Satan IS Cast Down - Revelation 12:7-17

In this passage we learn fascinating details of even more behind-the-scenes events of this Gospel age. We start to see a picture emerge behind this time when the Church is preaching the Kingdom of God to all the nations.  In spite of the persecution and tribulation that the Church is going through there is a story behind the story.

John sees Satan in a great battle with Michael, the archangel. The result was that Satan was "thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." [1]  When did all this occur? Well it seems contextual that it occurred prior to the 1260 days -- prior to the sealing -- prior to the Church being left in the wilderness for protection and provision. This seems clear by what follows in Revelation 12:13–14 (NIV)

¹³ When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. ¹⁴ The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.

So this is not future, but it is in fact the current situation as John wrote.  Satan has been expelled from Heaven and the Gospel has been given victory.  What was the result of Satan being thrown down?

“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 Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (Revelation 12:10, NIV).

"The woman received the two wings of the eagle (Ex. 19: 4; Dt. 32: 11; Is. 40: 31) so that she flew to the wilderness. In that wilderness God had prepared a place for her (verse 6). Here she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, that is, for a thousand two hundred and sixty days (verse 6)." [2]

This casting of Satan to earth occurred, according to our Lord, while He was on earth.  We read in Luke 10:17–18 (NIV),  ¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” ¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

This also gives the background for another parallel later in the Apocalypse where were read of the binding of Satan with the purpose of restraining him from deceiving the nations. 

 “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.” (Revelation 20:1–3, NIV)  

 We know that Jesus bound Satan during His ministry for He told us in Matthew 12:29 (NIV),²⁹ “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. Jesus teaches us the power of this Strong Man and what happens when he is bound in Luke 11:21-22:

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder." According to Colossians 2:15, this is what Jesus did on the Cross:“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15, NIV)

 

It is obvious that the casting down and the binding of Satan do not render him passive.  We see in Revelation 12 that he pursued the "woman" and "her offspring."   The binding of Satan is simply a way of saying that for the present age the Gospel is free to go to all the nations, and the redeemed of God are no longer accused by Satan as they once were.  Those who have trusted Christ are "are justified by his grace as a gift,through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." [3] Those who have been justified are free from all condemnation (Romans 8:1).

"The dragon’s expulsion from heaven shows that Satan cannot press charges as the accuser of our brothers because the Lamb shed his blood for them and they maintain their testimony of trust even unto death. Although “conquered” by the beast physically in death (11:7; 13:7), in fact the martyrs have conquered both the beast (15:2) and the dragon that empowers it." [4]

Father, You are the Lord of Hosts, the angels are at Your command.   You are sovereignly in charge. Christ has bound the strong man and taken away his right to accuse.  The Cross has forever robbed Satan of this privilege.  Your blood has conquered.  Your blood has set Your people free.   Apart from justification there is no Gospel and apart from opening the doors of the nations there is no hope to hear the Gospel.  Today we have all that.  Cause us to rejoice in our salvation; and because we view it with such preciousness, let us take it to all the Nations. Amen.

                                           

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1.  The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Re 12:9). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
2. Hendriksen, William (1998-06-01). More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (p. 142). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
3. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Ro 3:24). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
4. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2480). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.