B. Satan Cast Out (12:7-12)
B. SATAN CAST OUT (12:7-12)
This little vision teaches that we are caught up in a wider conflict than the one we see. The thought is not quite that of Paul who spoke of wrestling ‘against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ (Eph. 6:12). John is speaking of spiritual forces indeed, but the conflict is not simply one between demons and men. Angelic forces are also engaged. Our struggles are not to be shrugged off as insignificant. They are part of the great conflict between good and evil.
7.
Michael is the leader of the heavenly hosts; they are his angels. This accords with his description as an ‘archangel’ in Jude 9. Michael is apparently a warlike angel (Dn. 10:13,21; 12:1; Jude 9). His enemies, the dragon’s helpers, are also called angels (the term means ’messenger’ and there may be evil messengers as well as good ones).
8. The result of the battle is the defeat of the dragon, so that he and his angels lost their place in heaven. He had been the accuser of God’s people (Jb. 1:6-9; 2:1-6; Zc. 3:1ff.), but now he has no place in heaven.
9. He is hurled down. In this significant moment he is described very fully. He is the great dragon, and that ancient serpent, which is probably meant to awaken recollections of Genesis 3. He is both the devil (the word means ‘slanderer’) and Satan. This latter is the older name. It transliterates a Hebrew word which means ‘adversary’. It applies to human adversaries such as those God raised up against Solomon (1 Ki. 11:14,23), while the Philistines used the term of David (1 Sa. 29:4). When used of angels it at first had no derogatory associations and it is used, for example, of ‘the angel of the Lord’ who confronted Balaam (Nu. 22:22; NIV ’to oppose him’ = ‘as his satan’, his adversary). But the term came to be used for the adversary of mankind, the spirit that accuses people before God, such as Job (Jb. 1:6) and Joshua the high priest (Zc. 3:1). The title ‘Accuser’, ‘Satan’, became attached to him in an exclusive sense.
This name for the evil one would have made a specially strong impact in the first century, for there was a well-known and well-hated figure called the delator, the paid informer. He made his living by accusing people before the authorities. It is not a large step from ‘accuser’ to ’slanderer’ and thus ‘the satan’ is not infrequently called ’the devil’. In addition to accusing and slandering, the evil one deceives and John brings out the scope of this activity by saying that he leads the whole world astray. Barclay comments, ’Satan, as it has been put, stands for the sleepless vigilance of evil against good.’ John repeats the information that Satan was cast out, this time adding his destination, to the earth (cf. Lk. 10:18; Jn. 12:31), and the fact that his angels were cast out with him.
10. John hears yet another loud voice and again the speaker is not named. But the plural our shows that it comes not from an individual but from a group. Our brothers leads some to conclude that they are not angels. This, however, does not follow, for angels can call men brothers (22:9). It seems probable that here angels are meant. But the point is not really important. The words are a song of triumph. The co-ordination of the salvation, the power, the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ makes a very impressive list. Power (exousia) means ‘authority’ rather than ’physical power’ (as it does in 9:3,10,19). His Christ emphasizes the complete sovereignty of God, but at the same time puts the Saviour in the closest connection with the Father.
The reason for the song of triumph is that Satan has been overthrown. He is the accuser of our brothers and that he has been busy comes out in the words who accuses them before our God day and night. The picture is one of implacable hostility on the part of Satan as well as of the complete triumph of God. Satan urged the sins of the brothers in the highest court. But now he has been overthrown and is completely powerless against them. Christians accordingly are not working towards victory, but from a victory already achieved (Bewes, p.66).
11. It can be said that they overcame him, where the emphatic pronoun puts stress on the fact that they did this and the aorist tense on the completeness of the victory. But the martyrs did not win their triumph themselves. They overcame by the blood of the Lamb. What the Lamb has done avails for his followers. With this is linked the word of their testimony, for the redeemed bear their witness to their Redeemer. To give way in the face of persecution is to fall away from Christ and to lose everything, but to stand firm means final victory over Satan. That John has the martyrs in mind is clear from the words they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. But the same quality of devotion is required from all.the followers of the Lamb (cf. Lk. 14:26; Jn. 12:25).
12. Because of what Christ has done, and because his victory extends to the ‘brothers’, the voice calls on the heavens and those who live there to be merry (ouranos, ‘heaven’ is found fifty-two times in Revelation, but this is the sole occurrence of the plural; it is not easy to see why). The verb dwell (skeno
) originally meant temporary dwelling (living in a tent, sk
n), but plainly it has lost all such sense here. It means a permanent home. While the rejoicing is called for from the inhabitants of heaven it is plain that people on earth can rejoice too. Their citizenship is in heaven. And, though they suffer grievous troubles on earth, they are assured that these are temporary and that already the triumph is being savoured in heaven. But for now there is woe for them on earth and sea. The devil has come down to them in great anger, knowing that he has only a little time, the time that remains before the second advent. Time is kairos, perhaps used here in the sense ’a suitable time’ (cf. 1:3; 11:18). Not much time remains suitable for the activities of the evil one. The troubles of the persecuted righteous arise not because Satan is too strong, but because he is beaten. He is doing all the harm he can while he can. But he will not be able to do this for much longer.
) originally meant temporary dwelling (living in a tent, skn), but plainly it has lost all such sense here. It means a permanent home. While the rejoicing is called for from the inhabitants of heaven it is plain that people on earth can rejoice too. Their citizenship is in heaven. And, though they suffer grievous troubles on earth, they are assured that these are temporary and that already the triumph is being savoured in heaven. But for now there is woe for them on earth and sea. The devil has come down to them in great anger, knowing that he has only a little time, the time that remains before the second advent. Time is kairos, perhaps used here in the sense ’a suitable time’ (cf. 1:3; 11:18). Not much time remains suitable for the activities of the evil one. The troubles of the persecuted righteous arise not because Satan is too strong, but because he is beaten. He is doing all the harm he can while he can. But he will not be able to do this for much longer.