Revelation 12:1-17
[7/17/11]
Review:
Revelation 11: 15) (GW) When the seventh angel blew his trumpet, there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will rule as king forever and ever.”
QUESTION: What were the first and second “catastrophes”?
ANSWER: They were the events that happened when the fifth and sixth angels blew their trumpets.
QUESTION: Then what will the third “catastrophe” be?
ANSWER: It will be the events that happen when the seventh angel blows his trumpet.
19) (GW) God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his promise was seen inside his temple. There was lightning, noise, thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
QUESTION: What happens when the seventh angel blows his trumpet?
ANSWER: There is an announcement in Heaven that God and His Messiah will begin to reign on earth. This is pointing to the fulfillment of the sixth seal and the seventh vial; i.e., Armageddon.
ANOTHER ANSWER: Also, it appears there was “lightning, noise, thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail” on earth. This would then be an abbreviated description of the events of the 6th Seal and the 7th Vial, which are explained in more detail in those cases.
On To This Week’s Lesson:
Revelation 12:1-17) (GW) A spectacular sign appeared in the sky: There was a woman who was dressed in the sun, who had the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head.
2) (GW) She was pregnant. She cried out from labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
QUESTION: Who is this woman?
ANSWER: I believe her to be the nation of Israel during the Tribulation Period. The 12 stars on her head represent the 12 tribes of Israel.
QUESTION: Who is she pregnant with?
ANSWER: I believe her child represents the 144,000 sealed Jews.
3) (GW) Another sign appeared in the sky: a huge fiery red serpent with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on its heads.
(CEV) Something else appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and a crown on each of its seven heads.
4) (GW) Its tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky and threw them down to earth. The serpent stood in front of the woman who was going to give birth so that it could devour her child when it was born.
QUESTION: Who is this serpent/dragon?
ANSWER: The great serpent is Satan.
QUESTION: What does “Its tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky” mean?
ANSWER: I believe Satan deceived 1/3 of the angels to rebel with him against God. It is placed here to further describe who this is.
QUESTION: What does Satan want to do here?
ANSWER: He wants to kill the woman’s child.
5) (GW) She gave birth to a son, a boy, who is to rule all the nations with an iron scepter. Her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne.
Revelation 19:11-16) (GW) I saw heaven standing open. There was a white horse, and its rider is named Faithful and True. With integrity he judges and wages war.
12) (GW) His eyes are flames of fire. On his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, but only he knows what it is.
13) (GW) He wears clothes dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14) (GW) The armies of heaven, wearing pure, white linen, follow him on white horses.
15) (GW) A sharp sword comes out of his mouth to defeat the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter and tread the winepress of the fierce anger of God Almighty.
16) (GW) On his clothes and his thigh he has a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 2:26-27) (GW) I have received authority from my Father. I will give authority over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and continues to do what I want until the end.
27) (GW) Those people will rule the nations with iron scepters and shatter them like pottery.
QUESTION: Who is this boy?
ANSWER: All Christians will join Christ in ruling the nations. I believe this boy is a segment of the Christian church; i.e., the 144,000 Jewish evangelists.
NOTE: Many believe this boy to be Jesus, and His birth is mentioned here to identify the woman as Israel. I disagree. You’ll see why as we continue our discussion.
QUESTION: What happens to the boy that the Serpent wants to “devour”?
ANSWER: “Her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne.”
NOTE: More about this later
6 (GW) Then the woman fled into the wilderness where God had prepared a place for her so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
QUESTION: What happens to Israel?
ANSWER: She flees Jerusalem and God protects her for the final 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation.
7) (GW) Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels had to fight a war with the serpent. The serpent and its angels fought.
8) (GW) But it was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9) (GW) The huge serpent was thrown down. That ancient snake, named Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was thrown down to earth. Its angels were thrown down with it.
QUESTION: What happens in this war in Heaven?
ANSWER: Satan, and his angels, are thrown down to earth.
10) (GW) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, power, kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah have come. The one accusing our brothers and sisters, the one accusing them day and night in the presence of our God, has been thrown out.
QUESTION: What great victory is realized here?
ANSWER: Satan no longer has access to Heaven; he can no longer accuse “them day and night in the presence of our God.”
NOTE: Some believe this verse to point to the dawn of earth when Satan was kicked out of Heaven. I believe this verse shows that it refers to him finally losing all access to Heaven in the middle of the Tribulation.
11) (GW) They won the victory over him because of the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life so much that they refused to give it up.
12) (GW) Be glad for this reason, heavens and those who live in them. How horrible it is for the earth and the sea because the Devil has come down to them with fierce anger, knowing that he has little time left.”
13) (GW) When the serpent saw that it had been thrown down to earth, it persecuted the woman who had given birth to the boy.
14) (GW) The woman was given the two wings of the large eagle in order to fly away from the snake to her place in the wilderness, where she could be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time.
QUESTION: What has always been the source of the believer’s victory over Satan?
ANSWER: Their source of victory is “the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.”
QUESTION: When is Satan kicked out of Heaven for good?
ANSWER: He is kicked out this final time in the middle of the Tribulation Period.
15) (GW) The snake’s mouth poured out a river of water behind the woman in order to sweep her away.
16) (GW) The earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river which had poured out of the serpent’s mouth.
QUESTION: How does Satan attempt to destroy the people of Israel?
ANSWER: He uses a super-natural flash flood, but God creates a valley to swallow the river. It reminds me of the serpent that Moses’ rod became swallowing the serpents that Pharoah’s magicians made with their rods.
17) (GW) The serpent became angry with the woman. So it went away to fight with her other children, the ones who keep God’s commands and hold on to the testimony of Jesus.
QUESTION: Again, what happened to the child Israel gives birth to, and when does it happen?
ANSWER: The 144,000 thousand Jews, and, I believe, their converts, are raptured in the middle of the Tribulation Period.
NOTE: Others are evidently saved after this Mid-Term Rapture because Satan goes to make war with them after he can’t hurt Israel.