REVELATION 12
Where in the World does Satan Live?

This chapter starts the whole end-times sequence of events over again from a much narrower perspective and from a much earlier time. The previous chapters showed the unveiling of events from a global perspective as the world observes the things that take place over approximately one third of the world that is centered in the Middle East. In this chapter the focus is on Israel, the beast kingdom that surrounds Israel, and Satan’s attempts to destroy Israel, with no regard to what is happening in the rest of the world. Revelation 12 concentrates on God’s plan of redemption from the very beginning of time up to the time Satan is cast out of heaven. That plan started with Abraham and proceeded with Israel, from Israel to Jesus, and from Jesus to the Church. It shows the war that has been raging between the God of creation and the forces of Satan over the fate of Israel and all of mankind from the very beginning when God first started to implement His plan of salvation. It also reveals how Israel remains in the middle of this conflict to the very end with Satan right there every step of the way, trying to stop the plan of God from being fulfilled. Revelation 12 takes us right up to the time of the Great Tribulation, which is the subject of Revelation 13.

This chapter seems to take on a conversational tone and should not be relied upon as a totally accurate verse-by-verse sequential telling of events. In other words, if a person were to say, “A dog bit me when I got out of my car at the park,” the sequence is totally opposite from the way it was told. The person first had to drive to the park, then get out of the car, and then the dog bit. This chapter is essentially in order, but some things are out of place. Verses 6 and 14 are both foretelling the same event but mixed in at different places in the chapter. To understand the timing of what is happening, this chapter has to be compared to all of the rest of Scripture. The entire content of this chapter does, however, take place before chapter 13 and actually leads into that chapter where the Tribulation begins. What’s being said here is that there is already war in heaven and eventually Satan is going to be cast out, having great anger, and then the Tribulation will begin. That is when certain special citizens of Israel will be cared for in the wilderness.

Verses 1 speaks of a woman, which is Israel, and the crown of twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel. Verse 2 describes Jesus the Messiah being birthed into the world through the nation of Israel. God uses the sun, the moon and the stars in describing the woman to show the high esteem in which He holds Israel, not because of who they are, but because of the covenant of faith Israel accepted from God.Abraham believed God, and Jacob followed in that faith, even to the point of changing his name in obedience to God.

Revelation 12:1-2

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

In verse 3 we see a dragon with seven heads. The dragon is Satan, and the seven heads represent seven empires that Satan brings into existence at different times throughout history for the express purpose of destroying Israel and putting a stop to the plan of God. The ten horns are a league of ten nations that give their power over to the Antichrist during the end-times after the seventh and final empire is established. The Antichrist will use this ten-nation empire as a base of operations in his quest to destroy Christians, Jews and Israel, resulting in the Great Tribulation which will affect the whole world. The first of the seven heads take us all the way back through history to the time when Egypt oppressed the Jews and was judged by God because of that oppression and Pharaoh’s refusal to obey God. Along with seven particular empires that Satan controlled, the dragon also symbolizes thousands of years of attempts by Satan to destroy the work of God by destroying Israel through any means available. The crowns on the heads of the dragon not only symbolize the rule of the seven empires, but also Satan’s desire to rule as the most high.

Verse 4 shows Satan as he leads the one third of all angels that chose to follow him in his fall from grace and his failed attempt to kill the Christ at his birth. Satan’s fall with one third of the angels actually occurred before God breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils, so chronologically, this should be the first thing to occur in this chapter. The time between Satan’s fall from grace and his attempts to snuff out the life of the Christ Child could be anywhere from a few thousand years to billions of years.We don’t know how long he’s been around, nor do we know when he fell. Despite the fact that a few things are technically out of place in this chapter, when you take the chapter as a whole, it shows a logical progression leading up to the

Satan doesn’t actually lead the angels from here. Verse 4 reports that he cast them down to the earth to do his dirty work as he remains in heaven. He knew that Jesus, God in the flesh, the Messiah, would be born out of Israel, and he wanted to celebrate His birth with the gift of death. This verse announces the birth of Christ despite Satan’s attempts to destroy Him at or before His birth. Verse 5 also reminds us of the fact that even though Satan did crucify Jesus, God later passed on to Jesus a judgment of righteousness, resurrected Him from the grave, and seated Him at His right hand to lead the Church from His throne in heaven. God used Jesus as a decoy in His plan of redemption to save the humble and bring judgment against Satan, his angels and sinners, and it worked marvelously.

Revelation 12:4-5

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His Throne.

Verse 6 speaks of the 144,000 elect of Israel being cared for in the wilderness for 1260 days during the Great Tribulation. This three-and-one-half years of wilderness protection that is mentioned right after the resurrection and glorification of Christ and before Satan is cast out of heaven in verse 9, is mentioned again in verse 14 right after Satan is cast out of heaven. Obviously, it is not meant to be taken as an exact chronological ordering of events. Instead, it should be taken in the broader context of the historical countdown in the war between good and evil. This chapter unveils Satan’s part in bringing the world to a point of “Great Tribulation” before it ever gets underway. So far, the beast has not been mentioned in this chapter, and he’s not mentioned until the beginning of Revelation 13. The Tribulation does not start and the redeemed of Israel are not protected in the wilderness until after the beast, who is the Antichrist, is revealed.

Revelation 12:6

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

In Job, chapters 1 and 2, we see that Satan still has access to heaven and the throne of God as he accuses Job before God and tries to find opportunity to bring harm upon him. Satan not only enjoys access to heaven, but as the next four verses point out, he has his own place of residence there. Verse 10 informs us that he is continually bringing accusations against the saints. After that, he starts barking commands to his angels and demons whenever he finds an opening as he did with Job. Verses 7-10 speak of a final battle in heaven when Satan and his angels will be cast out of heaven for good. Those verses then point out that “their place” in heaven will not be found any more. If “their place” can be found now, it is only because it is a real place in the real heaven which is located in the real spiritual realm. In Ezekiel 28:18, God declares that Satan has defiled his sanctuaries by the multitude of his iniquities. In Isaiah 14:12-17, God reads Satan the riot act with a prophecy about his eventual arrival in the pits of hell, despite Satan’s proclamation that he would exalt his throne and his rule above God’s. Satan does have a throne, he does have sanctuaries, and he does have a place in heaven right now. However, he will lose it all when he is thrown out of heaven and to the earth just prior to the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 12:7-10

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8 And prevailed not; neither was THEIR PLACE found any more in heaven.

9 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.

10 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.

Daniel 12:1 shows us a picture of Michael seated, but when he does stand up, it is for the purpose of casting Satan down to the earth, and the time of trouble—which is the Great Tribulation—immediately ensues. However, Michael has not been instructed to throw the old serpent out of heaven yet, and he will not be instructed to do so until it is time to finish up on the job of salvation and judgment. This verse does not tell us whether those in the Book of Life shall be delivered before, after or during the time of trouble, but from the rest of Daniel 12 and the rest of Scripture, we know that the saints will be delivered after the time of trouble is cut short by the appearing of Jesus Christ.

Daniel 12:1

And at that time shall Michael standeth up, the great prince which stinted for the children of Thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time Thy people shall be delivered, EVERY ONE that shall be found written in the Book.

Verse 12 is a warning to all those who are alive on the earth when “the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he hath but a short time.” There will be great calamity and woe to the inhabitants of the earth because Satan will be full of fury as he fights his last battles and tries to take down as many with him as he is able. The woe of verse 12 should not be confused with the three woes of the Wrath of God.When the Wrath of God does begin, all the people who remain on the earth will have to deal with the three woes of God’s wrath, along with anything else Satan might throw at them. We have not arrived at the Tribulation in this sequence of events, which began at the start of Revelation 12. Revelation 13 shows the Tribulation; Revelation 14 and 15 describes the Rapture and then we will see the vials of wrath again in Revelation 16. This chapter is still about Satan and the time leading up tothe Tribulation. In verse 11, we notice that even though the saints do overcome Satan, and eventually the Antichrist, they do not necessarily get to keep their lives. To the contrary, many will have to lay down their lives for Christ’s sake in order to keep their eternal lives and to fully overcome Satan.

Revelation 12:11-13

11 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.

12 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.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Verses 7-13 tell us how the Great Tribulation gets started. Satan is finally booted out of heaven for good and has great wrath because he knows his time is short. His great wrath eventually translates into Great Tribulation for those who inhabit the earth—sinner and saint alike—but the main thrust of his anger is directed at Israel and the saints. As we read the different prophecies of the end-times, we can see that Satan uses those people who have rejected God’s holy Word as agents of his wrath and tribulation. In other words, the people who make up the armies and governments, and even the general population of the end-times, will be the ones causing all the trouble. In verse 13, we see that when Satan is cast out of heaven, his attention is turned toward persecuting the woman, which is Israel.

Verse 14 again explains that God will protect His Jewish saints for three-and-one-half years. God doesn’t protect them twice, and it is not until the Tribulation begins that He does protect them. What’s interesting about verse 14 in the scripture below, and Matthew 24 where Jesus warns those in Israel to flee to the wilderness, is that the 144,000 are never mentioned. The invitation to a wilderness stronghold is never limited to any specific number. Apparently, anyone who finds themselves in Jerusalem and surrounding environs is welcome to join the crowd. God does, after all, honor faith that acts. The 144,000 Jewish saints are a special group of Israelites who find favor and positions of authority in the future kingdom of God, but God never excludes anyone else from the safety of His prepared place. In fact, the invitation is to the woman, which is all of Israel, but only those who obey it will benefit from it.

The last six words in this verse clues us in to something very important. God is not protecting His people from His own wrath. He’s protecting them from the face of the serpent and from the wrath of the serpent. This is just one more verse that helps us to divide between the events of the Tribulation and the events of the Wrath of God.

Revelation 12:14

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

After repeating His commitment to protect those Israelis who heed His warning, God begins to reveal to us what will happen after Satan is cast out of heaven. Verses 15 and 16 are describing Gog of Magog from Ezekiel 38 and 39. This will be Satan’s first attempt of the end-times to totally destroy Israel by using the armies of the tennation alliance, which the Antichrist will eventually rule over. At the start of this book, we saw that the alliance will be made up of most, if not all, of the Middle East nations, Pakistan and Afghanistan, portions of North Africa and a few of the small states that sit between the Middle East and Russia. He will bring the great army of this alliance against Israel, but God will help His chosen nation by using the elements of the earth to defeat the enemy. Only one sixth of the army of this Gog alliance will survive and retreat. Israel is not in the wilderness at this time. They are resting securely in their homes with God looking out for them. Ezekiel says in verse 38:23 and elsewhere that God will magnify and sanctify Himself in the eyes of the heathen and many nations when He protects His people, and they will know that He is God. Ezekiel 39:22 states that Israel shall know that He is their God from that day forward forever. This all occurs before the Tribulation and is a great final sign from heaven that will turn many to God just prior to the appearance of the Antichrist.

The only time that the earth, or God for that matter, defends Israel against an attack in the end-times—which is what the flood from the serpent’s mouth represents—is when Gog of Ezekiel 38 and 39 attempts to attack Israel. In that attack, the armies of Gog never get past the mountain wilderness of Israel, so if God’s chosen were hiding there at that time, they would be right in the midst of the great destruction of Gog’s armies. On the other hand, after the earth defeats Gog and the provisions of the armies of Gog are left behind in the mountainous regions of Israel, those who depart Jerusalem when the Antichrist enters the temple can hide in the wilderness for three-and-one-half years with all of their needs met by their enemies. Ezekiel 39:9-10 declares, “They that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: so that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God.” There is a seven-year supply of goods outside the cities just waiting to be used up, and there will be plenty left over for those who flee Jerusalem to the wilderness.

Revelation 12:15-16

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

This is not the Battle of Armageddon; the saints are still on earth, and it will soon be given to the Antichrist to make war with them. The seven-year period, when the people of Israel are consuming the spoil of Gog, is Daniel’s seventieth week. The second half of that week, or seven-year period, will be the Great Tribulation. Daniel’s whole 70 week, or 490-year period (7x70), was a time when God was bringing salvation and deliverance to Israel, even in times of great persecution. The first 69 weeks (483 years) began with a command to rebuild the temple, and it ended when Christ died for our sins. The final seven years is also referred to as the time of Jacob’s Trouble.

Jeremiah 30:7

Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

After the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 is fulfilled, the seven-year time of Jacob’s Trouble will begin. Ironically, it will begin with a covenant of peace for Israel. During the first part of this time, the Antichrist will begin to marshal all the forces at his disposal, which will include the remainder of the defeated armies of Gog, along with new recruits who now have an even deeper hatred of Israel because of what her God did to their brethren, and millions of children who have threeand- one-half years to mature into warriors just before the Great Tribulation begins.

The final verse of Revelation 12 shows us the reaction of Satan to the defeat of his faithful warriors. He becomes exceedingly angry with Israel, and prepares for a second onslaught with another flood of humanity. About this time the Antichrist arrives on the scene, and Satan and the Antichrist will work as one to destroy Israel, capture the temple and kill Christians along the way. The remnant of her seed are those who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Revelation 12:17

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Antichrist is not mentioned at all in this chapter. The spotlight has been on Satan throughout the chapter as the dragon, the serpent, the devil, and Satan. This whole chapter is dedicated to describing the actions of Satan leading up to the final seven years before the Wrath of God. After the fall of Gog, the Antichrist will step in and take control of the alliance that was formed between the nations that came against Israel. He will make a seven-year covenant of peace even as they are cleansing the dead bodies from the land. When the Antichrist does show up in the next chapter, Satan will be squarely behind him as he makes a false covenant of peace and then breaks it as he brings Great Tribulation on the earth. The seven-headed dragon with ten horns in this chapter will suddenly become the seven-headed beast with ten crowns in the next chapter as the Antichrist takes center stage and begins to fulfill the will of Satan on the earth.

Think about it!

­In Luke 10:18, after the seventy disciples returned from casting out devils and healing the sick, Jesus said “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Was that a literal or figurative statement?

When Satan is cast out of heaven in this chapter, is it literal or figurative?

~Selah~Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

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