The Cosmic Conflict (Revelation 12)
After the interludes we assume we are going to get on with the pattern of sevens. In the seventh seal we discovered seven trumpets, and in the seventh trumpet we are prepared for the seven bowls of God’s wrath. However, first John shares three more symbolic visions. The first of these gives his readers the background to all of the end-times drama: the cosmic conflict.
In this conflict we see three or four key characters in three successive scenes.
If this were a movie, at this point the action would break away into an animated sequence that takes place in a night sky. We get a scene played out in constellations. We have a woman ready to give birth. Her child, a boy, is the Messiah who will rule all of creation. The devil, here portrayed as a terrible multi-headed dragon, is prepared to kill and eat the Messiah as soon as it is born, but the child ascends into heaven and the woman is provided for in the wilderness for a season.
In the second scene we cut from the night sky to the actual, celestial realm of heaven. We see a dramatic war between the forces of good led by the archangel Michael and the forces of the devil. The devil is defeated and loses his heavenly privilege. (In Scripture we see that the devil still had access to God and the heavenly realms before this end-times battle.) The devil is angry at being finally banned from heaven and attacks the earth. This is the promised “third woe.”
The focus of the devil’s wrath after being banned to earth is the woman from the first scene. This is the Bride of Christ, the spiritual Israel, God’s people. The church is protected, however, and though the devil wars against all the woman’s offspring (those who keep the commands of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus) we understand that God’s plan will prevail in the end. The devil is going to lose this war.
Once again, Revelation is a message of hope and assurance that all the suffering and persecution that believers face in this conflict is destined to be defeated. We stand with God in victory…
In this conflict we see three or four key characters in three successive scenes.
If this were a movie, at this point the action would break away into an animated sequence that takes place in a night sky. We get a scene played out in constellations. We have a woman ready to give birth. Her child, a boy, is the Messiah who will rule all of creation. The devil, here portrayed as a terrible multi-headed dragon, is prepared to kill and eat the Messiah as soon as it is born, but the child ascends into heaven and the woman is provided for in the wilderness for a season.
In the second scene we cut from the night sky to the actual, celestial realm of heaven. We see a dramatic war between the forces of good led by the archangel Michael and the forces of the devil. The devil is defeated and loses his heavenly privilege. (In Scripture we see that the devil still had access to God and the heavenly realms before this end-times battle.) The devil is angry at being finally banned from heaven and attacks the earth. This is the promised “third woe.”
The focus of the devil’s wrath after being banned to earth is the woman from the first scene. This is the Bride of Christ, the spiritual Israel, God’s people. The church is protected, however, and though the devil wars against all the woman’s offspring (those who keep the commands of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus) we understand that God’s plan will prevail in the end. The devil is going to lose this war.
Once again, Revelation is a message of hope and assurance that all the suffering and persecution that believers face in this conflict is destined to be defeated. We stand with God in victory…
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