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What are Satan’s names and titles?
By considering his names,
we learn much about his character and tactics.
1. Satan
In Matthew 4:10, Jesus said: “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” Satan means adversary, enemy, or opposer. It is the name most often used of the devil in Scripture. It is used eighteen times in the Old Testament and thirty-six times in the New Testament.1 It reminds us of the fact that Satan hates God and his people, and he works feverishly to obstruct or destroy all things that have to do with God, including keeping people from coming to him. He is an opposer in every sense of the word.
2. Devil
In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul said, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity.” The title “devil” means slanderer. It is the second most used name of Satan in Scripture. It is used thirty-four times in the New Testament to refer to him.2 Devil is an apt name for Satan since slandering others is a major aspect of his character. In Genesis 3, he slandered God to Eve by implying that God was keeping the best from her. He said if she ate of the tree, she would not die but instead be like God. In Job 1, he slandered Job to God by saying that Job only followed God because God blessed him. Satan, likewise, slanders God’s and others’ motives to us and will even slander us to ourselves. He is a condemner who provokes anger, division, discouragement, and depression through his slander.
3. Evil One
In 1 John 5:19, John says, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Evil one is the third most used named of Satan.3 It represents his nature. He has no mixed motives or works. They are evil to the core. If it were not for God limiting Satan’s works, his works would be even more heinous (cf. Job 1:12, 2:6, 1 Cor 10:13). The evil one stands in contrast with God, who is absolutely holy and pure in thought and action.
4. Father of Lies
In John 8:44, Christ said this about Satan: “…Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” Satan lied when he tempted Eve to sin, which thrust the world into destruction. He continues to lie today. He lies about God, creation, himself, and people. Since he is the ruler of this world, the world-system is based on lies. World cultures often have perverted views on what is beautiful, ugly, righteous, evil, and successful. Since the system is based on lies, it leads people to destruction, even as it led Adam and Eve and the rest of creation into destruction.
5. Ruler of this World and God of this Age
In John 14:30, Christ said, “I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming.” In 1 John 5:19, John said, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Likewise, in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul said, “among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan is called the “ruler of this world” and the “god of this age” (or god of this world in ESV). When Adam sinned in the garden, Satan usurped him as leader of this world and therefore this age. Therefore, when Satan tempted Christ by offering him the nations of this world, it was a legitimate offer (Matt 4:8-9). He is currently over this world and age. As the ruler of this world, Satan oversees a global system that is hostile to God and seeks to satisfy people apart from the true God. However, when Christ returns, he, as the perfect God/man, will rule the earth, and Satan will be judged (Rev 20).
6. Lucifer
This title was popularized by the KJV’s and NKJV’s rendering of Isaiah 14:12. In the NKJV, it says, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” Lucifer might be best translated as “light bearer,” “day star,” or “morning star,” which probably represents Satan’s great glory before his fall. There is some argument of whether the title refers to the king of Babylon, who it was originally written about, or whether it refers to the evil power behind the king—Satan.
7. Ruler of the Kingdom
of the AirIn Ephesians 2:2, Paul called Satan, “the ruler of the kingdom of the air.” Also, in Ephesians 6:12, Paul called the demons that Satan oversees “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Therefore, if God and the holy angels dwell in the third heaven (cf. 2 Cor 12:2), then Satan being the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” and the one over the “forces of evil in the heavens” must refer to his rule of the first and second heaven—the earthly atmosphere and space, which includes the stars and planets. Apparently, after Adam’s original sin, Satan became the ruler of the earth (John 14:30) which included overseeing the first and second heaven. Therefore, some demonic angels have ruling functions in the heavenlies (cf. Eph 6:12) and some on earth (cf. Job 1:7, Dan 10:13-14, Rev 2:13, Matt 8:28). Certainly, Satan and his angels can still visit the third heaven, but their abode is under it (cf. Job 1:6-7).
8. The Tempter
Matthew 4:3 says this about Christ’s temptation in the wilderness, “The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.’” Satan is a tempter by nature. He tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden (Gen 3). He tempted Christ to not obey God’s will in the wilderness (Matt 4). He tempted Judas to deny Christ (Lk 22:3) and Ananias to lie about the amount of money he gained from selling his land (Acts 5:3). He tempts husbands and wives to be unfaithful in marriage (1 Cor 7:5). He tempts the nations to rebel against Christ (Rev 20:7-8). Satan is a tempter.
9. The Accuser of the Brothers
(or Brothers and Sisters)Revelation 12:10 says,
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down.
Likewise, Zechariah 3:1 says, “Next I saw Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.” Satan is an accuser. He accuses us before God; he accuses God to us and us to ourselves. This reminds us of Christ’s role as our advocate. In the court of heaven, Satan attacks us—declaring how bad our sins are—and Christ defends us based on his righteous life and death for our sins. First John 2:1 says, “(My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One.” Christ is our advocate. He daily makes intercession before God on our behalf (Heb 7:25). Because of this, there is no longer any condemnation for believers (Rom 8:1). Satan may accuse, but his words have no power in the heavenly court because of Christ’s payment for our sins and intercession on our behalf. In Romans 8:31-34, Paul describes the wonderful benefits of Christ’s work on our behalf:
What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.
10. The Dragon
Revelation 12:9 says, “So that huge dragon—the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.” Several times in Revelation, Satan is called a dragon. This describes his ferociousness, as he persecutes the followers of God (Rev 12:13, 17).
11. The Serpent
In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul said, “But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Revelation 12:9 also calls him “the ancient serpent.” This pictures Satan’s guile and craftiness as it refers to how Satan originally appeared in the Garden of Eden as a serpent to trick Eve (Gen 3). Certainly, Satan is always trying to trick and deceive people today. His temptations often come in ways that initially appear harmless.
12. Beelzebul
Matthew 12:24 says, “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.’” When Christ cast out demons, the Pharisees declared that Christ could only do this by the power of Beelzebul. Beelzebul was an ancient Philistine god who was originally called Beelzebub, which means “the lord of the flies” (2 Kgs 1:2). Israel changed his name to Beelzebul to mock him, which means “the lord of dung.” In New Testament times, the name Beelzebul became a Jewish epithet for Satan—the ruler of demons.4 Revelation 12:4 says, “Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.” Sometime after the creation of the heavens and the earth, Satan led a rebellion against God in which one-third of the angels followed Satan and therefore were cast out of heaven. Satan continues to rule over them now.
13. Belial (or Beliar)Belial is a name that simply means worthlessness or wickedness.5 In the King James Version of the Old Testament, a person of worthless character was at times called a “son of belial” (Dt 13:13, Jdg 20:13, 1 Sam 2:12, 2 Sam 23:6, etc.). Belial was not a real person who fathered children but simply a title used to describe people characterized by evil andcorruption.6 For example, 1 Samuel 2:12 (KJV) says, “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.” Other versions simply translate it as “scoundrels” (NIV), “worthless men” (ESV), or “wicked men” (NET). In the New Testament, the term is used one time to specifically refer to Satan.7 In 2 Corinthians 6:15, Paul said, “And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever?” Satan is called Belial because his character is evil and wicked, and his acts are worthless.
King of Kings, Messiah,
Emmanuel:
All the Names of Jesus
The Names of Jesus
The following list is of names and titles
given
specifically to our Lord Jesus.
The more we study this list,
the more we will understand who Jesus really is.
ADAM: (1 Corinthians 15:45) And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
ADVOCATE: (1 John 2:1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
ALMIGHTY: (Revelation 1:8) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
ALPHA AND OMEGA: (Revelation 1:8) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
AMEN: (Revelation 3:14) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
APOSTLE OF OUR PROFESSION: (Hebrews 3:1) Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
ARM OF THE LORD: (Isaiah 51:9) Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
(Isaiah 53:1) Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH: (Hebrews 12:2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION: (Hebrews 5:9) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
BEGINNING OF CREATION OF GOD: (Revelation 3:14) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
BELOVED SON: (Matthew 12:18) Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.
BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE: (1 Timothy 6:15) Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
BRANCH: (Isaiah 4:2) In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
BREAD OF LIFE: (John 6:32) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
CAPTAIN OF SALVATION: (Hebrews 2:10) For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
CHIEF SHEPHERD: (1 Peter 5:4) And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
CHRIST OF GOD: (Luke 9:20) He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL: (Luke 2:25) And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
CORNERSTONE: (Psalm 118:22) The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
COUNSELLOR: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
CREATOR: (John 1:3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
DAYSPRING: (Luke 1:78) Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
DELIVERER: (Romans 11:26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
DESIRE OF THE NATIONS: (Haggai 2:7) And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
DOOR: (John 10:7) Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
ELECT OF GOD: (Isaiah 42:1) Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
EVERLASTING FATHER: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
FAITHFUL WITNESS: (Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
FIRST AND LAST: (Revelation 1:17) And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
FIRST BEGOTTEN: (Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
FORERUNNER: (Hebrews 6:20) Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
GLORY OF THE LORD: (Isaiah 40:5) And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
GOD: (Isaiah 40:3) The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
GOD BLESSED: (Romans 9:5) Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
GOOD SHEPHERD: (John 10:11) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
GOVERNOR: (Matthew 2:6) And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
GREAT HIGH PRIEST: (Hebrews 4:14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
HEAD OF THE CHURCH: (Ephesians 1:22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
HEIR OF ALL THINGS: (Hebrews 1:2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
HOLY CHILD: (Acts 4:27) For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
HOLY ONE: (Acts 3:14) But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
HOLY ONE OF GOD: (Mark 1:24) Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL: (Isaiah 41:14) Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
HORN OF SALVATION: (Luke 1:69) And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
I AM: (John 8:58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
IMAGE OF GOD: (2 Corinthians 4:4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
IMMANUEL: (Isaiah 7:14) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
JEHOVAH: (Isaiah 26:4) Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
JESUS: (Matthew 1:21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
JESUS OF NAZARETH: (Matthew 21:11) And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
JUDGE OF ISRAEL: (Micah 5:1) Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
THE JUST ONE: (Acts 7:52) Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
KING: (Zechariah 9:9) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
KING OF THE AGES: (1 Timothy 1:17) Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
KING OF THE JEWS: (Matthew 2:2) Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
KING OF KINGS: (1 Timothy 6:15) Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
KING OF SAINTS: (Revelation 15:3) And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
LAWGIVER: (Isaiah 33:22) For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
LAMB: (Revelation 13:8) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
LAMB OF GOD: (John 1:29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
LEADER AND COMMANDER: (Isaiah 55:4) Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
THE LIFE: (John 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
LIGHT OF THE WORLD: (John 8:12) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH: (Revelation 5:5) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
LORD OF ALL: (Acts 10:36) The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
LORD OF GLORY: (1 Corinthians 2:8) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
LORD OF LORDS: (1 Timothy 6:15) Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
LORD OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: (Jeremiah 23:6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
MAN OF SORROWS: (Isaiah 53:3) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
MEDIATOR: (1 Timothy 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT: (Malachi 3:1) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
MESSIAH: (Daniel 9:25) Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
(John 1:41) He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
MIGHTY GOD: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
MIGHTY ONE: (Isaiah 60:16) Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
MORNING STAR: (Revelation 22:16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
NAZARENE: (Matthew 2:23) And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON: (John 1:18) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
OUR PASSOVER: (1 Corinthians 5:7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
PRINCE OF LIFE: (Acts 3:15) And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
PRINCE OF KINGS: (Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
PRINCE OF PEACE: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
PROPHET: (Luke 24:19) And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
(Acts 3:22) For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
REDEEMER: (Job 19:25) For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
RESURRECTION AND LIFE: (John 11:25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
ROCK: (1 Corinthians 10:4) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
ROOT OF DAVID: (Revelation 22:16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
ROSE OF SHARON: (Song of Songs 2:1) I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
SAVIOR: (Luke 2:11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
SEED OF WOMAN: (Genesis 3:15) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF SOULS: (1 Peter 2:25) For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
SHILOH: (Genesis 49:10) The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
SON OF THE BLESSED: (Mark 14:61) But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
SON OF DAVID: (Matthew 1:1) The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
SON OF GOD: (Matthew 2:15) And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
SON OF THE HIGHEST: (Luke 1:32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: (Malachi 4:2) But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go
forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
TRUE LIGHT: (John 1:9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
TRUE VINE: (John 15:1) I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
TRUTH: (John 1:14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
WITNESS: (Isaiah 55:4) Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
WORD: (John 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
WORD OF GOD: (Revelation 19:13) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
The Woman of the Apocalypse
70
(or the woman clothed with the sun
, Greek: γυνὴ περιβεβλημένη τὸν ἥλιον; Latin: Mulier amicta sole)
Virgin Mary,
Described in Chapter TWELVE
of the
Book of Revelation
(written c. AD 95).
70th Week
Fathers Day
Weekend, 2023
Seventy Weeks
are
Decreed
About your people and your
Holy City,
To Finish
the
Transgression,
to put an
End to Sin,
And to Atone for
Iniquity,
To bring in
Everlasting
Righteousness,
To Seal
Both Vision and Prophet,
and to
Anoint a
Most Holy Place
Know therefore and understand that
from
The Going Out of
The Word
To Restore and
Build Jerusalem
To
The Coming
of an
Anointed One,
A Prince,
there shall be seven weeks.
Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again
with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.
And after the sixty-two weeks,
an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.
And the people of the prince who is to come shall
destroy the city and the sanctuary.
Its end shall come with a flood, and
to the end
There shall be war.
Desolations are decreed.
And he shall make
A strong covenant
With many for one week, and for
Half
of the week he shall
put an end
To sacrifice and offering
And on the
Wing of Abominations
Shall Come One Who
Makes Desolate,
until the decreed end
Is Poured
Out on the Desolator
--Daniel 9:24–27
Why Seventy?
Gabriel announced,
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city.”
The objects of God’s decree are the
Jews and Jerusalem.
The number “seventy” is essential
for the remaining verses, which divide it threefold,
so understanding the source
of this number is
vital to a proper interpretation.
The number “seventy” appeared
earlier in chapter 9 when the prophet
was reading in
The book of Jeremiah about
The
Desolations of Jerusalem
Ending
after
“seventy years”
of
captivity
(v. 2).
Gabriel’s message played upon the
“seventy”
and promised
“seventy sevens”
or
“seventy weeks.”
And if the “seventy” in Gabriel’s message
played on the “seventy” from Jeremiah 25:11–12
(cf. Dan. 9:2),
it is reasonable to assume the “sevens/weeks”
played
on the years of Daniel 9:2 as well.
A decree of “seventy sevens/weeks” probably
meant
490 years (70 × 7)
70 weeks
of
Slave Bondage
Under
The Rule
of
The Anti-Christ
The Golden Calf Carven Image,
Barren Tree, abomination of desolation, antichrist,
false prophet, unholy trinity, false teacher, blasphemous one,
Void, Unfruitful, Desolate, Rulers of this World,
Queen of Egypt,
Who Are the Woman,
Child and Dragon in Revelation 12?
Revelation 12
Provides an overview of three major players
in the world today and their impact on
end-time events.
Whom do the woman, Child and dragon represent,
and what can we learn
from this section of Bible prophecy?
The book of Revelation is a vision from Jesus Christ, given to Him by God the Father, which reveals what is going to happen before His return to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. This fascinating book is also called the Apocalypse, from the Greek word that means revelation. This prophetic book is primarily written in a chronological style with occasional breaks for overviews of specific subjects.
Revelation 12 is one of these overviews, providing a history stretching from the time before humans existed until the time just before Christ’s return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 12 begins with the statement: “Now a great sign appeared in heaven” (verse 1). The word “sign” comes from the Greek word semeion, meaning “a sign, mark, token … an unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions). The first great sign is a vision of a woman who gave birth to a child (verse 1).
Then in verse 3 we read, “And another sign [semeion] appeared in heaven.” We thus understand that these three symbols—a woman, a child and a dragon—represent things beyond the ordinary events of nature. As we are going to see, these three figures symbolize three major spiritual forces that have been at work for several thousand years.
In order to understand this chapter, we now need to understand the symbols. What do the woman, the Child and the dragon represent?
Who is the woman in Revelation 12?The woman of the Apocalypse—described as being “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars” (verse 1)—represents Old Testament Israel. In the Old Testament, God referred to His people as a woman whom He had dressed in honor and splendor (Ezekiel 16). The garland with 12 stars may be symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 37:9-10).
Throughout Revelation 12 we note that the “woman” is repeatedly protected by God (verses 6, 14-16), especially as the time approaches for the “kingdom of our God” to be established on earth (verse 10)
In the New Testament, God’s Church is symbolized as a woman; and its members are likened to virgins (Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 14:4; Revelation 19:7). The New Testament Church is called “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16) and likened to “Jerusalem above,” which is called “the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26, also see Hebrews 12:22-23). Members of the Church are described as “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His [God’s] own special people” (1 Peter 2:9)
When Christ returns to earth, He is going to marry the Church, which is called “His wife” in Revelation 19:7. Read more about Jesus Christ and the Church in our article “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Based on these passages, it is clear that the woman in Revelation 12 represents God’s people.
Incidentally, it is also interesting to note that the imagery of a dishonorable woman—one called “the great harlot”—is used in Revelation 17:1 to depict a false church that deceives many. Read more about this in our article
“Mystery, Babylon the Great.
Who is the Child in Revelation 12?The woman (God’s chosen nation of Israel) is described as giving birth to a “male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron” (Revelation 12:5). Indeed, Jesus Christ was born into this nation. The verse continues, “And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” The language here makes it clear that Jesus is the “Child” in Revelation 12.
Jesus is the One who is prophesied to “strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). He is also the One who, after His resurrection, was taken up in a cloud to heaven (Acts 1:9-11).
Who is the dragon?The third symbol of Revelation 12—“a great, fiery red dragon” (verse 3)—is described as having drawn “a third of the stars of heaven” and standing “before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born” (verse 4). A few verses later, this dragon is clearly identified as Satan: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (verse 9)
As for the dragon drawing “a third of the stars of heaven,” this reference apparently represents Satan leading a third of the angels in a rebellion against God. Other passages show stars represent angels (Revelation 1:20).
The Bible also explains that Satan had been involved in a rebellion against God in which he attempted to exalt his “throne above the stars of God” and “be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). Satan then began his work as “that serpent of old [the one who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden], called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9, emphasis added throughout). For a more extensive explanation of Satan’s rebellion,
see “God vs. Satan.”
If God has “ministers of righteousness,” Satan also has his servants—physical ministers (themselves deceived and helping deceive others) and spirit beings who pass themselves off as righteous but incite human beings to sin (2 Corinthians 11:15; Ephesians 6:12). Jude further describes the fallen angels or demons as “angels who did not keep their proper domain” and who are now “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day” (Jude 1:6).
Revelation 12:3-17 is a concise history of Satan’s efforts to thwart God’s plan to bring many humans to glory as part of His eternal family. Satan’s actions included convincing a third of the angels to follow him in his attempt to make himself like God, attempting to have Christ killed as a child (Matthew 2:13-18), working to deceive the entire world and persecuting God’s people. Let’s now consider in greater detail Satan’s attempts to derail God’s plan.
The dragon vs. the ChildIn Revelation 12:4 we read that “the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.” This appears to be a historical reference to King Herod’s effort to destroy Jesus as a young child by ordering the deaths of all male children from two years old and under who lived in and around Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-18). But an angel had warned Joseph to flee to Egypt with his wife and Jesus to keep the Child from being destroyed (verse 13).
The Believer’s Bible Commentary notes this about Revelation 12:4-5: “The dragon is ready to devour the Child as soon as He is born—fulfilled in the attempt of Herod the Great, vassal of Rome, to destroy the newborn King of the Jews. The male Child is clearly Jesus, destined to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.”
Even though Satan’s attempt to destroy Jesus when He was a child failed, the devil did not give up. Prior to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). During this temptation, Satan tried to get Jesus to violate God’s law and worship him instead of God. The devil offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (verse 8) if Jesus would worship him. But Jesus did not do so.
When Jesus’ ministry was fulfilled and it was time for Him to give His life as payment for humanity’s sins, Satan was there once again. On this occasion, Satan was the one who “put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him” (John 13:2). Although Satan was clearly involved in the crucifixion of Jesus, this was actually part of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind.
As Genesis 3:15 had predicted, there would be ongoing “enmity” between the serpent (Satan) and the woman (God’s people) and the “Seed” (Jesus) who would come from the woman. Furthermore, this passage indicated that Satan would have limited success in being able to “bruise” Christ’s heel by influencing the man who would betray Jesus and that Jesus would “bruise” Satan’s head by resisting his temptations and qualifying to replace him as the ruler of this world.
So why did Satan expend so much effort in his attempts to destroy Jesus? Because if there had not been a perfect Savior to pay the penalty for humanity’s sins, God’s plan would have been thwarted. Without a Savior, humans could not be forgiven of their sins nor could they live forever in God’s eternal family.
The dragon vs. God’s peopleIn addition to his efforts to destroy Jesus, Satan has a long history of persecuting God’s people, especially members of God’s Church, represented by the woman in the latter portions of Revelation 12. Although there was fierce persecution from the earliest days of the New Testament Church, God allowed the woman to flee “into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (verse 6).
This verse indicates that the
True Church
was protected by God for 1,260 years
(see Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, showing that a day can represent a year).
During this time—which may have continued through
the Middle Ages--
the
Church was protected from
its enemies,
including the
Roman Empire
and
False Christianity
The next two verses then explain that “war broke out in heaven” between Satan and his angels and Michael and his angels. As a result of this war, John, in vision, saw that a place for Satan and his angels was not “found for them in heaven any longer” and they were “cast to the earth” (Revelation 12:7-9). This battle is different from Satan’s original rebellion, which is described in verse 4 and which occurred long before the birth of Christ.
The setting for this battle, described in verses 7-9, and its significance is then announced by a loud voice in heaven (verses 10-12). This battle is an indicator that “the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have [or will soon] come” (verse 10). Prior to this event, Satan has had access to God’s presence to accuse His people (Job 1:6-7; Job 2:1-2). Now he and his angels no longer have this access and are cast down to the earth.
Realizing the significance of this event, Satan the dragon now has “great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12) before Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. He then directs his rage toward God’s people, the ones who are the continuation of the woman of the Apocalypse who gave birth to the male Child
(verse 13).
God, however, will
not allow
Satan to destroy His people.
Jesus had promised
that the “gates of Hades [the grave]”
would not prevail against it
(Matthew 16:18).
To protect His people,
the woman is “given two wings of a great eagle,”
meaning she is safely taken into
“her place,”
where she will be protected for
“a time, and times and half a time [apparently 3½ years],
from the
presence of the serpent”
(Revelation 12:14).
Even though
Satan will spew
“water out of his mouth like a flood,”
to try to get at the woman,
he will
not be successful
(verses 15-16).
In this passage,
the concept of a “flood” likely represents armies
(see Isaiah 59:19; Jeremiah 46:7-8).
Satan then goes to
“make war with the rest of her [the woman’s] offspring,
who keep
The
commandments of God
and have the
Testimony of Jesus Christ”
(Revelation 12:17).
From this passage we note that while some
members of
God’s
True Church
will be protected from
Satan’s wrath
during these end times
prior to
Christ’s return, others
will not.
Those not in theplace of protection
will need to
prove their allegiance
to
God the Father
and
Christ
in the face
of
Satan’s
Intense Persecution
The Dragon
vs. you
Whether you realize it or not,
Satan also hates you
and will
do everything possible
to keep you
From loving and
obeying
Your Creator
His Anger is not just
against
Jesus and the Church.
Why is he angry at you? Apparently, because he realizes that humans were created by God with the potential to be higher than he was (Hebrews 2:6-8).
Because of his sick, twisted and unsound thinking, Satan has taken on the role of being an adversary against those seeking to love and obey their Father in heaven. Writing to the people of God, Peter cautioned, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
In communicating with the brethren in Corinth,
Paul described the
True Gospel
as being
“VEILED”
or
Hidden Because
of
Satan,
“The god of this Age,”
who had blinded
the
Minds of unbelievers
(2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
The
Good News
is that this
“Veil is taken away
in
Christ”
(2 Corinthians 3:14).
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