War In Heaven & Wrath On Earth | Revelation 12:7-17 | Richard Caldwell

Scripture

• Revelation 12:7–17

About this sermon

Introduction: There is a world of activity that exists in another realm — a realm outside of our awareness. It exists where we can’t see. The only way that men know that it exists is because God has chosen to reveal it in Scripture or allowed it to break into the world of man’s senses for a time. And there are things that take place on this earth because of that activity. I’m talking about the realm of angels. I’m talking about a spiritual realm that is as real as this realm — we just don’t have access to it. AND THERE ARE TWO KINGDOMS REPRESENTED IN THIS ACTIVITY. In Scripture we see the activity of elect angels (holy angels) and the activity of fallen angels (the devil and demons). In our previous verses, we saw the explanation for fallen angels. They were swept out of their original place — out of heaven — by the tail of the dragon. That is, when Satan fell, they fell with him. When we think about the activity of these fallen angels, and the earthly results of that activity, the story is as old as man’s existence. It was the greatest fallen angel — the dragon, the serpent of old — who deceived Eve and invited Adam’s fall. It was the activity of fallen angels that contributed to conditions on the earth that led God to flood it and leave only 8 human beings after the flood. We could go on with endless illustrations from the Old Testament and the New about the activity of demons. BUT THAT ACTIVITY DIDN’T CEASE. Holy angels and fallen angels are at work in our own day — unseen but as active as ever — and God is telling us in our verses about FUTURE ACTIVITY. One of the things that will make the last half of the tribulation period the time of GREATEST tribulation is A CHOICE OF GOD THAT SETS THE DEVIL AND HIS LEGIONS INTO FRENETIC ACTIVITY. A war will occur that Satan is destined to lose. A war that is necessary for the ushering in of the kingdom of Christ. And that war in heaven will lead to Satanic wrath on earth. That is what our verses tell us about. JOHN WAS GIVEN TWO SIGNS. BOTH HAD TO DO WITH ISRAEL AND WITH MESSIAH. BOTH POINTED TO WHAT WAS NEAR TO JOHN (the first chapter of the final conflict), AND WHAT WAS DISTANT FROM JOHN (the final chapter of the conflict that leads up to the second coming). It is the conflict that occurs during the 1260 days spoken of in our verses that John is giving us information about. I. WAR IN HEAVEN (vs.7-9) The first thing John tells us about is a great WAR IN HEAVEN. Holy angels, led by Michael, waging war against the dragon. There is a great battle in heaven that Satan and his angels LOSE, and the result is that there is no access for them in heaven. This is something that is truly mind-blowing, but Scripture indicates that Satan still has a measure of access to heaven. We see times in the Word of God when Satan appears before the Lord. ESV Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. ESV Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. NOTE: Another good reminder that what God chooses to do is not measured by what makes sense to us, but by what will glorify Him the most in the end. Somewhere around the midpoint of the tribulation period, this war in heaven marks the point of Satan’s greatest wrath on earth. IT IS INTERESTING THAT MICHAEL IS MENTIONED. In the Scriptures it seems that Michael has a special relationship to the nation of Israel. He seems to serve as a defender, a guardian.

Topics

• Bible Study
• Heaven & Eternity
• Prophecy & End Times