No Place for Satan

Okay, despite how much I liked what the janitor said, perhaps we can know a bit more from Revelation than just "Jesus is gonna win".

Today I had the privilege of meditating on Revelation 12. If you have not read this book for a while, I recommend rereading this particular chapter when you get a moment. This is the chapter that concerns two heavenly visions: the vision of the woman giving birth to a son, and the vision of a dragon dead-set against that son and seeking his demise. It is a worship-evoking section!

The woman giving birth is clearly an image of Israel (see Genesis 37:9 where the same imagery is used of God's covenant people). Through God's Old Testament covenant people, the Messiah is coming into the world (the birth of the woman's son).

The dragon (identified in v. 9 as Satan, "that ancient serpent") is simply waiting to destroy God's coming Messiah. Somehow the dragon fails to succeed. In fact, not only does the dragon not destroy and conquer the woman's son, the son in fact conquers and gains victory over the dragon. (vv.10-11) The way Jesus Christ (the woman's son) overthrows Satan is by his blood, "the blood of the Lamb". (v. 11)

Now here's the most important part: the overthrow of Satan and his minions is described in verses 7+8. They are essentially kicked out of heaven (on the basis of the victory of the Lamb's blood) because "there was no longer any place for them in heaven." YES!

So there formerly was a place for Satan, the accuser of God's people, in heaven. There was a place for him in that there were accusations to be brought forward, charges to be laid, guilt to be declared and condemned. There was a place for Satan to do just that.

But then something happened. Then something glorious happened, and suddenly, there was no longer any place for that, and thus, there was no place for Satan.

Beloved, what happened? What happened that caused Satan to lose his place and role in heaven? The blood of the Lamb happened! The Lamb's blood was spread over God's people as in the day of the ancient Passover, and God's wrath was satisfied in that blood. When the Lamb shed his blood, the people were no longer guilty. There was no more wrath from God toward his people. There were no more outstanding sin-debts to be paid from his people. So guess what? Satan was out of a job! There were no more accusations for the Accuser to bring. Hence "there was no longer any place for [him] in heaven."

The Gospel of Jesus kicked that ancient serpent out of heaven.

"O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever.
He sought me, and bo't me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood."