Satan's Constant Failure
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
(2.) In your exile/sojourning, do not forget to be nourished! (12:6- τρέφωσιν) (3.) The symbol of the sea is important for understanding the character of Satan (12:18/13:1)
CONCEPTS TO COMMUNICATE: (1.) Chapter breaks are often bad and are not inspired (chapters 12/13/14). (2.) In your exile/sojourning, do not forget to be nourished! (12:6- τρέφωσιν) (3.) The symbol of the sea is important for understanding the character of Satan (12:18/13:1) 4. John gives us interpretive clues in his use of the word σημεῖον in 12:1. Do not neglect them!
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER: (4.) Are there any parallels to the use of θυμὸν in 12:12?
At this point in Revelation and until the end of the book, we need to keep in mind that this section of Scripture is not disconnected from what came before it. This is still the continuing story of the church and how it relates to the world. I know it’s a separate vision, but it follows what preceded it. One thing I want to point out here is that chapter breaks are often bad. And we’re going to see bad chapter breaks for the next three chapters of Revelation. They’re not inspired and they break up the text unnecessarily. That being said, we are entering into a new section of the text where John is going to begin something called a chiasm.
At this point in Revelation and until the end of the book, we need to keep in mind that this section of Scripture is not disconnected from what came before it. This is still the continuing story of the church and how it relates to the world. I know it’s a separate vision, but it follows what preceded it. One thing I want to point out here is that chapter breaks are often bad. They’re not inspired and they break up the text unnecessarily. That being said, we are entering into a new section of the text where John is going to begin something called a chiasm.
A. Satan (12)
A. Satan
A. Satan
A. Satan
B. Two Beasts (13)
C. Babylon (17)
C'. Babylon's Destruction (18-19:10)
B'. Two Beasts' Destruction (19:11-21)
A'. Satan's Destruction (20:7-10)
What's the point of chiasm? The point! He sort of did this with the letters to the Churches. The point was every church has good and bad to work on. The point of the chiasm he will develop for the rest of this book is the middle- Babylon. This is the experience of the church on earth as we long for Jesus’ return.
1 Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.
7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. 8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
1 Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.
In verse 1 & 3, we see the phrase, "Event of great significance”- "Sign/symbol. "Signifying through symbols." Remember in where this same word is used? He’s giving us a clue for this section. “THESE ARE SYMBOLS!!!! DON’T MISS THEM!”
In verse 1 & 3, we see the phrase, "Event of great significance”- "Sign/symbol. "Signifying through symbols." Remember in where this same word is used? He’s giving us a clue for this section. “THESE ARE SYMBOLS!!!! DON’T MISS THEM!”
1 This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John,
So what are these symbols? Because once we unravel these symbols, we can begin to understand what’s going on here.
"Event of great significance”- "Sign/symbol. "Signifying through symbols."
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
Again in verse 3.
Who is the woman? Kinda looks like Mary/Israel/People of God.
Who is the woman?
Who is the dragon? Satan (John will define that in a few verses)
Satan
7 heads
10 Horns (10- completion, horns- power/strength) like the beast in Daniel 7.
7 crowns (7- completion, crowns- authority)
Who is the child? Jesus. The rod of iron comes from .
So what’s going on here? At the life of Christ, Satan is thrown out of heaven. There’s a great war and he is cast down. He doesn’t get to stand there and say “Yeah, but....”
Jesus. The rod of iron comes from
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Jesus' ministry is done in a verse. Jesus is important, but don't miss the point here.
Jesus' ministry is done in a verse. Jesus is important, but don't miss the point here.
Jesus' ministry is done in a verse. Jesus is important, but don't miss the point here.
In , there's more going on there than we realize. This is why there’s a red dragon in our nativity.
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.
Satan is dealt a death blow here, he's thrown down to the earth until God decides to kill him.
When was Satan cast out of heaven?
We were always taught that it was before time began and this is the only passage in the Bible that talks about it, and when are we?
The Christ event.
Here is where Satan is dealt a death blow here, he's thrown down to the earth until God decides to kill him.
He can't have been cast down to earth at the beginning of time because of .
6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.
People try to push as talking about Satan, but in context, he's talking sarcastically about the king of Babylon.
1 For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord’s land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.
3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
the insolent fury ceased!
5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers,
6 that struck the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
they break forth into singing.
8 The cypresses rejoice at you,
the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low,
no woodcutter comes up against us.’
9 Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.
10 All of them will answer
and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!’
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
the sound of your harps;
maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,
and worms are your covers.
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
17 who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who did not let his prisoners go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb;
19 but you are cast out, away from your grave,
like a loathed branch,
clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the pit,
like a dead body trampled underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
because you have destroyed your land,
you have slain your people.
“May the offspring of evildoers
nevermore be named!
21 Prepare slaughter for his sons
because of the guilt of their fathers,
lest they rise and possess the earth,
and fill the face of the world with cities.”
22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.
24 The Lord of hosts has sworn:
“As I have planned,
so shall it be,
and as I have purposed,
so shall it stand,
25 that I will break the Assyrian in my land,
and on my mountains trample him underfoot;
and his yoke shall depart from them,
and his burden from their shoulder.”
26 This is the purpose that is purposed
concerning the whole earth,
and this is the hand that is stretched out
over all the nations.
27 For the Lord of hosts has purposed,
and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
and who will turn it back?
28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle:
29 Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,
that the rod that struck you is broken,
for from the serpent’s root will come forth an adder,
and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
30 And the firstborn of the poor will graze,
and the needy lie down in safety;
but I will kill your root with famine,
and your remnant it will slay.
31 Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;
melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!
For smoke comes out of the north,
and there is no straggler in his ranks.
32 What will one answer the messengers of the nation?
“The Lord has founded Zion,
and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.”
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O shining star, son of the morning!
You have been thrown down to the earth,
you who destroyed the nations of the world.
1 For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord’s land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.
3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
the insolent fury ceased!
5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers,
6 that struck the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
they break forth into singing.
8 The cypresses rejoice at you,
the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low,
no woodcutter comes up against us.’
9 Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.
10 All of them will answer
and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!’
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
the sound of your harps;
maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,
and worms are your covers.
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
17 who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who did not let his prisoners go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb;
19 but you are cast out, away from your grave,
like a loathed branch,
clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the pit,
like a dead body trampled underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
because you have destroyed your land,
you have slain your people.
“May the offspring of evildoers
nevermore be named!
21 Prepare slaughter for his sons
because of the guilt of their fathers,
lest they rise and possess the earth,
and fill the face of the world with cities.”
22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.
24 The Lord of hosts has sworn:
“As I have planned,
so shall it be,
and as I have purposed,
so shall it stand,
25 that I will break the Assyrian in my land,
and on my mountains trample him underfoot;
and his yoke shall depart from them,
and his burden from their shoulder.”
26 This is the purpose that is purposed
concerning the whole earth,
and this is the hand that is stretched out
over all the nations.
27 For the Lord of hosts has purposed,
and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
and who will turn it back?
28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle:
29 Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,
that the rod that struck you is broken,
for from the serpent’s root will come forth an adder,
and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
30 And the firstborn of the poor will graze,
and the needy lie down in safety;
but I will kill your root with famine,
and your remnant it will slay.
31 Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;
melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!
For smoke comes out of the north,
and there is no straggler in his ranks.
32 What will one answer the messengers of the nation?
“The Lord has founded Zion,
and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.”
So this (the life of Christ) is where Satan is cast out.
So this (the life of Christ) is where Satan is cast out.
At the Christ event, Satan is told to sit down, and shut up and he's not allowed to speak to accuse the people of God anymore.
Lucifer isn't his name. It comes from where it's talking about Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon (remember the period of time he spent eating grass/thinking he's a cow?) Morning star in Latin is Lucifer. People take this passage as talking about Satan, so they attribute Lucifer to him. It's not his name!
Who is the morning star? .
The Bible isn't concerned with where Satan came from. The Bible is concerned with his destruction!
Make sure the beliefs that you have are what is revealed in Scripture.
10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
“It has come at last—
salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night.
11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much
that they were afraid to die.
12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens!
And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!
But terror will come on the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to you in great anger,
knowing that he has little time.”
Victory comes through suffering. Four key facets are coming to fruition here at the Christ event that we see in verse 10:
1. God's Salvation
2. God's Power
3. God's Kingdom
4. Christ's Authority
These were accomplished in their fruition (not completion) by the birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
Already/not yet. The Christ event is our D-Day. The beach has been stormed and taken. Once we succeed at Normandy, the war was as good as over. But fighting continued until the war was declared over. These things have come to fruition and not completion.
Satan is already defeated, but he will be destroyed at the 2nd coming.
Verse 11- allegiance to Christ is (blood of the Lamb), witness about Christ (word of their testimony), & sacrifice for Christ (they loved not their lives even unto death) are what allow victory. This is how we should respond to Satan's fury:
1. Need to be aligned with Christ
2. Need to be witnessing for Christ
3. Need to be willing to sacrifice yourself for Christ.
In the Kingdom of God, we attain victory through suffering.
1. Heavens rejoice (accuser is gone from the court forever).
2. Earth is to be pitied (accuser is now on the earth).
Think of those who are in Asia minor that John is addressing. Do you understand why you're being persecuted now?
13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time.
15 Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. 16 But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. 17 And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.
In the desert/time, times & 1/2 a time.
Verse 14- recapitulation of .
In the desert/time, times & 1/2 a time.
He's coming for us. That's us.
That's why we see the Christians of China, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Russia and hundreds of other countries suffering persecution. Satan has not cooled off after 2,000 years. And as Satan comes for us, the promise of God is nourishment. Even in the wilderness. It’s the Exodus all over again! We’re in the wilderness and this life is us being dependent upon God.
Not upon the government or a political ideology. Not upon the things that we do or the things that we like. Not upon the car we drive or the house we live in. Not upon the things we own. Not upon our friends or enemies. Not upon our favorite football team. Not upon the Royals record (thank God for that since they’re like 23 and 30), but solely upon God!!!
Let me ask you this question:
Out of all the things that you care about, what do you really care about? Out of all the things in your life that matter, what really matters? Out of all the things that attract, what COMPELS? Can you say,
“I can live without air conditioning, hair conditioning, weight conditioning, but give me God. I can live with less sleep. I can live in a smaller house. I can live with a higher golf handicap, but give me God. I can live with fewer friends, more enemies, lonely Friday nights, early Sunday mornings, but give me God. You can cancel my cable, cancel my internet, cancel my subscription to Sports Illustrated but because of God and the blood of Christ that has cancelled my sin, GIVE ME GOD!”
Can you say, “Bring me tough times, tough people, tough relationships, but give me God”?
Can you say, “I can live without the MLB, the NFL, and NBA on ABC, CBS, and NBC. I can live without the USAF, USMC, without TLC and yes, the USA, but GIVE ME GOD!”
Can you say that? And if you do, you will dig. You will burrow. You will crawl. You will climb. Because with clenched teeth and a firm jaw, your passion for God will be used by God to produce growth in the Word.
Because there’s an enemy coming! Will you let him distract you, or do you depend too much on God to be distracted? Are you being nourished? As we go through the wilderness, are you collecting the manna? If it sounds like I’m repeating myself, it’s because God is. He’s trying to emphasize this to you- BE IN THE WORD. You’ll never survive the wilderness if you aren’t collecting the manna!
Because the last verse in this chapter says:
18 Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea.
He’s still standing on the shore of the sea. What is the sea? Evil. Chaos. This is what is in store for those Satan is making war against. The enemy will throw all kinds of evil and chaos into your life to either make you comfortable so you forget God, or make your life miserable so you will curse God. Do not be deceived. Be nourished! Pick up the Word! It’s too important to leave bring your Bible to church, but leave it on the shelf the rest of the week.
And he stood on the shore of the sea. What is the sea? Oooh... Evil. Chaos. This is what is in store for those Satan is making war against.
BE NOURISHED BY GOD! Then, as Satan makes his stand on the shore of the sea- as he sends evil and chaos into your life- you will be equipped to fight.
In a moment, we’re going to sing a song celebrating God’s grace and provision for his people. Asking him to tune our hearts like an instrument to sing his praises because of his mercy and blessing.
Come thou fount of every blessing
We’re going to sing, “here I raise my ebenezer, hither by thy help I’m come.” An ebenezer is a monument to remember, so we’ll sing that this moment is what we will use to remember that it’s only by God’s help that we’ve come this far, and only by his grace that we will make it home. We will sing about his grace to seek us out when we were rebellious strangers from God. How to rescue us, he offered his blood to forgive and cleanse us. We’re going to sing about grace being poured out so much more than we can possibly repay, and we will ask God to make the knowledge of our debt being paid seal our hearts to be forever grateful to him.
But it makes no sense to sing of that grace if you’re not willing to partake of the manna that’s being poured out. So please, open your Bibles every day. Cross check what I preach with the rest of Scripture. There’s no nobility in idly accepting the teaching of anyone, even Paul.
Be like the Bereans in and search the Scriptures daily to see if what I’m teaching is true. And if you do that, if you allow God to nourish you in this way, it will mean nothing that Satan stands on the shore of the sea.
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.