Matt Chandler - Earthly Battle

As I was preparing for this particular week, I thought about how someone with no background in church might react if they showed up today for the first time. Hearing me talk about dragons and beasts coming out of the sea, along with a beast emerging from the earth and a cosmic battle, they might think that these people are insane. So, what I want to do is remind you of some of the things we discussed in week one to get us ready for today. First, the book of Revelation is primarily apocalyptic in its use of language. This means it employs many symbols and signs to help us understand imagery that is meant to provoke feelings in us that are difficult to elicit otherwise. The kind of imagery God presents in this book is unique. I loved this quote from Daryl Johnson; we used it, not the football player Daryl Johnson for you older folks, but the theologian — two different individuals. He said this in week one as we discussed the concept of imagery having the power to hook us deep inside. Images can quickly and effectively convey what we often struggle to express in words. Imagery transcends the intellect, reaching through the emotions into the imagination, capturing us in the deepest recesses of our being. It informs our intellect and ignites our emotions. So today, as we talk about dragons and beasts, I need you to know that if you have no church background, we are not a group of people who actually believe in a literal dragon waiting to harm us. We do believe, however, that there is an enemy intent on destroying us. Understanding that enemy can help you make sense of some of the heartache you’ve experienced, the disappointment you’ve faced, and the pain you may have endured in your life. We believe there is a very real enemy that humankind is confronting, and this book is meant to expose it for what it is.

Now, as we dive into this week to catch you up in the story, remember that Revelation is not linear; it’s a series of windows. We saw Window One, which depicted the throne room of God Almighty, with Christ on His throne being the ultimate reality toward which everything flows. That was Window One. Window Two consisted of a series of trumpet blasts where God called the world to repentance. Now you and I are in what’s called the interlude—the space between the trumpets and the bowls. In this interlude, God helps us understand our enemy and how he operates. Last week, we examined this on a cosmic scale. We discussed a Christmas story that wasn’t quite like the one many of us grew up with. This relates back to the idea that imagery provokes feelings in us that ordinary words do not, like ideas of a dragon, a baby, war, and the archangel Michael. All of this stirred up emotions beyond simply lighting a candle and singing «Silent Night, Holy Night.» That’s the imagery doing its job, and we will engage more with that today. The dragon, representing Satan, makes war against the people of God. If you forgot, this was mentioned in verse 17—that the dragon is enraged and pursues to destroy those who keep the commandments of God and hold onto the testimony of Jesus.

Now, this week, that was the cosmic battle. Here’s what it looks like on the ground. The dragon doesn’t act directly; instead, he calls forth two beasts—two monsters—to assist him. Along with the dragon, these monsters form an unholy trinity that mimics the actual triune God of the universe. The dragon seeks to be God the Father; the first beast seeks to be God the Son, and the second beast seeks to be God the Holy Spirit. They mimic, mock, and serve as a pathetic replacement for the genuine triune God of the universe, and that’s what we’ll explore today. I want to introduce you to the first beast through an introduction, and then we’ll discuss what to do with it. The first beast is found in verses one through ten. This beast rises out of the sea, emerging from the ocean, and looks almost identical to the beast we see in Daniel chapter seven. If you remember what we discussed in week one, there is nothing in Revelation that hasn’t already been stated in the Bible. The people reading this in 96 AD were hearing a lot of Old Testament references that we might not catch, simply because we don’t know the Old Testament as well. However, this beast bears a striking resemblance to the beast in Daniel chapter seven, which represented the nations that ruled over the known world: Babylon, Persia, Media, and ultimately the Greeks. Hence, the sea beast embodies all that is expressed in the four beasts of Daniel 7. So, are you ready? Here’s enemy number one: the beast from the sea represents the state—human kingdoms that have rejected the living God from the center of their lives. At the time John was writing this, this beast was clearly manifesting as Rome. We’ll see this even more clearly in Revelation 17. When the audience read this in 96, they thought of Rome. The beast is Rome.