2. The Woman & Child vs The Dragon & Beasts Revelation 12 – 13 (p 1145-1146) “The Lamb is on the Throne” The book of REVELATION

3.  Important background – ancient Mythology:  Egypt: Isis – Set/Typhon – (Island) – Horus  Ugaritic: Ba’al – defeats 7 headed serpent (Leviathan) – sets up kingdom  Mesopotamia:Marduk – slays 7 headed dragon (Tiamat) thrown down 1/3 of stars  Greco-Roman:Leto – Python – Island (Poseidon) – Apollo (& Artemis)  John “demythologizes” ancient myth by historicizing it in Jesus. (He uses a common ancient story to tell the true story of God’s redemptive act)  Woman = Mary (v 2, 5); People of God (v 6, 13-17)  “Eagle’s wings” (Exod 19:4; Isa 40:31); Wilderness – place of refuge for God’s people  Son = Jesus (v 5; cf. Ps 2:9); Offspring (v 17) = followers of Jesus. 1. The Woman & The Dragon

4.  Tells a number of stories at once:  Jesus – birth and ascension.  Source of the great cosmic conflict – Dragon/Satan/Devil (v 9) rebels in Heaven  Cast down to the earth (banished from heaven)  God has acted in history to defeat the Dragon (v 11)  The dragon is angry and wreaks havoc on the earth (v 12) and God’s people (v 17)  God’s people overcome by:  The blood of the Lamb (v 11)  Not loving their lives so as to shrink from death (v 11)  Keeping God’s commands (Devotion to Christ) (v 17)  Holding fast to their testimony (Faithful witness) (v 17) 1. The Woman & The Dragon...

5.  Beast from the sea – Roman Emperor  Power, throne & authority come from the Dragon.  Ruled the whole earth; worshipped by all (except the followers of the Lamb)  God’s people need patient endurance and faithfulness (v 10)  Beast from the earth – Roman Empire & Governing Structures  Exercised authority on behalf of the first beast  Made all the earth’s inhabitants worship the first beast.  The mark of the beast “6 6 6”  Gematria – “the numeric value of letters and their interpretation”  Nero Caesar = unwi wpf = 100 + 60 + 200 + 50 + 200 + 6 + 50 = 6 6 6 ? ? ? ? 2. The Dragon & the Beasts

6.  Only the Roman Emperor and Empire ???  The Dominant World Order of every Age ???  The Dragon will always provide an alternative to worshipping God !  The response of God’s people is always the same:  Devotion to Christ  Faithful Witness  (Patient endurance and Faithfulness).  Sealed in the Spirit (Eph 1:13) not marked by the beast (13:16-18). 3. The Beasts Today

7.  What marks do you bear?  The fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control  The fruits of the sinful nature (Gal 5:18-21; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5) immorality, impurity, debauchery, hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, envy, greed. Victory and Reward already belong to the followers of the Lamb !!! Who will you worship?