They Will Make War on the Lamb (Revelation 17:14)

Children's Lesson (click here)

I. Thoughts of War

It wouldn't be surprising at this time to find that your mind is preoccupied with thoughts of war. From the blustering of Russia's leadership against NATO, to escalations in the Middle East with Israel and Iran, along with the ever-present and long-feared possibilities concerning China and Taiwan, there is unfortunately no shortage of conflicts in our world today; and specifically conflicts that, in one way or another, would (in all likelihood) affect the United States as well.

But let me suggest this morning, in light of God's word, that your mind should in fact be pre-occupied with thoughts of war. Just not these wars or potential wars. Instead, with the war described in our main text this morning: Revelation 17:14 Turn there if you would.

II. The Passage: “The Lamb Will Conquer Them” (17:14)

Listen as, according to 17:1, one of God's 'bowl' angels tells John about what is to come...

“They will make war on the Lamb [i.e., Jesus (chp. 5)], and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Because we've just plucked this verse out of its larger context, we need to define a few of the keywords in this verse. Those are “they”, “make war”, and “conquer”. So first, who are the “they” here, as we just heard, “they will make war on the Lamb”? To answer that, look with me at the previous two verses. This is what we discover in veres 12-13...

“And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. [13] These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.”

So it is these ten kings, along with the beast, who are described in 17:14 as “mak[ing] war on the Lamb” Who exactly are these ten kings?” And who or what is the beast mentioned here? If we were to keep reading, we would see in 19:19 (which is another war or battle passage—we would see...) that these allies of the beast are better known as “the kings of the earth”. They are mentioned many times throughout Revelation; first in 6:15, where they are depicted as scattering on “the great day of [God and the Lamb's] wrath” (6:17). They are also mentioned in 16:14, as they “assemble... for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.”

When we turn our attention to the beast mentioned here, what should catch our attention is how this creature is described in 17:3. He is said to have “seven heads and ten horns”. Now, that description should sound familiar to readers of the book. Why? Because both the dragon in chapter 12 and the beast from the sea in chapter 13 are described in this exact same way: as having “seven heads and ten horns”. Every indication is that this is the same dragon-inspired beast. Notably, this character is mentioned a staggering thirty-six times in this book! But if, as we talked about last time, the book of the Revelation is mainly composed of symbolic imagery, who or what is being represented by this strange creature? Well, I think Revelation leads us to a two-sided answer. On one hand, when the beast is described in chapter 13, the vision uses imagery from the Old Testament, specifically from Daniel 7.

Because of this imagery, I think we can conclude that this beast represents a real conquering and ruling empire, just as Daniel 7 explicitly speaks about Babylon, Persia, and Greece.

But on the other hand, the beast in the Revelation seems to be a composite of those empire-symbolizing creatures in Daniel 7 (i.e., a leopard, a bear, and a lion). Similarly, in this chapter (Revelation 17), the beast carries a woman who is referred to as (v. 5) “Babylon the great”. That's another reference to a 'dead and gone' empire. But the angel here is clear that the image of this woman doesn't represent an Empire. She represents a city. He explains to John in 17:18, “And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” Only one city would fit that description for the first readers of the Revelation: Rome.

So think about this: the imagery in our main text of a beast and of ten kings seems to be both historically specific and spiritually generic. What does that mean? It means that, in all likelihood, the original audience of this book would have recognized the beast of chapters 13 & 17 as the Roman Empire, along with its many regional, client kings (“the kings of the earth”). And they would have recognized the second beast mentioned in that same chapter as the Imperial Cult, the religious apparatus that promoted the worship of the Roman emperors.

But... since, as we've already seen, the imagery also borrows and combines older imagery referring to other empires, and uses (what we could call) 'spiritually round' numbers like seven and ten, I think God is telling us that, spiritually-speaking, Rome is just another manifestation of organized humanity in rebellion against God—or as Jesus called it, “the world”. As Jesus taught his disciples in John 15:19, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

It's that identification that helps us unpack our next key phrase from chapter 17. What does it mean that they “make war” on the Lamb? Well, I think there's helpful evidence again back in chapter 13. But before we go there, look back at our main text for this morning, 17:14. Re-read it if you would. Now with that main verse in mind, look at 13:7. That verse tells us the beast...

...was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation...

Do you see the connection with 17:14? Yes! The phrases “make war” and “conquer them” are found in both of these verses. But in 13:7 the target of both phrases is those who belong to the Lamb. How was the dragon trying to stamp out the early church? One clearly-attested strategy was state-sponsored persecution. That's why we read in 13:2 that the dragon, Satan, “gave [to the beast] his power and his throne and great authority.” Now, was that the only tactic our Enemy used? Not at all. When chapter 17 introduces us to the woman, it describes her as a prostitute. Why a prostitute? Because even though in this vision she rides on top of the beast, with its political power and military might, her weapons are weapons of seduction. She is described as making her followers drunk from (v. 4) “a golden cup full of abominations and... impurities”, while she herself is (v. 6) “drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.”

And were we to continue into chapter 18, we would find similar descriptors in reference to this symbolic harlot: she is associated with (v. 2) “unclean spirit[s]”, (v.7) “luxury” and (v. 3) “luxurious living”; (v. 14) “delicacies and... splendors”, (v. 15) “wealth”, (v. 23) “sorcery”; and this along with terms already mentioned in chapter 17: “drunk”, “wine”, “passion”, “sexual immorality”. These are the weapons with which she wages war. And the letters in chps 2-3 highlight this. While churches like Smyrna had to deal with threat of incarceration, other churches like Pergamum and Thyatira were under spiritual attack from practices like idolatry and sexual immorality.

Similarly, for believers in Laodicea, wealth and luxurious living seemed to be the Enemy's plan of attack for overcoming that church. All of these were weapons used against the Lamb.

And so (and here's where we can draw these things together) when we read in 17:14 about how, one day, “the beast and the kings of the earth” will “make war on the Lamb”, we're not reading about a radical and unexpected turn of events. No. I think what's being described there is the final culmination of fallen mankind's senseless hostility toward its Maker, manifested time and time again in the persecution and seduction of God's people (whether by Babylon or Rome or whoever). Will this climactic time of opposition be a literal war? That is, do I think anyone will be firing an RPG or a missile at Jesus when he returns? No. I would argue the war imagery simply visualizes the spiritual hostility and conflict that is highlighted time and time again in the NT. I think this is confirmed by the imagery of Christ's sword in 19:15. Where does it come from? A sheath? No. It comes from his mouth. Why? It's simply a symbol of his all-powerful word.

III. A Wartime Mentality

And I think that helps us understand the word “conquer” in our main verse. Brothers, sisters, I believe our greatest encouragement this morning is found in the second half of 17:14, the half we haven't touched on yet. If we briefly bounce back to chapter 13, we read there in verse 4 how the nations marvel at the beast and ask, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight [or “make war”] against it?” Revelation 17:14 definitively answers that question... “They will make war on the Lamb and the Lamb will conquer them, [Why?] for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Fellow believers, this is the war with which our thoughts should be preoccupied. It is not a distant war. It is not a possible war. It is real... and it is right here, today. And if you are a true disciple of Jesus, then, whether you feel it or not, you are on the battlefield at this very moment. Through today's manifestations of the beast and the woman, through earthly powers, through worldly mechanisms that promote the world's wisdom and exert the world's pressure, through both everyday enticements and unexpected crises, you are being spiritually attacked. Yes, I believe there will be an Armageddon, a day of final confrontation (visualized as a battle) when Jesus will return and speak his irresistible and invincible word of victory over every rebel power. But as comforting as that is (and it is!), please don't allow that final battle to distract you from the daily battles; from the hard, but often subtle ways you and I are being tempted to give up and give in. This is the goal of our spiritual enemies. Conquest through compromise.

But this terrifying and dreadful dragon, this monstrous and powerful beast, they are no match for the Lamb, are they? And we serve the Lamb. At the end of every letter in chps 2-3, believers are called to “conquer”; we are called to victory (nike) in these battles. How? 12:11 gives us our first encouragement: “And they have conquered [the dragon] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” The only true victory you and I can have in this life always flows from the victory of Jesus. When we stand firm in the fact that we are forgiven and free because of Jesus' death on the cross, and when we stand up, with-out shame, to name the name of the risen Christ (no matter the cost), we are walking in victory.

And if in that daily battle we are afraid that we will be overcome, or that the church will be over-come, remember this glimpse of the future that God has given us in 17:14. No earthy power, no empire, no government, no institution, no movement of mankind can ultimately stop Jesus. It will never happen. Why? Because He is Lord of all and every lord. He is King of all and every king. President of all presidents, Prime Minister of every prime minister, Supreme Leader of every supreme leaders.

But what about us? We are not simply contestants on a reality show who may or may not make it in the end. We are, according to this verse, “called and chosen and faithful”. Do you struggle in the fight? Are you struggling even now on the battlefield? Welcome to the club. But please don't worry. That's exactly why God gave you and me this book. The reassurance here is meant to stoke the coals and fan into flame the fire God himself has put inside us, every one of us whose name has been (17:8) “written in the book of life from the foundation of the world”.

So be encouraged, believer. Don't be ignorant of the where the true battle is taking place, its nature, and the often subtle ways you and I are being attacked. Ask God even now for that war-time mentality. But do so with eyes fixed on the Lamb, both on his past victory on Calvary and on the future conquest when that victory will be fully and finally put into effect.