02.37. LECTURE No. 37 -- Rev_12:7-12
LECTURE No. 37 -- Revelation 12:7-12
War in Heaven between Michael and His angels - This Event Is Not History But Prophecy and Is Therefore Yet Future - Satan is Not in Hell Now - The Downward Course of Satan - Satan Will Be Cast Out of the Heavens Down to the Earth - Later He Will Go to the Bottomless Pit - After Being Loosed for a Little Season He Will Be Consigned to the Lake of Fire - Michael a Powerful Arch Angel and a Great Commander - The Heaven in Which the Battle Between Michael and His Angels and the Dragon and His Angels Will Take Place. The Church to Be Resurrected and Caught Up to Meet the Lord in the Air - The Way Must Be Prepared for This Event - Result of This War in Heaven
Introduction
Revelation means to reveal, to unveil, or to make known. The very title of this book, therefore, contradicts the impression which many people have that the book of Revelation is a sealed book and has no message for those of us who are living today. Therefore, since the word Revelation means to reveal, in the sense of unveiling something and to make known the truth, we insist that a study of this book is both interesting and instructive and helpful to all of God’s children every-where who desire to know the Truth.
We have progressed in our present study to Revelation the twelfth chapter and the seventh verse, where our present lesson will begin.
Review In our last lesson based upon Revelation 12:1-6, we studied concerning the woman clothed with the Sun, with the Moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
Our last lesson also revealed Satan under the symbolism of a great Red Dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads.
Mention was also made of the Man-child who was the son of the Woman described in this chapter, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. The Passage also revealed that this child was caught up unto God and unto His throne, and that following this event the woman fled into the Wilderness where (it says), “She hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days.”
By much study and by comparing scripture with scripture in our last lesson, we discovered that the Woman clothed with the Sun was none other than National Israel and that the Man-child which she brought forth who was to rule all nations was none other than Christ!
The interpretation of the Man-child must be enlarged, however, to include the Church which is the body of Christ, which is now being called out from among both Jews and Gentiles in this age of Grace through the preaching of the Gospel. When the Church is completed and is joined to Christ, who is declared to be the head of the Church, then the Man-child will be completed in the mystical sense also. And so we see that there is both an historical and a prophetic interpretation to be made of this passage, if we would understand it fully.
We learned also, that Satan under the symbolism of the great Red Dragon, stood before the Woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. This we discovered, applied historically to Christ, who was born of Mary and who was therefore of the race of Israel and of the house of David.
We must never forget that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and was born of a Virgin Mother and that He was as pertaining to the flesh, of the seed of Abraham, who was made the depository of the Messianic Hope and through whose seed the Messiah was to come. This accounts for the age long enmity which Satan has had against the seed of Abraham and it gives the reason why he sought to destroy the Christ Child when He was born.
Since the Church is the mystical body of Christ and is made up of the spiritual seed of Abraham, it is perfectly natural that Satan would hate the individual and collective members of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. As we know, the Church is not yet complete but when it is completed, we know that it will be resurrected and raptured away to be with Christ.
Advance Lesson Now this brings us to our present lesson. Recorded in Revelation 12:7-12 where it says:
“And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon; and the Dragon fought and His Angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in Heaven.
“And the great Dragon was cast out that old serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: He was cast out into the earth, and His Angels were cast out with him.
“And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength and the Kingdom of our God, and the Power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them, before our God day and night. And they overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the Death.
“Therefore, Rejoice, Ye Heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and the sea! For the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because He knoweth that He hath but a short time.” Not History But Prophecy
Now, I presume that the first thing we should mention concerning this passage is, that what is stated here is not history but is a matter of prophecy. In other words, the war referred to in this passage is not a matter of history but is a future event which is yet to occur.
We all know that in the beginning Satan was “the anointed cherub that covereth.” This was his angelic title before he fell. Our present passage, however, does not refer to that ancient and historic event because we are here studying about the work of Satan as the Great Dragon!
We are here studying what Satan will do and what will happen to him in the future at the time when the seventh Angel will sound his trumpet and the mystery of God shall be brought to a consummation. A Mistaken Idea
It is very important for us to realize just here the fact that Satan is not now in Hell as some would have us think.
The idea that Satan is now in Hell and that he rules as King over the demons of that region is a mistaken idea based upon the language of poets rather than upon the word of God. The word of God does not sustain this idea in the least.
If Satan were now confined Hell; we who live upon the earth would have no reason to fear him, but quite the contrary is true. Satan is not confined in Hell at the present time but on the contrary he is described in the Scriptures as being the Prince of the Power of the Air.
This is confirmed in Ephesians 2:1-2, where it says:
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein, in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the Power of the Air, the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”
From this statement it is perfectly evident that Satan is not confined in Hell at this present time but that He now occupies the atmospheric heavens above the earth, where he reigns as the Prince of the Power of the Air. This explains why Paul said in Ephesians 6:11-12,
“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The Downward Course of Satan
Now having located Satan as to his present abode and his present activities, I feel it will be helpful for us to enlarge upon this thought just a little and show you, if we can from the Scriptures, the downward course of Satan both as it has been and as it will be in the future.
In the beginning, because Satan was a beautiful and powerful creature, we have every reason to believe that he stood in the very presence of God but when he was lifted up in pride and fell from his Holy and lofty estate, from what we have just read, it is evident that he was cast out from the highest heaven to the atmospheric Heaven above the earth which he now occupies as the Prince of the Power of the Air.
Incidentally, we wish to point out that, from his present habitation in the atmospheric heaven as Prince of the Power of the Air, Satan now has access into the presence of God.
His purpose of entering into the presence of God is in order that he may accuse the brethren!
This is well illustrated in the case of Job, whom he accused before God and whom God defended.
Also in Zechariah 3:1-2, it says,
“And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuked thee, O Satan: Even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee; Is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?”
Thus we see that Satan does have access to God, even now, as the accuser of the brethren.
Satan Will Be Cast Out of the Heavens The next step in Satan’s downward career, however, will be when he is cast out of the atmospheric heaven into the earth as suggested in our lesson text, for in Revelation 12:9 it says:
“And the Great Dragon was cast out that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world; He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
This will not occur until during that period included under the sounding of the seventh trumpet which is yet future.
When this occurs and Satan is thrust down to the earth, his time will be very short, for as we know, that will be during the tribulation period.
The worst of which will only last for three years and a half, or forty and two months or 1260 days. The Bottomless Pit The next downward step in the career of Satan is revealed in Revelation 20:1-3, where it says:
“And I saw an angel come down from Heaven having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the Dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled; And after that he must be loosed for a little season.”
Also in Revelation 20:7-9 it says of Satan:
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: The number of which is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of Heaven, and devoured them.”
Satan’s Final Doom
What then, is to be the final doom and destiny of Satan? This is answered in Revelation 20:10, where it says:
“And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Thus, my friends, in brief outline we have given you the downward course and the career of Satan, the old Dragon, as revealed in the Scriptures and our present lesson has to do with the time, yet future, when he will be cast out from the atmospheric heaven above, down to the earth, which will be the next step in his downward career.
Michael
Now having learned something about the Dragon as to his origin and nature and the downward course which he is to follow, we must return to our lesson text and learn something about Michael, for in Revelation 12:7 it says:
“And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon: And the Dragon fought and his angels.”
Daniel
We do not need to be in doubt as to who Michael is, for in Daniel 12:1 says: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people:
“There shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even unto that same time: And at that time Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in book.”
Jude
Michael is also mentioned in Jude 1:9, where it says:
“Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with the Devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, Durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” An Archangel From these two passages we discover that Michael is an Archangel and that he is associated in a special way with the children of Israel and that he is also associated with the resurrection of the dead, for he disputed with the Devil about the body of Moses before it was resurrected and taken to Heaven. We know that Moses is alive because appeared upon the Mount of Transfiguration with Elijah when Jesus was transfigured before His disciples. A Great Commander
Now according to our lesson text, Michael will be the great commander-in-chief of a great army of angels on one side, and Satan, who is called the Dragon, will be the great commander-in-chief of another group of angels who follow him. And when the battle is in array and God’s moment has arrived for the conflict, there will be war Heaven. Which Heaven Is Meant?
We must pause just here to inform you, however, that the Heaven in which this battle will occur is not the highest heaven where God is and where Heaven is, but it will be in the atmospheric heaven above the earth where Satan now dwells as the Prince of the Power of the Air. Ordinarily we think of three Heavens.
- First there is the atmospheric heavens above the earth including the air and the clouds and the aerial spaces.
- Then there is the celestial heaven which contain the sun, and the moon and the stars,
- Above these there is the highest Heaven where God’s throne is, and where Christ is.
That the throne of God is far above all heavens is confirmed in Ephesians 1:20-21, where it says:
“Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the Heavenly places, far above all principality, and Power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:”
We reaffirm, therefore, that the war in heaven, referred to in our lesson text, which will occur between Michael and his angels and the Dragon and his angels will not be in the highest Heaven where God’s throne is and where Jesus is now at the right hand of the majesty on high, but it will occur in the atmospheric heaven above the earth for the purpose of expelling Satan and his angels from their present habitation down to the earth.
Other Reasons for the Conflict But let us ask just here what other reasons there may be for this impending conflict and why it is that Satan will fight against Michael and his angels.
We all know that this is the age of Grace and that the great purpose of the Present age so far as God as concerned, is the calling out and completion of the Church which is the body of Christ!
Therefore, this is now being accomplished through the preaching of the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike and all who believe whether Jews or Gentiles, are brought in as individual members of the Church which is His body. The Rapture of the Church When the Church is finished, that is, when all who are to constitute the body of Christ have been called out, the Church will then be called away to be with Christ. This is confirmed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, where it says:
“For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God: And the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: So shall we ever be with the Lord.”
This event is spoken of as the rapture of the Church and will not occur until Jesus descends from Heaven to receive the Church which is his bride but it is this event now impending which will be the cause of the war in heaven, that is, in the atmospheric Heaven above the earth between Michael and his angels and the Dragon and his angels.
We have already seen how the Church may be considered as the mystical body of Christ and the passage just quoted reveals that when the Church is completed we are to be caught away to be with Christ.
We know from other Scriptures that when we have been joined to Christ we are to rule and reign with him in his future administrations over the earth.
For this reason Satan, the old Dragon, hates us even now and when the time comes for the resurrection and the rapture of the Saints which belong to the body of Christ, he will be on hand with all of his angels to hinder and to thwart this event if it were possible for him to do so!
Please remember that Satan is now the Prince of the Power of the Air and that he occupies the aerial spaces above the earth and that in order for us to be caught up into Heaven to be with Christ, we must ascend up through the spaces which he now occupies. It is natural therefore, that since he hates us and since he has set himself against the purposes of God toward us, that Satan would rally his forces at the time appointed to hinder the resurrection and the ascension of the Saints of God at the rapture. Just as he sought to destroy the physical body of Christ when He had been born of the Virgin Mary by causing the slaying of the innocent children in Bethlehem, just so will Satan stand ready to destroy the Church which is the mystical body of Christ when He had been born by the Power of the resurrection in the morning when it will be raptured away to be with Christ. The Way Must Be Prepared
Now in order to keep him from doing this Michael, the Archangel will come with his angels and fight against the Dragon and his angels in order to make it possible for the resurrected saints and those who will be changed while living to be caught up from the earth and ascend up through Satan’s territory into the upper Heavens to be with Christ.
This, my friends, reveals what an interest God and the angels of Heaven have in those of us who belong to Christ. It reveals that God’s purpose is to resurrect us from the dead or to change us while we are living by His resurrection power and catch us away to be with Christ. He loves us enough and is so determined to bring this to pass that He will send Michael and his angels to fight against the Dragon and his angels in order to make it possible for us to ascend into the presence of God. Even now angels are interested in the things we do.
We know this is true because in Hebrews 1:14, speaking of angels it says: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
How wonderful therefore, that when the time comes for our very resurrection and ascension into Heaven will be made possible by the guardianship and the ministration of the angels You will recall that the resurrection of Jesus was attended by the presence and the ministration of the angels and so it will be at the resurrection and the rapture of the Church.
The angels of Heaven are interested in this coming event as much as we are and look forward to it with great anticipation and we may be assured that Michael and his angels may be on hand to fight against the Dragon and his angels so that we may have a safe exit from this world and have an abundant entrance into the presence of God.
Result of the War in the Atmospheric Heavens
Now let us consider briefly what is going to be the result of this war in Heaven so far as Satan and his angels are concerned and so far as the people who will be left upon this earth are concerned.
This is plainly stated in the lesson text in Revelation 12:9-12 where it says:
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
These verses reveal the outcome of the conflict between Michael and his angels and the Dragon and his angels and they explain those conditions which will come to pass upon the earth after these things have happened.
~ end of lecture 37 ~