Devotion 5: The Dwelling Place
Pastor Patrick Rowland
From the beginning of time, Satan has waged war against Christ and His followers. It all started in the Garden of Eden as he deceived Eve and sin disrupted God’s perfect creation. God’s plan for redeeming His creation was sending Jesus, His own son, as the final sacrifice for our sin. Revelation chapter 12 shows the “behind the scenes” story of the birth and life of Christ and the spiritual battle that has taken place since the beginning of creation. As chapter 12 ends, Satan being defeated in his pursuit of destroying Jesus takes the battle from attempting to destroy Jesus, to attempting to defeat those that follow Jesus.
In Revelation chapter 13, we are introduced to the Beast of the Sea and the Beast of the Earth. The first Beast is used to win over the world and turn worship from Jesus, to the Dragon (Satan). It seems odd in my mind that it would be a Beast that would amaze people as we do not seem to attribute the characteristics described in chapter 13 to “a Beast.” We see a beast as scary, intimidating, forceful, and anything but appealing. This Beast is described as gifted with speech, persuasive, powerful, and bold enough to blaspheme the name of God in the place where He dwells. The place of God’s dwelling is both physical and spiritual.
In the Old Testament, the first place God dwelt was in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31) as it was a traveling tent where the Ark of the Covenant or the place of dwelling was kept. Much later in 2 Kings chapter 6, King Solomon built a permanent dwelling in a temple with the same instructions of the original tabernacle. It was one of the wonders of the world and a place fit for God. That temple was later destroyed by the Babylonians (2 Kings 25). In Jesus’ time, there is a second temple built, but it was later demolished in AD 70 by the Romans.
Today there is no physical building or temple for God’s dwelling, instead, His dwelling is spiritual. In John 1:14, we are told that God became flesh and dwelt among us in the physical body of Christ. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, that our body is a temple for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwelling is not in a physical space, but in those that have put their trust in Him.
Satan, and eventually the Beast, battles to blaspheme the name of God in the hearts and minds of all Christ’s followers. From the beginning of time, Satan has battled to turn your heart away from God. Paul wrote to the Ephesians (6:12) and reminds us today, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”