Revelation 12: Satan Out, Woman Persecuted
Video and PowerPoint PDF for this article here: SermonAudio.com/StudyGrowKnow
In this study, we cover the remaining verses of Revelation 12, picking up where we left off from our last study. In that last study, we discussed the first section of Revelation 12, to verse 6. We learned how these first few verses provide us a history of Israel and how that history goes into the future when, after the abomination of desolation by the Antichrist, the “woman” flees into the wilderness where she is protected and cared for by God for 1,260 days (42 months/3 1/2 years), which is the second portion of the coming Tribulation, which Jesus refers to as “great tribulation” in His Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24, Mark 13.
We are dealing with Revelation 12:7-17 in this particular study and the video for this study is linked at the top of this article over at our page on SermonAudio.com. The PowerPoint slide presentation can also be downloaded there as well.
First thing we note starting in verse 7 is the fact that war breaks out in heaven. We don’t know who started this war but it’s a good bet that Michael and his angels took the offensive against Satan and his angels, who have access to heaven and God’s throne. Can you imagine being in heaven now and seeing Satan and his fallen angels running back and forth between earth and heaven as they continually accuse believers of sin? This is what is occurring as you read this. But there will come a time when Satan will be ousted from heaven with his fallen angels and because of that, will no longer be able to cross the threshold into heaven. In fact, from that point on in the future, Satan and his angels will be thrown down to earth where they will be sequestered, no longer able to complain about believers before God.
Satan is described as the “great dragon,” which helps us understand his character. He is…
- Fierce, cruel, monstrous in nature
- Serpent of old (v 9), means crafty, subtle
- Devil means accuser or slanderer
This is who Satan is and what he does. His passion is to deceive, accuse and slander all who submit to God. His hatred seems to know no bounds and he, from this point on, when kicked out of heaven will pull out all stops against believers on earth.
Satan literally means “adversary.” His “job” is to deceive the whole world and is the epitome of deception. There are three mentions of “cast out” (or “thrown down” depending upon your translation), which seems to emphasize the humiliating defeat of Satan at this point in future time. Satan is forced out of heaven and his pass is revoked. From that point forward he is sequestered to the earth. This likely occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation, as it moves into the Great Tribulation.
Remember, the world won’t see Satan, but they will see his spiritual son, Antichrist. In essence then, Antichrist will be the perfect physical representation of Satan on the earth during this second half of the Tribulation. Yes, Antichrist was already on the scene for a while, but it won’t be until he commits the desolation of abomination that he completely gives himself to Satan, allowing Satan to fully empower this coming man of sin.
Following this war in heaven, in which Satan is overcome and defeated so that he is physically cast out of God’s heavenly presence, John hears what turns out to be praise (v 10ff). This outburst of praise in heaven is possibly from the Tribulation martyrs as they rejoice over Satan’s expulsion. They praise God for the fact of God’s salvation, which in this context refers to God’s total victory over Creation.
Currently, as we know, God placed a curse on Creation, which will be completely lifted during the Millennial Kingdom. Those in heaven praise God for the fact that this is now going to become reality and God’s power throughout all Creation will be manifested and that includes the coming Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal Kingdom following that. Ultimately, this is seen in the full authority of the Anointed One, aka Jesus. However, Satan will continue to accuse, harass and persecute believers on the earth and since Satan knows his time is very short (3 1/2 years), he wastes no time.
In Revelation 12:13-14, we learn again that the “woman” (believing Jews as the final remnant, who will go into the Millennial Kingdom and enjoy in full the promises first given to Abraham), will flee into the wilderness. I know some debate exactly where she will go, but it really doesn’t matter. The main point is that God will protect, shelter and feed this remnant and Satan will not be able to get to them. Notice verse 14 states she is nourished for a time, times and half a time. This is in reference to the final three and a half years of the Great Tribulation, which we will deal with in a moment.
To emphasize, Satan knows his time is short and even though he can no longer accuse saints in heaven, he still has all the believers on the earth (except the Jewish remnant that God protects). Because Satan cannot get to these Jewish believers, he has “great wrath” (v 12), as he directs his ire toward God’s other children. His antagonism and hatred will only be limited by God Himself at this point as Satan does whatever necessary to persecute and destroy believers.
Part of the reason (if not the main reason), Satan is literally beside himself with tremendous wrath is due to the fact that he knows his time is short and since he knows the Bible better than any human being alive today, he knows how it will end for him. He also knows he has no chance of receiving the salvation that God has only offered to those made in His image. It simply will not happen. He knows it and knows full well where he will end up. I’m sure though he would like to take as many human beings as he can with him to that Lake of Fire. So, he continues his war against God, His Creation and His believers.
Notice also in Revelation 12:14, there is mention of an “eagle” as applied to the “woman.” This is likely figurative language, not a literal eagle. This description was also used when the Hebrews left Egypt during the Exodus from that land and Pharaoh (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11; cf. Isa. 40:31). Eagle is a great descriptor for moving quickly. It also may reference the fact that the eagle flies high above the earth, while the serpent (Satan), has to crawl along the ground. The difference between these two animals is stark and clearly, a serpent cannot attack an eagle while in flight. I so appreciate how God paints a picture for us using this type of imagery.
15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. – Revelation 12:15-17
In the above verses, we learn that Satan tries to get to the woman, using some type of “flood” to do it. While this could be a literal flood of water, the land of Palestine does not really lend itself to this. In the Bible, the word “flood” is often used to describe overwhelming persecution (Psalm 18:4; 124:2-4; Isaiah 43:2). It could also refer to a “river of soldiers” or a military invasion (Jeremiah 46:7-8; 47:2-3). Ultimately, it is most likely a picturesque way of describing Satan’s attempt to destroy Jews and it is interesting here that it appears the ground will help Jews here by swallowing up “flood” whatever it is (v16) in some sort of miracle. Again, Satan will attempt this through the person of the Antichrist.
Satan’s failure to get to the Jews who flee will result in Satan turning his attention to the remainder of believers that he can get to and this will possibly include the original 144,000 Jewish evangelists and all other believers living during this second portion of the Great Tribulation.
The next time, we will look into Revelation 13 to learn about:
- The Beast from the Sea (Antichrist)
- The Beast from the Earth (False Prophet)
We will look at Satan’s final attempts to use his human agents on earth to establish his permanent kingdom on earth and overthrow God. John recorded this information so that people alive during this coming period would recognize these two evil men and live accordingly.
To date, there is much speculation over many things in Revelation, but it is probably best to not draw hard and fast conclusions about things that are either not really dealt with in Scripture in detail or attempt to discern identities of certain individuals who are not on the scene yet. We have outlines from God’s Word what we can expect. How everything will work out is really not known to us. The more God tells us, the more Satan knows so why would God give all that information away when He does not have to do so?
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