Oct. 20, 2024

In Revelation 12 John paints a giant mural of the continuing conflict between good and evil.  The characters he portrays are the woman, the dragon and the male child who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.  That obviously is the Christ.  The woman is the covenant people of God from whom Christ came and the dragon is "the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray."  John describes war in heaven when the devil and his angels lost their place in heaven and were hurled to earth.  Then there is war on earth as the devil pursues the woman and her offspring--the followers of Christ. God's people are protected for the time period of the reign of the antiChrist--a time, times and half a time, 42 months, 1,260 days or three and a half years.  The devil is filled with rage because he knows his time is short.  He is filled with rage and pursues the woman (Christ's followers).  But we are assured of Christ's ultimate victory.  "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ."