We’re continuing our study in Revelation 12 today. Recap:

• Looked at the chiasm of Revelation 12.
• We looked at the behind-the-scenes veil that is drawn back of Satan’s hatred of Christ and ultimately his hatred for each of us.
• And then we saw how to interpret the scripture.
  • The woman was God’s people throughout all time.
  • Then she was Mary.
  • The dragon was the devil, then it was the Roman empire and then it became the Papacy, the Catholic church.
• We also saw the back and forth between the dragon and the woman, finally the woman having to run into the wilderness where she is protected from the dragon for 1260 years.

Now we start off a new scene.

Revelation 12:7-8
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

There is war in heaven between Michael and the dragon.

• It wasn’t just a personal conflict between two people. The whole host of heaven was involved.
• The angels of Michael fought against the angels that followed after the dragon.
• From that we know that the dragon is symbolic and not a literal dragon which we will see in the next verse.

However, who is Michael?

• We studied about this in Daniel 12 where we see in verse 1 that Michael stands up.
• We’re not going to get into proof texts about that. I want to encourage you to go back to listen to the study on Daniel 12 about that and it will be clear that Michael is none other than Jesus Christ.

How did sin arise in the devil’s heart? Where did his hatred for Jesus come from?

• You must realise that the devil has a personal grudge against Jesus.
• Of course, if you have a problem with Jesus, you have a problem with the whole Godhead. The Father and also the Holy Spirit.
• By why specifically Christ?
• Because Christ is the only visible presence of the Godhead.
• The Holy Spirit you cannot see. He is a Spirit. He has no form.
• And what do we read about the Father?
• 1 Timothy 6:16
  Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
  • No man has ever seen Him. And no angel has ever seen Him either.
  • He is just shrouded with light and shrouded in mystery.
• You’ll remember when Philip, in John 14, asked Jesus to show them the Father, what was Jesus’ reply?
  • John 14:9
    Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
  • Even then Jesus did not show them the Father.
• Christ is the only visible representative of the Godhead.
• So all Lucifer saw of God was Jesus.
• And he compared himself to Christ and was wondering why Christ was seemingly chosen and He wasn’t.
• So he became jealous. He harbored thoughts of envy.
• He started to hate Christ.
• And thus war broke out in heaven.

Notice that right after the dark ages, 1260 years of persecution, is mentioned, that we go right into this war in heaven.

And the war in heaven scene continues on until verse 12 and we pivot right back to earth and look at what happens.

Revelation 12:13-14
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.

War in heaven is sandwiched in between the verses mentioning the dark ages.

It is talking about the same persecution from verse 6, the dark ages, the 1260 years of persecution.

• If you don’t understand the war in heaven, you cannot understand why this antichrist power, the little horn, is persecuting people on the earth.
• It is simply his hatred against God for having him thrown out of heaven!
• He lost and he’s a sore loser.

But this is the reason why he wants to devour the child that is caught up to God and heaven because that child is Michael who came down to earth to save each of us.

• And that’s why he’s persecuting all those that follow this child who would rule all nations with a rod of iron.

If you look at the characteristics of Lucifer and the little horn power, they are similar.

• Lucifer:
  • Isaiah 14:12-14
    12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
• The Papacy:
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
    3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
• Both want to exalt self to be worshipped as God. They want to be the number 1.

So war broke out in heaven, and the dragon and his angels were cast out of heaven.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

So the dragon was cast out of heaven. It is made very clear here. It mentions that word “cast out” three times.

• He was cast out, he was cast out, he was cast out and he managed to deceive the whole world.

Notice here that the dragon has four names or representations:

1. Dragon.
2. Old serpent.
3. Devil.
4. Satan.

Dragon

What does the dragon represent?

• 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.
  • The dragon represents a power that persecutes.
  • The dragon here persecuted the woman.
• Revelation 13:2
  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
  • Here the dragon gives this beast power, his seat and great authority.
  • Power and authority to do what? To persecute.
• So when you see the dragon, it represents a persecuting power.

The Old Serpent

Where did we first see the serpent?

• Right at the very beginning in the garden of Eden.
• It was used to deceive.
• Genesis 3:1
  Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made…
  • That word cunning means crafty, shrewd, subtil.
• So every time the serpent is mentioned, it is mostly in reference to deception.

The Devil

What is the meaning of the word devil?

• It means a slanderer, a traducer, a false accuser.
  • It is along the lines of speaking things that are not true about a person.
• John 6:70-71
  70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
  • Jesus called Judas a devil.
  • What did he do? He betrayed Jesus and he was one of the twelve.
• It implies controlling someone, and to betray and deceive, using craftiness and false teachings to lead them astray.
• To falsely accuse could be to point out facts about a person which are not all totally true. Or to leave out certain parts about a person that are true which would paint the whole picture.
• So the devil falsely accuses us.
• John 8:44
  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
  • He is a liar. It originated with him.
  • Falsely accusing.
• He is called the accuser of the brethren later in these verses in Revelation 12.

Satan

The word Satan means accuser and adversary. He is just simply our enemy.

• These names overlap – the devil and Satan.
• His main weapon is to accuse and especially to falsely accuse.
• This is especially applicable in the court of law.

Where there is no overlap is the difference between the dragon and the serpent.

• The dragon uses brute force. Power to persecute you, to force you to do his wishes.
• The serpent deceives you.

We see this in Matthew 24.

• Matthew 24:9
  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
  • Whose characteristics is this? It is the dragon. Afflicting you, killing you.
• Then we read a few verses later in Matthew.
• Matthew 24:11
  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
  • There’s the characteristics of the serpent to deceive.
• We even see the characteristics of the devil in Matthew 24.
  • Matthew 24:10
    And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
  • God’s people will be betrayed, just like how Judas betrayed Jesus and Jesus called him a devil.

So Satan has many faces.

• What he cannot force you to do, he will then attempt to deceive you. And if not, then he will get others to betray you.

Let’s continue.

Revelation 12:10
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

So the lead up to verse 10 is that the devil is cast out of heaven and he is cast to the earth. This resulted in the deception of the whole earth and we would come under his dominion.

But now we are given the picture of Christ, of the Messiah.

NOW IS COME SALVATION:

• It points to the cross – the time that salvation was obtained for us.

STRENGTH:

• The result of Calvary would give strength to every believer to successfully resist Satan.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

• It was at the cross that earth now became God’s kingdom again and no longer Satan’s.
• At the temptation of Jesus when the devil came and asked Him to turn stone into bread, Satan at the third temptation was willing to give Him all the kingdoms of the world because it belonged to him. He had taken it from Adam.
• But at the cross, Christ took ownership of the world again.

THE POWER OF HIS CHRIST:

• The word power there means privilege, authority, jurisdiction.
• Now the authority of Christ was established.
• The war in heaven was over the authority of Christ.
• But it was at the cross that finally it would be settled. Satan’s claims over Christ were unveiled and it was revealed fully who had the true authority.
• At the close of Christ’s earthly ministry He said:
  • Matthew 28:18
    And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
  • The word power is the same word authority.
• Christ had full authority over heaven and earth. The whole universe.
• It was settled at the cross.

It was at the cross of Calvary that the character of Satan was fully unmasked, and at the same time, the character of Jesus was fully revealed.

• On one side was hatred, envy, malice.
• And on the other love, love for all mankind.
• As the Roman soldiers hammered those nails through the hands of Christ, they heard His prayer:
  • Luke 23:34
    … Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…
• There was no questioning about Jesus anymore. His character. His authority.
• There was no questioning about His love.
• There was no more questioning about our salvation. It was made certain.

Satan is expelled

It was at the cross, that the last nail in the coffin for Satan was confirmed. And so we read:

• Revelation 12:10
  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
• Satan is finally cast down.
• This is different to what we read in verse 9.
• Satan was cast out.

There are 4 castings out of Satan.

• The third expulsion of Satan is in Revelation 20:1-3 when he is cast into the bottomless pit.
• And the fourth is in Revelation 20:10 when he is cast into the lake of fire.
• We will look at that when we get to that chapter.

But in Revelation 12:9 is the first one when he is cast out of heaven.

• He lost the war, and he could no longer remain in heaven. So he was cast out from there.
• And when earth was created, he successfully deceived Adam and Eve. Dominion was taken from them and given to Satan. He became the ruler of the earth.
• John 14:30
  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
• However, though cast out, he would still come to heaven when the heavenly councils assembled with the leaders of the other worlds.
• Job 1:6-7
  6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
• He represented the earth.
• So this was the first casting out. From habitation in heaven.

When is the second casting out? It is what we read in Revelation 12:10. He was cast down. At what point? When salvation came – at the cross.

• We see this in other passages of scripture as well.
• John 12:31-32
  31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
• At the cross, Satan was finally stripped of his authority over earth.
• No longer being a ruler of earth, he could no longer come into the heavenly councils. As a result, he was then not allowed entrance into heaven at all.
• That second casting put was total expulsion from heaven.
• Of course, the angels were aghast at what he did to Jesus. His hatred was fully revealed.

Two times, Christ was the reason why Satan would be cast out and cast down.

• First – he lost the war in heaven. Christ was more powerful. There was nothing Satan could do.
• Second – calvary and the cross. Christ stripped Satan of his authority and rulership over the world, and so Satan would not be allowed into heaven at all under any circumstance. He did not have a right to be there anymore.

You can see clearly why Satan hates Jesus so much even now.

But as a result of Christ’s victory, we too may now have the victory as well.

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

We can overcome. We can have victory. The power of Christ can be ours. How?

• By the blood of the Lamb.
• And by the word of our testimony.

By the blood of the Lamb

Let’s start with the first way – the shed blood of Christ. There is power in that blood.

Let’s go through 15 ways that scripture employs to emphasize the power of the blood of Christ.

Revelation 1:5
… Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

• Washes away our sins.

1 John 1:7
… the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

• Cleanses us from all sin.

Revelation 7:14
… and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

• Washes our robes white.

Romans 3:25
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past…

• Propitiates and covers our sins.

Hebrews 9:22
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

• Gives remission, deliverance and liberty, from our sins.

Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

• Purges our conscience.

Romans 5:9
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

• Justifies the believer.

Colossians 1:20
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross…

• Gives us peace to the guilty.

Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

• Brings us near to God.

Colossians 1:14
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

• Redeems us, or buys us back.

John 6:54
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life…

• Gives life.

Acts 20:28
… feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

• Purchases back the church of God.

Hebrews 10:19
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.

• Gives us boldness to enter into God’s presence.

Hebrews 13:20-21
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will…

• Makes us perfect to do His will.

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

• Overcomes Satan.

The blood of Jesus is more than enough!! There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb!

Yet there is one more thing that we need if we are to be overcomers.

By the word of their testimony

The second way in which we can overcome Satan is by our own testimony.

• Our personal witness is not just a powerful tool to witness to others. It is a powerful tool to make us overcomers.
• Romans 10:9-10
  9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
• Testifying of God’s love and power in our own loves is vital to overcoming.
• It reminds us of His goodness to each of us personally. It keeps in mind His love for us. And keeps that experience fresh.
• It keeps in mind that we are His children and that He has a plan and a purpose for each of us, no matter where we are, our occupation, whether rich or poor, no matter the location – from Joseph in the prison, to Moses in the courts of Egypt. God has a plan.

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.

Heaven can rejoice. Why?

• Until that time, Satan still had access to heaven. But now, no longer. He has been exposed. And he has been cast down. His disguise has been torn away and he is revealed for who he really is – a murderer and a liar, full of hatred.
• Any sympathy for him has been finally severed. The band aid has been ripped off.

However, there is a woe. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth.

• Satan recognizing that his true nature has been exposed and knows that he has a little time left as his fate has been sealed, he now vents his full wrath on the human race.
• There is now only a little time left for Satan to do his work. He is determined to take with him as many people as possible to the grave with him.