INTRODUCTION As Ray Summers observes, “Many times it appears that the enemy has the upper hand and will win, but all the time we know that victory is ours because we have seen the headline announcing victory. John used this method many times in Revelation - always very effectively.” (2, 167) Chapt... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth._ A. She, the woman, gave birth to a child. B. Most commentators agree that the child is Jesus. Satan will do whatever he can to stop Christ from being preached in the world. C. Bringing Christ to the world can be painful... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads._ A. John next sees the fiery red dragon. This dragon is also called the devil, and Satan, in verse 9. B. There is no dispute about this. John clearly calls t... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born._ A. The great dragon is seen as having a long tail. The dragon knocked a third of the stars out of heaven and... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne._ A. Satan knew that Christ was coming. He tried to stop His birth. B. Think about the times when the lineage of Christ was hanging by a thread. 1. Haman almost carried out... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days._ A. The woman (the church) flees into the wilderness. This seems to correspond to the killing of the two witnesses in 11:7-11. B. God will al... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,_ A. War in heaven - As Satan tried to invade heaven and destroy Christ; Michael and his angels meet him. Michael is the fighting archangel. B. This is not a historical account of t... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer._ A. Satan did not win. He was not given any power to control people. B. The devil no longer has control over us. C. This does not mean that we will never be tempted. It does mean that as long as we remain faithful... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him._ A. This verse makes clear that the dragon in this vision is Satan. He and his angels are now limited in what they ca... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 10 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._ A. The time that Satan is cast out of heaven is the... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death._ A. These brethren have overcome Satan. How is this possible? By the blood of the Lamb By faithfulness in their testimony By putting Christ above their pe... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”_ A. All the church should rejoice that Satan has been restricted. We can win. Satan cann... [ Continue Reading ]
_13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child._ A. The dragon sees that he has lost his spiritual battle. Since he tried over and over to prevent Christ from coming, and failed. He tried to prevent the preaching of the gospe... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent._ A. The church in under the care and protection of God. Similar to Elijah by the brook, or the... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood._ A. Satan is at work seeking to persecute and destroy the church. B. One of his methods of destroying the church is the use of the flood from his mouth. C. The... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth._ A. In some way the earth (dwelling place of Satan) is helping the church. How does this happen? B. I believe that this means that there are people, though n... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ._ A. Satan is angry. He feels he is losing control. He is venting his anger at the church. B.“The rest of her offspring (se... [ Continue Reading ]