A book I read prompted me to think about dragons and dragon slayers. In various genres and mythologies, a community or society is under the tyranny of a giant dragon, serpent, or other seemingly impossible-to-defeat threat. The world longs for a hero, and eventually one rises out of obscurity to take on the mighty beast (or arch criminals, terrorists, or whatever) and set them free.
What people don’t understand is that this type of story is based on truth. God created a utopian world, and the people were mesmerized by the serpent (also referred to in places in Scripture as a dragon), fell under its spell, and the utopia was gone.
They had traded walking with God in the Garden for a world of increasing rebellion and destruction. The dragon rules the hearts and minds of most. In fact, all are spiritually dead. After a long wait, a hero arises in obscurity (the Lord is incarnate, born to a poor peasant girl in a manger in a strange town in the middle of nowhere). As He grows in wisdom and stature, the opposition to Him grows, and they kill him. If the story ended there, it would be disastrous.
The Scriptures tell us that He was raised from the dead and was seen by many. He ascended back into heaven, where He intercedes for us. He sent us the Comforter, also known as the Holy Spirit, to guide us on the path to redemption.
When the time is perfect, He will return to redeem His people and remove the dragon from power.
The Bible isn’t a myth or a story. It is truth, the myths and stories reflect a built in desire to see and know the truth. People often suppress the truth and settle for myths. They reject the true hero and attempt to save themselves, embarking on an impossible quest. Perhaps they identify with the serpent or dragon and long to create their version of the world, where there are no consequences to their actions and they can do as they please.
The return to a utopian, righteous society ruled by a just and perfect ruler isn’t a dream. It’s a reality for those who follow Jesus. His followers may face physical death, but they are brought to life spiritually and will be resurrected bodily.
The true story of the dragon and the slayer is the story of God and His people. It is the Old and New Testaments and is given as a gift from a revelatory God.
From the opening pages until the closing words, the story is one of the victory of the king, the story of the true hero who slays the dragon and the freedom of those who will follow Him.
Jesus speaks of the fate of the dragon in John’s Revelation of Christ
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. T his is the first resurrection.Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:1-10 ESV
My friends, the world is presently under the sway of the dragon, but the hero has already arisen and been victorious. What we see now are just the serpent’s death throes.
Until next time, rejoice in the risen victorious Lord.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
