A Panorama of sATAN'S DEFEAT
Revelation 12:1-17
Message #24
Last week, we looked at “A Panorama of God’s Victory.” Today, we look at “A Panorama of Satan’s Defeat.” Revelation Chapter 12 is the most symbolic chapter in Revelation.
John Walvoord (the Calvary Chapel End Times “guru”) says Revelation Chapter 12 is the most symbolic chapter in the Bible’s most symbolic book.
So, our goal today is to do a summary of Revelation Chapter 12 and then dig more into some of the symbolism of this chapter in the coming messages. But we’ve got a lot to grasp today, so let’s get to it.
Revelation 12:1 (NLT)
1 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.
If we will simply use the context to interpret WHO this woman is then it must be the Nation of Israel.
The Catholic Church says this woman is the Virgin Mary. The misguided “Replacement Theology” Church says this woman is The Church who gives birth to Christ, which is funny because the Bible clearly says that Christ gave birth to the Church. The Christian Science Church says this is Mary Baker Eddy, the woman who started their religion, and they say the child that is born by her is actually their Religion.
But there is no other interpretation that works within this context except that this is ISRAEL. Write in your margin, Genesis 37:9-11. This was Joseph’s second dream, and this dream was about Jacob’s family who would become the Nation of Israel, which describes the coming Nation of Israel in the same way this woman is described here. (The father and mother, Jacob and Rachel, and the eleven kids plus him are twelve, and Joseph sees the nation of Israel forming. And he describes the family of Jacob [whose name is changed to Israel – twelve sons become the Twelve Tribes of Israel], he sees that lineage that God makes into the Nation of Israel, and he describes them the same way they are described here in this verse.)
So, we see this “Heavenly Clothed” woman as the Nation of Israel, which will become clearer and clearer as we go on.
Revelation 12:2 (NLT)
2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
This is the Nation of Israel going through all they’ve gone through in order to bring the Savior Jesus Christ into the world.
So, first, John sees Israel (the woman)
Then he sees the Messiah coming (the child)
And now he sees the Great Enemy Satan himself (the dragon)
Revelation 12:3–4 (NLT)
3 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.
4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth . . . (stop)
This is clearly Satan. Even the crazy interpreters can’t come up with any other possibility. Satan IS the Great Dragon who took a third of the Angels with him when he rebelled against God. There are three places that describe the Fall of Satan.
Isaiah 14 (the five “I will’s of Lucifer)
Ezekiel 28 (a more poetic description of the fall of Lucifer)
Here in Revelation 12
And then the rest of verse 4 makes Satan’s war on God CLEAR.
Revelation 12:4(B) (NLT)
4 . . . He (Satan) stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
Since Genesis 3, verse 15, Satan had been trying to stop the birth of this child because, in Genesis 3:15, God told Satan this “Seed of the Woman” was going to crush his head. And since Abraham, he began doing all he could to stop the birth of this Messiah. Over and over throughout the Old Testament, Satan tried every trick he had to try to eliminate the Jewish bloodline and prevent this Child from being born. The specific reference here in verse 4 is when Jesus was born, and Satan had Herod standing right there, ordering the murder of every child in Bethlehem, two years old and under, to try to get to the Messiah.
This is the work of the enemy at war with God using the people of earth. We are living in the reality of this in a way that I never really thought we would. Satan is at war with God, using people of the earth. That’s what he does. And in the opposite way of God using us (the Temple of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit) for his glory, Satan uses the people of the earth to accomplish his goals.
But Satan’s real problem was he didn’t know the plan of God because Satan is NOT God’s equal. Satan is not. And so, Satan finally got the Roman Empire to kill the Messiah. And then Satan threw a party in Hell for three full days right up until Resurrection morning when Satan got the bad news!!!! What he thought was a victory, turned out to be his ultimate and eternal defeat. Colossians 2:15 says Jesus triumphed over Satan and publicly shamed him at the Cross.
And when Satan realized he’d been defeated at the Cross, he switched his focus from trying to destroy the Messiah to destroying God’s people – especially Israel. Not only God’s chosen people, Israel, but also anyone who has been grafted into that Olive Tree of Israel – any of the spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham – that’s you if you’re saved today. And I pray that you are, or would be.
Satan tried so hard to keep Jesus from being born.
Revelation 12:5 (NLT)
5 She (Israel) gave birth to a son (Jesus) who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child (Jesus) was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.
That is the victory finished for Heaven and for us as we receive that victory by faith.
John is seeing Satan’s war on Jesus Christ and on Israel unfold. So, John addresses the life of Jesus Christ in verse 5. Then, in verse 6, he’s going to address the life of the Woman (Israel).
So, John is going to go from 33 A.D. in verse 5, to sometime in the not-too-distant future in verse 6. And it is common for prophetic verses to address together major events that occur thousands of years apart. We say that the prophets saw mountaintops lined up. They will prophesy this mountaintop to that mountaintop as if it were just very next. But when you climb that mountain, you realize the next mountaintop is a hundred miles away. But when you’re looking at it from 2,000 years away, they look like they are right next to each other. That’s what is happening here. Verse 5 is about the birth and ascension of Christ. Verse 6 skips to the second half of the Tribulation.
And so, in the comma between verses 5 and 6, is a pause of over 2,000 years.
Verse 5 is about the Life of Christ on Earth
Verse 6 is about the Second half of the Tribulation
Revelation 12:6 (NLT)
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.
This is the exact amount of time of the second half of the Tribulation that the Jews call “Jacob’s Trouble.” The Great Tribulation. So, you can see verse 5 goes from God saving Jesus from the clutches of the Devil and giving Jesus victory, to God protecting Israel during the second half of the Tribulation.
This is how we know the woman is not Mary because, from this point on, the woman is a major focus for the second half of the Tribulation. And notice the exact number of days (1,260) equals three and one half years. And we will come back to both the fleeing into the Wilderness and the 1,260 days in the coming messages.
But first, in verse 7, we go back up to Heaven, and we see how this war wraps up on the Heavenly side.
Satan’s judgment is complete – IT IS FINISHED. But his sentence is being carried out in phases, and that is very important for us to understand.
Satan’s judgment is complete. But the execution of his judgment is being carried out in phases!!
In verses 7 and 8, we go back to Heaven, and we see another phase of the Devil’s “sentence” being carried out.
Revelation 12:7–8 (NLT)
7 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.
Satan starts this war in Heaven, but Michael and his angels must finish it. And then, Satan and his angels are finally thrown out for good from Heaven.
Revelation 12:9 (NLT)
9 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.
This isn’t referring to Satan’s original rebellion because we know Satan has access to Heaven after that because he’s been the accuser of the brethren right up until this point (see in Job). But, at this phase of his judgment, Satan is permanently thrown out of Heaven!
And the final steps of his guaranteed defeat begin.
Positionally – Satan fell from Heaven in Isaiah 14
Then, here he is thrown from Heaven to earth
Then, from earth to the Abyss at the beginning of the Millennium
Then, from the Abyss to the Lake of Fire at the Final Judgment
Satan’s defeat is complete – IT IS FINISHED, and his final judgment is being meted out in phases.
And just as Heaven knew the victory of Jesus was complete in chapter 11, here, in chapter 12, Heaven knows the defeat of Satan is also complete.
Revelation 12:10 (NLT)
10 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.
No more will Satan be allowed to be our accuser. Finished are his days of spiritual war in the Heavenlies.
Satan’s defeat is complete. It IS FINISHED. But EACH OF US must make sure that we will take part personally IN this complete defeat of the Destroyer of our souls.
What role do we have in personally receiving this defeat of Satan in our lives?
Revelation 12:11 (NLT)
11 And they (that’s us) 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.
This is us personally possessing the victory that Jesus Christ has already won.
Our role in personally possessing the victory of Christ (meaning having victory over Satan) is making it our victory.
We conquer Satan by the Blood of the Lamb – meaning by us putting our faith in Jesus Christ, being identified with him to the extent (Romans 6 says) that what he has done, we have done in him. It’s by receiving the work he did on the Cross as our own through faith in Jesus.
And we conquer Satan by the word of our testimony – this is us saying, “I have seen the effects of Jesus Christ in my life. I know he’s God because of what he’s done for me personally.” It’s Romans Chapter 12; speak with your mouth the faith that you have in Christ. The greatest testimony is your personal testimony. I was changed – I was radically changed – one day, April 29, 1979, I went from death to life and it was a radical, radical change. Everything in my life changed. That testimony is, I know. I know that God lives in me because of the change he has brought in my life, the transformation.
And we conquer Satan by – not loving this life even unto death. You worship what you love, and what you love, you become. If you’re worshiping the things of this world, the desires of this world, that’s what you love. And Jesus says no man can serve (love) two masters. You’ve got to draw the line. It’s not about has God blessed you with some "thing" – he’s blessed us all. Just go to third-world countries, then you’ll realize you are super rich.
But he has blessed us all. That blessing is not what loving the world is. It’s loving the things of the world that is loving the world. You can have a shopping cart half full and be pushing it down the street, and you can still love the things of this world. It’s not about having it; it’s about loving it or not. And we conquer Satan by not loving the things of this world so that we can reject them, and so that our eyes are set on Christ at the right hand of God (Colossians 3 says).
If you are in Christ today, your true life, your eternal life, is secure. Your citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 1 says), where we eagerly wait for the return of our Savior. That’s where our eyes are set. That’s how we conquer the enemy of our soul.
And if we are living this way
by the blood of the Lamb
by the word of our testimony
by not loving this life – even unto death
Then we are living a life that is conquering Satan!!
And that is the most important eternal victory that you could ever be a part of. It’s not knowledge; it’s eternity. One day, all that’s going to matter is where we’re going to spend eternity. And there’s an eternal war raging, and we’re going to be on one side or the other.
Next, verse 12 says,
So rejoice – if you belong to Heaven
and be afraid – if you belong to earth
Revelation 12:12 (NLT)
12 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.”
Satan is just getting madder and madder and madder because he knows he has lost!!! The game is over, and he knows it!
And so, now, he’s just trying to do as much damage as he can on his way out.
Look at verse 13.
Revelation 12:13 (NLT)
13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman (Israel) who had given birth to the male child (Jesus).
When Satan realizes he has lost for good – he goes after Israel. Guys, there is a day coming when Satan will have control of the fastest-growing religion in the world, and that religion’s number one goal will be to absolutely obliterate Israel – at all costs. That is what their god has called them to; that is what they are committed to, and right now, that is twenty-five percent of the world’s population. 1.9 billion people belong to a religion whose god demands the complete annihilation of Israel – and anyone and everyone who believes in the God of Israel.
Satan will use leaders like “our most deceptive President ever,” Barack Hussien Obama (who is obviously still running our country), to convince the world that it is actually Israel’s fault. What did that President say? He said that colonialism is bad. America is bad. And the best thing that could happen for the world is that we raise up Iran to be a superpower so that America and the Muslim world are on equal ground. It’s not just because they had extra money that he has given one hundred billion dollars to Iran who has promised to destroy Israel – and is doing it RIGHT NOW! We live in this time. It is hard to believe that day is coming unless you open your eyes to the reality of the world we are living in today.
There was a poll done just recently; it’s on Amir Tsarfati’s Telegram. They surveyed people – regular citizens in Gaza and the West Bank. In total, in Gaza and the West Bank, 7.9 percent of the people disagreed with the demonic, horrendous, horrific murder of babies. Beheading babies, burning babies alive, raping every woman they could, raping mothers while they burn their babies in the oven – just horrendous, horrendous. ONLY FROM HELL could these horrendous actions happen. And just under eight percent of the regular Palestinians disagreed with that approach.
Right now, if you look on Amir’s Telegram, you’ll see a pro-Hamas protest, movement (I forget what country it’s in), and the big banner is “By any means necessary.” That’s what it says. What do they mean by “By any means necessary”? It means remove the Jews from the face of the earth by any means necessary. That’s what we are living in. WHY? Because Satan (I’m not saying we are in the second half of the Tribulation) hates Israel!!
Don’t take offense, but have you been so deceived that you think this is about the “occupation?” This is not about the occupation. This is about a Satanic, phenomenally fast-growing religion that will, by 2050, overtake Christianity (and that includes the Catholic Church) as the number one religion in the world. This is about a religion that is committed to obliterating the Jews. Why? Because they occupied their land? No. That’s not why. That is all made-up propaganda. It’s not that hard to find if you just stop believing the talking heads on the mainstream media news.
Satan is after Israel, and he’s after anyone connected with Israel – that is us.
I am telling you, we are living in a biblical proportion time of events. What’s happening in Israel right now? If it leads to the Ezekiel 38 war, none of us should be surprised. But it is not natural. And the support for Hamas, especially in this country, is (I’m telling you, and I’m not being over dramatic) Satanic.
But, what that (now worldwide) enraged religion does not know and will not accept is this. The God of Israel has already won! God is going to protect Israel. The ultimate victory is already finished.
And we are watching the Panorama of Satan’s defeat unfolding in the Book of Revelation.
And we see his defeat continue in verse 14.
Revelation 12:14 (NLT)
14 But she (that’s Israel – we’re talking about the second half of the Tribulation now, but it’s true, God’s promise to Israel still holds true today) 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.
Satan is in a fury when he hits the earth, and he immediately goes after Israel. But God will still protect Israel, just as he always has. So, Satan unleashes his full destruction on Israel. But God steps in and protects Israel. And notice for how long (verse 14) for a time, times, and half a time. In the language of scripture, this is three and a half years.
And Satan goes after Israel like a flood.
Revelation 12:15 (NLT)
15 Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth.
This is most likely a flood of persecution and attacks – kind of like we are seeing today.
But God will be there for Israel.
Revelation 12:16 (NLT)
16 But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.
Satan is no match for God – he is not God’s equal, and God is going to absolutely protect Israel, and God is going to absolutely bring Satan to his final judgment.
Guys, what we are seeing today (actually today) is absolutely biblical in proportion. The heinous, demonic, horrendous acts perpetrated on people just because they are Jews. Mass murder, beheading, horrendous rape, burning babies alive, and Satan has a huge percent of the population of earth fully and completely supporting it – especially the coming generations. Especially through colleges, they have been so indoctrinated. And do you really think Hitler just arbitrarily decided it should be the Jews who he annihilated? Do you really think Islam just arbitrarily decided that Israel must be annihilated? This is the great war that Satan is waging against God and against God’s people. A war that Satan has already lost, and so his only consolation is to try to take out as many of God’s people as he can. Please don’t give him the satisfaction of taking you out with him.
And so, now, with Israel completely protected, Satan turns on anyone who keeps the commandments of God and holds a testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17 (NLT)
17 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.
The Bible says Christians have been grafted in to Israel. We are spiritual children of Abraham. And that is why ISLAM wants you either converted to Islam, or dead (and they say it all the time).
And then, in the NLT, there is a verse 18. (Your translation may include it in verse 17.)
Revelation 12:18 (NLT)
18 Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea.
Meaning, Satan’s attack on God and God’s people is not finished yet.
This chapter is about the Panorama of Satan’s defeat, who is trying to inflict as much damage as he can on his way out! So, when Satan brings this war into your life – personally, you’ve got to remember two things.
1). 1 John 4:4 says, He who is in YOU is greater than he who is in the world.
2). Satan is already, completely, and totally defeated BY Jesus Christ.
The only question is: will you receive that victory of Jesus Christ as your own victory?
Satan is a permanently defeated foe, but you have got to be IN CHRIST to possess (to own) that victory. You don’t automatically win. Satan’s defeat is total and complete because of the victory of Jesus Christ. But the only way you benefit from that victory is by making Jesus Christ YOUR Savior and YOUR Lord.
So, now we’ve seen the guarantee of God’s victory and the guarantee of Satan’s defeat.
God’s victory is already finished.
And Satan’s defeat is already finished.
Please choose carefully which side of this war you will spend eternity on.
Where will you be when Satan’s defeat is finalized?
I pray you will choose to not be there with him.
John Walvoord (the Calvary Chapel End Times “guru”) says Revelation Chapter 12 is the most symbolic chapter in the Bible’s most symbolic book.
So, our goal today is to do a summary of Revelation Chapter 12 and then dig more into some of the symbolism of this chapter in the coming messages. But we’ve got a lot to grasp today, so let’s get to it.
Revelation 12:1 (NLT)
1 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.
If we will simply use the context to interpret WHO this woman is then it must be the Nation of Israel.
The Catholic Church says this woman is the Virgin Mary. The misguided “Replacement Theology” Church says this woman is The Church who gives birth to Christ, which is funny because the Bible clearly says that Christ gave birth to the Church. The Christian Science Church says this is Mary Baker Eddy, the woman who started their religion, and they say the child that is born by her is actually their Religion.
But there is no other interpretation that works within this context except that this is ISRAEL. Write in your margin, Genesis 37:9-11. This was Joseph’s second dream, and this dream was about Jacob’s family who would become the Nation of Israel, which describes the coming Nation of Israel in the same way this woman is described here. (The father and mother, Jacob and Rachel, and the eleven kids plus him are twelve, and Joseph sees the nation of Israel forming. And he describes the family of Jacob [whose name is changed to Israel – twelve sons become the Twelve Tribes of Israel], he sees that lineage that God makes into the Nation of Israel, and he describes them the same way they are described here in this verse.)
So, we see this “Heavenly Clothed” woman as the Nation of Israel, which will become clearer and clearer as we go on.
Revelation 12:2 (NLT)
2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
This is the Nation of Israel going through all they’ve gone through in order to bring the Savior Jesus Christ into the world.
So, first, John sees Israel (the woman)
Then he sees the Messiah coming (the child)
And now he sees the Great Enemy Satan himself (the dragon)
Revelation 12:3–4 (NLT)
3 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.
4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth . . . (stop)
This is clearly Satan. Even the crazy interpreters can’t come up with any other possibility. Satan IS the Great Dragon who took a third of the Angels with him when he rebelled against God. There are three places that describe the Fall of Satan.
Isaiah 14 (the five “I will’s of Lucifer)
Ezekiel 28 (a more poetic description of the fall of Lucifer)
Here in Revelation 12
And then the rest of verse 4 makes Satan’s war on God CLEAR.
Revelation 12:4(B) (NLT)
4 . . . He (Satan) stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
Since Genesis 3, verse 15, Satan had been trying to stop the birth of this child because, in Genesis 3:15, God told Satan this “Seed of the Woman” was going to crush his head. And since Abraham, he began doing all he could to stop the birth of this Messiah. Over and over throughout the Old Testament, Satan tried every trick he had to try to eliminate the Jewish bloodline and prevent this Child from being born. The specific reference here in verse 4 is when Jesus was born, and Satan had Herod standing right there, ordering the murder of every child in Bethlehem, two years old and under, to try to get to the Messiah.
This is the work of the enemy at war with God using the people of earth. We are living in the reality of this in a way that I never really thought we would. Satan is at war with God, using people of the earth. That’s what he does. And in the opposite way of God using us (the Temple of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit) for his glory, Satan uses the people of the earth to accomplish his goals.
But Satan’s real problem was he didn’t know the plan of God because Satan is NOT God’s equal. Satan is not. And so, Satan finally got the Roman Empire to kill the Messiah. And then Satan threw a party in Hell for three full days right up until Resurrection morning when Satan got the bad news!!!! What he thought was a victory, turned out to be his ultimate and eternal defeat. Colossians 2:15 says Jesus triumphed over Satan and publicly shamed him at the Cross.
And when Satan realized he’d been defeated at the Cross, he switched his focus from trying to destroy the Messiah to destroying God’s people – especially Israel. Not only God’s chosen people, Israel, but also anyone who has been grafted into that Olive Tree of Israel – any of the spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham – that’s you if you’re saved today. And I pray that you are, or would be.
Satan tried so hard to keep Jesus from being born.
Revelation 12:5 (NLT)
5 She (Israel) gave birth to a son (Jesus) who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child (Jesus) was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.
That is the victory finished for Heaven and for us as we receive that victory by faith.
John is seeing Satan’s war on Jesus Christ and on Israel unfold. So, John addresses the life of Jesus Christ in verse 5. Then, in verse 6, he’s going to address the life of the Woman (Israel).
So, John is going to go from 33 A.D. in verse 5, to sometime in the not-too-distant future in verse 6. And it is common for prophetic verses to address together major events that occur thousands of years apart. We say that the prophets saw mountaintops lined up. They will prophesy this mountaintop to that mountaintop as if it were just very next. But when you climb that mountain, you realize the next mountaintop is a hundred miles away. But when you’re looking at it from 2,000 years away, they look like they are right next to each other. That’s what is happening here. Verse 5 is about the birth and ascension of Christ. Verse 6 skips to the second half of the Tribulation.
And so, in the comma between verses 5 and 6, is a pause of over 2,000 years.
Verse 5 is about the Life of Christ on Earth
Verse 6 is about the Second half of the Tribulation
Revelation 12:6 (NLT)
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.
This is the exact amount of time of the second half of the Tribulation that the Jews call “Jacob’s Trouble.” The Great Tribulation. So, you can see verse 5 goes from God saving Jesus from the clutches of the Devil and giving Jesus victory, to God protecting Israel during the second half of the Tribulation.
This is how we know the woman is not Mary because, from this point on, the woman is a major focus for the second half of the Tribulation. And notice the exact number of days (1,260) equals three and one half years. And we will come back to both the fleeing into the Wilderness and the 1,260 days in the coming messages.
But first, in verse 7, we go back up to Heaven, and we see how this war wraps up on the Heavenly side.
Satan’s judgment is complete – IT IS FINISHED. But his sentence is being carried out in phases, and that is very important for us to understand.
Satan’s judgment is complete. But the execution of his judgment is being carried out in phases!!
In verses 7 and 8, we go back to Heaven, and we see another phase of the Devil’s “sentence” being carried out.
Revelation 12:7–8 (NLT)
7 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.
Satan starts this war in Heaven, but Michael and his angels must finish it. And then, Satan and his angels are finally thrown out for good from Heaven.
Revelation 12:9 (NLT)
9 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.
This isn’t referring to Satan’s original rebellion because we know Satan has access to Heaven after that because he’s been the accuser of the brethren right up until this point (see in Job). But, at this phase of his judgment, Satan is permanently thrown out of Heaven!
And the final steps of his guaranteed defeat begin.
Positionally – Satan fell from Heaven in Isaiah 14
Then, here he is thrown from Heaven to earth
Then, from earth to the Abyss at the beginning of the Millennium
Then, from the Abyss to the Lake of Fire at the Final Judgment
Satan’s defeat is complete – IT IS FINISHED, and his final judgment is being meted out in phases.
And just as Heaven knew the victory of Jesus was complete in chapter 11, here, in chapter 12, Heaven knows the defeat of Satan is also complete.
Revelation 12:10 (NLT)
10 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.
No more will Satan be allowed to be our accuser. Finished are his days of spiritual war in the Heavenlies.
Satan’s defeat is complete. It IS FINISHED. But EACH OF US must make sure that we will take part personally IN this complete defeat of the Destroyer of our souls.
What role do we have in personally receiving this defeat of Satan in our lives?
Revelation 12:11 (NLT)
11 And they (that’s us) 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.
This is us personally possessing the victory that Jesus Christ has already won.
Our role in personally possessing the victory of Christ (meaning having victory over Satan) is making it our victory.
We conquer Satan by the Blood of the Lamb – meaning by us putting our faith in Jesus Christ, being identified with him to the extent (Romans 6 says) that what he has done, we have done in him. It’s by receiving the work he did on the Cross as our own through faith in Jesus.
And we conquer Satan by the word of our testimony – this is us saying, “I have seen the effects of Jesus Christ in my life. I know he’s God because of what he’s done for me personally.” It’s Romans Chapter 12; speak with your mouth the faith that you have in Christ. The greatest testimony is your personal testimony. I was changed – I was radically changed – one day, April 29, 1979, I went from death to life and it was a radical, radical change. Everything in my life changed. That testimony is, I know. I know that God lives in me because of the change he has brought in my life, the transformation.
And we conquer Satan by – not loving this life even unto death. You worship what you love, and what you love, you become. If you’re worshiping the things of this world, the desires of this world, that’s what you love. And Jesus says no man can serve (love) two masters. You’ve got to draw the line. It’s not about has God blessed you with some "thing" – he’s blessed us all. Just go to third-world countries, then you’ll realize you are super rich.
But he has blessed us all. That blessing is not what loving the world is. It’s loving the things of the world that is loving the world. You can have a shopping cart half full and be pushing it down the street, and you can still love the things of this world. It’s not about having it; it’s about loving it or not. And we conquer Satan by not loving the things of this world so that we can reject them, and so that our eyes are set on Christ at the right hand of God (Colossians 3 says).
If you are in Christ today, your true life, your eternal life, is secure. Your citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 1 says), where we eagerly wait for the return of our Savior. That’s where our eyes are set. That’s how we conquer the enemy of our soul.
And if we are living this way
by the blood of the Lamb
by the word of our testimony
by not loving this life – even unto death
Then we are living a life that is conquering Satan!!
And that is the most important eternal victory that you could ever be a part of. It’s not knowledge; it’s eternity. One day, all that’s going to matter is where we’re going to spend eternity. And there’s an eternal war raging, and we’re going to be on one side or the other.
Next, verse 12 says,
So rejoice – if you belong to Heaven
and be afraid – if you belong to earth
Revelation 12:12 (NLT)
12 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.”
Satan is just getting madder and madder and madder because he knows he has lost!!! The game is over, and he knows it!
And so, now, he’s just trying to do as much damage as he can on his way out.
Look at verse 13.
Revelation 12:13 (NLT)
13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman (Israel) who had given birth to the male child (Jesus).
When Satan realizes he has lost for good – he goes after Israel. Guys, there is a day coming when Satan will have control of the fastest-growing religion in the world, and that religion’s number one goal will be to absolutely obliterate Israel – at all costs. That is what their god has called them to; that is what they are committed to, and right now, that is twenty-five percent of the world’s population. 1.9 billion people belong to a religion whose god demands the complete annihilation of Israel – and anyone and everyone who believes in the God of Israel.
Satan will use leaders like “our most deceptive President ever,” Barack Hussien Obama (who is obviously still running our country), to convince the world that it is actually Israel’s fault. What did that President say? He said that colonialism is bad. America is bad. And the best thing that could happen for the world is that we raise up Iran to be a superpower so that America and the Muslim world are on equal ground. It’s not just because they had extra money that he has given one hundred billion dollars to Iran who has promised to destroy Israel – and is doing it RIGHT NOW! We live in this time. It is hard to believe that day is coming unless you open your eyes to the reality of the world we are living in today.
There was a poll done just recently; it’s on Amir Tsarfati’s Telegram. They surveyed people – regular citizens in Gaza and the West Bank. In total, in Gaza and the West Bank, 7.9 percent of the people disagreed with the demonic, horrendous, horrific murder of babies. Beheading babies, burning babies alive, raping every woman they could, raping mothers while they burn their babies in the oven – just horrendous, horrendous. ONLY FROM HELL could these horrendous actions happen. And just under eight percent of the regular Palestinians disagreed with that approach.
Right now, if you look on Amir’s Telegram, you’ll see a pro-Hamas protest, movement (I forget what country it’s in), and the big banner is “By any means necessary.” That’s what it says. What do they mean by “By any means necessary”? It means remove the Jews from the face of the earth by any means necessary. That’s what we are living in. WHY? Because Satan (I’m not saying we are in the second half of the Tribulation) hates Israel!!
Don’t take offense, but have you been so deceived that you think this is about the “occupation?” This is not about the occupation. This is about a Satanic, phenomenally fast-growing religion that will, by 2050, overtake Christianity (and that includes the Catholic Church) as the number one religion in the world. This is about a religion that is committed to obliterating the Jews. Why? Because they occupied their land? No. That’s not why. That is all made-up propaganda. It’s not that hard to find if you just stop believing the talking heads on the mainstream media news.
Satan is after Israel, and he’s after anyone connected with Israel – that is us.
I am telling you, we are living in a biblical proportion time of events. What’s happening in Israel right now? If it leads to the Ezekiel 38 war, none of us should be surprised. But it is not natural. And the support for Hamas, especially in this country, is (I’m telling you, and I’m not being over dramatic) Satanic.
But, what that (now worldwide) enraged religion does not know and will not accept is this. The God of Israel has already won! God is going to protect Israel. The ultimate victory is already finished.
And we are watching the Panorama of Satan’s defeat unfolding in the Book of Revelation.
And we see his defeat continue in verse 14.
Revelation 12:14 (NLT)
14 But she (that’s Israel – we’re talking about the second half of the Tribulation now, but it’s true, God’s promise to Israel still holds true today) 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.
Satan is in a fury when he hits the earth, and he immediately goes after Israel. But God will still protect Israel, just as he always has. So, Satan unleashes his full destruction on Israel. But God steps in and protects Israel. And notice for how long (verse 14) for a time, times, and half a time. In the language of scripture, this is three and a half years.
And Satan goes after Israel like a flood.
Revelation 12:15 (NLT)
15 Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth.
This is most likely a flood of persecution and attacks – kind of like we are seeing today.
But God will be there for Israel.
Revelation 12:16 (NLT)
16 But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.
Satan is no match for God – he is not God’s equal, and God is going to absolutely protect Israel, and God is going to absolutely bring Satan to his final judgment.
Guys, what we are seeing today (actually today) is absolutely biblical in proportion. The heinous, demonic, horrendous acts perpetrated on people just because they are Jews. Mass murder, beheading, horrendous rape, burning babies alive, and Satan has a huge percent of the population of earth fully and completely supporting it – especially the coming generations. Especially through colleges, they have been so indoctrinated. And do you really think Hitler just arbitrarily decided it should be the Jews who he annihilated? Do you really think Islam just arbitrarily decided that Israel must be annihilated? This is the great war that Satan is waging against God and against God’s people. A war that Satan has already lost, and so his only consolation is to try to take out as many of God’s people as he can. Please don’t give him the satisfaction of taking you out with him.
And so, now, with Israel completely protected, Satan turns on anyone who keeps the commandments of God and holds a testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17 (NLT)
17 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.
The Bible says Christians have been grafted in to Israel. We are spiritual children of Abraham. And that is why ISLAM wants you either converted to Islam, or dead (and they say it all the time).
And then, in the NLT, there is a verse 18. (Your translation may include it in verse 17.)
Revelation 12:18 (NLT)
18 Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea.
Meaning, Satan’s attack on God and God’s people is not finished yet.
This chapter is about the Panorama of Satan’s defeat, who is trying to inflict as much damage as he can on his way out! So, when Satan brings this war into your life – personally, you’ve got to remember two things.
1). 1 John 4:4 says, He who is in YOU is greater than he who is in the world.
2). Satan is already, completely, and totally defeated BY Jesus Christ.
The only question is: will you receive that victory of Jesus Christ as your own victory?
Satan is a permanently defeated foe, but you have got to be IN CHRIST to possess (to own) that victory. You don’t automatically win. Satan’s defeat is total and complete because of the victory of Jesus Christ. But the only way you benefit from that victory is by making Jesus Christ YOUR Savior and YOUR Lord.
So, now we’ve seen the guarantee of God’s victory and the guarantee of Satan’s defeat.
God’s victory is already finished.
And Satan’s defeat is already finished.
Please choose carefully which side of this war you will spend eternity on.
Where will you be when Satan’s defeat is finalized?
I pray you will choose to not be there with him.