The Revelation of Jesus Christ: Volume 2

Copyright © 2013 Alfred J. Chompff, Pastor.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-9249-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-9251-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-9250-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013907721

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/03/13

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 45.   Rev 12:7   Michael And The Dragon

Chapter 46.   Rev 12:14   God, Our Protector

Chapter 47.   Rev 13:1   The Beast Out Of The Sea

Chapter 48.   Rev 13:7   The Antichrist’s Power Over The Earth

Chapter 49.   Rev 13:11   The Beast Out Of The Earth

Chapter 50.   Rev 13:14   The Clever False Prophet

Chapter 51.   Rev 14:3   Singing With The Lamb On Mount Sion

Chapter 52.   Psalm 91:1   Jehovah Is My Hiding Place

Chapter 53.   Rev 14:10   The Wine Of The Wrath Of God

Chapter 54.   Rev 14:14   The Harvest And The Vintage

Chapter 55.   Rev 15:3   The Song Of Moses And Of The Lamb

Chapter 56.   Rev 15:6   Priests Unto God

Chapter 57.   Mt 12:40   Three Days And Three Nights

Chapter 58.   Rev 16:6   True And Righteous Are Thy Judgments

Chapter 59.   Rev 16:15   Blessed Is He That Watcheth

Chapter 60.   Rev 17:5,   Mystery, Babylon The Great

Chapter 61.   Rev 17:8   The Mystery Of The Beast

Chapter 62.   Rev 17:16,   The Mystery Of The Ten Horns

Chapter 63.   Rev 18:2   Babylon Is Fallen, Is Fallen

Chapter 64.   John 14:16   The Comforter Has Come

Chapter 65.   Rev 18:6   Reward Her Even As She Rewarded You

Chapter 66.   Rev 19:2   Is There Joy About God’s Judgments?

Chapter 67.   Rev 19:9   The Marriage And The Marriage Supper

Chapter 68.   Rev 19:11   Behold A White Horse

Chapter 69.   Rev 19:21   All The Fowls Were Filled With Their Flesh

Chapter 70.   Rev 20:2   The Binding Of Satan

Chapter 71.   Rev 20:9   The Loosing Of Satan

Chapter 72.   Rev 20:12   Sinners Before The Great White Throne

Chapter 73.   Rev 20:12   The Book Of Life

Chapter 74.   Rev 21:2   A New Heaven And A New Earth

Chapter 75.   Rev 21:3   Zion

Chapter 76.   Rev 21:5   True And Faithful

Chapter 77.   Rev 21:9   The Glorious Bride Of The Lamb

Chapter 78.   Rev 22:1   The Second Paradise

Chapter 79.   Rev 22:6   Behold, I Come Quickly

Chapter 80.   Rev 22:18   The Last Messages Of Jesus

Chapter 81.   Isa 42:8   There Is No Hierarchy In Heaven

Chapter 82.   Matt 24:21   Some Notes On Matthew 24

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Appendix 4

Appendix 5

CHAPTER 45

REV 12:7

MICHAEL AND THE DRAGON

P lease open your Bible to Revelation 12:1. We are continuing today in Revelation chapter 12, where God summarizes the history of this world from the beginning of creation down to the beginning of the final tribulation period. We have seen that the woman in Revelation 12:1 symbolizes the body of saints who brings forth the Messiah—the Christ, the Anointed One—and that the dragon in Revelation 12:3 represents Satan. Today we will see in this chapter a battle between Michael and the dragon. That is why I chose for the title of this chapter, Michael and the Dragon. In the previous chapter, we saw from Daniel 12:1 that Michael is not an angel. Michael is the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the many names of Christ is Michael. Let us now read this portion of Scripture.

•   There Was War in Heaven (Rev 12:1–12, Jude 9)

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:

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

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.

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.

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.

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.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

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.

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.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

The first battle of the dragon, in verse 4, was a battle of the devil against the church on earth, to prevent Christ from bringing to realization the promise first given in paradise. But the battle in verse 7 speaks of another war, this time fought in heaven between the Devil and his fallen angels against Christ and all the angels that remained faithful to God—the elect angels. This is the record of a real spiritual battle in heaven.

Some people tend to minimize this battle as just being fought between good angels and bad angels. They point to Jude 9 to show that Michael was just an archangel. Please turn in your Bible to Jude 9. It is a letter from Jude, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, to all those in the church who are sanctified by God. Through the pen of Jude, God warns us against evil men who have crept into the church and who will lead people astray with their false doctrines. But ye shall know them by their fruits (Matt 7:16) Then we read in Jude 9, Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

•   The Spiritual War (Rev 12:5, 7, 22:19; Jude 9; Mal 3:1; Gal 4:21–26, Deut 34:6, Zec 3:1–4, Isa 63:9, 64:6, Lev 16, Ro 10:4, 8:1)

We read in the last chapter of Deuteronomy that Moses died in the land of Moab, and the Lord buried him there in a valley in the land of Moab, but no one knows the place of his grave. However, about 1,500 years later, when Peter, James, and John saw the glorified Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah accompanied Christ. How did Moses get there? God must have resurrected Moses and given him a glorified body sometime after Moses was buried. God chose Moses and Elijah to represent the law and the prophets. Historically this was the reason Moses was resurrected, for we cannot deny that Moses was resurrected and appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration. But when the Devil disputed this action of God, Michael did not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Why was Christ so polite to the Devil? The reason for this is that the Devil was still one of the dignities in heaven. This was not the time to cast the Devil out of heaven. This was the time to focus on the burial of Moses and of the law of Moses. We should see the context in which Jude 9 was stated. The context is this: Do not speak evil of those who are in authority. Jude 8 speaks in a condemning way of those who despise dominion and who speak evil of dignities. But after Christ atoned for all the sins of all the saints, the Devil was stripped of his authority to dwell in heaven as well as on earth, and the Devil was stripped of his authority to accuse the brethren, because the Law of Moses was also buried.

The battle we read about in Revelation 12:7 was fought after Christ ascended into heaven and to His throne in Revelation 12:5. Until this time, Satan was allowed to be in heaven and be the ruler on earth because he had taken the rule from Adam. We see clearly in the first chapter of Job that Satan was allowed to go in and out of heaven freely. But Michael is not an archangel. This is an interpretation by the translators of the King James Bible. Literally, the word arch means chief and the word angel should have been translated as messenger. Therefore, in Jude 9 we should read, Michael, the chief messenger. And Christ is certainly a messenger, for we read in Malachi 3:1 that Christ is the messenger of the covenant: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

But for every action of God there is also a purpose of God. The purpose for casting Satan out of heaven was to protect the saints who were already in heaven, and to protect the woman in the wilderness on this earth, for after Satan was cast out of heaven, he had less power than before. The purpose of resurrecting Moses after he was buried was first of all to make him appear on the Mount of Transfiguration to complete the symbolism of the Scriptures as the law and the prophets, but secondly the statements in Jude 9 and in Zechariah 3 are in the Bible to give us a spiritual picture of the scenario of the burial of the law of Moses, an event that is an integral part of the Gospel. Romans chapter 7 declares that the saints have died to the law and that we are now betrothed to Christ. So the law no longer wields any power over us. For the saints, the law is buried. Many historical events in the Bible show themselves as spiritual pictures of Christ and the Gospel of Christ. God has set up before us the example of Galatians 4:21–26, where Sarah and Hagar represent the new covenant and the old covenant. In Deuteronomy 34:6, we read that God buried Moses in the land of Moab, but no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day. And notice the significant statement unto this day. We cannot deny that Moses appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, for then we would have eliminated those verses from the Bible, and then we would be judged for violating Revelation 22:19, and we would not want to be in those shoes. But there are other reasons God buried Moses.

First of all, why was Moses not allowed to enter into the land of Canaan? We know the historical reason; Moses struck the Rock instead of speaking to the Rock, which represents Christ. But God orchestrated these events so that Moses was forbidden to accompany Joshua in entering the land of Canaan. Moses represented the law, and Joshua represented the Lord Jesus, who was leading His people into the land of Canaan, which represents the New Testament kingdom of God. The law must cease to wield its power to condemn, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Therefore God buried Moses, which was a disappointment for the Devil, for now he could not accuse the people of God with the law of God. Sometime later God resurrected Moses under His terms, but the Devil wanted Moses to be resurrected under his terms. This was the dispute in Jude 9. God’s purpose was to resurrect the man Moses, but the Devil wanted the Law of Moses to be raised as well. Therefore, in Jude 9, the Lord Jesus Christ, as Michael, reprimanded the Devil with the words, The Lord rebuke thee.

Please turn in your Bibles to Zechariah 3:1. We have here a similar situation recorded in Zechariah chapter 3, where Joshua, the High Priest, stands before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan stands at the right hand of Joshua. We should not be surprised to see the word angel used in reference to our Savior in His mediatory capacity. The word angel simply means, messenger. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the preeminent Angel of the Lord, the chief messenger of God. He is the Angel of the Lord who appeared to men in the Old Testament. He is called the angel of his presence in Isaiah 63:9. He is the angel of the covenant in Malachi 3:1. Our Lord Jesus is not a created angel, but He is the eternal angel of His presence, who is Himself the second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, who is fully God, our God. What is the contention here in Jude 9 and in Zechariah 3:1–4? We read in Zechariah 3:1–4,

And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment [lit: with festal garments].

Notice what the Lord said to Satan in verse 2. This is how we should read Zechariah 3:2: And Jehovah [the Lord Jesus / Michael] said to Satan, ‘Jehovah [My Father] rebuke thee, Satan.

Compare this now with what God says in Jude 9. There we read, Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord [My Father] rebuke thee.

Now, what is meant by the body of Moses? It refers to the teachings of Moses, the Law of Moses. When we read in Ephesians 5 about the body of Christ, we are not talking about the literal body of Christ, but about His church, since the body of Christ is the church. It is only used as an illustration. It is like a human body, because it functions like a human body, but we are not literally talking about the body of Jesus. Likewise, here in Jude 9 the dispute was over the body of Moses, the teachings of Moses, the Law of Moses. And what were some of the important points in the teachings of Moses?

When we turn to Leviticus chapter 16, we read in this entire chapter about the Day of Atonement. It was an atonement made by the high priest for the sins of the people. This was what the Old Testament law declared: A blood sacrifice had to be made. The wages of sin is death, and the death of the sinner was required. But the death that God has in view is not to produce a lifeless corpse, but a spiritual death that begins in this life and is completed in the life hereafter. This was one of the things that the dispute was over. The Old Testament law was written by Moses, under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, and in the Law of Moses, sin demanded a sacrificial death. This was the dispute; this was the quarrel in Jude 9 and this was also the quarrel in Zechariah 3. In both responses, the Lord rebuked Satan. But when the Devil disputed this action of God, Michael did not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord [My Father] rebuke thee. The Devil could not have known that the Lord Jesus Christ, Michael, was going to atone via the death in body and soul that was required.

Let us see now that this was indeed the dispute in Zechariah 3:1–4. Joshua, who represents everyone whom God elected unto salvation, stands before the Lord Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Lord, with filthy garments. These filthy garments represented Joshua’s own works, which were all at least tainted with sin or worse. Even the best of our works are like filthy rags in the sight of God (see Isaiah 64:6). The Lord Jesus said to Satan, The Lord has chosen Jerusalem, which means that Jerusalem must represent all the elect of God, both the Old Testament and the New Testament saints, which means that God had the New Jerusalem in view. Pointing to Joshua, He said, Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Indeed each of us is scarcely saved, like a brand plucked out of the fire, initially clothed with filthy garments, for we all were on the way to the fires of hell. What are those sins that made our garments filthy? Sin is a transgression of the law. But if the law has been buried for the saints, if Christ is the end of the law to everyone that believes (see Romans 10:4), then the grace and mercy of the Lord has been showered upon us, and in God’s sight we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to our souls. Therefore the Lord Jesus said in Zechariah 3:4, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him [Joshua] he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment [lit: with festal garments]. These festal garments represent the righteousness of Christ.

This was the issue that Satan disputed in Zechariah 3. Satan wanted Joshua to continue under the law of God, by continuing the law because of the resurrection of Moses. But God resurrected Moses under His condition: The law has no more condemning power over the saints, for we read in Romans 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, which walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. This was essentially the dispute between Christ and Satan in both Jude 9 and in Zechariah 3:1–4. And this opens up the interpretation of the remainder of Zechariah 3.

Please return now to Revelation 12:7, where we read about the battle in heaven.

1.   A Real Spiritual Battle (Rev 12:7, Isa 65:25)

There are not always battles in heaven. This was a one-time occurrence in the year AD 33. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.

This was a real spiritual battle. It was a battle in heaven, in the abode of the good and holy angels, in the presence of God Almighty. We should not think of this battle as a lion killing a mouse. That would not be a battle. No, this was a battle where Satan thought that he had a chance of winning. This was an enormously great battle. Think of it now: the Devil and his angels are so powerful that they dare to oppose God. That is how mighty Satan is. How can anyone think that he can resist this powerful Devil by his own free will? How can anyone think that Satan will not deceive him if he deceived even the clever angels? How can anyone think that he can outwit Satan by just believing in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Even the devils believe in Jesus Christ, and they tremble, for they know that such a superficial belief does not save them from going to Hell. No! This was an intense battle that was going on in heaven. But it was a purely spiritual battle. It was not fought with cleverly designed laser guns, with stun guns, or with airborne battleships like those we can see in Star Wars. This battle was fought with spiritual weapons: weapons of intellect, shrewdness, and subtlety; of law and of truth; of righteousness; and with the sword of the Spirit. Those who fought in this war are spirits, pure and simple. Moreover they are immortal spirits, at least in the sense that they have no body, and therefore they cannot die a physical death, and they cannot be wounded physically. This was a spiritual battle that was fought with spiritual means, and therefore this battle also had a spiritual outcome.

On one side we have Christ with all the holy angels. The reason He fights the Devil and his angels is that He stands for the people of God and fights for them in a time of great trouble, when they are evidently in great danger. The accuser of our brethren must be removed from heaven, for hundreds of years earlier God declared in Isaiah 65:25, They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain. If this promise of God could be annulled, then none of God’s promises would be sure.

On the other side are Satan and all his fallen angels, who also until that point in time were free to go in and out of heaven or roam on earth as often as they pleased. We have seen that the Devil is a most powerful monster, thirsting for man’s blood, with terrible hatred against Christ and against all those who are in Christ. The Devil has usurped the power of the kingdom on earth, but he is limited in that power by the decree of God. He comes with his angels. No doubt he has a large following of fallen angels, for God showed us symbolically that he dragged along in his fall from God a third of the angels in heaven. And so the Devil and his angels were cast out of heaven. They were cast into the earth. And what kind of battle is Satan waging here on earth? It is a spiritual battle for the souls of men.

•   A Spiritual Battle for the Souls of Men (Rev 12:8, Mt 24:24, 22)

And [the Devil and his angels] prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

What will the Devil do to mankind? Especially, what will he do to those who have declared themselves to be servants of Christ? Will he cause them to be persecuted, and imprisoned, and tortured, and killed, and thrown to the lions? That is what he did initially, but it had the wrong effect. All persecutions and physical killing of Christians only made the church grow more and more. And thus in the fourth century, under Emperor Constantine, all persecution stopped, and the church ceased to grow. Again, during the Reformation, the Devil found out that the persecution of Christians only made the church stronger and grow more and more. Again, in the years of the Iron Curtain in Russia, the church grew stronger through persecution. Again, in the years of the Bamboo Curtain in China, the church grew stronger through persecution. But now that we have apparently moved into the final tribulation period, the Devil’s approach is, If you cannot fight them, then join them.

We need to realize that the Devil is a spirit, and therefore spiritual warfare is his specialty. Satan does not crave silver or gold. Satan craves the souls of men. So what will Satan do to the people in the church? He will give to them pastors and teachers who bring them gospels that are oh, so close to the true gospel. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:24, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." And what will Satan do to those who are already in his clutches? He will give them a million dollars; a divorce and a beautiful new wife which they’d always coveted; a pastor who promises them health, wealth, and freedom from their spouse; or freedom from financial responsibility.

In this way he will keep them happy and quiet, removing their desire to seek for God. And what will he do with our young people? He will give them a computer. Yes, you heard me right. I am not against new technology. We are using the Internet to broadcast the gospel. But I also realize what a trap the Internet can be for our young people who do not have the wisdom to determine what is right and what is wrong. Parents need to know that the Internet exposes our young people to the filth of this sex-crazy world. It used to be that parents worried about the influence of television on their children’s souls. But believe me, the Internet is at least ten times worse than television. The Internet has a much greater influence on our children than all other audio-visual media combined. And it comes roaring into our lives as an unstoppable bullet train. Our children can be called the Internet generation. Here are just a few facts, and these facts are already outdated, since they were collected in the year 2000:

1.   Over 10 billion dollars is spent on Internet pornography annually.

2.   There are over 2 million known pornography websites.

3.   There are 2,500 new porn websites coming online every week.

4.   9 out of 10 children between the ages of 8 and 16 have viewed pornography on the Internet.

5.   25 million Americans visit porn websites between 1 to 10 hours per week, and an additional 4.7 million visit them in excess of 11 hours per week.

The Internet is not an evil tool, but what people do with the Internet in the area of pornography is a great evil. It destroys minds, homes, marriages, children, and more. And it is at the fingertips of those who happen to have an Internet connection, and at the fingertips of our children. That is why the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:22, And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. These are the days we live in. We should not close our eyes to the reality of the new electronic world we live in. But can you see that this warning of Matthew 24:22 also contains a blessing and a comfort to the people of God, for He said, For the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. In other words, even in these dire circumstances, there will still be some saints living on this earth when the Lord returns. Let us now continue in Revelation 12:9.

2.   The Immediate Object of this Warfare (Rev 12:9–10, Ge 3:15, Nu 23:21, Ro 8:29–30)

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.

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. (Rev 12:9–10)

Who or what did Christ and the angels fight for? Well, they did not fight for themselves. The angels that remained faithful were not in danger of losing their blessed status. Christ was not in danger of losing His seat of authority. He had already been tempted by the Devil at the beginning of His ministry, and He had been successful in resisting his temptations down to the end of His ministry.

But whom do Christ and the angels live for? Their joy is to fight for the people of God. The people of God are the object of the wrath of the Devil. The loud voice in heaven does not mention Michael or the angels, but it proclaims that deliverance and victory for the brethren has been won. And therefore, it is not likely that the object of Satan’s attack were the angels or Christ, but rather the people of God who had already entered into glory. The Old Testament saints whose souls were already in heaven were the objects of his wrath. Why? What has changed? Why did God allow Satan to enter and leave heaven until this point in time? The explanation is very logical.

Christ had not yet come. This means that the debt of the sinners had not yet been paid. The sins of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, David, and all the prophets had not yet been atoned for. These men all died as saints, but that is not how they came into the world. They came into the world as enemies of God, and they committed sins until the moment of their death. But all their previous sins still remained on their ledger in heaven. Christ had not yet crushed the head of the serpent, as God had promised in Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; He shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.

And Christ had not yet assumed dominion over all things that He made. The Devil was still some kind of a sovereign, and the entire world lay at his feet, because even one sin makes man a slave of Sin and Satan. This was also true all throughout the Old Testament period of time. True, in God’s counsel, it was different. In God’s counsel it was established that Christ was appointed head and mediator of His people, and all His people had been given to Him from before the foundation of the world. In that counsel, all the elect from the Old Testament time as well as from the New Testament time had been given to Christ. They were in Him. And because God’s counsel is absolutely sure, these souls from the Old Testament did not have to wait until all was finished to receive their salvation. And being elect in the decree of God from all eternity, they entered into glory before Christ actually had come and paid for their sins. Therefore, we are justified in the decree of election from before the foundation of the world. The elect do not become righteous before God in time by faith, but they are righteous in the tribunal of God from before the foundation of the earth. God beholds them in eternity not as sinners, but as perfectly righteous, as redeemed, as justified in Christ. God says in Numbers 23:21, He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. And God says in Romans 8:29–30,

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

These words are written in the past tense. But Satan did not figure with this counsel of God. Nor could Satan imagine how certain that counsel of the Almighty was. Satan did not read Ephesians chapters 1 and 2, or Romans chapter 9, for they had not yet been written. Satan could not know that all these men were elect from all eternity, and that, in the counsel of God, they were given to Christ from all eternity. On the contrary, it was against that counsel that he fought the battle on earth. Satan had hoped that he could so obstruct the purpose of the Almighty that the Messiah would never be born, would never be successful in paying the equivalent of an eternity in Hell for the sins of the people of God, and would never enter into eternal glory with the people of God.

Therefore, according to Satan’s view of the matter, all these Old Testament saints entered into heaven as sinners upon whom he had a righteous claim, as sinners who deserved to go to Hell because their sins had not yet been atoned for. And as long as these sinners were in heaven, Satan also had a righteous claim to be in heaven.

•   The Accuser of Our Brethren (Rev 12:10, Ps 19:1)

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 (Rev 12:10).

Now we understand why Satan is called the old serpent, for he is the old Antichrist from the garden of Eden. Now we understand why he is mentioned as the Devil, for he is the slanderer and accuser of the saints of God. He lies about them. He says that they have no right to enter into heaven because they are condemned sinners. But in the process of accusing them and slandering them, the Devil at the same time slanders the name and the righteousness of God, who converts sinners into saints and then takes them into everlasting glory. Now we can also understand the nature of the battle to a certain extent. The focal point here is the cross of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ finished His task on earth. He ascended into heaven on May 13 in the year AD 33, forty days after He rose from the grave, and there He was crowned King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In God’s sight, the souls of all the Old Testament saints in heaven were now perfectly clean, free from the stain of sin. But Satan could not see that. He still claimed that they were sinners because they sinned in paradise in Adam, and they had sinned all their lives, and therefore, according to the righteousness of God, they must go to Hell.

But Christ showed that He has fully paid for all the sins of all those whose souls are already in heaven. And when the Father agreed that Christ had paid for all those sins, the full price on the cross, the equivalent of an eternity in Hell, that is when it became clear to all that the saints in heaven were perfectly clean. This battle must end with the historical realization of the atonement of Christ. It has become plain, so plain that even the Devil cannot contradict it, that the saints of the Old Testament had a right to glory on the basis of the forgiveness of their sins and guilt. And therefore the conflict must end here. The Devil realizes that he is defeated and that he cannot continue. Christ can now point to the fact of the finished work of His atonement, and the fact that God was righteous in saving the saints of the Old Testament.

Now the accuser of our brethren stands himself accused. For if Christ, the sinless Son of God, had to pay for all the sins that God has imputed on Him, and had to suffer the equivalent of the torments of Hell according to the righteousness of God, how much more should the Devil and his angels suffer for their sins in Hell also according to the righteousness of God? Moreover, since the Devil and his angels were now the only ones in heaven with the stain of sin on them, and since Christ was now crowned as King over heaven and earth, Christ ordered the Devil and his angels out of heaven. And so the Devil, the accuser of our brethren, was cast out of heaven and into this earth.

This also settles the matter of extraterrestrial beings on other planets in this universe. There are none. The Devil and his angels were not cast out into the universe, since there is nothing alive for them out there. It is all dead matter out there. We are all alone in this universe. God created this great universe to show His greatness to all mankind. We read in Psalm 19:1, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth His handywork.

3.   The Outcome of this Warfare (Rev 12:10–11, 13:3, Lk 10:18, Jude 6, 2Pe 2:4)

There was a loud voice in heaven. This voice tells us that now the salvation and the power of the kingdom of God have come, and that the authority of Christ has appeared. These are things that surely could not be said immediately after the first rebellion of Satan and his angels in the Garden of Eden. All during the Old Testament history, there was as yet no salvation, and there was as yet no manifestation of the authority of Christ. And thus it fits that this battle in heaven occurred when the authority of Christ appeared, which was after His ascension into heaven.

But there is more. The Devil is called the accuser of our brethren, and by brethren is meant those who were saved in Christ and through Christ. It is also in that capacity of the accuser of our brethren that he fought this spiritual battle, and it is also in that capacity that he was defeated; for the joy in heaven is caused especially by the fact that the accuser of the brethren was cast down.

The same loud voice in heaven speaks of the fact that there were saved in Christ those who have overcome through the blood of the Lamb and the testimony which they gave. This means that the focal point of history is the atonement of Christ on the cross. This is the turning point of all of this earth’s history. This is the hinge on which Old Testament time becomes New Testament time. It is the moment in time when the ceremonial law ended and the last days of this earth began. We read in Revelation 12:11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Now we can understand why, in this song of victory, immediately after this battle is finished, no mention is made of the angels who worked so diligently to accomplish this victory. Only the brethren who were accused, but who had gained victory through the blood of the Lamb and their faith in Him, are mentioned. Now we can understand why this great voice sings, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. It is a deathblow to the serpent.

God portrays this deathblow to the serpent when He shows us the beast that comes out of the sea. Please turn to Revelation 13:3, where we read, And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death. Now is come, now has appeared, and now has been revealed the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ.

All this was still hidden in the Old Testament days. And therefore there was room for argument on the part of the Devil, and he could wage this war. But now has come the realization of the whole thing. Satan, you must go; you have no argument left. These souls belong to Christ; their sins have been atoned by Him. These souls have a right to His inheritance, and you do not. Therefore, you do not belong in God’s holy heaven. Please turn in your Bible to Luke 10:18. And so the accuser of the brethren was cast out of heaven and into the earth. The Lord Jesus referred to this event in a proleptic vision. Remember that a proleptic vision is a vision of a future action as if it were already accomplished. The Lord Jesus had sent out seventy of His disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick. And when the seventy returned, they said, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name (Luke 10:18) Then Jesus said in Luke 10:18, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

The above passage does not refer to Satan being cast out of heaven, for this was a proleptic vision. But it does convey the message that the battle in heaven of which Revelation 12:7 speaks was not a long, drawn-out battle. God’s decision was made, and God’s power was exercised. We read about this event of casting out Satan out of heaven in Jude 6. Please turn to Jude 6. Jude gives us examples of ungodly men and ungodly angels who will inherit the wrath of God. He says here in Jude 6, And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

The fallen angels were cast out of heaven and into this earth, and God adds here the information that they were In everlasting chains under darkness. These were spiritual chains, and spiritual darkness. In other words, they were roaming on this earth, but their understanding was kept from them. Please turn now to 2 Peter chapter 2. Like Jude, the apostle Peter is giving us examples of ungodly men and ungodly angels who will inherit the wrath of God, and he says there in 2 Peter 2:4, "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment …"

We see here the same emphasis that the fallen angels are cast into chains of darkness. This means that they were struck with stupidity. Satan and his angels were cast into this earth, but they were struck with stupidity. Moreover, this earth is now called hell. Is this earth presently hell? To be in hell means to be under the wrath of God. Hell can be a place, or it can be a condition. Presently this earth is under the condition of being under the wrath of God. But after the judgment of the last day, this earth will be done away with, and there will be a place called hell where the Devil and his angels and all unsaved mankind shall be cast into. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men (2Co 5:11). We must warn people that Satan and all his angels are presently roaming on earth, seeking whom they may devour, and that in joining them we may put ourselves in a condition called hell. Please turn again to Revelation 12:12. We have here a statement that we have heard before in Revelation 8:13.

•   Woe to the Inhabiters of the Earth (Rev 12:12, 8:13; Isa 44:21–23)

After the first four trumpets sound, an angel flies through the midst of heaven saying, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth (Rev 12:12) This marks the beginning of the final tribulation period. But this is not the event that is described in Revelation 12:12, for in Revelation 12:12, Satan was cast out of heaven on Ascension Day in the year AD 33. It is true that Satan was cast into the earth at that time, but he was struck with stupidity for many centuries. At the time of the final tribulation period, he will again be as powerful as before the cross. And so we read in Revelation 12:12, "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

The short time that God speaks about already lasted for almost two thousand years. In our timeframe, that is not called a short time, but for a spirit being who compares time with eternity, that is a short time. Please turn in your Bible to Isaiah 44:21. When we hear these warnings from the Lord about the wiles of the Devil and the danger we are in, we know that we should be on our guard and we should study our Bibles to arm ourselves with the sword of the Spirit and be ready for the attacks of Satan. But also remember that our God is merciful toward His people, His elect. If we see in our life that God has done a wonderful work of faith in our soul, then we must not be frightened by the woes that are sounded by the words of Revelation 8:13, or Revelation 12:12, but we must remember that our God preserves His people even unto the end of time. We read in Isaiah 44:21–23,

Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

Who is Israel here? The Lord speaks to the Israel of God, His elect, the remnant from every nation and tribe and tongue on this earth. It is true that we are Israel, His servant. But in our walk on this earth, we are not always heavenly minded, and sometimes we have committed big sins that we are still sorry for. That is why our Lord calls us Jacob, supplanter, or deceiver. And God says, I have blotted out thy sins; return unto me, for I have redeemed thee, past tense. Be careful now; it is God who gives us repentance, because it is written in the past tense: For I have redeemed thee. We are too depraved to do it ourselves. This is music to our ears. We could break forth into singing and continue rejoicing, for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Praise God that He has given us repentance.

Amen.

CHAPTER 46

REV 12:14

GOD, OUR PROTECTOR

P lease open your Bible to Revelation 12:1. In the last chapter we saw that Satan was cast out of heaven at the time the Lord Jesus ascended His throne, on Ascension Day in the year AD 33. We are continuing to read what God says to His dear saints. And the overall impression from this chapter is that Christ fights for us.

•   Christ Fights for Us (Rev 12:1–17, Mal 4:2)

We have seen that Christ fights for us, particularly in the text of the last chapter, Revelation 12:7–12, and we shall see it again today in Revelation 12:13–17. The dragon attacks the woman. Instead of fighting back, she flees into the wilderness, for God is her defender and her protector. Christ fights for us against the mighty Devil. We are no match for him, for the Devil is far too powerful for us. That is why the title of this chapter is God, Our Protector. Let us read this in Revelation 12:1–17:

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:

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

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.

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.

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.

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.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

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.

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.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The text for this chapter is Revelation 12:14, which speaks particularly of God’s protection for the woman, who represents the church of the living God. And in this chapter, when I am speaking of the woman as the church, it is hereby understood that this church is the worldwide collection of only truly saved, born again individuals—the ones for whom Christ died. This is based on the words of verse 1, where the woman is described as being clothed with the sun, and where we understand that Christ is that Sun, since Christ is the Sun of righteousness who on the last day shall arise with healing in His wings (Mal 4:2).

1.   The Timing of the Woman in the Wilderness (Rev. 12:6,14; Mt 24:22)

We have already seen in Revelation 12:6 that the woman fled into the wilderness. God simply repeats that statement in verse 14. This is not the second time she flees into the wilderness; verses 6 and 14 deal with the same event of the woman fleeing into the wilderness. Let us compare these two verses in Revelation chapter 12:

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.

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.

The first thing we see is the timing of her stay in the wilderness. It is clear that the time, and times, and half a time from verse 14 represent a symbolic three and one-half years, which is identical to the symbolic one thousand two hundred and threescore days from verse 6. Both these time symbols represent the entire New Testament period of time. We have seen that from studying the seventy sevens in Daniel 9:27.

Let us now look at these three and one-half years from a different perspective. We know that the entire history of the world is divided, as it were, into two halves, because of the coming of Christ. The cross of Christ is the hinge that divides the Old Testament time from the New Testament time. The cross of Christ is the focal point in all the history of the world, according to the Bible. If 7 is the symbolic number that indicates the complete perfection of all that God does in time, and therefore the number 7 also symbolizes the complete period of the history of the world, both before and after Christ, then it follows that three and one-half years may symbolize the entire Old Testament time and another three and one-half years symbolizes the entire New Testament time all the way to the last day of this earth.

This is how the three and one-half years are used by God in Daniel 9:27 and here in Revelation 12:14. Moreover, this number also indicates that the period of time that the church is in the wilderness is short, for the dragon knoweth that he has but a short time. Moreover, this small number also indicates that the period of time that the church is in the wilderness is cut short, for Jesus says in Matthew 24:22, And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. And so, what we see here in Revelation chapter 12:6, 14 is that the church has to suffer attacks of the dragon for the entire New Testament period of time. In this entire period, God has a place prepared for her in the wilderness for her own safety. And what does that wilderness represent?

Clearly we have here in this chapter an allegory. Verses 7–12 are not part of that allegory, for there is nothing in verses 7–12 to indicate symbolism, except that Michael is another name for Christ. But verses 1–6 are clearly an allegory, and verses 13–17 are the continuation of that allegory. There is no one who takes this woman for a real woman, and no one believes that the wings the woman receives are real wings, and no one believes that the stream of water the dragon spits out is a real stream. Therefore, we should not interpret this wilderness as a real wilderness.

We must adhere to the principle that we may not single out one element in an allegorical expression of things and take it in the literal sense. Therefore, what does that wilderness represent? Clearly the woman, representing the body of saints throughout Old Testament and New Testament history, is still on earth, for in verse 17 she still brings forth other children. The dragon attacks her. She cannot outrun the dragon. Therefore God gives her the two wings of a great eagle.

•   Two Wings of a Great Eagle (Rev 12:14, Ex 19:4, Deut 32:11–12, Isa 40:31, Jn 15:19)

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 (Rev 12:14).

God delights in those who worship Him with eyes of faith, and God delights to protect them with His wings. Let me quote some verses where we see God doing that for the love that He has for His people. God says in Exodus 19:4, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. What God refers to here is how He delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt and how He brought them into the wilderness unto Mount Horeb, where God gave the law to Moses. God says in Deuteronomy 32:11–12, As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. Here also we see that God is represented by a great eagle. And as an eagle fiercely protects her young, so the Lord fiercely protects His children, and He avenges them on all those who have hurt them. God says in Isaiah 40:31, But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Here is the same metaphor as in Revelation 12:14, where people are given wings, and they shall mount up with wings as eagles."

And so it is not strange that the woman was given wings of a great eagle. This means that God Himself provides the church with means to escape the fury of the Devil. Most definitely God provides this wilderness in order that she might escape the wrath and persecution of the Devil. In the literal sense of the word, a place in the wilderness is a place in the world but not of the world. It is a place in the midst of the world, yet separated from the world. We are in the world, yet not of the world.

The Lord Jesus said in John 15:19, If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. What does this mean? It means that we who were chosen by the Lord Jesus out of the world unto salvation, although we are still living in the midst of this world, we are not of this world. We do not belong here. But for the sake of being witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ, we must reside in this world, constantly reminding ourselves that we are citizens of Jerusalem that