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Notes on the Book of Revelation

Chapter 12

The Great Controversy

Overview.1

This chapter begins by describing the true church. The false church is described in Revelation 17.

Chiastic form = A poetic form of writing used by Hebrews (see Annex A). The entire book of Revelation is written in this poetic form.

Chapter 12 is the focal point of the entire book of Revelation; it gives details about the great controversy between Satan and Jesus and how it all began.

Just note that some books or some chapters are written in this poetic form which might mean that the main point is in the middle of the book or chapter. It also means that many times the book or chapter is not in chronological order. And finally, it means that if we don’t understand one portion of the book or chapter, then look for its corresponding portion (for instance if we don’t understand A, then look for A1 which says the same thing but in a different way).

Hebrew Poetry (Chiastic Writing):

The portions in the first half of the book of Revelation correspond to a portion in the second half of Revelation. The Great Controversy (Revelation 11:19 to 14:20) parallels the events for the Fall of Babylon (Revelation 17:1 to 19:10). (Maxwell, God Cares, vol. 2:60-61)

The Great Controversy Fall of Babylon

True mother, dressed in white, 12:1-2. False mother, dressed in purple, 17:4.

Her children keep the commandments, 12:17. Her children are harlots, 17:5.

Woman in wilderness, 12:14. Woman in wilderness, 17:3.

Beast with 7 heads, 10 horns, 12:3; 13:1. Beast with 7 heads, 10 horns, 17:3.

Fallen is Babylon!, 14:8. Fallen is Babylon!, 18:2.

Testimony of Jesus, 12:17. Testimony of Jesus, 19:10.

Review of four prophetic cycles; churches, seals, trumpets and final cycle (seven last plagues). They all have a beginning and an ending that are similar (apostolic age and then ending with a new heavens and a new earth), except for the seven last plagues.

Sanctuary theme: This last cycle is in the Most Holy, while the first three cycles are in the Holy Place.

All three time prophecies of Daniel are found in this chapter; the 70 week prophecy is in verse 5; the 1260 prophecy is found in verse 6; the 2300 year prophecy is found in verse 17.

First 6 verses are a condensed version of Genesis and also a condensed version of Revelation chapters 1 through 11; both have a woman; both have a serpent; both have deception; both have a woman clothed with light; both have a woman travailing in birth (old testament church waiting for the Messiah).

This chart is taken from Pastor Stephen Bohr's series called, "From the Close of Probation to the New Earth", which is a part of his Anchor School of Theology classes. The entire series can be found on the Secrets Unsealed app and YouTube channel.

Revelation 12:1, And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

12V1-2: These two verses are a description of the Old Testament church.

12V1: Woman = Church (in this case, the Old Testament church).

2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

Ephesians 5:23-27, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Jeremiah 6:2, “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.”

This is the OT church because the child had not been born yet (which is Jesus) in verse 2. God only has one church throughout history, but with two major stages, the Old Testament church and the New Testament church.2

The switch occurred officially in 34 AD with the stoning of the disciple Stephen which was the close of probation for the nation of Israel as God’s chosen people.

Acts 7:54-60, “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Israel failed in their mission to spread the truth about God, so it went to the gentiles.

Acts 13:46, “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”

Israel was to share the truth about God to the world as witnesses.

Isaiah 43:10-12, “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.”

Israel was to reflect God to the other nations.

Deuteronomy 4:6-8, “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”

God wanted the Jews to spread the truth about God to other nations.

Zechariah 8:23, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”

Israel was to be trees of righteousness to glorify the Lord.

Isaiah 61:3, “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

The parable of the fruitless fig tree.

Luke 13:6-9, “He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

The fig tree represents Israel. The vineyard represents the world. The certain man is God the Father. The dresser is Jesus the Son.3 In verse 6 the Father comes and finds no fruit in Israel because they forgot their mission to be a light to the other nations. In verses 7 and 8, God mentions 3 years to the dresser of the vine and then the dresser requests one more year of probation. This means Israel received 4 years of prophetic time to share the gospel with the other nations and to bear fruit.

Here is the prophetic math: 4 years x 360 days = 1440 days which is 1440 years in prophetic time (a day equals a year, Ezekiel 4:16; Numbers 14:34). The Jewish calendar used 360 days for a year. Israel was planted in Canaan in 1406 BC and if we add 1440 years we come to 34 AD. That is the exact time when Stephen was stoned to death and probation closed for the nation of Israel. The Israelites were given 1440 years to share the truth about the one true God with the other nations around them and instead they kept it for themselves.

See the prophecy chart in Annex C for a depiction of the 490 year prophecy which points to the ministry of Jesus and pinpoints exactly His baptism, death on the cross and the close of probation for the Jewish nation.

Daniel 9:27 says that Jesus would confirm the covenant for one week (which prophetically is 7 years because a day equals a year); The prophetic seven years begins in 27 AD when Jesus is baptized.

Jesus being baptized.

Matthew 3:16-17, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

This shows that Jesus was baptized in 27 AD. The only time in history when all the leaders/rulers in Luke 3:1 were in office at the same time was in 27 AD.

Luke 3:1, 3, 21-22, “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,…..And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;…..Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”

The ministry of Jesus officially began after His baptism where He was anointed by God. Jesus was 30 years old and it was Jewish custom that priests could not hold office until the age of 30.

Acts 10:37-38, “That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Daniel 9:27 says that in the middle of the week the sacrifice and offerings would cease. That is because Jesus died in 31 AD right in the middle of the 7 years. When Jesus died on the cross, then the sacrificial system was done away with since that entire system pointed to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. But there were still 3 1/2 years left of the prophetic 7 years, so how could the covenant be confirmed if Jesus was dead? The responsibility was passed on to the Apostles and disciples, Hebrews 2:3.

The last 3 1/2 years ended in 34 AD, which was the date when Stephen was stoned. That signified the close of probation for the Jewish nation and God’s church officially switched from the Jewish nation to those that accepted Jesus as the Messiah (Christians, made up of both Jews and gentiles).

12V1: Moon under her feet = Old Testament as the foundation; reflects the light of Jesus in the New Testament. The OT is the foundation since it also points to Jesus.

12V1: Twelve stars = Represent the 12 tribes of Israel, since the woman in verse 1 represents the OT church.

Genesis 37:9-10 (also Genesis 49:28), “And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?”

The eleven stars represent Joseph’s 11 brothers and Joseph was the 12th star. Joseph had two dreams in this chapter and in the second dream the brothers are represented by stars. The 12 sons of Jacob were the foundation for the Old Testament church.4

Revelation 12:2, And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

12V2: With child = This represents Jesus Christ, Revelation 12:5, “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”

12V2: Travailing in birth/pain = Waiting for the birth of the Messiah. For the first coming it was more spiritual pain, but for the second coming its more literal pain.

In the KJV of Matthew 24:8, it says ‘the beginning of sorrows.’ which can be translated as childbirth.

Matthew 24:8, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Isaiah 26:17-18, “Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.”

Isaiah 13:8, “And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.”

Hosea 13:13-14, “The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children. I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.”

Revelation 12:3, And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

12V3-5, 10-12: This represents the New Testament church or the birth and death of Jesus under the Imperial Rome time period (4 BC to 31 AD).

12V3: Red = Enemy of God.

The Edomites had red hair of Esau and because of the red lentils that Esau sold his birthright for in Genesis 25:30.5 Edom in the concordance is red, so the Edomites were the enemies of God.

Genesis 25:25, “And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.”

Genesis 25:30, “And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.”

12V3: Seven heads = Are seven successive kingdoms (civil power) which have been controlled by the harlot or apostate religion. It is also referred to as seven mountains, Revelation 17:9, “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.”

Mountains = Kingdoms. When the verse refers to the seven heads as seven mountains, it is actually saying seven kingdoms. Then in the very next verse it says ‘seven kings’ to make the point clear.

Daniel 2:34-35, 44, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

Jeremiah 51:25, “Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.”

Micah 4:1, “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.”

“The seven heads are seven forms of civil power which successively bear rule. These seven heads belong alike to the dragon of Revelation 12, the beast of chapter 13, and that of Revelation 17. This shows conclusively that the dragon and these two beasts are symbols of the same power under different heads; for there are not three sets of seven heads, but it is evident that the heads are successive forms of its power, one of them bearing rule at a time, and then giving place to another (Revelation 17:9, 10). The proper period of each seems to be this: The dragon before the 1260 years, the beast of chapter 13 during that period, and the beast of chapter 17 since the deadly wound and captivity at the close of that period.” (J. N. Andrews, The Three Messages of Revelation XIV, 6-12, pages 77-78)

12V3: Ten horns = Ten kings, Revelation 17:12, “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.”

The ten kingdoms of western Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

The ten kingdoms are:

Alemanni = Germans.

Franks = French.

Saxons = English.

Visigoths = Spanish.

Burgundians = Swiss.

Lombards = Italians.

Suevi = Portuguese.

Heruli = Extinct.

Vandals = Extinct.

Ostrogoths = Extinct.

See notes on Daniel 7:24 for the explanation for the three extinct kingdoms.

12V3: “All three beasts have seven heads and ten horns, which represent the sum total of heads and horns of the beasts of Daniel 7.”6 The three beasts are here in Revelation 12:3, 13:1-3, and 17:3 and are the dragon, the sea beast, and the scarlet beast respectively. This also reinforces the concept that the book of Daniel and Revelation go hand in hand. The seven heads in Daniel 7 are the lion, bear, four headed leopard, and the terrible beast and the ten horns are mentioned in verse 7.

12V3: Seven crowns = Seven kingdoms, because three were uprooted, Daniel 7:8, 24.

Revelation 12:4, And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

12V4: Tail = Represents deception and lies.

Isaiah 9:15, “The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.”

John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

John 8:44 points to deception in heaven, deception at Eden with the woman, deception about the transition from literal Israel to spiritual Israel, and in Revelation verse 9 it speaks of deception of the whole world.7

Jesus warned about deception in Matthew 24:4-5, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

Matthew 24:11, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”

Matthew 24:23-26, “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”

12V4: Stars = Represent angels. This is a good example that even symbols must be considered based on context. In verse 1 of this chapter, the stars represented the 12 tribes of Israel, but here they represent the fallen angels because of context.

Jude 6, 13, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day……Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”

In this case it more specifically represents the fallen angels that were cast out of heaven (also see Revelation 12:9). These are the angels that chose to follow Lucifer in his rebellion against God and were cast out of heaven with him.

12V4: Devour her child = This represents Satan targeting Jesus. Satan thought maybe Cain was the promised child so he compromised him and then Abel was born. So he had Cain kill Abel.

Satan also influenced the Pharaoh to order all the male Hebrew children killed in Egypt (Moses was the “deliverer” and escaped).

Satan also influenced Herod to order all the Hebrew children killed in Bethlehem. Here in verse 4 it specifically represents Satan working through Herod to kill the baby Jesus.

12V4: What Satan did in heaven, the little horn has done on earth; Daniel 8:9-10; Daniel 7:8; the little horn cast down one third of the horns just like Satan cast down one third of the angels of heaven.8

Revelation 12:5, And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

12V5: This refers to the 70 week prophecy pointing to the Messiah (see Daniel 9:24-25, 27). See also Annex C: Prophecy Chart for a depiction of the 70 week prophecy.

12V5: Caught up unto God = Jesus ascending to heaven after His resurrection.

Acts 1:9-11, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Revelation 12:6, And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

12V6, 13-15: These verses cover Papal Rome and the 1260 year prophecy from 538 to 1798 AD.

12V6: Woman = Now the church has shifted from the Jewish nation in verse 1 (the Old Testament church), to the spiritual Jewish nation made up of Jewish and gentile Christians (the New Testament church).

See Revelation 12:1 for a full description of the two stages of God’s church. The Old Testament church was represented by the 12 tribes of Israel and the New Testament church is represented by the 12 apostles.

12V6: Fled = This points to the 1260 year prophecy in Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2; 11:3; 12:6; 12:14; 13:5.

The Catholic church during the dark ages persecuted the saints (day = year, Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34). We can know for sure that 1260 days is the same as 42 months (30 days a month) because Revelation 12:6 and 14 say the same thing but use two different ways to express the 1260 days. Both verse 6 and 14 refer to the woman fleeing to the wilderness, so we know they are talking about the same topic. Verse 6 uses “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” and verse 14 uses “a time, and times, and half a time”. So that is how we can be sure that all seven references to 42 months, a time, and times and half a time and 1260 days all refer to the 1260 year prophecy.

Three and a half years is in the Old Testament as well, in the story of Elijah. The story of Elijah in the wilderness parallels the story of the church in the wilderness.

1 Kings 17:1-4, “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”

The drought lasted for 3 1/2 years as it says in James 5:17.

James 5:17, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

Both Elijah and the church spent 3 1/2 years in the wilderness.

Both Elijah and the church was preserved by God’s word. In Elijah’s case he was fed with bread representing the Word of God and the church was preserved in the wilderness from apostasy by the Word of God.9

Both Elijah and the church experienced a drought. The church’s drought was the Word of God.

Both Elijah and the church experienced persecution during the 3 1/2 years.

12V6: Wilderness = Less populated area (in this context the mountains of Europe).

12V6: Prepared of God = God has always had His church throughout the ages; Noah, Abraham, Israel, apostolic church, reformation church and end time church.

Revelation 12:7, And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

12V7: War = Probably not a literal war, but a war of words. Greek word is palamos which is similar to politics; so it was a political war of words.

Satan cast doubt on God’s character by implying that God lied. Satan is implying that God’s selfish and withholding by denying the fruit.10

Genesis 3:1-5, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

Matthew 4:1-11, Satan twisted the words of scripture while trying to tempt Jesus.

Satan wanted the angels of heaven to follow his word and not God’s Word.

Isaiah 14:12-14, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Ezekiel 28:18, “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.”

Traffick = Deception, wanting to be like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). So it was self-sanctification because only God sanctifies.

Ezekiel 20:12, 20, “Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them……And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.”

See the study called, FB #8 The Great Controversy for more on this war between Jesus and Satan.

12V7: Michael = Represents the pre-incarnation of Jesus. This is Jesus before He came to earth as a human at His first coming. This does not mean that Jesus was created or that He is a created angel. See the study called, Michael The Archangel. Michael is not a created being, He is the chief or commander of all the angels.

Revelation 12:8, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

12V7-8: These two verses describe the first time Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven. He was cast out the second time at the cross when Jesus was crucified. See verses 9-10 for an explanation of the second casting out.

Revelation 12:9, 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.

12V9: Satan = Former name was Lucifer.

Revelation 20:2, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,”

Before Satan fell from heaven, his given name as an angel of light and as one of the two covering cherubs on either side of God’s throne was Lucifer.

Ezekiel 28:14-19, “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”

Satan is the dragon in Revelation 13:2 and is the one working through the first beast of chapter 13. Satan was the one working through the serpent in the garden of Eden, Genesis 3:1-15.

12V9: Cast out = This is referring to the second casting out of Satan. The first was being cast out of heaven after the initial rebellion by Lucifer and his angels and this is referring to the second casting out which occurred at the cross when Jesus was crucified.

After the initial casting out of heaven, Satan was still able to return to heaven to continue the war of words. He attended the heavenly council meetings described in Job chapters 1 and 2.

Job 1:6-7, "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

Job 2:1-2, "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

So obviously Satan was still able to attend heavenly meetings. Where in heaven is not mentioned, so these meetings could have taken place in other created worlds and not necessarily in heaven itself where the throne of God is located.

In verse 12 it says, "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth", which is referring to humans, but humans didn't exist when Satan and the fallen angels were initially cast out of heaven. The creation events of Genesis chapters 1 and 2 occurred after the first casting out and Satan was limited by God within the Garden of Eden to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Satan's rebellion began when God the Father and His Son spoke about creating man in their image.

"Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing great intelligence. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. But when God said to His Son, “Let us make man in our image,” Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God." (Ellen White, Early Writings, page 145.1)

After this rebellion and war of words in heaven, then Satan and the angels that followed him were cast out for the first time.

"Until this time all heaven had been in order, harmony, and perfect subjection to the government of God. It was the highest sin to rebel against His order and will. All heaven seemed in commotion. The angels were marshaled in companies, each division with a higher commanding angel at its head. Satan, ambitious to exalt himself, and unwilling to submit to the authority of Jesus, was insinuating against the government of God. Some of the angels sympathized with Satan in his rebellion, and others strongly contended for the honor and wisdom of God in giving authority to His Son. There was contention among the angels. Satan and his sympathizers were striving to reform the government of God. They wished to look into His unsearchable wisdom, and ascertain His purpose in exalting Jesus and endowing Him with such unlimited power and command. They rebelled against the authority of the Son. All the heavenly host were summoned to appear before the Father to have each case decided. It was there determined that Satan should be expelled from heaven, with all the angels who had joined him in the rebellion. Then there was war in heaven. Angels were engaged in the battle; Satan wished to conquer the Son of God and those who were submissive to His will. But the good and true angels prevailed, and Satan, with his followers, was driven from heaven." (Ellen White, Early Writings, page 145.2)

In the next excerpt from the writings of Ellen White, it makes it clear that Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden after Satan his his fallen angels were already there.

"When Satan became fully conscious that there was no possibility of his being brought again into favor with God, his malice and hatred began to be manifest. He consulted with his angels, and a plan was laid to still work against God's government. When Adam and Eve were placed in the beautiful garden, Satan was laying plans to destroy them. In no way could this happy couple be deprived of their happiness if they obeyed God. Satan could not exercise his power upon them unless they should first disobey God and forfeit His favor. Some plan must therefore be devised to lead them to disobedience that they might incur God's frown and be brought under the more direct influence of Satan and his angels. It was decided that Satan should assume another form and manifest an interest for man. He must insinuate against God's truthfulness and create doubt whether God did mean just what He said; next, he must excite their curiosity, and lead them to pry into the unsearchable plans of God—the very sin of which Satan had been guilty—and reason as to the cause of His restrictions in regard to the tree of knowledge." (Ellen White, Early Writings, page 146.2)

The key sentence here is, "When Adam and Eve were placed in the beautiful garden, Satan was laying plans to destroy them." Satan was already there.

The second casting out or final casting out is explained in verse 10.

Revelation 12:10, 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.

12V3-5, 10-12: This represents the New Testament church or the birth and death of Jesus under the Imperial Rome time period (4 BC to 31 AD).

12V10: Accuser of our brethren = This is Satan, the accuser.

Job 1:9-11, “Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”

Job 2:4-6, “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.”

Zechariah 3:1, “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.”

12V10: Cast down = This is the final casting out because in verse 12 it says woe to the inhabiters of the earth; there were no people on earth when Satan was initially cast down to the abyss or void (earth before creation, Genesis 1:2).

John 12:31-32, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

The final casting out occurred here when Christ was on the cross.11

Revelation 12:11, 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.

Revelation 12:12, 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.

12V12: Short time = From the point of the death of Jesus on the cross, see Revelation 12:10. Satan realized he was defeated at the cross.

Revelation 12:13, And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

12V6, 13-15: These verses cover Papal Rome and the 1260 year prophecy from 538 to 1798 AD.

12V13: Persecuted the woman = This is persecution of God’s church.

Revelation 12:14, And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

12V14: Nourished for a time, and times, and half a time = God’s people were protected so that there was always a small remnant that had some truth about God.

This was during the 1260 years of persecution of God’s people by the Roman Catholic Church.

A time is one year, times is two years, and half a time is half a year, so it adds up to 3 and a half years. This is also represented as 42 months or 1260 years in prophecy (one day equals a year). The 1260 years is from 538 to 1798 AD.

Both verse 6 and 14 refer to the woman fleeing to the wilderness, so we know they are talking about the same topic. Verse 6 uses “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” and verse 14 uses “a time, and times, and half a time”. So that is how we can be sure that all seven references to 42 months, a time, and times and half a time and 1260 days all refer to the 1260 year prophecy.

12V14: Face of the serpent = This represents Satan using earthly powers. Serpent = Satan, see Revelation 12:9. Satan was also behind the serpent at the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:1-7 (Satan working through a serpent to deceive Eve).

Revelation 12:15, And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

12V15: Water as a flood = Represents a multitude of people and/or armies. The flood is an army or a large number of God’s enemies hunting and persecuting His people.

Revelation 17:15 says, “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”

Isaiah 59:19 says, “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

2 Samuel 22:5 says, “When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid…”

Psalm 18:4 says, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.”

Jeremiah 47:2 says, “Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.”

12V15: Woman = God’s church.

2 Corinthians 11:2 says, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

Ephesians 5:23-27 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Jeremiah 6:2 says, “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.”

12V15: Carried away of the flood = Satan was working through earthly powers to destroy the remnant of God’s church.

Revelation 12:16, And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

12V16: The timeframe for the earth (territory of what would become the United States) helping the woman (church) is 1798 AD.

12V16: Earth = Represents the United States of America. A minimally populated area same as the area of the second beast of Revelation 13:11. The second beast of Revelation 13 is the United States of America.

12V16: Earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood = Symbolically God’s people escaped religious persecution in Europe by traveling across the ocean to America.

Revelation 12:17, And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

12V17: The timeframe here for the remnant (second part of the verse) is 1833 AD until right before the close of probation when the Dragon unleashes final war against the remnant (first part of the verse).

12V17: Remnant = Those that remain and are like the original;

1) It is a church that the devil hates;

2) Same as the apostolic church;

3) Keeps the commandments of God;

4) Has the testimony of Jesus Christ.

12V17: Testimony of Jesus Christ = Spirit of Prophecy, Revelation 19:10; 22:9; 1 Corinthians 12:9-10. See the study called, ‘FB #18 The Gift of Prophecy’. God’s remnant church will have the gift of prophecy.

This phrase is used four times in the book of Revelation, here and in Revelation 1:2, 1:9, and 19:10.

Chapter 12 Resources and Notes

1. Pastor James Rafferty and Pastor Ivor Myers, Salvation in Symbols and Signs (Program on 3ABN’s Dare To Dream Network), video series can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42C2tZ5yuI&list=PLZE9r6f37K0AJPuImVU9DX-Y1Ntikqv0R.

2. Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.

3. Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (ISBN: 9780828015400, Review and Herald Publishing, 2003), pages 214-216.

4. Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, The Secrets of Pentecost, the first video can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQQfSbW76r4.

5. Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.

6. Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Preparation for the End Time, 3rd Quarter 2018, Pacific Press Publishing Association, ISSN 1096-7400, page 84.

7. Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid.

Ellen White references can be found here: https://beta.egwwritings.org.