Revelation 12:1-17

👉 Sign 1 – a woman (v 1-2):

• clothed with the sun

• moon under her feet

• on her head a crown of twelve stars [12 tribes of Israel]

• pregnant and crying out in birth pains

👉 Sign 2: the dragon (v 3-4):

• w/ seven heads w/ ten horns

• seven diadems on his heads

• tail swept down 1/3 of the stars in heaven

• stood before the woman

👉 The woman gave birth to a male child (v 5-6):

• to rule all nations [Jesus]

• to be caught up to God and his throne

👉 There was a war in heaven between Michael and his angels and the dragon and his angels (v 7).

The dragon (v 8-12):

• is defeated

• no longer had a place in heaven

• is the ancient serpent (Gen 3:1), the devil, Satan, the deceiver

• is thrown down to earth

• is an accuser

• is conquered by the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony by the saints

• came to earth with great wrath b/c he knew his time was short

Do you see it? The dragon – Satan – is defeated and he knows it. This makes him incredibly angry. We can’t become complacent or comfortable. He knows his ultimate destination but he is not going to go there alone. Misery loves company.

Satan couldn’t stop Israel. Satan couldn’t stop Jesus. So – he has moved on to a new target.

👉 Did you see who he has now made war with (v 17)?

• those who keep the commandments of God

• those who hold to the testimony of Jesus

We have an enemy. He wants those of us who desire to love Jesus and to honor God’s Word. He wants our homes, families, marriages to be broken. He wants our testimonies to be silenced. He wants our work to be ineffective.

Don’t grow weary.

Onward, Christian soldier, marching as to war
With the cross of Jesus going on before

You are loved.