BEMA Episode Link: 186: Revelation — Mother and Dragons
Episode Length: 23:30
Published Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2020 01:00:00 -0700
Session 4
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see dragons and beasts and women riding on them. Who is this beast of land and sea? The same hermeneutic we’ve used throughout Revelation will help us know more.

Revelation — Mother and Dragons Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 186

Transcript for BEMA 186

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 186: Revelation - Mother and Dragons

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 186 - Revelation: Mother and Dragons Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Revelation 12-13

This episode explores the vivid apocalyptic imagery in Revelation 12 and 13, examining the woman clothed with the sun, the great red dragon, and the beasts from sea and earth. Using historical and cultural context from first-century Ephesus, Marty and Brent demonstrate how these symbols communicated powerful messages to early believers facing Roman imperial pressure, particularly under Emperor Domitian. The discussion reveals how understanding the Text-to-context hermeneutic unlocks the pastoral intent behind John’s seemingly bizarre apocalyptic imagery.

Key Takeaways

  • The apocalyptic imagery in Revelation is not primarily about predicting the distant future but about communicating hope and encouragement to first-century believers facing persecution
  • The woman in Revelation 12 likely represents multiple realities: Mary and Jesus, the nation of Israel, the early church, and even Eve from Genesis
  • The dragon symbolizes the Roman Empire, specifically connecting to Satan as the personification of evil working through Rome’s oppressive system
  • The “beast from the sea” refers to Domitian’s massive gymnasium in Ephesus, which was built so rapidly (four years instead of a century) that contemporaries called it “the beast rising from the sea”
  • The mark of the beast was likely the actual stamp or seal citizens received after offering incense to the emperor, allowing them to buy and sell in the marketplace
  • John’s number 666 employs gematria (numerical values of names) and connects to recurring biblical imagery denoting evil and the adversary
  • The central message is perseverance: believers must stand firm against idolatry and imperial worship, knowing how the story ultimately ends

Main Concepts & Theories

Text-to-Context Hermeneutic

John consistently places Old Testament texts into his current context rather than making vague references to an unknown future. This apocalyptic writing style uses well-known images from Hebrew scripture to communicate meaning to contemporary readers. Understanding Revelation requires identifying these textual allusions and recognizing how they apply to the first-century situation.

Multiple Interpretive Layers for the Woman (Revelation 12)

The woman clothed with the sun, moon under her feet, and crown of twelve stars can be understood on several levels:

  1. Mary and Jesus: The most literal reading - a woman giving birth to a child who is “snatched up to God and to his throne.” However, this breaks down when she flees into the wilderness.

  2. The Nation of Israel: Israel is frequently depicted as a bride in scripture. The crown of twelve stars represents the twelve tribes. Israel gives birth to Messiah (the branch from Jesse’s stump) who will shepherd the goyim (nations).

  3. The Early Church: Both Jewish and Gentile believers, also represented by twelve stars. This interpretation makes better sense of fleeing into the wilderness but less sense of giving birth to the child.

  4. Eve from Genesis: Genesis 3 prophesies that Eve’s offspring would crush the serpent’s head, connecting directly to the dragon imagery and establishing the cosmic battle between good and evil from creation onward.

All these interpretations likely work together to create a rich, multi-layered image.

The Dragon as Empire

The dragon represents Rome and the broader concept of empire throughout history. John explicitly identifies it as “that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan.” First-century Jewish writers regularly connected Satan with oppressive empires, particularly Rome. This connection appears throughout apocalyptic literature from the period of Roman oppression.

The imagery draws from:

  • Isaiah and Ezekiel’s prophecies against the kings of Tyre and Babylon - previous world powers characterized by pride and arrogance
  • Genesis 3 - the serpent/dragon who opposes God’s people
  • The number seven - representing completeness, but twisted in the dragon’s seven heads
Historical Context: Ephesus Under Domitian

Emperor Domitian conducted 22 imperial “advents” (arrivals) - far more than any other emperor. One of his largest was in Ephesus, centered on the grand opening of his gymnasium.

Domitian’s Gymnasium:

  • The largest gymnasium in the entire Roman world
  • Normally would have taken over a century to build
  • Completed in just four years
  • So massive it dominated the view from the city center to the harbor
  • Historians referred to Domitian himself as “the beast”
  • Pliny called him “the beast of the sea, whose teeth drip with the blood of good Romans”
  • The rapid construction led contemporaries to describe it as “the beast rising from the sea”

The Flavian Temple:

  • Built by the citizens of Ephesus with their own funds (not imperial money)
  • Intended to honor Domitian before his arrival
  • Constructed on a vaulted platform supported by 24 pillars
  • Each pillar depicted one of the 24 legal Roman gods
  • The symbolism: the Roman gods hold up Domitian, not vice versa
  • Located between both agoras (marketplaces) - strategically positioned
The Mark of the Beast (Historical Reality)

During Domitian’s reign, citizens were required to:

  1. Swear allegiance and worship to the divine emperor
  2. Offer incense (possibly at the Flavian Temple)
  3. Receive a stamp or mark allowing participation in local commerce

Without this mark, believers could not buy or sell in either Ephesian agora. This was not a future prophecy but a present reality for John’s original audience.

The Beast from the Sea (Revelation 13:1-10)

The description includes:

  • Ten horns and seven heads - typical apocalyptic imagery for kingdoms and their rulers
  • Resembles a leopard, with feet like a bear and mouth like a lion - composite imagery connecting to multiple empires
  • One head with a fatal wound that was healed - likely referencing Emperor Vespasian’s famous head wound that was miraculously healed
  • 42 months of authority - apocalyptic timeframe indicating a significant but limited period
  • Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation - Rome’s vast empire

The beast exercises blasphemous authority and wages war against God’s holy people, demanding their patient endurance and faithfulness.

The Beast from the Earth (Revelation 13:11-18)

This second beast:

  • Has two horns like a lamb but speaks like a dragon (deceptive appearance)
  • Exercises the first beast’s authority
  • Performs great signs, even causing fire to come from heaven
  • Deceives inhabitants and orders them to worship the first beast’s image
  • Gives breath to the image so it can speak
  • Forces all people to receive the mark on right hand or forehead
  • Controls economic participation through the mark

This likely represents the imperial cult system and local authorities who enforced emperor worship.

The Number 666

Several interpretive layers for this famous number:

  1. Biblical Pattern: The number appears throughout Hebrew scriptures connected to evil and the adversary (Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, David and Goliath)

  2. Gematria: Jewish practice of assigning numerical values to letters in names. Many Roman emperors’ names can be calculated to equal 666 when using gematria, though this is not as unique as often claimed

  3. “The Number of a Man”: Emphasizes that despite claims to divinity, the emperor is merely human

  4. Symbolic Resonance: Simply the most fitting number for the beast - representing persistent falling short of seven (completeness/perfection)

John calls for “wisdom” and “insight” to understand this number, suggesting his audience would recognize the reference.

The Wings of the Eagle (Exodus Connection)

When the woman receives “two wings of a great eagle” to escape into the wilderness, this echoes Exodus 19:4: “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”

This connection:

  • Links Rome to Egypt as another oppressive world power
  • Reminds readers of God’s deliverance pattern
  • Associates the wilderness with God’s provision and protection
  • References Jeremiah’s description of Israel following God through the desert “like a bride”
Time References (1,260 Days / Time, Times, and Half a Time)

These apocalyptic time markers appear repeatedly:

  • 1,260 days
  • 42 months
  • Time, times, and half a time (3.5 years)

All represent the same concept: a significant period of trial and difficulty, but one that is limited and will not last forever. This gives hope - persecution is intense but temporary.

The Call to Perseverance

John’s repeated refrain throughout these chapters: “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”

The early church faced:

  • Economic exclusion (couldn’t buy or sell without the mark)
  • Social ostracization
  • Threat of imprisonment
  • Death for refusing to worship the emperor

John encourages them to:

  • Stand firm in their commitment
  • Hold fast to their testimony
  • Not love their lives so much as to shrink from death
  • Remember they have been here before (Egypt, Babylon, etc.)
  • Know how the story ends (God’s victory is certain)
War in Heaven (Michael vs. the Dragon)

The cosmic battle depicted in Revelation 12:7-9 shows:

  • Michael and his angels fighting the dragon and his angels
  • The dragon being hurled down to earth
  • The “accuser of our brothers and sisters” being defeated
  • Victory coming “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony”

This heavenly warfare mirrors the earthly struggle believers face. The dragon’s defeat in heaven means his time on earth is limited, making him act with greater fury.

The Nicolaitans Connection

John commends the Ephesian church in Revelation 2 for hating the teachings of the Nicolaitans, suggesting they were already showing resistance to compromising with imperial worship. This earlier commendation sets up the challenge in chapters 12-13 to maintain that commitment under increasing pressure.

Examples & Applications

Contemporary Idolatry and Subtle Beasts

While early believers faced the stark choice of emperor worship or death, modern Western believers face more subtle forms of idolatry:

  • Economic systems that demand compromise of values for financial success
  • Cultural pressure to conform to societal norms that conflict with kingdom values
  • Consumer culture that promises identity and meaning through possessions
  • Nationalism that places country above God’s kingdom
  • Career advancement requiring ethical compromises
  • Social acceptance demanding silence on matters of justice

The question becomes: What “marks” do we carry? What “beasts” do we serve in exchange for the ability to participate fully in our culture?

Patient Endurance in the Modern Context

John’s call to perseverance applies when believers face:

  • Job loss for ethical stands
  • Social ostracization for counter-cultural values
  • Economic disadvantage for kingdom choices
  • Family conflict over faith commitments
  • Professional limitations for moral boundaries

The encouragement remains: stand firm, knowing how the story ends.

Reading Scripture in Context

This episode models how to read apocalyptic literature:

  1. Identify the original audience and their situation
  2. Recognize textual allusions to Old Testament passages
  3. Understand cultural and historical background
  4. Discern the pastoral intent behind the imagery
  5. Apply principles to contemporary situations rather than forcing literal predictions

This method prevents sensationalist misinterpretation while allowing the text to speak powerfully to any generation facing empire, oppression, or pressure to compromise.

The Power of Historical Research

Understanding Domitian’s gymnasium and the Flavian Temple transforms Revelation 13 from mysterious prophecy to pastoral encouragement. This demonstrates the value of:

  • Archaeological discoveries
  • Historical documentation
  • Cultural context studies
  • Ancient literature comparison

Believers benefit from scholars who do this groundwork, making scripture more accessible and applicable.

Corporate Worship vs. Emperor Cult

The early church’s weekly gathering to worship Jesus was itself an act of resistance. Every time they declared “Jesus is Lord,” they implicitly denied “Caesar is Lord.” Their worship was:

  • Politically subversive
  • Economically costly
  • Socially marginal
  • Spiritually powerful

This contrasts with modern worship that often lacks any counter-cultural edge or cost.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Old Testament Connections to Explore
  1. Exodus 19:4 - “I carried you on eagles’ wings”
  2. Genesis 3 - The serpent and the promise of crushing its head
  3. Isaiah 14 - The fall of the king of Babylon (parallel to the dragon cast down)
  4. Ezekiel 28 - The king of Tyre’s pride and downfall
  5. Jeremiah 2:2 - Israel following God through the wilderness like a bride
  6. Daniel 7 - Beasts representing kingdoms
  7. References to 666 in stories of Solomon and Goliath
Historical Deep Dives
  1. Emperor Domitian’s reign and persecution of Christians
  2. The imperial cult and emperor worship practices
  3. Archaeological findings at Ephesus (gymnasium, Flavian Temple, agoras)
  4. Economic systems in Roman cities and marketplace access
  5. The role of the Nicolaitans and what compromise they represented
  6. Other Roman emperors and their policies toward Christians
  7. Jewish apocalyptic literature from the first century
Theological Questions
  1. How do we distinguish between legitimate governmental authority (Romans 13) and the “beast” demanding worship?
  2. What is the relationship between Satan and human empires in biblical theology?
  3. How does Revelation’s cosmic warfare imagery relate to spiritual warfare teaching?
  4. What role do angels play in earthly conflicts according to Revelation?
  5. How should modern believers understand and resist systemic evil?
  6. What does “overcoming” look like in different cultural contexts?
  7. How does the martyrdom theme in Revelation inform discipleship?
Interpretive Methods
  1. Study of gematria and ancient Jewish interpretive techniques
  2. Genre analysis of apocalyptic literature
  3. Comparison of Revelation with other apocalyptic texts (Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch)
  4. Symbol interpretation in ancient vs. modern contexts
  5. The role of repetition and numbers in apocalyptic writing
  6. How to apply ancient texts to contemporary situations ethically
Contemporary Application
  1. Identifying modern forms of empire and their demands for allegiance
  2. Economic systems that pressure believers to compromise
  3. The role of Christians in speaking truth to power
  4. Building communities of resistance and mutual support
  5. Discernment practices for recognizing subtle idolatry
  6. Balancing engagement with culture and maintaining distinctiveness
  7. Persecution of believers globally and how to stand in solidarity
Cultural Context Studies
  1. Daily life in first-century Ephesus
  2. The economic impact of refusing the mark
  3. Social structure and class systems in Roman cities
  4. The role of guilds and professional associations
  5. Religious pluralism in the Roman Empire
  6. Propaganda methods used by emperors
  7. Architecture as political messaging

Comprehension Questions

  1. How does the Text-to-context hermeneutic change our reading of Revelation 12-13 compared to viewing these chapters as predictions about the distant future?

  2. Explain at least three different interpretations of who the woman in Revelation 12 represents, and why all of them might be valid simultaneously. What does this multi-layered meaning tell us about John’s writing style?

  3. What specific historical evidence from first-century Ephesus helps us identify “the beast from the sea” and “the mark of the beast”? How does this historical context change the pastoral message John is communicating?

  4. How did John connect the dragon/Satan with the Roman Empire, and what Old Testament texts did he draw upon to make this connection? Why was this a common practice in first-century Jewish apocalyptic literature?

  5. What is the central call John makes to believers throughout Revelation 12-13, and how does understanding the historical context help us apply this same call to contemporary situations where the pressure to compromise may be more subtle?

Personal Summary

BEMA Episode 186 demonstrates the transformative power of reading Revelation through the lens of Text-to-context rather than as a cryptic prediction about the distant future. The vivid imagery of the woman, dragon, and beasts suddenly comes into focus when we understand the concrete historical reality facing believers in first-century Ephesus under Emperor Domitian.

The episode reveals that “the beast from the sea” was not a mysterious future figure but the massive gymnasium Domitian built in Ephesus - constructed so rapidly that contemporaries literally called it “the beast rising from the sea.” The “mark of the beast” was an actual stamp citizens received after offering incense to the emperor, allowing them to participate in the marketplace. Without this mark, believers could not buy or sell - facing real economic consequences for their faithfulness.

John’s pastoral message becomes clear: persevere. Stand firm. You’ve been here before as God’s people (Egypt, Babylon, exile), and you know how the story ends. The dragon may rage with fury, but his time is limited. The woman may flee into the wilderness, but she is carried on eagle’s wings and protected by God. Victory comes “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

This reading challenges modern believers to examine what subtle “beasts” demand our allegiance today. While we may not face martyrdom for refusing to worship an emperor, we encounter economic systems, cultural pressures, and social structures that require compromise. The call to patient endurance and faithfulness remains relevant, though the forms of empire have evolved.

The episode also models excellent biblical interpretation - using archaeology, history, cultural context, and Old Testament connections to unlock apocalyptic imagery. Rather than diminishing the power of Revelation, this approach amplifies it, showing how John crafted a subversive, hope-filled message to believers facing real persecution, while also speaking to every generation confronting empire in its various forms.

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