In the grand theater of the end times, the role of Satan is that of the Protagonist. There would be no theater of the end times—in fact, there would be no end times—if Satan had not rebelled against God and corrupted His perfect creation. The role this diabolic agent of the Apocalypse will play during the end times is detailed in only one place in the Bible: the twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation. This chapter presents us with significant truths about Satan’s wrath, nature, vendetta, and end. Each of these truths is introduced by the adjective “great”:

1. A great sign—a woman (Revelation 12:1)
2. A great fiery red dragon (verse 3)
3. A great fury (verse 12, New International Version)
4. The two wings of a great eagle (verse 14)

As we explore these truths, we will discover the revelations upon which our scenario featuring this Creature, the source of all evil, is based.

The great sign of the woman.

“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. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.” REVELATION 12:1-2

The image of this woman is striking. She is clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, and wears a crown of twelve stars. More importantly, she is in the pains of childbirth. Numerous hypotheses circulate about what this woman represents, but only one idea is consistent with the teaching of the entire Word of God: this woman represents the nation of Israel, making her entrance as the victim and target of Satan’s malice. Throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is often depicted as a woman in labor. For example, the prophet Isaiah writes:

“As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, Lord. We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life.” (Isaiah 26:17-18; see also 66:7-8; Micah 4:10; 5:2).

Micah’s image of a woman in labor unable to give birth describes the Jewish people’s failure to bring hope and salvation to humanity. Yet, after centuries of dashed hopes, the Jewish people had the privilege of bringing their Deliverer into the world:

“She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.” (Revelation 12:5)

This remarkable phrase summarizes three of the most important events in Christ’s life:

1. His incarnation: She gave birth to a son, a male child.
2. His ascension: Her child was snatched up to God and to His throne.
3. His return: He will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.

The final fulfillment of Revelation 12:5 is recalled later in the book of Revelation: “Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” (Revelation 19:15).

Thus, the first great sign of Revelation 12 is a woman, Israel. Her child is the ultimate object of Satan’s wrath, namely Christ Himself, the great hero of this end-time theater.

The great dragon

“Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 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. […] 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.” REVELATION 12:3-4,9

Satan’s path is always downward. From heaven to earth… from earth to the abyss… from the abyss to the lake of fire. Here, Revelation 12 lifts the curtain and lets us witness Satan’s expulsion from heaven. Verse 9 is arguably the most comprehensive description of Satan in the Bible. He is called the great dragon, the ancient serpent, the devil, Satan, and the deceiver of the whole world. It’s not a pretty picture.

It’s important to recognize that these descriptive elements are not about his physical appearance; they reveal his nature. It is not fair to assume that Satan is as ugly as a dragon. In fact, he shines like the sun, and his appearance is glorious. Paul tells us that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Moreover, his original name, Lucifer, means “morning star.”

Satan’s actions mimic his nature: he deceives by hiding the hideous nature of sin under an attractive facade. He is vicious, vile, and merciless. His color is red because he has always been stained with blood and death. By calling him a serpent, this passage reminds us of the cunning and deception he displayed in the Garden of Eden. From the very beginning, Satan opposed God and plotted to kill humanity. Our Lord teaches us that Satan has been a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

It is generally accepted that Satan is the name the Old Testament gives to this evil being, while the New Testament calls him the devil. The name Satan means “adversary.” Satan is the adversary of God and all God’s children. He is the roaring lion that prowls around… seeking whom to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

The Greek word for “devil” is diabolos. Literally, this term means “slanderer.” This label fits him in Revelation 12:10, where Satan is described as the accuser of our brothers and sisters. When Satan speaks before the heavenly court, his sole objective is to slander those who believe in Christ. Like a corrupt prosecutor, he tries to have us condemned by destroying our reputation before the Judge.

Finally, the devil is described as “the one who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9). In the past, the devil’s goal was to keep Christ out of this world. Having failed in that, his only remaining option is to keep the world away from Christ. He does this by sprinkling lies on truths and half-truths to make us doubt God’s faithfulness and glory. Paul exposes his strategy in his letter to the Corinthians, explaining that Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4).

After describing Satan’s nature, Revelation 12 continues its description by discussing his power, his collaborators, and his goal…

This text is an excerpt from the book “Agents of the Apocalypse” written by David Jeremiah.

We invite you to read the following article “REVELATION: A Beneficial Book.”