STUDY THEME: VICTORY IN JESUS--N0W AND FOREVER 3-12-00
"WHAT ABOUT SATAN?" REV. 12:1-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-17.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO REVELATION 12.
From Rev. 12:1 to 14:20 we have three chapters clearly marked off as a single section by the end of the trumpet visions and the beginning of the bowl visions. These visions answer the question, ‘Why has the persecution come upon us? The answer of revelation is that Satan is the enemy behind it all. And so today’s lesson introduces us to a major religious struggle.
This conflict is destined to dominate the world stage in the "last days." John shows us how and why God’s government--represented on earth by his Church--endures deadly assault from the political, economic and religious system controlled by Satan the devil.
This section marks a major turning point in Revelation. John now defines the underlying cause of the hostility about to engulf God’s people. It is kindled by the struggle of a defeated enemy. His death rattle creates one final severe time of tribulation. The outcome, however, is certain. God will come in judgment to destroy his enemies in Ch. 15 thru 19, and reward his own people in Ch. 20 thru 22.
1. PLEASE READ REVELATION 12: 1-6.
The scene in Rev. 12 is called a great wonder or sign. A sign is a symbol pointing to something else. This is the first of the 7 signs in the last half of revelation.
The woman is not an actual woman, but a symbolic representation of Israel, pictured in the O.T. as the wife of God in at lest 5 references. Being clothed with the sun speaks of the glory, dignity and exalted status of Israel, the people of promise who will be saved and given a kingdom. The picture of the moon under her feet possibly describes God’s covenant relationship with Israel. The 12 stars represent the 12 tribes of Israel.
The biblical patriarch Joseph dreamed a similar scene almost 2,000 years before Revelation was written. He told his brothers in Gen. 37:9:
"I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me."The context in Gen. 37:10 explains these figures. They are Joseph’s father Israel (the sun), his mother Rachel (the moon) and his eleven brothers (the stars). Joseph, in this case, would be the 12th brother or "star." Thus, we have a clear reference to the physical family of Israel. Israel grew into a nation and became God’s own special people.(Deut 14:2) God later temporarily rejected the nation for its sins until Christ should appear the second time as the delivering Messiah (Rom. 11: 25-27).
In 7 different Scripture passages Israel is pictured as a mother giving birth. She had agonized for centuries, longing for the Messiah to come and destroy Satan, sin and death, and usher in the kingdom of God.
The woman’s mortal enemy is Satan, who appears as a dragon 13 times in the Book of Revelation. Red speaks of bloodshed. Satan is spoken of as the father of lies and chief of murderers. According to Daniel 8:24 Satan has inflicted relentless pain on Israel, desiring to kill the woman before she could bring forth the child that would destroy him.
Satan has great power, which should not be underestimated, but he is not omnipotent. He has his limitations and ultimately is subject to God. Satan is not omnipresent, but thru his subordinates he makes his influence felt practically worldwide. Some of you might enjoy reading Frank Peretti’s books, "This Present Darkness," "Piercing the Darkness" and "The Oath" which are fiction books about the demons of Satan in conflict with the angels of Michael. You may remember that Jude 9 speaks of Michael disputing with the Devil about the body of Moses. Satan has been a formidable opponent of God’s redemptive plan thru the centuries, but he has failed in all his attempts to thwart God’s plan. There is but one Satan but there are numerous demons.
In Vs. 3 we have figurative language depicting Satan’s domination of 7 past worldly kingdoms and 10 future kingdoms. This description in Vs. 3 is identical to the description of the "sea beast" in Rev. 13:1 which we will study next Sunday. Satan has and will rule the world until the 7th trumpet blows in Rev. 11:15 and the loud voices in heaven proclaim
"The kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of our Lord. And of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever."In Vs. 5 the man child is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the object of Satan’s hatred, and the devil seeks to destroy Him. He sought to destroy Christ before He was born when by a decree of Caesar he compelled Mary to make the long and hazardous trip to the city of Bethlehem from Nazareth at the very time she was to give birth to the child. This plan failed, and then Satan sought to destroy Him by murdering all the children of two years and under in Bethlehem thru King Herod. Again and again he sought to destroy Christ at the hands of the wicked Pharisees but His time had not yet come. Finally, he succeeded in bringing Him to the Cross, and there it seemed as if the dragon was finally victorious, for the child, destined to rule the nations with a rod of iron, died the ignominious death of the Cross.
What rejoicing there must have been in the pit, what celebrating among the hosts of the demons, as the Son of God gave up the ghost! But God intervened, and He was raised from the dead and caught up into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God until He returns to make His enemies His footstool and completely defeats the dragon, Satan. In Ps. 2 we are told definitely that Christ shall rule the nations with a rod of iron.
Jesus Christ in His incarnation was of Jewish descent. Despite Satan’s efforts to destroy Israel and the Messianic line, Jesus’ birth took place as predicted by the prophets. The
"rod of iron" describes Jesus’ coronation as King over the nations of the world. Christ’s ascension is described as "her child was caught up to God and His throne."In Vs. 6 God will protect Israel from Satan by hiding her in the wilderness. At the midpoint of the Tribulation the anti-christ breaks his covenant with Israel, puts a stop to temple worship, sets up the abomination of desolation described in Daniel 9:27 and Matt. 24: 15 and in Rev. 11:2 devastates Jerusalem. At that time many Jews flee for their lives. God will preserve them during the last 3 1/2 years constituting the Great Tribulation.
In the final analysis of these two vision, two primary lessons are to be learned. First, Satan tried unsuccessfully to destroy Christ and thwart God’s plan of redemption. Second, believers ought to be aware that, since Satan failed to destroy Jesus and thwart God’s plan of redemption, he has turned his fury against God’s people.
2. PLEASE READ REVELAITON 12: 7-9.
In these verses Satan wages a titanic battle against God, Michael and his angels. Hal Lindsay says that as he travels he finds that millions of people, some in the strangest places, have become aware that the Bible has a complete, detailed description of the scenario that is taking place right now in many parts of the world. "People in every country in the world are aware that the events now taking place are leading to Armageddon and the earthly return of Christ to set up his millennial reign on planet earth." This might be a good time to read Hal Lindsay’s book "The Late Great Planet Earth." This is an old book but the events in the world today make it very current.
God defeats Satan when he attacks God’s universe-ruling headquarters in Heaven. John tells us in Rev. 12:9 "the great dragon, the devil or Satan, who desires the whole world was cast out of heaven to earth."
This opposition by Satan is nothing new. Jesus mentioned a prior defeat of Satan in his initial attempt to overthrow God in Luke 10:18. We find a more detailed account in Isaiah 14: 12-15. "
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of he morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!""For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I wll exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit
."This scene took place in heaven as Satan and one third of the angels who followed him were cast out of heaven to the earth. Satan, the devil who deceives the whole world, was the one defeated. As he has throughout human history, Satan will deceive people during the tribulation.
3. PLEASE READ REVELATION 12: 10-12.
Satan will no longer accuse believers before the throne of God as he did Job because he will no longer have access to heaven. He can now turn his full attention toward control of the entire human race. Satan’s goal is a complete martyrdom of God’s people.
Vs. 11 cites three results of the defeat of Satan: (1.) "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb." This could refer to the incarnate victory; it surely refers to the result of the death of Christ for sinners. (2.) "They overcame him...by the word of their testimony." "This refers to their faithful witness for the Lord even in the face of death threats." (3.) "They loved not their lives unto the death." This means they were willing to take up their cross and follow Christ, willing to lose their lives if need be. All of these things grow out of assurance that Satan has been and will be defeated.
In spite of the deceptive power of Satan, believers can and will be able to resist him and remain faithful thru the power of the Lord. James 4:7 sums up this point well:
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Notice, however, that James emphasized the need to submit to God before trying to resist the devil.
4. PLEASE READ REVELATION 4: 12:13-17.
Knowing that his time is limited, Satan will intensify his efforts against God and mankind, and specifically target Israel. Today the USA is the only nation that is willing to defend and support Israel. All others have pulled away from any support of Israel. History shows that every nation that has been good to Israel has been blessed. Yet more and more we are becoming known around the world as the paper tiger. Someone has even pointed out "It is dangerous to be an enemy of the USA. It is fatal to be their friends."
The Communists watch for a weakness; when it exists they move in and take over. Today we are helping China fulfill their place in prophecy in Revelation by getting them to take our technology to assist them in preparing for their attack on Israel. "
The wings of a great eagle" in Vs. 14 are a graphic depiction of God’s providential protection of Israel during the second half of the tribulation. Rev. 12: 17 says "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Those saved during the tribulation must suffer in the great holocaust. Those who face the full fury of Satan are described in Vs. 11. Peter states well the fury that believers have faced since the first century in 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."A great army will come against Israel like a flood, only to be swallowed up, perhaps in conjunction with one of the numerous earthquakes that occur during this period. The same God who saved Israel from the bondage of Egypt, the tyranny of Nebuchadnezzar, the oppression of the Persians, the iron rule of the Romans, the scheming of Haman and the diabolical scourge of Hitler, will again save His people.
We have seen in Rev. 12 God’s picture of the end of the great conflict between the Lord and Satan. God has a covenant people, Israel, whom He called out from among the Gentiles. To Abraham He gave His covenant of grace, promising him that of his seed the Messiah should be born and that his descendants would be given the land of Palestine as an everlasting inheritance. All this was promised in Gen. 12: 13-15, reaffirmed to Isaac, to Jacob and to David, and repeated again and again thru the prophets. Furthermore, Paul in the N. T. reassures us that "
God hath not cast away his people whom He foreknew."When we study Rev. 13 next Sunday we shall consider many of the details of the struggle described in Ch. 12. Two terrible personages will emerge to introduce a reign of terror upon the earth and especially against Israel--a reign so terrible that except for the intervention of God no flesh would be saved and the nation destined to be the kingdom nation would perish forever. Rev. 12 is inserted before the description of the two beasts mentioned in Rev. 13 that we may know that no matter how dark the days may become under the last 7 vials of the wrath of God, the victory for the Son of man and His saints is absolutely sure. In the beginning of human history that fact had already been stated for in Gen. 3: 15 we read that the serpent shall bruise the heel of the seed, but the seed of the woman shall crush the head of the serpent.
Here is the picture. When Satan knows that his time is short, he will seek to destroy the nation to whom God had promised the kingdom, but the Lord will give her a place of protection. Yes, a battle is raging, and you cannot be neutral in this conflict. You are either on the side of Christ or on the side of Satan. Let’s volunteer in the victorious army of the Lord Jesus Christ. March on to victory with Him, and escape the wrath of God and eternal destruction.
NEXT SUNDAY WE WILL TRY TO COVER TWO CHAPTERS 13 AND 14 TO GET THE FULL PICTURE OF THE ANTICHRIST WHO SOME SAY IS ALREADY ALIVE SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD. A.V. DAUGHERTY 3-12-00