REVELATION - PART 6

Leaders Note:
On Sunday we covered chapters 12 -14, In this study however we will be focusing specifically on chapter 12 and what it teaches about Satan, his defeat, and how we should live in light of both his existence and his demise. In allocating your discussion time, move through the passage at whatever pace seems natural, but where possible try to reserve a significant portion of your time for the application questions which consider how we should live mindfully of the spiritual war we find ourselves in more broadly.

Start by watching the start of Part 2 of the Bible Project overview of Revelation. (00:00 - 05:04) This provides a short recap of the book up until this point as well as a summary of today’s section.

READ REVELATION 12:1-17


12 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. 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. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. 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.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

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.

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.”

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. 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.


Disscuss

  1. What does this chapter tell us about Satan (the dragon) , including descriptions, names, and statements? Which stands out most to you? Why?

  2. In Revelation 12:1–6, we see there is a conflict deeper than the one between God’s people (the woman) and Satan (the dragon), namely, the conflict between Satan and Christ. Satan seeks to destroy Jesus ). According to this passage, what is the outcome of this conflict?

  3. We see descriptions of Jesus’ defeat of Satan in verse 5 & 7-12. Noting that Satan is described as “the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night,,” how do Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension defeat Satan’s accusations of believers before God?

  4. Revelation 12:11 describes Christians who “conquer” the devil even though he kills them! In what sense do believers conquer Satan? Do they look to the world like conquerors?

  5. Re-read Revelation 12:12. What encouragement is given here? Why is the Dragon’s anger a reason to rejoice?

  6. How does Revelation 12:13–17 emphasise God’s protection and care for his people? How does this encourage you today?

APPLICATION

  1. Divide the following passages among the group, give each smaller group a few minutes to read the passage and discuss, then report back to the larger group, reading the verse then sharing what this verse tells us about Satan, and how we should live mindfully of him.

    John 8:44
    Ephesians 6:11-12
    1 Peter 5:8-9

  2. Based on the passages above, and the descriptions in Revelation 12 of Satan as ‘accuser’ and the one who leads the whole world astray’ How might satan currently be seeking to lie to you, accuse you or lead you astray? Be specific where possible.

  3. To what extent do you live as though there were a real malevolent being seeking to wage war against you, and cause you to not hold fast to Jesus?

  4. What might it look like to live both with the awareness that satan is trying to do damage to you and with the knowledge that he has ultimately been defeated?

  5. What is one encouragement or challenge that you are left with based on tonight’s passage?

PRAY