Traditionally, when we consider the effects of the cross, we usually think of the wonderful benefits the world received as the result of Jesus' sacrificial love for us. We might refer to these benefits as "anthropocentric" in that they are man's perspective as viewed from the temporal realm. Yet the cross also had a tremendous impact in the heavenly realm.
Today we'll get a look "behind the scenes" at the effects of the cross from a perspective that was witnessed only by the inhabitants of heaven... and the apostle John.
Celestial Perspective
What did Jesus' death on the cross mean in the heavenly realm?
The book of Revelation is a vision given to the apostle John by an angel of God of “things that soon must take place” (Rev 1:1). Much of the vision involves a celestial perspective of events to which the temporal world was not privy.
At the end of Chapter 10, John is given a small scroll containing a "vision within the vision". He is told to open it and to prophesy. Chapters 11 through 13, I believe, are the contents of this prophetic vision.
In the middle of this section--Revelation Chapter 12--is a story that, I believe, describes what happened on the cross from a heavenly perspective. Let's approach this story using the analytical skills we acquired in our high school English Lit class. We want to know about the setting, the characters, the plot, and the theme(s).
(I recommend that you have your Bibles open to Revelation, Chapter 12 since I will only be referencing the passages but not including the actual text in this blog.)
The Setting
The first part of the 12th Chapter of the book of Revelation takes place in heaven, the place where God resides with his angels and with those who died for their faith. Toward the end of the chapter (v.13), the focus shifts to the earth.
I believe that the vision shared by John in Chapter 12 begins at the time of the birth of Jesus (v.2) and continues through the crucifixion and beyond. The chapter ends in a bit of a cliff-hanger that seems to prefigure the spiritual struggle of the contemporary church.
The Characters
There are three main characters in this story: a woman, a child and a dragon.
The child - There is no mystery about who the child is because verse 5 tells us that the child is a male who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, (v. 5). This is the exact wording from Psalm 2--a Messianic psalm--a reference to Jesus.
The dragon - The identity of the dragon is clear because in verse 9 we’re told that the dragon is “that ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan.”
The woman - The identity of the woman has challenged scholars for centuries. I propose that the woman represents the early church.
The Plot
This is a story of spiritual warfare that begins with a battle in the heavenly realm. We're told that the dragon (Satan) and his angels were defeated and get booted from heaven (vv.7-9). This victory is described as the onset of the salvation, power, kingdom and authority of Christ (v.10).
Satan's defeat at the cross is an occasion for rejoicing in heaven but a warning to those who inhabit the earth (v. 12). Unable to wage his battle in heaven, Satan now sets his sights squarely on the woman who seems to be given supernatural protection for a period of 3 1/2 years (vv.14-16).
The chapter ends with the dragon, infuriated by his inability to defeat the woman, changing his tactics, declaring war against the offspring of the woman--"those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus" (v.17).
The Theme
Satan's defeat by Jesus on the cross--what theologians refer to as "Christus Victor"--had three very important spiritual effects from a celestial perspective:
(1) it permanently ejected Satan from access to heaven (vv. 9, 13),
We're often told that because of his holiness, God cannot be in the presence of sin, yet there are a number of places in the Bible where Satan and God are communing together. This privilege seems to end at the cross and with the arrival of Jesus in heaven.
(2) it started an “end-time” clock.
For the first time, it seems Satan is aware that his time is short (v. 12).
(3) it made Satan hopping mad.
The "wings of an eagle" (v.14) given to the woman is a metaphor for supernatural protection from God. We see a precedent for this symbol of God's protection for his people in several places in Scripture. The divine protection offered to ensure the success of the early church (the woman) seemed to infuriate Satan.
It is agreed by most scholars that the expression "time, times, and half a time" (v.14) is a reference to 3 ½ years. This was the exact duration of the Jewish-Roman War (66-70 AD) in which over a million Jews were killed but, according to the Roman historian Josephus, the early Christians were (miraculously) spared, divinely protected.
Having failed to stop the early church, the apostle John's vision ends with the dragon going off "to wage war against the rest of her offspring" (v.17), which I believe is the contemporary church.
Application
I propose that we, the contemporary church, are "the rest of the offspring" of the woman and are now under attack by the dragon. But I’m delighted to say that, like the early church, we too have access to divine protection--"the wings of the great eagle." In this battle we have two powerful and effective resources:
(1) For defense we have the armor of God--Ephesians 6. We clothe ourselves in Christ.
(2) For offense we have the word of God. Although Scripture describes Satan as "the ruler of this word", with the powerful weapon of God's word we have the ability to invade Satan's realm, lay siege on his territory and reclaim his holdings.
Final Thought
From a celestial perspective, the cross secured a true spiritual victory. This should be a powerful reminder of the faithfulness of God who, although we might not always see it, is busy working behind the scenes to ensure that all things are working together for the good for those who love Him.
Next Post: The Cross - Putting it all together.
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