The Bible Says
Revelation 12:10-12 Meaning

Revelation 12:10-12 begins a triumphant proclamation following Satan’s expulsion from heaven-an event emphasized in the preceding verses (Revelation 12:7-9). The Apostle John says: Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night (v.10). 

The Greek word translated salvation is “soteria.” It means “something is delivered from something.” Context determines what is being delivered from what. We see this in Acts 7:25, where Stephen says Moses supposed “his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance [“soteria”] through him, but they did not understand.” In Stephen’s sermon, the deliverance being spoken of was Moses offering to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt.

In the case of verse 10, the context indicates that the “deliverance” in view is the deliverance of earth from the power of Satan and his angels. The authority of Satan will be thrown down from heaven and replaced with the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ. We saw in the previous section that Satan and his angels were thrown to earth (Revelation 12:9). Now that Satan has no further authority in or access to heaven he can no longer function as the accuser of our brethren before God. That is something worth celebrating!

This loss of authority to accuse is emphasized in the statement the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down. The term brethren is often used to refer to anyone who has been placed into the family of God through faith. As Jesus tells Nicodemus, it only takes enough faith to look at Him on the cross, hoping to be healed from the poisonous venom of sin, in order to be born again into His family (John 3:3, 14-15).

However, in this case, the brethren in view are those who have overcome. Those who did not love their life even when faced with death (v. 11). This again emphasizes the primary admonition of Revelation, that any believer will be greatly rewarded if they courageously endure in being a faithful witness and do not fear rejection, loss, or death (Revelation 1:3).

The text calls Satan the accuser of our brethren who accuses day and night (v. 10). This sobering detail unveils the devil’s relentless role: he not only deceives (Revelation 12:9), but he also lays charges against God’s people. The word “devil” means “false accuser” or “slanderer.” This verse confirms that this is a description of Satan’s core activity.

We gain some insight into Satan’s accusatory approach from the book of Job. There, Satan contested God’s claim that Job was righteous. He accused both Job and God of being disingenuous, saying that God was simply buying favor with Job, who was getting a great deal (Job 1:9). We can also observe that Satan demanded permission to sift Peter like wheat, but Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith, and Satan’s permission was denied (Luke 22:31).

We can infer from this that Satan persists in seeking the destruction of all humans in any way he can conspire. We can see the relentless nature of his opposition; that he accuses God’s people day and night. We can be grateful that the Spirit also intercedes for us, communicating with God in a manner beyond our ability to comprehend (Romans 8:26).

It is clear that Satan desires to bring persecution and loss upon believers. Revelation’s main call is for believers to remain faithful witnesses, especially in times of severe persecution such as the three-and-a-half years that Jesus calls a time of great tribulation (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15-21). Though Satan tirelessly hurls accusations, believers can be victorious if they resist him (James 4:7). Christ’s victory by virtue of the cross is a victory granted to each believer in terms of being justified in God’s sight (Romans 8:37). Believers can gain further victory by enduring in faith and overcoming as Jesus overcame (Revelation 3:21).

There is now salvation from the adverse and hostile ministry of Satan, because the power to reign over the earth is declared to belong fully to God and His Christ. Christ means anointed, as does the Hebrew term “masiah,” transliterated into English as “Messiah.” We saw the kingdom of the Lord announced in Revelation 11:15. Now, the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ are fully installed in heaven. It will soon be fully installed upon the earth as well.

We might think of an election where the new candidate has won but has yet to be sworn into office. That is like the period we live in now (as of the writing of this commentary). Jesus has overthrown the authority of Satan (John 12:31). But His inauguration, while certain, is yet in the future.

Here in Revelation 12, we see a preview of Jesus’s future inauguration. As with many transitions of power in human history, this transition is attended with violence as the one currently in power (Satan) strives to retain office, so to speak.

Satan and his angels fought and were overcome by Michael and his angels (Revelation 12:7-8). Now, Christ’s inauguration is announced: the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night (v. 10).

Even though Satan still has power on earth, the expulsion of Satan from heaven is an event that precedes the loss of his authority on earth, which will come soon enough. We can see that Satan knows this. We are told in Revelation 12:12 that he now knows he only has a “short time.”

The loud voice in heaven declares a permanent shift: the accuser of our brethren is thrown down. He no longer has authority or access to heaven. God’s righteous kingdom now comes to the forefront. Perhaps the voice in heaven is loud to emphasize the importance of this event. This begins a complete transition: this age will end, the King will return to earth and take full authority, Satan will be vanquished, and the promised reign of peace will be ushered in (Revelation 20:1-6).

The kingdom of our God is also the kingdom of His Christ (Christ means “anointed”). That kingdom has been announced (Revelation 7:15) and is now being inaugurated with a transfer of power when he was cast down from heaven. Satan was unwilling to lose this power; he and his followers had to be forcibly removed.

The kingdom of our God will soon have a full manifestation: first in a Messianic kingdom (Revelation 20:4), and then in a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1, 3). During His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke of His kingdom platform, which we can presume will be how the earth will be managed during His eternal reign (Matthew 4:17).

Believers in the current age can live in the kingdom of our God now, by faith. At the current time, Jesus’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Here in Revelation, we are reading of the events that will lead up to Jesus’s kingdom being physically manifested on the earth.

Meanwhile, those who walk the narrow and difficult path that leads to life by following His kingdom ways are manifesting His kingdom on earth within their sphere of influence (Matthew 7:13-14). When doing this they serve as salt and light to the world, as Jesus called His followers to do. We can be encouraged that a very small proportion of salt can preserve an entire body. Similarly, a very small beacon of light can cast aside darkness.

The next verse speaks of believers who are faithful witnesses. These are those who have chosen to heed the admonition of Revelation 1:3 and live as faithful witnesses who do not fear rejection, loss, or death. We are told that they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death (v. 11).

The him whom the faithful witnesses overcame is Satan, the accuser. The Greek word translated overcame is “nikao,” which means to conquer, prevail, be victorious, or to defeat. It can be used to describe the champion of an event. Its root is the same as Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. The faithful witnesses overcame Satan by not loving life even when faced with death more than they loved Christ. The love of Christ caused these overcomers to live their lives as a faithful testimony.

“Nikao” appears seventeen times in Revelation and is a major theme of the book. Each letter to the seven churches promises a great reward for those who “nikao”-are victorious over sin, fear, and the flesh through choosing the narrow path that leads to life. “Nikao” is also used in Revelation 6:2 to refer to the white horse who is given authority to “conquer” (“nikao”).

Faithful believers who are faithful witnesses because of their testimony (“martyria”) are called overcomers (“nikao”) in the messages to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3). Overcoming happens when Christians hold fast to their confession of Christ and live and proclaim the gospel without being deterred by fear of rejection, loss, or death.

Satan is said to “overcome” the saints by warring against them and killing them for their faith, making them martyrs. But in their martyrdom, those faithful witnesses will “nikao” (overcome, win the victory) over Satan and will be lifted up by God because of their service to Him (Revelation 12:11, 1 Peter 5:6).

The Greek word translated testimony is “martyria,” from which we get the English word “martyr.” A martyr is one who has sufficient commitment to a cause to endure death rather than recant or betray their confession. The Greek word “martyria” is broader than the English term “martyr” and includes any faithful testimony executed in the face of resistance.

The message of Revelation to believers, Christ’s servants, is to endure whatever circumstances of adversity we encounter. That is what makes believers faithful witnesses who overcome. As the Apostle Paul states, “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).

The world resists those who oppose it. If believers overcome as Jesus overcame, then He promises to reward them by having them enter into the joy of reigning with Him (Revelation 3:21, Matthew 25:21). The key commitment required to be an overcomer who is a faithful witness (“martyria”) is to be one who did not love their life even when faced with death. 

Death is separation. Physical death is the spirit being separated from the body (James 2:26). There are many separations a faithful believer can encounter for standing by their faith:

• Separation from being included within a group (rejection)
• Separation from opportunity, perhaps because you cannot be “trusted” to participate in corrupt practices
• Separation from family, because you refuse to participate in or accommodate sinful practices

Revelation emphasizes that believers should not fear death. In periods of extreme persecution, such as those described in the final “week” of Daniel 9:27, this applies to facing physical death. But, as previously stated, physical death is only one type of death.

The clause, they did not love their life even when faced with death, underscores the nature of discipleship. In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus is recorded as saying:

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple”
(Luke 14:27).

This is actually a quite practical claim. “Disciple” means “learner.” It is a matter of simple logic that one cannot learn and follow two opposite ways. One cannot walk paths that lead in opposite directions at the same time. In order to learn the ways of Jesus, one must first commit to giving up all the opposite ways from those of Jesus.

As Jesus sets forth in Matthew 7:13, there is a narrow gate that has a difficult path that leads to life. That difficult path is to follow the ways of Jesus. In order to follow the ways of Jesus, believers/servants must forsake all other ways, as those ways are the opposite of His ways. To follow the way of Jesus is to commit to love Him by following Him more than we love physical life. Or to say it another way, to believe God’s promises of immense rewards for serving Him are worth forsaking comfort in this present age.

Another way to apply this same concept is that in order to live to God, we must put to death our old ways and our old self. As Paul states in Romans 8:13, “if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Those who did not love their life even when faced with death are those who practiced Jesus’s admonition:

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me”
(Matthew 16:24).

Here in Revelation 12, John describes the means by which believers triumph over Satan the accuser (v. 10): because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony (v. 11). This verse describes practical ways to apply Revelation’s exhortation to be faithful witnesses.

The blood of the Lamb refers to Jesus’ atoning sacrifice that redeems believers from sin (John 1:29). In the ongoing cosmic conflict, whether in heaven or amid earthly tribulations, the ultimate victory for believers comes through Christ’s completed work on the cross and the power of His resurrection. It is through living in His resurrection power that believers can be faithful witnesses and overcome as Jesus overcame.

In addition to the blood of the Lamb providing the salvation and power to overcome, a second key for believers in overcoming as Jesus overcame is through the word of their testimony (v. 11). The Greek word translated here as word is “logos.” “Logos” appears many times in the New Testament, where it refers to a word or statement. But it is also used in John 1:1 to refer to Jesus, who is the Living Word. The phrase word of their testimony therefore likely refers to the entire body of work of the way a believer lives. It is their words, deeds, and character: the whole person.

Jesus, the Living word, lived what He spoke. It was His example that made people accountable to hear and believe. As He said in John 10:37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me.”

This is consistent with the New Testament epistles. They are filled with admonishments to believers to live faithfully. But there are few commands to share our faith verbally. The most direct admonition to believers to share their faith verbally in the New Testament epistles is in 1 Peter 3:15, and that command is linked directly to living out one’s faith. Peter says when people inquire because of an example of living as a faithful witness we need to be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.”

This provides the expected pattern, that the example of faithful living causes others to desire to hear the “Why?” This would indicate why the phrase word of their testimony includes testimony rather than only word. Actions and speech align to provide a faithful and enduring witness. The result of their faithful lives will be they did not love their life even when faced with death. Even death did not cause them to compromise their faithful testimony, either in word or deed.

Then, “the loud voice” that began this discourse in Revelation 12:10 continues: For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time (v. 12).

Here, the heavens are commanded to rejoice (v. 12). The cosmic realm celebrates the dragon’s expulsion from heaven. Whatever authority Satan had in heaven has now ended. In particular, he apparently will no longer be permitted to accuse the brethren (Revelation 12:10).

However, heaven’s gain is earth’s loss, as the “loud voice” says woe to the earth and the sea. Heaven is rejoicing but the earth’s turmoil escalates. Satan’s eviction from heaven tells him he has only a short time (v. 12). This limited duration likely correlates with the final events laid out in Revelation’s sequence-particularly the three-and-a-half-year period of intense tribulation (Revelation 11:2, 13:5). This event would best fit either at the beginning of or sometime during the last three-and-a-half years of Daniel’s final seven-year period. Satan’s short time is probably three-and-a-half years or less.

Woe to the earth and the sea (v.12) also underscores the fact that Satan’s eviction from heaven translates into his fury on earth. The dragon rages: he recognizes he has only a short time to exercise authority in the earth. So, it seems, he plans to do as much damage and destruction as possible to the earth and to humanity in the time that remains. The battle of God’s throne versus Satan’s throne reaches a feverish pitch as the devil attempts a last-ditch effort to assert control before Christ returns to establish the Messianic Era.

It appears that when the devil (accuser) is evicted from heaven he focuses all his attention and fury upon the earth. Now the devil has come down and the earth has his sole focus, which is bad for the earth (v. 12). Satan will launch persecution, deceptions, and temptations. Of course, God remains enthroned. But there will be vast destruction and judgement of earth. As Jesus said, if the period lasted much longer, nothing would remain (Matthew 24:22). We see the prophecies of Daniel 9, Matthew 24, and Revelation weaving into one cohesive tapestry.

The war between good and evil is real, in heaven as well as on earth. But so is the victory promised through the blood of the Lamb. In a world where chaos and tribulation can seem insurmountable, Revelation 12:12 assures us that Satan’s window of destruction is finite, while the kingdom of God and the reign of Christ remain eternal.