The Great Spiritual Struggle

Introduction

Read the text...

This passage rolls back the curtain between earth and heaven and shows what lies behind all the sin and evil and all the conflict and struggle of this world.

What are some of these struggles?

Persecution of the church

The Holecaust

Darwinism

Family unit attacked

Marriages failing

List goes on...

In the last days that spiritual struggle will become even more intense.

Four horsemen

Antichrist

Martyrdom

In this text, we see three principle characters. Let’s look at each.

Israel: Depicted as a woman with child.

(ESV)

1 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.

Not identified, yet the context of scripture reveals who this is.

(ESV)

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?”

11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

She is with child.

(ESV)

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,

(ESV)

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

This must be Israel.

(ESV)

5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

(ESV)

7 “Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son.

8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.

Satan: Depicted as a Dragon.

(ESV)

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.

Description of Satan

Seven heads: completeness or fulness. Crafty, scheming, not omniscient

Seven crowns: authority, dominion, ruler of this world. Look back to the temptation of Jesus.

Ten horns: great strength, ferocious, vicious

God of this world

(ESV)

4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

His tail swept down a third of the angels in heaven.

““How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.” (, ESV)

The Aim of Satan

Devour the woman. Destroy Israel and the Seed.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”” (, ESV)

Adam and Eve

Evil before the Flood

Egypt

Wandering

David and Saul

Exile

Attacks on the Christ

Calvary

Same spiritual battle has waged through every generation.

Jesus: the Child who will rule the Nations.

(ESV) — 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,

He will destroy the works of the devil.

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (, ESV)

He will have complete control of the universe.

“and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.” (, ESV)

He is King of All!

“who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (, ESV)

The Battle to End All Battles

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The woman flees for her life. Israel heavily persecuted. (6)

The great battle in heaven. Michael, the guardian of God’s people, wages war against Satan. (7-9)

The great victory and proclamation. (10-11)

Be ready for holocaust like the world has ever seen. (12-17)

Closing

Our adversary is crafty and powerful.

God has provided protection for those who trust Christ.

Spiritual victory comes when we remain faithful to Christ and his finished work.

Mobilization