Why do God’s People Face Hostility

in this World?

 

“Knowing the real reason for persecution and the certain outcome of victory encourages the people of God to persevere to the end” (Fee and Stuart).

 

Why is the Devil Enraged?

A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.  Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.  His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.  She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.  The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of.  And then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  But the demons were not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.  The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."  When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.  The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time out of the serpent's reach.  Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.  But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.  Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 12).

 

1)            What did the text mean to the biblical or original audience?

-                  God has defeated Satan and His victory is certain.

-                  God’s people on earth will continue to suffer as victims of the devil’s rage.

 

2)            What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?

-                  Because we live in a different culture and time period, as those of the biblical audience (e.g. we are not part of Roman empire), our suffering may take on different forms and may vary in intensity.

-                  In general, churches in North America are not being persecuted to the same degree that churches in Asia Minor were being persecuted, though that could change in the future.

 

3)            What are the theological principles in this text?

-                  There is a real devil that is opposed to God and bent on deceiving and destroying God’s people (Christians).  Spiritual warfare is real.

-                  Satan has been defeated by the life and redemptive work of Christ (His death, burial, and resurrection).

-                  Christians can overcome the devil by living and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ (love God and love people) faithfully.

-                  Christians can expect to suffer (face persecution) if they are faithful to their witness to Christ.

 

4)            How should individual Christians today apply this theological principle to their lives?

-                  Allow themselves to experience victory over the devil by living and proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

-                  Engage their culture with the gospel of Christ rather than retreat to avoid persecution.

 

* Purpose of the book of Revelation: To reveal the full identity of Christ and to give warning and hope to believers.  Revelation was written in “apocalyptic” form-a type of Jewish literature that uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope (in the ultimate triumph of God) to those in the midst of persecution.