The Lamb will triumph over them . . . and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. (Rev. 17:14)
I just finished watching a show on an online streaming service. My daughter had watched portions of the program with me, but she fell asleep during the climactic final episode. I asked, “Do you want me to tell you how it ends?” She yelled, “No, don’t spoil it for me! I want to see how it ends myself!” If I were in her shoes, I might say the same thing. Sometimes when we’re reading a book or watching a movie, we love the mystery and the tension; we want to read or watch all the way to the end. Other times, if we’re impatient, we want to skip to the ending. We crave resolution and certainty.
The churches who first read Revelation 17 were tired. Watching wicked people with power persecute followers of Jesus was draining. The Roman empire was restricting their ability to worship and threatening their lives. They were yearning for hope, something to anchor their faith.
In this passage, John gave them a gift: a picture of how the story would end. He said that even though it felt like they were losing every battle, the Lamb would triumph over every enemy in the end. When the dust settles, Jesus will stand victorious over evil in all its forms. And he won’t be alone. His called, chosen, and faithful people will triumph with him.
You will triumph if you are faithful to the end.
Steve Norman is a Wesleyan pastor, speaker, and author. He lives in West Michigan and serves the Great Lakes region.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
