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. 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. 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. … 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 12:5-12)
The Woman eventually gave birth to the Man-child. The promised seed of the woman was born, the Dragon was unable to prevent him, nor stop him in his mission to bring salvation and deliverance to men.
Now for the first time fallen men were rendered able to overcome the Dragon. By his death and resurrection, The Man-child conquered death, and brought men back into fellowship and righteousness with God.He put men back on God’s side.
The shed blood of the Man-child, would be fallen man’s answer to God for their sins. Sinners could now renounce their own sinful lives, and exchange them for His substitute life. Satan would no longer reign supremely, because self would be dethroned, through the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Man-child.
They no longer fear death, for they have been delivered from sin, which is the sting of death.
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.(Revelation 12:10-11)
Now on earth, there is a company of believers, who have died and been raised again unto new life, the vanguard of a New Creation,out of the grasp of the serpent and into the hands of God, in the world but not of it. They also are the seed of the woman, for the church is in a direct continuity with Israel.
The day will come, when the Dragon will lose all access to the courts of heaven.Satan has long stood there as the adversary and prosecuting attorney, bringing charges before the Lord, against Israel and the church.
But as this present age draws to a close, Michael the Angel and defender of Israel rises up, and war breaks out in Heaven (and on earth).
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.(Daniel 12:1)
The result of the war in heaven? The Dragon, who is the serpent of old, the devil and Satan, is cast out of the heavens to the earth, for a short time. How long? Three and a half years.
This time period is so important, it is repeated in three different ways in scripture.
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)
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.(Revelation 12:14)
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(Revelation 13:4-5)
The woman flees, into the wilderness where she is helped by God, repeating the Exodus, dwelling in tents and sustained by God, for three and a half years.
The Devil is cast down to earth in great fury, for a “short time”, three and a half years.
The Dragon receives worship through his human regent, the Beast, for three and a half years.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea, (The earth is Israel, the sea are the nations)! The Devil has come down to you …knowing he has but a little time. The time is called “The affliction”, the “Time of Jacob’s trouble”, “Night”, and “The great tribulation“, and “Tribulation such as the world has never seen before nor shall it ever see again“.. How long Oh Lord, How Long?
A time,times and a half a time, or forty-two months, or 1,260 days…three and a half years.
Pastor Bill Randles Blog 
I believe we will see this happen very soon. Blessings ….
Good day Pastor Bill. An excellent article. However I am not sure about the church being a direct continuation of Israel. Hebrews 8: 7-13 clearly teaches that an New and Better Covenant replaces the Old and the Old is abolished.
thanks Daniel, an important point. The Church is a mystery isn’t it? On the one hand she is a separate entity to Israel, but according to Romans 11 there is a direct continuity;
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Well said! One way to think of it is that the new covenant is for the Jews (not just the Gentiles), and the gentiles are grafted in to this.
“Satan would no longer reign supremely, because self would be dethroned” THAT is a serious statement. The church needs to wake up to this fact very soon….Denial of self.
Good post as always Brother Bill
Absolutely, “denial of SELF” important reminder for all of us who name the name of Jesus now!!
“The Fear of the LORD” – leads to denial of ‘self’ (loving NOT our lives unto death)… that is the key, and what is missing out there in ‘so-called christianity’. (Fear of the LORD is absent, and has been replaced by an arrogance that goes with the hyper-grace lie.) Again…
“Be NOT highminded, but FEAR: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” This is our ‘wilderness test’ – “pick up our cross daily (die to ourselves) and follow HIM”. Very convicting for myself!!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, that as we submit to Your Word, YOU strengthen us to do your will!!!
Thank you Bill for a wonderful series of blogs. But one important question: Satan is already in the earth surely? Has been sinse Adam and Eve. So how come he is cast ‘ down’ for the Tribulation? I am confused! Blessings Sue
Sent from my iPad
>
good question. Satan has long been on earth indeed, as well as having had access to heaven itself, in order to accuse the brethren. This is the sense in which he is cast down for the last three and a half years. This vision is one of many layers, for the cross of Jesus cast down Satan in a sense also as John 12 tells us, (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.)so also in the sending out of the seventy (Luke 10:17-18 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.) Revelation 12 is in a sense a timeless vision, Israel is always pregnant with the will of God, Satan is always poised to destroy her, Satan is constantly being cast down from heaven and constantly persecuting the true Seed of the Woman. But in the last days these things intensify…hope this helps
“Satan has long been on earth indeed, as well as having had access to heaven itself, in order to accuse the brethren.”
As Reggie Kelly says, Satan has access to “the courts of conscience.” Once he is evicted from heaven by Michael (Daniel 12 and Revelation 12), the saints will no longer have an accuser in heaven. This is why they can proclaim, “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.” This is why, while this event at the mid-point of Daniel’s 70th week triggers the greatest persecution, i.e., the time of Jacob’s trouble, or what we commonly call the “great tribulation”, once Satan is thrown out and incarnates the man who is the Anti-Christ, the saints will be also empowered to overcome our adversary by the blood of the Lamb and not love their lives unto the death. It may be difficult for us to grasp this, but that is what happens.
Thank you for this series of articles on Revelation.