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Have you heard of hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia? It’s the fear of the number 666. There's a lot of superstition around this. As the character Michael Scott said, “I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” A woman named Meghan shared online that a lady ahead of her was ordering fast food and the total came to $6.66. She said, “Oh no. I don’t like that. Better throw in a corndog.” Meghan said, “This woman is an inspiration. She’s out there fighting off the powers of Satan with a corndog as her weapon of choice.”

We are studying the book of Revelation, going through the book sequentially and thematically, discovering its meaning and how it’s relevant for us today. Today is part 5. We’ll look at the dragon, the beasts, the lamb, and signs from Revelation 12-14.

What is Revelation? Revelation is a series of visions from God. It’s the last book in our Bible that’s three genres in one! (apocalypse, prophecy, letter, cf. Rev 1:1-4) 1] Revelation is an apocalypse of Jesus (Greek word = to unveil). Apocalyptic literature communicates through symbolic imagery and numbers. It’s meant to engage our imagination, and there are many allusions to the Old Testament in Revelation. 2] Revelation is a prophecy, a message from God through a person to God’s people, usually to challenge or comfort them, giving them a heavenly perspective on earthly events and God’s purposes. 3] Revelation is a letter, written in Greek by John around 95 AD to seven churches in Asia (modern Türkiye), people who followed Jesus and lived under the Roman Empire in the first century. Before we apply it to present day, it’s important to know what it meant to its original audience.

What are common interpretive views of Revelation? There are a few common views. Speaking generally, Preterists interpret Revelation as written to first century churches about issues and events happening in their time. Historicists interpret it as taking place throughout the history of the church. Futurists interpret it as nearly entirely about a period in the future at the end of time. Idealists view the visions in Revelation as symbolic, timeless truths about humanity and God’s plan for the world. Finally, a Hybrid approach combines two or more interpretations.

What’s the purpose of the book? Revelation was not written to discourage or scare us, or cause us to speculate about things, but to encourage us to endure suffering and stay faithful to God in all times. It’s not about a rapture out of this world, but faithful discipleship in this world. Revelation invites us to see, worship, and follow Jesus into the New Creation as faithful disciples.

Revelation 12-14 | Beasts

Main idea: We defeat the dragon through loyalty to the Lamb.

Chapters 12-14 is the heart of the book, with keys that help interpret the entire book. John sees seven visions that he calls signs; they’re distinguishing marks, symbols of reality.

The Dragon, Woman, and Child (Revelation 12)

John sees a pregnant woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, wearing a victor’s crown of 12 stars. She represents God’s people and the child is the Messiah. Then a huge red dragon appears with 7 heads and 10 horns. Look! He’s crouching before the woman about to give birth, ready to devour the child as soon as it’s born. The woman gave birth to a son who will rule all nations with an iron rod (Isaiah 9:6, Psalm 2:9). And the Son was snatched away from the dragon and enthroned in heaven. The woman fled to the wilderness, where God prepared a safe place to care for her for 1,260 days.

(The 42 months, 3.5 years, “time, times, and half a time” cf. Daniel 7:25-27, represents a partial, limited time of suffering under evil’s reign. It could be in the future, but it’s likely the 1260 days starts with Jesus ascension to heaven and ends with Christ’s return to earth; the suffering period has been reframed around Christ, between the first and second comings.)

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon and his angels. This great dragon, the ancient snake called the devil and satan, was thrown down to earth with all his demons. The dragon still pursues (persecutes) the woman who was given eagle’s wings to fly away safe and sound (Exodus 19:4). The dragon tries to drown the woman, but the earth swallows the water spewing from the dragon’s mouth. Enraged, the dragon declared war on her children, all who keep God’s commands and maintain their testimony for Jesus.

John envisions the spiritual battle behind the churches suffering under the Roman Empire. It’s an old conflict started in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). That evil serpent is here a dragon, attacking Jesus and his people. The dragon is the accuser, but Jesus is our advocate! (1 John 2:1) There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:1)

How do we defeat the dragon? Revelation 12:11 says, They defeated the dragon through the blood of the Lamb and their bold word of witness! To witness means to give verbal and visual evidence of a life devoted to Jesus.

Aren’t you glad Jesus is the great dragon slayer?

The Two Beasts (Revelation 13)

Then John sees a hideous seven headed beast rising out of the sea, like a leopard with bear paws and lion mouth, covered in names that cursed God. (In Greek mythology to make something really scary, you would make a composite of monsters. Kids do this too!) This beast represents national military power that conquers through violence. (Who dares go to war with the beast?) People worship and give allegiance to this beast, who’s empowered by the dragon.

Then John sees a second beast coming out of the earth. It looks like a lamb, but talks like a dragon, and gets everyone to worship the first beast through magic and deception. The second beast symbolizes the economic propaganda machine that lifts up this political power as divine. It demands full allegiance, symbolized by taking the mark of the beast and his number 666 on the forehead or hand. (Notice that the dragon, sea beast, and land beast form an unholy trinity, an evil parody of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.)

I distinctly remember the phone call. It was during the Covid-19 pandemic and a church member called me. Let’s call him Simeon. He wanted to know if the newly developed vaccine was the mark of the beast. He had heard people talking about it and was doubtful it was true, but wanted to run it by me as I was his pastor at the time. I thanked him for calling me and assured him, No, it was indeed not the mark of the beast, and explained why. Over the years, people have thought the mark of the beast was all sorts of crazy things: social security numbers, barcodes, tattoos, microchips, vaccines, etc.

John is referencing the Shema, a Jewish pledge of allegiance to God (Deuteronomy 6:4-8). “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.” They were to keep this as a sign/mark on their forehead and hands, meaning, Devote all your thoughts and actions to the one true God.

Now the number of the beast (not the mark) is 666 and has fascinated people for centuries. 7 symbolizes completion/wholeness, so 6 is imperfection/chaos/evil. John says it’s a human number. Let’s solve the riddle. Hebrew letters also function as numbers. Both “beast” and “Nero Caesar” amount to 666 or 616 depending on how you spell it in Hebrew. Nero was the first Roman emperor to persecute Christians (e.g. They were burned alive, crucified, thrown to wild beasts) so anyone who did the same after that would be considered a “Nero”.

In Daniel’s day the beast was Babylon, then Persia, Greece, and Rome in John’s day, and it’s the same for any other nation today that acts in the same way. Human rulers become beasts when they exalt their own power and economic security as a false god and demand total allegiance. In John’s day, Christians were excluded economically, suffered and gave their lives because they refused to participate in their culture’s worship of the emperor. They said, Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not.

Listen. The mark of the beast is a symbol of allegiance to a human power that opposes God’s kingdom. This is not meant to fill us with fear, but to inspire faithfulness and lives marked by the love of Jesus. Remember, humans are not the real enemy. There are dark spiritual powers at work. God’s people defeat the dragon by resisting his influence.

We need wisdom and discernment as followers of Jesus to recognize people and powers who lead us away from the values of God’s kingdom. Are you reading God’s Word, listening to the Spirit, seeking to be formed by Christ?

The Followers of the Lamb (Revelation 14)

Then John sees the Lamb standing on a mountain with his victorious army, who have given their lives for Jesus. They have the mark of the Lamb and God’s name written on their foreheads. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They lived pure and true, without compromise, perfect in love, without lies.

Then John hears the sound of music. They sang a wonderful new song before God’s throne, one only they could sing. Then the eternal good news goes out to all people. Worship God. Come out of Babylon! (We’ll address this next time.)

In the meantime, God’s people patiently endure, obeying God’s commands, staying faithful to Jesus. And John is told, Blessed are those who die in the Lord, they will rest from their hard work and their good deeds will follow them. None of what they’ve done is wasted. God blesses them for it all in the end.

Then John sees two harvests, a good grain harvest where King Jesus comes to gather his faithful ones, and a grape harvest of humanity’s evil which is trampled in the winepress. In the end, God will make all things right.

So…Will we resist cultural and political pressures to give our allegiance to things opposed to God? Let us never be comfortable, complacent, or complicit with the ways of the dragon. Let’s pray for our siblings in Christ around the world who are suffering for Jesus’ name and learn from their love for Jesus.

Listen. The war is an ongoing reality, but the outcome has already been decided! God is the victor. Satan is the loser. Now, the victory is ours to claim. Remember. We defeat the dragon through self-giving love and loyalty to the lamb.

Today’s Challenge: Which side are you on: Team Beast or Team Lamb? Are your loyalties and values aligned with God? Is your life marked by Jesus?

Today’s Comfort: Do not fear. Jesus has won the victory. In this world you will have trouble. Take courage. Our lamb has conquered, let us follow him

Resources:
Scot McKnight, Revelation for the Rest of Us
Alan Johnson, Revelation Expositor’s Bible Commentary
James Efird, Revelation for Today
Craig Keener, Revelation Audio Lectures
Tim Mackie, Bible Project Guide to Revelation