Another Fall From Heaven

To me it's rather thrilling to know that there is an invisible war going on and God is sovereign and God is in control and the demons lose.

A warfare that influences and incites and manipulates and we ought to look at things understanding full well the force of evil behind the evil we see. What Paul meant when he said our battle ultimately is not against flesh and blood but against rulers powers, world forces of darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. In fact, that's why we understand the battle behind even our own temptations and we pray, Lord, deliver us from the evil one. Most people think that Satan is a myth. They relegate Satan to the category of fairy tale.

The reason for that is that they simply don't believe the Bible. God's word is clear. There is a being named Satan and he's at war with God. Now, there's also the theological truth that Satan has already been defeated and his doom is sure. But while Satan awaits his fate he remains active in this world. His desire is to work against God and to harm believers. This is part of what we're going to learn today here on Wisdom for the Heart. Stephen Davey is working through a series called Antichrist and the Many Faces of Evil.

Let's get started. Revelation chapter 12. Let's go back there where we're provided in a few verses a condensed view of redemptive history. He pictures the woman, you remember, who represents Israel as a persecuted suffering woman giving birth to a male son. Verse 5, male son.

The redundancy of that is intentional. It's a term indicating the legal right of the first born to sit upon the throne. He pictures the birth of this child, obviously Christ, the heir to David's throne, having the legal right to rule, born of this woman, Jewish, of Jewish kin. John also pictures for us with figurative language a dragon, just as he did with figurative language this woman.

How do we know he's speaking figuratively? Well, he uses the word semion or sign, a sign in heaven. That means this is a symbolic personification of someone or something. So you have the sign of the woman, verse one, a symbol of Israel, and you have the sign of the dragon, verse three, representing the worldwide empire of Satan in these final days. And you notice again in verse four that the dragon is standing before the woman waiting to devour him as soon as he's born, waiting to destroy this legal heir to the throne of David. In verse 5, very quickly we're told that the child is safely delivered and then taken up to God the Father.

And so here you have the most condensed summary of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ anywhere in the Bible. Again, John's intention here in this chapter is not to fill in the details, but to give us an overview of Satan's efforts and the evil ones who will do his bidding throughout world history, certainly in the latter days. So we're told that Satan has hunted the Jewish people since the nation was promised that one of their own descendants would be the Messiah. That's verses one and two. We're told that Satan has manipulated the world empires.

There have been six of them. The seventh is yet to come to thwart the efforts of God on earth. That's verse three.

We're informed that he will create a ten-nation confederacy, a reference to the ten horns. Daniel informs us these are ten kings to fight against God, ultimately to fight against Israel. We're reminded that Satan fell from heaven with many angels, verse four. We're given the inside look at his attempt to kill the Messiah, verse four.

And we're told he failed to destroy the Messiah who ultimately rose back to heaven. That's verse five. And finally, we're told in verse six that he will unleash a unique period of persecution that will last for literally three and a half years against the mother of the child that is literally the nation Israel. Notice we're told in verse six that the dragon redirects his anger and terror toward this woman who flees then into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God where she would be nourished for 1260 days, literally three and a half years. In that we can be certain then that this woman isn't the church or Mary, the mother of Christ, because of this clear language.

She runs to a place where she's kept away from the serpent for three and a half years. Certainly Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt to avoid the decree of Herod to kill the male children from the age of two and under. But according to Matthew two, their flight to Egypt lasted then and it would only last a few months. That is until Herod's death. The church, some believe, would be the church. It's certainly been hounded and hunted by the dragon, but the church is not running away. It isn't running away and now protected for three and a half years.

Not at all. We're in the midst of the battle. Now it's lasted for some 2000 years ever since the day the church was created on the day of Pentecost. Look down at verse 13 for even more clarity. And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time. That's Daniel's phraseology for three and a half years where she is going to be protected, nourished uniquely, supernaturally, like Elijah by the brook was nourished. Now we'll look at this flight to safety in our next session.

You can't go that fast here, OK? Now, as Chapter 12 opens, the apostle John describes for us the faces and the forces of evil behind this global rebellion against God during the tribulation. And not surprisingly, then, the primary face, which is foremost, is this one John refers to in verse three as the red dragon. Again, that's a reference that refers to his blood lust. He's a murderer.

He's a killer. He loves to shed blood. In verse nine, he's called another thing. Let's look at some of these phrases used for him. He's called the serpent of old. That's a reference to his crafty, deceitful ways.

He's a snake. It's one of my favorite titles for him, by the way, the serpent of old or the old serpent. The word old is the word our chaos, which gives us our word archaic.

Nobody likes to be told they're getting old, certainly archaic. And that's exactly what John does here. In fact, you enter the first book of the Bible and you hear him referred to as simply the serpent. Genesis three. And now you come to the last book of the Bible and he's called the old serpent, the archaic snake. Martin Luther is probably right when he says that Satan, who loves to be in longs to be worshiped, is infuriated by being jeered at and he cannot bear scorn. Here in this text, John seems to do just that when he calls him nothing more than an archaic snake. Later in verse nine, he's called the devil.

You could perhaps circle some of these references and other words as you take your time with me in the text. This is a translation from the Greek word Diablo. It simply means to defame, to slander. It carries the idea of one who separates by means of his whispering or slandering. Certainly one of the devil's primary objectives is to so slander God before the believer so as to separate the believer from the confidence of God's love and redemption. He constantly defames the character and integrity and trustworthiness of God before the believer to ultimately rob God of the faithful worship of his children.

We just happen to be pawns. He wishes to move in his ultimate hatred against God. He certainly is busy. He defames, he divides the church as well. I'm convinced the devil most often doesn't try to destroy the church outright.

Most often he just joins it and then he encourages division and happily provides ammunition for both sides. That's why one of the most devastating challenges a church faces, according to the New Testament, is never from the outside, but from the inside. That was Paul's warning to the Ephesian church, warning them of those who would rise up in the assembly, who would harm and hurt the flock. They don't care about the sheep.

They only cared about themselves. That's chapter 20, verse 29. So one of the chief aims is found in this term devil.

It's to deceive and divide the church, thus destroying her unity and her effectiveness in the gospel. Another name you notice in verse nine attributed by John to this slanderer is simply the term Satan. It's a Hebrew word transliterated satan is the Hebrew word Satan. It simply means adversary or a poser. These are all references to who he is and what he does.

Finally, verse 10, we'll look at one more. He's called the accuser. That word often appears for him, and we'll come back to it in a moment.

But for now, this title implies a rather chilling intention of our chief enemy. The word literally means to bring a legal charge against another person. We're told in verse 10, look there, that Satan accuses the brethren before God day and night. He must be an amazing prosecutor. He brings legal accusation before God about you and me. And listen, he does so on legitimate grounds.

He has legitimate accusation. Daily we offer Satan more evidence to make a case against us. And he goes before God and effectively he says, surely you will reject them now. Surely that sinful, disobedient wayward self centered man or woman, you'll be done with them. He just is unceasing in his accusation against us.

But he will not succeed. Paul wrote to the Ephesians of their security and ours in Christ. He says, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having believed you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge that is literally a down payment of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians one, thirteen and fourteen. Charles Wesley wrote it well, and we sing it often when he said it this way, no condemnation. Now I dread Jesus and all in him is mine alive in him my living head and clothed in righteousness divine that is clothed in his righteousness. Bold I approach the eternal throne and claim the crown through Christ my own.

The accuser will not succeed. God will lose none of his. No one can pluck us from his hand.

We have already received the down payment of our inheritance. Now much to our surprise, at least to mine, John reveals to us that a future battle is going to take place in heaven. And now you need to follow this carefully. This is taking place within the context of the Great Tribulation. It's possible to overlook, in fact I think this is probably one of the most overlooked battles in the book of Revelation.

And yet its implications are so exciting. Look at verse seven. There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war.

And they were not strong enough and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. Now before we move to the end result of this battle, we've just been introduced to another angel, haven't we? He's evidently the general in this war with the captain, maybe the captain of the Lord's hosts who wages war against Satan. His name, we're told, is Michael.

By the way, I gotta push pause for a moment. I find it fascinating that God named his angels. We've already learned there's at least three hundred, four hundred million of them. You had trouble naming your three kids, right? Imagine this. You remember the conversation.

Maybe some of you are in the right, I know 40, 50 babies are born every year that then populate that nursery. So that means a lot of people in here are probably going through this naming. What goes well with what? Maybe you went to Walmart and got the book, 200 names that sound good or have great meanings or whatever. What family member maybe do you honor? What rhymes with your last name?

What sounds good? My mother named three of her sons with middle names that all started with the letter D. Duane Dale and Dean. Three Ds, which looked a lot like my report card as a kid growing up. I wish she'd given me an A for middle name.

Then a guy came in and said, well, that would have been sad because had you been given a middle name A, your initials would be S-A-D. He obviously wasn't listening to me preach. Imagine though the obvious concern and care and the nature of our God revealed in the naming of his angels. Now we're told in verse 7 that Michael was at war with the dragon. That's Satan. So angels and demons are involved in this skirmish.

Verse 8, here's the end result. They were not strong enough. The demons were not strong enough. There was no longer a place found for them in heaven and the great dragon was thrown down. The serpent of old who was called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with them. Now let's ask and answer two very critical questions. First, who is Michael exactly?

And secondly, when did this battle take place? First, who is Michael? Well, the name is simply the Hebrew word Michael, which means who is like God.

It's a great name, great meaning. The first time we encounter Michael is in the Old Testament book of Daniel. He's called the great prince and he specifically seems to have been given the role of protecting the Jewish people as God so allows and commands. We're told in Daniel chapter 10 that Daniel has been praying. He's been praying for insight into the revelation that we've been studying now for some time and he's asking God for help. He hasn't been able to sleep.

He hasn't been able to eat. He's so troubled by this and he's gone now three weeks without eating or sleeping and after three weeks of praying, Daniel is visited by the archangel Gabriel who informs him, look, I would have been here three weeks ago but I was held up by the prince, the demonic, this individual, the prince of Persia. Let me just read what Gabriel says for the sake of time.

I'll read it. Do not be afraid, Daniel, Gabriel says, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before God, your words were heard and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for 21 days, three weeks. Then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes or probably archangels came to help me for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

In other words, I was outnumbered. Now I have come to you to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days for the vision pertains to the days yet future. And you think, wow, that's an interesting text. We'd really like a few chapters on this whole idea. We're not given much.

What we do know is that for 21 days, the demon simply known as the one working in the kingdom of Persia intercepted Gabriel and started this invisible tug of war and God eventually sent another angel, Michael, and that was all that was necessary to release Gabriel and send him on his way to Daniel. We're not told any more than that. In fact, you better be careful not to make too much more of this than what is delivered or you end up going off a cliff with all sorts of fanciful views of these wars or battles. But we do know that it's a reality. However, at the same time, to me, it's rather thrilling to know that there is an invisible war going on and God is sovereign and God is in control and the demons lose. That there is ultimately this battle behind the battle that we do see, a warfare that influences and insights and manipulates and we ought to look at things understanding full well the force of evil behind the evil we see. What Paul meant when he said our battle ultimately is not against flesh and blood but against rulers powers, world forces of darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. In fact, that's why we understand the battle behind even our own temptations and we pray, Lord, deliver us from the evil one. So let's not make too much of them.

But let's not ignore him either. Here in chapter 12, it is Michael and the angels who defeat Satan and his demons and kick them out of heaven. Now that begs the second question. When does this take place? When does this battle take place? Some would say it took place when Satan was expelled from his high position within the ranks of heaven. You remember Isaiah speaks of this when he coveted the throne of God. But that wouldn't fit the context here because Satan is kicked out of heaven and then he battles Israel for three and a half years.

Verse 13 says when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he then persecutes the woman who gave birth to the male child in this unique period of time that we're told in verse six lasts for three and a half years. He's been battling Israel for time immemorial. Some would say this was a reference to Satan's defeat as Christ died on the cross and then rose again. Certainly that's the foundation of our victory, but Satan since the cross has had access to the throne of God where he accuses we're told here in this text the brethren day and night.

He's accusing us now. But now in this particular battle what is happening at the midpoint of the tribulation Satan is literally barred further entrance before the throne of God and he is barred further opportunity to accuse the believer and rail against the throne of God. You remember in the book of Job where Satan would come before the presence of God and accused Job's character. Job was not the first to be accused and according to this text he's not the last.

Verse 10 tells us that he has done the same for every saint for all the brethren and he's been doing that even today while we've been in here worshiping. You are being accused before God right now. Satan and his invisible forces would shout accusations about you in the presence of God and then they will come and whisper in your ear accusations about God. They are unceasing, they are untiring and they're tirade against God and against you the redeemed. You know the expression are your ears burning? What does that mean? Somebody's talking about you.

Well our ears really ought to be burning every moment of the day because we're being talked about. You're being spoken of in the heavenly court and it will not be until midway through the tribulation, in fact we've already been rescued by then, but those who are believing even during those first three and a half years and there will be millions of them where God will eventually say at this moment in time Michael I have had enough of him doing that. Take care of him. The war begins and it lasts for a moment or two I have no idea how long and Satan is barred entrance to accuse the believer before God. The prosecutor of all the redeemed is exiled to earth. He's banished from the court of heaven.

He's disbarred from the court. But I want you to know even as he's been doing this and even today as he does it, I want you to hear the lingering sound not of his accusations but of the intercessions and the defense on our part by our Savior who even now is interceding on our behalf. So Paul would write who is the one who condemns us. Christ Jesus is he who died yes rather who was raised who is at the right hand of God interceding for us. Romans chapter 8 verse 34 and one day yet future revealed here for us in Revelation chapter 12 there will be this brief battle where Satan will be sent packing that hissing serpent who has accused us and rightly so practically speaking of being undeserving of God's grace and forgiveness who even now could bring before the throne of God new fresh daily news of our failure and sin who glories in our stumblings and our disobedience and he says to God have you not seen today?

Do you know what happened yesterday? Is your store of grace not exhausted against that one and that one and that one and that one and that one and that one? Is your justice dead? But our Lord stands with nail prints in his body hands and feet to remind the old snake without perhaps even a word his wounds alone testify that we have already been judged and we are already forgiven. When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within upward I look and see him there who put an end to all my sin. My life is hid with Christ on high with Christ my Savior and my God. Wesley would write his own lyrics of our redemption this way in that same him I quoted from earlier he left his father's throne above so free so infinite his grace emptied himself of all but love and bled for Adam's helpless race. Tis mercy all immense and free for oh my God it found out me amazing love how can it be that thou my God should die for me. That hymn is a wonderful conclusion to the lesson we just heard.

Satan is defeated and his fate is sure. Thanks for joining us here on Wisdom for the Heart. This is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. Stephen is the pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina. You can learn more about us at wisdomonline.org.

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