Dec. 29, 2024

Series: What Gift do you Bring the King   12-29-24

The Battle: Past, Present & Future

(Revelation 12)

 Outtakes of the Nativity Scene:

Revelation 12:1–6 ¹ A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. (Israel - Not Mary!) ² She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.  ³ Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads... (vs 9 - tells us it’s Satan) ⁴ The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child (Jesus) was snatched up to God and to his throne. ⁶ The woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. (3 ½ years) 

• In the Old Testament, Israel is often compared to a woman in travail (Isa. 54:5; 66:7; Jer. 3:6–10; Micah 4:10; 5:2–3).

Stages of Satan’s Future Demise:

            1. He will Seek _______________ as God

2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

                2. He will be _______________ from Heaven 

Revelation 12:7–9 ⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 

NOTICE = ⁸ and they lost their place in heaven.

(Fact: Satan must have Still Had a Place in ________________.)

• Note: Isaiah is Speaking Prophetically! (…In the Future!)

Isaiah’s Description of the King of Babylon (Illuding to Satan)

Isaiah 14:12–15 ¹² How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! ¹³ You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. ¹⁴ I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” ¹⁵ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. 

• Lucifer lost his position as guarding _____________ at the throne of God.

Ezekiel’s of the King of Tyre (Illuding to Satan)

Ezekiel 28:12–19 ¹² “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre… “ ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. ¹³ You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you... ¹⁴ You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God... ¹⁵ You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. ¹⁶ Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub... ¹⁷ Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings… ¹⁸ I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. ¹⁹ All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’ ”

• Lucifer lost his position of being a GUARDIAN CHERUB at the Throne of GOD, but STILL has ______________ to Heaven. 

            3. He will not have ___________ to Accuse us

Revelation 12:10 ¹⁰ …the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 

            - He Accused ___________. (Job 1:9–11)

            - He Accused the High Priest _____________. (Zechariah 3:1)

            - He Accuses __________ & Me. (Revelation 12:10)

            4. He will Wage War against _______________ 

Revelation 12:12–17 ¹² Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” ¹³ When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman (Israel) who had given birth to the male child… ¹⁷ Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. (This Starts the 2^nd Half of the Tribulation)

            5. He was Rendered ______________ at the Cross

Revelation 12:11 ¹¹ They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb... 

      FACTS ABOUT SPIRITUAL WARFARE:

1 John 3:8 ⁸ The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 

1. The Victory has already been ____________!

Colossians 2:10 ¹⁰ and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 

Hebrews 2:14-15 (NASB) ¹⁴ …that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 

2. Satan has to use ____________________ that only looks like Power.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

3. Satan can’t whip you with Power, only _____________!

Colossians 2:15 ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Ephesians 6:10 ¹⁰ be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  

Ephesians 4:27 do not give the devil a foothold. 

      “Foothold” = “topos” = 

OUR PROBLEM:

We’re asking God to do Stuff He’s Already DONE!

We’re asking God for Victories He’s Already WON!