“So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne” (Revelation 12:5 NET).
Having failed in his attempt to eliminate the child mentioned here, the dragon of Revelation chapter twelve suffered a further setback: “Then the woman fled into the wilderness where God had prepared a place for her so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days” (Revelation 12:6). So, we now move forward from the affairs of the past in verses four and five to a future where the events of Revelation chapter twelve are unfolding.
Just as God protected His people on numerous occasions throughout their long history, our text from Revelation 12:6 tells us that God will step forward to protect His people once again in the future. This place of sanctuary will function as a safe haven for three and one-half years (or 1,260 days based on a 360-day calendar year).
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time'” (Revelation 12:7-12).
This is an astonishing development- war in heaven. But who initiated these hostilities? Did the dragon and his legions attempt to mount a “hostile takeover” of heaven? Or did God elect to forcibly remove them from the heavenly realm? Either way, these verses paint a portrait that depicts a titanic struggle between the forces of good and evil in the celestial world.