The Wrath of the Dragon

Revelation 12:12-17 (KJV) Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child]. 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Introduction

Have you ever been so angry that you were “spitting mad?” That is a term my father used when you were so mad you couldn’t even speak correctly and all that came out your mouth was spittle.

The late great Roman emperor, soldier, and stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius Antonius Augustus (121 - 180), once said, "How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it." The late great American journalist, Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (1842 - 1914), once said, "Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret."

Satan just lost a battle with the heavenly host, Michael and the angels for possession of Heaven.

Rejoice and Woe

Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them” – The final chapters have been written and are unfolding to John. Heaven is commanded to rejoice because Satan has been cast out of heaven. The importance of this act has been lost on man. Day and night the devil has belittled you in front of the Lord God Almighty. However, never again will his accusations come to the ear of Jehovah. Christ’s kingdom will soon be set up on the earth and that is worth rejoicing. Since John is speaking about future events, those that have gone to heaven at the time of his writing and those that are alive and yet to die, will share in the rejoicing. That is just as true today as it was when the ink was still wet as John wrote the Revelation. Those in heaven, up to this very minute, will rejoice.

“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!” – However, the reverse reaction will take place outside of heaven. What brings joy in heaven causes great woe to those who live on the earth: more judgment, more horrors, and loss of life are on their way.

“…for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” –

· Satan does not know the exact day and hour when his judgement will take place. He knows the scriptures and his die has already been cast.

· Satan is our archenemy, and he will do anything in his power to bring misery into our lives…however,

o Satan is not infinite, sovereign, omniscient – all knowing, omnipresent - everywhere, or omnipotent – all powerful.

o He is unjust, unmerciful, filled with hate, and he is unholy.

· And, he does not hold the keys of death as some claim. Jesus holds the keys of the grave and death (Rev 1:17-18).

Not only will God continue his judgments on the earth and its inhabitants, but Satan will unleash his great wrath as the end for him is rapidly approaching.

Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Referring to the woman being Israel, and the man child being the Christ, Satan’s anger is poured out upon the nation Israel. McGee writes:

This is the last wave of anti-Semitism that will roll over the world, and it is the worst, because Satan is cast down to the earth and knows that his time is short. He hates Israel because Christ came from this nation according to the flesh. This is the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, and this is the reason I cannot rejoice in the present return of Israel to that land. Some people seem to think they are going back for the Millennium. They are not—they are going back for the Great Tribulation Period if they are going back for any purpose at all, according to the Word of God.[2]

Revelation 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle” – There are those that will try to say that the “two wings of a great eagle” represent today’s aircraft that will take the nation Israel into the wilderness. However, that does not really fit into the narrative. The deliverance of Israel from her enemies has been recorded as “eagles wings.” Look at Exodus 19:

Exodus 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

To the Jewish mind, “eagle’s wings” are a symbol of God’s deliverance to His people.

“…that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place” – Some commentators describe the city of Petra, to be the “wilderness, into her place.” However, John does not list or describe the location other than the “wilderness.” It is a real wilderness because in Christ’s teaching in Matthew he says:

Matthew 24:15-16 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

In the history of the Jews – many times the wilderness has been represented as a place of refuge. Take the story of David (1 Sam. 23:14-15) he fled into the wilderness from the persecutions of Saul. Another example would be when Elijah (1 Kings 19:4) fled into the wilderness to escape the persecutions of Jezebel. Therefore, Israel will flee into the wilderness as a place of refuge.

Note: This could be the very same wilderness that Moses led the Children of Israel through for forty years.

“…where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent” – God’s grace and His protection for them will be for 3.5 years (Rev. 11:2; 12:6). This point in the timeline takes place when the Antichrist makes himself known and Satan is cast down to the earth. This is the Great Tribulation.

The Greek word for nourished is found in Revelation 12:6. This means that God not only protects them, but He feeds them as well. When the children of Israel wandered the desert for forty years, God protected them and fed them daily with manna and quail. They were sustained with water from the rock. They were entirely dependent upon the LORD Jehovah. Moreover, so will Israel be during these forty-two months.

Revelation 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

I believe this is allegorical, the water that comes out of the Devil’s mouth. I believe there is another application of this verse that falls in line within the context of this passage. I believe what is spewing out of the mouth of the serpent is lies and false teaching just like when he deceived Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:13). The result of these lies and false teaching will be evil unleashed on the planet in the form of persecution for all that align themselves with God. His anger and wrath will be poured out in word and deed against Israel.

Revelation 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

“And the earth helped the woman” – We know that the general population still alive on the earth are those that have raised their fists against God. So, what does it mean when it says the “earth helped the woman?” These could be the gentile believers on the earth, who will take them in and hide them. Much like the Europeans who took in the Jews and hid them from the Nazi’s during World War II.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed” –Satan’s failure to destroy the children of Israel on so many occasions, and to destroy the man child, the Messiah. Satan is so embittered because he was cast out of heaven. This war is either centered on the nation Israel and/or the believers on the earth.

“…which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” – The enemy of Satan are those that acknowledge God and those who have persevered in obedience to their faith in the Son of God.

Conclusion

Look at that last verse again

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Look at that last sentence from the Apostle John? Satan lost the battle with Michael, was kicked out of heaven, and he’s angry, fuming mad. He wants to do anything he can to anything associated with God. So, Satan, after losing the battle in heaven is resolved to make war on earth against Israel and any person who believes Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

Let me make this real clear, if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be under spiritual attack for your belief and trusting in God.

Believers are at war today against a worldly system that is under the influence of Satan. Believers are being attacked on all sides. However, this is not a full frontal attack as will happen in the Great Tribulation. No, today his attack is a subversive, undercover attack.

We are attacked where we are weak, with surprise attacks when we’re not ready. He’s good at what he does. He’s a master deceiver.

He’ll whispers:

· “You don’t need to go to church, your saved.”

· “Stay home. After all you don’t like the music; and the sermons are too long. The church is full of hypocrites.”

· “You have better things to do than go to Sunday School or Wednesday night Bible Study!”

· “All the church ever talks about is money. You work hard for your money.”

· “You don’t need to buy into this forgiveness teaching of Jesus, most Christians you know don’t really practice it.”

· “It is OK if you cheat or lie. Everyone is doing it and really, no one really cares.”

Maybe you will kid yourself into thinking, “The devil, he has no power in my life.”

Perhaps the Apostle Peter said it best:

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 603–604). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. [2] McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 5, p. 994). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.