Author: Charlie Garrett

Saturday, 6 March 2021

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Revelation 12:12

The previous verses relayed the fact that the devil and his angels were cast to the earth. However, those who had come to Christ “overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” With that in mind, the words of this verse now are a point of rejoicing for some, and of terror for others. In them, John begins with, “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them.”

The word translated as “dwell” is skénoó. It signifies the pitching of a tent, and thus tabernacling. HELPS Word Studies says, “For the Christian, 4637 (skēnóō) is dwelling in intimate communion with the resurrected Christ – even as He who Himself lived in unbroken communion with the Father during the days of His flesh (Jn 1:14).”

Those who “did not love their lives to the death” of the previous verse are now given their rest as they rejoice and tabernacle in intimate communion in heaven. However, John continues with, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!”

The word translated as “inhabitants” is set in contrast to those who tabernacle. It signifies one who is a permanent resident. The earth is his home. Whereas those who gave up their lives found life, those who keep their lives will only find woe. The reason for this is then given by John, saying, “For the devil has come down to you.”

This has been true since he was cast out of heaven, but now there is a difference and a sense of urgency to the matter. Christ has come, the redemptive plan of God has been worked out for two thousand years, and during that time the devil has continued to wreak havoc among men. However, those who were Christ’s have always been safely guarded by Him. But with the church gone at the rapture, and with those who followed that event through martyrdom, there is only the world with very little resistance left.

Because of this, the remaining part of the tribulation period will be as close to hell on earth as anything man has ever seen. In fact, Jesus said as much –

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. ²² And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Matthew 24:21, 22

It is now, during this period that the devil will bring great chaos to the earth. He is, as John says, “having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” The devil is aware of what lies ahead. He knows he will be bound for a thousand years. But before that happens, it is his intent and design to bring utter ruin to as many as he can. He will work as much devastation in just a few years as he has brought in eons before this.

The sad part of this is that the words are written for any and all to see. Countless houses have a copy of the Bible lying around, and yet how many will see this terrible time firsthand because they failed to simply pick it up and accept God’s pardon which has been offered through the giving of Christ.

Life application: The devil knows the Bible and the prophecies it contains. The world has come to the point of the tribulation period where there is no remedy left. The remaining amount of time is known directly from the Bible. It is a three- and one-half year span where the devil will work his iniquity. He will do this through the antichrist and the false prophet, and the world will follow their lead.

Once the wheels are placed in motion, nothing can stop them because the book is sealed. In our hands is God’s eternal and unchanging word – the Holy Bible. It is a roadmap to the events to come and it is completely reliable in all it contains and proclaims. The world will face many great calamities during this period. This is not only spoken in Revelation. Isaiah speaks of what is coming as well. In his prophecies, he says that man will become more rare than fine gold.

Few will survive the calamitous events of the last half of the tribulation. But for the people who trust in the Lord, there will be rest. Now is the time to call out to Him and be saved. Now is the time to put your hope, trust, and faith in JESUS.

Surely there is a time for rejoicing and a time for mourning. Lord, in the life of those who have called on you, there is the surety of eternal salvation. But in the lives of many others, there isn’t that assurance. Please hear our prayers for those who have not yet called on Jesus. We pray that they will know You before their time of judgment comes. Amen.

Friday, 5 March 2021

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

The words of this verse are referring to those in the previous verse, those whom the devil had accused before God day and night. These fallible Christians were unworthy in and of themselves to attain eternal life or the blessings of God. However, their failings are turned into glory because of the work of Another, Jesus. As John next says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.”

It is an aorist verb, “they have overcome.” The deed was accomplished, and it is done. Also, the Greek uses the preposition dia, meaning “through.” Thus, it reads, “they have overcome through the blood.” The meaning is “because of,” “by reason of,” or “on account of” the blood.

The devil can accuse all day long, but those accusations mean nothing when one is in Christ. By faith in what He has done, a person overcomes –

“I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
¹³ I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.” 1 John 2:12-14

John, writing to fellow believers, wrote extensively about overcoming. Exactly what it means to “overcome” is explained in detail in the commentary of Revelation 2:7. To understand that more fully, please refer to that analysis.

In the passage from 1 John 2, it explicitly says that in knowing Him who is from the beginning, one has overcome the wicked one. It is through this knowledge, and by acting upon it by receiving what Christ has done, that a person overcomes. In saying, “by the blood of the Lamb,” it is speaking of the all-sufficient and substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ that this comes about. The blood stands as representative of the work of Christ, culminating in His sacrificial death. With this understanding, John next says, “and by the word of their testimony.”

The thought is similar to 1 John (above) where it says, “Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you.” The word of God is the basis for the word of one’s testimony. Anyone can have a testimony, but what is that testimony based on? If it is based on the word of God which tells of Christ Jesus, then it will be a properly directed testimony. For these saints, they have overcome, but that overcoming is – at times – not without a cost. As John says, “and they did not love their lives to the death.”

The idea here is not that they have overcome because they went to their death, but that they were willing to go to their death because they had overcome. It is reflective of what Jesus said in his words to the church at Smyrna –

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

The death referred to is not a means of overcoming, it is – at times – an anticipated result of it. The scholar Alford renders these words, “they carried their not-love of their life even unto death.” What is it that the saint is to love the most? It is not his own life. It is to love the Lord with all of one’s heart and mind and soul. When He is our highest joy and our greatest hope, the life we currently live will find its proper perspective.

Life application: No one deserves the approval of God because all have inherited Adam’s sin, and all have then heaped up more sins in this life. This is evident because the devil stands accusing us before God. There would be no accusation if there were no actual guilt. However, with this guilt the prosecution then steps forward, fingers pointed at us.

But God has allowed our sin to be transferred to a qualified Substitute – Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. When we call out to Him in faith, we are saved through His blood. And that is based on the word of our testimony. This word is the simple proclamation of every believer, “Jesus is Lord.”

When we confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, Paul writes in Romans that we are saved. Why does Paul tie belief in the resurrection with Jesus being Lord? Only a dummy would call on a dead lord because a dead lord is no lord.

Jesus prevailed over death because He never sinned, also proving He didn’t inherit Adam’s sin (and thus, Adam’s guilt). The Bible says, “the wages of sin is death.” Because Jesus didn’t sin, He was resurrected to eternal life, having paid our sin debt by His blood.

Peter describes the absolutely incomprehensible value of the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ – “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18, 19).

Let us be ever grateful for what God has done through Christ. In Him we too are overcomers. Praise God for the Lamb! Praise God for JESUS!

Glorious and Almighty God! You have done for us what we could never have done for ourselves. You have redeemed us from the wages of sin by paying for them through the life and vicarious death of Your own Son. All hail the glorious and splendid works that You have accomplished for us. All hail the Lamb – our Lord and Savior, Jesus! Amen.

Thursday, 4 March 2021

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. Revelation 12:10

The translation should connect “loud voice” with “heaven.” Thus, it should read, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying…” Also, it omits definite articles that should be included: “the salvation, the power, and the kingdom of our God.” In this, it signifies that these things are firmly manifested. Also, the word “accused” is a present participle. It should read “accuses.”

Of the contents of this verse, Charles Ellicott is right when he says, “…it is not the full establishment of the kingdom which is here described; it is rather the manifestation of it.” In other words, the victory is won, even if it is not yet fully realized. This is speaking of the state of things as fulfilled even while the actual occurring of the event is future.

With these things understood, John begins with, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying” (NASB). It is a divine proclamation with the intent of conveying an absolute truth that can be held to for those who hear it. With that in mind, John continues with, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come” (NASB).

The verb is in the aorist tense, signifying that these things have come at a specific point in time. And yet, as just noted, these things are made manifest even though they have not been established. The only way to make this understood in English is to state them in the perfect tense.

To understand, if a new president is elected, the people can say, “Now is the time for our tax breaks, and now reason will be brought back to the White House.” It is something that is assured, even though there are still several months before the new president is seated. This is the same idea here.

In saying, “Now is the salvation,” it means that complete deliverance from Satan’s power is realized through what has occurred, even if Satan is still affecting those who are saved. In saying, “Now is…the power,” it conveys the idea that all that is necessary to ensure the final consummation of things has been put in place. And in saying, “Now is…the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ,” it means that these things are assured for His people because of what has occurred.

To then explain why this is so, John next says, “for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night” (NASB 1977). Because Satan was cast out of heaven, he has no ability to accomplish anything within the heavenly realm to thwart the redemptive plan. Instead, he can only work within the limits of time to stand and accuse the people of the world. That is why the present tense “accuses” is used. It speaks of his ongoing accusations against humanity.

However, the words “our brethren” indicate that the accusations are against God’s people, the redeemed. As such, they carry no weight. This will be seen in the coming verse. For now, the verse speaks of the reality of what God has done being made manifest. It cannot be thwarted, and the redemptive narrative that is prophesied in Scripture will certainly come about, exactly as the word reveals.

Life application: Since the beginning, Satan has continued to bring accusation and destruction to humanity. He did it in the Garden of Eden. He did it during Job’s time – attempting to malign and destroy that godly man. He did it after the exiles of the Babylonian captivity when he stood accusing Joshua the High Priest in Zechariah 3:1. And, he stood to oppose Jesus during His time of fasting in the wilderness.

Satan has been active throughout the ages and he continues to accuse the church, even to this day – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

The devil has been active, but the book is written, and the writings are sealed. His time is limited, and he will be cast down. Great is the Lord who has defeated the devil! Great is the One who has prevailed. He is our Savior. He is JESUS!

Heavenly Father, please give us strength to resist the devil. Be with us, O God, in our times of weakness and temptation. We know the victory is won, but in our flesh, we are still weak and at risk of falling. Help us to never do that which would bring dishonor to You and Your glorious name. Amen.

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9

Verse 4 described the fiery red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. That was seen to be an earthly governmental body, probably a group of nations. Verse 4 said his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Of those stars, it was determined that they were probably human rulers and could be either religious or political figures.

What is said in these verses shows that the dragon now being described is an angelic being. This account is given to reveal why this angelic being has concerned himself in earthly affairs. Michael and his angels defeated the dragon who then has worked out his wicked plans among humanity. If he cannot rule the universe, he determined that he would rule over God’s highest form of creation in the universe.

With that in mind, John says, “So the great dragon was cast out.” The Greek reads, “the dragon, the great.” It is showing that this dragon is not the same as seen in the earlier verses, even if he is behind the power of that group of nations.

Saying he was “cast out” means that he lost his angelic position and no longer bears any authority or right to rule in the heavenly realm. With that stated, John then explains exactly who this great dragon is, saying, “that serpent of old.”

Again, the Greek reads, “the serpent, the old.” These words take the reader back to Genesis 3:1 where the serpent was introduced. It is he who deceived the man and brought him under the power of sin and death. In John 8:44, Jesus says –

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Jesus uses the term archēs, or “beginning.” Here John uses the term archaios, meaning “original,” “primitive,” “ancient,” and so on. Both words are etymologically linked. In other words, the connection between the serpent and the Devil has already been made in Scripture, but John’s words now are definitively tying them together, as he next says of this serpent, “called the Devil and Satan.”

The serpent is the Devil, but he is also Satan. The word comes from the Hebrew ha’satan, or “The Accuser.” His role is poignantly highlighted in Job 1 and 2. In particular, it says in Job 1:6 (and as repeated in Job 2:1) –

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’”

By this time, Satan had already been cast out of heaven and thrown down to the earth. Therefore, when it says that “the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord,” it is not speaking of angels. Rather, it is speaking of men who worship the Lord. Satan, as he has done since the beginning, has come among them to destroy this union between men and the Lord. This is evidenced by Satan’s response –

“So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’” Job 1:7

This is now his realm, and it is where he conducts his wicked affairs, just as both Paul and Peter state –

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 

Even John refers to this working of Satan (the devil) in his first epistle –

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

It is this entity, the serpent who is the Devil and Satan, “who deceives the whole world.” He deceived Adam at the beginning, and he continues to deceive humanity. He will continue to do so right up until the time of the millennium where it says –

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ³ and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” Revelation 20:1-3

This is the foe that is being described now. The apocalyptic scene has taken us back to the very beginning to show what happened, and why the serpent has been hounding humanity all along. As noted above, if he cannot rule the universe in the spiritual realm, he would still attempt to rule over God’s highest form of creation in the physical realm by working out spiritual darkness all around him. And this rule is one of deception. Jesus said so in John 8:44 (above) and Paul clearly indicates this in his words –

“Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:10, 11

Seeing the progression of thought concerning him here helps us to understand what occurred and why. John finishes by saying that after he was defeated in heaven, “he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

The satanic and demonic forces of the spiritual realm are here because they were cast out of their position in heaven. Their desire is to thwart God’s plans, ruin God’s people, and to destroy humanity who bears God’s image. If one wonders why, for example, women literally rejoice at the passing of laws allowing for abortion, it is because they are being influenced by the deception of the devil to destroy the very image-bearers of God that he is determined to destroy.

What John is describing now shows why the world is in the state it is in. Satan and his angels are here among us, and they are working out their wickedness as vehemently as they can.

Life application: The serpent corrupted man in the Garden of Eden and man fell. This fall has brought about wickedness in man since then. In similar fashion, the devil has also caused angels to fall along with him. It is the pride of his beauty and the lust of holding the power of the universe which brought all of this about. Instead of looking to his Creator, he looked to replace Him.

In the end though, it will only bring about his final and eternal destruction in the Lake of Fire. Until that day, he will continue to deceive the whole world and bring about more chaos and death.

Understanding that the dragon is the serpent, the devil, and Satan, we can see that all of these individual titles found elsewhere in the Bible are tied into this one wicked and destructive being.

It is he who even tempted the Lord at the beginning of his ministry, but he failed there. It is he who again tempted the Lord when Peter spoke and indicated that he wouldn’t let Jesus fulfill His ministry by dying. Again, he failed there. The devil tried and failed in each instance to bring about ruin in the ministry of the Lord, but God’s Messiah prevailed over his attempts. In this, we must be ever thankful because He has done what we could not do. He has destroyed the works of the devil because He is JESUS!

Great is the Lord God Almighty and wondrous are His deeds. The Lamb has prevailed over the work of the devil, and so all who call on Him are freed from the penalty of sin and rebellion which has endured throughout the ages. Thank You Lord for coming and releasing us from this impossible debt! Great and glorious is the Lamb of God! Amen.

Tuesday, 2 March 2021

but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. Revelation 12:8

This continues the thought of the previous verse. It is a look back on the reason why the devil and his angels have so relentlessly pursued God’s people over the ages –

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.” Revelation 12:7, 8

In an attempt to rule God’s creation, a heavenly war broke out. Little is actually stated about this event, but it can be inferred that it is a spiritual battle for control over humanity. Satan (the serpent of Genesis 3) entered the picture and deceived man. At that time, the man was cursed. Hints of these things are scattered throughout the Bible, but not enough to form more than a cursory picture of what is being referred to now by John.

However, this has not stopped sensationalists from publishing innumerable volumes of books claiming insights into these things. They sell well simply because they are sensational, but they do not add anything of value to Scripture. What we do know is what John next says, “but they did not prevail.”

The dragon and his angels were defeated by Michael and his angels. In what way they are defeated is not stated. As they are spirit beings, we can only form assumptions as to what actually occurred. However, this battle, and the ongoing results from it, might be what Jesus was referring to in Luke 10 –

“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’
¹⁸ And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’” Luke 10:17-20

It appears this battle may be what Jesus refers to because John next says, “nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.” Satan and his angels were cast out of the place, and the consequences of that are permanent. Of this, Charles Ellicott says, “The whole power of the evil hosts failed them. There is an inherent weakness in evil: a spot which may be touched whereupon all its vaunted strength withers.”

Life application: Too often in our society, and going back for eons as well, men have credited the devil with far more power than he actually possesses. It is true that he has great power, and it is surely magnified when combined with those who rebelled with him. But the fact of the matter is that, despite his capabilities, it is far less than that of the heavenly host.

This verse shows that the devil and his angels could not prevail over the good angels, and they lost the heavenly realm that they once had access to. In an unfortunate turn of events for the world though, this means that their dominion is now where man treads upon the earth.

And yes, it is true that the devil causes havoc here. But the devil is finite while God is infinite. Therefore, whatever power the devil has is infinitely less than God’s. Because of the work of Jesus Christ, we have access to the very throne of God. And through acceptance of His work, we become sons of God through adoption. Because of this, we have the strength of the Almighty to protect us. When things are tough, let us remember this –

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

There is a throne where God rules and He graciously allows us to enter His presence through the Mediator. When the devil is about and causing us grief, we need to remember this and use this heavenly gift to seek out comfort from our loving and all-powerful Creator. Because He has appointed a Mediator, let us be sure to go through Him, our Lord JESUS!

What great love You have poured out on us, O God! You sent Jesus to lead us back to You and to give us power over the devil. When we are afflicted, you offer comfort. When we are tried, you lead us to the still waters. When we are overwhelmed, you offer us a seat at Your table. Thank You, Lord. Please help us to remember this heavenly access when it is needed. Amen.