the fourth personage: satan cast out of heaven
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4. the fourth personage: satan cast out of heaven (12:7–12)
12:7. Michael the archangel (cf. Jude 9) and his angels fought Satan and his angels, that is, demons. The time of this war in heaven was not indicated but the context refers to the end time. The efforts of some expositors to make this coincidental with the first coming of Christ, linking it with Luke 10:18, are not justified by the context in Revelation 12. Also Satan is most obviously active throughout the period of the Church Age (cf. Acts 5:3; 1 Cor. 5:5; 7:5; 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:14; 12:7; 1 Tim. 1:20; 1 Peter 5:8).
The concept that Satan is inactive in the present Age is a false conclusion based on an attempt to place the binding of Satan at the first coming of Christ (Rev. 20:1–3). However, the binding of Satan is still a future event that relates to the millennial kingdom.
12:8–9. The outcome of the war was that Satan was hurled to the earth, and his character was clearly revealed in the various titles ascribed to him: the great dragon … that ancient serpent … the devil or Satan. With him went the fallen angels of the demon world.
While the concept of Satan in heaven is difficult to comprehend, it is clear that he is now the accuser of saints (cf. Job 1:6; Rev. 12:10). Though Satan was defeated at the first coming of Christ (John 16:11), his execution was delayed and is in stages. Here (Rev. 12:8–9) he will be cast out of heaven in the middle of the Tribulation. Later he will be bound for the duration of the millennial kingdom (20:1–3). The devil will finally be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur (20:10) where the world ruler (Antichrist) and the false prophet will have been cast a thousand years earlier.
Satan and his activities in heaven and earth opposed Christ as Priest in heaven, as King in Satan’s world rule in the Great Tribulation, and as the true Prophet by advancing the beast out of the earth (13:11), who was the false prophet (20:10). Satan was identified as that ancient serpent, alias the devil or Satan, and was declared to be the one who led the whole world astray. When he will be cast into the earth, all the fallen angels or demons will be cast down with him.
12:10–12. John then heard a hymn of praise uttered by a loud voice in heaven. Announcement was made of the coming demonstration of divine salvation and power with the advent of the millennial kingdom. Satan was characterized as the one who accuses believers before our God day and night. The principle by which he was overcome and cast out of heaven was the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Not only did Christ provide the victory, but also those who were martyred took part in that victory. Those in the heavens were called on to rejoice because of Satan’s defeat, but the earth was warned that the devil was filled with fury, because he knew that his time was short. The devil knew that his time was limited to 1,260 days, the period of the Great Tribulation. By no stretch of the imagination can these prophecies be spread to cover the whole Interadvent Age as some attempt to do.1
1 John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 958–959.
4. the fourth personage: satan cast out of heaven (12:7–12)
12:7. Michael the archangel (cf. Jude 9) and his angels fought Satan and his angels, that is, demons. The time of this war in heaven was not indicated but the context refers to the end time. The efforts of some expositors to make this coincidental with the first coming of Christ, linking it with Luke 10:18, are not justified by the context in Revelation 12. Also Satan is most obviously active throughout the period of the Church Age (cf. Acts 5:3; 1 Cor. 5:5; 7:5; 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:14; 12:7; 1 Tim. 1:20; 1 Peter 5:8).
The concept that Satan is inactive in the present Age is a false conclusion based on an attempt to place the binding of Satan at the first coming of Christ (Rev. 20:1–3). However, the binding of Satan is still a future event that relates to the millennial kingdom.
12:8–9. The outcome of the war was that Satan was hurled to the earth, and his character was clearly revealed in the various titles ascribed to him: the great dragon … that ancient serpent … the devil or Satan. With him went the fallen angels of the demon world.
While the concept of Satan in heaven is difficult to comprehend, it is clear that he is now the accuser of saints (cf. Job 1:6; Rev. 12:10). Though Satan was defeated at the first coming of Christ (John 16:11), his execution was delayed and is in stages. Here (Rev. 12:8–9) he will be cast out of heaven in the middle of the Tribulation. Later he will be bound for the duration of the millennial kingdom (20:1–3). The devil will finally be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur (20:10) where the world ruler (Antichrist) and the false prophet will have been cast a thousand years earlier.
Satan and his activities in heaven and earth opposed Christ as Priest in heaven, as King in Satan’s world rule in the Great Tribulation, and as the true Prophet by advancing the beast out of the earth (13:11), who was the false prophet (20:10). Satan was identified as that ancient serpent, alias the devil or Satan, and was declared to be the one who led the whole world astray. When he will be cast into the earth, all the fallen angels or demons will be cast down with him.
12:10–12. John then heard a hymn of praise uttered by a loud voice in heaven. Announcement was made of the coming demonstration of divine salvation and power with the advent of the millennial kingdom. Satan was characterized as the one who accuses believers before our God day and night. The principle by which he was overcome and cast out of heaven was the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Not only did Christ provide the victory, but also those who were martyred took part in that victory. Those in the heavens were called on to rejoice because of Satan’s defeat, but the earth was warned that the devil was filled with fury, because he knew that his time was short. The devil knew that his time was limited to 1,260 days, the period of the Great Tribulation. By no stretch of the imagination can these prophecies be spread to cover the whole Interadvent Age as some attempt to do.1
1 John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 958–959.