Revelation 12

10 At the defeat of Satan, there was great rejoicing in heaven. Satan is here called the accuser of our brothers. One of Satan’s main evil works is to accuse believers before God and before each other (Job 1:8-11). Satan also leads the whole world astray (verse 9). Deception is another of Satan’s main methods of bringing harm to God’s people (Mark 13:22; 2 Corinthians 11:13).

Although in John’s vision the hurling of Satan to earth takes place at the end of the world, there is another sense in which Satan has already been hurled to the earth (verse 9). He has already lost his place in heaven. He has already been defeated by Christ. He can no longer successfully accuse believers before God, because through Christ they have been declared innocent and righteous in God’s sight (see Romans 8:33-34 and comment).

11 Not only angels in heaven but also believers on earth are able to overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb; that is, because of Christ’s death for their sins, believers are no longer in bondage to Satan. Because Christ’s Holy Spirit is in them, believers are more powerful than Satan (see 1 John 4:4 and comment). Believers overcome Satan’s evil power through the faithful word of their testimony for Christ and through their firmness in faith until death. The one who does not love his own life but offers it to Christ will surely be victorious in the end (Matthew 10:32; Mark 13:13).

12 Because he had been thrown out of heaven, Satan was furious. His remaining time was short. He began to lash out furiously in every direction, like a wild animal surrounded by hunters.

13 Having failed to kill the child, the dragon Satan then began to pursue the woman (the church). Because of Satan’s anger against Christ, he also became angry at Christ’s church. Jesus said to His disciples: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. … If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. … They will treat you this way because of my name” (John 15:18,20-21). Therefore, let Christians remember that any persecution they suffer comes because of the great conflict between Christ and Satan. Because we are Christ’s disciples and brothers, Satan will attack us also.

14 Before the dragon Satan could seize the woman, she was given two wings of a great eagle, which was a sign of God’s deliverance (Isaiah 40:31). The woman then flew to the place of safety prepared for her (verse 6). There the woman remained for a time, times and half a time²⁸—that is, for forty-two months, or 1,260 days (verse 6).

15-17 Thus Satan could not harm the woman. Therefore, he went off to make war with the rest of her offspring (verse 17)—that is, with other believers. Christ was this woman’s oldest child; therefore, all the woman’s other children were Christ’s younger brothers and sisters—that is, believers (Romans 8:29). Thus Satan began to persecute them.

In this vision of the woman and the dragon, which John has related here in Chapter 12, notice how the events described can refer both to events which have already taken place and also to events that will take place at the end of the world. First, the vision can be interpreted as a commentary on the past: Christ has already been born, and has defeated Satan on the cross; and Satan, ever since, has been persecuting Christ’s church. Second, the vision can be interpreted as a commentary on the future: at the end of the world, the final struggle between Satan and God will take place, and at that time Satan will again be hurled out of heaven to earth, where he will fiercely persecute Christ’s church for the short time remaining to him before he is finally destroyed forever.