In this passage, we see God, who cares and protects, and satan, who seeks to destroy. We see God, who sends a good King, and satan, who seeks to kill that King so he can be a bad king. This passage is very clear in its Jewish imagery as it is reminiscent of the struggle of satan who refuses to submit before God, who seeks to usurp God’s rule and plan, who desires to influence and control the world for evil, and who hates righteousness and all things of God. This is also a picture of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ who comes to earth as a child; satan vehemently seeks to prevent His birth and destroy His redemptive plan and work. The woman is often seen as Israel who is called to mother and birth righteousness and be the example of God to the world (Psalm 2:9-12).
In this passage, we also see God, who deeply loves us and has a plan, even against the most heinous evil powers, persecutions, and disruptions of liberty and life. God is in control! As a Christian, we are a deeply and truly loved child of God; we are accepted in Him and we have a plan that is in Him; thus, we have no need or reason to freak, fear, or to stress, for He is in control and is Sovereign. Satan cannot buffet against Him nor can he buffet against us when we are in Christ.
Questions to Ponder:
- What do you think the images in this text are, such as a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns wearing seven crowns? Why do most Christians prefer to speculate instead of researching to see what these images meant to the original audience and language?
- Why do you suppose John also uses the style of a Greek play and the mythology of the Greek gods?
- How and why does understanding the literature and metaphors—what the 1st century Jew saw—gives us a richer meaning of what the text (God) is seeking to communicate with us today?
- What happens when we refuse to interpret Scripture in the light of its context and word meanings or see that some of these imageries are deeply rooted in Judaism? (Remember, we can disagree, but never divide over these non-essential issues, and always discuss in love and respect.)
- How do you see the relevance of this passage to your life? How would you contrast satan’s opportunist ways versus God and the righteous people of faith?
- Why does the Church struggle to stay faithful? What are the things that cloud our seeing His desire to lead His church in His precepts?
© 2006 R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Into Thy Word Ministries http://www.intothyword.org
The so called church in America needs to go back to her roots in the Hebrew Law. Maybe if someone could read all of Hosea 4:6, they would understand that doing away with the Torah meant doing away with YHWH (God) as well. Yeshua (Jesus) cannot help anyone who changed the Word of God because Jesus is the Word made flesh. The Father does not ever change, and thus neither does his Word. For instance, The church at Rome changed Passover to Easter, which under the Torah, Passover was to be from generation to generation.
Roger