Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Revelation 12:7

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels [going forth] to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;" — Revelation 12:7 (ASV)

All agree that the section beginning with this verse, which describes the battle in heaven between Michael and the dragon (vv.7–12), provides the explanation as to why the dragon has turned on the woman and caused her to flee into the desert for protection (vv.6, 13ff.). The account is in two parts: (1) the battle in heaven between Michael and his angels and the dragon and his angels, which results in the ejection of Satan from heaven to the earth (vv.7–9), and (2) the heavenly hymn of victory (vv.10–12). As elsewhere in the book, the narrative material can be interpreted only in the light of the hymns. This principle is especially important in vv.7–9, where the victory takes place in heaven as the result of Michael’s defeat of the dragon. Were this the only thing told us about the “war in heaven,” it might be concluded that the dragon’s defeat was unrelated to Jesus Christ. But the interpretative hymn (vv.10–12) says that it was in fact the blood of Christ that dealt the actual death blow to the dragon and enabled the saints to triumph (v.8; cf. 5:9). Does this not suggest that the redeeming work of Christ is here depicted by the cosmic battle of Michael and the dragon, as it is elsewhere seen as a loosing from sin (1:5), as a washing of our garments (7:14), and as a purchasing to God (5:9)? The time of the dragon’s defeat and ejection from heaven must therefore be connected with the incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus (v.13: Lk 10:18). Christ has appeared in order to destroy the works of the devil (Matthew 12:28–29; Acts 10:38; 2 Timothy 1:10). Early Jewish belief held the view that Michael would cast Satan from heaven as the first of the last-time struggles to establish the kingdom of God on earth. John, in contrast, sees this event as already having taken place through Jesus Christ’s appearance and work. Only the final, permanent blow of Satan’s ejection from earth remains (20:10). The fact that the battle first takes place in heaven between Michael, the guardian of God’s people (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1;Jude 9), and the dragon shows that evil is cosmic in dimension and that events on earth are first decided in heaven. The single intent of the passage is to assure those who meet satanic evil on earth that it is really a defeated power, however contrary it might seem to human experience. 8–9 The triumph of the archangel results in the ejection of the dragon and his angels from heaven to earth. Apparently, prior to this event Satan had access to the heavens and continually assailed the loyalty of the saints (Job 1:9–11; Zechariah 3:1); but now, together with his angels, he has been cast out (cf. Lk 10:18). Whatever appears to be the earthly situation for God’s people now, the victory has already been won. When the battle grows fiercer and darker for the church, it is but the sign of the last futile attempt of the dragon to exercise his power before the kingdom of Christ comes (v.12). The “ancient serpent” who tempted Eve with lies about God (Genesis 3:1ff.) is in John’s mind the “devil” or “Satan.” He is also the one who “leads the whole world astray.” His power lies in deception, and by his lies the whole world is deceived about God (2:20; 13:14; 18:23; 19:20; 20:3, 8, 10; 2Jn 7; cf. Romans 1:25).