"And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation and the strength, and the Kingdom of or God, and the power of his Anointed: for the accuser of our brethren it cast out, who accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to death. On this account, rejoice, ye heavens, and ye who dwell in them." -- Rev.12:10-12.

The loud voice is heard in the symbolic heaven from which the Dragon had been cast. By the displacement of the Pagan hierarchy, and the substitution of Christianity under Constantine, the adherents of the latter succeeded to the place of the former, and rejoiced over them.

A loud voice symbolizes the utterance of the thoughts and feelings of an interested multitude. The nature of the voice indicates the nature of the utterance -- whether it be one of expectation, fear, warning, or instruction. This voice is expressive of the then prevalent expectation, that, with the displacement of Paganism commenced the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. This belief was not necessarily well founded; -- its existence only being symbolized.

On the triumph of Constantine over Licinius, Eusebius says: -- "There were illuminations everywhere. They who were before dejected looked on one another with joyful aspects and smiles, and with choirs and hymns through the cities and country, gave honor first to God, the Supreme Ruler of all, as they were taught, and then to the pious emperor and his children." Says Mr Lord:

"Eusebius represents the victors at the precipitation of Maxentius and his attendants into the Tiber, as saying, like Moses at the overthrow of the Egyptians in the Red Sea: 'Let us sing to the Lord, for he is signally glorified. Horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord my helper and defender was with me unto salvation. Who, O Lord, is like to thee among gods? Who is like to thee, glorified by the holy, admirable in praise, doing wonders? Constantine entered Rome in triumph, hymning these and similar passages to God, the author of the victory.' And on the fall of Licinius he represents the church as uniting in thanksgiving for the deliverance, and congratulations at the overthrow of idolatry, and establishment of Christ's kingdom; and devotes the tenth book of his history to the edicts of the emperor by which the church was nationalized and endowed, and to the restoration of the temples, and the public rejoicings at their dedication. 'Let thanks be given by all to the Almighty Ruler of the universe, and to Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer, through whom we pray that peace from external foes may be uninterruptedly preserved to us, and tranquillity of mind.'

" 'Let us sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wonderful things. His right hand has saved him and his holy arm. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the presence of the nations. We may now appropriately respond to the inspired command to sing a new song, inasmuch as after such direful spectacles and narrations we now have the happiness to see and celebrate what many holy men before us and the martyrs for God desired to see on earth, and did not see, and to hear, and have not heard. But advancing more rapidly they attained far superior gifts in heaven, being caught up to the paradise of celestial joy; while we acknowledge the gifts we enjoy are greater than we deserve, and contemplate with wonder the largeness of the divine bounty. Admiring and adoring with all our souls, we testify to the truth of the prophet's words, "Come and see the works of the Lord, what wonders he has wrought in the earth, abolishing wars to the ends of the world. The bow he has broken, he has dashed the arms, the shield he has burned in the fire." Rejoicing at the manifest fulfilment of these predictions to us, we go on with our history.' He goes on accordingly to represent the whole population, freed from the domination of the tyrants, and relieved from oppression, as acknowledging the only true God and protector of the pious, and these especially who had placed their hope in Christ, as filled with inexpressible joy; the ministers everywhere delivering commemorative addresses, and the whole multitude offering praises and thanksgiving to God.

"Lactantius also: 'Let us celebrate the triumph of God with gladness; let us commemorate his victory with praise; let us make mention in our prayers day and night of the peace which, after ten years of persecution, he has conferred on his people.' " -- Ex. of Apoc., pp.343-4.

Multitudes actually supposed the long-predicted kingdom of God was now being established. Says Mr. Elliott:

"Can we wonder, then, at the exultation that was felt at this time by many, perhaps by most, that bore the Christian name: or at their high-raised expectations as to the future happy destiny of the Roman, now that it had been changed into the Christian, nation? It seemed to them as if it had become God's covenanted people, like Israel of old: and the expectation was not unnatural, -- an expectation strengthened by the remarkable tranquillity which, throughout the extent of the now reuenited empire, followed almost immediately on Constantine's establishment of Christianity, -- that not only the temporal blessings of the ancient Jewish covenant would thenceforth in no small measure attach to them, but even those prophesied of as appertaining to the latter day. Hence on the medals of that era the emblem of the phoenix, all radiant with the rising sunbeams, to represent the empire as now risen into new life and hope, and its legend which spoke of the happy restoration of the times. Hence, in forgetfulness of all former prognostications of Antichrist and fearful coming evils, the reference by some of the most eminent of their bishops to the latter-day blessedness, as even then about fulfilling. The state of things was such, Eusebius tells us, that it looked like 'the very image of the kingdom of Christ.' The city built by the emperor at Jerusalem, beside the new and magnificent Church of the Holy Sepulchre, -- the sacred capital, as it were, to the new empire, -- might be, perhaps, he suggested, the New Jerusalem, the theme of so many prophecies. Yet again, on occasion of the opening of the new church at Tyre, he expressed in the following glowing language, not his own feelings only, but those, we may be sure, of not a few of the congregated Christian ministers and people that heard him: 'What so many of the Lord's saints and confessors before our time desired to see, and saw not, and to hear, and heard not, that behold now before our eyes! It was of us the prophet spake when he told how the wildernesses and solitary places should be glad, and the desert rejoice and blossom as the lily. Whereas the church was widowed and desolate, her children have now to exclaim to her, Make room, enlarge thy borders! the place is too strait for us. The promise is fulfilling to her, In righteousness shalt thou be established: all thy children shall be taught of God: and great shall be the peace of thy children.' " -- Horae Apoc., v. i., pp.230-1.

They rejoiced over the downfall of the dragon as over "the Accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night." The phrase "our brethren," proves that those who unite in this song are the living saints on the earth. The reference to Satan as an Accuser bears a close resemblance to Zech.3:1, where Joshua, as a symbol of the people of Israel, is represented as standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. -- "{HEBREW LETTER SHIN}{HEBREW LETTER TET}{HEBREW LETTER FINAL NUN} Satan signifies an adversary. {HEBREW LETTER RESH}{HEBREW LETTER SHIN}{HEBREW LETTER TET}{HEBREW LETTER NUN}{HEBREW LETTER VAV} lesiteno, to be his adversary or accuser." -- Dr. Clark.

Satan's most common work is to invent false accusations against those whose efforts tend to frustrate his designs. The Christians had endured false accusations and bitter persecutions, and therefore rejoiced the more over the defeat of the Pagans.