Ch 1                                   Rapture                 Return of

         7 Churches  Ch 2-3        4:1                    Christ ch 19                                 New Heaven

                                              Trib ch 6-19                     Millenium  ch 20               & New Earth

                                   Vision of                                   Reign of Christ                ch-21-22

                                    Throne ch 4-5                           1000 years                 

 

                                  Revelation Chapter 12                               Lesson 34                   

            The Woman and the Dragon - Part 3

 

 

12:10-12  Praise at the defeat of Satan

 

- Salvation here is not in the sense of from the penalty of sin;  but speaks of the deliverance and completion of the divine plan.

 

 

- 12:10b Restated again is the reality of the expulsion of Satan from heaven;

No longer is he able to bring an accusation against one of the saints, a believer.

 

- This has been Satan's pattern of operation right down thru the ages and it all comes to a halt when he is cast out of heaven here.

 

 

12:11 The victory of the Saints - have 3 things stated as the basis of the victory

 

- First we're given the basis or ground of the victory;

"because of the blood of the lamb"

 

 

- Secondly the activity that overcomes Satan is stated; its basis is:  "because of the word of their testimony,"  

 

 

- Third the attitude involved in victory

"they did not love their life even to death."

 

To them it will be more important to be faithful to the word, to God's will than to go with the flow, the vpt of the day, and relieve the persecution.

12:12 Rejoicing in heaven;  Woe on earth!

 

Because of the victory over Satan and his expulsion from heaven;    Its a time of rejoicing;

 

He is confined to the earth as the only sphere of operations.  And he knows that his time is short.

 

Some observations:

    1. Defeat does not reduce his defiance.  Satan knows he's defeated and that his time is short.

 

    2. Here we have Satan expelled from heaven and he is going to vent his wrath on those with whom God is dealing with in a very special way at this time;  Who does he attack?  The church no!! Its gone!  The woman, Israel, the faithful remnant.

 

    3. He takes out his defiance against God and against Christ by persecuting the woman, Israel who produced the male child.  vs:13

 

    4. God is preparing Israel for the fulfillment of all the Covenant promises made to her by God.

 

12:13  Satan's response to being expelled from Heaven!

 

- Satan knows what the Word teaches that the next event is the return and of the Messiah who is to rule over the Jewish remnant remaining.

 

12:14-17 Assault on the Jewish remnant

 

It's interesting that the remnant's escape is linked to an eagle.

- Ex 19:3-4  

- Dt 32:10-12  

- Isa 40:31 

 

- It is noted that the remnant will be protected for the whole period of the Great Trib.;

 

12:15-16 Satan pursues the remnant!

 

The implication is that Satan strives with all his power to persecute and exterminate the people of Israel.

But by divine intervention God renders his attack on the fleeing remnant impotent!

 

2:17  Having failed in this attempt Satan then turns his attention to the rest of her children!