Victory of Jesus, Defeat of Satan, Victory of the Saints
Notes
Transcript
Handout
This is the first of seven signs seen in heaven. It is a vision of salvation history and its coming future. Revelation 12:1-6 is an overview. Revelation 12:7-17 expands on the overview. There is good news - Jesus wins, we win through his work on the cross, and Satan is defeated.
We have victory in Jesus!
Revelation 12:1-2.
1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.
What is the OT background for the sun, moon and stars?
Genesis 37:9-11.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?”
11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Song of Solomon 6:10. Solomon's queen, representing Israel.
10 “Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?”
The sun and moon here represent Israel. The twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel. So, who is this woman?
There are four interpretations as to the identity of this woman.
1. The Catholic interpretation is that this woman is Mary. This is based on the fact that the woman is giving birth to the Messiah. It runs into trouble when the woman flees to the wilderness to be sustained by God for 3 1/2 years, for there is no record of Mary doing that, nor would it fit with the sequence of the vision.
2. The idealist interpretation is that the woman is Israel, who is being equated with the church, thus incorporating the people of God before and after Christ’s first coming.
3. The preterist interpretation is that the woman is Israel, who gives birth to the Messiah, and then in, 66 A.D., the Jerusalem church, representing believing Israel, flees to Pella, a city in the Decapolis, until the Roman campaign is over.
4. The futurist interpretation is that the woman is Israel, who gives birth to the Messiah. Israel then, at the last half of Daniel’s 70th week, flees the Anti-christ and is saved by God to be cared for in the desert by him for 3 1/2 years.
God takes care of his own.
We have victory in Jesus.
What is the significance of her being pregnant and in labour?
It is the birth of the Messiah under the oppression of Rome. Amen! Jesus is born! Emanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14; 66:7)
Jesus is born! We have victory in Jesus.
Revelation 12:3-4.
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.
4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
What are the OT passages for this dragon character? In verse 9 he is clearly identified as Satan. There are two OT passages John is drawing from. For the dragon imagery, he is drawing from Job 41; Psalm 74:11; Isaiah 27:1 the imagery of Leviathan, who is “king over all the sons of pride”. For the ten horns, he draws from Daniel 7:7,20,24.
Revelation 12:4 is where the idea that a third of the angels fell with Satan. Other scholars argue that these stars do not represent fallen angels, but angels who represent the persecuted saints. This view is supported by Daniel 8:10; 12:3.
Satan is determined to destroy the Messiah Jesus. He is lying in wait.
The first attempt to destroy Jesus was through his puppet, Herod. He ordered all boys to be killed under two years of age (Matthew 2:16).
The second attempt to destroy Jesus was in his temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).
On the third attempt he thought he had succeeded, for he was allowed to crucify the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8). But he didn’t win, for it is Christ’s death which became the gateway to life for all. For he did not stay dead, but rose again the third day, conquering the devil and death (Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:6-15).
We have victory in Jesus!
Revelation 12:5.
5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
Psalm 2:7-9.
7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Jesus was born, Emmanuel, tempted and tried like us, but without sin. Therefore he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).
Jesus is currently at the right hand of God making intersession for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:15).
Jesus’ rule is here and coming. We are his ambassadors of reconciliation through his victory until he comes (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).
Let us live in the victory of Jesus.
Revelation 12:6.
6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
The OT background for this is Daniel 12.
Church, God is a promise keeper. He cares for his own. He will care for Israel and preserve her through the last half of the tribulation period.
Our victory is in Jesus. As he is faithful to Israel; he will be faithful to us. He will use all things for our eternal good and his glory.
Victory in Jesus!
Revelation 12:7-9.
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
For a study on Satan being thrown down or falling from heaven, listen to Wednesday Study on 10/4/20203. https://www.youtube.com/live/PWPu3ePshyc?si=FOj2tA19P-F00bLG
Good News! Satan is defeated; he is thrown down to earth.
We have victory in Jesus!
Revelation 12:10-11.
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Christ has come and defeated Satan; he no longer holds the right to accuse us. Jesus died and is risen, and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
Satan no longer accuses the people of God day and night in heaven, for God is for us. It is he who justifies. Instead of Satan accusing us, it is Jesus who represents us before the court of heaven, justified (Romans 8:31-39).
We have victory in Jesus in life and in death. Let us bear witness to Jesus’ work in our lives.
Victory in Jesus!
Revelation 12:12.
12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Woe to the earth, woe to the unbeliever, for Satan and his fallen angels are here on the earth, causing great havoc in their wrath.
Please find salvation and victory in Jesus. Do not be instruments or subjects of his wrath.
We have victory in Jesus.
Revelation 12:13-16.
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.
16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
The OT reference for this is God saving Israel out of Egypt on eagle’s wings (Exodus 19:4).
The preterist has very little time break here since they have the Jerusalem church fleeing Jerusalem in 66 A.D. to be cared for by the Gentile church at Pella in the Decapolis.
The idealists are not concerned with the timing and see this as God taking care of the church in times of persecution.
The futurist sees this happening to Israel in the future, specifically the last half of Daniel’s 70th week, and it speaks of God’s faithfulness to Israel. This then speaks to his faithfulness to us.
God does take care of his own in persecution.
We have victory in Jesus.
Revelation 12:17.
17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
We are at war. May we stand in the victory of Jesus. We stand by living in the armor he has given us Ephesians 6:10-18.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Church, let’s stand in the Victory of Jesus.