Revelation 12:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

NIV: But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.

NASB: and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.

CSB: but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.

NLT: And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven.

KJV: And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

NKJV: but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

This verse reports the outcome of the war in heaven between Michael and his angels and the Devil and his angels. Michael and his angels won the war, and there was no longer any place in heaven for the Devil and his angels.

The Bible makes it clear that evil will not be allowed to coexist with good. In his final address to the people of Israel, Joshua upheld God's honor and warned the people against adopting the evil ways of their Gentile neighbors. He summoned them to make a choice between serving false gods or serving the Lord. He assured them, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15). Similarly, Elijah confronted the people of Israel with a choice between good and evil. He demanded, "If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him: (1 Kings 18:21). In 2 Corinthians 6:14 we read, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"

Revelation 12:7–12 describes a war in heaven which breaks out between Michael and his angels and the Devil. Prior to this expulsion, the Devil has access to heaven, where he accuses believers. Job 1 confirms this fact. However, he cannot prevail in his war on Christ and His followers. Genesis 3:15 prophesies his violent opposition to the virgin-born Son of God, and Revelation 20:1–10 reveals his ultimate defeat and eternal punishment. Revelation 13 unveils the Devil's two henchmen, the beast and the false prophet, who assist him in persecuting Israel.

This chapter relates several highly symbolic visions, which introduce figures critical to the end times. First is a woman, representative of Israel. Second is a red dragon, identified with Satan. Third is a male child, who is Jesus Christ. The red dragon seeks to devour the woman's male child, but God caught the child to His throne, referring to the ascension of Jesus after His resurrection. The passage then continues to describe a war in heaven between Michael and Satan—here Satan becomes the fourth key figure—which results in Satan's complete and total eviction from heaven. Satan attempts to destroy Israel, most likely through an armed invasion, which is supernaturally defeated by God through an earthquake. The fifth main figure is the collective ''offspring'' of the woman. These events are given further details in passages such as Ezekiel chapter 38.

Preceding verses have brought us to the middle of the tribulation, after the seal judgments and very near the end of the trumpet judgments. Now, the focus shifts to symbolically introduce a series of important figures. These are mentioned in various eras, not as part of the earlier chronology of Revelation. This passage relates to Matthew 24:15–26 and Isaiah 16:1–4. Ezekiel 38 and Joel 1 describe an invasion into Israel from the north, and Revelation 9 identifies the invading army as demon inspired. Revelation 13 continues to describe major end-times figures, focusing on ''the beast,'' also known as the Antichrist, and the False Prophet.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''

Accessed 5/18/2024 8:21:44 PM