“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

In verses 13-17, Satan persecutes Israel’s offspring. He does this with three aggressive assaults against the nation. 

12:13

Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

The first assault against Israel occurs in verses thirteen and fourteen. God cast Satan out of heaven to earth. “Earth is the theater whereby God works out the angelic conflict and tests man in that conflict. Israel is a central player in that program.

The persecution of “the woman” (Israel, Re 12:1) here is the beginning of the Great Tribulation (Mt 24:15-22). Israel gave birth to “the male Child,” who was Christ (Re 12:5). 

12:14

But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

God gave Israel special supernatural powers to flee from Satan (Matthew 24:16). These are Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah in the first half of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:14). God always preserves a godly remnant.

Satan’s persecution of Israel lasted “a time and times and half a time.” Daniel referred to this timeframe as three and a half years, the second half of the Tribulation or the Great Tribulation (Daniel 7:25; 12:7).

12:15

So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

We find the second assault against Israel in verses fifteen and sixteen. This “flood” may be a massive flood of soldiers sent by the Antichrist. Satan will seek to exterminate the remnant of Israel from the face of the earth.

12:16

But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

God intervened in nature and supernaturally delivered Israel from this peril of the Antichrist’s armies.

12:17

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The third assault against Israel is in verse seventeen. The word “rest” means remnant. This group is a godly remnant, and God always keeps a godly remnant for Himself. These are clearly Tribulation saints. These believers “have” the testimony of Jesus; this is not testimony about Him but the testimony He gave. 

Principle:

God calls upon Christians to resolve the angelic conflict in terms of how he lives out his individual life.

Application:

This passage has a lot of information about Satan. There are many myths about Satan, most of which originated from him. Many people think Satan is in hell, but he is not. He has never been there. Though God will cast him into hell on a future day, he is not presently in hell. Other people picture the devil as a red monster with a forked tail, cloven hoofs, horns, and a pitchfork. That, too, is a fairy tale.

The devil loves to give distortions of himself so that we miss the real issue. The fact is, we face issues where fallen angels (demons) seek to undermine our Christian lives. One reason God placed us here on earth is to show that Satan did not have to fall. Jesus is the prime example of someone who overcame Satan and his temptations.