Revelation 12-14

As earth lurches toward final judgment, we
encounter events and creatures straight out
of mythology – only this isn’t myth! With
both symbolic and literal visions, the stage
is set for bowl judgments…and the end!

War in Heaven: Rage on Earth (12)
· Signs of the times: Satan’s hatred of Israel and Christ (1-5)
· Celestial battle: Satan/demons cast to earth (7-9,12)
· Divine protection of Israel for 3½ years (6,13-16)
· Rejoicing in heaven: Overcoming the Accuser! (10-11)
· Satan’s ultimate target: Jewish believers! (17)

Two Men of Terror: Antichrist and the False Prophet (13)
· The beast from the sea (1-10; see 2 Thess 2:3-4; 1 Jn 2:18)
     o Blasphemous: revered and worshipped as god (1,3-4,6)
     o Empowered by Satan for 42 months [3½ years] (2,5)
     o Overcomes saints, rules the world…but not for long! (7-10)
· The beast from the earth (11-18)
     o Performs miracles like prophet (11-15a)
     o Seeks to kill all who do not worship antichrist (15b)
     o Mark of beast required to buy or sell; “666” (16-18)

Who Goes Where? Judgment and Blessing (14)
     o 144,000 sing a new song! (1-5)
     o Three angels: eternal judgment vs. eternal rest! (6-13)
     o Harvesting the earth: ‘pressing the grapes of wrath’ (14-20)

“Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time".

For Further Study

1. There is much in these chapters that is symbolic, and our goal is to understand what is and what isn’t, and then determine the meaning of the symbolic parts. Read Rev.12. What indication is there that verses 1-5 are symbolic? What do they illustrate? What literal events do verses 6-17 describe? What symbols does John use in describing what he saw?

2. What does it mean that there was no place found for Satan and demons in heaven, and they were “thrown down to the earth” (12:8-9)? Check out Job 1:6; 2:1; Dan 10:13; Eph 2:2; 6:12. What did Satan do in heaven (12:10)? What did he lose when he was cast out? What does this joyful event in heaven mean for people living on earth (12:12a)? Why (12:12b)? What is coming for them in “a short time” (see Rev 20:10)?

3. Evidently there are Jews, Christians, and Jewish Christians on the earth during the Great Tribulation. They are all ‘players’ in the unfolding drama of Satan, antichrist, and the false prophet in the final 3½ years. Notice the fervor of their hatred for each group: Jews (12:6,13-16); Christians (12:11; 13:7,10,15; 14:12-13); Jewish Christians (12:17; 14:1-5). Why is this so?

4. Judgment on Satan, demons, antichrist, and all their followers is clear in these chapters. Satan knows it (12:12)! What is the nature of this judgment (14:9-13)? By contrast, what will the experience be for believers they persecuted (14:13)?

5. Antichrist rises to power after an amazing recovery from a fatal wound (13:3). The false prophet establishes his authority by performing amazing miracles (13:13-15). Note how effectively Satan seeks to counterfeit the works of God (resurrection of Christ; miracles of prophets, Jesus, and apostles)! Satan is the deceiver (Rev 20:3), and is always seeking to counterfeit God’s work (see 2 Cor 11:13-15). What ways can you think of in which Satan is already deceiving billions of people in the world right now?

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