Connect Revelation 12:4 with Genesis 3:15 regarding the enmity between Satan and humanity. Setting the frame (Genesis 3:15 & Revelation 12:4) • Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” • Revelation 12:4: “…and the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.” These two passages bookend Scripture’s story of conflict between Satan and humanity, focusing on the promised “seed” who will crush the serpent’s head. Genesis 3:15—The First Gospel • Immediately after the fall, God pronounces judgment on the serpent (Satan, cf. Revelation 12:9). • “Seed of the woman” points forward to a specific male descendant—ultimately Christ (Galatians 3:16). • The promise is literal: a real Messiah will physically enter history, endure a heel-wound, and inflict a head-crushing defeat on Satan. Revelation 12:4—The Dragon’s Desperate Strike • The dragon’s swept-tail action pictures one-third of the angels joining Satan’s rebellion (cf. Revelation 12:7-9). • He “stood before the woman” (Israel, the covenant line) ready to consume “her child” (Messiah) the moment of birth. • Historically fulfilled in events like Herod’s massacre (Matthew 2:13-16), yet also portraying the continuous satanic attempt to annihilate the redemptive line. Threading the Narrative: How Genesis and Revelation Interlock 1. Same adversary – Genesis: serpent. – Revelation: dragon, “that ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan” (12:9). 2. Same target – The woman and her offspring (Genesis 3:15). – The woman and her male child (Revelation 12:4-5). 3. Same outcome foretold – Crushing of the serpent’s head. – Child “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter” (12:5; cf. Psalm 2:9), signaling final victory. 4. Continuing hostility – Enmity extends to the woman’s “other children—those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:17). The Ongoing Enmity in Scripture • Job 1–2: Satan accuses the righteous. • Zechariah 3:1–2: the accuser versus Joshua the high priest. • John 8:44: Jesus calls Satan “a murderer from the beginning.” • 1 Peter 5:8: believers warned of a prowling lion. • Ephesians 6:11-12: call to put on God’s armor against “the schemes of the devil.” All echo the Genesis-Revelation thread: ongoing conflict until final judgment (Revelation 20:10). Victory Secured Through the Seed • Hebrews 2:14-15: “He likewise shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.” • Colossians 2:15: Christ disarmed the powers, triumphing over them at the cross. • Romans 16:20: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” The head-crushing is both accomplished (cross/resurrection) and awaiting consummation (Second Coming). Encouragement for Believers Today • Satan’s rage, though real, is the desperation of a defeated foe (Revelation 12:12). • Our confidence rests in the finished work of the promised Seed. • The same Word that first foretold victory in Eden assures its completion in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:3-5). |
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