“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 12:11.
* We are called upon to live in increasingly alarming times, the like of which we had little inkling back at the beginning of the 1970s, when this witness commenced.
* The prophet Isaiah spoke of the last days in this fashion, Isaiah 24:20. I have no doubt this whole chapter is referring to those times just before the return of Christ. Verses 21-23 make that clear.
* These scenes will leave the ‘evolutionist’ and the ‘environmentalist’ in utter consternation and fear! These events Isaiah refers to are happenings in CREATION, but when we turn to Revelation 12, there we have SPIRITUAL AND MORAL HAPPENINGS that are equally disquieting.
* We learn again that there are terrible times coming to this world and I feel that we are presently seeing the beginning of them. See what verses 6-9 of this passage states.
I. THESE SCENES ARE SET AT THE END OF THE AGE.
1. The Lord tells us this. At the zenith of A/C’s power, verse 3. Also, the devil ‘knoweth that he hath but a short time’, verse 12. Time is running out for the devil’s rebellion!
2. Furthermore, an announcement is made from heaven supports this view. Verse 10. “Now is come . . . ” Return of Christ is very near. Such revelations of what is ahead can create great fear, even amongst some of God’s people. I have often thought that such fear is what lies behind the creation of the false notion of the people of God being raptured away from such troubles! Such a longing is of old, Psa 55:6-8.
3. The devil knows this to be so! He knows he has only a ‘short time’ left! Few take any notice of the passing of time and the approach of their ‘end’! Many Christians are ignorant of where we are in prophecy, but not the devil! Consider Eze 28:3—spoken prophetically of the A/C. Daniel’s knowledge, Dan 1:17. Devil imparts his superior knowledge to A/C, Rev 13:2.
4. Devil exists under the shadow of his defeat at Calvary and his final overthrow. In 2 Samuel 3:1, David fought against an enemy doomed!! So it is with us. The devil’s ‘Gilboa’ has passed!
II. HERE IS EVERY INDICATION OF THE PERILOUS NATURE OF THOSE DAYS.
1. We have the redeemed remnant in Israel fleeing to safety in the wilderness at the close of this age. TRUTH (the woman here) was never utterly overthrown in Israel, Roman 11:2-5. Jerusalem will be the centre of persecution for the remnant of Christians. Isaiah referred to this flight and the refuge, Isaiah 16:3-5. (Huguenots in England & Ireland, Puritans in America). The time spent in safety is 1260 days - 3 1/2 years, the ‘great tribulation’ see Daniel 12:7 and verse 14 here. Christ’s ministry was 3 1/2 years also. Born, Autumn, ascension late May, early June.
2. There is war in heaven which spills over into the earth. Verses 7-10, Daniel 12:1. How little we know of those events beyond our gaze. In generations past, few were aware of the many wars raging around the world. Yet, we should ever be aware of what the Bible tells us is going on out of our sight! Today, the devil is a ‘Roaring (threatening, frightening) Lion’ (1 Peter 5:8) but here he has ‘great wrath’ v 12, which results in “great tribulation,” Matthew 24:21.
3. it is a time of woe for the Antichrist’s kingdom. A‘voice from heaven’ which says so!!(v12).
4. The devil’s rage is heightened by God’s judgments on his kingdom. Revelation16:1-2. The devil will be loosed as never before. Heaven’s joy is the earth’s woe, chapter 12, verse 12. The saints will have cause to rejoice - these plagues herald return of Christ! The devil knows that he is soon to be cast down even lower before his final casting down, Rev 20:1-3, 10. He is filled with rage, no contrition! As it was with the lad in Mark 9:25-26, when the Lord cast out the devil, so it will be in this final casting out.
III. DESPITE THIS, BELIEVERS WILL ENJOY VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL
1. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. We resort to this weapon first of all. This will bring deliverance in the darkest days. The word ‘overcome’ means ’to conquer’! It is thus we enter into Christ’s victory when He “spoiled principalities and powers” and “made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it,” Colossians 2:15. (Reading of Germany’s statement of surrender brought a laying down of arms amongst the German military machine).By His blood they were redeemed and ransomed out of the hands of Satan.
By this blood they were justified from all sin, and so all charges and condemnation were of no avail against them, whether of Satan or the world. By this blood they were cleansed from all pollution, both internal and external; and by which even their garments were washed and made white. By this they also, draw nigh to God with boldness, as to their own God, notwithstanding the accusations of Satan and they made use of it as a shield to defend them against all his attacks. By this glorious covering they would triumphantly go to glory, having through it obtained an entire conquest over Satan.
2. They overcame him by the word of their testimony. This means their use of the Scriptures of truth. They are the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to which they bore a faithful testimony, and to which they adhered, and by so doing gained the victory over Satan and his agents, false teachers or persecutors. By the Gospel truth, which they embraced, professed, and preached with constancy and courage, and by their last testimony that they bore to their death — so they overcame the devil. Psalm 119:98.
3. They loved not their lives unto the death. They did not value their lives above the Lord. Daniel 3:16-18. They were not anxious to preserve them. They were ready to lose them. Like Paul, they desired to ‘finish their course with joy,’ Acts 20:24. Even as the Saviour has directed, Luke 14:26, they hated their lives in comparison to him. Thus they conquered Satan. Had they loved their lives, and saved them by denying Christ and his truths, Satan would have conquered them.
Like Daniel and his friends, as we heard on Friday evening, Dan 1 and 3.
I was reading Judges 16 the morning tonight’s text came to me. There we read of the death of Samson and, in death, his mighty victory over the Philistines, 16:30.
I can recall days when this scene was repeatedly kept before the eyes of believers by God’s servants as an illustration of what it means to die unto self and sin and to live unto Christ so as to gain a victory over all the enemies. This is the means to victory and we need to understand it afresh in these days! Samson valued his life less than glorifying God in slaying the Philistines.
This is entirely in keeping with New Testament theology, Matthew 10:37-39; 16:24-26; Acts 20:24. This last reference is in another chapter for reading on the same day as Judges 16!
Paul outlines the way to victory through death to self and sin. “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God,” Romans 8:12-14. See also Galatians 2:20. (Part of today’s McCheyne’s readings)
Death to self was the means of victory for the believer in the past, it is still and that right to the end of this age! The need today is a spirit of surrender unto Christ amongst us all.
4. It never has been the Lord’s purpose to remove His people from trouble. Rather He would glorify Himself by preserving them amidst trouble. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel, Daniel 1, 3 and 6. He opens the sea before them and enables them to cross through the waters of trouble dry-foot, Exodus 14:21-27.
“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine. When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I [am] the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour,” Isaiah 43:1-3.
That will be the case right to the end of this age.