Well, please turn with me in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 12. Revelation chapter 12 will take a couple of weeks off from our exposition in the Gospel. According to Matthew, God willing, we'll return to that exposition, I believe it will be the 5th of January. I want to read Revelation chapter 12, verses 1 to 17.

Now a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven. Behold, a great fiery red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.

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. She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God in his throne.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there 1,260 days. And war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

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. 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. 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.

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 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. 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.

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. 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. Amen. Well, let us pray.

Opening Prayer

Our gracious Father and our Holy Lord, we thank you for the written word, and we pray now for the ministry of your Spirit. We pray that He would guide us and lead us and instruct us from your Scripture. We pray that you would encourage our hearts, that you would present before us this glorious picture of Jesus Christ, having accomplished the work the Father gave Him, and rendering victory, having victory over the devil himself. We pray, Father, that you would just be well pleased bless and encourage your people.

We pray for those who are not believers. We pray that the Gospel would be proclaimed. We pray the Spirit would attend. And we pray that today would be the day of salvation, the day of rejoicing in heaven over sinners who repent.

And as well, Father, we pray that You would forgive us for all of our sins and transgressions. We know, God, that Jesus said, apart from Him we can do nothing. Certainly, the reception of Your Word in a proper way requires forgiveness. For sin darkens our understanding, it darkens our minds, our hearts.

We pray that you would wash us afresh in that blood. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Introduction

Well, this morning we're going to look at Revelation chapter 12, which sets forth the incarnation, the ascension, and the victory of our Lord Jesus, specifically over the devil himself. Now, for those of you who have read the book of Revelation, you will know that it's a very encouraging word. It is a book that presents before us the Lord Christ in His glory, in His majesty, and in His excellence. Over and over and over again we're given this view of Christ on the throne.

It is the crown that predominates in this book. It is unfortunate that people come to Revelation and they only see doom and gloom and misery and hardship and woe. It is just the opposite. It is a book given for the encouragement of God's people, for their strengthening, for their conformity unto their head, even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

As well, the book of Revelation is a very Old Testament book. In other words, there is a lot of allusion to the Old Testament Scriptures. If there's not direct quotation, you can rest assured that John is alluding to or using images that come from the Old Testament in contexts very similar to what it is he is doing. For instance, Daniel is in the backdrop of this particular section, as is the 2nd Psalm.

As well, the book of Exodus and the book of Deuteronomy and probably the book of Numbers. In other words, John the Apostle writes as one who knows the Old Covenant Scriptures. And he uses those Old Covenant Scriptures, he uses the imagery to set before the Church the glory of the Son of God Himself. We're going to take up our exposition this morning under three considerations, I think. you will see how it breaks down naturally this way.

First, the woman, the dragon, and the child identifying these particular parties in verses 1 to 6. Secondly, the defeat of the dragon in verses 7 to 12, and then the persecution of the woman in verses 13 to 17. We will not seek to deal with every detail in this chapter for the first part, primarily because I don't think I understand every detail in this particular chapter. but as well it's not essential to an exposition of this passage, and as well whatever your eschatology may happen to be, I hope we'll all find common ground as we consider here the glory of our Lord Jesus. With reference to the details in the book of Revelation, I'm inclined to agree with Spurgeon.

Spurgeon says, a man says to me, can you explain the seven trumpets of the Revelation? No, but I can blow one in your ear and warn you to escape from the wrath to come. That is an accurate way to approach this book. Do not get lost in the details, do not get lost in the particular images, but get what John is doing in this section specifically.

He is showing us the defeat of the devil. We ought not to come to Revelation and be discouraged. We ought to come to Revelation and be encouraged, because that is precisely why the Apostle is writing. In the outset, in the introduction, he says, Blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy.

There is a blessing associated with this book, and I want to encourage you to read it. to delight in it, to prayerfully go through it, and to understand the big picture, that Christ Almighty has established His Kingdom. The Messianic King is enthroned, and He rules and reigns over all things for the good of His Church. That, I think, in sum and substance, is the message of the book.

The Woman, the Dragon, and the Child

Well, let's look first at the woman, the dragon, and the child. Notice in verses 1 and 2, and how a great sign appeared in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head. a garland of 12 stars. I neglected to point out that Genesis is in this section as well.

Probably this has reference to the vision or to the dream that Jacob had that sounded very similar to this. And in verse 2 it says, then being with child she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. Now a lot assume that that refers specifically to Mary, the mother of Jesus. I do not think that is how we are to interpret it.

Notice you have a woman mentioned in verse 1, you have a woman mentioned again in verse 6, and you have a woman again mentioned in verse 13. I think what we're supposed to understand concerning this woman is that she is the covenant community of God's people. Now certainly in the Old Covenant community, it was that community that did in fact join Mary, the mother of Jesus, but he is dealing in terms of the church with reference to this statement concerning the woman. That is how I believe we are to understand this particular vision.

The Dragon Identified

And then notice the dragon, verses 3 and 4. It's not difficult to know who this is, because John identifies him for us in the very book itself, or in the chapter. In fact, you'll find that often as you read the book of Revelation. It will give an image, it will give a metaphor, it will give a vision, and then he'll go on to explain it.

It is a revealing, it is an uncovering, it is showing forth. It's not a hiding of these great truths, but rather it is an attempt by the author to reveal unto us certain truths concerning our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, the dragon described in verse 3, a sign, another sign appeared in heaven, behold a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems, on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth." Again, the prophet Daniel is in the backdrop with that same sort of a thing, persecution targeting the people of God.

And then when we go down to verse 9, as I said, you get identification. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil and Satan. And then again, verse 12, woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea For the devil has come down to you." One of John's purposes here is to show us the truth of Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6 tells us we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.

We wrestle against principalities. We wrestle against unseen forces. They manifest themselves, or they evidence themselves, or they demonstrate themselves through flesh and blood, but our primary enemy, the primary enemy of our soul and of our bodies, as the book goes on to show, is the devil. And we see that in the context here.

When the devil is cast out, the inhabitants of earth and sea are told to be on their guard. There's a woe pronounced. Well, in chapter 13, we see this beast rise up from the sea, we see a beast rise up from the land, and it's the devil or the dragon that's empowering them. So while they see these beasts, while they see these men, while they see these malevolent figures, John is telling us that the devil is behind them.

It is the devil who is operating. The devil couldn't have his way in heaven, he's been cast down to earth, and as a result he now targets the people of God. So John wants you to appreciate the reality of spiritual warfare. That there are issues that we don't always see.

I mean that's the only way I think we can logistically or logically ponder and consider something like abortion. Why is it that women would kill the babies in their wombs? Why is it that a man would do that? There is a spiritual force at work.

There is something dark and bent and malevolent that actuates and works out through the hardened hearts and the wicked hearts of men. John tells us this for our benefit.

The Dragon's Plan Against the Child

Notice the plan of the dragon. The end of verse 4, the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth to devour her child as soon as it was born. The image is shocking, isn't it? Some of you ladies, some of you sisters may have had your babies in a difficult position or in a difficult place.

You know, you read sometimes where a woman on the way to the hospital or a woman on the way to the birthing room, the baby comes out. Sure, there's difficult places to have a child, but the image that John sets forth before us is that this dragon is poised and waiting so that when this baby enters into the world, he can snatch it, he can devour it, and he can destroy it. Now, this is consistent with biblical theology throughout. I mean, you read some of the old covenant narratives, and you see that the seed, at times, was threatened.

You see, for instance, Adalia, that wicked woman, that usurper of the throne. She wanted to destroy all of the royal heirs. Why? Because she was functioning in accordance with the devil's plan, to stop God's plan in bringing the seed of the woman forth to crush the head of the serpent himself.

Thankfully Jehoshaphat took one baby, one heir to the throne, and she hid him away. And he did assume the throne according to the plan of God. But there you see an attempt by the devil to devour the male child. You get to the New Testament scriptures and what do you find in Matthew chapter 2?

You find Herod's massacre of the innocents. Now it's Herod who's a wicked man, he's an evil wretch, he's a God-hating rebel, but you see what John is telling us is that behind the scenes, something that we don't always appreciate is that there is forces or there are forces at work to try and stop the spread of God's holy plan. And so while Herod may be carrying out this particular deed, according to John the Apostle, As he's exiled on the island of Patmos for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus, he says it was the devil himself who was seeking to thwart and seeking to stop this plan that originated in the garden. God said that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

Certainly the devil wants to stop that. The devil wants to destroy the plan of Almighty God. Beal says the second part of verse 4 explains that the dragon wants to complete his persecution of the covenant community by readying himself to exterminate the Messiah at the time of his birth. You see it throughout history.

You see it manifested at the time of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. And you see the explanation here theologically from the Apostle John.

The Child: Incarnation and Ascension

We looked at the woman, the dragon, now notice the child, verse 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. Well, we all know who that is.

Most commentators from all eschatological camps agree there is a bit of variation with some particular persons, but for the most part, I think we appreciate here, he's speaking about the Messiah, speaking about the Christ, it's speaking about the Lord Jesus. While the devil attempted, while the devil sought, while the devil was poised to devour the male child that was born, God Almighty triumphs! You have to appreciate that. Every instance where it looked like the seed might not make it in the Old Testament, it triumphs.

Why is that? Did God get lucky? Did things just happen to align all right for Him? No, it's because He's absolutely, comprehensively, and positively sovereign.

As the Confession of the Shorter Catechism says, He governs all His creatures and all their actions according to His holy, wise, and powerful preserving. Our God is in the heavens and He does whatever He pleases. If He promises in Genesis 3.15 that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent, it will come to pass. It will most surely take place.

And the birth of the Lord Christ takes place according to verse 5. She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. This is David's son. This is the Psalm 2-9 man.

This is who David wrote about in Psalm 2 specifically. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. Already mentioned in Revelation 2.

Mentioned later in Revelation itself. You see what the New Testament authors understood? They understood that in the person and in the work of the Lord Jesus, what they had witnessed and what they had seen was the fulfillment of God's covenantal promises. Paul the Apostle, our dear brother, alluded to this in his prayer, or at least earlier in the prayer meeting.

In the fullness of the times, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman and born under the law, to do what? To redeem those under the law. And this is what we need to appreciate here. She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and then notice, from incarnation to ascension.

And her child was caught up to God and His throne. He doesn't spend time developing all of the particulars of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. He speaks of the blood in verse 11. He speaks of the cross in verse 11 to be sure.

But this is a bit of a snapshot, the incarnation of Christ, the ascension of Christ. Of course, everything in between is involved in all of this. But again, Beal says that temporal telescoping is involved in verse 4, is suggested by verse 5. He says now a snapshot of Christ's entire life, His birth, His destiny of kingship, and His fulfillment of that destiny is His ascent to God's heavenly throne after His post-resurrection ministry.

In other words, Daniel again. Daniel 7, 13 and 14. Let me just read that for you. Then to Him, Christ, was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. This is precisely what Peter refers to in the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 2. In Acts 2, he speaks of the resurrection. On the heels of the resurrection comes the ascension.

Acts 2.30, the Apostle says, Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Listen to what he says. I have an agenda here this morning.

This time of the year isn't about a helpless babe in the womb. You study the birth narratives. You see references to the incarnation. You know what is most closely associated to that event?

The kingly rule and reign of David's greater son. I suspect men like a baby in the manger because they can control him. The King of kings and Lord of lords, however, terrifies men, and well he should, well he should. Peter says, therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear.

For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." John gives us this snapshot, incarnation, ascension. Certainly life, certainly ministry, certainly cross falls in there, but the two grand events that the author focuses upon here is the devil's attempt to thwart this plan. because he knows that when Christ assumes, well, I don't know how well he knows everything. It seems at times he's quite foolish.

Well, he is foolish. But there is a threat to this David's greater son assuming the throne at the right hand of God most high. And then notice, with reference to the identification of Christ, the implication in verse 6 for the church. You see, John is not only setting before us the glory of Christ, but he draws out implications for the life of the church.

Verse 6, then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed her there 1,260 days. So at the end of the life, the ministry, the resurrection, the ascension of Christ, what happens? Does all the world get converted? Does everybody bow down to Jesus?

Does everybody say, what a wonderful King, what a wonderful Lord, what a wonderful Savior? No! They oppose the Church. They target the Church for destruction.

You'll see that more when we proceed to verse 13. The implication is clear, that in bringing many sons to glory, God perfected the captain of their salvation. And the pattern is, that in this lower world, in the trials that we face, God is conforming us more and more onto the image of His Son. The absolute victory, power and supremacy of Jesus Christ secures our place in heaven.

It secures our place in the New Jerusalem. It secures for us eternal bliss and eternal joy. It doesn't mean we're immediately wafted from the face of the earth. It doesn't mean we won't have trials.

Read Revelation chapters 2 and 3. What do you see there with those churches in Asia Minor? They're suffering, they're tried, there's difficulty. What's the recurring emphasis in each one of the letters?

How does the Lord Jesus Christ end them? He who overcomes. The point of Revelation, or one of the points of Revelation, is that the church must overcome. The Christian must persevere.

Though he is ascended on high, though he has led captivity captive, though he does give gifts to men, though the devil himself is bound, according to Revelation chapter 20, there is a sense in which, until the new Jerusalem descends out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, we're going to have difficulties in this world. That's why the whole health, wealth and prosperity gospel is no gospel. It's a lie. It's a fake.

It's a sham. It's false. God has never purposed or never designed that in this particular lower world we'll get all the benefits of the New Jerusalem right now. You will search long and hard in your scriptures to find such a promise given.

In fact, if you take that mindset to the book of Revelation, you will be sorely perplexed. Notice that John doesn't just say, well, you just need more faith, and then the beasts will disappear, the dragon will be no more, and then everything will be hunky-dory. No, it is the Lord Christ who ushers in the new Jerusalem. It is the Lord Christ who brings it to pass in the consummate glory.

Suffering, trial, tribulation, difficulty, problems, woe, hardship, those are part and parcel of living in a cursed world. Isn't it? You just wander down the street singing all the time? It's a good thing if you can do that, but for the most part, we have issues, we have trials, we have difficulties, and John is theologically explaining why that is the case.

The Defeat of the Dragon

Notice the defeat of the dragon, verses 7 to 12. And war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail. Nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

So you see, John is giving us a bird's-eye view of what's happening. Not only on earth in terms of the incarnation and ascension of our Lord Jesus, but what's happening in heaven? What's taking place on that grand scheme? What's happening in that invisible realm, invisible to us in this lower world?

Well, John describes it for us. Again, Michael makes his appearance in the book of Daniel in a similar context, in a similar situation. We see that Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. It was they who initiated.

It is they who cast out. It is they who take charge of the situation. It is they who defeat the devil. This is what John tells us.

The dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 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." Many of you have heard of Gordon Clark.

He's a Christian apologist and philosopher. He's gone to be with the Lord. Well, Gordon Clark had a father named David. And David wrote a little commentary on the book of Revelation called The Message from Patmos.

And he describes that at the Ascension, the devil was handed his eviction notice. The devil was told to scram. The devil was told to get lost. The devil was cast out of heaven.

The power of Christ in His ascension, the power of Christ in having accomplished what He's done, there is no room anymore for the devil in heaven. Now I realize that opens up a lot of questions. What was the devil doing in heaven? You remember the book of Job.

You remember the book of Zechariah. You'll see the devil having access to the Lord, to the throne of the Lord. Again, that's one of those details, I'll blow the trumpet here and tell you, you know, flee from the wrath of God. Some difficult things in that particular area of thought, but this thing is clear.

That when Jesus ascends on high, the devil is cast out. Now this shouldn't surprise anybody if you've been listening in Matthew. What does Jesus talk about in His first coming? He talks about binding the strong man.

He talks about plundering His goods. He talks about the erection, the establishment, the inauguration of God's kingdom. That's what John is telling us.

The Kingdom Proclaimed

He'll make it clear in verse 10, and that's what we ought to look at here. 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. Now again, does that promote gloominess in your heart?

Have you met those people? I don't want to read the book of Revelation. It's scary. It's terrible.

There's beasts, there's dragons, there's woes. There is the establishment of God's kingdom, the messianic reign of our Lord Jesus. What could be more comforting and more encouraging and more helpful both to individual Christians and churches than Revelation chapter 12 and verse 10? What empowers missions?

What empowers evangelism? What gives you the desire to rise up every single day out of your bed? What causes you to want to persevere? Now, I know the Spirit, I know the other means that God's ordained, but this one thing you know is true, that because of Christ's incarnation, because of his death at Calvary, because of his resurrection, and his ascension into glory, the reality is that he's bringing many sons to glory as a result of that.

And that when he engaged in this activity, Satan was given his eviction notice, he was cast out, and as a result, this loud voice says 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." This is the time for a holy jig. This is the time for the happiness to infiltrate our hearts. This is good news! This is encouragement!

This is blessing! This is bliss! Based on the incarnation, based on the ascension, based on the casting out of Satan, this declaration is made, God's kingdom has come! This is why John introduces the book with a three-fold description of our Lord Jesus that I think he fetches right out of Psalm 89, which is the covenant psalm.

He describes Jesus as the faithful witness, and he describes Jesus as the ruler over the kings of the earth. What better position for such a statement to be found than in a book that's going to deal with beastly men, that's going to deal with beasts from the sea, and beasts from the land, and false prophets, and the great whore, and all these things are going to be ushered before the eyes of the reader. And this one thing we need to remember is true. Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

That's what the Incarnation's about. It's interesting, in John's Gospel, there's two references to Incarnation. It's Matthew and Luke and Mark that have birth narratives, or Matthew and Luke have birth narratives. You know what John says?

John moves from the eternal logos in John 1-1 to the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, John 1-14. The only other place the Incarnation is referred to in John's Gospel is when Jesus is standing before Pontius Pilate. In John 18.37, Pilate says to him, Are you then a king? And what does Jesus say?

You say rightly that I am a king, for this cause I was born. Isn't that the point in Luke's birth narrative? He will sit on the throne of David, his son, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Isn't this the point in Matthew's birth narrative?

Is to link for us Jesus as the son of Abraham, covenant, faith, all those sorts of things, and Jesus as son of David, king, royalty, ruler, reigning one. You see, at this time of the year, our thoughts, I think, can't help but think in terms of the incarnation. But we ought to think of the incarnation biblically, rightly, scripturally, concerning the offices of our Savior. This is what John wants us to get in Revelation chapter 12.

The Blood of the Lamb as Decisive Victory

And notice the decisive act in this entire event. He goes from incarnation to ascension, but he doesn't bypass the cross. For as much as Jesus' crown is referred to in the book of Revelation, so is Jesus as the Lamb. I don't know if the ratio is exact, He's often referred to with the crown, He's often referred to as the Lamb, the Lamb who was slain.

What's the decisive act in this victory, in this establishment of the Kingdom of God, in this establishment of the messianic reign, in this expulsion from heaven of the devil himself? What was it that secured this victory? In Genesis 3.15 garden language, what was it where the Son of God took His foot and crushed the head of the serpent Himself? It was at Calvary.

It was at the cross. Notice in verse 11, 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. It is about Christ's atoning work.

That is the linchpin. That is the decisive factor. That is everything. That is what keeps us together.

That is what holds us fast. That is what serves the eviction notice from heaven for the devil. And it is that by which we derive daily strength and encouragement and help. You know, before we proceed, look at how the devil is referred to there.

He's the accuser of the brethren. Again, isn't this his function in Job? Isn't that what he does in Job? Have you ever read Job?

Job 1? Devils roaming about the world, comes and presents himself with the sons of God before God. He says, your servant Job only serves you because you bless him. That's an accusation.

Your servant Job's only a mercenary. It's only because you give him good things. It's only because he's got a big fancy house and he's got big fancy cars and he's got physically well children. It's only because he's got a big bank account.

I mean, have you ever considered the wickedness of this complaint? The accusation? The wretchedness spewing forth from this beast? And then you look over at Zechariah, Zechariah chapter 3.

There's Joshua, the high priest, standing before the Lord of hosts, and he's filthy. And the devil is standing there at his right hand, ready to accuse him, ready to level accusation. Before he can open his big dumb mouth, the Lord God says, the Lord rebuke you. What is it that suffices for Joshua, the high priest?

What is it that suffices for Job? What is it that suffices for you and I when the devil accuses before the throne of God? Not that he's physically there, according to this particular passage, but there is still that accusation that haunts us, isn't there? There is still that nagging in our lives.

Sometimes it's from our own corrupt hearts. But sometimes it seems as if there is a malevolent suggester there. How do you think you could ever be a Christian? How do you think you could ever gain favor with God?

How do you think that you could be heaven-bound looking at your life and the way that you live it? You know how you silence the accuser? It isn't, well, I read my Bible this morning. I went to the Lord's table last week.

I sang the hymns really loudly. No, the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans chapter 8, it is Christ who died and is risen again. That's how you shut his mouth. It's the blood.

It's the cross. It's the atonement. It is everything for the Christian. 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. Verse 12, therefore, rejoice, O heavens. It's good news, isn't it? The devil's cast out of heaven.

Heaven ought to rejoice. But woe to earth and sea. Why? Because the devil has wrath.

He knows his time is short, but he wants to try and destroy as many people as he can. Again, he's a murderer from the beginning. He's the father of lies. He doesn't operate like you and I might.

We might get defeated and say, well, you know, I gave it my best shot. Now I'll go home and hide my head under my pillow and cry myself to sleep. He doesn't do that. In fact, I think in some ways John is showing us here, in a very heightened way, just how foolish the devil really is.

As I was considering this passage, it reminded me, not on the same scale, but of a Gary Larson cartoon that I've always liked. Some of you may know that by the far side. There's a picture of a school, and it says, Midvale School for the Gifted. And the sign on the door clearly says, pull.

And this kid is pushing on the door to get in. Midvale School for the Gifted, the kid can't read Paul, and he's trying to push his way in. You have to realize what an abject failure Satan is, according to Revelation 12. What happens when he tries to oppose the birth of Christ?

He fails. What happens with this war in heaven with Michael and his angels? He fails. We'll see in verse 13 what happens when he chases this woman and seeks to destroy her, the church.

He fails. Verse 17, he rages against all of her offspring. And in chapter 13, he dispatches the beast from the sea and the beast from the land. According to Revelation 14, he fails.

What's John telling us? John, with Peter, is saying, beware, be cautious, be mindful, be alert. Your adversary, the devil, roams about like a lion seeking who he may devour, but he's failing. Luther says he's like a dog on a leash.

Have you ever seen a big, vicious, mean dog? You want to walk way around that particular dog, and then it chases after you, and you fear for your life, but then the leash snaps and he stops. It's the way Luther describes the devil with reference to the believer. He can only go so far.

Do you know what James and Peter tell us ought to be our strategy, our tactical maneuvers in our dealings with the devil? Do we have to go to a Bob Larson conference? Do we have to buy his box DVD set? Do we have to read the latest book on spiritual warfare?

Do you know what James and Peter tell us in terms of the devil? Resist him and he will flee from you. That doesn't sell books, doesn't sell DVD box sets. It's too simple, isn't it?

What does John tell us in his first epistle? Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Why be immobilized? Why be paralyzed?

Why be hindered? Why be crippled? Revelation 12 tells the church to get out there and fight! The foe has been defeated.

The war is over. There's some mop-up battles along the way, but Christ has supplied His Spirit, and He supplied His Word, and He supplied His Church, and He has supplied all of these good things for you, so that you may fight onward. Revelation 12 is a call to the Church of Christ to dig in, to be faithful, to persevere.

The Persecution of the Woman

Notice, verses 13 to 17, quickly, the outrage of the dragon, verse 13. Now, when the dragon saw that he had been cast out of the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. You know, we read these reports, I think, just about every Wednesday night concerning martyrdom in the world today. Not every Wednesday night, but a good number of Wednesday nights.

We read these reports concerning martyrdom, and it's grieving, and it's difficult, and it's sometimes very trying to hear of young children being bombed in their school because they identify with Christianity. I mean, the problems we have here, yeah, what type of burrito am I going to have for dinner? Their little kids may not come home from school because they got bombed. Simply for being a part of a Christian family.

Who bombs a school? That's a special kind of wicked. Bombing a school? Non-combatants have become combatants now?

Shame on these people. But you know, as trying as it is, as difficult as it is, as perplexing as it may be, it evidences this one thing. Christ is building his church. The devil doesn't like it, the devil is seeking to stop it, the devil is seeking to destroy it, but it's marching forward.

You see, you don't persecute and bomb schools of people that rally around unicorns as their deity. There's no validity to that. I mean, somebody out there might. Again, we live in a sinful, sickened world.

You target and you persecute those associated with Christ. Right? You won't find any sort of political, any sort of economic, any sort of societal resistance if you want to celebrate Kwanzaa, or Dollywall, or whatever it may be, or Festivus. And I'm not here advocating the celebration of seasons and festivals to begin with.

Identify with Christ, and what happens in this world? Oh, that's great! It's wonderful! Now look, the devil turns his wrath against the church on earth.

The devil is filled with rage and enmity, and this is what we see in verse 13. The incarnation and the ascension of our Lord Jesus does not mean the absence of trial and turmoil in the world. In fact, it means just the opposite. It's interesting that King David lived a pretty uneventful life until the Spirit came upon him.

You ever realize that? That when the Spirit comes upon David, he's a man on the run. What happens with our Lord Jesus? Pretty uneventful for the first 30 years.

Yes, we see him at the temple complex in Luke chapter 2, discoursing with the doctors of theology there. We see that he grows in wisdom and stature among God and men. But pretty uneventful living as a carpenter, working as a carpenter rather, with his father. It's at his baptism, when the Holy Spirit comes upon him to uniquely fit him for public ministry, that he is then driven out in the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

You see, the issue is not, well, I'm a Christian, why are bad things happening to me? Generally speaking, it's because you're a Christian that bad things are happening to you. If you seek to live godly in Christ Jesus, you will suffer persecution. When the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child, but the woman was given two wings of a great eagle.

The Wilderness: Protection and Testing

This is Exodus and Deuteronomy. God tells His covenant community, I bore you up with the wings of an eagle. The imagery is rich, it's beautiful, it's glorious. That she might fly into the wilderness to her place.

What was the wilderness for Israel? They didn't like it. They grumbled, they complained, they thought God took them out there to destroy them. But God highlights something interesting for us in Deuteronomy chapter 1 concerning the wilderness, concerning their time out there.

God had delivered them, He redeemed them from the bondage in Israel, and then they're in the wilderness. You see a pattern here. Through the redeeming, powerful work of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are then in a wilderness situation. It is both a time of protection and a time of testing, as it was for Old Covenant Israel.

Deuteronomy 1.29, Then I said to you, Do not be terrified or afraid of them. The Lord your God who goes before you, He will fight for you according to all He did for you in Egypt before their eyes. And in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, This in the context where they're grumbling about having been in the wilderness. You see how bad we can be?

We interpret things like, oh God, you did this and it was mean. God, you did this and I didn't like it. God, you did this and it wasn't cool. This is what they're doing.

They've grumbled. God reminds them of their grumbling. Remember they would say to Moses, has the Lord brought us out here so he can kill us? So we can die?

What was the tendency of their heart? We want to go back to Egypt. We want to go back to slavery. At least in slavery we had leeks, and we had onions, and we had garlic, and we had all sorts of good things that we liked to eat.

See, mankind would rather be a slave, as long as he got those basic things, than a free man serving his God. And the Lord reminds them that. And in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son in all the way that you went until you came to this place. You see, the wilderness was a time of protection.

The wilderness was a time of communion. The wilderness was a time of blessing for old covenant Israel and for new covenant Israel. We may always struggle. We may always have difficulty.

We may always have trial. We may never be looked upon favorably by the world, by academia, by anybody. But our God is with us. Isn't that what matters?

Isn't that what counts? According to the apostle, that's what matters and that's what counts. The devil turns his rage upon the people of God. He even spews water out of his mouth according to verse 15.

Again, an image that suggests the pursuit of God's enemies toward his people. And the Lord God ordains, the earth helps the woman. The earth opens its mouth and swallows up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with a woman.

You see, every step of the way, every defeat that is leveled to him, he keeps on going. The devil perseveres. Remember that. I think it was Packer.

Someone said, you know, you take a Sabbath day to rest. The devil never took a Sabbath. He says, well, I'm not the devil. The devil doesn't take Sabbaths.

You would think that on the Sabbath, when we come in here to worship God, that would be the time our thoughts, our minds, our hearts would most rally around the throne. Is that your experience? Is that what happens? Do you just enter the threshold and get wafted up into the presence of God?

If you do, you're probably a minority. You have to fight wandering thoughts. A Puritan, Richard Steele, wrote a treatise on that. Fighting wandering thoughts in the worship of God.

You see, it's here that we can think about that business deal. It's here that we can think about that meal. It's here that we can think about what we're going to do in a few weeks. Or it's here that we can...

No, no. It's here that we come to meet with God. Pay attention. Listen.

Fight the tendency. 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. Enter chapter 13. The beast from the sea, the beast from the land, and who is it that empowers them?

It's the dragon. It's the devil. It is Satan. And then chapter 14, we see the Lamb with His fair army standing on Mount Zion.

Application

Well, that's exposition. A couple of thoughts and then we close. Hopefully, first of all, you appreciate the triumph of the Lamb in this passage. I hope and I pray that you will indeed focus upon this reality.

Christ is prophet, Christ is priest, Christ is king. The catechism sets forth why we need him in these offices. We need him as a prophet because we're ignorant and we need to be instructed. We need him as a priest, obviously, because we're sinners.

We need a sacrifice. We need a righteousness that he provides. We need him as a king to protect us, to defend us, and to rule over us. And John is saying that this king is in.

He's enthroned. He's at the right hand. The Incarnation led to His life and ministry, which led to His death and resurrection, which resulted in His ascension to the right hand of God Most High. The message of the Incarnation is the reality of verse 10 in Revelation 12.

Salvation, 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." So with reference to the triumph of Christ, conversely, we see the defeat of the devil. I've already painted that for you. You say, well, what happens to the beasts? What happens to the false prophet?

Chapter 19, beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. What happens to the dragon? What happens to the devil? Revelation 20.

He is bound. You see, from 12 on, everything that we see is the defeat of the devil. We see that apparently bright kid pushing on a door that says, pull. Why would anybody serve Satan?

Why would anybody want to follow this dark lord? Why would anybody want to be subject to this master? He's a fool. He's a loser.

Davis summarizes the chapter this way. He says, chapter 12 is the good news of Satan's abject failure. And that failure, brethren, as we've already seen in Matthew 12, is connected to the cross. We're not waiting for this.

We're not hoping for this. We're not living in light of this potentiality. But the king has installed himself at the right hand of the throne of glory, the devil has been expelled, and everything he attempts to do, he fails. Abject failure.

The third observation we need to appreciate is that the presence of Christ's kingdom does not mean the absence of difficulty. Beal says it this way, and I think he's right on. He says, Christians can be assured that the serpent begins to battle against their bodies only after he has lost the battle over their souls. You see, you have this shifting momentum.

He's in heaven where he's an accuser of the brethren. Well, because of the blood blotting out their transgressions, there's no more accusation he can render. His mouth is stopped, his mouth is silenced, his mouth is shot. So where does he turn his attention?

To beasts that will make your life beastly. When he can't destroy the soul, he'll come after the body. Again, through flesh and blood, through godless government, through godless organization, through wicked people. He says this expresses one of the major themes of the book.

The suffering of Christians is a sign, I like this, not of Satan's victory, but of the saints' victory over Satan because of their belief in the triumph of the cross with which their suffering identifies them. In other words, if you traverse this earth with never an opposition, never a problem, never a trial, never a difficulty, never a hardship, and I'm not quantifying what it has to look like. You have to be beaten up, you have to be spat on, you have to be shot. I don't know about all that, but all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

It may be high level, it may be low level. It may be your friend saying, you're weird. Like that's a real threat. Who cares if your friends think you're weird?

Who cares if you've got the smile of God? What matters? What makes us happy? What causes us to get up out of bed every morning?

Is it that all our friends think we're cool? Or is it the smile of the triune God upon our lives? This is consistent with what Jesus said in the upper room, and this brother who wrote Revelation heard it. These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. I alluded to Ephesians 6, verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." People say, what is it? What do you mean we gotta wrestle against these? Wrestling is good. Wrestling is evidence that you're alive.

If you're not wrestling against these things, you're dead in your trespasses and sins. But isn't this an interesting statement in Ephesians chapter 6 at verse 10, telling us how we are to do battle with these spiritual forces. But I thought Paul already wrote Ephesians 1. Didn't He already tell us that Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of the Father?

That Jesus has been given a name which is above every name? That Jesus has universal, comprehensive, absolute and unrivaled sovereignty? Hasn't He already said, but God who is rich in His grace and with His mercy made us alive together and has seated us in the heavenly places in Christ? He has stated that in chapters 1 and 2, but that does not remove the reality of Ephesians 6, 10 and following.

It's the foundation for it. If we didn't have Ephesians 1 and 2, there'd be no wrestle against these principalities. We would willingly and happily submit to them and do whatever it is they want for us. The presence of trial, the presence of difficulty, the presence of opposition evidences the reality that God has been good to your soul.

That's the perspective that you and I need to adopt. And then the last observation we ought to make before we leave this chapter. Actually, that was a mean last. I got two last things.

Let's go back to the defeat of the devil for a moment. We looked at something intriguing on Wednesday night in the Bible study. tells us in Joshua chapter 21, 43 to 45. It's the summary of the entire book. Verse 44 in Joshua 21 tells us this, And not a man of all their enemies stood against them.

The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Isn't that beautiful? The presence of peace never fully comes until the enemies of God are gone. We could summarize Revelation that way, couldn't we?

There's opposition, there's trial, there's difficulty, there's problems, there's hardship, there's economic woe, there's difficulties in your life. But understand this, Revelation 19 and Revelation 20, God the Lord disposes of His enemies once and for all. Revelation 21 and 22, the New Jerusalem descends out of heaven. Do you realize that in the Eschaton, do you realize that in the Age to Come, do you realize that in that New Jerusalem all of the ungodly will be excluded?

There will not be an admixture of good and bad. It will only be good in the presence of God and of the Lamb who sits upon the throne. That's why the Apostle can say, there will be no more sorrow, there will be no more tears, there will be no more hunger, there will be no more thirst, there will be no more difficulty. Why?

Because you're in the presence of God and the Lamb. That's what's in our horizon. That's what's in our future. That's what our hope is.

May it indeed cause us to live like it. We ought to smile more. We ought to be happier. We ought to fill our lives with song and with rejoicing and with praising because of what God has done in the person and in the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The last thing I will say is note the description of the church at the end of verse 17. This is an antinomian nightmare. It's something consistent with biblical truth. 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." They're not saved because they keep the commandments of God.

They keep the commandments of God because they're saved. But that's an identifier. That's the way you describe the Church of God. not as that big place with the great band, not as that big place with the comedic preacher, not that big place where everything's moving and shaking and everything's happening. When you boil it all down, I think what John is telling us here is what really matters in terms of church life is the testimony of Jesus Christ, the finished work of our Redeemer, belief in the gospel of the Lord, and a life consistent with that.

That's what a Christian is. A Christian believes the gospel, a Christian lets his conduct be worthy of the gospel. That's what John tells us. And if you're not a Christian this morning, the way to salvation is belief.

The way to salvation is faith in Christ and repentance unto life. The way to salvation is to look and live, to come to Christ, as he says in Matthew 11, come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. That's the imperative. That is the demand.

That is what God calls on you today. May the Spirit come. May the Spirit empower. May the Spirit give the twin graces of faith and repentance so that you can close with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Closing Prayer

Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for this, Your Word. We thank You for the triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ and the defeat of the devil. Our Father, may we live in light of these truths and may we realize that we are in a wilderness setting and realize that You carry us and You commune with us and You build us up and You strengthen us and You protect us.

We ask God in heaven that we would see this as a blessed place to be and help us to bring honor and praise and glory unto You those who have the testimony of Christ, those who keep the commandments of God. Fill us with your Spirit, show us your holy truth, and give us the zeal and the desire to live in light of it. And we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture References

• Genesis 3:15
• Deuteronomy 1:29
• Joshua 21:43-45
• Job 1
• Psalm 2:9; 89
• Zechariah 3:1-2
• Daniel 7:13-14
• Matthew 2:16; 11:28; 12:29
• Luke 2:46
• John 1:1; 1:14; 18:37
• Acts 2:29-33
• Romans 8:34
• Ephesians 1:20-22; 2; 6:10-18
• Revelation 2-3; 12:1-17; 13; 14; 19:20; 20; 21-22