WHEN THE WAR IN HEAVEN IS TRANSFERRED TO THE EARTH! In reading the twelfth, thirteenth, nineteenth and twentieth chapters of the book of the Revelation of Jesus you will discover the war which began in heaven against the dragon and his angels against Michael and the angelic shifts to the earth. This dramatic shift occurs when Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven after they could not prevail, nor was there any place found for them any longer. In these four specific chapters of the book of the Revelation you will find four distinct scenarios of warfare in the earth, as the beast from the sea and the dragon himself engaged in this conflict. What is perhaps most interesting about the warfare that is found in the book of the Revelation is that after the dragon and his angels were cast forth out of heaven, both the beast which emerged from the sea and the dragon himself took a more central role in the conflict. What I mean by this is that you will find that it is the beast and the dragon which are seen inciting the conflicts that take place in the earth until both are seized and cast into the lake of fire burning with sulfur and brimstone. These four chapters describe a warfare and conflict that takes place on the earth that is carried out by supernatural forces against the saints of God—against the offspring of the woman.

Consider what is recorded in the final verse of the twelfth chapter—“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). In the very next chapter we read these words concerning the beast which emerged from the sea—“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindred, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:7). In the nineteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus we read of the final conflict the beast initiates and incites upon the earth—“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped the image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:19-21). In the twentieth chapter we find the final war incited by Satan in heaven or on the earth against the saints, and against the One who sits upon the throne—“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the campy of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the like of fire and brimstone, where the breast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:7-10).

 FIRE & SWORD! FIRE FROM HEAVEN & THE SWORD FROM THE MOUTH! It’s incredibly interesting that the final two conflicts ever to be incited against the saints of God, and against the One who sits upon the throne, and against the Rider on the white horse are won by fire from heaven and a sword from the mouth. The beast which emerged from the sea led all the kings of the earth together with their armies to wage war against the Rider on the white horse, and against those who were with him, yet was defeated by the sword which proceeded from the mouth of the Rider upon the white horse. This conflict and battle would ultimately and inevitably be followed by one thousand years of peace as the great dragon was bound, cast into and sealed within the bottomless for one thousand years. In between the destruction of the final conflict which the first beast incited against the saints of God and the final conflict which the dragon itself incited against the saints of God we find one thousand years of peace, as the saints of God ruled and reigned upon the earth. The millennial reign of Christ was characterized by the saints of God reigning with Him upon thrones in the earth as the great dragon had been seized, bound with a great chain, and cast into the bottomless pit where he was sealed for one thousand years. I am still greatly excited with the reality that the millennial reign of Christ began after the great dragon was bound and cast into the bottomless pit, and sealed within for one thousand years. It is still my belief that the reign of Christ—whether it be within my own life, or within the lives of the saints of God—is characterized by the binding and casting down of the dragon. Christ can fully reign within your life when the great dragon—the ancient serpent, which is called the Devil and Satan—is bound, cast down, and sealed. It is during this period of time that the dragon was unable to deceive the world—completely unable to unleash his wrath, his rage, his fury against the saints of God, and even against the very throne of God itself. For one thousand years the throne of David would be established upon the earth as Jesus who is the Christ would sit upon that throne and rule and reign with His saints.

 When Satan was cast forth out of heaven after being unable to prevail against Michael and the angelic host, I am convinced that he lost his position and place whereby he stood to accuse the saints of God night and day before his throne. Upon being cast down out of heaven and into the earth the dragon—no longer able to accuse the saints of God before the throne of God—now sought to persecute the woman, make war with her offspring, and deceive the whole world. If this particular chapter reveals one thing it is that upon being cast out of heaven and into the earth the dragon immediately set out to persecute the woman, to make war with her offspring, and to deceive the whole world. PERSECUTE, MAKE WAR, DECEIVE! When the dragon was cast into the earth and unable to accuse the saints of God before the throne of God, he proceeded to bring the war directly to them as he sought to make war with them directly. Even the beast which emerged from the sea would rise up and make war with and war against the saints, and would even be granted permission to overcome them. WHEN ACCUSATION GIVES WAY TO DECEPTION! Unable to accuse the saints of God any longer the dragon seeks to deceive the saints of God, yea, the whole world through powerful delusions. Beyond the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ we no longer read of accusation, but what we do read about is deception and war. In essence, the dragon—once cast into the earth—will seek to unleash from his mouth a great flood of deception upon the earth, so as to sweep the saints of God away in the midst of it. I still believe that the flood which the serpent spewed forth from his mouth is nothing short of a massive torrent and wave of deception which will be unleashed upon the earth. It was the serpent who in the Garden of Eden unleashed upon Eve a torrent of deception so as to seduce her into partaking of the fruit of the tree which the Lord God had commanded man not to eat from. It was the express concern of the apostle Paul that the Corinthian congregation should be beguiled through deception as the serpent had done to Eve so long ago in the garden. It might even be said that if the serpent can no longer accuse you before the throne of God he will immediately begin to come against you through deception. I can’t help but see within the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ how accusation gives way to deception as the adversary is no longer able to make war in heaven.

 How does the adversary make war in heaven? This is an incredibly peculiar question, but one that I feel may very well be answered within this chapter. Upon reading the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation I am becoming increasingly convinced that the dragon makes war in heaven through accusation. In other words, the single greatest weapon of warfare used by the dragon in heaven is that of accusation—accusing the saints of God before the throne of God. Upon being cast down out of heaven, however, the dragon loses his ability to use this weapon against the saints of God. Having now been cast down into the earth the dragon chooses to wage war in a completely different manner—through deception and persecution. I would dare say that the adversary’s greatest weapon in heaven is that of accusation, yet once he is cast forth from that place of accusation in heaven, he shifts his attention and focus to deception and persecution. I might even dare say that if the dragon is cast forth out of your life, and if he is no longer able to accuse you before the throne of God, he will most certainly and most readily resort to his two greatest weapons upon the earth—deception and persecution. Right now at this very moment I get the strong sense that we must not grow comfortable if the accuser is cast down from that place where he once stood accusing us before the throne of God. I fear there are a great many men and women who grow comfortable when the dragon is no longer able to accuse them, yet by doing so they are actually opening themselves up to an even greater evil. The dragon who stands as the accuser before the throne of God might be cast down, but that does not mean the threat within our lives is finished. The dragon might very well be cast down from that place of accusation, yet it is in that moment of time when he is no longer the dragon which accuses in heaven but the serpent which deceives. The dragon stands to accuse the saints of God in heaven, but it is the serpent who attempts to deceive the saints in the earth. WHEN THE DRAGON BECOMES A SERPENT! It is true the dragon loses his place in heaven and is cast forth and cast out, but the serpent is very much alive and well in the earth and now sets out to deceive the whole world. In fact, we as the saints of God must not think within ourselves that the serpent will seek to deceive the world only and will somehow forget about it. Jesus Himself revealed the deception of the serpent in the Last Days, and spoke of the deception being so strong that if it were possible—even the very elect would be deceived.

 THROUGH DECEPTION THE SERPENT WILL SEEK TO CAUSE YOUR LOVE TO GROW COLD. THROUGH PERSECUTION THE DRAGON WILL SEEK TO CAUSE YOU TO BECOME OFFENDED! It is still my firm belief and conviction that two of the greatest dangers we as the saints and people of God face in these Last Days is our love growing cold and our hearts growing offended within us. Jesus made it very clear when speaking of the Last Days that the serpent will seek to deceive many in order that the love of many might indeed grow cold. Jesus also made it very clear when speaking of the Last days that the dragon will seek to persecute the saints of God, and that many will grow and become offended before the Lord. What’s more is that Jesus didn’t merely speaks these words as a suggestion or even as a possibility, but as a firm reality. “AND THEN SHALL MANY BE OFFENDED” (Matthew 24:10). “THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD” (Matthew 24:12). In fact, if you read the thirteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation you will discover the two greatest tools and tactics in the hands of the Antichrist and the false prophet are persecution and deception. The dragon, the Antichrist and the false prophet will seek to make war upon the earth through deception and persecution, for through deception they seek to cause the love of many to grow cold, and through persecution they seek to cause many to grow and become offended. Just because the dragon and his angels were cast out of heaven and into the earth doesn’t mean that the conflict, the struggle, the battle and the war is over. Just because the dragon lost his place to stand and accuse the saints of God before the throne both day and night doesn’t mean the dragon is through with the saints of God and making war against them. The apostle John makes it very clear that the dragon will set out to persecute the woman (Israel) and make war with her offspring (the Church). In the earth right now the two greatest threats to the dragon and his desire for dominion both in the earth and in heaven is the nation of Israel and the Church of Jesus Christ. I still believe that the nation and people of Israel are the single greatest manifestation of the conflict which we as the saints of God experience on a constant and continual basis. While the woman stands persecuted in the earth, the offspring stands engaged in conflict and war as well. Both the woman and her offspring are engaged in a conflict that is much larger and much greater than they even realize. We must recognize and understand this, for to miss this reality is to miss the true nature of the conflict both Israel and the saints of God face within the earth.

 There will come a point in time when the true objective—the true nature—of the war and wrath of the dragon will manifest and reveal itself in the earth. In the twelfth and thirteenth chapters of the book of the Revelation we read of the dragon persecuting the woman and making with with the saints, but both of these conflicts have at the very heart and foundation an even deeper conflict—a conflict against the throne of God and against the Rider on the white horse. Eventually the conflict of the beast will manifest itself in a final confrontation and altercation where the beast and the false prophet will gather themselves together with the kings and armies of the earth to make war with the Rider on the white horse, and against all those with Him. Eventually the conflict of the dragon will manifest itself in a final confrontation as the dragon along with the nations and kingdoms of the earth—including Gog and Magog—will attempt to surround the saints of God and the holy city where they have reigned with Christ for one thousand years. What was played and carried out through persecution and deception will one day manifest itself in an actual attempt to make war with the Rider on the white horse whose vestige is dipped in blood as He sets out to execute justice and to make war. The great dragon was cast out of heaven where he made war with Michael and the angels in heaven, yet that did not mean the war or conflict was over. Just as the war and wrath of the dragon was not finished with his being cast into the earth, so too is the dragon not finished when he loses his place and right to accuse the saints of God. With the dragon being cast out of heaven he lost his legal right and legal place to accuse the saints of God before the throne, but that wouldn’t stop him from continuing to oppose the woman and her offspring. Accusation would inevitably give way to deception and persecution—the two greatest weapons of the adversary in the Last Days. The twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus reveals the powerful reality that the war in heaven against Michael and the angelic host shifted to the earth where the dragon no longer sought to make war in heaven against the angelic host, but on earth against the offspring of the woman and against the saints of God. What we are experiencing and witnessing in the earth in these days is not a conflict that exists between the dragon and his angels against Michael and the angelic host of heaven, but rather the dragon and his angels against the physical Israel and the spiritual Israel.

 The dragon and his angels are not seeking to make war with the angelic host in heaven, and if you read the rest of the book of the Revelation of Jesus you will discover that the dragon is not spoken of again as making war with Michael and/or the angels in heaven. Throughout the rest of the book of the Revelation you will find the war and conflict being played out in the earth against Israel and against the Church. Eventually this war would be incited against Jesus Christ Himself as He is accompanied by the saints of God. I have to say that I find it incredibly how in the nineteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation we read these words—“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeath the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:11-16). And again in the very next chapter we read these words—“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them” (Revelation 20:7-9).

It is important and imperative that we pay attention to both of these passages for both of them reveal a battle that is fought on the earth against the saints of God—against those who were formed from the dust of the earth yet have the divine breath and nature of Almighty God within and upon them. These two battles are incredibly significant because they both reveal the powerful truth that was expressed in the earth since man was first formed from the dust of the earth—namely, that man was created to exercise dominion and authority upon the earth. These final two battles—although the first is won with a sword coming from the mouth and the second is won with fire from heaven—reveal the powerful truth that it is given unto man to exercise dominion upon the earth and to subdue it. These final two battles reveal man exercising dominion upon the earth, yet in direct relation to the One who was raised up and seated together with the Father on His throne in heaven. The twentieth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is truly remarkable, for it reveals this very powerful reality—WHEN THE SON AND THE SAINTS REIGN UPON THE EARTH! The dragon was completely and utterly foolish enough to seek to make war upon the earth—the earth where man who was formed from the dust of the earth was created to exercise dominion. What’s more, is that the dragon was foolish enough to make war in the earth where the eternal Son of God took upon Himself the likeness of men in order that He might restore the dominion and authority man was given upon the earth. The final two battles ever in the history of man reveal one incredibly powerful truth—namely that it was given unto man to exercise dominion and authority upon the earth, but how that dominion and authority proceeded from heaven, and was manifested by both the Son and saints alike. In the end, the single greatest truth and reality that is manifested upon the earth is that both the Son and the saints will rule and reign upon the earth, and even upon the earth the dragon and his angels have no authority or dominion. Let us recognize and understand with everything within us that all authority in heaven and on the earth were given unto the Son, yet through the Son the Father restored His original intention so many years ago in the Garden of Eden—namely, that man would exercise dominion upon and would subdue the earth. In the end, it is not merely man who exercises dominion and authority upon the earth, but man and God—the eternal Son of God and many begotten sons of the Father.