Revelation Study Series 17
God’s Mysterious Plan Fulfilled (Chapter 12)
03.06.22
Message…
Revelation 12:1
1 Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
“...event of great significance” - “wonder” or “sign”
We have the symbolic picture here of a woman…This woman represents the nation of Israel.
“clothed with the sun”- exalted status of God’s chosen people
“crown of twelve stars on her head”- representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Young Joseph shared a dream with his brothers and father…
Genesis 37:9
Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”
Jacob was Joseph’s father…God changed his name to Israel. Jacob’s twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel.
This woman symbolically refers to the nation of Israel.
John saw her as pregnant, in labor and agony about to give birth…
Revelation 12:3-4
3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads.
4 his tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. he stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
Thirteen times in the book of Revelation satan appears described as a “dragon”.
The “seven heads”, “ten horns”, and “seven crowns” all speak of past and future kingdoms that he has influenced and will rule until his reign will be ended by our Lord.
“one-third of the stars in the sky” swept away…obviously references the 1/3rd of angels that fell with satan when pride overtook him and he thought himself to be as God.
satan could not prevent the virgin birth of Christ. he tried to have Jesus killed…as Herod decreed that all the male children should be put to death…but, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to flee with Mary and the Christ child into Egypt…later returning to Nazareth.
Revelation 12:5
She gave birth to a Son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her Child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to His throne.
Israel delivered the Messiah…the promised Savior!
Immanuel, God with us, was born. And, He ascended to His rightful throne after His death and resurrection.
Revelation 12:6
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.
As events of the Great Tribulation grow in their intensity, there will be a remnant of Jews who flee and will be protected by God for 1,260 days, or 3.5 years.
Revelation 12:7-9
7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.
8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven.
9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
Since the fall of satan, there has been an ongoing war in heaven. Good and Truth versus evil and deception.
Author Tim Lehaye makes some interesting observations about this passage of scripture in his book, “Revelation”…
“Michael seems to be the “commanding general” of the heavenly hosts. It is suggested on the basis of Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 that Michael is superior to the majority of the angels, but somewhat lower in created order than satan himself.”
When Moses died, scripture says that God covered him up. In the book of Jude satan and Michael battled one another over Moses' body.
Jude 1:9
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Author Lahaye, goes on to say, “Michael does not seem able to cope with satan himself but must rely on the power of God for his defense.”
He adds, “This is an excellent object lesson to Christians! If the archangel Michael, commander of God’s heavenly host, is not adequate to take on satan in conflict, neither are we! Our only defense against the devil is to flee to God.”
Daniel 12:1 “At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued.
There is and will continue to be war in heaven for a time.
And, while this conflict involves God’s heavenly host, and satan and his demonic force of followers…understand what the battle is about!
The battle is over you! Your soul! Your fate! Your eternity!
satan stands before our Lord having access and communication with God. ?(he talks to God more than some of you do!)
In those exchanges with God he brings accusations against you. *(Hebrew - “satan” = “accuser”/Greek = “adversary”)
satan accuses/slanders you to the Lord! he makes a case as to why you should be damned/condemned!
he declares that you should be punished for eternity as he will be!
Revelation 12:10-11
10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
“It has come at last—
salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night.
11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much
that they were afraid to die.
You do not overcome satan by a path of good works.
You do not overcome satan by a set of holy ceremonies, or religious traditions/rituals/observances.
You do not overcome satan by your own power.
You overcome satan by the blood of the Lamb! (The shed blood of Christ covering your sin!)
1 Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Let there be no confusion or doubt…it is the acceptance of the Gospel of Christ that saves you! There is no other way!
??Some of you just came from Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday…you’ve given up Diet Coke or something for Lent…and you're about to eat fish every Friday night for a while. And, none of that has anything to do with the Gospel of Christ!!! None of that saves you!!! It is only the Gospel of Christ that saves you and protects you from the evil one!!!
The Gospel is… (Paul wrote what the Gospel is.)
I Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.
2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.
4 He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
Your faith…(Faith that leads to salvation, your acknowledgement/acceptance of Christ and His work of redemption for you.)...Your faith and trust in Jesus is your salvation and testimony story!
Your accuser, the one who stands before God night and day in Heaven accusing you of your sin and disobedience against God (which seems/is hypocritical of him right?!)...
he tells God why you should go to hell when he goes, and why you should be destroyed when he is…
And, guess what? his accusations against you are justified…
You are guilty of sin, disobedience, and wrongdoing against a Holy, righteous God!
Romans 3:10; 12b; 23
10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—
not even one.
…
12b …No one does good, not a single one.”
…
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
But, you who are saved, have done what satan never did, nor will ever do! You have confessed/repented of your sin and turned to Jesus!
What saves you from his accusations is your acceptance of the work of Christ, by faith.
While satan’s accusations are justified…they have been nullified by your faith in Jesus!
Romans 8:33-39
33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself.
34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
Romans 10:22
22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
Revelation 12:12
Therefore, rejoice, O heavens!
And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!
But terror will come on the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to you in great anger,
knowing that he has little time.”
Heaven will rejoice when satan is cast out with no more access! he won’t be able to accuse anymore, but he will work on deceiving and destroying all who live on earth!
Terror/Woe to those who live on this earth when he will be cast down! he will know his time is short. he will torment, deceive, and destroy as much as he can with the little time that he has remaining.
Revelation 12:13-17
13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
satan will seek to destroy Israel…but God will intervene.
14 But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time.
(“time, times, and half a time” - 3.5 years - referencing second half of the Great Tribulation)
15 Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth.
16 But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.
17 And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.
God will protect and deliver Israel. These verses describe nothing short of a supernatural victory by God. He has been protecting and delivering Israel ever since the world began. And, He will continue to do so!
satan will be at war with not only Israel, but anyone on earth who obeys God and keeps their testimony of faith in Jesus!
Life Application:
1 Peter 5:8-9a
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
9a Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. …
“Stand firm” - “Resist” satan
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. KJV
You cannot overcome satan by a path of good works.
You cannot overcome satan by a set of holy ceremonies, or religious traditions/rituals/observances.
You cannot overcome satan by your own power.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.
4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-12
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The only way you overcome satan is by the blood of the Lamb! By your testimony of faith, accepting what Jesus has done for you!
I Corinthians 15:2a; 3b; 4
2a It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe…
3b …Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.
4 He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Quit living religiously…live Godly!!!
