Revelation 12 verses 7-17
If you can cast your mind back to September last year when we began this journey through Revelation together - I said to you that some people approach Revelation as if it was written in a linear and chronological manner. I put to you that a better way to view the book is of a spiral and just as C S Lewis said of Narnia - further up and further in. You may not remember that, hence I am reminding you of it this morning as we begin this passage because here we encounter a very clear example of further up and further in. Last week we were introduced to the main characters that we meet again in these verses - namely the woman (who represented the people of God), the male child (Jesus) and the red dragon (satan). The two beasts we encounter in the next chapter. This morning we also meet Michael and his angel host.
Let me paint the big picture for you this morning before we go in to any detail on these verses. What we witnessed last week was the battle raging on earth over the coming of the Messiah and the protection and preservation of the people of God from the red dragon who came with murderous intent. These verses tell us the same story but the scene is now in heaven. We are seeing here the heavenly, spiritual and cosmic battle that goes on unseen by those battling on earth. Further up and further in. What we encounter this morning is the role of the Church in witnessing to Christ, the persecution of the Church and the source of their victory - the Blood of the Lamb.
Mercedez Benz developed a protection frame for cars that significantly reduced injuries in car crashes. When they were asked why they did not enforce their patents on this when it was obvious that other manufacturers were copying it they responded: Some things are too important not to share! I want to say to you this morning these verses are too important not to share. Remember that as we go through the passage this morning.
Verses 7-12 - War in heaven. Some commentators describe these verses as a summary of the book of Revelation. Others refer to it as a play within a play. I do not know if you know the plays of Sean O’Casey, the great Irish playwright. I had to study Juno and the Paycock for my O’Level English 32 years ago now. I have loved his writing ever since. In the play the main character is Captain Boyle and the inheritance that is left him from a distant cousin. However, in the background, behind the main plot, is a sub-plot of his daughter Mary and Mr Bentham the solicitor who brings the good news. Will Mr Bentham marry Mary etc etc. There is also a further play within a play with Johnny, Mary’s brother, Captain Boyle’s son, who has betrayed his fellow IRA man, Tancred, to the Free State Troopers who kill him. Will Johnny be found out, will he be punished. Plays within plays - that is what is going on here in these verses. Plays within plays - behind the scenes on earth, unseen by human eyes but far more real than we realise or know.
If you ever get the chance to go to Coventry and visit the Cathedral you will see a sculpture of Michael defeating the dragon. It was created by Sir Jacob Epstein. I have never seen it in person, only images of it, but it is a powerful piece of art and yet it only scratches the surface as to the significance of this battle and what takes place here.
We have here a war in heaven. Who are these characters? When did this take place? What is the outcome? What does it mean for you and me?
The characters - satan and his angels wage war against Michael and his angels. In Daniel 12.1 we are told that Michael is the guardian of God’s people Israel and in Jude 9 we read that it was Michael who contended with satan over the body of Moses. So Michael is a waring angel who defends and guards the people of God. He is an archangel because he has angels who do his bidding.
What do you know about the devil, satan?
Let us take the names he is given here. Satan = adversary, devil = slanderer, the ancient serpent - reminds us of the Garden of Eden - the one who tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God and so brought sin and death into the Creation. The deceiver of the world - his language is lies. C S Lewis in his book The Screwtape Letters - letters from a senior devil to a junior devil reminds the reader that the devil tells lies and so you cannot take anything he says as truth.
Listen to these verses Job 1.6-9, 2.1-6 and Zechariah 3.1. What do you notice about them? Satan is in heaven in the presence of God accusing the faithful believers. Difficult as it is for us to understand Satan is amongst the sons of God and possessed access to God’s presence - that is what those verses teach. However, that is about to change in these verses. If you look at verse
Now listen to this verse 1 Timothy 3.6 - the reason for this battle is Satan’s pride and in Ephesians 2.2 we read that after this defeat he became the prince of the air. If you have a moment when you go home today read Ezekiel 28.13ff - it is a prophecy against the king of Tyre, but it is also thought to be a description of Satan’s downfall. Let us turn again to the text before us.
Satan and his angels are defeated by Michael and his angels. Now I want to say to you this is not a battle like we see on the cinema screens in something like Lord of the Rings. This battle is more like a duel in a courtroom between two legal adversaries. If you cast your eyes down to verse 11 you will see the grounds of Michael and his angels weapon - the Blood of Christ.
When id this take place? I want to contend this morning that this took place at the Cross. The crucifixion took place on Calvary’s Hill outside the walls of Jerusalem. At the same time, I would contend, this battle was taking place in the heavenly realms. This is the unseen cosmic spiritual battle. Satan, seeing the Messiah crucified assaults heaven but is defeated by Michael and the angels pleading the blood of Christ before God. We read in verse 9 that Satan is defeated and thrown to earth - Luke 10.18 - listen to these words of Jesus. Listen to these words
Matthew 12.28-29, Acts 10.38, 2 Timothy 1.10, 1 John 3.8 - what do they teach us? That Christ appeared to destroy the works of Satan. This is the cosmic battle fought in these verses. This is the first of three casting downs of Satan in Revelation. Here in verse 9 he is cast down from heaven to earth. Then in 20.3 he is cast down from the earth to the abyss and finally in 20.10 he is cast from the abyss into the lake of fire - prepared for him and his demonic followers.
These verses are not about his original expulsion from heaven, of which very little is taught in Scripture and actually what is often spoken of has more to do with Milton’s Paradise Lost than what Scripture teaches. Remember Acts 17.11 - the Berean Principle - check everything against Scripture. Everything, including everything I teach you.
So what we have in these verses is the cosmic spiritual battle that happens at the moment Christ atones for sin on the Cross at Calvary. It is this that we plead, v11, and that is not only the assurance of our victory but the very ground of our victory. We are caught up in a wider battle than we realise or can even contemplate.
Verses 10-12 - the only response to this victory - a song of praise. John hears a loud voice, most likely many voices if we take into account the plural ‘of our God.’ We are not told who or whose voice(s) this is (are).
The hymn has three stanzas.
Verse 10 focuses on the victorious inauguration of God’s kingdom and Christ’s kingly authority.
Verse 11, the second stanza, calls attention to the earthly victory of the saints as they confirm the victory of Christ by their own identification with Jesus.
Then verses 12, the third stanza, announces the martyr’s victory and the final woe to the earth because of Satan’s ejection from heaven and impending demise.
Verse 10 - note the definite article before each attribute listed here - the salvation, the power, the kingdom of our God, the authority of Christ - makes an impressive list. God’s sovereignty is in mind here and there is no doubt as to whom this victory belongs. They have come for the accuser of the faithful believers, our brothers - leading many commentators to conclude that these voices are the saints in heaven. The accuser of our brothers refers to Satan’s implacable hostility towards the people of God. There is irony in the fact that Satan accuses our brothers of failing to obey the Word of God - real hypocrisy here. These accusations are constant - day and night but in the end because of the Cross the charge against God’s people cannot prevail - 1 John 1.5-9; 3.4-10 and Romans 8.33-34.
Verse 11 - here are some wonderfully, powerful, freedom inspiring words. As we sing ‘Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’ The blood of Christ shed at Calvary defeats Satan - it is the ground of victory, it is the means of victory, it is grounded in history and it has power - it makes an eternal difference to men. We work from victory - NOT towards victory - remember that this morning.
They, the brothers who are accused by Satan, overcome him, not in their own strength, not because they live obedient lives, but by the blood of the Lamb. What the Lamb has done (chapter 5) avails for the followers of the Lamb - all those who have washed their robes in His blood. They bear witness to this - by word of their testimony. Your testimony is not about yourself but as Paul says ‘we preach not ourselves but Christ crucified.’ Their word of testimony is the gospel of the Lamb who was slain, whose blood availed for them and enables them to overcome, to defeat the accuser. Let me read a verse to you - Romans 8.1. Do you understand the significance of that verse in light of this verse? The accuser accuses you before the Father but you plead the blood of the Lamb and you are no longer under condemnation - the accusations have no power, no claim on you or your eternal destiny - praise God. Christ is the focus of their praise and their testimony. Is He the focus of your praise and testimony? His blood defeated Satan - nothing else avails for you today. As John Wesley penned we can sing with conviction and comfort in his great hymn ‘And can it be that I should gain, an interest in the Saviour’s blood ...No condemnation now I dread.’
Look at the end of the verse - this is significant. These brothers did not shrink from death in bearing testimony. Jim Elliot - a missionary to the Auca people in Ecuador wrote in his journal in October 1949, just before he died at the hands of the people he was reaching with the gospel - he is no fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. The people to whom John was writing in the first century knew what it was to be persecuted and martyred. They did not fall away from Christ in the face of death but stood firm and steadfast in the faith. Faithful even unto death - would we be? Are you faithful when the persecution or cost is a lot less than death? Could you say what one of the early Church Fathers said “You love nothing, according to human life, but God alone?”
Verse 12 Therefore rejoice the voice commands. However, if there is a victor there must also be a loser. The loser is Satan. For him and his angels there is no place found in heaven - they are cast down to the earth - but with the praise comes a refrain of warning, of woe to the earth and the sea - from whence will come the two beasts. Satan is defeated and in his defeat he is angry because he knows his time is short. He does not accept his defeat without a bitter struggle and his final death throes are directed on earth and on the sea. He makes war in the short time he has remaining. The word ‘time’ here is ‘kairos’ - a God appointed moment in time - his days are appointed, numbered, limited and shortened for the sake of the elect, God’s faithful people. Towards the end of WWII Hitler commenced on a campaign that came to be knows as the Battle of the bulge - it made absolutely no military sense and it cost thousands of lives. It was the last throes of a defeated dictator - Satan is in such a position since Calvary. His days are short, they are numbered but he is still a dangerous foe - but we plead the blood of Christ and our victorious - we can sing ‘We shall overcome’ because He has overcome - the blood of Christ avails for me.
Verses 13-17 the dragon enraged. John in his vision now sees Satan in his rage going after the woman, the Church and her offspring - the believers down through time.
Verse 13 - the story is resumed -the devil has failed to destroy the child and is defeated in heavenly conflict. The dragon now returns with persecuting zeal against the mother and her offspring. Listen to these words spoken by Christ to Saul on the road to Damascus - Acts 9.4-5. In persecuting the Church he was persecuting Jesus - remember what I said last week - Satan’s settled principle is to destroy the Messiah - and he seeks to do that, even though he is defeated, by persecuting the people of God.
The Exodus typology is throughout these verses. Exodus 14.18 - the pursuit of the woman is similar to the pursuit of the Israelites, the people of God, by Pharaoh as they flee Egypt.
Exodus 19.14 the echoes of the eagles wings as they are carried to safety from their pursuers. The people of God are protected and preserved by God - Isaiah 40.30-31 - the wings of eagles that carry the faint and weary people of God to their safety, their eternal safety.
In Numbers 16.31-33 we read of the earth swallowing up the men of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram who opposed Moses and in so doing opposed God.
The pursuit of the woman and then of her offspring is the persecution of the Church - it is Satan’s hatred of Christ, the Messiah that leads this. Listen to these words of Jesus in John 15.21 - all this they will do to you on my account.
In Revelation 22.1 the floods of deceit and destruction are replaced by the river of life that flows from the throne of God. The victory has been declared we await its implementation.
Look at the end of verse 17. Do you see whom it is that the dragon goes off to make war against - those who obey the commands of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Friends, why are we surprised when opposition or persecution comes our way for being faithful Christians? We are in a war and our enemy is a defeated foe whose time is short and he rages against us with all the force he can muster - but we are protected and preserved.
I want to say something to you concerning life and death. Death is not the end for those who believe and trust in Christ. Listen to the words of St Paul - 1 Corinthians 15.54-55. Defeated. The rest of that great resurrection chapter speaks of the resurrection of the dead and the glory of that day for those who believe in Christ. Death holds no fear for those in Christ - it is why we can be faithful to and for Christ even unto death.
Application
I think there are a few simple applications of this for us to take to heart this morning.
We are in a battle but the victory has already been won - Christ is victorious.
The ground, the foundation and the assurance of our victory, salvation, is the blood of Christ. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Have you come under that blood? I know you might think this old fashioned language but it is the language of God and our Saviour Christ - this morning do you plead the blood of Christ - all else is sinking sand as the hymn writer said.
Romans 8.1 - in Christ there is no condemnation for us. Satan can accuse all he wants but he cannot accuse us before God the Father, as he did accuse Job, because he has been cast down, expelled from the presence of God. He is banished to this earth and sea, one day he will be banished to the abyss and on that final day he will be banished for all eternity to the lake of fire, with his angels. Therefore, when he comes to accuse you of your failings and your sin - plead the blood of Christ, remind him and yourself of Romans 8.1
Finally, remember you are in a battle - put on the armour of God each day - as the little chorus taught us - each piece put on with prayer. So remember you are in a battle and remember your armour each day. You will be persecuted but take courage - your foe is defeated and his time is short - but your time is for all eternity with the victorious, risen and reigning Christ.
We have sung on many occasions these words of John Wesley:
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains
What are not as well known are these words of Wesley:
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
Bold shall I stand in that great Day,
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully through these absolved I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,
Who from the Father's bosom came,
Who died for me, e'en me t'atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.
Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which at the mercy-seat of God
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me--e'en for my soul--was shed.
Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.
When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
E'en then, this shall be all my plea:
Jesus hath lived and died for me.
Jesus, be endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me,
For me, and all Thy hands have made,
An everlasting ransom paid.
Amen.
