War in Heaven Revelation 12:7-17
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The war between good and evil has raged since Lucifer’s original rebellion, affecting the entire world but especially mankind in terrible ways. Chapter 12 puts the entire conflict on display – past, present and future – as this vision reveals the source of evil and rebellion, the way of it, and how it came to be in earth and among men. It also shows us the end of the conflict, further reveals the victor and identifies the defeated.
This vision centers around three characters: the dragon, the woman and the man-child. The dragon appears as the most powerful and certainly the most terrible while the woman and the child appear to be weak before the great dragon. Do not be misled; the woman and her child receive help in the great conflict from the source of all strength – God.
As the conflict begins in Heaven, it spreads to the earth, beginning with one rebellious being and spreading among many. The conflict begins with the creature, but it is ended by the Creator.
The War in Heaven (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.
War
War is never God’s choice for the resolution of conflict. While there are instances in which God sent Israel to war against her enemies, they only occurred after the enemy nation was given a warning and an opportunity to turn toward God. The war or conflict under consideration here occurred as the result of insubordination when Lucifer, archangel of the material realm of creation, became dissatisfied with his position and duties as ordained by God. Lucifer rebelled against God and made a futile attempt to elevate himself above the Divine. Such an effort is quite foolish but such is the heart of evil to reject true wisdom.
Heaven
Heaven is not normally associated with war. The Bible student might even be biased toward identifying this Heaven as the atmosphere around the earth and to remove it as far as possible from the divine throne. The Greek text (polemos en tO ouranO or battle in the heaven) as well as the context of this statement, however, suggests that the war is taking place before the very throne of God, in the heavenly place Paul referred to as the third Heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2 when he employed the Greek word ouranou (both are references to a singular place rather than ‘the heavens’). We are thus led to conclude that the setting of the conflict described here is in the very presence of, and before the central throne of, eternal God. One should remember that God’s freewill creatures have His divine permission to rebel against Him if they choose to do so. Although this war occurred near the divine presence, God has always been and shall forever remain sovereign over all His creatures in the ultimate accomplishment of His will.
Michael and the Dragon
Any war involves at least two opposing forces. The war in Heaven involves two forces, one representing good and the other evil. The first combatant mentioned here is the dragon, also known as Lucifer, Satan and the devil. As considered in a previous lesson, Lucifer was an angel created by God who, as recorded in this text, rebelled against his Creator. Based on passages such as Isaiah 14: 12-17 and Ezekiel chapter 28:11-19 this author is led to conclude that Lucifer engineered his rebellion with a design to occupy the throne meant for Jesus, and his unrelenting efforts have continued to be against Jesus, the man-child of Revelation 12.
Lucifer did not undertake his plan alone. Just as any general commands a fighting force so too the dragon has an army of evil angels who have loyally taken his side. According to Revelation 12:4, one-third of the angels of Heaven forsook their God-given positions and followed Lucifer in his rebellion. They are the angels of the physical realm, and as fallen angels they are known as demons or devils. They are still active among us today as they serve their evil master Satan (see Ephesians 6:11, 12).
God could have destroyed Lucifer and all his followers with a puff of His breath, a spoken word, a gesture of His hand or simply a thought, but He chose to allow the conflict. Michael, the only angel referred to in Scriptures as an “arch-angel” (Jude 9), leads one-third of Heaven’s angels – those of the spiritual realm – and it is he who represents God in the war. Michael and his angels have always stood in opposition to Lucifer and the fallen angels of the physical realm who had followed him into rebellion. Lucifer and his band, however, could not in the past nor shall they in the future prevail, and Michael and his righteous angels defeated Lucifer and his evil minions. Through the process of the war Lucifer and his claim to the throne would be shown to be rooted in evil, and God’s glory and righteousness would be upheld.
No Place in Heaven
Lucifer’s resulting loss from the war was great. He lost his cherished position in Eden (earth) where he had once served as “…the anointed cherub that covereth…” meaning the angel with the responsibility to protect the earth, as we can find in Ezekiel 28:11-19. He will never have such an opportunity to serve the Almighty again. Rebellion cost him his place in the kingdom of God and God removed the possibility of Lucifer or his angels ever regaining their positions. It is as if the legal title to those positions was canceled and expunged so that no record of their place now exists.
The Dragon Cast Down (Revelation 12:9, 10)
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.
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.
The Dragon Defeated
Although Lucifer the dragon seems to be one of the three leading angels of God from the beginning of their creation, Michael appears in the Scriptures to be more powerful than Lucifer, as in this text Michael is able to defeat Lucifer. The student may wish to take a moment to compare this passage to Daniel 10:13, in which Michael is described as “one of the chief prices.” God sent the most powerful angel, the arch-angel or head angel, to war against Lucifer and to defeat him and those who followed him. Michael and his angels defeated Lucifer in Heaven and Lucifer was thus cast out of Heaven into the earth. Jesus testified in Luke 10:18, “I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven.” The angels who had cast their lot with him were expelled with Satan.
Since his fall Satan’s intent has been to harm the earth and mankind, and to destroy Christ, and his work has always been to those ends. The reader may wish to compare the description of Lucifer in Ezekiel 28:11-19, which associates him with beauty, to New Testament references to Satan and his evil ways in which he is described as: a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44), a deceiver of the world (Revelation 12:9), and by his names Abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek), both meaning destroyer (Revelation 9:11). The names for him describe not only his loss but the loss of any who follow him. Whereas he was once known as Lucifer, meaning the shining one, he is now best known as Satan, meaning adversary or enemy. He changed from being a servant of God to the arch enemy of God and all that is godly (1 Peter 5:8 and Ephesians 6:12). He was created as a beautiful being of light; by his own selfish choices he became the embodiment of unfathomable darkness.
The Voice of Victory
A loud voice is heard to speak, and the sound of that voice reverberated throughout Heaven. Many references to a great or loud voice in Heaven are found in the Revelation. The voice in verse 10 represents the people of God in Heaven as they are referring to “the kingdom of our God” and “the accuser of our brethren.” The reader may wish to compare this passage to Revelation 5:9-12. This voice seems to issue from the ones who have overcome the dragon by the blood of the Lamb, as we will soon consider in Revelation 12:11.
The voice announced the victory over Lucifer, the accuser of the brethren (consider Job 1:6-12). The victory over Lucifer was settled as Lucifer was cast out; however, the full effect of that victory is not realized until Satan is cast into the eternal lake of fire. Based on this victory over Lucifer, the voice announces, “Now is come…” speaking of “salvation,” of “strength,” the “kingdom of our God” and “the power of his Christ.” These references to what “is come,” are related to the triumph God gives to His people and His Son as they have victory over Lucifer. This also is a prophecy of the eventual and ultimate victory of Christ over Satan, which will be partially fulfilled at the Battle of Armageddon.
Overcoming the Accuser (Revelation 12:11)
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.
The Overcomers
Satan has always sought to condemn believers as part of his overall rebellion against God, not only accusing them before God but hindering them at every opportunity. He has always been and continues to be the great enemy of God’s people. Some suggest that the overcomers of verse 11 are believers who are saved during the seven-year Tribulation and then killed for the testimony of Christ. Surely there will be joy unspeakable in heaven when the Devil, the accuser of the brethren, is cast out. If we consider Revelation 6:9-11 and 7:1-17 we may conclude that the brethren mentioned here are the tribulation saints, or the saints of the Tribulation. But these saints did not win victory by their efforts.
How They Overcame
Those whom Satan sought to condemn, the saints of God, overcame his efforts through “the blood of the Lamb” and the salvation He provided through His shed blood and self-sacrificial offering. They overcame the wiles of the devil by unshakable “word of their testimony.” They overcame any effort of the devil to have victory over their lives by giving their lives ultimately to God and His cause, something that in and of itself is a victory over Satan.
The martyrdom of these believers reveals their devotion and love for their Lord. Christ, motivated by love, gave the ultimate sacrifice at the cross of Calvary, and these have followed in His footsteps. They love the One who shed His blood to make them free. Being aware that it is He who has given them life, they have rightly reckoned themselves dead to the fleshly man and alive in Christ. They have given their lives for the One they loved, the One who loved them. Jesus, In John 15:13, states this is the greatest expression of love anyone could make.
The Devil’s Wrath (Revelation 12:12)
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.
Rejoicing in Heaven
The word therefore links the thought in Revelation 12:12 with verse 11, so it appears that the voice that spoke in verse 11 continues to speak through verse 12, calling all Heaven to rejoicing. Those in Heaven being called to rejoice are the twenty-four elders, the four beasts, and the good angels of Heaven described in Revelation 4.
They should rejoice because the devil is not invincible. Though Lucifer is a powerful being, Michael has revealed the devil’s weakness and cast Lucifer from Heaven, but this defeat of the formerly-beautiful now-turned-hideous angel is only a prelude to his ultimate defeat. The inhabitants of Heaven, however, have assurance of the final defeat.
Those in Heaven will no longer have to experience the presence and the evil accusations of Lucifer. Once he came before God making accusations, but now he must remain removed from the presence of the throne. Any place becomes a more joyful place without the work of the devil because the work he does removes joy. Any claim to Heaven ever voiced by Lucifer no longer exists. He no longer has a “place” in Heaven (recall Revelation 12:8) and will not return to his former position of privilege.
We can compare the manner of the rejoicing in Heaven to Revelation 4:8–11, where the inhabitants around the throne worship God. Rejoicing in Heaven would certainly involve praising God for the defeat of Lucifer. Perhaps the appropriate words would be a reiteration of Revelation 4:11 – “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power…”
Woe on Earth
While those in Heaven rejoice over the defeat of Lucifer those on earth have reason for unspeakable sorrow. In the same call for Heaven to rejoice is a pronouncement of woe upon the inhabitants to earth. The voice expresses the reason in their terrifying words: “the devil is come down unto you…” This lamenting pronouncement of woe to those on the earth is because while Lucifer has been cast out of Heaven, he has been cast down to the earth. Heaven is rid of him but earth must endure his presence. Although Heaven rejoices that Lucifer will no longer work his evil there, the earth will surely feel the pain of his devilish ways because he will fully unleash his “great wrath.” Peter’s warning in 1 Peter 5:8 certainly applies to the inhabitants of the earth, as he wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Surely he will do his work as violently and as swiftly as possible “because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
The Devil’s Wrath
God created Lucifer as an angel with emotional capacity and, as with all aspects of his being, Satan’s emotions are evil. Having been cast out of Heaven, he is angry and his wrath is great. He comes to earth in fury seeking to destroy and dishonor God. The woe is therefore toward the inhabitants on earth, for they will surely feel his fury.
The specific time of Satan being cast out of Heaven is difficult to identify. However, the Scriptures reveal his fall and the effects of it. Many teach and it is this author’s opinion that the conditions found in Genesis 1:2 are the direct result of Lucifer’s fury as he came to the earth (but that’s a topic for a future series). If that is true, God had created the earth in some perfect form of which we know nothing and it was destroyed, or made “without form and void” by a marauding band of sin-maddened demons and “darkness was upon the face of the deep” as a result.
The inhabitants of the earth during the seven-year Tribulation will also experience the working of Lucifer through the man of sin. Satan, cast out of Heaven, will incarnate himself within the beast or anti-Christ, and in that incarnation he will attempt to destroy all who oppose him and any who will not bow down in worship to him.
The Devil’s Time
The degree of knowledge that Lucifer possesses is less than that of God to be sure, but it appears to be greater than that of man. He by no means possesses all knowledge (omniscience). Lucifer is not equal to his creator. The angels, however, are in some ways superior to man, as seen in Hebrews 2:7 which states: “Thou madest him [man] a little lower than the angels.” Demon-possession also reveals the superiority of angels over man (consider the demoniac of Gadera in Mark 5). Assuming that Lucifer is a very intelligent being, he realizes his defeat in the battle against Michael sealed his ultimate doom.
Lucifer does not know the exact time of his ultimate defeat any more than he knows the time of the coming of the Lord in the clouds. He realizes, however, that within the context of eternity his time to work on earth is limited. This knowledge stirs his wrath against all of God’s creation, but especially God’s people.
The Flood After the Woman (Revelation 12:13-16)
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.
Persecution of the Woman
When Lucifer is cast to the earth he is angry at God and everything godly; Israel, the spiritual wife of God and the national mother of the Christ child, is then a prime target for the wrath of Satan. Historically Satan has persecuted Israel, or the woman. Satan has attempted to destroy the Jews by numerous means and at many times throughout history and there can be no doubt will try again in the Tribulation (recall Revelation 12:4). Through his false peace with the people of Israel in the first half of the seven-year period he will seek to undermine the religious devotion of the people of Israel to their God. Then at the middle of the seven-year period Satan, in the man of sin, will turn against Israel and implement an open and active plan to destroy it (Daniel 9:24-27).
Wings of the Eagle
The wings given to the woman represent her ability to escape the threat of the man of sin much like an eagle may use its wings to fly quickly away from danger. When in the middle of the seven years the man of sin turns against Israel and seeks to destroy it, it has the ability to “fly” quickly into the wilderness, or the place God has prepared for it (recall Revelation 12:6).
Again, as in verse 6, the vision assures John of the care of Israel; God nourishes His nation for three and one-half years, represented by the “time, times and half a time.” God protects Israel from the face of the serpent, or as in verse 9, “…that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan…” This reference to the serpent as it applies to the seven-year Tribulation speaks of the man of sin, and God will protect the people of Israel from the very face of the man of sin. He will have no power to find them, look upon them, or otherwise affect them. God will hide them so well that they will be invisible to the man of sin, and through this protection God will fulfill His promise to preserve a remnant of Israel as foretold in Jeremiah 23 and Romans 11.
The Flood
God hides the people of Israel from the face of the man of sin for the last half of the seven-year Tribulation. Neither Satan nor his man know their location and they are thus unable to do anything to affect them. At the end of that time of hiding, however, the serpent, or man of sin, sends a flood after Israel that is designed to destroy it. This flood is likely the army assembled by the man of sin sent forth in a last-ditch effort to destroy Israel. The time of this effort is at the end of the seven-year Tribulation. Recognizing the events that lead to this effort helps explain the actions taken by the man of sin.
Israel, for the first three and one-half years of Tribulation, remains in Jerusalem, worshiping God during the false peace and under protection of the man of sin. Its witness and work during that time of false peace is portrayed in the ministry of the two witnesses of chapter 11. At the middle of the Tribulation the man of sin turns against Israel, and it escapes and remains hidden for the latter half of the Tribulation (compare this event with the killing of the two witnesses recorded in Revelation 11:7-11). The two witnesses prophesy faithfully and powerfully for three and one-half years, then remain dead for three and one-half days, after which time God revives them so that they cause the inhabitants of the earth, including the man of sin and his army, great dread and fear. It is this revival of Israel, or its coming out of hiding, that leads the man of sin to send his army against Israel in the great Battle of Armageddon. As we will see revealed in chapter 19, Christ returns at that moment, destroying the man of sin and his army, thus saving Israel.
The Mouth of the Earth
If some of the events of the seven-year Tribulation are analogous to geological events such as with volcanoes or earthquakes then it is reasonable to associate this opening of the mouth of the earth with the great earthquake mentioned several times in the Revelation (6:12; 8:5; 11:13 and 19; 16:18). By God’s provision the earth swallows the “flood,” thus protecting Israel, perhaps not unlike the Red Sea swallowed Pharaoh’s army as they pursued Israel (Exodus 14:13-31).
The Remnant (Revelation 12:17)
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.
The Wrathful Dragon
The dragon here pictures the man of sin during the Tribulation as he is frustrated over his inability to overcome the woman. Being angry with the woman, he makes war with the remnant of her offspring.
The Remnant
This remnant is described by two clauses, first “…which keep the commandments of God…” and second, “…have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Both of these descriptive clauses equally apply to the “the remnant.” Any detailed explanation of this description depends on the identification of this remnant. One interpretation is that this remnant includes those who were saved during the Tribulation who will surely suffer persecution for the cause of Christ. These then are those who would be killed in the Tribulation (Revelation 6:11) and those listed as having been killed in “great” Tribulation (Revelation 7:11-17).
An interpretation perhaps more accurate is that the “remnant” refers to the woman herself, or Israel, because it is the end-time remnant spoken of in the prophecy of Jeremiah 23 and by Paul in Romans 11:5. The dragon’s war with the remnant is his war with Israel, the woman. I am aware of no evidence to support a division of the woman from the prophetic remnant; therefore it should be considered as a whole. The description is then applicable because God gave Israel the “commandments” and Israel thus bears the “testimony of Jesus Christ” as His national mother. This latter interpretation seems to be the most applicable to this writer.
Summary (Revelation 12:7-17)
We might best view the events of chapter 12 as John saw them, perhaps much like a moving picture, the vision of a series of actions carried out by the characters in the story. The vision begins with a war in Heaven. A great red dragon, rebellious toward his creator, seeks to take the throne of Christ and contends with Michael the arch-angel, who fights against the dragon and casts him out of Heaven to the earth in shameful defeat. Frustrated, the dragon that is Satan seeks to destroy the woman, Israel, and her child, Christ. The vision ends with the efforts of the dragon on earth being thwarted, even as he was defeated in Heaven.
In Genesis chapter 12 God instituted the nation of Israel through Abraham and promised its unending existence. In Genesis chapter 49 and Isaiah chapter 9 He also promised that a deliverer and a king would come from Judah and that His kingdom would last forever. Satan doesn’t know everything but he knows what God has said. While he certainly realizes he will suffer eternally in defeat Satan still seeks to hinder the plans of God as much as he can. God, however, will have the victory.
We will examine the anti-Christ in the next article. In the meantime pray, and as Paul admonished Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” and be blessed.
Tom