Revelation: Satan Cast Out of the Heavens
Revelation 12
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.
THE DEPARTURE OF THE RAPTURED SAINTS IS THE FINAL ACTION THAT PREPARES THE EARTH FOR SATAN TO CONTROL COMPLETELY AND UNINHIBITED. As long as Christ’s Church is here, the Holy Spirit must hold Lucifer at bay. It would be impossible for the devil to reign on this earth as long as the Holy Ghost reigns on this earth. The Holy Spirit is not just a wonderful influence or a beautiful Spirit floating about in the atmosphere. He is God’s Sovereign Holy Spirit and, together with the mighty Cherubim Angels, He holds possession of this earth for the Heavenly Father.
Satan’s casting out of Heaven must follow the glorious catching away of the Bride. The picture in the Book of Revelation is a breathtaking phenomenon. “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.” (Revelation 12:7-8) No wonder the devil hates the truth of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. We leave this earth before He becomes “god” for seven years. This is a wonderful part of our Blessed Hope.
A war in heaven between all the fallen angels and all the Holy Angels has to be spectacular! It will not be a physical war; it must be a spiritual war. All angels are para-normal and their weapons are far superior to what we understand. The wicked angels were cast out of the Heavenly City ages ago, but have been allowed limited access to the Father’s presence. These evil beings are now the “powers of the air,” and dwell in the Second Heaven. They roam the earth searching for men and women open to their attacks.
Fallen angels wound the spirit and soul of men and can literally destroy the capacity for meaningful life. Mental institutions are filled with wounded souls where the inner life has been depleted. These evil angels can destroy a person until their minds are more like an animal instead of a living human person. Everywhere you look in our world, there are people that live completely void of an eternal God and chase pleasures like wild individuals. There is no possibility of meaningful lives apart from Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 20
20 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
If these fallen angels fight mankind with their dark spiritual weapons, then that is how they will fight the Holy Angels. Angels do not have souls but they are spirit-creatures and that will be a large part of this war. Fallen angels will cast dark, confusing spirits at God’s Holy Angels. They will try to use on angels what they have used to destroyed multitudes of souls. God’s angels will attack these evil angels by totally paralyzing their spirits. They will defeat these dark spirits like Jude said concerning Michael, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” (Jude 9) It is not hard to imagine this multitude of demons falling back and turning to avoid the piercing gaze of pure and Holy Creatures of God. They will be driven out of the heavenly realm and then cast down to the earth.
This is the first time in Holy Scripture that Satan is directly called a “Dragon.” Twelve times from this scene as John sees this revelation until he is cast into the Lake of Fire, God identifies him as a “Dragon.” This is one of the greatest reasons the “Book of Revelation” is so important. “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:9) This scene ends the rampage of this Dragon in the upper realm of our universe. He is cast into the earth and reduced to a strength far inferior to the angelic powers he was allowed to possess in his original judgment. God even tolerated his appearance before Him to argue against His chosen families. Satan has especially been allowed to chase the Jewish people across this earth, but that is about to end.
Revelation 20
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
While he will retain earthly abilities to forge his last schemes he will never appear before the Father to argue his case. “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.” (Revelation 12:10) Anybody that wants to be here on earth during this time does not understand this incredible truth. Listen as the Lord prophetically tells His Saints that have been Raptured to rejoice in the heavens.
“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. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.” (Revelation 12:12-13)
The Tribulation saints are in for “hell on earth.” Satan will actually make this earth a dark and damnable place. You may say, “it already is,” but remember the Restrainer is still here and we live in the victory of Christ and God’s mighty Spirit. The dragon will be so angry that every semblance of true Christianity he will seek to wipe off the map. “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.” (Revelation 12:17) This is the coming day of God’s wrath and the dragon’s last chapter.