The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10). Of the many words we could use for cancer, beast is a good one. Cancer is scary. It seems to pursue us in darkness ready to pounce when we least expect it. Cancer frightens, attacks, harms, maims, and kills.
You might be surprised to find beasts in the Bible. In the book of Revelation, we see a red dragon in heaven with seven heads and ten horns and diadems on his heads. The dragon symbolizes the devil, the serpent, Satan, the creator of evil. With his enormous tail, he knocks down a third of the stars to earth. He pursues and seeks to destroy all who believe in Jesus until the angels defeat him and throw him down to earth, where he continues his pursuit.
Next, we see a beast from the sea. He is summoned from the waters of chaos and created in the dragon’s likeness. He is the anti-Christ, everything God is not. The beast represents the world’s evil emperors (then and now) who serve the Dragon, fighting against God, and persecuting the Christians. The sea beast demands to be worshipped as God. He seeks absolute power, loyalty and worship through fear, violence, and murder. Finally, a beast from the land emerges, also created by the Dragon. He “appears like a lamb but speaks like the dragon” (Revelation 13:11). It speaks lies and lures Christians away from God with beautiful things, promises of pleasure, riches, and power. Like the Holy Spirit, it performs miraculous, winsome signs. It inspires and invites people to worship, obey, and identify with the Dragon and the sea beast. But when any choose to worship Jesus, the beast shows its true colors, persecuting and killing Christians.
The three together form a trinity of evil. Their reign causes overwhelming fear, destruction, suffering, and pain, but their reign will not last. In Revelation, Jesus returns to finish his saving work, riding a white horse (Revelation 19:11). The two beasts, the world’s evil rulers, their supporters, and the Dragon come together to battle Jesus. In an instant, they are destroyed. The Dragon and beasts along with death and Hades are thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 19:19, 20:10, 14 NIV). Jesus judges the living and the dead. A new heaven and new earth descend for the faithful to inherit, one where there will be no more death, mourning, suffering, or pain (Revelation 21:4). Your cancer may be a beast - scary, chaotic, painful, and life-threatening – but it too will be defeated. Jesus healed the sick and is healing now. The day will come when he heals everything. Today or tomorrow, Jesus will turn cancer’s chaos into a sea of peace. Jesus’ truth will replace cancer’s lies. The abundant and eternal life Jesus gives us will squash cancer’s death threats. Cancer’s attempts to own and consume you will fail. You do not belong to cancer or the Dragon. You belong to Jesus. You are a redeemed and beloved child of God.
"Behold" by Mission House beautifully, eloquently, and powerfully praises God for the coming future revealed in the closing chapters of Revelation.
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