Do We UNDERSTAND THE CONFLICT OF THE AGES
REVELATION 12
Part 4
Revelation 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed
her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
So we have seen our VICTORY IN JESUS BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL
(Rev.11:19-12:6) 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament:
and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
(Rev 12:1-6) 1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet,
and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and
seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before
the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto
God, and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a
thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Next we need to consider our VICTORY IN JESUS BECAUSE SATAN IS VANQUISHED (12:7-9)
(Revelation 12:7-9) 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.
We first must ask what is this celestial warfare all about? Notice
that Michael 16 leads God’s angels to victory. This becomes significant, when we note Michael is identified with the
Nation Israel (Dan. 10:10–21; 12:1; note also Jude 9).
Daniel 10:10-21
10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright:
for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to
chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many
days.
15 And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said
unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.
17 For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength
in me, neither is there breath left in me.
18 Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto
me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and
when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these
things, but Michael your prince.
Another key is that the name Michael means, “Who is like God?”.
This may point to Satan when He rebelled against the Lord and said, “I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14). This
battle may be because the Devil’s unbridled hatred of Israel spurs him to make one final assault against the Throne of
God.
And as recorded, Michael and the angels of God will defeat him. v.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. 12:9 is the middle verse of the Book of Revelation!
So we have seen our VICTORY IN JESUS BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL (11:19-12:6), and our VICTORY IN JESUS BECAUSE SATAN IS
VANQUISHED (12:7-9); now finally our VICTORY IN JESUS BECAUSE SAINTS WILL SUFFER (12:10-17)!
Revelation 12:10-12 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of
our God, and the power of His Christ
16 Michael the archangel is a warrior. He stands in as commander-in-chief for the King of Kings. He first weighs in
at the burial of Moses. Remember how Moses’disobedience (Num. 20:7-11) forfeited his entrance to the Promised Land,
so God let him see it from afar and then die (Deut. 34:5-6). At the burial Satan wanted to take that body to use as
a snare for God’s people. The brazen serpent Moses used was transformed into an idol (II Kings 18:4). Just as the
lifeless body of Moses would have been used to start at idolatrous false worship of a messenger over the Master,
so miracles associated with dead bones are one of Satan’s biggest lies that enslaves and destroys multitudes even
today.
Michael also shows up in Daniel 10 in his work of fighting the principalities (leaders of fallen angels).
(Daniel 10:13) But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael,
one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Because Paul uses “principalities” 8 times, we can assume these are fallen angels who oversee the hindering of God’s
work in various nations. As Ephesians 6:12 says For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness
in the heavenly places.
Michael will also figure in the final conflict. In Daniel 12:1 “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince
who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was
a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
These words are happening as we open to 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.
I have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives
to the death.
12 “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!
For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” They like us,
conquer as more than conquerors through the blessedness of our four powerful weapons.
Do you know them?
1. THE WORD
* Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
* Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
2. THE NAME Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every
name,
3. THE BLOOD Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of
their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.
4. THE CROSS
* Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you
alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
* Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he
might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.
Last of all Rev 12:17, our attention is drawn to the triumph factor. John says, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman,
and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which kept the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.”
Satan cannot win. Just as the blood of the martyrs has proved to be the seed of the Church, so during the tribulation,
persecution will but drive many Jewish people into the arms of the Lord Jesus. Satan, in his rage, displays a notable
lack of imagination and originality. He has tried persecution many times before, and it has always failed to deter faith
and conversion. That he tries it again is a mute confession of failure, the last resort of a desperate and darkened mind.
The godly Jews will not recant. They will only scatter far and wide, bearing as they go the gospel of the Kingdom and
their triumph will be complete. What can Satan do with the likes of these? Lock them up in prison, and they convert
their jailers; torture them, and they become partakers of Christ’s sufferings and heirs to a great reward; martyr them,
and they go straight to be with Christ; turn them loose, and they evangelize the World!
Revelation 12:13-17 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.
Satan has always tried to destroy his mortal enemy the seed of the woman.
All of history has been a record of this conflict between the seed of the
serpent and the seed of the woman. He tried to stop God’s plan all along the way:
* Satan attempted to destroy God’s
plan when Cain murdered Abel (Gen. 4)
* Satan attempted to destroy God’s plan by the demonic intrusion into the human
line before the flood (Gen. 6)
* Satan attempted to destroy God’s plan through Goliath, as the serpent’s seed sought
to destroy the line of the woman’s seed as young David stood before him (I Sam. 17).
* Satan attempted to destroy God’s plan through Haman a descendent of Agag the Amalekite, and nearly succeeded at
Satan’s prompting to wipe out the Jews. (Esther)
* Satan attempted to destroy God’s plan by the decree of Herod to kill all the male infants (Mat. 2:13).
* Satan attempted to destroy God’s plan by tempting Jesus to take the easy road (Mat. 4).
* Satan attempted to destroy God’s plan as he entered the infuriated mob that sought to cast Jesus over a cliff
(Luke 4:28-29). Jesus won every time and as the writer of Hebrews says Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children
have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him
who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage.
From Eden to the end, there have been two groups on earth:
Two churches
Two congregations
Two directions
Satan and Rebels
God And Saints
Drunken Harlot and Chaste Bride
Followers of Lies and Seekers of Truth
Worldlings and Pilgrims
Walkers By Sight and Walkers By Faith
Hellish and Heavenly
But, a collision lies ahead – Satan’s Kingdom is nearing its hours on Earth – a time when the powers of darkness,
demons, and all will rule…The Earth will follow the false god Anti Christ, but how?
So, there are two competitions,
two destinies —
* CHOOSE CHRIST: follow Adam, pass Golgotha, and go to Heaven.
* CHOOSE ANTICHRIST: follow Cain, pass Babel, and to the Lake of Fire. “No Condemnation Now I Dread”
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
Do We UNDERSTAND THE CONFLICT OF THE AGES REVELATION 12 Part 4