Summary
Unlike the beast, JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. does not fight by means of earthly kings and armies.
analysis
As noted in the entry on Old Testament and Revelation, John makes constant creative use of Old Testament imagery without direct quotation. In Revelation 2:16, John evokes IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)--preachers who boldly proclaimed God's word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. 11:4 “he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth.” Instead of the rod, a symbol of ruling that also calls to mind PsalmA psalm is a song of praise. In the Old Testament 150 psalms comprise the psalter, although some of the psalms are laments and thanksgivings. In the New Testament early Christians gathered to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 2:9 (see also Revelation 2:27), John describes Jesus’ words as a sharp sword, returning to the image of the Son of Man from 1:12-18. The image of the sword has resonances throughout the New Testament, including Jesus’ proclamation that he comes to “bring not peace, but a sword” (MatthewA tax collector who became one of Jesus' 12 disciples. 10:34) and the description of the word of God as “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow” (Hebrews 4:12).
The juxtaposition of the sword and the word highlights a central claim of the biblical witness: The God of Israel is a god who speaks. From the very first chapter of Genesis, God’s speech and God’s acts are intertwined. Revelation points to the speech of God as a key differentiation between the beast and Christ. The beast uses its words to deceive and to incite others to violence. Christ’s word, in contrast, is effective in of itself and does not require the work of human hands.
