Study of End Times Week 30
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The Dragon, Woman, and Child part 2 August 17
The Dragon, Woman, and Child part 2 August 17
Last week we looked at part one of the Dragon, the woman and the child. As we began to look at Revelation chapter 12, in those first five verse that we looked at, we seen that the dragon was Satan, and that the woman is Israel, and that the child is Jesus, and that the dragon wants nothing more than to destroy Jesus.
Satan’s biggest desire is to destroy Jesus, and he has always wanted to in order to have complete power and reign. But he has not nor will he ever be able to destroy Jesus or Israel, or any of God’s people.
Tonight we will continue to look at chapter 12, picking up in verse 6 as we look at a war that will take place first in heaven then on earth, between Satan and his demons and Michael and his angels.
I. Israel’s Spiritual Fight
I. Israel’s Spiritual Fight
6 The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, to be nourished there for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, 8 but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,
The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Christ
have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them
before our God day and night,
has been thrown down.
The first thing we see here is that the woman, who is Israel fled into the wilderness for 1,260 days, which is just roughly half of the tribulation period, or 3 and 1/2 years.
Therefore, God provided protection for Israel for the second half of the tribulation period, when Satan and his partners became very angry and actively rebellious.
Two battles are taking place in this passage: one in heaven and one on earth, and the purpose of the war is to cast Satan out of heaven. On one side are the dreadful dragon and his demons; on the other side are Michael and his angels.
Michael is one of only two angels named in the Bible, with the other one being Gabriel. Michael is called an archangel in Jude 1:9
9 Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses’s body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Archangel is a term that refers to angels of high rank. Michael was the chief angel of God who especially watches over Israel and leads the holy angels to protect the people of God.
Michael is only mentioned a few times in Scripture, here in Revelation, the once in Jude, and then a few times in Daniel.
The name Michael mean who is like God?
The first war we see is the war in Heaven.
A. The War in Heaven
A. The War in Heaven
The dragon is described as a serpent because he is so subtle. He is also called the devil, which means accuser, and Satan, which means adversary.
We might think was not Satan already cast out of heaven? Yes, but he still has limited access to heaven.
6 One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
In the mystery, providence, and plan of God, Satan has been allowed this limited access to heaven. Although Satan has been formally expelled, God has still allowed him to come and accuse all the saints before Him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,
The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Christ
have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them
before our God day and night,
has been thrown down.
But now Michael and his angels are telling Satan that he does not have access to heaven any longer and will be cast down to earth.
Do you know that Satan is watching everything you do?
You know that is if you have felt the sting of his accusations, perhaps of a lustful thought, a bad temper, a selfishness.
We can be guilty of these things, but there is a difference between accusing and convicting us of our sins.
Satan comes as a prosecuting attorney and says: “Look at that Chris, he is supposed to be a pastor, but did you hear what he said? Did you see what he thought? God, how can you honor him? You claim to be so righteous, You claim to be so just, why don’t you cast him into hell?
Night and day Satan accuses us, but praise God, we have a defense attorney named Jesus.
1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one.
Jesus turns to the judge and says in our defense: “Yes, Father, Chris has sinned, but Father, I ask you to look at my wounds, I died for those sins, You see my shed blood on him. And God, as judge, rules in our favor because of the shed blood of His Son.
B. The War on Earth
B. The War on Earth
Revelation 12:11-12, speaks of the saints and notice what it says about them: Revelation 12:11-12
Revelation 12:11–12 (CSB)
11 They conquered him [Satan that is]
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
for they did not love their lives
to the point of death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!
Woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down to you
with great fury,
because he knows his time is short.
Satan , who was cast out of heaven, is now upon the earth, and he is filled with violent rage. He is like a cornered animal that knows things are closing in on him.
He begins to fight against the saints with an intensity that he’s never shown before, and thankfully, there is a threefold formula for victory.
1. The Believer’s Cleansing.
1. The Believer’s Cleansing.
First, the believers overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus won the victory over Satan on the cross.
Looking to the cross, Jesus said in John 12:31
31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
Satan’s back was broken at the cross. Ever since then, Satan has been sailing a sinking ship. He rules a doomed domain.
The blood of Jesus Christ conquers and cleanses. Do you believe that?
7 If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
How are we going to overcome Satan? We will never have victory over Satan as long as there is sin in our heart that we have not confessed and repented of.
Is there bitterness, lust, or some habit in your life that you know is sinful, yet you are withholding it from God’s cleansing power?
Whatever it is, it is not worth it. You can be as clean as the pure, white snow by repenting of your sin and claiming the blood of Jesus Christ to forgive you.
If you go to war against Satan, you had better make certain your heart is clean.
27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity.
If there is sin in your heart, you have given the devil an unholy place to wage war on the rest of you. Be clean.
2. The Believer’s Confession
2. The Believer’s Confession
The believers also overcame Satan by the word of their testimony.
Did you know that your testimony is a mighty power to overcome the devil? When you testify of who Jesus is in your life, you are throwing water on Satan’s fire that is trying to devour you.
17 So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.
Do you know Jesus? He is Lord, He is the Lamb who died, He is the Lion who rules.
When Satan comes against you, testify about what Jesus did at Calvary and the empty tomb. Testify also about who you are.
Tell him that when Jesus died, you died. You were crucified with Christ, when Jesus was buried, you were buried, when Jesus was raised, you were raised, when Jesus ascended, you ascended, and when Jesus was enthroned and seated in the heavenlies, you were also enthroned in Christ.
Tell Satan you are redeemed, accepted, and empowered by the Lord Jesus Christ, you are now a king and a priest.
3. The Believer’s Courage
3. The Believer’s Courage
The day of martyrs is not past. More people died in the twentieth century for Jesus than have died in any other century [more than one hundred million people have given their lives for the Lord Jesus Christ].
What is the attitude of a martyr?
11 They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
for they did not love their lives
to the point of death.
They kept on loving Jesus even if they died, if their testimony cost them their lives, they could say, “I am going with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
But this sounds like I could get hurt, yes, but you cannot be harmed. There is a difference.
Remember how, in a previous week we discussed believers are sovereignly protected? When we are in the center of God’s will, your work will never lack for God’s provision or God’s protection.
II. Israel’s Strategic Flight
II. Israel’s Strategic Flight
Satan realizes what has happened to him. He no longer has access before God so he turns with intensity to the woman and begins to persecute Israel.
Remember, this is the time of the great tribulation, and Israel will be persecuted in a tremendous way. This will be a dark time for Israel.
13 When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time. 15 From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.
Let’s review what we have learned so far about the great tribulation, which begins after the rapture of the church.
In the middle of the seven-year period, the temple will be rebuilt. And when that happens, the Antichrist will move in and declare himself to be God.
Then Israel will realize that a false Messiah has betrayed her, and she will refuse to serve him.
During this time Satan will turn against Israel in a way he has never done before. Then what happens?
Jesus prophesied it in Matthew 24:16-21
16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house, 18 and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again.
The Jews take flight for three and half years as Jesus prophesied above and as Revelation 12:14
14 The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time.
When the devil sees them flee, he will send a flood of persecution. But Isaiah 59:19B [NKJV] says
Isaiah 59:19 (NKJV)
19 When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
What does all of this mean? It means God knows the future. And God is in control.
Does that mean, Israel will not be persecuted, no they will still face persecution, but God will also protect them, that is He will not allow them to be completely whipped away either.
Just as today, Christian’s face persecution, but we cannot lose our salvation, we are told in Scripture man and even Satan can harm our bodies, but they cannot harm our soul.
28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
No one could write a book like the Bible apart from divine inspiration, as you see everything that is happening today fitting into the socket of prophecy.
III. Israel’s Saving Faith
III. Israel’s Saving Faith
17 So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.
There will come a time when many Jews will come to Jesus Christ as their Messiah.
10 “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for him as one weeps for a firstborn.
How can Jehovah God be pierced? The only one way is for God to become a man and die on a cross.
1 “On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem, to wash away sin and impurity.
We also hear from the apostle Paul who says in Romans 11:25-26
25 I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
The Deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
The second part of verse 26 is quoted from Isaiah 59:20
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
What is the fullness of the Gentiles? The church.
Does this bless you? It makes me want to shout with Joy to know that God has a plan. God has not forsaken His ancient people.
God has blessed Israel so Israel might be a blessing to all the world. There will be a fountain open to them just like the song goes that was written by William Cowpen, There Is a Fountain.
- Video
How can we continue living in these pivotal days without giving everything we have to Jesus Christ?
We are to love Him with a burning, blazing, passionate, emotional love.
We are to love what God loves, and God loves His Son, and His chosen people the Jews.
Thank God, a day is coming - and it may not be far off - when all of these prophecies will begin to unfold.
I am grateful for Revelation. I may not have every jot and tittle correct because we are dealing with difficult matters to interpret, but I have this much correct - Jesus is Lord and He is coming again. Praise His Name!