon: Revelation 13:1-10 (video)

 "The First Beast" Sermon: Revelation 13:1-10 (video) (youtube.com)

"The First Beast" Sermon: Revelation 13:1-10 (manuscript)

 

“The First Beast”

Revelation 13:1-10

July 28, 2024 YouTube

          We continue to see behind the scenes, and we have come to a section in Revelation which may be familiar to us:  the two beasts. This morning, we will consider the first beast.

          “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea,”

          The first beast – this being, rises out of the sea.  The sea is symbolic of chaos and rebellion.  We will remember the fear of the disciples on the Sea of Galilee during a great storm – and the storm that came upon Jonah and, also, Paul, on the Mediterranean Sea.  This is a beast of chaos and rebellion, fear, and destruction.

“with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.”

The horns and heads symbolize governments.  And the diadems symbolize power and royalty – strength over other nations and governments.  But it also shows that the power of the beast and these governments he has are influential through are limited.  There are ten horns – not an infinite number.  There are seven heads – not an infinite number.  As we have seen before, Satan and his satanic host are limited by God.  They are allowed – as God wills – this far and no further. There are wicked and satanic governments now and until the until of time that are limited by God yet are strong and will persecute believers – all Christians.  At this time, the government in mind was – at least – Rome.

And the beast has blasphemous names on its heads.  The governments and powers that the beast influences and rules take the Lord’s Name in vain.  For example, the Ceasars – the emperors – demanded that the people call them, “Lord,” the title reserved for God Alone.  They said that all people must worship them as God and call them, “Adonai.”  The holy title of God Alone.

We are given a description of the beast and where his power comes from:

“And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.”

The beast is not Satan, but he is satanic, and his power and throne and authority are given to him by the dragon – who we have seen is Satan. The description of the beast shows us that the beast is dangerous and powerful – and we do well to be aware of him and to run to our God and Savior for protection against him.  All governments and political figures that insist we do things against what God has clearly commended must be refused.  No matter what happens to believers – the Christians of the first century we fed to animals, made up as human torches, had their head and other body parts removed, and they were mocked as they died for the sake of Christ.  Be ready if it happens to you.

          We have noticed that Daniel and Ezekiel have visions that parallel what is revealed in the book of Revelation.  The readers and hearers of Revelation would remember them. Daniel writes about four beasts.  In Revelation, they are condensed into two.  Of the fourth beast, Daniel writes:

“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things” (Daniel 7:7-8, ESV).

We will remember the vision Daniel had of a great statue made of different metals, Rome is symbolized by iron. The fourth beast – which parallels John’s first beast – had great iron teeth.  Minimally, the believers of the first century are being told that Rome is the first beast – or one of the first beast’s horns. Rome is a satanic government with satanic leaders that work against Jesus Christ and His people.

“One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?’”

One of the satanic governments will seem to be on the verge of death but will have a comeback and continue with their wicked actions.  And the world – all those who follow the beast and worship the dragon, worship the beast and praise him and say that he has all power – he is unstoppable.

The Roman Empire – and perhaps an empire or empires in the future – will seem to be on the verge of destruction, but it will recover and continue in its wickedness.  The Christians of the first century are being warned not to be too confident in the seeming destruction of Rome, because it will revive and continue.  The wicked empire is not done sinning against God and His people.

John may be referring to “the Third Century Crisis [that] almost destroyed the Empire and paved the way for its eventual downfall. From 235-284 AD, there were at least 26 emperors and all, but a handful was murdered. Rome’s traditional trade network collapsed during this period so by the time Diocletian brought an end to the Crisis; the Empire was on its last legs” (https://www.bing.com/search?q=was+the+roman+empire+almost+destoryed+and+then+made+a+comback&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=&ghc=1&lq=1&pq=was+the+roman+empire+almost+destoryed+and+then+made+a+comback&sc=21&sk=&cvid=F31ABBCC93B441E0A594DDD3FCD16F28&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&ghpl=).

It is not wrong for us to look forward from the experience focused on the first century Christians to believe that in all ages, wicked nations rise and almost fall and recover and fall, in the Providence of God. We ought to pray for all believers throughout the world and for God to retrain the satanic governments and leaders of the world.

To state it starkly, the beast from the sea is the Anti-Christ.

The Anti-Christ mocks Christ to fool – if he can – even the elect of God.

Remember what Jesus says:

“For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 25:4-14, ESV).

Jesus wears many diadems.

John writes, “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself” (Revelation 19:11-12, ESV).

Jesus’ Name is worthy.

All the peoples of the world will worship Jesus.

Jesus was put to death and rose from the dead.

Paul writes of these things to the Philippians:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11, ESV).

The Anti-Christ mocks the things of Christ – he enacts false copies of all the things that prove Jesus is the true God and Savior.  Even the followers of the dragon – Satan – have done this from the beginning.  We remember Moses faced Pharoah:

“Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘When Pharaoh says to you, “‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’” then you shall say to Aaron, “‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’”” So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said” (Exodus 7:8-13, ESV).

Then Moses called on God, and the Nile was turned to blood, but the magicians of Pharoah did the same.  Then Moses called on God, and the land was filled with frogs, but the magicians of Pharoah did the same.  But then Moses called on God, and the land was filled with gnats, and the magicians of Pharoah could not do that – and they could not do anything more that God dis through Moses, because God said, “This far, and no further.”

The Anti-Christ tries to fool people into believing he is the long-awaited Christ, the Messiah, the Savior, and we are warned – the Christians of the first century were warned – anti-Christs will come and then there will be a final Anti-Christ.

Again, Jesus says:

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather” (Matthew 24:23-28, 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.”

The beast will try to look like the Christ so all the people of the earth will follow him and believe in him and worship him as the Christ, though he is bringing them into the fate of the dragon and his demons. People who are expecting the Christ to be someone other than Jesus – even people who know the Bible and believe they are interpreting it correctly – they will follow the Anti-Christ into the fate of the dragon and his demons.

As we have seen before – the only ones who will escape the trap of the dragon – Satan and his demons – are those whose names have been written in the book of the Lamb who was slain from before the foundation of the world.  The only ones who will not be cast into the lake of fire to suffer eternally are those who have been elected – predestined – by God from before He created anything – to be believers – to be the ones who receive the Christ as their God and Savior.

Between the time of the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, and the return of Jesus – Satan are his demons are given permission to attack the Church for 42 months – three and a half years – approximately 1,260 days – symbolism we have seen before for the Church age.

The beast was given 42 months to blaspheme the Holy Spirit and to attack and conquer parts of the Church.  Remember, our deliverance from hell and the second death does not mean we will not suffer and, even die, for our faith. After the 42 months, God says, “enough.”

Before that, the first century Christians are told the song that the beast and his followers will sing.  “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.” The beast and his followers rejoice and sing at the destruction and death of Christians – who are the Church.

It was a great joy to see Jesus slump dead on the cross, and it is great fun and hilarity to see His people hunted down by the beast and the followers of Satan.  Satan thought he had won that day.  But when Jesus rose, he knew he had lost eternally.  Still, God gave him time to rampage the earth in terror and pain – until God says, “enough.”

Through these tribulations – from the first century until the end of the Church age when Jesus returns, all believers throughout time and space are told: “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”

The first beast is the Anti-Christ – one of many until the final Anti-Christ comes.  He is given power and authority by the dragon – Satan – to lead the governments and the rulers of the world in satanic action – especially against the Church – all believers throughout time and space.

The first beast tries to copy Christ and make people believe he is the Christ and get them to worship him.  But we who are chosen and believe have been warned by the True Christ that the Anti-Christ is coming and to beware of him – to be faithful to the end – and to the return of Jesus.

          The Christians of the first century – and all Christians throughout time and space – ought to pray for the governments of the world and for their leaders – that they would not be taken in by the first beast and used to go against Jesus and His Church.

          We also ought to be praying for every believer – for the Church – that we would stand strong and witness against the first beast and witness to the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and the salvation that Jesus Alone gives – let us witness to this – the Gospel.

          Let us pray:

          Almighty God, we thank You for revealing the coming of the Anti-Christ – to the first century Christians as they faced Rome – and to all those who claim the title of Anti-Christ until the final Anti-Christ comes.  Help us by the Power of the Holy Spirit to stand against the governments and their leaders and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ loudly and clearly until the day Jesus returns.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Review: "The Reformation"

 

The Reformation:  A History by Diarmaid MacCulloch, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, is a history of the Reformation. (Don’t be shocked.)

It is an extensive history – clocking in at over 700 pages of small print text. There are also three sections of pictures and art that helps to visually fill out the history.

In any history, it would seem that the author would have to pick and choose which things to emphasize – not to ignore anything relevant, but to keep the work from becoming unwieldy.  In MacCullouch’s book, the Puritan and Reformed traditions have less said about them than others.  Or, perhaps, it is just a matter of there being more said about the Anglicans and Episcopalians. This does not take away from his book.

My own studies have primarily been in the theology of the Reformation. What I learned the most about – which was almost totally lacking in my education about the Reformation – is how incredibly intertwined the theology, politics, and economics were.  (Perhaps like today?)  The theology of the Reformation which I knew fairly well did not exist apart from the economics and politics of the period but had a symbiotic relationship.  For this reason, it is a book I will keep and refer back to as I continue to learn theology – so I can place it in the whole of its historical context.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Walking Through Twilight"

 

Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness – A Philosopher’s Lament by Douglas Groothuis.

This is a remembrance of “waiting” (7).  Groothius remembers the joy of his life living with his wife, Becky, and her diagnosis with “a rare form of dementia, called primary progressive aphasia (PPA)” (9).

This book is a “walking through twilight” – not darkness.  Groothius alternates between telling about their life together before she became ill, her deterioration due to the disease, and reflections on what it means to be a Christian and a Philosopher in the face of what Becky was becoming through the progression of the disease. 

He takes the reader through this twilight, but not into the darkness of her death. He wants to share his lament for her as she suffers.  He wants to lead the reader through this lament so the reader will consider what this all means to be beings that are returning to dust – to prepare the reader for his time of lament.

Like Job before God’s questioning, as I read, I put my hand over my mouth. Groothius’ lament made me think about my life and others who have and who are walking through their own twilight – and how best to lament. 

I highly recommend this book for slow reflection.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Murder Past Due"

 

Murder Past Due by Miranda James is the first mystery in the Cat in the Stacks Mystery.  The stacks refer to the library where Charlie Harris is the librarian, and the cat is his Maine Coon, Diesel.

Among other things, we get to know Charlie and Diesel, their housekeeper, and their border.  They live is Athena, Mississippi, and live – normally – a fairly simple and quiet life.

One of Charlie’s old classmates, Godfrey Priest, who was a jerk and a bully in school and hadn’t changed much, had become wealthy writing violent thrillers. 

Priest had come home to Athena as part of a book tour – and who knows what else – and he finds out he has a son – Charlie’s boarder.  Despite his excitement and meeting his son, one of the many people in Athena who held a grudge against Priest kills him.

The story is engaging and comes to a satisfying resolution. 

I have become fond of Diesel who always seems to know what his human family needs in the way of care. And I intend to go on to the next book in the series.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

"Behind the Scenes" Sermon: Revelation 12:1-17 (video)

 "Behind the Scenes" Sermon: Revelation 12:1-17 (video) (youtube.com)

"Behind the Scenes" Sermon: Revelation 12:1-17 (manuscript)

 

“Behind the Scenes”

Revelation 12:1-17

July 7, 2023 YouTube

          As we open chapter twelve of the book of Revelation, we are brought behind the scenes of history to understand the spiritual conflict from the beginning of Creation to the return of Jesus. The beginning of the war and the prophesy of its end is found in Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (ESV).  And here we find the three figures of Revelation 12:  the woman, the Child, and the serpent.

          “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

          We begin with the woman.  Who is she?  It is natural to jump to the conclusion that she is Mary, the mother of Jesus. (The Roman Catholic Church interprets this text that way.) But it is not Mary.  Mary does not fit the context of the rest of what is said.

          The woman is a great sign in heaven – she is a great wonder. She is clothed with the sun – her beauty is like the sun in the sky.  The moon is under her feet – she has authority.  She has a crown of twelve stars indicating her royal status and symbolizing the twelve tribes who waited for the birth of the Child Who had been promised to bruise the head of the serpent, and the twelve Apostles who saw it come to pass. She is the Israel of God. She is the Church. She is the elect people of God. She is the bride of Christ.

          The Song of Solomon is to be interpreted in two ways together: it is a love song to a woman that Solomon deeply loves and looks forward to marrying, and it is symbolic of Christ’s love of the Church, who is His bride.

          Solomon says, “He: If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents. I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels (Song of Solomon 1:8–10, ESV).

          Again and again, Solmon speaks of the beauty of his intended bride.

          Likewise, John records these words about the Church in the Kingdom: “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:9-14, ESV).

          The authority of the woman comes from bearing the Child through the line of the King of David in Judea.  The Child is the fulfillment of the Promise and the final King of all.

          “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: ‘”And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel”’ (Matthew 2:1-6, ESV).

          John continues: “She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.”

          Despite the promise that the Savior, the Child, would come from the line of David as the final King, the delivery of the Child was not easy – the serpent – grown into a dragon – fought against the Child and the Church through which He is born.

          At His birth, the dragon tried to kill Him:

“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more’” (Matthew 2:16–18, ESV).

Throughout the life of the Child on earth, the dragon sought to kill Him, and finally, he saw the Child put to death:

          “So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’ And all the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified” (Matthew 27:24–26, ESV).

          The dragon believed he had won against the Child. But he soon found out he had failed in the greatest possible way.

          “And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.”

          The great red dragon is the mature serpent of the Garden who led Adam and Eve into sin. He has seven heads and seven diadems on them – he is royalty in the house of the damned – the devil.  And he has ten horns – indicating his power in this world.  As Jesus said, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here” (John 14:30-31, ESV).

“His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.”

The dragon brought with him one third of the angels of Heaven who had followed him in his revolt against God, making them demons.

The dragon stood before the woman – from the beginning of the Church with our first parents in the Garden – to the birth of the Child – believing that he could kill the Child and overthrow the promise of God and His salvation of His people.

But the woman fled into the wilderness.  The Church was removed from the total destructive power of the devil.  The dragon cannot destroy the woman.  The dragon cannot defeat the Child. God protected the woman by moving her into the wilderness – away from the dragon’s power to stop the work of the Child.

And God nourishes the woman for 1,260 days.  We ought to remember this from chapter eleven when the two witnesses are dead for three and a half days.  Three and a half, forty-two, and 1,260 are the same symbol.  God tells us that there is a period that is specific and limited. It is the period from Jesus’ Ascension to His Second Coming.  It is the time of the tribulation. It is the age of the Church from Jesus’ Ascension until His coming again.  And Jesus tells the Church based on the true confession of Peter: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, ESV).  All the powers of Hell cannot prevail against the woman – against the Church.  The Church will not disappear from the earth despite the dragon continuing to war against the Church.

Augustine says of the dragon’s warring agist the Church: “The earth has been filled with the blood of the martyrs as with seed, and from that seed have sprung the crops of the church. They have asserted Christ’s cause more effectively when dead than when they were alive. They assert it today, they preach him today; their tongues are silent, their deeds echo round the world. They were arrested, bound, imprisoned, brought to trial, tortured, burned at the stake, stoned to death, run through, fed to wild beasts. In all their kinds of death they were jeered at as worthless, but ‘precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints’” (https://www.gotquestions.org/blood-martyrs-seed-church.html).

The dragon and his demons will shed the blood of Christians, but he will never defeat the Church.  In fact, his warring hurts himself and grows the Church, as Augustine writes.

And John records the permanence of Satan and his demons exile from Heavan:

“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

The devil remains hostile and powerful, but he is a fallen foe.  He has lost and will not overcome the Church.  The Church is in the wilderness being fed by God – protected and nourished – until the final trumpet is sounded and Jesus comes to earth with all of His angels.

As the Child is born – the Son of God – the dragon is outraged, and he attempts to devour Him – as we said – through many ways, the devil tries to kill the Child so He cannot accomplish His work of the salvation of the elect – His church.

Yet, the Child is born.  Jesus in born in the line of David as the final King. As is prophesied by the Psalmist: “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:7-9, ESV).

          And the rage of the dragon increases as he sees that the Child rises from the dead and ascends back to His throne at the Right Hand of Father. There is no future chance for him to attack the Child, so he turns to attack the Woman. 

          “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.’”

          Christ has risen from the dead and ascended back to the Father in the power and glory of the Kingdom.  Having returned to His throne the authority of Christ is revealed to all and makes it plain that He has won over the creature, Satan.

          Still, until Jesus’ return, the devil and his demons accuse us constantly before God.  The devil does not know everything, but he knows our sins, because he has tempted us into doing them.  So, he accuses us as sinners before God and accuse us that God could not forgive us for our sins.

          Martin Luther wrote of this accusing of the devil for his sins: “I adhere to the fact that I am baptized, not to my life and my vocation, but to the Man called Jesus Christ. Through Him, I am in grace and have forgiveness of sin. Similarly, when I hear the Gospel, I hear nothing about myself or about my works that could justify me before God; I hear about Christ, who has been given to me by the Father for my redemption from sin and eternal wrath. Thus through the Word and Baptism you have a reliable testimony and a confirmation. You need no longer doubt and waver, but you can and should have the conviction that you have a gracious God and Father in Christ” (https://bibleportal.com/bible-quote/i-adhere-to-the-fact-that-i-am-baptized-not-to-my-life-and-my-vocation-but-to-the-man).

          When the devil accuses us of our sin and calls us to doubt our salvation, we are to remember that we are sinners, but that is why Jesus shed His Blood for us and delivered us from the punishment of Hell and death.  The devil is wicked and powerful, but he is fallen and lies to get us to doubt and sin all the more. But the Triune God has chosen to save us for Himself by Himself eternally.

          And so, we rejoice with the heavens and all the creatures of Heaven, “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!”

God flies the Church – the woman – away into the wilderness – protected so she will not be prevailed upon by the devil and his demons.  And God feeds her in the wilderness for a times, times, and half a time.  God sustains her for one time and two times and a half a time – three and a half times.  Three and a half again – the age of the Church from the Ascension to the return of Jesus.

 “The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.”

          The devil is after the children of the woman – the individual Christians of the Church.  He wants us to doubt and sin and even temporarily renounce Christ as a false sign that he is winning against Jesus.  But he knows he has been conquered.  He still has power – as God allows him to have it.  But he failed.  How could the evil one have succeeded against the living God?

          And God has made all we who believe conquerors because of the work of Jesus.  As we well know:

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:34-39, ESV).

          Brothers and sisters, behind the scenes of the world we observe, a spiritual war has occurred.  Satan, a mere creature created by God, attempted to overthrow God, his creator, the Almighty, and he obviously and surely was quickly defeated and thrown to the earth with his angels.  He is the serpent of the Garden of Eden who matured into the dragon.

          In order to save the people that God chose to be His from before the foundation of the world, the Son of God incarnate as the Person of Jesus – fully God and man, so He was able to live a perfect life under the Law and die as our Substitute for our sin.  He accomplished His work having been put to death, but rising and ascending back to His throne, where He reigns all-powerful.

          Since the devil failed to kill and stop the Child Who is Jesus, the devil has turned on the Church – knowing that he cannot defeat her, but looking to cause as much harm to her as he can until Jesus returns to throw him into the lake of fire.

          He knows he has been conquered.  He knows that we are conquerors through Jesus. He is using every power he has against we Christians. We are safe in Christ.  We are assured of Christ’s Work as we read and know the Word of God. And we overcome through the perseverance that God the Holy Spirit works in us – though we may be called to suffer death for Jesus.

          Let us remember the words of James, “But [God] gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:6-7, ESV).

          Let us pray:

          Almighty God, we thank You for allowing us to see behind the curtain – to see that all these things were planned by You.  We thank You for choosing a people for Yourself.  We thank You for Your use of the creature, Satan, to bring about the death of Jesus – that Jesus would rise and ascend securing our salvation.  Thank You for bringing Your Church through the evil Satan stills brings around us, let us live for You and be willing to die for You, and may we praise You forever.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.