THE DRAGON Pt. III
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. (Rev. 12:1-6)
The sign in the heavens followed by the greater lights coming together around the woman (who represents Israel) God’s chosen people. Chose to reveal to all mankind what the woman is pregnant with (the Savior of the World) the Messiah, Jesus. An incredibly vivid picture of the nature of the Dragon and the unfolding plan of God. God is well able to protect and bring to birth all that He has planned. Nothing, not even the Dragon can prevent the entry of God’s redemptive work for all mankind. One of the striking things is that all of this is known to the Dragon and yet he is not deterred in his evil actions in the least bit. To bolster his power he reaches out with his mighty tail to secure 1/3 of the angelic beings from the heavens. 1/3 who will buy what he is selling and move in rebellion against the ONE TRUE GOD.
There stands the Dragon ready “to devour her child as soon as it is born.” She gives birth to a male child who is the ruler of not Israel alone but all nations, all peoples of the earth. The Dragon begins his pursuit of the woman and the child but God has prepared a place for her for a season of time.
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. so the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev. 12:7-9)
Pay attention to this particular section of this passage “but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer so the dragon was cast out…who deceives the whole world.” Any world view that does not begin and end with the God of the Bible is a world view that is led by the Dragon, the deceiver. It will end in ruin. Rebellion against God’s rule is rebellion against God and it ends the moment it begins because none is greater than God. No principal, no personality, no philosophy of man, nothing can stand in the shadow of our God and survive unless they are cloaked in His Son, Jesus Christ. The powerful Dragon who has deceived the nations is no match for God… “so the great dragon was cast out”.
“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
(Rev. 12: 10-12)
The dragon as the accuser is seen clearly here. His accusations carry no weight in the Kingdom of God. For those who live in God’s Kingdom and belong to the King, there is no FEAR of the accuser. For they “overcome him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony”. We sometimes pass over the last ten words in the eleventh verse… “and they did not love their lives to the death.” What does that mean? It literally means they live their lives with the sound understanding that each moment is a gift from God. They live their lives in the light of eternity recognizing this momentary life on earth is not to be held too tightly. They live in gratitude! They refuse to live in FEAR of DEATH. Death is not a part of their daily decision making. They do not live foolishly but they also refuse to live fearfully. In this pandemic of 2020 they are on the frontlines engaged in the mission Jesus gave His church.
Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Rev. 12:13-17)
Persecution began the moment sin entered the world. It has ramped up over the years and especially where society has led a revolt to evict God from influencing their culture. The Dragon has now turned his focus to the streets of the United States of America. He is breathing hatred and division and declaring everyone a victim of God and of his fellow man. Fueling anger and rage. Dividing by class, race, politics, sex, and age. Even in the church, there is division along the lines of culture and in new unbiblical theology veins, which includes the introduction of several points of biblical heresy: corporate guilt, intersectionality, critical race theory, cultural marxism, black liberation theology, deconstructionism, social justice. A progressive religious arm is out to redefine Biblical Christianity. An example below from the progressive Christianity homepage…
By calling ourselves progressive, we mean we are Christians who recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God’s realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us.
This statement above reflects “moral relativism” not Christianity. Truth is not a set of facts alone, truth is Jesus. We cannot hold our own individual truths, we must bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of His Word the Scriptures. Truth is the same for us all. Salvation is through Jesus Christ, not good works or privilege. The Dragon tried to establish himself above God’s truth and God had him immediately evicted out of heaven.
As a pastor, a father and a husband, and a fellow human being, I have tremendous compassion for all people. I understand that it is easier to take a biblical stance when everyone in your family is supportive and living godly lives. It becomes more challenging when a son or daughter, friend, or loved one chooses to live a life and or lifestyle that is counter to what the Bible teaches. We love them and that is Biblical. We do not want to see them separate from us over their sin issues and that is understandable. We can love and remain faithful to God’s Word.