Ascension Day

A reflection on Revelation 12 (verses 5-6, 13-14)

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (KJV)

1. Introduction: Struggle in our world 

We should not be so surprised and upset about the never-ending struggle in our world and the turmoil across the globe. We should not be so worried about all the depressing and concerning news reports we see and hear every day. 

The vision of our dispensation

In this vision of John about the woman, the dragon, and the child, he tries to give us a sober perspective on the dispensation in which we live. 

The reality here in our dispensation is that the Kingdom of God has not yet come to full glory and will not come until the second coming of Jesus Christ. 

Peace efforts in our history

Various peace treaties have been concluded in the past. Here we think of the Peace of Vereeniging (31 May 1902), the Republic’s establishment (31 May 1961), and then the election and creation of a new South Africa in 1994. But all these so-called noble motives and even the ascension we celebrate today cannot establish heaven on earth for us. 

Not that one should not plan and work with effort and zeal, but then not with false expectations. 

God is busy establishing His kingdom

For centuries God has been busy establishing His kingdom or new Paradise or world on earth (Rev. 21-22). The Kingdom came when Jesus was anointed, died on Golgotha, ascended triumphantly to Heaven, and poured out His Spirit on Pentecost. He has done everything He could do.  But precisely because of this, there is such a fierce reaction in the realm of darkness, so much struggle, disarray, our world is tilting towards the powers of darkness. 

Ascension

And the interesting, possibly the most disturbing fact is that it was precisely the Ascension of Christ that led to this. That the sinful and dark powers in the world have become so fanatical and try to make our lives unbearable in every way. 

Revelation 12 sheds special light on the question of the particular place and situation of the church after the ascension of Christ. Therefore, it is also the theme of this essay. 

Luke 24, Acts 1, and Revelation 12

When we read the accounts of the Ascension in Luke 24 and Acts 1, they are notably brief yet impactful. They convey little beyond the event itself. It is clear that Christ, in a manner reminiscent of an ancient high priest, leaves His earthly duties with blessings and triumph to ascend to His heavenly throne. What remains is a bewildered group of disciples, gazing after Him. This is nearly all that Scripture tells us about the Ascension. Interestingly, the Gospel of John does not mention it at all.

In Revelation 12:5, the reference to the Ascension is even more concise. It simply mentions that the child was caught up to God and His throne. This brevity aligns with the intention of Revelation 12, which is to summarise the entire history of salvation and revelation, considering the history of all times and the entire world.

What is written in Revelation 12? 

We read of 3 special figures: the woman, the dragon, and the child. And who are they? What happens to them? What does it mean for us? 

2. The struggle of Satan against the people of God

The woman is the church, the dragon is the devil, the old serpent, Satan. The child is Jesus Christ. 

Vision of John

In his vision, John observes that Satan, in his battle against God and His people throughout Old Testament history, attempts to stop the birth of Christ and to destroy Him. This culminates with Herod’s order to kill young boys shortly after Christ’s birth, an effort by the dragon to prevent the arrival of Christ.

The Child is born

However, the dragon did not succeed, and the child was born. After the Child completed His work, God took Him up into heaven. As the Child of God, Jesus Christ, is caught up to His throne, the narrative then divides into two parts: what occurs in heaven and what transpires on earth.

What happened in heaven? 

In heaven, a war occurs between the archangel Michael and his angels on one side, and the dragon and his angels on the other. This battle results in the defeat of the dragon—identified as the devil, Satan, and the ancient serpent we first encountered in Paradise—along with his angels, who are cast down to earth. Following this victory, Revelation 12 describes a hymn of praise erupting in heaven.

What happens on earth? 

However, what occurs on earth is one of lamentation. When Satan is cast out of heaven, he purposefully descends to persecute the church, the woman, and the people of God who are born of Christ. For centuries, he has opposed the seed of the woman, the Christ child, His followers, and all who believe.

God intervenes – wilderness

Just as God powerfully intervened to lift His child through death and resurrection into heaven, He also intervenes in the life of His church on earth, allowing it to flee into the wilderness where He sustains them. Yet, even there, the church is not entirely safe, as Satan continues to pursue the people of the Lord, much like Pharaoh pursued the Israelites out of Egypt and towards the Red Sea. In heaven, according to the narrative, there is peace, but on earth, following the Ascension, the struggle intensifies significantly.

Position of the church after ascension

The position of the church on earth was not rosy after the Ascension of Christ; it was far from being heaven on earth. The Ascension and the followers of Christ signify for Satan that he has been confined to earth. This is his last stop, his final terminus, before his eventual journey to the lake of fire and eternal destruction. Knowing that his time is short, he is furious, wounded, and humiliated after the Ascension. Revelation 13:3 notes that one of his heads is mortally wounded, as predicted in Genesis 3:15. With all his power and rage, he now turns his attention to the woman who bore the child.

3. Satan has no access to heaven

Let us now closely examine the dragon’s anger towards the woman, and particularly focus on the care provided to the woman in her place in the wilderness.

Satan had access to heaven

In several places in Scripture, the devil, with God’s permission, had access to heaven and could appear before God. Consider the story of Job, where Satan accused Job in heaven. Similarly, in Zechariah 3, Satan is seen at the right hand of God, accusing Joshua the high priest. However, Jesus mentions in Luke 10 that He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. It is evident that Satan was a troublesome accuser in heaven, possessing the right to accuse us of our sins. Not only did he tempt us, but he also acted as our accuser.

Access denied

Following his defeat at the cross and the events of the resurrection, and particularly after being cast out of heaven, Satan’s access to heaven is denied. Therefore, Paul can triumphantly ask in Romans 8, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?” This is because your and my accuser has been cast out of heaven, and his role there is over. Our debt before God is settled. Christ is our King, and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

Our struggle against the evil powers

It is mentioned three times that the devil is cast down to the earth. However, he now adopts a new strategy. As stated in Ephesians 6, our struggle is not against flesh and blood; it is spiritual in nature. We are contending with dark, evil powers. Let there be no illusion about this reality.

Desperate attempt of Satan

Verse 15 vividly describes Satan’s desperate attempt: “The serpent spewed water like a river out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away with the torrent.” This imagery uses Old Testament language, where streams of water and rivers often symbolised disasters, misery, and adverse experiences, with the idea of being swept away at the forefront. It brings to mind Paul’s warning in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy.” Therefore, Satan’s strategy today is spiritual in nature. Be cautious of the streams of utopias and lies that can also emerge in theological, philosophical, and ideological fields. There are many streams, not all of which are from God, but rather devil-inspired.

4. The church after ascension is cared for

Now we may ask whether the church of the Lord Jesus, after the Ascension, is exposed to the wrath of Satan. Are we, like Adam and Eve, merely victims of the serpent’s cunning and the currents of our time? Are we here on earth just playthings for dragons, world powers, and rulers? It is noteworthy that imperial powers such as Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon are often depicted as dragons by the prophets in the Old Testament.

Care of the church

No, the answer is NO. Just as God delivered His people with a strong hand from slavery and oppression in the times of Egypt, and then led them into the wilderness, God now, after the ascension, after Satan’s descent to earth, again comes to our rescue. There is a place for the church in this world, and there is care for believers in this dispensation. 

The wilderness signifies a heathen world

In verses 6-14, we read that the woman fled to the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her. She was given two wings of a great eagle to enable her to fly to her place in the wilderness.

Just as God in the days of Pharaoh of Egypt carried His people on eagles’ wings into the dangerous heathen world (Ex. 19:4), so He does now in our dispensation. In the 1260 days, which is the symbolic time from the birth of Christ to His second coming, we are cared for in safety. 

The two wings represent His Word and the Holy Spirit. The Bible serves as our guide, helping us navigate life without losing our way. It acts as our night vision goggles, allowing us to see clearly in the darkness. While our world is filled with grey areas, God’s Word and truth remain constant and unchanging.

The Holy Spirit is introduced in the very first chapter of the Bible, and throughout Scripture, from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, He is our Helper—our Wings in our eschatological, or end-time, existence. The Holy Spirit acts like a canary in a coal mine[1], alerting us immediately when “evil gases” enter our thoughts. On its own, a glove is limp and powerless, but when filled with a hand, it becomes useful and effective. Similarly, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” (Acts 1:8).

Our wilderness conditions

Indeed, our circumstances on earth after the Ascension are far from idyllic; it is a wilderness. Yet, this is where God has placed us. Just as He had His Son flee to Egypt during Herod’s reign, our earthly life often mirrors this pattern. We are like refugees, sometimes dwelling in the wilderness. But in this wilderness, we are cared for with grace and love, receiving what we need, much like Elijah of old. Just as a guinea fowl hen carefully guides her chicks across a busy road, so He guides us.

We have a place in the world, and we should not isolate ourselves or retreat into seclusion, such as in a monastery. Instead, we are called to create a believing homeland here. God has provided us with space on earth where we can live in communion with Him. Here, He creates an oasis for us, where we must live with joy.

5. Conclusion

With His Ascension, Christ went to prepare a place for us—not only in heaven but also on earth, He has provided us a place to dwell through His Word and Spirit. If God is for us, who can be against us? As the ecclesia militans (the fighting church), we are also the ecclesia triumphans (the triumphant church), akin to a woman clothed with the sun.

Let us continually pray, as the early church did: “Veni Creator Spiritus” (Come, Creator Spirit), for He is the light that guides us even when we cannot see it in the day.

[1] When we say something is a canary in a coal mine, it means it is an early warning of danger. Not surprisingly, the origin of the expression is literal – canaries were historically used to test for carbon monoxide and other toxic gasses in underground mines.