On 30 October 1938, a 21 year old actor and aspiring writer/director found overnight fame. The talented Orson Welles had set off panic with the narration of his interpretation of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds done for an American radio broadcast. Welles played up the drama about an alien invasion from Mars by presenting the story as a series of news bulletins. The adaption proved so realistic that widespread panic ensued; and a dramatic career was launched. Welles went on to write, direct, and star in the most enduring film of American cinema – Citizen Kane.
I thought of this now humorous story as I was reading our preaching text for this Sunday, chapters 12 through 14 of Revelation. Revelation is a remarkable divine/human drama that unfolds spectacularly as we make our way through its pages. But unlike Welles’ listeners, the readers of John’s revelation are comforted and blessed. As we come to chapter 12 we note a decided turn of emphasis. To this point the conflict and suffering we face has been seen largely in human terms. Sin is seen as manifest in many forms in the churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3: spiritual blindness, false teaching, misplaced love, apathy, and evil works for example. By chapter 6 we see the effect of human sin upon society through war, pestilence, famine, and persecution of the godly.
Starting in chapter 12 God reveals to us the true ‘war of the worlds’, a war of two kingdoms: the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of His Son. What we see is a pulling back of a spiritual curtain revealing the opposition we experience, both within and without, is rooted in a spiritual reality. Two important truths are expressed in our scriptures, and seen dramatically in Revelation:
1) Satan exists
He is portrayed as both literal and spiritual, a real supernatural being who is to be taken seriously.
2) The Lamb wins!
This ‘war of worlds’ is cosmic, but not on even terms. Note what John records in 12:10-11:
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
As with Welles’ listeners it is easy for us to be fooled by the circumstances we face. We too easily forget our one true enemy, and both his and our ultimate fate. It is not earthly and human circumstances that are your primary concern and trouble – remember the spiritual battle behind the scene! This is why Paul wrote the following encouragement to the Corinthian church:
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh by have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:3,4)
I trust you have been blessed and encouraged by the teaching from Revelation. I hope to see you Sunday.
Much love,
Pastor Gary