Viii. The Triumph Of Almighty God (17:1 - 20:15)
VIII. THE TRIUMPH OF ALMIGHTY GOD (17:1 - 20:15)
John now gives himself over to a whole-hearted description of the mighty triumph won by God over all his enemies. Hitherto his book has put a good deal of emphasis on God’s sovereignty. He has heartened his trembling fellow-believers by showing plainly that God is not mocked. Again and again he has made the point that in the end evil will be completely overthrown. But his concern has been basically with the here and now. He has shown his readers that, while evil may appear to be strong and they themselves may be helpless before it, in reality evil can do no more than operate as God permits. It exercises only the power that God allows it to exercise. John has wrestled with the paradox involved in the conjunction of two facts: God is almighty and the people of God are oppressed. The solution he has offered in a variety of ways is that the wicked do and can do no more than God allows them to do.
Now John fixes his eyes firmly on the end-time. He concerns himself not with the apparent triumph of evil, but with its final and complete overthrow. He sees God as casting down every stronghold and hurling his judgments against the wicked. No might of theirs avails. God is completely triumphant.