The Last Days
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PREVIOUS LESSON 47 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 49
Lesson 48 | 11/30/25
Revelation 12:4-9 | The Dragon is Cast Down
We are continuing our study of Revelation 12 and the Woman, the Dragon, and the Child. Last week we began interpreting the dramatic imagery of this chapter that tells the story of the plan of redemption. And we learned that the Woman is Israel, Genesis 37:9-11; the Dragon is Satan, Rev 12:9; and the Child is Jesus Christ, Rev 12:5. This vision is being displayed to the whole world as the 7th Trumpet sounds and God opens the windows of heaven for the world to get a glimpse of His Glory. Let’s read Revelation 11:19-12:9 and then we will pick up where we left off last week.
Chapter 12 and the book of Revelation shows the downward progression of the dragon being cast down. It takes us all the way back to before the fall of Adam when Satan and his angels rebelled.
12:4) His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth...
12:4-5) 4 ... And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 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.
The Kingdoms of the Ages
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
This brings us up to the birth of Jesus... verse 5a
12:5a) She bore a male Child who was to rule (ποιμαίνω- to shepherd) all nations with a rod of iron.
After 4,000 years, from Genesis 3:15 to the birth of Jesus, the Word was made flesh and God became a Man to bring salvation to the world.
12:5b) And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
12:6) 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.
I believe this “wilderness of safety” that God has prepared is the city of Jerusalem as God is calling all the Jews to come back to their homeland, using the false sense of peace that the antichrist has promised, Daniel 9:27; 11:21-24; 1 Thess 5:13. We will see this again in verse 14...
Verse 6 brings this vision up to the Tribulation time period. The 70th week of Daniel begins when the antichrist confirms the covenant with Israel for 7 years. This begins the 7- year Tribulation. This is the first seal that was opened, the revealing of the antichrist, the rider of the white horse, Rev 6:2. Then shortly after, the second seal is opened bringing war on the earth, Rev 6:3-4, specifically the Ezekiel 38 war (Lesson 36). Then Famine (Seal 3); Death (Seal 4); then Tribulation Martyrs (Seal 5). This sequence is in connection to the events being described in Revelation 12: Israel’s peace, v.6, 14; war, v.7, 15; then the persecution of the saints, v.11, 17. Chapter 12 is revealing the same sequence of events, but with a glimpse of the supernatural wars that are going on behind the scenes.
Most all natural wars, specifically relating to God’s people, are not just fought on this earth, they are fought in the supernatural realm first and then manifested in the physical. Paul says in Ephesians 6:12- 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.
We see a glimpse of this when the angel tells Daniel he was fighting with the prince of Persia and then he was going on to fight with the prince of Greece, Daniel 10:12-14; 18-21. Then in chapter 12 there is another battle which coincides with our timing in Revelation 12, Daniel 12:1. Here in the next few verses we get another glimpse of a major spiritual battle.
12:7-9) 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 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.
I wrestled with the timing of this war. Up until recently, I saw this war being fought just after the cross, but the context and the language of this chapter point to a time during the Tribulation and in connection with the 7th Trumpet sounding. Remember, chapter 12 is in connection with the end of chapter 11 and the 7th Trumpet. Notice the similarity of the praise in heaven right after this Trumpet sounds and the praise in heaven after this battle between Michael and Satan.
Revelation 11:15- Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become (ἐγένοντο) the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
Revelation 12:10- 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 (ἐγένετο- have become), for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
This is Kingdom language. The Tribulation is the culmination of our Salvation and His Kingdom. Salvation and redemption was purchased on the cross, Τετέλεσται (tetelestai), it is finished, paid in full, but the redemption of the purchased possession must still take place and the book of Revelation details the completion of our redemption and fulfillment of His Kingdom. Their praise of Jesus’ Kingdom continues in verses 11-12...
Revelation 12:11- 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. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth (κατοικέω) and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
This again is Tribulation language. There are the heaven-dwellers... Us, the Church in heaven and the earth dwellers below who love this world. Satan knows his time is short. He sees the prophecies of these latter days begin to take place, the Church is raptured, Jesus has taken the scroll, and the antichrist is given authority, and Satan knows his time is short. So he makes an all-out attack on the head honcho archangel Michael. This is probably pretty close to the beginning of the Tribulation in connection with the Ezekiel 38 war on earth, and Satan is giving it everything he’s got to overthrow God’s plans, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
But which heaven is he getting thrown out from? Is this the 3rd heaven, the throne room of God? Does Satan have access to God’s dwelling place in heaven? Evidently in Job’s time, he must have. Because Satan came to God about Job, Job 1:6-7. But I don’t believe he has this kind of access anymore. I believe he was banned from God’s dwelling place at the cross. John 12:31–32-31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
At the cross Jesus defeated Satan and was stripped of his power and privilege...
Hebrews 2:14–15-14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
1 John 3:8- He who practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Colossians 2:15- Having disarmed (ἀπεκδύομαι- to strip off) principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
I believe Satan’s access to the dwelling place of God in heaven was stripped at the cross, but he still has access to the heavens, as in outer space, and everything within the 1st and 2nd heaven.
Ephesians 2:2- in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
But after this war with Michael sometime at the beginning of the Tribulation, it seems that Satan and his angels will be banned from even the heavens and cast down being confined to the earth. Satan is so enraged at this defeat as we will see in the rest of the chapter, he is taking his rage out on everyone still on the earth.
In chapter 12, we learn a great deal about the supernatural conflict that goes on in the unseen realm. Satan knows his demise. He knows his time is short and yet somehow, he thinks he can still win. But he is so wrong. The blood of Jesus has defeated him and we have and will overcome through Jesus Christ.
PREVIOUS LESSON 47 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 49
Chapter 12 and the book of Revelation shows the downward progression of the dragon being cast down. It takes us all the way back to before the fall of Adam when Satan and his angels rebelled.
- Cast down as the anointed cherub of God, Isaiah 14:12-16; Ezek 28:12-19
- Then... cast down from access to the throne of God, John 12:31; Hebrews 2:14–15; 1 John 3:8; Col 2:15
- Then... cast down from the heavens... Confined to earth, Rev 12:7-12
- Then... cast down to the bottomless pit, Rev 20:1-3
- Finally... cast into the lake of fire, Rev 20:10
- Satan wanted to be like God, and he became prideful and jealous when God gave the authority of the earth to man that he thought he deserved, Heb 2:6-8.
- As a result, Satan was cast out of heaven for this rebellion. Jesus speaks of this in Luke 10:18 when He says, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
- Another place in Scripture describing Lucifer’s rebellion and fall is in Ezek 28:12-19.
- Verses 16 and 18 describe an interesting tactic by Satan
- ἐμπορία/ἐμπορεύομαι- to trade/in dealings (these are the deceptive schemes of Satan to entangle us with the world system, 2 Peter 2:3; Genesis 34:9-10;
- Satan is constantly trying to get us to marry the world, Rev 2:12 Pergamos; Rev 2:19 Thyatira; the way of Balaam)
- ἐμπορία/ἐμπορεύομαι- to trade/in dealings (these are the deceptive schemes of Satan to entangle us with the world system, 2 Peter 2:3; Genesis 34:9-10;
- Verses 16 and 18 describe an interesting tactic by Satan
12:4) His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth...
- Along with Satan, who is a fallen angel, Satan deceived a third of the angels and they fell with him.
- Satan is a deceiver, and he even deceived a third of the angels into following him in his rebellion against God.
- Notice the way John describes this... His tail drew (σύρω- to drag, as in to drag a net of fish, John 21:8) a third of the stars and threw (ἔβαλεν- 3rd person singular... he threw) them to the earth...
- Paul speaks of those being caught in the snare of the devil, 2 Tim 2:26
- Here is an allusion to even the fallen angels being deceived into his trap as he drew them to sin. Enticing them the same way he did Adam and Eve... you can be just like God.
- And indeed, they became gods and rulers of this world, Ephesians 6:12.
- Paul speaks of those being caught in the snare of the devil, 2 Tim 2:26
12:4-5) 4 ... And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 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.
- God’s plan will not be thwarted. In fact, God in His great wisdom, used the evil schemes of the enemy to fulfill His purposes,
The Kingdoms of the Ages
- The bondage of Egypt and the Exodus, Ex 7-14 God’s Glory displayed
- The Assyrian Kingdom, (prophecies of the Messiah and Judgement, Isaiah 7:14-17; 10:5; 11:16; 19:24-25; Sennacherib Isaiah 36-38)
- Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian captivity, (foreshadowing of the latter days,
- Persia’s Kingdom (Zerubbabel and Joshua rebuild the temple)
- Greece- Alexander the Great (Hellenistic dispersion creating Jewish synagogues throughout the world along with the Greek translation of the Old Testament)
- Rome (providing the governmental structure and road system for the Gospel to spread through the world)
- The Jews crucify Jesus by the hands of lawless men, Acts 2:23
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
This brings us up to the birth of Jesus... verse 5a
12:5a) She bore a male Child who was to rule (ποιμαίνω- to shepherd) all nations with a rod of iron.
After 4,000 years, from Genesis 3:15 to the birth of Jesus, the Word was made flesh and God became a Man to bring salvation to the world.
- As we said earlier, this male Child is none other than Jesus Christ. The One given the inheritance to rule/shepherd the nations with the rod of iron, Psalm 2:9; Rev 19:15.
- Satan is the god of this world, but The King, Jesus Christ is coming back to rule.
- The kings and rulers and principalities and powers of this world who hate Jesus are doing everything they can to stop this because they want the power.
- But Jesus is coming again and He will be evicting them from His Kingdom.
- Satan is the god of this world, but The King, Jesus Christ is coming back to rule.
12:5b) And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
- This is describing the ascension of Jesus back to heaven, Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9.
- This word “caught up” is ἁρπάζω- to snatch or rapture. Same word used in 1 Thess 4:17.
- Jesus was raptured up to heaven.
- And just as Jesus was caught up to heaven, we too, as His body, will be caught up, raptured, to God and to His throne to be with Him forever!
12:6) 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.
- The focus is on Israel who has rejected her Messiah, she is not part of the Church at this point in time, and will not be caught up to God at the rapture. She will be on this earth when the Tribulation starts.
- But notice she will be protected by God. God always has, and always will continue to protect Israel, because He has promises that are still yet to be fulfilled for Israel, Romans 11:25-27.
- The time frame mentioned, 1,260 days, places us in the Tribulation week.
- 42 months; time, times and half a time; 3-1/2 years, these are all the same timeframe
- The question is which half of the Tribulation is this speaking of? First or last half?
- Many scholars place this in the last half and attribute this to the Jews fleeing from the antichrist after the abomination of desolation.
- However, I believe this is the first half
- This place prepared by God is Jerusalem, specifically in the first 3-1/2 years
- But the text says they are fleeing into the wilderness? But remember Jerusalem has dried up because they are not serving God,
- This place prepared by God is Jerusalem, specifically in the first 3-1/2 years
I believe this “wilderness of safety” that God has prepared is the city of Jerusalem as God is calling all the Jews to come back to their homeland, using the false sense of peace that the antichrist has promised, Daniel 9:27; 11:21-24; 1 Thess 5:13. We will see this again in verse 14...
Verse 6 brings this vision up to the Tribulation time period. The 70th week of Daniel begins when the antichrist confirms the covenant with Israel for 7 years. This begins the 7- year Tribulation. This is the first seal that was opened, the revealing of the antichrist, the rider of the white horse, Rev 6:2. Then shortly after, the second seal is opened bringing war on the earth, Rev 6:3-4, specifically the Ezekiel 38 war (Lesson 36). Then Famine (Seal 3); Death (Seal 4); then Tribulation Martyrs (Seal 5). This sequence is in connection to the events being described in Revelation 12: Israel’s peace, v.6, 14; war, v.7, 15; then the persecution of the saints, v.11, 17. Chapter 12 is revealing the same sequence of events, but with a glimpse of the supernatural wars that are going on behind the scenes.
Most all natural wars, specifically relating to God’s people, are not just fought on this earth, they are fought in the supernatural realm first and then manifested in the physical. Paul says in Ephesians 6:12- 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.
We see a glimpse of this when the angel tells Daniel he was fighting with the prince of Persia and then he was going on to fight with the prince of Greece, Daniel 10:12-14; 18-21. Then in chapter 12 there is another battle which coincides with our timing in Revelation 12, Daniel 12:1. Here in the next few verses we get another glimpse of a major spiritual battle.
12:7-9) 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 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.
I wrestled with the timing of this war. Up until recently, I saw this war being fought just after the cross, but the context and the language of this chapter point to a time during the Tribulation and in connection with the 7th Trumpet sounding. Remember, chapter 12 is in connection with the end of chapter 11 and the 7th Trumpet. Notice the similarity of the praise in heaven right after this Trumpet sounds and the praise in heaven after this battle between Michael and Satan.
Revelation 11:15- Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become (ἐγένοντο) the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
Revelation 12:10- 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 (ἐγένετο- have become), for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
This is Kingdom language. The Tribulation is the culmination of our Salvation and His Kingdom. Salvation and redemption was purchased on the cross, Τετέλεσται (tetelestai), it is finished, paid in full, but the redemption of the purchased possession must still take place and the book of Revelation details the completion of our redemption and fulfillment of His Kingdom. Their praise of Jesus’ Kingdom continues in verses 11-12...
Revelation 12:11- 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. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth (κατοικέω) and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
This again is Tribulation language. There are the heaven-dwellers... Us, the Church in heaven and the earth dwellers below who love this world. Satan knows his time is short. He sees the prophecies of these latter days begin to take place, the Church is raptured, Jesus has taken the scroll, and the antichrist is given authority, and Satan knows his time is short. So he makes an all-out attack on the head honcho archangel Michael. This is probably pretty close to the beginning of the Tribulation in connection with the Ezekiel 38 war on earth, and Satan is giving it everything he’s got to overthrow God’s plans, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
But which heaven is he getting thrown out from? Is this the 3rd heaven, the throne room of God? Does Satan have access to God’s dwelling place in heaven? Evidently in Job’s time, he must have. Because Satan came to God about Job, Job 1:6-7. But I don’t believe he has this kind of access anymore. I believe he was banned from God’s dwelling place at the cross. John 12:31–32-31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
At the cross Jesus defeated Satan and was stripped of his power and privilege...
Hebrews 2:14–15-14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
1 John 3:8- He who practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Colossians 2:15- Having disarmed (ἀπεκδύομαι- to strip off) principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
I believe Satan’s access to the dwelling place of God in heaven was stripped at the cross, but he still has access to the heavens, as in outer space, and everything within the 1st and 2nd heaven.
Ephesians 2:2- in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
But after this war with Michael sometime at the beginning of the Tribulation, it seems that Satan and his angels will be banned from even the heavens and cast down being confined to the earth. Satan is so enraged at this defeat as we will see in the rest of the chapter, he is taking his rage out on everyone still on the earth.
In chapter 12, we learn a great deal about the supernatural conflict that goes on in the unseen realm. Satan knows his demise. He knows his time is short and yet somehow, he thinks he can still win. But he is so wrong. The blood of Jesus has defeated him and we have and will overcome through Jesus Christ.
PREVIOUS LESSON 47 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 49