During Advent season, we await the second coming of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This year, we also anticipate a transfer of the USA’s executive authority. November was noisy and chaotic. These December days seem quiet … before what?

Do we long for God's Lion-Lamb, or for a Leviathan? As we hope that God’s kingdom will come on earth as in heaven, let's consider the inherent dangers that lurk in all authoritarian governments — whether on the left or the right side of the political spectrum.

The Bible sometimes represents powerful, uncontrollable forces in the world as monstrous, primeval beasts. Behemoth and Leviathan are chaos-creatures made by God, and controllable only by God. (Job 40:15–16, 41:1, Isaiah 27:1). Behemoth is a land-monster that lurks in an invisible desert. Leviathan is a sea-monster that dwells in the abyss. This pair is so powerful that only the sovereign God can overrule and subdue them to his own purposes.

Chaos creatures disrupt and bring disorder. Nebuchadnezzar’s vainglory and hubris made him a beast (Daniel 4:28-37). The Apocalypse (final revealing) unmasks the Dragon seeking to devour the promised seed of the woman (Revelation 12:1-6). The cosmic battle is seen in King Herod’s murderous rage over a newborn king at Bethlehem. One of the Dragon's beasts (Revelation 13:11) is a counterfeit of God’s Lamb, part of an unholy trinity (666) of the Dragon and its two beastly demonic agents (Revelation 13:1ff, 11ff).

Worldly rebellion against God becomes visible in evil empires, even those supported by idolatrous worship. For example, the cult that deified Caesar “Augustus” (majestic one). A sermon by Dr. Kevin DeYoung offers a detailed explanation of how evil can pervert the state and true worship.

In history, bestial images can represent authoritarian governments. The dragon symbolized strong, centralized rule in imperial China. In Leviathan (1651), 17th-century political philosopher Thomas Hobbes advocated for authoritarian rule as necessary to maintain social order. In his later book, Behemoth (1668), he draws lessons from England’s civil war, and charged the English Long Parliament with an abuse of political power.

The Apostle Peter urged early Christians, who had no vote, to honor and to submit to Caesar (1 Peter 2:13,17) even when persecuted. And the Apostle Paul commanded Christians to submit to Rome's government and taxes (Romans 13:1-7). The Behemoths and Leviathans are chaos monsters — but they are still creatures. Romans 13 is often cited as God's approval of the powers that be (depending on your political leanings). But, any government can become a chaos-creature controllable only by God's sovereignty. As noted by 19th century British politician Lord Acton, "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

The Apostle John’s vision in Revelation unmasks the beastly brutality, cruelty, and chaotic nature of corrupt human rule. Christians are called to both endurance and wisdom (Revelation 13:10,18,17:9) whenever faced with a corrupt state supported by an idolatrous cult. Followers of the Lamb of God must continue to live and love as citizens of God’s Kingdom, only confessing Jesus Christ, and not Caesar, as their Lord.

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20)

This Advent, let us long for the second coming of our Lamb-Lion King Jesus. The second coming of any president cannot save us, even if the state is endorsed by a corrupted religious cult. God calls followers of the Lamb to flee idolatry, to never marvel at beasts, to exercise wise discernment, and to faithfully endure.

Even so, come Lord Jesus!