Last week we looked at compelling characters described in
Revelation that really contribute to the unfolding saga described therein. Another
element of great storytelling is conflict. Rising tension, fallout, and
resolution are mainstays in classic literature, award-wining films, etc. The
same is true of Revelation. One such conflict is described in Revelation 12:7-17.
There, those introduced in Revelation 12:1-6 are included among those involved
in a battle of cosmic proportions with one important additional character. How
this conflict ensues and the fallout that occurs thereafter help reinforce the
disparity between the awesome power of God and the futile efforts of Satan for
those who are children of God.
1. PHASE #1: The
Skirmish-12:7-9
The first phase of
the war in heaven that John discloses is the skirmish itself. The battle lines
of this are as follows: “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels
waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war…” (12:7). There
are at least four different interpretive possibilities for when the “war in
heaven” described here occurs. First, some believe that this describes a
spiritual conflict that occurred behind the scenes in John’s day. Others hold
that his is a retelling of the initial struggle between Lucifer and God in the
beginning (see 12:4 and the discussion mentioned there). Still others take a
figurative view and place this conflict at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion.
However, the best interpretation given the time frame mentioned before and
after this verse (1260 days in verse 6 and “a time, times, and half a time” in
verse 14) and other contextual clues is that this war in heaven is a future
end-time event occurring midway through the tribulation period (Daniel’s
seventieth week) (Thomas, Revelation 8-22, 129). This will be a final heavenly
struggle that anticipates the final earthly struggle (Armageddon) and the ultimate
end to the program of Satan thereafter (following the 1000 millennial kingdom).
In the battle described
in Revelation 12 you have two sides: Michael and his forces and the Dragon (Satan)
and his. Michael is an archangel who has served as a special patron of the
people of Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21). He is the same Michael that is prophesied
to be involved in the end and the same Michael that has experience battling
against Satan.
Daniel 12:1-“Now at that time Michael, the great
prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will
arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred
since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people,
everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.”
Jude 9-“But Michael the archangel, when
he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not
dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”
On the other side of
this spiritual conflict is the dragon the reader was introduced to earlier in
chapter 12. Some might wonder, what Satan (the dragon) is doing in heaven here
in the future? In Revelation 12:4 the reader was led to believe that he fell
along with a third of the angelic hosts long ago. While this is the case,
evidence in the Scriptures suggests that Satan, while subjugated to the earth,
is still able to access the heavens. After all, does he not have a conversation
with God about Job (Job 2:1-6)? Does he not accuse the brethren before God (Zech.
3:1-2; Rev. 12:10)? Certainly, the “doorway” to heaven is not shut to Satan at
present. However, this will change following this coming war when he will be
forcibly and permanently expelled from this privileged domain.
This expulsion will
come as “they (Satan and his minions) were not strong enough, and there was no
longer a place found for them in heaven” (12:8). Unable to defeat Michael and
his forces, Satan will be relegated to life “down below”—no longer able to
enter the realm of heaven.
This is what John
reveals in verse 9—“And the great dragon was thrown down to the earth; we have
thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him” (12:9).
Notice the repetition of “thrown down” in this verse 3 times. Two characteristics
of this thrice-repeated word make it especially emphatic. First, it is aorist,
indicating completed action—i.e. thrown down once and for all. Second, it is passive
indicating that the dragon and his angels were forcibly removed from the domain
of heaven by a much larger, stronger party. In other words, the war in heaven
was a war that Satan had no business entering into—a war that had a very clear
winner (Michael) and loser (the Dragon).
2. PHASE #2: The Celebratory
Hymn-12:10-12
This coming
lop-sided victory in the spiritual realm triggers a realization that is voiced
by 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” (12:10a). Throughout
this book, spontaneous hymns like this have functioned like a Greek chorus in a
play that both celebrates what has just occurred and interprets its
significance (Osborne, Revelation, 473). While the victory celebrated in
this hymn is framed in what appears to be the past tense in English, it describes
realities that are as good as done and yet not yet visible. In other words,
Michael’s expulsion of Satan from the heavenly realm means that the end is in
sight in which ultimate salvation is realized and Christ’s authority over all
is witnessed. As the hymn progresses beyond this initial exclamation, the
significance of Michael’s demonstrative victory over the Dragon is highlighted
in three ways in verses 10-12.
First, Michael’s
victory means “the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses
them before our God day and night” (12:10b). Here, the dragon is called an accuser
which describes a person who brings serious charges or accusations against
someone. The form of the verb here (present participle) implies a steady and
consistent stream of accusations pouring forth from the mouth of the dragon
before God in heaven and calls to mind what Satan is up to in heaven even now.
Zech. 3:1-“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest
standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to
accuse him”
As the father of
lies, Satan stands before God and lies about God’s children—implying they are
left in their sin and guilt even though they have been saved by Christ. Though
these charges against the saved are futile, Satan’s hatred for God and his
people continues to fuel this losing prosecutor in his worthless endeavor to bring
condemnation on the brethren.
In the face of these
charges brought against believers in the heavenly court, the redeemed overcome—“
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,…” (12:11). In other words, believers, in the face of Satan’s charges,
are victorious in court because the blood of the lamb has already paid for
their sin and is the centerpiece of their testimony before God. “The real basis
for all spiritual victory is always the cross rather than one’s own strength…indeed,
the saints have been ‘made white in the blood of the Lamb’ (7:14)…the basic message
of the Apocalypse is that Satan has already been defeated at the cross, and the
victory of the saints is assured.” (Osborne, Revelation, 476). Jesus’
own testimony of victory over sin and death has become the testimony of his
followers who enjoy the same victory by being found in him.
2 Corinthians 5:17-“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”
Romans 6:4-“We were buried therefore with him by baptism
into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory
of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”
Romans 8:1-“There is therefore now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Because victory for
believers is found in Christ (his person and work), the hymn states “they did
not love their life even when faced with death” (12:11). In other words, death
is nothing to fear for believers. Along with the apostle Paul God’s children
can say “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).
The victory
believers have in Christ engenders two other responses—the response of heaven
and the response of earth. “for the reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell
in them” (12:12a). All of heaven is pleased with the victory of Christ and
those who follow him over sin and death. After all, the kingdom of God is at hand
and a new heaven and a new earth is on its way!
However, the earth
reacts very differently to the victory believers have in Christ—“Woe to the
earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath,
knowing that he only has a short time” (12:12b). In the Old Testament heaven
and earth are typically called upon to rejoice together (see Ps. 96:11; Isa.
44:23; 49:13). However, since the earth has come under the power of Satan and
antichrist during this future tribulation period (to be explained in greater
detail as the beast is introduced later), whenever heaven rejoices, the earth
mourns as these two realms operate under polar opposite agendas.
Once again, the
apocalyptic tone of this book is in view as realms collide. What happens in
heaven suffers consequences on the earth. Not only have some been expelled from
heaven down to the earthly realm, but so too does the celebration in heaven
result in the dread is disillusionment of those on the earth. The lines between
these two dimensions is blurred and, eventually will be totally erased as God
brings about a new heaven and a new earth.
3. PHASE #3: The Aftermath-12:13-17
Following the skirmish and the celebratory hymn is the
aftermath. After being relegated and limited to the earthly realm, Satan turns
the lion share of his frustrated energy toward the woman introduced earlier—“and
when the dragon saw that the was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the
woman who have birth to the male child” (12:13). Earlier, it was argued that
the woman represents Israel and the male child Christ (see notes on Revelation
12:1-6). During the second half the tribulation, once Satan is prohibited from
entering the heavenly domain, attacks against God’s people still alive on the
earth, particularly in Jerusalem with a large group of recently converted Jews,
will grow more acute. Interestingly, the verb for persecute means “to follow with haste and presumably with
intensity of effort, in order to catch up with for…hostile purpose” (Louw Nida).
Perhaps a more modern-day colloquialism would be “began to hunt down.”
However, even in
this endeavor the dragon is frustrated—“but the two wings of the great eagle
were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place
where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence
of the serpent” (12:14). The wings of the eagle mentioned here suggest strength
and rapid flight—the likes of which was witnessed in Israel’s deliverance from
Egypt (see Exod. 19:4; Deut. 32:11; Isa. 40:31). Just as Israel’s flight from
Egyptian slavery was literal, so too does this flight appear to be literal and
coincides with what was mentioned in 12:6—“Then the woman fled into the
wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be
nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days”. In fact 1260 days = a
time, times, and half a time (time corresponding to 1 year-see Dan. 7:25;
12:7). Revelation likes to refer to this period in various ways: months (11:2;
13:5), days (11:3; 12:6), and times (12:14). All of these refer to the great
tribulation and/or second half of the 7-year tribulation period. In both this
trying period and in the wilderness wandering of Exodus, God supplies his
people with nourishment and protection.
Such is required considering
what comes against the people of God next—“And the serpent poured water like a
river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept
away with the flood…” (12:15). Whether this flood refers to a literal flash
flood brought on by supernatural means or an offensive lodge by a large
standing army (see Jer. 46:7-8; 47:2-3) is difficult to determine. However,
this much is known for sure, since Satan cannot pursue the woman as initially
desired, he attempts to get to her by other means—i.e. this flood.
“But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its
mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth” (12:16).
This is a brilliant example of anthropomorphism—a literary device in which
human attributes are given to something inhuman to describe what is taking place.
The earth is described as actively assisting the woman and opening its mouth to
protect her from the flood poured out by the serpent. This demonstrates the
lengths to which God will go to provide protection for his people—even going so
far as supernaturally opening up the earth and swallowing whatever is coming
against her.
These failed attempts against both God and his chosen people
infuriate the dragon—“So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to
make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and
hold to the testimony of Jesus” (12:17). Because God is supernaturally
protecting a remnant of saved Jews in and around the nation of Israel, Satan
decides to go after any other recent convert (Jew or Gentile), wherever they
may be on the earth during the latter half of the tribulation period. His
appetite for destruction appears insatiable, especially now that he knows his
time is nearly up. With the clock running down, he will not stop seeking to cause
as much devastation as possible for God’s people wherever they are.
So What?
The skirmish, celebratory hymn, and fallout that ensues in
Revelation 12:7-17 help reinforce the awesome power of God over his many foes,
even Satan himself. God is so much bigger, stronger, and infinitely above the Dragon
that he doesn’t believe that a battle with Satan is worthy of his own personal
attention and instead calls upon an archangel to deal with it. Michael deals
with it soundly and Satan is expelled from heaven. Frustrated by his own
humiliation, he decides to take it out on God’s people and even there he is
frustrated at every turn. Hopefully, we can all walk away from this passage with
a smaller view of the devil and a larger view of our Lord.
I am prayerful that this text also reminds us from where our
victory ultimately lies. Ultimate victory for God’s people is assured and already
finalized thanks to Christ’s completed work on the cross. Because Jesus died
and was raised from the dead, we can know life even in death no matter what may
stand against us through faith and repentance. We too, as those mentioned in
this passage, overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony
regardless of the tribulation we face. Because the blood of the ab covers us,
who can bring charges against us? Because Jesus’ testimony of ultimate victory has
become our own, what can intimidate or discourage us? Praise the Lord!
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