Verse 9
Here God identified the dragon as Satan. He called him the "great dragon" because he is fierce and cruel in nature. The title "serpent of old" stresses his crafty and subtle character (cf. Revelation 20:2; Genesis 3:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11:3). The name "Devil" means accuser or slanderer.
"This name for the evil one would have made a specially strong impact in the first century, for there was a well-known and well-hated figure called the delator, the paid informer. He made his living by accusing people before the authorities." [Note: Morris, p. 161. Cf. Barclay, 2:102.]
"Satan" means adversary. He is the one who deceives the whole world because he is consummately deceptive. [Note: See Gregory H. Harris, "Satan’s Work as a Deceiver," Bibliotheca Sacra 156:622 (April-June 1999):190-202.] God cast Satan’s angels out of His presence with him. The threefold repetition of "thrown down" in this verse stresses the ignominious fate of Satan and these angels.
Satan is in the heavens now; he has access to God (Job 1:6; Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:10). His being thrown down to the earth with his angels will evidently take place toward the end of the Tribulation. This conclusion harmonizes with the evidence of unusual Satanic activity on earth, including heart hardening, described in the revelation of the Great Tribulation (chs. 6-11 and 13-18).
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