THE VISION OF THE WOMAN, THE DRAGON, THE MAN CHILD12:1-6
THE VISION OF WARFARE IN HEAVEN 12:7-9
12:7-8
All through history until Jesus’ ascension, Satan could appear in God’s presence. Satan, whose name means “the accuser,” could even accuse the high priest Joshua in the presence of God, but the Lord rebuked him (Zech. 3:1–2).
Jesus told the seventy-two disciples who returned from their mission assignment, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). In other words, Satan had not yet been denied access to God’s presence but could accuse God’s people day and night.
When Jesus completed His mediatorial work on earth, He ascended to heaven and took His seat at God’s right hand. His entry into heaven made it impossible for Satan to come before God to accuse the saints.
The name Michael means “Who is like God?” As one of the archangels, he wages war against the archangel Satan, who wants to be like God.
Satan and his demons had to acknowledge Jesus’ victory and their defeat when the Lord ascended to the throne. Far from accepting the reality of their overthrow, they faced Michael and his formidable hosts of angels, who drove them out of heaven and into a fierce battle.
Satan’s war with God began when the human race was plunged into sin. When believers in the Old Testament era were taken to heaven, Satan accused them before God of being unworthy sinners. As accuser of the saints, he had free access to God’s presence.
Since Christ’s victory over sin and death, these evil spirits can no longer appear before God to accuse the saints. Indeed, not a single accusation can be brought against them.
Therefore, a new era has dawned in which Satan with his angels have lost their place in heaven and are restricted to a place on earth. On that same earth, God gave the woman (the church) a place and protected her.
Wherever Jesus reigns, wherever the world domination of the lamb is already established, there the adversary of God has neither place nor rights.
12:9
The great dragon and his followers are cast down to the earth, for heaven is now off limits to them.
The great dragon. Here is “a picture of the ancient power of anarchy.” That is, the dragon is called great because of his enormous power. He gives his power, throne, and authority to the beast that rises up out of the sea (13:1–2).
That ancient serpent. The adjective ancient is a reference to Satan, who in the form of a serpent deluded Eve in Paradise (Gen. 3:1–7).
The devil. The Greek term diabolos (Devil) from which we get our English word “diabolical” comes from the preposition dia (through) and the verb ballein (to throw) and means “to throw over or across, to divide, set at variance, accuse, bring charges, slander, inform, reject, misrepresent, deceive.” This is an accurate description of the devil’s activities.
Satan. This name is a synonym of the devil, and the terms are used interchangeably in the New Testament. The name derives from the Hebrew hassatan and signifies “the adversary.”
The deceiver. Satan deceives the whole world, which does not mean that the elect are also led astray (Matt. 24:24). He is no longer able to accuse the elect in the presence of God; he is confined to do his evil work on the face of the earth.
Satan and his evil angels are confined to this earth to carry out their deceptive and destructive work, and even here they cannot do whatever they please but can only go so far and do only as much damage as God allows.
A VISION OF VICTORY 12:10-12
John reports that he heard a loud voice in heaven, but he fails to identify the speaker or singer, indicating that it is not a matter of importance.
The voice represents a group of singers, possibly the saints in heaven who sing this song of victory because Christ’s death and resurrection resulted in His victory over Satan.
The words of the song honor God the Father by ascribing to Him the salvation of His people accomplished in His Son Jesus Christ, the power Jesus received to overcome Satan, and the kingdom which Jesus handed over to His Father (1 Cor. 15:24–28).
The phrase the accuser of our brothers [and sisters] characterizes the devil’s activity in the presence of God. Satan has no success in accusing believer’s before the throne of God because Jesus is the intercessor for the saints, and that precludes anyone from bringing a charge against them. Rom. 8:33–34
Satan continues his attacks day and night by constantly accusing the followers of Christ and tormenting their consciences. He does so by first enticing a person to sin; next, if he is successful, he taunts the sinner with accusations. However, he fails miserably in his endeavors in view of God’s forgiving grace through the shed blood of Christ Jesus (Heb. 9:22).
John’s perspective is not from earth (still without victory) to heaven, but rather from heaven (triumphant in victory) to earth. He sees the triumph of Christ with all the heavenly saints who overcame Satan and share in that victory
The phrase the blood of the Lamb is a repetition of an earlier description of the saints in heaven who have experienced the great tribulation. These are they who “have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14).
The blood of Christ is the key to this passage, for the believers redeemed through Christ’s sacrifice fearlessly and without any hesitation have been his witnesses (6:9).
Rejoice! The voice calls the heavens and those who dwell there to express their joy in the victory Jesus has achieved.
Lament! Now that Satan and his demons have been denied entrance into heaven and have been cast down to the earth, the devil is filled with wrath against God’s people. He realizes that he has been defeated, that he has been given a limited time here on earth, and that in the short period allotted to him he must unleash his fury. On both land and sea he seeks to deceive and destroy the saints.
Satan knows that the opportunity God has given him is of short duration. It is the same as the three and a half years, the forty-two months, or the 1,260 days mentioned elsewhere (11:2–3; 12:6, 14; 13:5); these indications of time are not to be taken literally but figuratively.
