october 1, 2023
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"The Defeated Dragon" (Revelation 11:15 - 12:17)
In spite of all the mayhem on earth, we are reminded that God is in charge. He is sovereign.
Revelation 11:15-19
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,[a] peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
The things we see happening in chapter 12 (and in the rest of the book of Revelation) have been a long time coming. The reason it is taking so long is that God is giving us every opportunity to turn to Him.
2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
Revelation 12:1-6
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Chapter 12 gives us a wide-angle view of human history. It's like skipping a rock across the sea of all history. It covers a lot of ground, but only touches down at certain points.
The "woman" in this passage is the nation of Israel, not Mary or the church.
The "dragon" represents Satan.
Revelation 12:7-12
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And 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 brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Satan is determined to fight, but is destined for defeat.
He has had access to God to this point, but in chapter 12 he is permanently kicked out of heaven.
Names/descriptions of Satan from these verses:
1) The serpent of old
2) The devil
3) Satan
4) The deceiver
5) The accuser of our brothers
Revelation 12:13-17
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
After Satan is kicked out of heaven, he knows his time is short and he attacks with added vitriol. His plan has always been to attack God's people.
The more seek to serve God, the more we become a target for the enemy. But remember that "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."
Do you have further theological questions about this chapter or other general questions about God? Go to the Connect U page below and submit your questions.
