Understanding the Second Coming: The War Behind All Wars
The War Behind All Wars
The things we see in this world are not the primary reality. Life
on planet earth is definitely real, sometimes more real than we
would like. But the all too apparent struggle between good
and evil that transpires here is merely an extension of a much larger
sphere of warfare that began before our world existed. Our planet has
become the battleground for a conflict of eternal dimensions. Revelation
12 draws the veil aside to give us an insight into the war behind
all wars.
“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: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and
pained to be delivered. 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. 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. 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” (Revelation 12:1-5)
The Woman and Her Child
In the Bible a woman symbolizes the people of God, His church
on earth. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah “likened the daughter of Zion [Israel] to a comely and delicate woman” (Jeremiah 6:2). In the
New Testament, the apostle Paul says that the church is “espoused . . . as
a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). An unfaithful church is
symbolized in the Bible by a whore (see Revelation 17:1-6).
The beautiful woman of Revelation 12 represents the true church of
Christ. She is clothed with the sun to illustrate her dependence on the righteous
life and atoning death of Christ for salvation. In an Old Testament
prophecy, the coming Messiah was named “the Sun of righteousness” who
would “arise with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2). The moon under
her feet must represent the Old Testament prophecies and the sanctuary
service, all of which reflected the light of Christ as the moon reflects the
light of the sun. The twelve stars that form her crown represent the twelve
apostles who laid the foundation of the New Testament church (see Ephesians
2:19-22). The “man child” of the woman in Revelation 12:5 is Jesus
Christ, born to humanity as its Savior. Isaiah foretold that the Messiah
would be given to the world as “a son” (Isaiah 9:6).
The Dragon
The “great red dragon” who stood before the woman “to devour her
child as soon as it was born” is “Satan,” according to verse 9. But the
Bible tells us that it was the Roman government, by the command of
King Herod, that attempted to execute Christ soon after His birth (see
Matthew 2). Many baby boys were slain in an effort to rid the world of
Christ before He could accomplish His mission as our Savior. Therefore,
while the dragon is ultimately a symbol of Satan himself, it also represents
Rome as the human agency through which the devil worked to
perform his wicked will.
But the diabolical scheme failed. Christ grew into manhood to live a
life of righteousness on behalf of sinners and to die on the cross to pay
the penalty for our rebellion. Having triumphed over sin and death, He
was raised from the dead and “caught up unto God, and to His throne.”
Now, as our High Priest in heaven, “He ever lives to make intercession”
for His people (Hebrews 7:25, NKJV).
The Woman in the Wilderness
“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” (Revelation 12:6).
Having failed in his attempt to destroy Christ, Satan turned with fury
on the church of Christ. The wilderness became the church’s only refuge
from the severe persecution unleashed against her. While the efforts
to crush Christianity began early in its history, Revelation 12 calls our
attention to a specific period of time during which the church survived
only in hidden valleys and secret mountain havens. Bible students have
long recognized the 1260-day period of Revelation to be the 1260 years
from 538 A.D. to 1798, during which time Christianity was preserved by
a humble, persecuted few who fled into obscurity. (We have learned in
previous studies that a day is equal to a year in Bible prophecy.)
In 330 A.D., Constantine, the Roman Emperor, relocated the
empire’s capital from Rome to Constantinople, now Istanbul. The
vacancy in Rome was eagerly seized as the seat of power for the papal
Roman church-state. The church gained undisputed reign in 538 A.D.
by driving the Ostrogoths out from Rome for their Arian beliefs. This
exercise of power emboldened the church to persecute all who did
not yield to her authority. Century after century passed as millions
of Christians were martyred for their faith by the papacy. Those who
escaped her sword did so by taking refuge in the wilderness areas of
northern Italy and southern France, as well as the northern territories of
newly-discovered America.
We will return to the church’s wilderness experience when we come
to verses 13-17. But now John shifts our attention back to the dragon.
The Origin of Evil
“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. 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. 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. 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. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and
ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitors 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 12:7-12).
The dragon’s warfare against Christ did not begin when the Savior came
to our world as God in human flesh. The war began in heaven. Satan, once
an exalted angel named Lucifer, deceived approximately “a third” of the
angels (see Revelation 12:4). He led them to believe that God is unjust and,
therefore, unworthy of worship. The prophet Isaiah informs us that Lucifer
sought to exalt himself above God and usurp the throne. He coveted the
worship and authority that belongs to God alone (see Isaiah 14:12-14).
War broke out in heaven. Satan, the adversary, led his sympathizers
in an all-out revolt against the kingdom of God the Father and His Son.
Michael, the name of Christ before He came to earth as our Savior, led
the loyal angels in defense of the Creator. It was not a war of violence
with swords or guns, but a war of ideas, of words, of accusations against
God on the part of Satan and vindication of God on the part of Michael.
The devil did not prevail and was expelled from the heavenly kingdom.
Now the earth became his battleground. Here he would demonstrate
his “better” plan of government. Here he would manifest his true
character. Here he would prove himself a liar and a murderer.
In the form of a serpent, the master of deceit accomplished the fall of
our first parents and, through them, has ensnared the world in his trap of
sin. All the guilt, the sorrow, the degradation and tragedy of our world is
the result of Satan’s rulership.
For thousands of years Satan wore the mask of deceit, claiming
goodwill and charging God as the criminal in the war. The book of Job
reveals that Satan presented himself in heaven as the self-proclaimed
prince of this world (see Job 1 and 2). There, before the “principalities
and powers” (Ephesians 3:10) of the unfallen universe, he argued his
accusations against the character of God. He claimed that Job did not
serve God from a motive of love, but rather for personal gain; that God
is not worthy of obedience and worship so He must bribe His followers
in order to retain their loyalty, was the implication of the subtle fiend.
God is selfish and his followers are deceived, he charged.
Down through the ages the lies of God’s enemy had given him
access to heaven according to the book of Job. But when Jesus came
to our world and was cruelly crucified, the devil’s mask was torn away.
He manifested that he, not God, was a selfish deceiver whose heart was
filled with malice and hatred. It is the cross of Christ that John had in
mind when he announces, “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” (Revelation 12:10). After the crucifixion of Christ, Satan lost
all influence with the heavenly universe. His accusing voice has been
silenced. The cross of Christ demonstrated God’s love and vindicated
His character beyond question. Those in heaven “rejoice” at God’s
conquest and Satan’s defeat.
But the war isn’t over yet. While the heavens can rejoice, John issues
a warning of “woe to the inhabitants of the earth” (NKJV). Satan has
lost all influence in heaven, but he still plans to deceive and ruin as many
human beings as he possibly can. He knows his time is “short.” He is a
defeated foe, and he knows it. So with great “wrath” he channels all his
power to the one purpose of taking men and women to destruction with
him (see Revelation 12:12).
Those Who Overcome
Not all will fall prey to Satan’s sophistry. Not all will join him in
rebellion against the loving Lord of heaven. Some will overcome him.
But how?
John tells us how in verse 11. There are three specific weapons of
warfare that will secure the victory for us:
- “The blood of the Lamb.” When we behold and appreciate
the love of Christ revealed at the cross, we are strengthened to
resist the devil’s temptations. God’s love is our single greatest
need. When we understand and exercise faith in the cross, our
hearts are filled with love for Him. And love produces a loyalty
and devotion that nothing can destroy (see Romans 8:35-39; 2
Corinthians 5:14-15).
- “The word of their testimony.” Our second source of overcoming
power is to bear our personal testimony of God’s love and
salvation. Expression deepens impression. The more we
share our faith in Christ with others, the more secure and strong
we will become in that faith.
- “They loved not their lives unto death.” Our third source of victory
over the devil is to place higher value on God’s honor than
on our own lives. If we love God and want to glorify Him more
than we fear death, Satan cannot steal our salvation. Even if we
lose our lives for our faith, eternity awaits us.
The Remnant Church
“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted
the woman which brought forth the man child. 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. 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. 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. 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 12:13-17).
America—A Refuge
In verse 6 we noticed that “the woman fled into the wilderness,”
indicating a foot journey. But in verse 14 she is “given two wings of a
great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness.” A journey of flight
is here portrayed. After centuries of severe persecution in Europe,
finally the church was given wings to fly far away to a new land of liberty.
“The earth helped the woman,” John says in verse 16. The meaning
here is obvious. The faithful church took flight from the persecuting
apostate church to a safe part of the earth where she could worship her
Lord with freedom. Here Bible prophecy foretold the settling of Christian
pilgrims in North America.
In this new land the church would be “nourished,” spiritually
strengthened for its mission of evangelizing the world. America would
preserve from persecution and doctrinal deception a “remnant” of the
woman’s offspring, a remnant church. This end-time church is called
“the remnant” because she bears likeness, in faith and practice, to the
early Christian church founded by Christ and the apostles. She is the
pure remainder of the original church, holding faithfully to all the Bible
truths that the apostles taught; and she is preserved from the apostasies
of fallen Christianity.
Characteristics of the Remnant
John gives us two unmistakable characteristics of the remnant
church: (1) They “keep [the Greek is “preserve” or “protect”] the commandments
of God,” and (2) they “have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
In order to find the true, end-time church of Christ, you must find
the one church that possesses these two characteristics. In the midst of
hundreds of confusing claims by religious bodies to be the true church,
there is only one that upholds or preserves obedience to all ten of God’s
commandments. Many churches believe in eight or nine commandments.
Some have laid aside the one about image worship. Some have
decided that the one about keeping the seventh day (Saturday) holy as
the Sabbath is no longer necessary. Many professed Christian churches
actually teach that God’s law as a whole is no longer a necessary moral
code since Jesus died to forgive us. It would be as logical to say a
criminal pardoned by his government is at liberty to continue his life of
crime once granted freedom. The pardon itself, however, should arouse
a spirit of gratitude that would cause the forgiven lawbreaker to willingly
obey the law.
Of course, the Bible supports absolutely no changes in or deletions
from God’s law. Jesus Himself said, “Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle
shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18).
The apostle James offers us this inspired logic: “For whosoever shall
keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For
He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou
commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the
law” (James 2:10-11). To live in disobedience to any one of God’s commandments
is sin. So we really are out of harmony with the spirit of the
law as a whole, which is loving obedience, when we disregard even one
of its principles. The remnant church at the end of time will be a church
that upholds obedience to all of God’s commandments—not eight, not
nine, but ten.
The second characteristic of the end-time church is just as important
as the first. She will “have [possess] the testimony of Jesus Christ”
(Revelation 12:17). The testimony of Jesus is not, as some have suggested,
our personal testimony about Jesus. Yes, Christ’s true followers
will have a personal testimony to bear. Revelation 12:11 says they will
overcome partly by “the word of their testimony.” But verse 17 says the
remnant church will possess in her midst “the testimony of Jesus,” His
own word of testimony. Later in Revelation a heavenly messenger told
John that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation
19:10). In other words, Jesus speaks to His people through the spiritual
gift of prophecy.
The apostle Paul confirms with John that the gift of prophecy would
exist in the church until the end of earth’s history. He said, “And he gave
some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
Christ has a remnant church that upholds His law and possesses the
gift of prophecy. Don’t depend on heritage. Don’t depend on human
criteria. Don’t depend on your own ability to make a good random
guess. Prayerfully look for the church that Jesus identified to John as His
remnant. You will find in this world only one church that passes the test.
If you sincerely want to be led to the true church, Christ will lead you.
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must
bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
Shepherd” (John 10:16).
Understanding the Second Coming: The War Behind All Wars
