Revelation 12:10-17

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.  For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  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.”

Our salvation is a settled reality. The accuser has been hurled down. When you hear your adversary say to you that you are a terrible sinner, answer him and say “You are right, I am. But I have a Savior greater than my sin, and you, and He has given me salvation. I am delivered! I am safe from your accusations forever.”

Our salvation is through the blood of the Lamb. Our love for the Lamb should be greater than our love for our own life. We should be willing to joyfully give up our words so we can accept His. We should be willing to give up our claim to this life so He can have it. We must be content with the fullness of God.

The third woe is declared to those on the earth. Satan has not taken this fall well and is full of fury to be unleashed on those who dwell on it.

13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.

Satan pursues the nation of Israel, at least those who claim to be God’s. This could easily be interpreted as all who believe in God, both Jew and Gentile, as the new Israel. The people of God are one church and the devil rages against her more intensely as the time grows short.

The time, times and half a time, is the reference for 3 ½ years that has been used many times. The two wings of a great eagle represent God’s protection for these saints.

15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 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.

Here we see that Satan is attacking those who love God in any way that he can but it is miraculously averted. He has failed to destroy the Son and now furiously works to murder the woman. He seeks all who are saved by the Lamb.

Zechariah 3 is a thorough overview of this Christmas story in Revelation 12.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then He said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

8 “‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Jesus is the cornerstone and as He stood as the blood stained Lamb before the throne of God to take the scroll with the seven seals he had seven eyes. He took our sins and clothed us in His righteousness even as Satan stood accusing us of our sin. We are without blemish because Christ took our sin upon Himself and we will dwell with Him forever.