Rev CH 12-14
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I. INTRO
A. Recap 8-11
a. 7 seals
B. Video
a. What stuck out to you?
II. The Woman Giving Birth
A. Describe the scene (12:1-6)
B. Who’s the Woman & her Child?
a. Theory: what if this scene describes the manger w/the vail pulled back?
b. Theory: what if this scene describes the manger w/the vail pulled back?
1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.
1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
1. who is this?
i. we can know her identity by who she gives birth 2:
Rev 12:
5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
ii. who is this?
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Gen
5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
-Jesus is born, the “king” tries to kill Messiah by eliminating all the babies
-They run off 2 Egypt
-Eventually Jesus dies which the devil thinks he’s won…then Jesus is resurrected & ascends in2 heaven
-The word rule here is Shepherd in the greek (who’s the good shepherd?)
*Notice it’s w/a rod of iron, not a royal scepter…this is the shepherds rod!
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
-who’s ps 2 talking about?
b. Theory: woman is God’s OT people which gives brith to the messiah
1. God continually protects them
2. this would mean that the meaning shifts to God’s church (New Covenant people) by...
14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
i. &
17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
Rev 12:17
c. notice what happened btwn vs 4-5
1. Jn skips right to Jesus’ triumph o resurrection & ascension
C. Who’s the serpent/dragon?
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
D. What happens 2 the Serpent; when is this?
a. Is it possible that vs 4 & 9 r the same event?
4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
1. if that’s so…could vs 7-17 be a retelling of vs 1-6 w/greater detail?
2. this is a reimagining & fulfilment o the prophecy found in
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
b. then, after the serpent couldn’t kill her son, or the woman…he went after?
then, after the serpent couldn’t kill her son, or the woman…he went after?
17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
rev 12:
1. which is the plite our 7 churches have found themselves in & r in 2 this day
2. but how does the church overcome?
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
rev 12:11
III. The Beasts
A. Beast 1 (13:1-8)
B. Beast 2 (13:11-18)
C. What are the beasts?
a. to identify who they r we have 2 look at something specific
a. It’s not by pwr/might/war against countries that the Church wins!
1. Remember Paul’s words:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
eph 6:10-12
& again
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
& again
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
What’s Jn’s point in telling us about the beasts?
he directly tells us between the description o the 2 beasts
10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
Rev 12
D. The beast’s number (what is the mark o the beast?)
16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,
17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
Rev 13:16-
What’s Jn’s point
right hand / forehead
a. the mark is given to us to identify the beast
what’s the mark?
vs 17b: name o beast; the number o its name
vs 18: let 1 who’s understanding calculate the number o the beast; the nuber o a man: 666
1. # = its name (how?)
2. Gematria: practice o taking names, words, phrases & transferring the letters to #’s
practice o taking names, words, phrases & transferring the letters to #’s
i. Hebrew language letters r also #’s
-used by romans, christians, and jews in the time this book was written
-Pompeii; piece o graffiti reads “I love who’s name is 545”
ii. the purpose is to both reveal a message and conceal it
- if u take the greek word beast put it in2 Hebrew & add up the #’s u get…666
- & if u take the name Nero Caesar, put it in2 Hebrew & add up the # u get…666
3. the point is that any time u get a nation who uses it’s might (beast 1) & economic power (beast 2) to force total allegiance guess who’s behind it?
i. seen by Babylon, Greece, Rome, & on & on till Jesus comes back
b. where’s the mark?
1. right hand / forehead
i. who’s heard o the shema
a. anti-shema
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deut 6:4-
-that is, the thoughts of your mind (reflected by the words that u speak)
-and the works of our hands should reflect/plainly show who we worship!!
-thus, who we worshipfully serve will be evident as if it were stamped on our forehead…either God, or the serpent
ii. The mark o the beast is the anti-shema…the identifyer of who ur God is which is made known by your works & thoughts/words
c. Further clarification on the beasts & the dragon
1. What if the 2 beasts + the serpent r the anti-trinity
i. play video -Rev episode structure (min 6:10)
2. So that Jn is making a clear distinction btwn the triune God & the anti-trinity…
i. forcing his readers & and us to make a decision…who will you serve?
E. How do we conquer the anti-trinity?
a. It’s not by pwr/might/war against countries that the Church wins!
1. Remember Paul’s words:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
i. & again
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
ii. & again
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
2. What’s Jn’s point in telling us about the beasts?
i. he directly tells us btwn the description o the 2 beasts
10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
3. Our weapons then r:
i. endurance, faith (),
ii. The Lamb’s blood & our testimony & our sacrificial death for our enemies ()
iii. God’s armor of:
- truth, righteousness, readiness to proclaim the gospel, faith (again) salvation, God’s word in the hands of H.S. ()
-All these things are represented by the shema
IV. The Lamb & the Army
IV. The Lamb & the Army
A. what is on the 144,000’s foreheads?
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
rev 4:
a. does that sound familiar?
1. remember this?
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
i. 4 angels given authority to harm the earth, but not God’s people
ii. Jn heard 144,000 & saw???
-multitudes of every tribe, language, etc.
-What’s the point?
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
Rev 14:9
b. If we cave to the cultural & / violent pressure 2 conform to this world what happens?
c. how do we over come?
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Rev 12:
V. The 2 Harvests
A. what’s up w/the 2 harvests?
a. final judgement…again
Next Week CH 15-16