The War on Earth - Israel and The Church

War on Earth

There has been war in heaven. Now There is War on earth.

As we continue our journey through a brief history of time - the devil has lost his bid to take over heaven (See Ezek 28 and Isa 14). He has been ousted from heaven and now has, in the words of Revelation 12:12 come down to the earth with wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.

Translation: the devil has been cornered. His own devices have turned against him and he is trapped.

What we we know about a trapped animal? Even a cute and cuddly animal can turn into a vicious predator in a corner.

You can take the kindest - gentlest mother who never harms a soul and endanger her and her child and what will happen? Unleashed fury that will happen. Mother goose is going to turn into mamma bear and may the Lord have mercy on your soul.

Amen?

Well I’ve got news for you. In Revelation 12, we’re not dealing with mother goose, and we’re not dealing with something cute and fuzzy. John sees a dragon in his vision. That dragon has already staged a coup attempt to take over God’s throne and failed. That dragon has already stood by ready to devour a newborn baby the moment mamma gives birth. He is vicious. He is bloodthirsty. He is evil to the core. He is a liar, a murderer, and a deceiver. And he has just realized two very specific things.

Number one: he has been kicked out of heaven and thrown down to earth. He has nowhere else to go. In the images of the vision and putting this together with Matthew 25 we know, that HE knows that he has one destination: Hell. Earth is the location of his last stand. He is cornered.

Number two: His time is nearly up. somehow in the midst of his self-deception he thought he could take on God and come out ahead. But in the heat of battle with a pack of bullies behind him he still lost. Only a small number of the angelic host followed him. He lost his bid for a full angel uprising. He lost his bid for eternal power. He lost his bid for the destruction of the heir of heaven. He lost his bid to control all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve because the death of the rightful heir freed them from the fear of death.

My friends, at the end of chapter 12 of Revelation we have in a visionary experience the answer to the great question: what motivates the devil to do devilish things?

Why does the devil deceive and kill humans? What can he gain?

Why does Satan pronounce accusations against God’s people? What is his end game?

Why does the devil lead his angels to tempt and destroy the lives of men, women, and children?

Why does the devil stand behind planned parenthood?

Why does the devil stand behind all the destructive ideologies of man?

Why does the devil bring war, and destruction?

Why does the devil encourage humanity to seek itself and not God?

Why does the dragon sink his teeth into our families with lies, selfishness, sorrow, drug abuse, disease, deception, division, and heartbreak?

Answer:

He is cornered. He has lost. And he is angry.

Verse 12 tells us that he is filled with wrath: “great wrath”.

So just to recap who this is we’re talking about.

The ancient serpent. The devil. The deceiver. The enemy. The great dragon. Satan himself. Armed with power, horror, and evil. Lost. Losing. Desperate. Angry. Backed into a corner.

What do you think is going to happen? In the image of the vision every claw, tooth, and razor sharp scale of the dragon will be thrashed about in a desperately hateful attempt to cause as much wreckage, damage, and destruction possible on his way out. This is what a cornered dragon does.

So when verse 13 begins the great object of his hatred is out of reach. All that is left is all that we have on earth.

Stand with me as you are able and let us read together: Revelation 12:13-17

Revelation 12:13–17 NASB95PARA

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 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. 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. 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. 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.

Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.

The Devil Against Israel

Satan has lost his bid to take over heaven As a result he turns his attention to the inhabitants of earth. And specifically the people of Israel - the woman who gave birth to the male child.

The first level of consequence is not a random attack at all but a concerted attack upon the nation and people of Israel. It is possible that we can look at this persecution in light of a single event such as the destruction of Jerusalem - or any of the seemingly endless streams of persecution against the people chosen by God throughout history from Rome to the present day. We might even see this as a single specific future event. We have often observed that the mere existence of the people of Israel at all after the many attempts at genocide is good evidence that God is not done with Israel. But it does seem in light of verse 14 that we’re looking at a final push to eliminate Israel. Something that even current Muslim nations have sworn to do.

But even in that, God will protect Israel.

God For Israel

Intriguingly enough the woman receives the wings of an eagle and she flys with them into the wilderness.

I have heard people try to inject the United States into this; but that is not only anachronistic it steps outside of scripture by ignoring the imagery.

Way back in Exodus 19:4 in the aftermath of the Exodus, God reminds the people of Israel, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself.” The same image returns in Deuteronomy 32:11 God says “Like an eagle… He spread His wings and caught [Israel] and carried them...”

The Eagle itself - recognized as a bird that soars with strength is a perfect metaphor not only for the power that God exercised on Israel’s behalf but of the safety that he gave them as they traversed inhospitable places.

We should expect to understand the reference in Revelation through that existing lens as well.

In the midst of her persecution God gave the woman wings - indicating strength and deliverance. With these she flies to her place in the wilderness. It is interesting to me to note: To her place - not just any place. Her place. She belonged there.

And in John’s vision she is nourished for the familiar 3.5 year period that seems so often to signify the second half of the tribulation period.

And finally, note that in the vision - she was nourished “from the presence of the serpent.” In other words she was where the serpent was not.

It seems that in the final days - just as he had promised - God will not abandon his people.

Deliverance From The Devil

Again, in the vision the serpent - note that he is referred to now as the serpent - not the dragon. That seems to indicate his deceptiveness in in view here. The serpent pours water out of his mouth in order to sweep the woman away.

Water is used in various ways in the Old Testament.

In the very beginning of Genesis it represents chaotic power; an image that’s not hard to grasp if you’ve ever seen the ocean in a storm.

It is also used to represent an army spreading out to conquer a country (e.g. Daniel 11:10-ff).

It represents God’s judgement in Psalm 88:7.

And finally and I think most in line with what we are seeing here anyway, in places like Psalm 69:1-2, 14-15 an overpowering flood represents the persecutions of the nations against Israel.

It is not hard to imagine it when you picture the power of water we have all seen in floods on TV. Whole houses are picked up and washed down the stream. Bridges and roads are demolished and the landscape itself is thrown into upheaval at the power of a flood.

The serpent’s flood is potentially all of these images together - whether the lies of the enemy himself, or the raging persecutions against the people of God that have always been at his disposal. Either way it is certainly meant to envision for us the Devil’s attempts to utterly destroy Israel and wash her away. But not so fast.

The earth itself now gets in on the action in John’s vision. It opened up it’s mouth and drinks up the river coming out of the dragon’s mouth. Note again by the way that we’re back to the dragon, rather than the serpent. We’re done with the reminder of garden deception and we’re back to the warlike dragon.

But again there is an image taken from the Exodus account. In Exodus 15:12 right after Israel has crossed through the Red sea on dry land. And after the destruction of the Egyptian army - Moses guides Israel into a commemorative song titled, “The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.” And verse 12 he says, “You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them [the army of Egypt].

In Moses’ song the waters rushing back into it’s spot to destroy Egypt is described as the earth swallowing up the army.

The imagery may not be abundantly clear but the end result is clear enough. Satan will launch an attempt (or likely several) to utterly destroy Israel, but God will stop Satan from accomplishing his plan. God protects His people.

The end result of the war against Israel will be that the Dragon will not win here either.

He has lost his battle in heaven - he cannot have the throne. He has lost his war against Israel - he cannot destroy God’s chosen people. He is still cornered. He is still limited in time, and he is still filled with wrath.

The only thing he has left is to unleash all of his wrath and fury, teeth, and claws against the church.

The Devil Against The Church

Assessing his situation of loss, the Dragon - still enraged went off to make war with the rest of her children.

We are told who the rest of these children are. The rest of her children are faithful Christians, but they are described two ways.

These are the ones who keep the commandments of God, and who hold to the testimony of Jesus.

But I want you to also note that if we are the rest of her children than we are also brothers to the Savior. Adopted children of God. Co-Heirs with Christ.

Keep the commandments

Jesus said in John 15 that if you love Him you will keep his commandments. We live in a world where even among Christians today - obedience to the commands of God is rejected as if it were counter to the grace by which we are saved. That might be true of the works of obedience were the means of salvation - but they are not and never have been. Obedience to the commandments is the result of salvation done out of Love for our Savior.

Hold to the testimony of Jesus

That is the testimony that is about Jesus, rather than simply the testimony that Jesus gave. (Not that there is any difference).

Chapter 12 brings us up to date for sure with the present day, but also helps us to understand what the tribulation period holds in store. And that is precisely where chapter 13 is going to pick up. The dragon goes off to make war with Christians, and chapter 13 is going to reveal the next stage in the Devil’s plan.

The Devil against the church is not a new struggle. Ephesians 6:10-18 details it as well. But there, as here the answer for us is Jesus.

What is the grand message of this brief history of time that spans chapter 12 from The advent of Israel to her Messiah and the church? This is God’s battle, and our task is faithfulness to him. The Devil, he is already defeated, and he will be ultimately destroyed - even if for our time - it may seem that we are losing; the devil has already lost.

Stand firm dear Christians and be faithful to the testimony of Jesus.

Amen.