Now we must see the dragon’s persecution. Verse 13 says, “And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the man-child.” The dragon will be cast down from heaven to earth (vv. 9-10, 13). As we have seen, this has not yet taken place because the man-child has not yet been brought forth and raptured to the heavens. But one day the man-child will be resurrected and raptured, and Satan will be cast down.
After Satan has been cast down to the earth, he will know that “he has a short time” (v. 12). The short time here will be the three and a half years of the great tribulation (v. 14; 13:5; 11:2).
The dragon will also have great rage (v. 12). He will be angry because of losing his territory in the heavens and in the air. He will be cast down and limited to the earth. This will enrage him.
The dragon will persecute the woman who brought forth the man-child. Satan will concentrate his hatred upon God’s people. Due to this, I encourage you to be prepared to be among the overcomers. Otherwise, you will be part of the woman left to pass through the major part of the last three and a half years. During that time, you will have to face the angry dragon.
Verse 15 says, “And the serpent cast water like a river out of his mouth after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by its current.” “Water” here signifies armies which will be sent by Satan to destroy the people of God (Isa. 8:7-8; 17:12-13; Jer. 46:7-9; 47:2-3). Satan will speak a word to the kings of this earth to gather their armies to persecute the people of God. Three unclean spirits like frogs will proceed out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (16:13). These unclean spirits will “go forth to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them to the war of the great day of God the Almighty” (16:14). These spirits will instigate the rebellious kings to send their armies to persecute God’s people, which will include the loyal Jews and the faithful Christians. If you are left to pass through the great tribulation, you may have to suffer this.
Verse 17 says, “And the dragon was angry with the woman and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.” The “rest of her seed” signifies the people of God other than the man-child. Among them, some will be the Jews “who keep the commandments of God,” and some will be the believers who “have the testimony of Jesus.” Satan will not only persecute the woman, but will make war with the rest of her seed, with the weaker part of the woman.