A Revelation Invitation

This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:9-14 ESV)

Bullies, unfortunately, are a common childhood experience—the strong picking on the weak. They ridicule, they intimidate, they terrorize, they exploit, they abuse. However, bullies are a fragile lot. They often roam in groups needing the support of allies to boost their courage and protect themselves from retaliation. And it works. It’s nearly impossible to stand up to such a bully because you will probably be standing alone before the bully and his gang. It’s not likely to end well. The seven headed beast of Revelation is the bully of all bullies.

If it wasn’t clear enough already, John describes the woman on the beast as seated on seven hills. In John’s day Rome was commonly referred to as the “City of Seven Hills” (namely Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, Aventine, and Palatine). To John’s readers the beast and the prostitute who rode him personified Rome.

This eighth king in the vision was formidable, the eighth in a succession of kings. Perceived by the people as one who had risen from the dead, he was a parody of our Lord who had literally risen from the dead and who has been eternally enthroned as king. This eighth king was simultaneously powerful and weak. As intimidating as he was, there was a fragility to his power. He needed allies, those ten kings who handed power over to him. Typical of bullies he needed their support to give teeth to his terror. These signs all pointed to a succession of Roman emperors whose identities would have been obvious to John’s contemporaries. But the application has been the same throughout history. We face powers and authorities, who like childhood bullies are not as ferocious as they present themselves, yet are dangerous nonetheless.

What hope do we have? How do we face such threats? By looking to our champion! By standing with the Lamb, the Lord of lords and King of kings! He will conquer the prostitute and the beast she rides and any other enemy we face. He will defeat this bully regardless of the allies he has gathered around him. How will Jesus do it? Being God’s Lamb, his victory comes through his sacrificial suffering and death. Ironic, isn’t it? He has conquered, but he conquered through suffering. His suffering and death as well as that of his faithful followers resulted in Rome’s utter defeat. It’s also the path to victory against any oppressor we face. Because our champion is the Lamb, the Lord of Lords and King of kings, God’s current day enemies, as with this eighth king, will also go to destruction.

Who are those standing with the champion? We who are called and chosen and faithful. How is that possible? Because of our awesome strength, our great battle skills, our indomitable courage? Hardly. He called us when we were helplessly lost. He chose us, not for anything we could provide him, but by his grace. We are faithful, not because of our inner strength, but because of his mighty power. Because our champion confronts evil and conquers it, we too can stand with him sharing in his eternal victory.

O Lord of lords, my King of kings, you faced your enemies in weakness and won. O Lamb of God, you surrendered to death and emerged victorious. You will defeat any foe who opposes you. You will conquer those who suppress your people, me among them. When I face the bullies of today, help me trust in you, my champion, to rescue me from danger and from death. Amen.