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Revelation 12
10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 They overcame him because of the Lamb's blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life, even to death. 12 Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time."
Here we land at the very center of the hub of both this chapter as well as the entire book of Revelation. Around this hub revolves all the rest of what we are studying, the pinnacle of the chiasm which means it is the important truth at the very heart of the message of Revelation and even the gospel relating to the war that defines the backstory of all that is taking place around us. Consequently I believe it is beneficial and important to appreciating how to interpret everything we study in this book, to anchor our thinking in this core revelation.
I heard a loud voice in heaven
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet (Revelation 1:10)
I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals. I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?" (Revelation 5:1-2)
I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!" (Revelation 5:11-12)
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:9-10)
I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!" (Revelation 7:2-3)
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. They cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation 7:9-10)
I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe! Woe! Woe for those who dwell on the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!" (Revelation 8:13)
I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land. He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. (Revelation 10:1-3)
The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15)
I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!" (Revelation 14:6-7)
Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or on his hand, (Revelation 14:9)
Another angel came out from the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Send forth your sickle, and reap; for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!" (Revelation 14:15)
Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Send forth your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth's grapes are fully ripe!" (Revelation 14:18)
I went through every one of these references in Revelation listed here and noticed something in this last verse I find highly significant relating to the context of this verse. We will look at it more closely when we get to that chapter, but in every instance except this one the Greek uses the same two words. But in this instance while word for loud is the same, the word used for voice is different. The original word actually means outcry, clamor. This alerts us that something is very different about this voice than the other references to a loud voice, which I believe exposes this as a counterfeit voice.
I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth!" (Revelation 16:1)
The seventh poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came forth out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" (Revelation 16:17)
After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory. He cried with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird! (Revelation 18:1-2)
After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God: (Revelation 19:1)
I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the sky, "Come! Be gathered together to the great supper of God, (Revelation 19:17)
I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:3)
Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God
Now is the judgment
of this world. Now the prince of this world will
be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up
from the earth, will draw all people
to myself. (John 12:31-32)
Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn't know us, because it didn't know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)
For, "He put all things in subjection under his feet." But when he says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him. When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:27-28)
The now referred to here is a milestone, a pivot point of no return in this process of all things coming under subjection to the kind of authority that God's Christ exercises. This subjection is not accomplished the way we typically think of subjugating but is explained in the previous verses from John. All who respond to the drawing power of truth and love and submit their lives to be controlled and directed by that love; they subject themselves willingly, eagerly to live under the authority of Jesus, the Lamb who reveals exactly how God thinks and feels.
This is the whole purpose of the ministry of the Son – to expose to everyone the light of truth about God's heart, motives and methods that have been slandered, distorted, misrepresented and accused ever since the initial stages of the rebellion. This is the only way the war can be won against the great Satan – by exposing and neutralizing the power of every lie that induces distrust in God's ways and motives and disposition towards us. When we see Him as He is in Christ, all will acknowledge that His ways are true, just and righteous, whether or not we participate and cooperate with them.
They cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation 7:10)
After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God: (Revelation 19:1)
Exposing God's glory involves revealing His character which brings about His salvation. God is the one who needs the greatest salvation - salvaging of His reputation. Yet this can only be secured by a unanimous, un-coerced acknowledgment of His untainted goodness and love by everyone. This will be the final outcome of God's judgment when everyone judges Him based on the full exposure of all the evidence.
the authority of his Christ
We have discussed this surprising truth that God needs a Christ as much or more than we do, and it goes right along with salvation belonging to our God. The salvation – salvaging of His reputation – is accomplished by His Christ who is the Lamb who fully reveals the actual truth that has been obscured, twisted and slandered by the dragon accuser. This is all tied into the credibility of the One who is God's star witness who alone has what it takes to rescue God's reputation and secure His government forever.
For more on this topic review the notes for Revelation 11:15.
The first half of this verse composes the very hub of the chiasm of this chapter and the whole book. From here on we are going down the other side of the curve that parallels what we examined coming up the first side. This is a summary of the grand finale, celebrating with the New Song how God overcomes the enemy, how all things are brought back into full compliance with His will, His ways and everyone is resynchronized with His motives and Spirit. This is what needs to become our theme, our reason for living, our constant anchor so that everything else is measured and defined based on this core truth.
the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down
Accusing God's reflectors on earth is Satan's highly effective way of bolstering his assertions that God's heart is what is reflected in all the chaos and evil in the lives of those made in His image.
We discussed this extensively on the other side of the chiasm in verse 9.
accuses them before our God day and night
Day and night means relentlessly, without let up or pause or relief. Because the accuser relentlessly accuses (he is the father of lies and cannot do truth), those giving opposite testimony need to do the same – never rest from praising, honoring and giving Him glory without ceasing.
The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!" (Revelation 4:8)
Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. (Revelation 7:15)
The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:11)
The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)
Rather than trying to use this to prove a literal everlasting torture in hell as punishment from an unrequited offended deity, what this reveals is the principle of natural cause and effect. To the same extent that Satan accuses, the final outcome of his nonstop accusations will be nonstop torment when exposed by the light of truth that contradicts every lie he continuously circulates. This also brings in the issue of rest or lack thereof, dependent on whose version of God we choose to embrace and give authority in our life.
Among these nations shall you find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot: but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul; and your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you shall fear night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. In the morning you shall say, Would it were even! and at even you shall say, Would it were morning! for the fear of your heart which you shall fear, and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see. (Deuteronomy 28:65-67)
This is all a result of the continual accusing inside our mind and heart instigated by the devil who uses our sins and our doubts about God's disposition towards us to rob us of all peace and assurance.
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him, because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have boldness toward God; (1 John 3:19-21)
But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can't rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked. (Isaiah 57:20-21)
then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. (2 Peter 2:9-11 NKJV)
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 1:9 NKJV)
All of this again highlights the theme that keeps coming back around, that the methods, motives and disposition of God in how He relates to His opponents are entirely different and nearly always opposite from those fighting against Him. If we choose to follow the Lamb, we must embrace the same.
