Leviathan, the Swiftly Moving Serpent

Posted on by Adrian Clark
A horned sea dragon roaring above stormy ocean waves

“Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see. In that day the Lord will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent, the coiling, writhing serpent. He will kill the dragon of the sea.”
Isaiah 26:21 – 27:1 NLT

“Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent”. A reference to this “whatever it is” occurs five times in the Old Testament and on another occasion in Psalm 74:14, “You crushed the heads of Leviathan and let the desert animals eat him”. The Book of Job also refers to Leviathan but in a different context. But whatever it is, it has several heads and lives in the sea, which is where God despatches it with His “terrible swift sword”. It is, of course, quite conceivable that such a monster could have existed, and we have, potentially, such a beast dwelling in Loch Ness here in Scotland. There may also have been an influence from local folklore. Isaiah also referred to it as a “dragon”.

The obvious connection between Leviathan, the serpent and dragon of old, is with the devil, the fallen angel Lucifer or Satan. In Genesis 3:1 we find that “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made..”. Paul referred to the serpent in 2 Corinthians 11:3, where we read, “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent”. But the clearest connection between the devil and a serpent comes in Revelation 12:7-9, “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels”. And then in Revelation 20:1-2, we read, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years”. The final destination of the devil is described in Revelation 20:10, “Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulphur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”. As an aside, I wonder sometimes about the attitude of people who would rather contemplate spending eternity in the company of the devil than with Jesus.

So there we have it. Leviathan will be destroyed by God’s sharp sword. However, we pilgrims have our own weapon of destruction, effective against the devil. We read in Ephesians 6:17, “ … take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. The “sword” we have is God’s Word, the Bible. This Word of God is the same Word that Jesus used to defeat the armies of the kings of the world at a place called Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). Then in Revelation 19:19 we read, “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army”. But it didn’t end well for them, because two verses later we read, “Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies”. Who was the One riding the white horse? We find the answer earlier in Revelation 19: “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God”. 

But fascinating as the story in Revelation is, the only offensive weapon mentioned in Paul’s account of the armour of God is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”. Jesus effectively used God’s Word during His temptation in the wilderness, countering the devil’s temptations three times with verses quoted directly from Scripture. In that encounter between Jesus and the devil, we note one other thing – the devil knows the Bible as well. We pilgrims must be prepared for the battles we have with the devil and his forces of evil by knowing and, if necessary, memorising the Scriptures. We can do that only by reading the Word of God. As Paul said to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and … [He] uses it to prepare and equip His people…” (2 Timothy 3:17-17). What soldier ever picks up a rifle and runs into battle without first finding out how it works and how to shoot straight? 

Do you, dear fellow pilgrims, need a Word from God today? Well, there is a book full of them, and many helps to find the verses that apply to your situation or request. But nothing replaces studying the Bible. Jeremiah wrote, “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies” (Jeremiah 15:16). The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you”. And then we have another “3:16”, this time from Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God”. We must be equipped to face our Leviathan at any time he chooses to attack us. With the Word of God, “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12), in our hands and in our hearts, we don’t have to wait until the End Times for God to do the job. We have the means here and now, today.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your Word because without it we are nothing. Thank You for the faithful men who wrote down what Your Spirit revealed to them, so that future generations could be informed and equipped for their lives. As we read, please reveal the Scripture to us so that we can respond to the pressures and temptations of the world around us with Your righteousness and truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Eagles’ Wings

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“When the dragon realised that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time. Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.” 
Revelation 12:13-17

The woman in John’s vision could fly. She needed to, so that she could escape the devil’s malignant intentions. And we are told through John’s vision, that she had two wings “like those of a great eagle”. The eagle is a special bird. The bald eagle is the US national bird. And throughout history, the eagle has come to represent strength, with a freedom as it soars through the skies; truly a majestic bird.  So it is of no surprise that John sees in his vision eagle wings transporting the woman into the safe place prepared for her in the wilderness. The devil couldn’t keep up with her.

We read in Isaiah 40:31, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint“. We concluded previously that the woman represents the Church, so in that context this verse in Isaiah has a special and important meaning and message. It’s all about trusting God. So the converse is true, that a church that does not trust in God will inevitably be as described in the previous verse in Isaiah 40. “Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion“. A church that doesn’t trust God will quickly become weak, tired and exhausted. The implication in these verses from Revelation is that the “woman” received care and protection because she trusted in God.

The protection and care continued for a period of “a time, times, and half a time“. I believe that this is currently the season, the period in mankind’s timeline, that we pilgrims are enjoying God’s care and protection. There is a wonderful picture of God’s care, including a reference to an eagle, in Deuteronomy 32. we read, “He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes. Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions. The Lord alone guided them; they followed no foreign gods. He let them ride over the highlands and feast on the crops of the fields. He nourished them with honey from the rock and olive oil from the stony ground. He fed them yogurt from the herd and milk from the flock, together with the fat of lambs. He gave them choice rams from Bashan, and goats, together with the choicest wheat. You drank the finest wine, made from the juice of grapes“. (Deuteronomy 32:10-14). 

We pilgrims have access to the very best of provisions, all supplied by our wonderful Heavenly Father. But the key thought here is that although God’s care is accessible, we have to do something to enjoy it. What God has for us will not just fall into our laps, like manna from Heaven. We have to – back to that word again – trust God for our nourishment, spiritual or otherwise. The picture of wine, finest wine, representing the Holy Spirit. The nourishment from rock honey and milk and yoghurt, all generating the impression of a place of abundance, of plenty, for all we need for life. And all we have to do is trust God. Easy, isn’t it? Well, no it isn’t.  We are living in a society that suggests that it is dangerous to trust anyone. Disappointments with people erode what little trust we have developed over the years. I know someone who, as a small child, was repeatedly let down by a father who broke promises time and time again. And all these life-related disappointments conspire to make it very difficult for such a person to trust our Heavenly Father. There are even those who have lost their trust in God because of their unrealistic or misguided expectations. At times like these we dig into His Word, the Bible, and hang onto verses such as Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding“. And Hebrews 13:5, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you“. 

There are times in our pilgrimage through life when we need to trust God. Really trust Him. When a child is sick. A loved one is dying of cancer. An unexpected bill falls through the letterbox. Life can be tough at times. But if God has said that He will never abandon us, we have to believe it and trust Him who said it. I look back over some crises in my own life. Difficult and frightening at the time, but in hindsight, God wove a path through the situations and I came through. Probably a bit battered and bruised, but intact and wiser for the experience. And I can remember in one situation that I had to make a positive declaration that even if God didn’t come through for me, I was still going to praise Him. We read in Habakkuk 3:17-18 – “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord ! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” We trust our loving Heavenly Father regardless of the circumstances.

Dear Lord God. Thank You for Your assurance that you are always there for us, in every circumstance. We truly rejoice in You, the God of our salvation. Amen.

The Woman Fled

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.”
Revelation‬ ‭12:5-6 NLT

After the woman gave birth, and found that her child was safe, she did a runner, and ended up in the wilderness. To make any sense from this we have to be clear about who the woman was or who she represents. We considered yesterday that the woman could have been the Jewish nation, giving birth to their Messiah, Jesus. Or another possibility is that the woman represents the Church, giving birth to the rule and reign on Christ in His Kingdom. Or perhaps there is a combination of both possibilities.

But two truths do clearly emerge from these verses. Firstly, God took exceptional steps to make sure the child and his mother were protected. Secondly, the woman was important enough to Him that He cared for her, to the extent that the devil couldn’t touch her. We also have to consider that this could all have taken place over a significant period of time. Perhaps John’s vision provided a summary, condensed into a short video clip.

If we extrapolate and superimpose these events onto history, we find that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God in Heaven. We read in Mark 16:19, “When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honour at God’s right hand.” Secondly, we know that we Christians are living in a time of God’s grace. He cares for each one of us, loving us, helping us, healing our hurts and diseases, talking with us. And, perhaps more controversially for some, He is caring for His own people, the Jewish nation. In spite of pogroms, persecution, wars, natural events, and even the Holocaust, His people are still a nation, living in their own lands once again in Palestine. 

How much God cares for us can be found in the illustration, the parable, that Jesus taught in Luke 15. We read in verse 20, “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” God not only provides and cares for us in a passive way, but He also more aggressively runs after us. He even encourages us to approach Him in times of stress. We read in 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” So we are living in a time of extraordinary love and grace, coming from our Heavenly Father. All we have to do is to take a small step towards Him. He’s looking our for us!

The “1,260 days”, three and a half years, is therefore a problem, if we take these verses literally.  Perhaps a time of seven years can be considered a representation of a very long time so half of that period might relate to what Jesus said in Matthew 24:22, “In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.” But I don’t know the relevance of “1,260 days”, and if it relates to this season of God’s grace in which we are living. We will find out one day, I’m sure. However, one thing I do know is that while God is close to us and listening, we have an opportunity to grasp His grace with both hands. The time for our salvation is close. We read in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, “As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvellous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” Perhaps we are in the caring place God provided for us in the wilderness of sinful humanity.

Dear Heavenly Father. We are so deeply grateful for Your care and provision in this sinful wilderness of life on Planet Earth. Please forgive us for the times when we have rejected Your care and tried to go our own ways. Your care covers us like a blanket, like the way a mother hen covers her chicks with her wings. Thank You Lord, Amen.