War In Heaven Series

May 11, 2024

The 3rd and final section of Revelation opens with the 4th introductory Sanctuary Scene of the book:

Revelation 11:19 - Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm (representative of divine presence – Ex. 19:16-19; 20:18).

• In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of God’s throne and his abiding presence with his people. It is a reminder to John that God’s sovereignty and presence remains with his people until the end of time and is something to be trusted – especially in the face of what’s to come.

• The opening of the Most Holy Place, coming at the beginning of this section also tells us that what follows should be placed within the context of the new phase of Christ’s ministry in Heaven, which is represented by the High Priest’s work on the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 ---- This event was introduced in Revelation 11:1-2 and takes place during the time the Gospel goes into all the world.

• Finally, the revealing of the Ark of the Covenant at this point in Revelation is important because it is the place where the Law of God is kept. God’s Law will play a significant role in end-time events.

That brings us to the “eschatological” portion of Revelation and the events leading up to the 2nd Coming of Jesus.

Revelation 12 provides context for those events:

• Satan attempts to destroy Christ on earth (v. 1-6).

• Satan and his angels are forever kicked-out of heaven (v. 7-12).

• Satan turns his attention to God’s people (v. 13-17).

The Woman and the Dragon (v. 1-6)

A great sign now appears in Heaven. John sees a woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head.” She is heavily pregnant and about to give birth. This woman is symbolic.

In Scripture, a woman is often a representation of God’s people – both faithful:

Jeremiah 2:1-3a - The word of the LORD came to me: "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest…..”

And unfaithful:

2 Chronicles 21:11 - He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

Jeremiah 2:20-21 - Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, 'I will not serve you!' Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute. I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?

Jeremiah 3:20 - But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 16:30-32 - How weak-willed you are, declares the Sovereign LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! When you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment. You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband!

Hosea 3:1 - The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes."

In Revelation 12, this woman is pure – She represents God’s faithful people – both in the Old Testament and the New.

In verses 1-5, she is Israel bringing the Messiah into the world.

Before she gives birth, John sees another sign in Heaven - “an enormous red dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns and 7 crowns on his heads.” With his tail the dragon swept a 1/3 of the stars of heaven out of the sky and hurled them to earth. (We will not address the 7 heads and 10 horns at this time, but will refer back to them in a subsequent study)

Who is this Dragon? We don’t have to travel far to get our answer (v. 9), “The great dragon was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.”

The Dragon stands before the woman, ready to devour her child the moment it is born.

How long has Satan been waiting for this moment? Since God announced, in the garden, that One would be born who would crush the serpents head (Gen 3:15).