Revelation Chapter 12
Rev. 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
The First Great Sign From Heaven
The symbols in the first sign take us back to the Old Testament to one of the dreams of Joseph.
Joseph's father, a man named Jacob, interpreted the dream like this: The sun represented himself (Jacob,
whose name was later changed to Israel), the moon represented his wife (whose name was Rachel), and
the crown of twelve stars represented their twelve children (the twelve tribes of Israel). This family
was the beginning of the nation of Israel.
Notice that the three symbols in Joseph's dream (the sun, moon, and the twelve stars) are all associated with this woman in Chapter 12. She is clothed with the sun, (a symbol of Israel), has the moon
(a symbol of Racheal) under her feet, and has a crown of twelve stars (a symbol of the twelve tribes of Israel)
on her head. This woman represents the nation of Israel at its beginning.
Rev. 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and
pained to be delivered.
A Nation In Travail
Verse 5 of this chapter tells us that Israel is pregnant with a male child, who will rule all the nations.
Her pregnancy is a reference to her condition just before the birth of Yahusha. John says she cried out in pain as
she was about to give birth.
Before Messiah's birth, Israel was a captive nation to the Roman Empire. She had to submit to Roman leaders,
pay Roman taxes, and obey Roman laws. She was a nation in travail.
Rev. 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold
a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
The Second Great Sign From Heaven
The first sign in heaven was a sun-clothed woman (the nation of Israel). The second sign in heaven is an enormous red
dragon Satan that is explained further in Revelation 12:9
. He is enormous because
of his great power; red, since he has killed multitudes; and a dragon due to his fierce nature.
This seven heads symbol of world governments, ten horns symbol of the seven powerful kings, and seven crowns
symbols of the seven (divisions) controlled by the ten powerful kings
The dragon will have seven heads symbolising the seven Gentile world governments that Satan has led since the beginning of creation. It will also have ten horns, symbolizing the ten kings that will reign with him during the entire
Tribulation Period. The Bible teaches that these ten kings will rise to power and that the Antichrist will come on the scene in a unified Europe (European Union or E.U.). The Antichrist will subdue three of those ten kings so that their power will ultimately be concentrated into even crowns or seven divisions of the last world government.
This must not be taken lightly. A one-world government empowered and controlled by Satan is a terrible thought.
SOme say it will make Adolf Hitler did during WWII look like a Sunday picnic.
The Seven Gentile Governments are:
1.) Assyrian
2.) Egyption
3.) Bablonian
4.) Medo-Persian
5.) Greek
6.) Roman
7.) The current European Union (Revised Roman Empire).
Rev. 12:4 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.
Falling Stars
Stars are symbols of angels. The fact that Satan swept a third of the stars out of the sky means that he caused one-third
of the angels to fall. Satan's mutiny was a tremendous rebellion involving millions of angels.
Satan has tried to destroy Yahusha (or at least Yahusha' mission of dying on the cross) many times while Yahusha was
on earth.
1.) Satan waited for the birth of Yahusha because he wanted to destroy Yahusha. When
Yahusha was born, he stirred the wrath of Herod, King of Judea, to have all the male babies in and around Bethlehem killed.
Elohim, however, sent an angel to warn Yahusha' father, Joseph, to take Mary and flee with Jesus to Egypt.
2.) At the beginning of Messiah's ministry, Satan offered Jesus the kingdom of the
world if he would bow down and worship Satan.
3.) Later, when Yahusha told his disciples he would die, Peter disagreed and Yahusha
answered, Get behind me, Satan (Matthew 16:23). Satan
was working through Peter to tempt Yahusha to by-pass the cross.
4.) Before Yahusha was crucified he went to the Mount of Olives to pray. There
Satan came against him with such power that Elohim sent an angel to strengthen him. Jesus was put in such agony and
temptation that he sweat drops of blood, but he still prevailed.
5.) When Yahusha was hanging on the cross the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked him saying, Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in Elohim.
Let Elohim rescue him now if he wants him (Matthew 27:42,43). Satan was doing everything
he could to keep Yahusha from dying on the cross.
6.) Satan even used the thieves who were crucified with Yahusha. In
the same way (insults and taunting) the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him
(Matthew 27:44
Rev. 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations
with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Snatched Up
The woman will give birth to a son who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. The Second Psalm identifies the
one who will do this as Elohim's Anointed One (Yahusha). Chapeter 19 calls him the King of kings and Lord of lords
Her (Israel's) child was snatched up to Elohim is a reference to the ascension of Yahusha. He ascended to Heaven
following his (death and resurrection.)
Notice that Yahusha will not rule the nations with love but with an iron scepter. The world is full of people who are
in rebellion against Elohim because they follow false teachings or religions (i.e. atheists, communist, Moslems).
However, when the Messiah returns he will crush these rebellions with an iron scepter.
John saw a Lamb, (Yahusha), looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of Elohims's
throne (Revelation 5:6).
Rev. 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a
place prepared of Elohim, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Flee Away
We are now at the midpoint of the seven year Tribulation Period. 1,260 days (three and one-half years) have past.
now there are 1,260 more days before Messiah's Second Coming.
Yahusha taught that the Temple would be defiled by an image of the Antichrist at the Tribulation Period midpoint.
He told those who live in Judea to flee into the mountains when that happens.
Where will they go? The woman (Israel) will flee into the desert to a place prepared for her by Elohim. Most prophecy experts believe the Jews will flee to a mountainous area in the Jordan desert called Petra. It is an abandoned city that was carved into the rocks of the mountains centuries ago. It has only one entrance, so the Jews will be able to hide in those caves and barricade themselves in for protection. They will hide there for 1,260 days
(three and one-half years), the last half of the Tribulation Period.
The ancient city of Petra lies in a mountainous area about 20 miles south of the Dead Sea in the country of Jordan.
These white and red sandstone mountains are simply a great volcanic crater where the Edomites lived about 500 B.C.
These people carved temples, houses, and businesses directly out of the rock face. The name Petra means the rock
and the city is often called the Rose Red City because of its red stone buildings and the red cliffs
they are cut out of. The city was long deserted and is still difficult to reach because of the narrow passages
that serve as the only entrances. Due to the narrow passages it would be easy for a small force to defend
the city against a larger.
Rev. 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Charge!!!
As soon as Israel flees, a great war will erupt in heaven. Elohim's angels will be led by the archangel Michael
in the fight against Satan and his angel. It will be a fierce spiritusal battle, since the last thing Satan wants
is to be cast out of heaven again.
Some of Satan's Names are:
1.) prince (Matthew 9:34)
2.) The prince of the world (Jphn 12:31)
3.) The prince of the powers of the air (Ephesians 2:2 KJV)
4.) the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4 KJV)
Rev. 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in
heaven.
Banished Forever
Satan and his angels will fight to no avail. They will lose their place in heaven forever.
Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called
the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Bittersweet
There is no mistaking that the great dragon is Satan. He is also called the old serpent and the devil. This verse
is bittersweet; Bitter because Satan and his demon angels will be thrown down to earth. Sweet because Satan and
his angels will lose the war in heaven.
Satan has always persecuted Elohim's people. He sepecially hates the Jews because Yahusha was a Jew. He and his demons
will come to the earth with great wrath, but Elohim will have Israel flee into the mountainous desert before they arrive
Examples of Jewish Persecution:
1.) The Holocaust
2.) Special taxes were imposed on them by Europeans during the Middle Ages.
3.) They were placed in ghettos during the Middle Ages in Europe.
4.) They were driven out of Spain in 1492.
5.) In the 1800's Poland and Russia killed them in massacres called poroms.
Rev. 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our Elohim, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast
down, which accused them before our Elohim day and night.
For The Defense
When Satan is cast out, heaven will rejoice because,
1.) our salvation will be complete and Satan will be banished from our presence forever.
2.) all power will belong to Yahusha, and there will be no more evil (Satan) in heaven
3.) the kingdom of Elohim will come to earth
4.) Yahusha will finally exercise the authority over earth that he won at the cross.
Today, Satan is the accuser of believers. He parades before the throne of Elohim day and night pointing out the sins of
Elohim's people. Yahusha, too, is there -- defending us. But his defense will end when Satan is cast out of heaven.
Satan will never accuse us again.
Rev. 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by
the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
We Have The Power
Believers will have the power to overcome Satan during the Tribulation Period By:
1.) trusting in the blood of the Lamb, because through the blood, atonement was made for our sins.
2.) testifying to our faith, because if we acknowledge Yahusha before men, he will acknowledge us before Elohim.
3.) not fearing death, because a physical death is far better than being cast into hell.
Rev. 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time.
The Seventh Trumpet - The Third Woe
Heaven will celebrate its great triumph after Satan and his angels have been cast out. But watch out earth and sea.
Satan and his demons are on their way filled with fury, knowing that their days are numbered.
When Satan is cast out of heaven, Yahusha will exercise his authority over the earth. He will declare that
the Kingdom of Elohim will come to earth. Because of this, Satan will do all the damage he can with the time he has left.
Rev. 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth,
he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child.
Flee
Israel will flee when Satan is cast down to the earth because his rage will burn against the nation of Israel for bringing forth Yahusha. The quicker the Jews escape the better.
Rev. 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle,
that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time,
from the face of the serpent.
The Wings Of An Eagle.
Israel will escape Satan's grasp on the wings of a great eagle. Some believe the United States is the wings of a great eagle. They believe she will rapidly airlift the Jews to safety. this is probably not the case.
By letting Scripture be our guide, we learn that Elohim says he brought Israel out of Egypt on eagle's wings.
The Jews interpret this to mean they escaped by the grace of Elohim because they could not deliver themselves.
This is most likely the way it will happen during the Tribulation Period, so he has already devised an escape route to safety. Elohim will prepare this place of safety, so it will be ready when needed.
When Israel arrives, Elohim will take care of her. He will supernaturally provide food, water, clothing, protection,
and anything else she needs. It will be like it was during the days of Moses when they were wandering in the wilderness.
Elohim fed them manna and quail, provided water, and did not allow their clothes or sandals to wear out.
This will go on for three and one half years. It is the meaning of a time, times and half a time. Elohim will sustain this
remnant of Israel in her special place for the entire second half of the Tribulation Period.
Even in Biblical Efforts to Eliminate the Jews Failed.
1.) THe king of Egypt could not diminish the Jews (Exodus 1:9-12)
2.) The Egyption army could not recapture them (Exodus 14:13-31)
3.) Balaam could not curse them (Numbers 23:7,8)
4.) The nations of the world could not assimilate or destroy them (Ester 3:8-9:17)
5.) The dictators of the nations cannot annihilate them (Isaiah 14:1-5; Zechariah 8:22,23).
Rev. 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
Like A Flood
In the Old Testament, Elohim used the flood waters of a river as a symbol to represent an attack by the King of Assyria
on Judah. The flood waters represented enemy troops pouring into the tiny nation.
This verse uses that same type of symbolism. When Satan sees Israel fleeing into the wilderness, he will probably
speak through the Antichrist or his False Prophet, using their mouths to incite an attack on the terrified Jewish
people. It will be his intent to pour many troops into the wilderness, and drown the woman (Israel) with an
overwhelming force.
Rev. 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her
mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Into The Pit
Elohim will intervene. A supernatureal catastrophe will befall Satan's pursuing army. The earth opening its mouth probably
symbolizes another great earthquake with the earth splitting open. Satan's troops will suddenly drop into the pit.
This is why the Jews should not go back after anything when they see the Antichrist defile the Temple. Instead they
should escape the enemy troops and stay ahead of the great earthquake.
Rev. 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make
war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of Elohim, and have the testimony of Yahusha the Messiah.
Pick Your Target
The escape of Israel will infuriate Satan. Since he failed to wipe out Israel, he will pick another target - those who
obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Yahusha.
Notice two things:
1.) we have now started reading about things that will happen during the second half of the Tribulation Period
2.) there will be Gentile believers on earth at that time. Israel's offspring is a reference to Gentile believers.
Satan will go on a rampage against Elohim's people in the second half of the Tribulation Period. He will do everything
he can to destroy the elect.
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