Cosmic Battle Between Good and Evil

John Stapleton Podcast

Based on Revelation 12-14

So far, the book of Revelation has revealed a powerful Jesus, his encouragement and warnings for the church, and his judgment on the world in various images such as the seven seals and trumpets.

Today’s section focuses the cosmic battle between the Lamb and the beast, God and government, Jesus and Satan.

The scene opens during Christmas. It’s important to know that Revelation is a series of visions and sounds, not a linear retelling of history. The scene jumps back many years to birth of Christ, but it tells it from a different perspective. Gospel writers Matthew and Luke give their retelling of the birth of Jesus. Mark skips ahead to Jesus’ adult life and so does John. Assuming that the author of Revelation also wrote the gospel of John, John saves his nativity narrative for his apocalypse. Why?

I assume its because the Christmas narrative as told in the gospels can tempt us to believe that the birth of Jesus was safe, when it actually was an invasion! John writes elsewhere that Jesus was born to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). His birth was so fearsome that King Herod tried to kill him and wiped out all the boys in Bethlehem under two years of age. Jesus came to destroy the devil and put an end to sin.

The main characters in this section is a woman clothed with the sun and moon (Israel), a boy (Jesus), and great red dragon (Satan). The woman also has children, and they are those who follow Jesus. Our spiritual mother Israel has been engaged in this conflict with Satan. Our Lord has been engaged in this conflict, and so are we. Now life makes sense.

These scene jumps ahead to highlight two beasts, one from the sea and one from the land. One represents a one world government that is opposed to God. The other represents a one world religion that is partnered with one world government. The point is that the entire world is under Satan’s control (1 John 5:19). We must also remember that Satan is under God’s control. Satan tries to control the world through a global economy that locks out of it the followers of Jesus from participating in it. This was the situation that the churches in Asia found themselves. If they don’t worship the emperor, they will be locked out the life of the society.

The irony is that God calls his people out of this world system that he calls Babylon. Babylon first appears in the Bible at the Tower of Babel, when people got together to build the highest zigurat, rule like God from the heights, and establish a one world government. God broke that up quickly. They appear again at the end of 2 Kings and the book of Daniel, where we read the Babylon led away the tribe of Judah into exile. Henceforth, the Bible refers to all oppressive governments who opposed God as Babylon - whether its Greece, Persia, or Rome. Babylon is what God would call the nations today.

Chapter 14 paints a stark picture of two opposing groups - Mount Zion against Babylon. At Mount Zion, Jesus stands with his people. Babylon has the world. Mount Zion has those who are marked with the Father’s name. Babylon has those marked by the beast. Mount Zion has pure people. Babylon has sexual impurity. Those at Mount Zion are redeemed. Those in Babylon are doomed. Mount Zion is harvested for eternal life. Babylon is crushed for eternal judgment. This is the justice of God.

The punishment may not seem like it fits the crime. You may not think its right for God to judge people and torment them forever. Its helpful to remember that unbeliever will be punished because they sinned against God, not because they sinned. God is infinitely worth more than anyone else and his authority is the highest authority. Therefore, even one sin is enough to suffer forever.

It isn’t our position to judge God. It is our responsibility to respond to God by believing the gospel, fearing God, and worshipping him.