Revelations 12:7-12 says 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. 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.
2007-01-30 10:01:03 · 11 answers · asked by odd duck 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I know I didn't give the rest of the chapter, so feel free to check that out as well. I just thought this part was interesting.
2007-01-30 10:19:39 · update #1
This passage describes the war in heaven where the devil rebelled and was cast out. He then deceived our first parents - adam and eve - and damned us all. In the wake of this, Jesus came, gave His blood, and saved us all. The heavens rejoiced.
Finally, a warning to all who do not heed this message, because their's is condemnation and wrath, and the devil who knows his time is short is trying to take all the souls he can.
2007-01-30 14:01:34 · answer #1 · answered by Danny H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first thing I notice is it's all written in past tense- which means that when John wrote it, it was in his past... a long time ago! I suspect that this "war in Heaven" happened closer to the time of the Creation than any other timeline landmark, possibly before.
It also looks like the "great dragon" may be a figurative title for a leader of angels of some sort... I think it's another term refering to Lucifer/Satan- he is refered to as a snake in Genesis...
So we've got a "good guy," Michael and those he is leading... and a "bad guy," Satan and those he's leading... and the two groups war against each other. Michael's group apparently wins, and the "great dragon was cast out," along with the rest of his group.
The next verse, 10- someone is declaring that salvation, strength, the kingdom of God and the power of Christ is (was?) come... My thought- With Satan and his supporters (who apparently were a pain in Someone's @ss) out of heaven, Jesus can do what He needs to do...
Unfortunately, if Satan is no longer in heaven (I know- it sounds weird!!), he and his are hanging out here on earth, hence the "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,..."
Satan's got a limited time to screw all our lives up before he will be permanently bound... Once Jesus returns, Satan will no longer have power over us to tempt us.
At least that's what I get out of that passage- Michael (whoever he was/is) and Satan were leaders on opposite sides in a war in Heaven. Michael won, Jesus did what He needed to do, and if we can stand against Satan in our own lives, we'll be ok, because of what Jesus did for us all.
2007-01-30 20:34:59 · answer #2 · answered by Yoda's Duck 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This 1 is simple. It is talking about a time yet future when satan who is in heaven,held by Micheal until the appointed time is cast from heaven to the earth,thats why it is said woe to the earth,but rejoicing in heaven
2007-01-30 18:16:27 · answer #3 · answered by dispesational7 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chapters 12-14 are all related, so all have to be considered rather than just taking a few verses.
Chapter 12-14: A woman, a dragon, two beasts, and a lamb
Literal: John sees a woman with twelve stars about to bear a child. Next to the woman is a dragon that is ready to devour the child she is giving birth to. After the child is born, the child is taken to the throne of God. Afterward, a war in heaven occurs and the devil and his angels are cast out of heaven to earth. John also sees a beast rise out of the sea which the world worships. John then sees a lamb on the earth and angels proclaiming the fall of Babylon.
Interpretation
John is shown a picture of the soul of humanity in its development since the days of eternity. The woman symbolizes the soul of humanity crowned with twelve stars, the twelve basic patterns of human personality as described in the zodiac. The child she bears is the conscious mind. As the conscious mind is born, a rival force of the self occurs, which brings about recurring periods of rebellion in humanity. Through divine intervention, the conscious mind is protected while the unconscious mind, from which it sprung, is withdrawn below the conscious level. This is the same story as symbolized as the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Rebellion from the physical brings conflict into the soul but the soul can remain above it by remaining concealed from the forces of self will.
The "beast rising out of the sea" is the selfish animalistic desires that arise which are capable of ruling humanity. These desires spring from the self-will of the unspiritual intellect of humanity whom the world worships as a symbol of material success. The human intellect, lacking spiritual orientation, cuts itself off from all that is divine. The lamb that John sees are the forces of the superconscious mind in the world going into action. "Babylon," the human desire for earthly riches and success in the gratification of the flesh, begins to be destroyed as humans are shown the consequences of their prostitution of their higher faculties
2007-01-30 18:14:44 · answer #4 · answered by MyPreshus 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The whole of Revelation is a bit much to sum up in a nutshell. I found a great book that I am still currently reading called A Woman Rides the Beast by Dave Hunt. It is a "Provocative account of what the Bible tells us is to come" says the back cover. It is very interesting.
2007-01-30 18:08:53 · answer #5 · answered by Boppysgirl 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Bible prophecy points to this event as occurring in 1914. This is when Jesus became King in heaven. His first act as King was to kick Satan and the demons out of heaven to the vicinity of the earth. They no longer have access to God's heavenly realm. Since they know this means their end is near, they are very mad and this is the reason why the earth has been more violent and had more problems since that year.
2007-01-30 18:06:30 · answer #6 · answered by Epitome_inc 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The critical blow to Satan came when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins. The victory is won by sacrifice - Christ's death in our place to pay the penalty for our sin and the sacrifices we make because of our faith in Him. As we face the battle with satan, we should not fear it or try to escape it, but we should loyally serve Christ, who alone brings victory.
2007-01-30 18:13:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to know the meaning of Satan and devil it means accuser and slander. The dragon is China. Also the false prophet is Islam.
2007-01-30 18:12:30 · answer #8 · answered by Messenger 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This means that if you show any hint of independent thought - you will be ostracized from the majority of society and people will tell lies about you to make sure you remain ostracized.
2007-01-30 18:14:11 · answer #9 · answered by swordarkeereon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco
2. Use Burma Shave
They are old, aren't they!
2007-01-30 18:16:47 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋