“Revelation 12:7-12”

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The reason why there is a spiritual war raging upon this earth is because there was a war that was waged “in heaven” (verse 7). But, for consistency’s sake, we must understand that this vision is emblematic for a great spiritual reality. Homer Hailey wrote: “The vision symbolizes a spiritual warfare which had been going on from the beginning, but reaches its climax in Christ’s victory over Satan… When casting out demons in fulfilling His mission as Jehovah’s servant, Jesus said, ‘When the strong man fully armed guardeth his own court, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger then he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him his whole armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils’ (Luke 11:21f; cf. Matt. 12:29). Satan is the strong man, but Jesus is stronger than he, and He binds the strong man and divides his spoils.” Consider also what is said in Isaiah 53:10-12; John 12:31; John 16:11.

Satan is powerful, but He is “not strong enough” to overpower God and His plans (verse 8). The “great dragon” could not prevent the resurrection of Christ and His victory over death and the grave, but was “thrown down to earth,” where he “deceives the whole world” (verse 9). Defeated though he may be, he has not ceased to wage war against God’s creation, and he will take as many people down with him as he possibly can in the “short time” he has remaining (verse 12). Robert Harkrider wrote in regard to verse 9: “He is both the ‘devil,’ which literally means ‘slanderer,’ and ‘Satan’ which is transliterated from a Hebrew word that means ‘adversary.’ He constantly opposes mankind through a spirit which accuses people before God. He is the great force against God, his creation, and his only begotten Son. He works by deception to entice the world (John 8:44).” Since his power is no match against the Almighty, he takes his anger and hatred out on those who that the Lord created in His own image.

Verse 10 shows us three of the incredible things that Christ accomplished with His death, burial and resurrection: He has brought the potential for “salvation” from sin to all people of the world (Romans 5:9-10; Ephesians 1:7, 13; Hebrews 2:14-15); His “power” is fully displayed and established (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 1:3-4; Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Peter 3:22); and he built His “kingdom” which shall never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 16:18-19; Colossians 1:13-14; Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10). Verse 11 shows us three of the incredible ways that God’s people overcome the old devil through Christ Jesus: the precious, purchasing, purifying “blood of the Lamb” (1 Peter 1:18-23); “the word of their testimony” that was reflected by the way they lived, loved, talked, dressed, etc. (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10); and they willingly laid down their lives because of their love for the Lord. “They gave up everything to serve Christ, but they gained far more than they lost… How did they overcome? They obeyed the gospel, and they lived with total commitment. Even unto death they served Christ.” (Harkrider) Consider the words of our Lord in Matthew 16:26 and John 12:25).

If we belong to Jesus we have every reason to “rejoice” even though “the devil has come down to” us, “having great wrath” (verse 12). Satan is a defeated, desperate dictator, but Christ is the risen, regal, ruling victor who has overcome the world and its wicked prince. “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

Please read Revelation 12:13-17 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

Share