Chapter 9 The Woman Clothed with the Sun
Rev 12:1 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:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
This woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and twelve stars in her crown represents God’s people through all ages. The symbols of sun, moon and 12 stars links this woman to the dream of Joseph:
Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
Jacob was the father of the nation of Israel. He was the beginning of God’s chosen nation. The dream of Joseph represented the family of Jacob, so the woman of Rev 12 represents God’s chosen nation in the Old Testament. The woman gave birth to Christ and when Satan tried to destroy Christ, He was taken up into heaven. The first six verses of Rev 12 set the scene for the drama that takes place in the rest of the chapter. It is a chapter that portrays the perpetual controversy between God and Satan, between Christ and His angels and Satan and his angels, between God’s people, and Satan’s people. The focus of this drama is the 3.5 years as this time period comes up twice in this chapter in the same context:
Rev 12:6 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.
14 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.
The Adventist understanding of Rev 12 is not a collective event, but snapshots of the history of the Great Controversy at different times. We start off with the Old Testament Church pregnant with Christ. Then we see Satan taking with him a third of the angels when cast out of heaven before creation. The church then gives birth to Christ and He completes His mission and is taken to heaven. In verse 6 the woman, now New Testament church, then flees to the wilderness for 1260 years – 538 – 1798. At this stage the woman is the Waldenses and the Albigenses that lived in the Alps. Alps is the wilderness that protected the woman, since the Roman forces could not get them all from there to destroy them. Verses 7-12 return to the War in Heaven before creation where Christ ousted Satan and his angels from heaven. Verses 13 – 16 return to the church in the wilderness in 538 – 1798. Finally Satan takes on the battle against Adventism which is the Remnant in verse 17.
With the 3.5 years defined (Chapter 6) as not primarily being the Medieval church from 538 – 1798, Revelation 12 takes on a different meaning. The focus of Rev 12 is on the sealing of the 144 000 at the Outpouring of the Latter Rain, and the 3.5 years beyond, up to the corporate and final Close of Probation. The first 6 verses simply identify the main role players in this drama. The Woman is God’s people. The role of the Woman in Rev 12 is during the 3.5 years between the two Closings of Probation and verse 6 brings us to her experience during the 3.5 years. The other character of this drama is the dragon, defined as Satan (Rev 12:9), identified as having been cast out of heaven, taking a third of the angels with him.
Having identified the role players, the drama begins with the Sealing of the 144 000 – the Woman at the end of time. The typology of Zech 3 is alluded to, because this drama is the antitype. At the outpouring of the Latter Rain, God seals the 144 000. When God seals, He removes from them their propensity to sin (Chapter 7). They are like Christ was when He was on Earth – in the flesh, but without the sinful desires of the flesh. They will be tempted, but not succumb to sin. Satan, the accuser of the brethren, hates this and objects, saying to God: “How can you make sinful people sinless priests, mediating between God and man?” God does not entertain a debate, but tells Satan to get away:
Zech 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
Satan also objected when Christ resurrected Moses, and Christ simply told him off:
Jude 1:9 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.
Notice the similarities between Zech 3 and Rev 12:10:
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.
Satan stood next to Joshua to accuse him of being sinful and unworthy of the priesthood, having filthy clothes. God exchanges his clothes with a pure priestly garb so that he can minister before God. We see reference to the 144 000 ministering before God in Rev 11:4:
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 12:7-12 describe how Satan is told off, and how he realizes that he is losing dominion on Earth and over God’s chosen people:
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.
11 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.
12 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.
The war in heaven between Michael and His angels, and Satan and his angels seems to be referring to the controversy before creation, but the context of this passage indicates that this casting down occurs after creation because Satan has been accusing God’s people, and then he is cast down. This war in heaven and casting down of Satan occurs at the sealing of the 144 000, when they formally become priests, to minister before God on behalf of God’s other children on Earth (verse 10). Notice what qualifies the woman, God’s end-time apostles, for taking that role of apostles and priests (verse 11): They overcome by the blood of Jesus, by their witness to others on Earth, and their selflessness. They love not their lives even unto death. They trust God completely with their destiny and are prepared to die for Christ if that is required. He seals these people, and this makes Satan bitterly angry. When the sealing occurs, heaven rejoices because Satan is overcome and the dispensation of sin is soon to end. To the people on Earth a woe is spoken, because Satan is very angry, and the winds of strife are let loose, which means life on Earth will become extremely difficult. Our infrastructure and the order of things will completely collapse. This will be the most difficult time that has ever occurred on Earth (Matt 24:21).
Satan’s first target when the 144 000 are sealed is the 144 000. He will seek to destroy them, because he hates them for being made pure by Christ in spite of having been born in sin. They have been transferred from the domain of Satan to that of Christ. But because the 144 000 have the task of taking the Gospel into the whole world, the Three Angels’ Messages, God protects them and prevents Satan from killing them. This we see in Rev 12:13, 14 where the woman is given wings of an eagle and she flies to the desert where she enjoys protection from God:
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 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.
We see this narrative of God’s protection during the 3.5 years in Rev 12:6, 11:5 and 12:15, 16:
12:6 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.
11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
12:15 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.
16 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.
Rev 12:6 also reminds us of Elijah, the type of the 144 000, that was fed by the ravens in the wilderness while hiding from King Ahab. However, the 144 000 do not literally hide. The hiding in the wilderness alludes to Elijah, and is therefore symbolic because they have a great work to be done during the 3.5 years. The hiding just indicates God’s protection, as Elijah was protected from Ahab. The 144 000 have work to do, they have to proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages. We see reference to their work in Rev 11:3 during the 3.5 years:
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
When Satan sees that he cannot reach the 144 000 to persecute them, he turns on the rest of God’s children and those that accept God’s call during the 3.5 years:
Rev 12:17 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.
Let us summarise the drama of the Woman clothed with the sun as depicted in Rev 12:
• The Woman is God’s people through all the ages, and brought forth Christ.
• The focus of Rev 12 is the events at the sealing of the 144 000, the Woman at the end of time.
• Satan tries to prevent God from sealing the 144 000.
• God tells Satan off and pours out the Latter Rain on the 144 000 as they are sealed.
• At the sealing the 144 000 have their propensity to sin removed. Like Christ, they can now be tempted, but without sin.
• During the 3.5 years Satan tries to persecute and kill the 144 000, but God protects them from Satan.
• During the 3.5 years the 144 000 preach the Three Angels’ Messages.
• When Satan finds he cannot destroy the 144 000, he turns onto the rest of God’s children – the remnant.
Stupendous times are awaiting us. God needs people who will love Him more than their own lives, so that He can seal them to finish His work. Are you prepared to put your all at the feet of God so that he can seal you and finish His work through you?
Rev 12:1 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:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
This woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and twelve stars in her crown represents God’s people through all ages. The symbols of sun, moon and 12 stars links this woman to the dream of Joseph:
Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
Jacob was the father of the nation of Israel. He was the beginning of God’s chosen nation. The dream of Joseph represented the family of Jacob, so the woman of Rev 12 represents God’s chosen nation in the Old Testament. The woman gave birth to Christ and when Satan tried to destroy Christ, He was taken up into heaven. The first six verses of Rev 12 set the scene for the drama that takes place in the rest of the chapter. It is a chapter that portrays the perpetual controversy between God and Satan, between Christ and His angels and Satan and his angels, between God’s people, and Satan’s people. The focus of this drama is the 3.5 years as this time period comes up twice in this chapter in the same context:
Rev 12:6 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.
14 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.
The Adventist understanding of Rev 12 is not a collective event, but snapshots of the history of the Great Controversy at different times. We start off with the Old Testament Church pregnant with Christ. Then we see Satan taking with him a third of the angels when cast out of heaven before creation. The church then gives birth to Christ and He completes His mission and is taken to heaven. In verse 6 the woman, now New Testament church, then flees to the wilderness for 1260 years – 538 – 1798. At this stage the woman is the Waldenses and the Albigenses that lived in the Alps. Alps is the wilderness that protected the woman, since the Roman forces could not get them all from there to destroy them. Verses 7-12 return to the War in Heaven before creation where Christ ousted Satan and his angels from heaven. Verses 13 – 16 return to the church in the wilderness in 538 – 1798. Finally Satan takes on the battle against Adventism which is the Remnant in verse 17.
With the 3.5 years defined (Chapter 6) as not primarily being the Medieval church from 538 – 1798, Revelation 12 takes on a different meaning. The focus of Rev 12 is on the sealing of the 144 000 at the Outpouring of the Latter Rain, and the 3.5 years beyond, up to the corporate and final Close of Probation. The first 6 verses simply identify the main role players in this drama. The Woman is God’s people. The role of the Woman in Rev 12 is during the 3.5 years between the two Closings of Probation and verse 6 brings us to her experience during the 3.5 years. The other character of this drama is the dragon, defined as Satan (Rev 12:9), identified as having been cast out of heaven, taking a third of the angels with him.
Having identified the role players, the drama begins with the Sealing of the 144 000 – the Woman at the end of time. The typology of Zech 3 is alluded to, because this drama is the antitype. At the outpouring of the Latter Rain, God seals the 144 000. When God seals, He removes from them their propensity to sin (Chapter 7). They are like Christ was when He was on Earth – in the flesh, but without the sinful desires of the flesh. They will be tempted, but not succumb to sin. Satan, the accuser of the brethren, hates this and objects, saying to God: “How can you make sinful people sinless priests, mediating between God and man?” God does not entertain a debate, but tells Satan to get away:
Zech 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
Satan also objected when Christ resurrected Moses, and Christ simply told him off:
Jude 1:9 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.
Notice the similarities between Zech 3 and Rev 12:10:
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.
Satan stood next to Joshua to accuse him of being sinful and unworthy of the priesthood, having filthy clothes. God exchanges his clothes with a pure priestly garb so that he can minister before God. We see reference to the 144 000 ministering before God in Rev 11:4:
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 12:7-12 describe how Satan is told off, and how he realizes that he is losing dominion on Earth and over God’s chosen people:
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.
11 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.
12 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.
The war in heaven between Michael and His angels, and Satan and his angels seems to be referring to the controversy before creation, but the context of this passage indicates that this casting down occurs after creation because Satan has been accusing God’s people, and then he is cast down. This war in heaven and casting down of Satan occurs at the sealing of the 144 000, when they formally become priests, to minister before God on behalf of God’s other children on Earth (verse 10). Notice what qualifies the woman, God’s end-time apostles, for taking that role of apostles and priests (verse 11): They overcome by the blood of Jesus, by their witness to others on Earth, and their selflessness. They love not their lives even unto death. They trust God completely with their destiny and are prepared to die for Christ if that is required. He seals these people, and this makes Satan bitterly angry. When the sealing occurs, heaven rejoices because Satan is overcome and the dispensation of sin is soon to end. To the people on Earth a woe is spoken, because Satan is very angry, and the winds of strife are let loose, which means life on Earth will become extremely difficult. Our infrastructure and the order of things will completely collapse. This will be the most difficult time that has ever occurred on Earth (Matt 24:21).
Satan’s first target when the 144 000 are sealed is the 144 000. He will seek to destroy them, because he hates them for being made pure by Christ in spite of having been born in sin. They have been transferred from the domain of Satan to that of Christ. But because the 144 000 have the task of taking the Gospel into the whole world, the Three Angels’ Messages, God protects them and prevents Satan from killing them. This we see in Rev 12:13, 14 where the woman is given wings of an eagle and she flies to the desert where she enjoys protection from God:
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 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.
We see this narrative of God’s protection during the 3.5 years in Rev 12:6, 11:5 and 12:15, 16:
12:6 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.
11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
12:15 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.
16 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.
Rev 12:6 also reminds us of Elijah, the type of the 144 000, that was fed by the ravens in the wilderness while hiding from King Ahab. However, the 144 000 do not literally hide. The hiding in the wilderness alludes to Elijah, and is therefore symbolic because they have a great work to be done during the 3.5 years. The hiding just indicates God’s protection, as Elijah was protected from Ahab. The 144 000 have work to do, they have to proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages. We see reference to their work in Rev 11:3 during the 3.5 years:
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
When Satan sees that he cannot reach the 144 000 to persecute them, he turns on the rest of God’s children and those that accept God’s call during the 3.5 years:
Rev 12:17 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.
Let us summarise the drama of the Woman clothed with the sun as depicted in Rev 12:
• The Woman is God’s people through all the ages, and brought forth Christ.
• The focus of Rev 12 is the events at the sealing of the 144 000, the Woman at the end of time.
• Satan tries to prevent God from sealing the 144 000.
• God tells Satan off and pours out the Latter Rain on the 144 000 as they are sealed.
• At the sealing the 144 000 have their propensity to sin removed. Like Christ, they can now be tempted, but without sin.
• During the 3.5 years Satan tries to persecute and kill the 144 000, but God protects them from Satan.
• During the 3.5 years the 144 000 preach the Three Angels’ Messages.
• When Satan finds he cannot destroy the 144 000, he turns onto the rest of God’s children – the remnant.
Stupendous times are awaiting us. God needs people who will love Him more than their own lives, so that He can seal them to finish His work. Are you prepared to put your all at the feet of God so that he can seal you and finish His work through you?
Chapter 9 The Woman Clothed with the Sun
Rev 12:1 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:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
This woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and twelve stars in her crown represents God’s people through all ages. The symbols of sun, moon and 12 stars links this woman to the dream of Joseph:
Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
Jacob was the father of the nation of Israel. He was the beginning of God’s chosen nation. The dream of Joseph represented the family of Jacob, so the woman of Rev 12 represents God’s chosen nation in the Old Testament. The woman gave birth to Christ and when Satan tried to destroy Christ, He was taken up into heaven. The first six verses of Rev 12 set the scene for the drama that takes place in the rest of the chapter. It is a chapter that portrays the perpetual controversy between God and Satan, between Christ and His angels and Satan and his angels, between God’s people, and Satan’s people. The focus of this drama is the 3.5 years as this time period comes up twice in this chapter in the same context:
Rev 12:6 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.
14 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.
The Adventist understanding of Rev 12 is not a collective event, but snapshots of the history of the Great Controversy at different times. We start off with the Old Testament Church pregnant with Christ. Then we see Satan taking with him a third of the angels when cast out of heaven before creation. The church then gives birth to Christ and He completes His mission and is taken to heaven. In verse 6 the woman, now New Testament church, then flees to the wilderness for 1260 years – 538 – 1798. At this stage the woman is the Waldenses and the Albigenses that lived in the Alps. Alps is the wilderness that protected the woman, since the Roman forces could not get them all from there to destroy them. Verses 7-12 return to the War in Heaven before creation where Christ ousted Satan and his angels from heaven. Verses 13 – 16 return to the church in the wilderness in 538 – 1798. Finally Satan takes on the battle against Adventism which is the Remnant in verse 17.
With the 3.5 years defined (Chapter 6) as not primarily being the Medieval church from 538 – 1798, Revelation 12 takes on a different meaning. The focus of Rev 12 is on the sealing of the 144 000 at the Outpouring of the Latter Rain, and the 3.5 years beyond, up to the corporate and final Close of Probation. The first 6 verses simply identify the main role players in this drama. The Woman is God’s people. The role of the Woman in Rev 12 is during the 3.5 years between the two Closings of Probation and verse 6 brings us to her experience during the 3.5 years. The other character of this drama is the dragon, defined as Satan (Rev 12:9), identified as having been cast out of heaven, taking a third of the angels with him.
Having identified the role players, the drama begins with the Sealing of the 144 000 – the Woman at the end of time. The typology of Zech 3 is alluded to, because this drama is the antitype. At the outpouring of the Latter Rain, God seals the 144 000. When God seals, He removes from them their propensity to sin (Chapter 7). They are like Christ was when He was on Earth – in the flesh, but without the sinful desires of the flesh. They will be tempted, but not succumb to sin. Satan, the accuser of the brethren, hates this and objects, saying to God: “How can you make sinful people sinless priests, mediating between God and man?” God does not entertain a debate, but tells Satan to get away:
Zech 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
Satan also objected when Christ resurrected Moses, and Christ simply told him off:
Jude 1:9 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.
Notice the similarities between Zech 3 and Rev 12:10:
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.
Satan stood next to Joshua to accuse him of being sinful and unworthy of the priesthood, having filthy clothes. God exchanges his clothes with a pure priestly garb so that he can minister before God. We see reference to the 144 000 ministering before God in Rev 11:4:
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 12:7-12 describe how Satan is told off, and how he realizes that he is losing dominion on Earth and over God’s chosen people:
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.
11 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.
12 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.
The war in heaven between Michael and His angels, and Satan and his angels seems to be referring to the controversy before creation, but the context of this passage indicates that this casting down occurs after creation because Satan has been accusing God’s people, and then he is cast down. This war in heaven and casting down of Satan occurs at the sealing of the 144 000, when they formally become priests, to minister before God on behalf of God’s other children on Earth (verse 10). Notice what qualifies the woman, God’s end-time apostles, for taking that role of apostles and priests (verse 11): They overcome by the blood of Jesus, by their witness to others on Earth, and their selflessness. They love not their lives even unto death. They trust God completely with their destiny and are prepared to die for Christ if that is required. He seals these people, and this makes Satan bitterly angry. When the sealing occurs, heaven rejoices because Satan is overcome and the dispensation of sin is soon to end. To the people on Earth a woe is spoken, because Satan is very angry, and the winds of strife are let loose, which means life on Earth will become extremely difficult. Our infrastructure and the order of things will completely collapse. This will be the most difficult time that has ever occurred on Earth (Matt 24:21).
Satan’s first target when the 144 000 are sealed is the 144 000. He will seek to destroy them, because he hates them for being made pure by Christ in spite of having been born in sin. They have been transferred from the domain of Satan to that of Christ. But because the 144 000 have the task of taking the Gospel into the whole world, the Three Angels’ Messages, God protects them and prevents Satan from killing them. This we see in Rev 12:13, 14 where the woman is given wings of an eagle and she flies to the desert where she enjoys protection from God:
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 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.
We see this narrative of God’s protection during the 3.5 years in Rev 12:6, 11:5 and 12:15, 16:
12:6 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.
11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
12:15 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.
16 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.
Rev 12:6 also reminds us of Elijah, the type of the 144 000, that was fed by the ravens in the wilderness while hiding from King Ahab. However, the 144 000 do not literally hide. The hiding in the wilderness alludes to Elijah, and is therefore symbolic because they have a great work to be done during the 3.5 years. The hiding just indicates God’s protection, as Elijah was protected from Ahab. The 144 000 have work to do, they have to proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages. We see reference to their work in Rev 11:3 during the 3.5 years:
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
When Satan sees that he cannot reach the 144 000 to persecute them, he turns on the rest of God’s children and those that accept God’s call during the 3.5 years:
Rev 12:17 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.
Let us summarise the drama of the Woman clothed with the sun as depicted in Rev 12:
• The Woman is God’s people through all the ages, and brought forth Christ.
• The focus of Rev 12 is the events at the sealing of the 144 000, the Woman at the end of time.
• Satan tries to prevent God from sealing the 144 000.
• God tells Satan off and pours out the Latter Rain on the 144 000 as they are sealed.
• At the sealing the 144 000 have their propensity to sin removed. Like Christ, they can now be tempted, but without sin.
• During the 3.5 years Satan tries to persecute and kill the 144 000, but God protects them from Satan.
• During the 3.5 years the 144 000 preach the Three Angels’ Messages.
• When Satan finds he cannot destroy the 144 000, he turns onto the rest of God’s children – the remnant.
Stupendous times are awaiting us. God needs people who will love Him more than their own lives, so that He can seal them to finish His work. Are you prepared to put your all at the feet of God so that he can seal you and finish His work through you?
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