Articles
Revelation 12
Today’s reading is Revelation 12
You’ve seen the movie or heard the stories. The Hero wants to marry the would-be bride, but first he must rescue her from the villain. Sometimes the villain is a mere run of the mill bad guy. Sometimes he is an evil prince or king. And sometimes, he is a horrific monster. That is our story now. We’ve met the Hero: Jesus. We’ve met the Bride: the church. Now meet the Monster. The dragon, the serpent of old, the devil himself. We’ve met this villain before. He attacked Eve in the garden, engineering the expulsion of her and her husband. We didn’t know it, but he attacked Mary at the birth of Jesus. Only then, he looked a great deal like Herod slaughtering the children of Bethlehem. At least, the vision in the first part of Revelation 12 certainly calls that event to mind. The dragon would have the Bride sacrificed on his altar, a meal for his supper. The Monster has lost two battles already. He was unable to stop the birth of the King—defeat. He was unable to keep the King from shedding His sacrificial blood on behalf of the people—defeat. These defeats are envisioned as being cast from heaven. But he stands on the shore of the sea on earth and wages war on the Bride. Like a cornered serpent he snaps his vicious attacks. Will the Monster win? Will the Hero arrive in time to save the day? In this chapter we are left merely at the point of battle. If it were a movie on TV, it is time for a commercial break. What will happen next? Of course, you already know my answer. And if you’ve read ahead you can see. But appreciate for now the terror of facing the dragon, the Monster that wages war. Yes, victory is coming, but don’t be deterred by the battle; it is exactly what God said would come. Hang on, though, because Jesus always wins!
A Word for Our Kids
Hey kids, I hope this word movie we are reading is exciting to you. This really is an amazing story. It is a story told over and over and over again in various ways throughout history. The monster is scary. On the one hand, he is fearsome and we should fear him. We should realize the danger he represents. At the same time, we have nothing to fear. We serve a risen King who will defeat the Monster. The dragon cannot stand against our Hero. So, appreciate the battle we are in. Appreciate the danger represented. But do not give in. Hang on. Jesus always wins!
Edwin Crozier
