A Revelation Invitation

And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:15-18 ESV)

In Disney’s animated children’s film The Lion King Mufasa’s reign over the Pride Lands was usurped by his brother Scar. Scar was the conniving, manipulative, ignoble brother who lusted to rule. His useful idiot minions, the hyenas, did Scar’s bidding in his scheme to seize power. They had no love for nor loyalty to Scar serving his purposes only as long as they benefited. After those hyenas set off the stampede that killed King Mufasa, Scar assumed the throne. As evil tyrants will, he exploited the subjects of his kingdom as the Pride Lands became a desolate wasteland. [Spoiler alert!] Eventually Scar’s reign ended when Simba, Mufasa’s son and rightful heir to the throne, returned to vanquish Scar and restore the benevolent rule of his father. When Scar fell from power, the hyenas, his allies of convenience, turned on him and ate his flesh as he burned in the fires of judgment.

In art we call Scar’s fate poetic justice. In our world we recognize it as the inevitable end to all things evil. Rome followed a similar path as Scar. It’s allies eventually turned on Rome which collapsed under the weight of the evil it had dished out. Evil often meets its demise when it collapses on itself. Evil is destroyed by the very evil it produces.

John again emphasized the identity of this beast as “the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth,” another unmistakable description of Rome. We look back and see that the Roman Empire actually did collapse under the weight of its own evil ways. And Rome’s end was like so many other world powers before and after. The evil grew and metastasized until it caved in on itself under its own weight. John and the disciples he shepherded lived at a time when the Roman Empire appeared invincible and ever-present. But in John’s vision he assured the Christians that Rome’s reign of terror would eventually come to an inglorious end.

Evil people, evil rulers, evil powers rise and fall. They never endure. One day our king, the rightful king, will return. When he does, all the forces of evil will be destroyed, purged from the earth as Jesus inaugurates his unrivaled, eternal reign. Until that day we should be comforted by this assurance: No matter how horrifying world events become, no matter how cruelly powerful rulers abuse and exploit, God is sovereign over this world. His purposes will be accomplished while we, his people, are cherished and protected.

Sovereign Lord, help me see past frightful, current events. Help me see past the evil of powerful rulers to see you on your throne. Your purposes may not be clear to me. But your good purposes are never thwarted. You will bring me into blessed eternal life when your reign is brought to its fullness. Amen.