Slain Day 15 Abdiwelli Ahmed: Digging Deeper
May 2, 2025
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Revelation 12:10-12
The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Christ
have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down. 11 They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
for they did not love their lives to the point of death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them!
Woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down to you
with great fury, because he knows his time is short.
The Original Intent
1) Who is the “Accuser” and what is its significance here? (verse 10)
What a proclamation! A mighty voice thundering in heaven that God’s salvation, power, kingdom and His Christ’s authority has come! Hallelujah! The great accuser has been thrown down! Can you imagine what Apostle John, who wrote Revelation, and other first-century believers understood when they heard Satan described as “accuser” along with his total defeat?
Let’s consider the Greek word translated “accuser”, kategoros. This legal term means “one who speaks against another in an assembly,” or a complainant in court. Many believers during this time were familiar with living under both local Jewish governance and imperial Roman law. Legalities were not abstract or distant but were serious and a part of everyday living. Scripture uses the word kategoros five other times (Acts 23:30, Acts 23:35, Acts 24:8, Acts 25:16, Acts 25:18). “In Acts, it appears in the plural and references human prosecutors in Roman legal settings. In Revelation, it appears in the singular and points to the ultimate spiritual prosecutor.” (Biblehub)
It has been noted that biblical scholar, Christian Schottgen, recorded a rabbinic tradition that Satan accused men every day of the year, except the Day of Atonement. Sacrificial blood was presented to the mercy seat on this most solemn of days, symbolically covering Israel and allowing forgiveness of their sins. Satan had no place to speak as the blood spoke for them, restoring them back to God. A direct foreshadow to the sacrificial blood of Jesus covering His believers and protecting them from the formal charges presented against them. Through spiritual indictment or human prosecution, our early Christian brothers and sisters had an intimate understanding of Satan’s name and his function as our “Accuser.” His defeat was impossible by human systems or ability, the only possible victory was found in shed blood that could perfectly pay for sin, which is why a cry of victory is depicted here.
*Written by Rosie Arand
The Everyday Application
1) Who is the “Accuser” and what is its significance here? (verse 10)
Satan is sincere in his work to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), which are all rooted in Accusation. In Job (Job 1:6-12, Job 2:1-7) and Zechariah (Zechariah 3:1-2), we find examples of Satan petitioning God for the destruction of our fellow saints. These were godly men! God even declared of Job, “no one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity” (Job 1:8); still, Satan accused.
If Satan is so bold to accuse holy men before Almighty God, how much more will he accuse believers against one another? Jesus describes Satan as, “a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) Satan highlights others’ weaknesses to lure us into sin, spotlighting their mistakes, offering complaints against them.
No one is spared; cases against our spouses, children, colleagues, strangers, our own identity, and even God Almighty are offered as enemy bait. His tactics are subtle and swift, appealing to our human nature; he approaches us as if we are judge so our own self-righteous judgment can be exercised. This is why we are exhorted, “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
If you’ve allowed false evidence to pile up as I have, let’s ask the Lord to reveal the truth and repent, accept God’s grace and commit to praying for that person instead of condemning. Together, let’s “…demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
*Written by Rosie Arand
The Original Intent
2) What does it mean “they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb”? (Revelation 12:11)
The apostle John, through the words of John the Baptist, is the only Gospel writer to identify Jesus as the Lamb of God, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:36) These words would have brought the Messiah’s sacrificial death foreshadowed in Isaiah, “[…] like a lamb led to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7) to the audience’s attention.
John was the only male disciple Scripture records as being present at the crucifixion of Jesus. From the cross, Jesus addresses John, entrusting the care of his mother to him. (John 19:25-26) If John was near enough to hear Jesus’ words about Mary, then he was close enough to see the brutality that had left Jesus’ body “… so disfigured that He did not look like a man, and His form did not resemble a human being.” (Isaiah 52:14, John 19:35) Without question, John saw the blood of the Lamb at Calvary.
Later, John was given a vision to see the blood of Lamb of God again in Revelation, “Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered,” and then John saw “[…] One like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne.” (Revelation 5:5-6) From prophetic proclamation, to the cross, to the throne, John’s witness shows the blood of the Lamb has truly conquered.
*Written by Rosie Arand
The Everyday Application
2) What does it mean “they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb”? (Revelation 12:11)
Conquer, in a military sense, is the act of using armed force to gain and maintain control over an enemy. (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) Paul describes Jesus as conqueror through His sacrifice that eternally silences our Accuser enemy, “He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them in Him.” (Colossians 2:14-15) You and I, dear friend, are victorious through our Lord and Savior!
As much as I know and celebrate the reality of being more than a conqueror in Jesus (Romans 8:37), I admit there are days, or seasons, when I struggle. Life hits hard when least expected, an uninvited season of grief or suffering comes in that just won’t lift, an onslaught of demands outweighing our supply of energy, time, and resources, and the list goes on. At these culminating points, we must each decide who will lead us forward. Our feelings or Jesus? For so many years, I chose the former and it never led to victory.
Paul’s words to the Philippians speak of guaranteed hardship reiterated from our Lord Jesus, “For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.” (Philippians 1:29-30, John 16:33)
Yet, we remind ourselves, we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against powers and rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), and have been given the full armor of God and prayer (Ephesians 6:13-18) to stand firm. We battle to gain and maintain control over the enemy’s territory, remembering we are led “in Christ’s triumphal procession” (2 Corinthians 2:14) because of His conquering blood.
*Written by Rosie Arand
The Original Intent
3) What is the power in the witness of their testimony?
The power of witnesses appears throughout Scripture, as people and groups are called to testify of God’s character and deeds. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for witness, “ed,” refers to one who provides evidence or testimony and is vital for establishing truth and justice (BibleHub). God highlights this principle in Deuteronomy 19:15, “One witness cannot establish any iniquity or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
In the New Testament, the Greek word for “martyrs” means “witness”, which is where we derive our modern-day word “martyr”. Jesus describes how His work witnesses on His behalf, “…the works that the Father has given me to accomplish. These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sent me. The Father who sent me has himself testified about me.” (John 5:35-37) Only Jesus could accomplish the God ordained mission of paying the penalty of sin for the whole world. (1 John 2:2) His work at the cross and the tomb testifies of His identity and authority as God the Son.
Paul serves as a witness through his role as an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21) as do each of the other New Testament authors. Later Paul states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16) Witnessing for the gospel is not mere opinion; it is the power of God for salvation, establishing His justice and truth. Scripture shows this is where martyrs can become martyr by suffering death rather than give up the truth they have witnessed.
*Written by Rosie Arand
The Everyday Application
3) What is the power in the witness of their testimony?
Christ said believers are the light of the world and are compared to a city on a hill that can’t be hidden. (Matthew 5:14) Paul states we are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20) and Peter says we should be ready to answer questions about the hope within us. (1 Peter 3:15) Whether we like it or not, girlfriend, you and I are on display. We are walking billboards for the Lord.
So, “what are we advertising?” How we speak, dress, treat colleagues and difficult people, drive, choose music, speak to and about our spouses, and spend money is all seen by others. We can pray behind closed doors, then drive like a bat out of, well, you know. For a sincere and powerful witness, our confession and life must match Christ’s example.
Paul urges us to walk worthy of the calling we have received. (Ephesians 4:1) Perfection isn’t possible, but repentance is! We aren’t all be called to give up our physical lives as modern day martyrs, but we are all called to crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24) and surrender our way of life for His (Matthew 16:25) as we give “witness” to the God who made us new. This lived-out-testimony is the empowering and conquering work of the blood of the Lamb, which cleanses and purifies (1 John 1:7, Revelation 7:14) and speaks for us on the mercy seat (Hebrews 9:12-14). This blood gives us the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11) so we may be “witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. (Acts 1:8)
“They conquered him [the enemy] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.” (Revelation 12:11)
*Written by Rosie Arand
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