His Time is Short

Dragons’ reputations (and their acrid stench) precede them. Typically fearsome creatures bearing blazing breath, they employ intimidation to enforce their dominance. In literature, a dragon may be a barricade; he’s a powerful, unpredictable opponent. And his threatening presence, impermeable appearance, and hostile character? The dragon in Revelation 12 bears red scales, the color of blood and destruction. In scripture, dragons (or leviathan, or crocodiles) often symbolize enemies of God and Israel; many interpret this dragon as Satan.

Dragons are creatures which you won’t want to fight alone. We need protection! The woman in verse 1 may represent Israel, Mary, or possibly Eve, and God keeps her safe for 1,260 days. His nature is to protect: Jesus spoke of gathering us as chicks under his wings (Matt. 23:37).

The Bible demonstrates God’s protection in countless ways. Consider the battle scene in Exodus 17:8-13. Moses held his staff as an appeal to God, and his comrades assisted him by holding up his arms. God gave them victory over their enemies!

Some compare Rev.12:13-16 to the miraculous parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13-31). I love this parallel because the Red Sea is one of my favorite scenes to imagine and dream of witnessing. God opened the waters for his people to safely cross; He also protects them from being swept away here.

Jesus spoke of giving us living water (John 4:10) and He intercedes for us against the dragon.

Revelation 12:11 says that God’s church overcame by the blood of the Lamb! We need our Lord desperately, because we can’t overcome dragons on our own. We’re small and weak.

One of my favorite Christian songs says, “Although the battle rages on, the war’s already won.” We know the end of the book!

Don’t be surprised when the dragon is full of fury and you feel his breath. He will attempt to bring you down and wage war on us. Perhaps he attacks you with insecurity, depression, or anxiety. Many times I need reassurance from scriptures like Psalm 37:34-36 when I look around at the state of our world.

Rev.12:12 “… the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

We cannot truly comprehend eternity and forever! But here is a metaphor that I use sometimes. My old apartment had a 14-foot vaulted ceiling. Looking up in my kitchen, I imagined that the room was filled with mustard seeds, or pebbles. What if each seed represented a day, or a month, or a century? There still wouldn’t be enough seeds to symbolize eternity, because God’s time is limitless.

In this metaphor, how many seeds would represent the devil’s time of power over earth? Less than one!

Less than one. He’s full of fury, because his time is short.

Find metaphors and other reminders that help you remember God’s protection, and carry them with you through your challenges. When the devil attacks you, say it with me: “His Time is Short.”