Revelation 12:1-17
Notes
Transcript
Please stand for the reading of God’s word
Revelation 12:1–17 (CSB)
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven crowns. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.
And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child. She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule all nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, to be nourished there for 1,260 days.
Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,
The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down.
They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows his time is short.
When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time.
From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.
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Pray with me. Go ahead and have a seat.
As we enter into our study of the Word, I’m moved by verse 11, in which the conquer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. We at the Seed believe it’s important to remember how God has moved, and to proclaim that to others. And so as we begin our time, I want to invite Karina Mulberry to come share her story with us. Karina:
So Good. Thank you dear sister. I am grateful to God that he brought you and your husband into our lives and tribe. We love you dearly and stand with you.
This morning. We enter back into the world of Revelation this morning, with just an astounding text. A text some scholars such as Keener and Dwyer consider one of if not the most important and influential chapters for understanding what John is trying to get at for us believer in the whole book of Revelation!
For in this chapter, we see the veil pulled back on our world, and we see that there is a war raging. This is not an earthly war fought with guns and planes, though it no doubt promotes and prolongs conflicts like that. No this is a spiritual war. A war with spiritual powers who rebelled against the God of the universe and seek to bring humans down to the pit in which they are also condemned. There is a war going on for your soul. For the souls of our neighbors. For the lives of all of the people who call this wonderful planet home, who have ever lived or ever will - there is a war for their affection, allegiance, and lives.
This passage is so informative, and it would have been to the original audience, remember Christians in Asia Minor with just so much imperial pressure to compromise their faith and worship the Emperor. And it has so much to inform us on too.
You see in our post-enlightenment brain - we just assume that we are smarter, wiser, and more stable than we ever actually are. We don’t really buy into the ideas of spiritual war, and we definitely don’t think we could be conned or influenced. But Scripture is ever clear - there are evil forces who want to hurt us and lead us to leave God. So we ought to be wide eyed and fully aware of who our enemy is, how he operates, and how we are to live in light of the fact that we have a great enemy.
In Context, we have finished the seven trumpets, and we are in an interlude before the seven bowls. And John starts chapter 12 with a new sign. Look at Revelation 12:1-2
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.
John is clear that he sees a sign - that should inform us to be careful about how literally we take things, right, this is a symbol, a sign, and he sees in heaven a woman who is spectacular, like a garment shining like the sun - and the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She’s in labor, and is going through the pains that come with delivering a child.
The identity of this woman, or who she symbolizes is a matter of conversation. We will see in just a few verses, that the child is a Son, a male, who is the messiah - JEsus, and this has lead some to believe that the best identification of this woman would be Mary. Lots of Catholic thinkers go this direction.
However, That doesn’t satisfy all the images here. For the words of son moon and stars remind the reader of Genesis, and Josephs dream of the sun moon and stars - so we are liekly to think of Israel here. But not just israel, more specific, because it will go beyond just ethnic israel.
But likely refers to “The people of God of whom and through whom he works out his covenant promises.” so yes, Israel, but faithful israel. And that means in our current time, those who follow Jesus as Messiah.
Perhaps a realistic third option, or intermixed is the image of Eve, a spiritual mother, of whom the proto-evangelium of Genesis 3:15 was spoken. That says this: Genesis 3:15
Genesis 3:15 (CSB)
I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
This woman will be contrasted with the harlot of Babylon in future weeks. But this section starts with a sign of a pregnant woman in the throws of labor. But there is now another sign, verses 3&4
Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven crowns. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child.
We have entered the portion of Revelation in which there are dragons.
The dragon is a word that is used throughout the old testament to refer to Satan, and the enemies of God. From Pharoah, to the sea dragon, It is an image and symbol of the opposition of God.
And this great dragon is fiery red, perhaps red with the blood of those he has devoured, and has seven heads and ten horns, adorned with seven crowns.
Again, the number here serve a symbolic purpose that will be explained in greater detail as we go - but seven and ten are numbers of completeness in scripture. GK Beale recognizing that the seven heads and ten horns with crowns perhaps shows the domination that the dragon has over the world through its oppressive power.
We see that it’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to earth.
This is a contested verse as well. Some looking at this as evidence that Satan lead astray a third of the angels in heaven, for angels are often looked at as starts in REvelation. Others think that it could be just a fall of the righteous whos angels are in heaven - for we see in revelation that churches have angleic representatives in the heavens. So perhaps this is saying that Satan was successful in attacking a significant portion of the people of God.
The historic view of revelation tends to lean towards teh former, so that is the position I hold - that satan in his cosmic rebellion lead astray a portion of angels to follow him. But they are still desperately out numbered.
And this dragon - stands in front of the woman as shes in labor ready to devour the child. The serpent wants to devour the messiah at his birth.
That’s a different way to tell the Christmas story - right? We do silent night, holy night, candles and carols - but there is a reality in which at the advent of JEsus, there was insane cosmic and spiritual war! And that makes sense!
What did the nations do when JEsus was born? King Herod murdered countless children to try and kill the messiah! Doesn’t that sounds like an earthly equivalent of what was going on in the spiritual realm? Satan thought he would destroy Jesus, and thus win the war. Satan though if he could just kill JEsus it would be game over.
And yet - It was through death that our ultimate victory has been won and Satan’s defeat secured. He has been completely embarrassed and disarmed!
She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule all nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, to be nourished there for 1,260 days.
The messiah is born - and in a stunning one verse, John summarizes the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Jesus goes to God in heaven and to his throne - where he is now -
But notice, even though the messiah is on the throne - what happens to the woman? Is the war over? Is she now welcomed into the presence of God? No.
She goes into the wilderness. A place God prepared by god to be nourish for 1260 days. This is a highly symbolic number of out Daniel, that we have already seen in revelation. But perhaps refers to the entirely of the in between of the first and second advents of JEsus.
Wilderness also brings to mind the wilderness wanderings of the JEwish people from Egypt. They get rescued out of slavery from Egypt, but they don’t enter the promised land right away - no they are brought to the wilderness, where God is their guide and sustainer until the time comes for their entrance.
Jesus regularly went into the wilderness, to pray and be alone. The wild is a place of great danger, but also a place in which God is abundantly close. Through prayer, through the holy spirit. through dependence of God rather than the ways of the world.
The image shifts now to a great spiritual war. Look at verses 7-9
Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.
We see a heavenly war. Michael, and ARch Angel - according to Daniel - Michael is the great angel to represent God’s people. Some theologians have postulated that Micahel is like Jesus’ angelic right hand man. But that gets into speculation. What we do know is that Michael is leading the heavenly angelic army here - and they war against the dragon and his angels. And Satan could not prevail - for there was no place in heaven any longer.
that’s fascinating. Why at the ascension of Christ is there no place for Satan? Well part of this is what Satan’s role and a name is. He’s a liar, a serpent, a deciever, but also an accuser. We read in Job that Satan was going about the whole earth looking for people to corrupt.
But now, because JEsus is the great high priest - there is no more room for words against the redeemed. His blood is sufficient. The final blow has been struck. Satan has no voice. No word to say against the all sufficient blood of Jesus. What word can you speak against the very word of God that is the gospel of JEsus Christ! There is no other word, no other thing to proclaim - Jesus, and his blood stand on our behalf. If you are in Christ, you are redeemed, and no word can be spoken against you - for the Word of God is there on your behalf.
And so they are thrown out - to the earth and all of the fallen angels with him, whom we’d know as demons.
But there is an issue here, right? because where is the church? we’re on earth right now! So Satan has been dealt a death blow - but is still waring and fighting.
I read that it’s a bit like world war two. We can ask the question, when was world war 2 won? When did the Allies defeat hitler in europe? When was the turning point.
A lot of historians i’ve read say the decisive turning point in the war was DDay. June 6, 1944. For the allies had a foothold in europe, and begane their advance. And with the russians in the east - it really was the beginning of the end.
But VE Day wasn’t till May 8, 1945! With countless battles and skirmishes and deaths and fires inbetween!
So yes, D Day was hugely significant - but there was still an active war for the better part of a year!
Imagine if on June 6, 1944, the allies decide that that was it. They had won, and just made homes in normandy and laid down their weapons. Do you think that the nazi forces would have just roled over? Of course not! They were still fighting tooth and nail! So the Allies needed to press on, be serious, and fight until the victory fully came.
In the same way - Satan has been dealt his death blow, he knows the way this is going to go down, he’s humiliated, and his weaponry has been stripped - but he is not fully defeated yet - not till Christ comes back again. We are still at war - this is not the time to calm down and make your self at home.
So we get a heavenly pronouncement. verse 10 - 12
Revelation 12:10–12 (CSB)
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down.
They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows his time is short.
Verse 11 is just so incredible. They conquered. They overcame. They were victoriuis over satan, how:
By the BLOOD of the LAMB And the word of the their testimony.
First the blood of the lamb - it’s only by Christ in our place that we are able to stand before God. That means that we need to fully, completely desperately cling and follow Christ. His blood is the victory of sin, death, and the devil! It washes us white, it welcomes us in as sons and daughters. We share in the victory through the new covenant established in JEsus Blood for the forgiveness of sins.
And the word of their testimony.
The testimony of JEsus Christ for the early believers is the gospel message. The life, death, resurrection and return of Jesus. Christ has died, Christ has Risen. Christ will come again.
The primary way in which the spiritual war is fought and won is the advancement of the Kingdom of God through salvation and evangelism.
The primary way in which the spiritual war is fought and won is the advancement of the Kingdom of God through salvation and evangelism.
That is how we are to wage the war and overcome. By salvation - the blood of JEsus, and proclaiming the victory of Christ to all people.
There is a lot of misconception on spiritual warfare. Some thinking that we ought to go around with holy water and preform exorcisms on everyone and their mom. But we aren’t called to seek out satan - we are called to stand firm. To resist the devil and he will flee - for if we are in Christ we are held secure. And how we win more people in the kingdom is through their rebirth through the Holy Spirit.
And while we rejoice - there is great danger - for Satan is writhing in anger for he knows his time is short. He wants to harm not just the people of God - but all those made in the image of God - for he HATES God. Look at this last section, verses 13-17
When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time. From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.
The woman and her offspring, who we now not are those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about JEsus, are on earth - but are given provision in the wilderness. Even though the dragon seeks to dismantle us.
JI PAcker has a great quote on Satan’s goals right now.
Satan has no constructive purpose of his own: his tactics are simply to thwart God and destroy men.
J. I. Packer
All Satan wants to do is to get us down.
And if we look, back at Verse 15, we see his method.
From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.
From the mouth of the serpent came water like a flood to sweep her away.
Satan uses lies and deceptions to get at us. He accuses us, causes fear. He wants us to despair. And so he SPEWS hate and vitriol and dought and the like at us, seeking to overwhelm us and get us to wash away.
Saying this like: Are you sure JEsus is real? People are dying? Wouldn’t God want you to be comfortable here, why did he put you in the wilderness? Others get houses, but you have to suffer for the kingdom, that’s not fair! That sin isn’t that big of a deal - just do it, it will feel GOOD.
A.W. Tozer, the great prophetic voice from the C&MA said this:
Oh, what a cheat the devil is! What a deceiver and what a confidence man he is! I think of the cheating devil when I think of the sly confidence men who have sold the Brooklyn Bridge to poor people, grinning as they have taken their last dollar, leaving them to find out too late that the Brooklyn Bridge was never on the market. The devil is a liar, I say, and a deceiver. He is busy leading people to spend the best years of their lives laying up treasures for themselves, which even before they die will begin to rust and rot and decay.
A. W. Tozer
The devil is a con man. And we should not listen to him.
But God is still good - and he even uses the earth to protect the woman. that’s
But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.
Creation itself wants to be redeemed and awaits new creation. God can use the earth to fight the schemes of the enemy. But the dragon still wars with us.
So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.
And so we come to the end of chapter 13, and we want to ask our Question:
So What?
So What?
We need to remember that Satan is at work. He’s fighting against God, and against his people, therefore against us even today. And his specialtiy is deception. He’s a deceiver. That’s what JEsus called him. Jesus says this is John 8:44
You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
And his lies that come against us are insane and quite cunning.
He will try to lie to you about the efficacy of JEsus Sacrifice.
He will try and lie to you about your worth and worthiness.
He will try to lie to you about the goodness of God.
He will try and seperate you from the church and loved ones.
He wants you alone, distrught, confused, and hopeless.
And we are called to overcome by the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony.
That is
First,
Remember and trust in Jesus’s atoning work on the cross.
That is allow the gospel to transform you. We need to trust that Jesus is enough. I don’t need to do anything else but trust in JEsus. We need to be confident on that,
a book I’m reading right now by John Andrew Bryant says it this way:
Our first priority isn’t to defeat sin but to behold the Christ who has defeated sin.
**John Andrew Bryant**
The blood of the lamb is our victory. Remember Christ!
And second the word of the their testimony.
Proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again.
Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. This is the message of the gospel. This is the word of God.
Friend there is no better balm for our souls than the ever preaching words of God in scirpture.
We must proclaim the gospel to others and ourselves.
How we do war, is being firmly in Christ, and sharing christ with others. That’s how we take ground.
But what we don’t do, is make ourselves comfortable in the wilderness. This is not our home. in part, but not in full.
We are called to be in the world, but as Jesus would be - not of the world, like those who are perishing.
We are passing through the wilderness, but our home comes when JEsus makes all things new. So pursue JEsus and his kingdom - don’t chase the shiny object.
And don’t go chasing after the devil - we stand firm, we resist him, and he will flee.
Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Submit to God, resist the devil and his lies and he will run away scared - why? Because you are covered in the blood of the lamb.
And lastly, look at the armor of God. We need to be ready. We need to tell our neighbors the truth. And we need our eyes wide open to the war that is going on. I’m going to invite the worship team up. As they come up, I want to read Ephesians 6:1-18 for you. Remembering that our goal is to stand against the enemy - to stand firm, and to be prepared with the belt of truth, righteousness on our chest, feel of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation.
Would you stand with me as I read this?
Ephesians 6:10–18 (CSB)
Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
Pray with me.
