April 18, 2022

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” Revelation 12:10

The twelfth chapter of Revelation is a brilliant, sweeping history of the world—right up to the end times. It is an important part of our preparation for the final days of severe tribulation and testing that will come upon the whole earth.

This brief chapter contains very few highlights, each of them extremely significant. The events portrayed are not chronological, as there is a back-and-forth sweeping motion leading up to our day. Let us look at the word Now now. What point in this history is referred to here? [Imagine looking at a mall map. There is always the spot that says, “You are here.”] When Jesus suffered and died on the cross, the whole universe was watching. His victorious resurrection is not only a standing reminder that with God, it is possible to overcome sin and death, but it is also a standing rebuke to Satan, who, even though he got what he wanted when those under his influence tortured and killed Jesus, his sense of victory was thoroughly shaken when Jesus arose from the tomb. The power that raised Him from the dead is our banner of victory over Satan for the duration of earth’s history. That power is the love of God. The Now in our verse above refers to the victory of our risen Savior!

Satan’s demise is progressing in stages. As Lucifer, the light-bearing covering cherub (Ezekiel 28:14) in the heavenly courts, God allowed him to campaign against Him for a time: war broke out in heaven (v.7). The word translated “war” is polemia meaning a war of words from which we get our word “politics.”. This scenario is paralleled in the story of Absalom campaigning against his father King David (2 Samuel 15:1-6). Satan along with the angels that he persuaded no longer had a place in God’s heavenly courts (Revelation 12:8).

Satan set up a command center on the earth, but in the centuries before Jesus came to the earth as a baby, there is indication that he was not yet bound to the earth as he is now, for he attended a heavenly council in the days of Job (Job 1:6-7).

After our Now in the opening verse, the victory won by Jesus at the cross resulted in a casting down of Satan to the earth where he is now bound. But who is doing the casting? God is certainly capable of single-handedly crushing this deceiving usurper. However, in His transparency, He is allowing His created beings to learn of the enemy’s devious operations and they are given the choice to cast him out or join him.

Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. Revelation 12:13

Beloved, this history is moving directly toward each of us. We are in the story, and our loving Creator and Redeemer stands ready to move heaven and earth to come to the aid of any- and everyone who desires to cast out Satan from their life. Jesus said . . .

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23

And his banner over me was love. Song of Solomon 2:4b