signs-war_of_the

The War of the Lamb

The spiritual war of the Lamb is the primary theme of the

Revelation of John. In his vision, John sees that the oppressive

forces of the world

will make war on the Lamb, 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.

(Revelation 17:14, NRSV)

The Lamb, of course, is Jesus Christ, who was named “the

Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” in the Gospel

of John ( John 1:29, NRSV). Ultimately, the Lamb will

triumph because he is also the Word of God ( John 1:14). The

vision of the final battle emphasizes that the weapon of his

victory is the “sword” from his mouth, which is, of course, not

a physical sword, but the Word:

Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white

horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in

righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes

are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many

diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one

knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped

in blood, and his name is called The Word of God.

And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white

and pure, were following him on white horses. From

his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike

down the nations . . . .

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with

their armies gathered to make war against the rider

on the horse and against his army. And the beast

was captured, and with it the false prophet who had

performed in its presence the signs by which he deceived

those who had received the mark of the beast

and those who worshiped its image. These two were

thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

And the rest were killed by the sword of the rider

on the horse, the sword that came from his mouth . .

. . (Revelation 19:11-21, NRSV; cf., Isaiah 63:1-6)

The war of the Lamb, then, is a symbolic way of speaking

about the spiritual process by which the word of God goes

out into the world bringing salvation. It is, in a sense, what

this whole study is about. It is the process by which people

who have become captives of Mystery Babylon are rescued

from the false gods Molech and mammon and brought into the

community of grace and truth. It is that painful inward and

spiritual journey through which people humble themselves

and exchange their independent judgments of good and evil

for God’s. The war of the Lamb is the operation by which God

takes hearts of stone and turns them into hearts of flesh.

This brings us to the final point to be made about the spiritual

war of the Lamb. That has to do with suffering. There is

a crucial relationship between the acceptance of suffering and

the growth of mercy. This is the deepest significance of the

incarnation:

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom

all things exist, in bringing many children to glory,

should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect

through sufferings. . . . [ Jesus] had to become like

his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he

might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the

service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for

the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested

by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are

being tested. (Hebrews 2:10, 17-18, NRSV)

In the end, the final victory of the Lamb is predicated upon the

willingness of the Lamb to suffer death on the cross (Revelation

5:9-12). This is so intrinsic to his victory that he is called,

“the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world”

(Revelation 15:8, KJV).

The Lamb conquers in the company of those with him,

“the chosen and faithful” (Revelation 17:14, NRSV)—and

they must share in the essential character of their Lord. As

the Lamb is victorious through his suffering and through the

sword of the Word, so also the saints of God. In Chapter 12

of his Revelation, John sees a vision of “war in heaven” and of

the victory of God’s people:

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,

“Now have come the salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Messiah,

for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown

down,

who accuses them day and night before our God.

But they have conquered him by the blood of the

Lamb

and by the word of their testimony,

for they did not cling to life even in the face of

death.”

(Revelation 12:10-11, NRSV)

The peaceable community of God conquers by “the blood of

the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” In Greek, “testimony”

is the word martyrias from which the English word

“martyr” is derived. It is the same word that Jesus used when he

appeared to the disciples after his crucifixion and told them:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has

come upon you; and you will be my witnesses/martyres

in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to

the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NRSV)

Martyr is an appropriate word because the spiritual war of the

Lamb to which it points is still a war, for all that it is spiritual.

The powers of the world are, perhaps, more aware of the

threat posed to their dominion by the testimony that Jesus is

the Lamb of God than are even the people of God. Jesus forewarned

his disciples of this at the last supper:

“If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me

before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the

world would love you as its own. Because you do not

belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the

world—therefore the world hates you. Remember

the word that I said to you, ‘Servants are not greater

than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will

persecute you. . . . ” ( John 15:18-20a, NRSV; cf.,

Matthew 10:24-25)

Neither Jesus nor his followers sought suffering, nor did

Jesus teach that suffering is somehow good in itself. Jesus was,

however, clear that his way was in conflict with the culture of

the world. Bearing witness, being “martyrs,” may or may not

require physical death, but it does mean not clinging to life.

Being a witness/martus is incompatible with worldly power.

Since God’s salvation reaches beyond death, Jesus’ followers

can stand firm even in the face of suffering because they know,

experientially, that the new heaven and new earth are coming.

Paul told the Corinthian church that “God, who reconciled

us to himself through Christ, . . . has given us the ministry of

reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18, NRSV). Then he showed

them what that ministry looked like in his own life:

as servants of God we have commended ourselves

in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions,

hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots,

labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge,

patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine

love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with

the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and

for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and

good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet

are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying,

and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not

killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet

making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing

everything. (2 Corinthians 6:4-10, NRSV)

This is a general rule of faith. The instruction of Jesus that

any who wished to follow him must take up their cross daily

is more than a prophetic sign of the fearlessness of the people

of God; it is the way in which the spiritual war of the Lamb

is waged in this world, until the end of the age. It is, in fact,

by willingly accepting suffering for truth that disciples become

joint heirs with Christ:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children

of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery

to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit

of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that

very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we

are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs

of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we

suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with

him. (Romans 8:14-17, NRSV, my emphasis; cf.,

Colossians 1:24; Philippians 3:10-11)

“Abba! Father!” was Jesus’ cry at Gesthemene the night

before he was arrested. It is the cry of anyone who is afraid

but nevertheless is willing to say to God, “Yet not what I will,

but what you will” (Mark 14:36, NIV; Matthew 26:39; Luke

22:42).

Ultimately, that prayer is the basis of our salvation. On the

faith that God does indeed know better than we what is good

and what is evil, we rest our hope. It is on that basis that the

peaceable people of God receive their blessing:

“Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for

righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you and

persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against

you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in

heaven. . . . ”

(Matthew 5:9-12a, NRSV)

In the end, the suffering and peaceable community of the

people of God rely upon the truth that Immanuel, the Lamb

of God, can and will be victorious, and that they will share in

that victory:

“Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.”

(Matthew 5:5, NRSV)

The community that chooses to live by Jesus’ way of cross, is a

sign of salvation.

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