SCRIPTURE: Revelation 17
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” [Revelation 17:14]
In this vision, John sees the ruling power of his day (Rome) as a prostitute, living off of the avails of her immorality.
He also sees rulers rise and fall, and turn against the prostitute.
In other words, the powers of darkness that persecute and kill the weak and humble are vulnerable, and will eventually fall by the same evils that they did themselves.
For a season they prosper, but their time is coming; they may rally against the Lamb and His followers, but He will defeat them, and protect His subjects.
For He is Lord of lords and King of kings!

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. [John 17:14-15]
As Jesus prays for His disciples, He describes how He has blessed them, but also how the world responds to them – hating and attacking them.
But Jesus is able to protect them, because He is backed by the God of the Universe.
Jesus is God’s appointed Ruler – King of kings and Lord of lords – so that even Satan, and the immoral woman, and all the other kings that rise up in world history, must submit to Him in the end.
At the end of the day, Jesus will stand as ultimate King of all, and His followers will stand with Him – His called, chosen and faithful followers.
In the world, but not of the world.

There are specific connections between these visions and leaders then and now, but I do not get bogged down in identifying who is who in these visions.
Suffice it to say that world powers rise and fall, and do their best to suppress the kingdom of God, but they fail.
For He is Lord of lords and King of kings!

Right now I am not living in an oppressive environment; in fact I am living in a safe, cushy, comfortable environment, and that has it’s own challenges.
Because life is so comfortable in the world, it is easy for us to forget that we are not of the world, and that the world hates us for what we stand for.
It’s almost as if we have been enticed by the prostitute, we have been lured into her worldly, selfish and sinful lifestyle and practices.
Our greatest danger is not conflict but compromise, not fierce opposition but lukewarm love.
We may say the words – for He is Lord of lords and King of kings! – but we often live as if we were our own boss, and we can pursue our own agenda and purpose and comfort.
The book of Revelation was written to comfort the challenged, but maybe what we need for today is to challenge the comfortable.

PRAYER:
Lord, there is a war raging all around us, yet we are often oblivious. Forgive us for being of the world, not just in the world. More than protection from the world, we need to be purified from the world. Purify and protect us by the power of Your name!