Blog

Michael defeats the Dragon

’Michael defeats the Dragon’ / ‘The Angel, Michael’ / ’War in Heaven’:

Revelation 12:7 – “And there was war in heaven.  Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.”

The following is some Old Testament prophecy about this war.  In Daniel 12:1 it is written: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.”  ‘Arise’ meaning to go into action.

Revelation 12:8 – “But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.”

This war in heaven is very significant.  Satan and his angels lost the war and their place in heaven.  Now they can no longer enter heaven.

Up until this point, Satan did have access to heaven.  In a few following verses, in Revelation 12:10, scripture reads: “For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night …”.  In the Old Testament it is written in Job 1:6 – “One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.”

Now all that ends, when Michael defeats the Dragon.

Revelation 12:9 – “The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.  He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.”

The sentence “He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him” – is also meaningful and this reference will come up in later study.  Keep in mind ‘his angels’ are the ‘fallen angels’.  They are Satan’s demons, evil spirits, wicked spirits. 

Revelation 12:10-12 – “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ.  For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!  But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!  He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. (Satan has 3 1/2 years left.)”

The Scripture passage of ‘Michael defeats the Dragon’ Revelation 12:11 – “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony …” is acknowledging the saints under the altar, in the upcoming Fifth Seal, Chapter 6.

The final sentence that states the devil ‘knows that his time is short’ means he knows he has only three and a half years left to rule.

For those studying phrasing: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb” appears here after the first half of the Tribulation and also in Revelation 7:14 after the second half of the Tribulation.  The phrase ‘blood of the Lamb’ is used to acknowledge all the saints: – throughout the ages – and including the Great Tribulation saints. 

“By the word of their testimony” – appears here in Revelation 12:11, in Revelation 6:9 and also in Revelation 20:4 during the 1,000 year reign.  This is describing all past saints – one group of believers – in the study of the Book of Revelation. 

The Great Tribulation saints make up another group.  They are described in Revelation 20:4 as having ‘not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands.’  In Revelation 6:11 they are referred to as “their fellow-servants and brothers who were to be killed”.  In Revelation 7:14 they are described as: ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation.’

Readers: for the ‘scripture only’ post about ‘Michael defeats the Dragon’, click on this link: War in Heaven

previous article: Four Trumpets and the 144,000

next article: The Dragon