7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 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. 14 They 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.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Re 17:7–14.
Walking around the wilderness can be a place where we find ourselves when we are lost, or a place where we can retreat when the chaotic world around us becomes too much and we need to find solace. The Church today finds itself in the wilderness, not in abandonment, but more to seek a place of clarity. In the pattern of the Exodus, the wilderness serves as a site for spiritual formation where the people of God are detached from the suffocating systems of the world. Additionally, we see the mystics and ascetics break away from the comforts of the world and go out into the deserts and other untouched lands to attempt to gain a deeper understanding and focus upon the call of God in turbulent times. In our culture we see the world chasing after idols, power, and seeking to portray itself with the image of control and drunk off its own words and ideologies. The vision John sees of the Beast and the Prostitute represents the seductive systems designed to capture human desires and misdirect loyalties away from the Creator. True wisdom, therefore, is not found in adopting a shallow religious label, but in possessing the spiritual clarity to stand firm by recognizing the absolute sovereignty of God.
Developing this wisdom requires work and does not come quickly, thus it must move past our short attention span for in order for it to develop it must become something deeper than the superficial, and instead must drive deep into one’s soul. Our faith cannot not be simply a brand that we attempt to portray to the world, nor should we hide behind the term “Biblical” as a shortcut that avoids the difficult work of discernment. Doing the work to grow in wisdom will reveal the distinction between the Beast, which represents institutional power, and the Prostitute, which embodies cultural seduction. While worldly systems often appear impressive and overwhelming, wisdom diagnoses them as mere imitations of divine authority that cannot sustain themselves. These powers exist in a state of “was and is not,” proving that worldly foundations are brittle and counterfeit. In contrast, Christ remains the only solid and sustaining foundation, the fixed point in history that allows the believer to see through the dazzling deceptions of the present age.
One of the greatest deceptions is that chaos appears to dictate and drive the historical narrative as it is the strategy to obscure the reality that God’s divine providence remains intact. Through the power demonstrated by the beast and the alluring nature of the prostitute are allied so that we might incorrectly determine that their evil alliance is a formidable foe; however, they are, by nature, inherently temporary and destined for self-destruction, as the Beast ultimately devours the Prostitute. Through wise counsel, and deep reflection it is necessary that we understand the central truth that God actively governs even the rebellion of the world. Humans act freely according to their own desires, yet God sovereignly ordains those very actions to accomplish His eternal purposes, because there is no evil that can exist outside God’s decree, and like the story of Joseph, what the world means for evil, God intends for good. Because God is never reacting to history but is always directing it, the Church has no use for panic or anxiousness.
Through the entirety of the Revelation it becomes clear that ultimate victory belongs to the Lamb, and through wisdom this reality must transform how we view the ongoing battle for the culture’s soul. We must discern that the battle is not a conflict of equals; Christ is the Lord of lords whose victory is already certain and finished, no matter what distractions that attempt to obscure and deflect from this reality. Additionally, the Beast attempts to conquer through force and deception, the Lamb has conquered through the sacrifice of the cross and the power of truth. At the cross, evil acted freely in its malice, yet God used that moment to redeem the world, which serves as another moment where God deflects the power of evil so that good can be accomplished. The identity of the Church is found in being called out of darkness, chosen by His purpose, and made faithful through a persevering witness. We wisely stand firm in the present because the Lamb has already secured the future.
The transition from astonishment to faithful witness requires the Church to move from shock toward a life of clarity and action. The direction that the Church moves must be one where we wisely discern the truth above a lie that gains in power and seduction. Our nature might lead us toward a complete abandonment and run to the desert or wilderness, but God seeks to refine us and grant us the gift of wisdom. Rather than withdrawing from the world in fear, we are called to wise engagement that ditches the catchy superficial slogans in favor of a deep, scriptural wisdom. We must trust the hand of the Father, interpreting the shifts of history through the lens of His total sovereignty. By following the Lamb in holiness and distinct witness, we refuse to be seduced by the appearances of worldly success, and we stand as witnesses in a confused world, confident that the Lamb has conquered and that every word of God will be perfectly fulfilled. Through even the darkness, God’s power over the world, and love for the people are revealed to the wise.
Horizon Community Church 