FIRST QUARTER 2023
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #1
APRIL 1, 2023
“JESUS WINS SATAN LOSES”

 

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17, KJV).

John, the prophet of the apocalypse, describes in Revelation Chapter 12 a conflict that involves a woman, a Child, and a dragon.  The woman represents God’s church on earth in its various phases, the Child, the incarnate Jesus, and the dragon, that fallen angel, Lucifer himself.  And we know from the Biblical narrative and from history that Lucifer employs various agencies to accomplish his purpose at different times in this struggle.

The Roman Empire under the direction of King Herod was the earthly agency described in verse four; “the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12:4, NKJV). “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men" (Matthew 2:16 NKJV).

The Roman Church State System was the agency by which the dragon persecuted the church of Christ that was forced to flee to the wilderness for the 1260-year prophetic period.  “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” (Revelation 12:13,14, NKJV).

And finally, the remnant church of Christ will at last be persecuted by the dragon under the agency of the American Church State Union in apocalyptic magnitude to force the worship of the works and words of men.  “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” (Revelation 12:17, NKJV). “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich, and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:11-17 NKJV).

But enough of the dragon and his agencies.  Let’s consider the Child and what gave the Child the victory over the dragon.

This Child, the incarnate Jesus, was spoken of by Isaiah with these words: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV).  Here Isaiah tells us that the government of God would rise or fall upon the outcome of this One’s mission.  Everything was at stake. 

In Psalms chapter two the psalmist, speaking of the kings of the earth, says this; “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us’” (Psalms 2:2,3 NKJV). These kings desire nothing more than to be free from the restraints of God Himself.  It is apparent they have taken their lead from the dragon of Revelation 12.  And in this setting notice the Lord’s response.  He would set up His King. And speaking to this King, the incarnate Jesus, the Lord tells Him, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel'" (Psalms 2:7-9, NKJV).

It is no coincidence then that John records this about the Child in Revelation: “He would rule all nations with a rod of iron” (Revelation 12:5 NKJV).  Iron, being the strongest of the prophetic metals, meets little resistance.  But how do we see this iron rod rule played out by the Child?  Certainly not like the iron kingdom of Rome or the subsequent church state power that followed.  No, this Child’s rod of iron manifests itself much differently.  Paul summarizes it best like this:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11, NKJV).

That which constitutes greatness and honor and strength in the Kingdom of Heaven is the opposite of what is typically valued most in our world.  Letting go of privilege, stepping down, humbling one’s self, and giving one’s life (even eternal life) for the sake of others is what characterized this King and represents the operating system of His Kingdom.  And as you can see, the net result of this Child’s “rod of iron” ends in a full and willing confession that Jesus is the rightful King that God has set over His Holy Mountain; the government of God which is upon His shoulders would be fully exonerated and shown to be right (justified).  The cross has everything to do with this result and was the pinnacle of perspective from which both the fallen and the unfallen worlds could see what was always true in the heart of God, and what the dragon has continually denied.

“Unselfishness, the principle of God’s kingdom, is the principle that Satan hates; its very existence he denies.  From the beginning of the great controversy he has endeavored to prove God’s principles of action to be selfish, and he deals in the same way with all who serve God.”  To disprove Satan’s claim is the work of Christ and of all who bear His name.” --Ellen G. White, Education, p. 154.

The cross of Christ also has everything to do with the ultimate fulfillment of this passage which is part of our study this week: 

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9, NKJV).

Now Satan and one third of the angels that followed him in effect said, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us” (Psalms 2:2,3).  Even before the controversy moved to this earth the Bible says that Michael (the pre-incarnate Christ) prevailed in heaven.  But notice also that is says “no place could be found for them.”  I find that interesting.  If no place could be found, then great lengths must have been made to try to find a place and find a way to make it work, but none could be found.  The self-sacrificing heart of God was already at work in heaven in dealing with Lucifer and his followers long before the cross.

These prophetic verses found their fulfillment when Lucifer was physically removed from heaven.  But it was not until the cross that every sympathy of the unfallen beings toward Lucifer was broken and His arguments and ideas were never again to gain traction with them.

Speaking of the cross Ellen White wrote this:

 “Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. Henceforth his work was restricted. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ's brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken.” --Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 761.

And when it is all said and done, all will see that “the history of the great conflict between good and evil from the time it first began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin is also a demonstration of God’s unchanging love.” --Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 33.

From beginning to end every action and non-action God takes or doesn't take in the Great Controversy will be seen as Calvary-like in its self-sacrificing nature. Every action will speak to the infinite giving and love of God: His dealing with Satan (allowing the controversy to work itself out); dealing with humanity after the fall, allowing Jesus to come to this world in the manner in which He did; dealing with humanity up to the second coming of Christ and through the millennium, the second resurrection of the lost and ultimately the destruction of the wicked.  Nothing will be seen as any less moving than the cross. The infinite love of God will be seen as the undercurrent to every allowance, decision, and action.  Jesus and Heaven win only by wielding the self-sacrificing “rod of iron.” With that, all the arguments and accusations against God are shattered as when iron strikes a piece of ancient pottery. 

Now we know that every sympathy for the devil has been broken. His arguments against the government of God and temptations to resist and rebel against it, have been silenced for the unfallen worlds.  The only questions that remain in all the universe are these: Where do our sympathies lie?  Has the cross of Jesus realigned our hearts and minds such that every sympathy with the dragon has been broken?  When this has happened fully then it can be said of us, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:17, NKJV).

The only reason an enemy would keep fighting a war that is already lost is to cause as many casualties as possible.  The only reason the prince of this world still comes after you is to inflict as much pain on you and on Christ as he can.  Let’s not allow any more casualties.  Let’s yield to the self-sacrificing love that alone can win our allegiance and be an ambassador for His kingdom in this war-torn battleground that is only our temporary home.

 

~ Kelly Kinsley

 

“Jesus Christ, our Conqueror, the conqueror in our behalf, came into this land of the enemy, fought our battles—we were prisoners, taken under the power of this illegal one; our Friend came here, our General fought our battles clear through; he went into the stronghold of the enemy and burst his bond and broke open the citadel. He brought the keys. He took the spoil. He brings forth the captives and leads them in triumph upon high to his own glorious city. Now ‘thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph’ in Christ. In Him we triumph over this illegal power, this one whose is the power of might as against right.  And in this triumph over Satan, there is displayed before the assembled universe the power of right as against might.

“Now note: The power of right as against might can never use any might. Do you see that? Do you not see that in that lies the very spirit that is called of Christians, that is, the very Spirit of Jesus Christ, which is nonresistance? Could Christ use might in demonstrating the power of right as against might? No.

“To maintain the power of might as against right, might is to be used at every opportunity, because that is the only thing that can be used to win. In that cause the right has only a secondary consideration, if it has any consideration at all.

“But on the other hand, the power of right as against might, is in the right, not in the might. The might is in the right itself. And he who is pledged to the principle of right as against might and in whom that is to be demonstrated can never appeal to any kind of might. He can never use any might whatever in defense of the power of right. He depends upon the power of the right itself to win, and to conquer all the power of might that may be brought against it. That is the secret….

“I will say this here and you can think upon it to all eternity: The universe of God rests upon the principle of self-sacrifice. The support, the stay of the very universe itself, is the principle of sacrificing self to win; that is, to win by nonresistance—to win by the sheer principle of the power of right in itself. That is what holds the universe up. In that it consists. That is simply the gospel. It would be plain enough to say the gospel is that that holds up the universe, but the principle of the gospel is the principle of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and of God denying Himself and giving Himself in Him.” -- A.T. Jones, 1895 General Conference Bulletin, pp. 437, 446.