Getting Thrown Out of the Party Revelation 12:1-17NKJ
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 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. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 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 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.” 13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
This chapter starts out by showing each reader a woman, a child, and the dragon.
Revelation 12:1NLT 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.
A sign or symbol points to something else. This is the first of seven signs in the last half of Revelation. A woman. Not an actual woman, but a symbolic representation of Israel, pictured in the OT as the wife of God.
Listen to Isaiah 54:5-6NLT For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. 6 For the Lord has called you back from your grief—as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God.
Three other symbolic women appear in Revelation: Jazebel, who represents paganism (2:20), the scarlet woman, symbolizing the apostate church(17:3-6). Thirdly, the wife of the Lamb (19:7), symbolizing the true church. That this woman does not represent the church is clear from the context.
Revelation 12:2NLT She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
She cried out in pain... Israel is often pictured as a mother giving birth, had agonized and suffered for centuries, longing for the Messiah to come and destroy satan, sin, and death, and usher in the kingdom.
Isaiah 26:17NLT As a woman with child Is in pain and cries out in her pangs,When she draws near the time of her delivery, So have we been in Your sight, O Lord.
Revelation 12:3NLT 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.
Red speaks of bloodshed. The woman’s mortal enemy is satan, who appears as a dragon 13 times in this book. Satan has and will rule the world until the seventh trumpet blows. He has inflicted relentless pain upon Israel.
Satan desires to kill this child before he’s even born.
Revelation 12:4NLT 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.
Verse 4 say’s, a third of the stars, satan’s original rebellion resulted in one-third of the angelic host joining his insurrection and becoming demons.
Isaiah 14:12NLT “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.
Revelation 12:5NLT 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.
A male child... Jesus Christ in His incarnation was a Jewish descent. Despite satan’s efforts to destroy Israel and the messianic line, Jesus’ birth took place as predicted by the prophets.
Verse 5 mentions, an iron rod... This describes Jesus’ coronation as King over the nations of the world.
Isaiah 7:14NKJ Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Revelation 12:5b And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.
Christ’s ascension is in view. Acts 1:9NKJ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Revelation 12:6NLT And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.
God will protect Israel from satan by hiding her in the wilderness, perhaps in the region of Moab, Ammon and Edom, east of Palestine. Interestingly, those countries will be specifically spared from the Antichrist’s attack against the Holy Land.
At the end of verse 6...1,260 days, will be the time of the mid-point of the tribulation, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel. At that time many Jews will flee for their lives, however God will preserve them for the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation.
Revelation 12:7-8NLT 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.
A state of war has been on satan since he was kicked out of heaven. Possibly, it will intensify after rapture.
Revelation 12:9NLT 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.
Devil in Greek means- to slander or to falsely accuse.
John 8:44NKJ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Satan will deceive until the end!
Revelation 12:10NLT 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.
Satan is no longer accusing believers around the throne because he hasn’t got access to heaven.
Revelation 12:11NLT 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.
I want you to hear this: “No accusation can stand against those whose sins have been forgiven because of Jesus!
Listen to Romans 8:33-39NLT Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 12:12NLT 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.”
Say, “Little time.” Knowing that his time is limited, satan will intensify his efforts against God and mankind, and specifically target Israel.
Revelation 12:13-14NLT 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.
This isn’t actual bird wings, but a graphic depiction of God’s providential protection of Israel.
This will occur in the second 3 1/2 years of the tribulation.
Listen to Psalm 91:4NLT He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Revelation 12:15-16NLT 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.
A great army will come against Israel like a flood, only to be swallowed up, perhaps this will occur with the many earthquakes that will come upon the earth at this time.
Revelation 12:17-18NLT 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. 18 Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea.
Satan will turn his frustrated rage against every follower of the Lamb he can find- Jew and Gentile.
Revelation 17b...—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.
The revealed truth from God and Christ contained in Scripture. Obedience to God’s word always marks a genuine believer.
John 8:32NKJ And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Benediction.
Sources:
John Mcarther Study Bible
Matthew Henry Commentary/ Revelation 12
Sermon Central
