Ron Carpenter, Redemption World Outreach Center, is another mega church pastor who claims to be an "apostle". Carpenter is a fierce advocate of tithing and is an eisegete. His latest bad idea is an AI-led spiritual counselling app in which he offers an AI version of himself offering “personalised” prayer and spiritual guidance for a fee. (Romans 16:17-18).1
Rosebrough: "Revelation 12 does refer to Satan as the accuser of the brethren. But he can't do it anymore because the text twice makes it very clear that he's been thrown out of heaven.."
I am all in favour of calling out false teachers (Ephesians 5:11), but once again, Rosebrough's problematic eschatology leaves us with an issue. There is no evidence that Satan ceased to be "the accuser of the brethren" (κατήγορος katēgoros) post-resurrection, and it would be unwise to accept his interpretation of this passage.
I am all in favour of calling out false teachers (Ephesians 5:11), but once again, Rosebrough's problematic eschatology leaves us with an issue. There is no evidence that Satan ceased to be "the accuser of the brethren" (κατήγορος katēgoros) post-resurrection, and it would be unwise to accept his interpretation of this passage.
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:1-17).
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:1-17).
Immediately after these events, John sees the Antichrist rising out of the sea. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. (Revelation 13:1).
And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying.. (Revelation 10b-12). This phrase introduces a heavenly proclamation in the aorist tense. ..for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, ἐβλήθη (eblēthē) > Aorist Indicative Passive.2
In Biblical Greek, the aorist tense can describe past, present or future events depending on the context. Its primary focus is on the action’s completeness rather than its timing.
Blue Letter Bible: "The aorist tense is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time. There is no direct or clear English equivalent for this tense, though it is generally rendered as a simple past tense in most translations.
The events described by the aorist tense are classified into a number of categories by grammarians. The most common of these include a view of the action as having begun from a certain point ("inceptive aorist"), or having ended at a certain point ("cumulative aorist"), or merely existing at a certain point ("punctiliar aorist"). The categorization of other cases can be found in Greek reference grammars."3 Pulpit Commentary: "The cause of the victorious song which I have just recited was the fact that the devil was cast down, the same who is constantly accusing (ὁ κατηγορῶν) our brethren. But they (our brethren) overcame him, and valued not their lives, etc. Well may ye heavens rejoice over your happy lot, though it means woe to the earth for a short time.' For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. The one accusing them (ὁ κατηρορῶν); not the past tense. Satan does not cease to accuse, though he may not do so with effect, since he may be overcome by the 'blood of the Lamb.'"4
Prewrath scholars view Revelation 12 as an eschatological passage that refers to future tribulation events. The woman (Israel) suffers intense persecution during the 3.5-year great tribulation. (Matthew 24:21 cf. Revelation 7:14). This view differs significantly from the pretribulation view, as it places the rapture between the sixth and seventh seals of Revelation, and it identifies "the remnant of the woman's offspring" as persecuted believers during this period. (Revelation 12:17). This interpretation has considerable traction and is immediately apparent from the various references to "1260 days" and its equivalent in the book of Revelation. (Revelation 12:6 and Revelation 11:3). This period is variously referred to as "forty-two months" in Revelation 11:2 and 13:5, "time, times and half a time" in Revelation 12:14 and Daniel 7:25. It is also identified as "half the week" i.e. the seven-year period known as the 70th week of Daniel halved. (Daniel 9:27). With so many references to this time frame, it behoves believers to study the scriptures to ascertain the correct interpretation of Revelation 12. (1 John 4:1).
The initial fall of Lucifer is recorded in Ezekiel 28:12-17 and Isaiah 14:12ff. The title "O Day Star, son of Dawn" has been linked to Lucifer, whose name means "light-bearer" in Latin, reflecting his original state before his fall. This connection is made in part due to the Vulgate's translation and later theological interpretations.4
You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. (Ezekiel 28:12. 2-17 cf. Isaiah 14:12ff).
Two instances where Satan accused believers before God in the Old Testament are recorded in Job 1:6-12 and Zechariah 3:1-2.
One might wonder how Satan could enter God's presence with the sons of God in Job 1:6, but apparently, he did have some kind of limited access to the third heaven on that occasion. I do not see anywhere in the scriptures where that situation changed. If Rosebrough can provide evidence to the contrary from the scriptures, then I will be very interested to consider his argument.
1. Pastor creates AI version of himself as ‘personal pastor’ for users
2. Strong's 906:
3. Lexical Definition for Aorist Tense
4. Revelation 12:10 Commentaries: Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
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