Revelation 12 Part 1.

 

Brief introduction:

 

We are in the book of Revelation and some absolutely amazing stuff is covered in this book of prophecy. 

 

Satan, aka the Devil, has done his darnedest, and has succeeded in keeping Christians away from the book of Revelation.

 

Why? 

 

Because he knows what this book is all about... and about his final end. Besides, he wants to make sure that no-one believes he exists...

 

The Devil has successfully deceived preachers and lay people into thinking, believing and saying...

• the book is too difficult to understand, 

• there's too much symbology used, 

• it's not relevant to us today and

• it's too gloomy and doomy.

 

I strongly disagree!

 

If we really make the effort to read the Word of God, ask the Holy Spirit's help and guidance to understand it, He will illuminate much of it to us. He is the Spirit of truth and He will guide us into all truth.

 

Revelation is a book of prophecy... and a final prophecy at that...

Most of it is still to happen... and all Christians should become familiar with it. 

The history of this world comes to a conclusion. 

All that was begun in the book of beginnings (Genesis) is consummated in the book of Revelation.

 

The book of Revelation must be read in conjunction with the prophets and the prophecies of the Old Testament... particularly the books of Zechariah, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah. 

 

Tonight, we will look at 3 of the 7 prominent key players found in chapters 12 and 13 of Revelation... players who are introduced after the blowing of the seventh trumpet (☆ Revelation 11:15)... 

 

The theme of chapter 12 is the final conflict between Israel and Satan after he is cast out of heaven.

 

Through a vision of the Woman and the Man child... it

summarises God's plan of Redemption and Satan's attempt to thwart that plan.

 

■■■ Revelation chapter 12...

 

Starting with chapter 12 we meet 5 of the 7 personages who play a big part in the Great Tribulation. 

What happens in the end is extremely complex with so much happening. 

I will endeavour to keep it as simple as I can. 

 

But keep one thing in mind...

In the end... Jesus Christ is the WINNER!

Hallelujah!

 

The nation of Israel, God's chosen people, is the most prominent player.

 

The seven players represent persons... natural and supernatural, physical and spiritual, rulers and nations.

 

1 ■■ The Woman... representative of Israel.

 

☆ Revelation 12:1-2...

"And there appeared a great wonder (sign) in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered."

 

Who is this woman?

 

She is not the virgin Mary as the Roman church would like to think.

She is not the Church as a lot of protestants say... and...

She is not the female founder of some cult who could not resist the temptation of seeing herself pictured as this woman.

 

The identifying marks of this Woman are the sun, moon, and stars. These belong to Israel as seen in Joseph's dream...

 

☆ Genesis 37:9-10...

"And he (Joseph) dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brothers, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down ourselves to you to the earth?"

 

This Woman is a sign in heaven, she is a symbol... but her "career" is on earth... and relates directly to that of the nation of Israel.

 

It is Israel that gave Christ to the world... 

The Woman's Man child is... Christ Jesus.

 

☆ Isaiah 9:6... which we often quote at Christmas time... does not really relate to us at all... but to Israel.

 

"Unto us"... actually refers to the nation of Israel. 

As a child, Christ was born in His humanity... but as a Son He came from Eternity...

 

"And the government shall be upon His shoulder"... we are not talking now about the Saviour but about the One who is coming as King. 

That happens later in the book of Revelation. 

 

"... and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

There will never ever be a proper peace on this earth until Jesus comes again. 

 

☆ 1 Thessalonians 5:3...

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."

 

When men say, "Peace and safety," it is just idle hot air talk, simply because man approaches peace the wrong way. It is the human heart that is wrong and needs correcting. It is only Jesus Who can bring peace because He is the Prince of Peace.

 

So... Isaiah is actually referring to Israel when he says, "Unto us a child is born," and it is the figure of the Woman that John picks up here in Revelation.

 

☆ Hebrews 7:14; ☆  Romans 9:4-5; ☆ John 4:9; ☆ Micah 5:2-3.

 

We therefore identify the Woman of chapter 12 as the nation of Israel.

 

And... we are talking about the Great Tribulation period here. 

 

Israel will go through the Great Tribulation... referred to as Jacob's Trouble.

☆ Jeremiah 30:7...

"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it."

 

The church has already been removed (Raptured) and gone to heaven. ☆ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18...

 

So this Woman definitely is not, and cannot be the Church.

Remember the Church is the chaste Bride of Christ. She is not and cannot be with child. ☆ Ephesians 5:27...

 

Some interesting supporting information...

 

The Woman "... travailing in birth"... is an interesting term associated with Israel.

 

"Travail" means... a hard and difficult labour, toil, hardship, distress.

And that's exactly how it has been for the Woman (Israel).

 

Back in the book of Genesis, after Adam and Eve's fall in the Garden of Eden, which incidentally was instigated by Satan, God forewarns Satan with...

 

☆ Genesis 3:15...

"... And I will put enmity (hostility) between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

 

God had His Redemption Plan ready to redeem fallen mankind... even before Creation. 

God foreknew that man would stuff up big time in the Garden of Eden.

 

God's plan would involve a Woman (Israel) giving birth to a Man child (Christ)... Who was to die on a Cross to redeem all mankind from their sins.

 

God said He would put enmity (hostility) between Satan and the Woman, between Satan's seed and the Woman's seed; her seed (Christ) would bruise Satan's head (Colossians 2:14-15), and Satan would bruise his heel (Christ's death on the cross).

[Seed = offspring]

 

And to thwart, spoil, wreck God's Redemption plan, Satan has been harassing, persecuting and attacking Israel (the nation through which Christ was to come) ever since the Garden of Eden debacle...

 

The Woman (Israel) in travail?

 

▪ Back in the book of Exodus, Egypt's Pharaoh had all male Hebrew babies killed to prevent them from increasing in number. Moses survived. ☆ Exodus 1:16...

 

▪ King Saul disobeyed God's directive in totally destroying the Amalekites, Israel's enemy. In the book of Esther we find Haman the Agagite (a descendent of the Amalekites) and his diabolical plan to totally destroy the Jews. The Jews survived.

☆ Esther 3:6+...

 

▪ King Herod, when he heard about a baby being born to be king of Israel, in his jealous rage, had all male babies under 2 years of age murdered. Jesus survived.

☆ Matthew 2:16...

 

Satan's modus operandi has been... get rid of Israel (Woman)... get rid of the Jews... get rid of Christ and thwart whatever God's Redemption plan is going to be.

 

I personally believe, that all anti-Semitic attacks are rooted in Satan's deep hatred for God, Christ and Israel.

 

Satan has been a constant thorn in Israel's side and he has used and is still using people and nations to persecute, harass and destroy Israel...

 

This has included people groups such as the Arabs and Muslims... and countries such as Iraq, Iran, Syria the German Nazi regime during WWII as well as the Russian progroms under Stalin... 

 

The second half of the 7 year Great Tribulation will see an even greater attack on the Jews and Israel.

 

                                     ***********

 

2 ■■ The Red Dragon is Satan.

 

This is no harmless fictitious comic character. He is for real. He means business and he does his business dirtily.

 

☆ Revelation 12:3-4...

"And there appeared another wonder (sign) in heaven; and behold a great red Dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

 

The red Dragon is clearly identified as Satan in verse 9...

 

▪ "And the great Dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

 

His true character is clearly revealed with all the "tinsel and glitter" removed.

 

▪ He is called "great" because of his vast power and the fact that he controls the nations of the world. Remember he offered them to Jesus in exchange for His worship of him. 

☆ Matthew 4:8-9... 

 

Worship of himself is Satan's ultimate goal. 

The kingdoms of this world are his, and he controls them today.

 

▪ He is called "red" because Satan is a murderer from the beginning and he has absolutely no respect for human life whatsoever. 

 

☆ John 8:44...

"You are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

 

▪ He is called a "Dragon" because he has a malicious, viscious and insidious character. 

Originally God created him as Lucifer... son of the morning

(☆ Ezekiel 28:12-19). Now he is the epitome of evil and degradation. He is the most dangerous creature in the whole of creation.

If you are a child of God he is your greatest enemy.

 

▪ The "seven heads" suggests perfection of wisdom... which was how God created Lucifer when he was originally the "covering cherub". 

 

He was "perfect in beauty and full of wisdom."

People generally picture him as an ugly, red, pointy bearded, cloven footed, snivelling little imp holding a trident... what a fallacy! 

 

He was created beautiful, smart, clever and wise.

And while we have this incorrect mental picture of him... we won't fear him as we ought. 

He is to be greatly feared and is to be avoided at all costs.

He is no match for us. He is not to be toyed with. He is extremely dangerous. 

 

He will overcome us if we stand in our own strength against him.

 

▪ "Ten horns" could suggest the final division of the revived "Roman Empire", which will be dominated by Satan and which is his final effort to rule the world.

The crowns are on the horns and not the heads since it is delegated power by Satan himself. 

The crowns represent kingly (presidential?) authority and rulership.

 

So... ten horns... ten kingdoms... ten rulers?

And what about their link to the old Roman Empire?

How does that work?

European Common Market?? European Economic Community?? Ten Nation Confederacy??

 

Don't fret if you don't understand all this... we won't be here anyway. Jesus has snatched away His beloved Bride... His Church before all this takes place.

Our focus should always be on Jesus. ☆ Hebrews 12:1-2.

 

▪ "And his tail drew the third of the stars of heaven..." gives us an idea of the extent (enormity) of the rebellion that took place in heaven where a third of the angels were cast to the earth... 

 

Remember what Paul says in Ephesians 6:12?

Who are we up against?

Where did they come from?

 

"... we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

 

▪ "His tail drew..." ... shows the powerful and evil influence Satan had over those angels.

 

▪ "... the Dragon stood before the Woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

 

The Dragon hates the Man child because God foretold that the seed of a woman would be Satan's undoing. 

☆ Genesis 3:15...

 

That is why the Dragon "stands" before the Woman, waiting for the child to be born... to "devour" Him.

 

Satan hates Israel, has persecuted Israel, has tried to wipe out Israel... because Israel was to be the nation especially chosen by God to bring Christ (the Man child) into the world... to redeem the world.

 

Satan pulls out all stops, tries to cover all bases to prevent the birth of Christ.

 

                                   ***********

 

3 ■■ The Child of the Woman... Jesus Christ (Man child).

 

☆ Revelation 12:5-6...

"And she (Woman = Israel) brought forth a Man child (Christ), Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.

And the Woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days."

 

The Man child is Christ and not the Church. Why?

 

▪ The phrase "Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron" is a clear cut reference to Christ. 

The word "rule" is actually... to shepherd. How apt!

 

Next, Christ will come to put down all hostilty, all opposition, all rebellion on the earth. 

 

How will He achieve this? 

 

"He will break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." ☆ Psalm 2:9...

 

To put down out and out rebellion... will take violence. 

God is now saying... "Enough is enough!"

It's a definite case of... "The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

There is no more pussyfooting around.

Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, will come in power to put down a very rebellious world. 

 

"... out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron."

☆ Revelation 19:15...

 

"Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword?"... very interesting... certainly very different. 

How does that work?

 

And that word "rule" again... means to shepherd.

 

You don't like the shedding of blood? You just hate violence and war?... don't we all!

But this is the only way that rebellion can be put down. 

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is going to rule!

 

▪ "... and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne."

 

This is a reference to Christ's ascension to heaven. 

 

☆ Acts 1:9-11... "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He (Jesus) was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven."

 

The Gospels emphasise the life and death of Christ. 

The Epistles emphasise the resurrection of Christ.

Revelation emphasises the ascension of Christ.

 

Sadly, much of the Church has ignored the ascension of Christ and His present ministry that He is involved in...

 

The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of the ascended Christ, the glorified Christ, the Christ who is coming in glory.

The Book of the Revelation rests upon the fact of the Ascension of Christ... that Christ is in heaven.

Is He not also the One Who is able to open the 7 seals?

 

We are to fix our eyes upon Jesus the Author and Finisher of our salvation.

Christ Jesus is right now set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He is not sitting up there doing nothing... He is not twiddling His thumbs.

 

In fact Jesus is involved in a very specialised ministry for you and I, that is for His Church.

 

Jesus is our Advocate.

He is our counsel for defense, our legal assistant. 

 

☆ 1 John 2:1...

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

 

Jesus is interceding on our behalf in heaven right now.

It is Jesus Who is putting an end to all the accusations Satan (the accuser of the brethren) is making about us to the Father.

 

☆ Romans 8:34...

"Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also makes intercession for us."

 

▪ "And she (Woman) was delivered of a son, a Man child."

This settles the identity of the Woman.

 

Israel is clearly the one from whom Christ came. 

While the Church came from Jesus Christ, He, according to the flesh, came from Israel.

 

Israel and the Woman are one and the same.

 

We are told in...

☆ Galatians 4:4-5... "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons."

 

"Made under the law"... what law? It is the Mosaic Law which was given to Israel. Christ came "made [or, born] under the law" because Christ was an Israelite.

 

Even before the nation of Israel came into existence, God said to Abraham, "I am going to make you a great nation, and through that nation (Israel) I am sending a seed"...

That's not many seeds, but one, and that One is Christ.

 

▪ "And the Woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of (from) God."

 

During the intense part of the Great Tribulation Period, a remnant of Israel will be protected by God.

 

There are Bible teachers who say that this place of protection is the rock hewn city of Petra (in Jordan). They reckon the remnant will be preserved there because no enemy can get in. With today's modern day weaponry, even this so called impenetrable fortress will offer minimal or no protection.

Some are very dogmatic about this, but the Scriptures say very little about Petra.

 

What we do know is this...

 

▪▪  It is a wilderness area... conditions will be tough... but

God will provide for their every need supernaturally.

As in the days of Moses, God will provide them "manna" from heaven.

 

▪▪  God has specially prepared this place for them...

He will be their Rock, their refuge and their hiding place. Psalm 23 and Psalm 91 will be very real to them.

 

The Woman will be cared for for 3 and a half years.

 

☆ Psalm 23:5...

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies..."

 

☆ Psalm 91:2...

"I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust."

 

Remember we are dealing with the God of Israel Who is able to do mighty and extraordinary things. They are His chosen people. They are still the apple of His eye. 

 

☆ Psalm 17:8...

"Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Your wings."

 

He loves them with an everlasting love.

 

                        **************

Here we will stop.

 

In two weeks time we will look at the next two personalities...

□ Michael the archangel and...

□ the Remnant.