Satan’s attempt to kill the Messiah.
“So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, and she fled into the wilderness where a place had been by God, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days.” Revelation 12:6, NET. The “woman” here refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Messiah. Why did the woman flee to the desert? God instructed the Magi to return home another way, not to go to Herod. When Herod realized the Magi did not return to him, he became furious. So, he ordered all male children two years or less to be killed. However, King Herod did not count on God being in charge always. To show that Herod was doing Satan’s work, John inserts the account of the war in heaven. Lucifer rebelled against God, so he was cast out of heaven. He subsequently gained this world as his principality; therefore, he wanted to kill the Messiah to preserve his principality. However, despite Herod’s effort, God saved the child, Jesus.
“But the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, to the place God prepared for her, where she is taken care of – away from the prince of the serpent – for a time, times and half a time.” Revelation 12:14, NET. The child Messiah was born of old humanity in the flesh. However, his life, the new human spirit, was from God. God destroyed the spirit of the old humanity in the body of Jesus on the cross at Golgotha. God replaced it with the new spirit he put in Jesus during the incarnation. Satan, the serpent, did not want the second Adam, Jesus Christ, to liberate humankind from Satan’s kingdom.
“Then the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to sweep her away by a flood,” Revelation 12:15, NET. However, God’s plan for humankind could not fail because he is the Only Sovereign owner and ruler. “but the earth came to her rescue; by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.” Revelation 12:16, NET. The Sovereign God ensured that the woman and child could escape swiftly and effectively (on the wings of a great eagle) to Egypt’s desert territory. King Herod could not reach them in Egypt’s desert. Magi’s gifts to the child Jesus preserved Joseph’s family and Jesus for three and a half years in Egypt. The escape of Jesus to Egypt fulfilled Hosea’s prophecy, “I called my Son out of Egypt.” Hosea 11:1
Why was Satan opposed to the coming of the Messiah? Next blog.
