Read
The Woman and the Dragon
1Something important appeared in the sky. It was a woman whose clothes were the sun. The moon was under her feet, and a crown made of twelve stars was on her head. 2She was about to give birth, and she was crying because of the great pain.
3 Something else appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and a crown on each of its seven heads. 4 With its tail, it dragged a third of the stars from the sky and threw them down to the earth. Then the dragon turned toward the woman, because it wanted to eat her child as soon as it was born.
5 The woman gave birth to a son, who would rule all nations with an iron rod. The boy was snatched away. He was taken to God and placed on his throne. 6The woman ran into the desert to a place that God had prepared for her. There she would be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Michael Fights the Dragon
7 A war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels were fighting against the dragon and its angels. 8But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven 9 and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan. 10 Then I heard a voice from heaven shout,
“Our God has shown
his saving power,
and his kingdom has come!
God's own Chosen One
has shown his authority.
Satan accused our people
in the presence of God
day and night.
Now he has been thrown out!
11“Our people defeated Satan
because of the blood
of the Lamb
and the message of God.
They were willing
to give up their lives.
12“The heavens should rejoice,
together with everyone
who lives there.
But pity the earth
and the sea,
because the devil
was thrown down
to the earth.
He knows his time is short,
and he is very angry.”
13When the dragon realized it had been thrown down to the earth, it tried to make trouble for the woman who had given birth to a son. 14 But the woman was given two wings like those of a huge eagle, so she could fly into the desert. There she would escape from the snake and be taken care of for a time, two times, and half a time.
15The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away. 16But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. 17This made the dragon terribly angry with the woman. So it started a war against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God and are faithful to what Jesus did and taught.
Reflect
So far we have seen what is happening to the world and the Church throughout history. Now we begin to see why it is happening: enter Satan. How do you see him? A principle of evil, a scary character with a pitchfork? John pictures him as a great red dragon with seven crowned heads and seven horns, and a tail that can dislodge a third of the stars. Some dragon!
What is he doing? He is lurking around a pregnant woman, waiting to pounce on and kill the child about to be born. The child is the Christ, the promised Messiah. And the woman? Some say Mary, but more likely she represents the Church. As Satan moves in for the kill the child and the woman are air-lifted to heaven. First round to God!
Behind this defeat on earth lies Satan’s defeat in heaven, where he loses the war with Michael and is thrown over the battlements of heaven. It is another of Revelation’s comic scenes as the citizens rejoice at Satan’s expulsion but then peer over the battlements to offer earth dwellers their sympathy. “Sorry, here comes the devil…all the best.” Or words to that effect!
So where does that leave us in the fight against evil? The key is in verse 12. We are freed from despair because we know he is a defeated foe (Colossians 2:15), but we need to stay ever so vigilant because he is still free to roam the earth like some celestial rottweiler on the end of God’s leash. He is powerless to hurt, unless we allow him to invade our space. Have a vigilant and victorious day!
Respond
Lord and Father, thank you so much for the victory Jesus won on the cross against Satan. Help me to claim that victory today and every day. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
David Bracewell
After 40 years of ministry in the Anglican Church in England I retired and set up Zoe Ministry through which I teach and preach and encourage leaders in the task of building healthy churches. I am an attentive (?) husband and contented father and grandfather, love soccer (only watching of course), play the organ, enjoy writing, and relish driving my MX5 Sports car. Publications: '15 minutes to wake the dead' : a selection of sermons; Gentle Encouragement for Becalmed Preachers and Bewildered Congregations, Zoe Ministry 2009