(*All Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 12
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
Rev 12:7
Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon:
The Book of Jude uses the term archaggelos, “archangel,” in reference to Michael, which means “chief angel” or “chief messenger.”1
Jude 1:9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
by Gustave Dore.
The term archangel only appears in the New Testament, but the prophet Daniel refers to Michael as a “chief prince” among the heavenly hosts and a guardian of the Jewish people:
Dan 10:13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
Dan 12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise…
The Hebrew name Mikael is a rhetorical proclamation, “Who is like God!2,” and can be a general name applied to anyone who represents God’s cause in the battle against evil. Ellicott suggests that the name may not refer to any one angel but could be a type-name used for Christ, the champion and prince of God’s people, the author and finisher of our salvation3. This would be consistent with 1Thes 4:16:
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
It’s in Jesus that the overthrow of Satan is realized. He alone deals the final blow to Satan’s power! It’s the victory of Bethlehem, Calvary, and Olivet4!
John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Rev 12:8-9
But [the dragon] was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him:
The “war in heaven” could be an allegory illustrating the age-old struggle between the powers of good and evil, or there could have been a literal celestial conflict. In either case, the eternal principle is made clear. Good will prevail over evil! Christ is victorious and Satan was eternally cast down at the cross!
Here, the great dragon is positively identified. He’s the ancient serpent that defiled the Garden of Eden. He’s the devil who entices man to rebel against God. He’s Satan, the accuser of God’s people! But for all his apparent strength, he’s cast down with all who support him and has no power over the redeemed:
Phil 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
John 10:28-29 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
Rev 12:10
Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down:
Satan, the liar, deceiver, accuser, and prosecuting attorney against mankind, not only lost his case, he lost his job! Christ, the public defender, didn’t just win a court case. Unlike any defender before him, he offered to pay the fine that was owed for our wrongs himself! There is no longer any place for an accuser in God’s court:
Rom 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…
Rom 3:25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith…
Heb 2:17 For this reason, [Christ] had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
The demand for justice (payment for a wrong done) was eternally satisfied by Jesus! He is the Lamb of God, the last great sacrifice whose shed blood was the cost of our redemption.
Col 1:19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Psa 86:5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Heb 7:25 Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Rev 12:10-11
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony:
Along with the earliest believers, in the timeless way of spiritual things, the accuser is defeated and cast down every time someone looks to God in repentance.
Isa 30:15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.
Luke 24:46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
Luke 24:47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
2Cor 7:9 …yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
2Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Rev 12:11
They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death:
Sacrifice, even to the point of death, has always been the hallmark of the Christian faith: Pagan culture, the Roman Empire, and the worldly influences of greed and selfishness have all attempted, and continue to attempt, to suppress the message of Jesus – self-sacrificing love, gentleness, generosity, and justice.
Matt 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
2 Tim 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Rev 12:12
But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury:
Ps 2:1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”
Consider the irony: Devout faith in God’s goodness and the testimony of His truth always seems to incur criticism, anger, and persecution from non-believers! The mounting antagonism towards Christians will be described in the following chapters.
Footnotes
- Strong’s G743. ↩︎
- Strong’s H4317. ↩︎
- Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers, Revelation 12:7. ↩︎
- Ibid. ↩︎
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
