REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 12.7

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

                                                                           

Chapter Twelve

The Great Tribulation

(Parenthesis)

The Seven Trumpets

Trumpet Number 7: Woe Number 3

 (A Parenthesis)

Tribulation Characters

 

 

Overview

Since the fall of man in Genesis to the book of Revelation there has been a mighty conflict between two forces:

1. God and Satan.

2. The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent

3. Good and evil

This war has been rightly labeled “The Battle of the Ages.”

 

The following six verses of Revelation 12 chronicle a significant turning point resulting in a war in heaven. The outline includes:

1. D-Day – The Battle Begins (verses7-8)

2. V-Day – The Battle Ends (verse 9)

3. Victory Day Celebration (verses 10-12)

 

D-Day

4. Michael the Archangel

(Verse 7)

 

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.

 

The Great Cosmic War in Heaven

In this verse, the scene shifts to Heaven where a war (i.e., warfare, either a single battle or a series of encounters) ensues. This spiritual war ultimately culminates with the casting out of Satan and his cohorts to earth. Two combatants are mentioned:

A. Michael and his angels

B. The Dragon and his angels

 

The unusuality of this event is that both powers fighting is in the spiritual realm. Therefore, their methods of warfare are inconceivable since they are not revealed. However, angelic beings do possess supernatural powers and energies, so their modes of fighting are only left to one’s wildest imagination.

 

During this heavenly conflict, Satan’s battle plan will involve the following stratagem:

1. To kill all devoted to God

2. To destroy their faith

3. To fight viciously to prevent Christ from establishing the Millennial Kingdom

 

Michael

Fourth in the characters of Tribulation is God’s militant - Michael the Archangel. The name Michael (Hebrew: Mîykâ’êl, Greek: Michaēl) is interesting. Combining his three syllables comprises the phrase, “Who (is) like God.” On the other hand, the archangel (Greek: archaggelos) denotes a chief archangel whom Michael is the only one named in Holy Writ, having Satan as his counterpart.  

Note: Extant literature references seven archangels, Michael, being the chief.

 

Archangel Michael is notated as such:

1. As the guardian angel of God’s elect - Israel

Daniel 10:13 - But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me (Daniel); and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

 

For 21 days, Daniel’s prayer was not answered due to Michael engaging in spiritual warfare with the Prince of Persia, either a high-ranking demonic fallen angel that represented the Persian world power, or Satan himself. This demonic power was trying to halt God from carrying out His plan for the future of Israel.

 

Daniel 10:21 - But I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

As prince (Hebrew: ώar, pronounced sar) Michael was the head person of any rank or class. When world powers went against Israel, it was Michael the Prince of Israel alone who held the office of the protectorate.

 

2. As the voice descending with the Lord for the saints

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

Known as the rapture, or the great catching up, Michael will also shield Christian believers against any confrontations from demonic forces.

 

3.  As a contender with Satan over the body of Moses

Jude 1:9 - Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

 

Lest the Israelites worship the dead body of Moses, the Lord Himself buried Moses’ body in a valley of the land of Moab. Thus, Michael fought the battle with the devil to prevent God's people from committing idolatry.

 

Deuteronomy 34:6 - And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

 

Beth Peor, incidentally, was the last campsite of the Israelites during their war against Sihon, King of the Amorites, and Og of the Rephaim (the last remnant of giants), King of Bashan (cf. Deuteronomy 3:29). Its location was far beyond the Jordan Valley against the slopes of Ashdoth – Pisgah. Later it became part of the land area bequeathed to Reuben by Moses (cf. Deuteronomy 4:46).

 

The Dragon

Even though the Apostle John is witnessing this cosmic collision in a vision, according to Scripture, Satan (the Great Red Dragon), has already been defeated. Several passages indicate his defeat.

 

Three are presented:

John 12:31 – Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. [Emphasis mine]

Subsequently, the entire future is present in the mind of Christ. Talking about future events, the prince of darkness will be cast out and his kingdom will be destroyed. Jesus said Satan and death were defeated at the Cross and man can be delivered out of spiritual darkness.

 

Romans 16:20 – The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Our assurance is that the great adversary will be overthrown forever. But the struggle is over. Those who were once slaves to sin are now servants of the living God!

 

1 John 4:4 - Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

For ye who are of God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is thus the secret strength of all victory, especially the events that befall in daily life.

 

 

(Verse 8)

 

And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

 

The length of the ferocious conflict in heaven has not been disclosed. However, the result of the war is the dragon’s complete defeat. Satan and his angels prevailing not against Michael and his angels strongly state the failure of evil and its broken power.

 

The Lord Jesus earlier referred to this incident:

Luke 18:10 - And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

 

May believe this prophetic statement has a dual fulfillment:

A. First, in Revelation 12:8, Satan and his angels are seen falling from Heaven and permanently being cast out, so they are never seen in the third Heaven any longer

 

B. Secondly, Revelation 20:3 describes Satan being permanently removed and sealed into the Bottomless Pit for eternity

 

Note: An explanation as to why Satan and his fallen angels have access to the third Heaven will be detailed in the next study.

 

Closing Thought

Satan has already been defeated because of Christ’s death on the Cross. The war in heaven is a future battle of all battles. So the result continues to be the same. Every attack by Satan will ultimately end in defeat. Consequently, this struggle reveals the failure of the dragon and his satanic army to overthrow the plan and purposes of God.

 

What a blessing and hope to know that our heavenly future is guaranteed if we only trust in Jesus, His death, burial, and Resurrection.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.   Who are the contenders in the war in heaven?

2.   What is the war in heaven about?

3.   Who wins the cosmic battle?

4.   What is Michael’s role in this raging war?

5.   What is Michael’s role in God’s chosen people?

6.   Who is the prince of the air?

7.   Why will good always win over evil?

 

 

If this study was a blessing to you, make it a blessing to others.

SAVE AND FORWARD THIS LINK

http://breadoflifeministriesassoc.blogspot.com/

 

REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 12.5

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

                                                                           

Chapter Twelve

The Great Tribulation

(Parenthesis)

 

 

3. The Man Child - Christ

(Verse 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.

 

Throughout human history, from the fall in Eden to the delivery of Christ (Israel’s Messiah), the Great Red Dragon has planned to destroy His childbirth. Every devious and crafty attempt to prevent the woman from delivering the Man Child ended in complete failure:

1.  Satan could not stop His incarnation

2.  Satan could not stop His plan of redemption

3.   Satan could not stop Him from providing salvation

4.  Satan could not stop His Ascension

5. Satan could not stop Him from being exalted to His Throne

6.  Satan could not stop Him from being the coronated King

7.  Satan could not stop Him from ruling universally with a rod of iron

 

A Man Child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron

Man Child is better rendered as either son or a male child, no doubt Jesus Christ in His human nature. At His first incarnation, Christ was born in travail, the second incarnation will be without travail.

 

The word for rule in Greek is poimainō which means to tend (as in cattle) or shepherd (as in a flock). But figuratively it means to be a supervisor.

A. As foretold by Scripture:

Psalm 2:9 - Thou shalt break them (the heathen and godless nations) with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

 

Yet in the future, Christ will eliminate all enmity, opposition, and rebellion on earth as He reigns with a rod of iron.

B. As fulfilled by Scripture:

Revelation 19:15 - And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

 

A Rod of Iron

An iron rod is understood as the scepter of a king and is a symbol of Christ’s reign. The significance of this rod made of iron speaks of the fierceness and resoluteness of His rule. It is unbreakable and absolute.

 

In the Age of the Millennium, David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, will swiftly and immediately judge all sin and quell any rebellion. There will be no inequalities and oppression. The faithful will be blessed and transgressors swiftly punished. Hence, the rod of iron is a rod of righteousness and at the same time, one of judgment.

 

And her (Israel’s) Child was caught up unto God, and to His Throne

John’s interest here is explaining the exaltation of Christ. His Ascension is plainly in view. The Greek word harpazō used in this passage is the same expression applied to the rapture (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:17), and when Paul was caught up to the third Heaven (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:4). Its meaning is to vehemently and hastily carry up or transport something or someone for preservation. So, the contextual reality is that at His Ascension, Jesus Christ is being exalted up unto God to His Throne.

 

 

(Verse 6)

 

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

 

The details of the last half of verse 6 are considerably interesting. It seems that between verses 5 and 6, so much history has already transpired. The Church Age appears and is taken up as was discussed in the previous chapters of Revelation.

 

The verse reads: “And the woman (Israel) already fled (did flee).” In other words, the event has already happened. She (Israel) escaped to a place God had previously prepared (made ready) for them.

 

The Wilderness

The wilderness [Greek: erēmos; (Strong’s G2048)] denotes a habitation of complete desolation and solitude, devoid of natural resources.

 

There are at least three possible explanations as to where God has prepared an abode for the woman:

1. Some scholars equate this passage with Jesus’ warning in Matthew’s Gospel that during Tribulation God will shelter a Jewish remnant. The claim is Mount Seir (called the Shara range today) situated southeast of Jerusalem around the caves of the Dead Sea and the hills of Moab and Edom (modern-day Jordan).

Matthew 24:20-21 - But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

 

Winter

During wintertime, travel would be impeded for several reasons. Some include:

1.  Roads would be impassable

2. No food would be on the wayside

3.  Nursing mothers would severely suffer

 

Sabbath Day's Journey

About 2,000 cubits, or less than half a mile, is the distance to which, according to Jewish tradition, was allowable travel time on the Sabbath day without violating the Law (cf. Acts 1:12). This distance had several prior precedents:

1.   It was the distance between the Ark of the Covenant and the Israelites on the march

 

2. It was the distance between the tents of the tribes of Judah and the Tabernacle

 

 

3.  It is the distance between the village of Bethany to the Mount of Olives

 

2. Other Bible commentators dogmatically identify Petra as their destination.

 

Petra

Perhaps in Bible times when the Book of Revelation was recorded, Petra would have been the ideal locale or hiding place for the remnant of Israel’s refuge. Bordering Israel, it is located north of Mount Seir and about fifty miles south of the Dead Sea in the land once called the Valley of Moses – The traditional place where Moses struck a rock and water gushed forth (cf. Exodus 17:6).

 

The Edomites

The Edomites, descendants of Esau, moved to this ancient territory named Edom. Located in one of the mountain ranges is a flat-topped natural rock stronghold and fortification called Petra (the Greek word for rock). Descendants of modern-day Bedouins, the Nabateans, an Arab people, displaced the Edomites and made Petra their capital. As Semites, the Edomites however, intermarried and became known as the Idumeans (Both Hebrew and Greek for Edomite).

 

Herod the Great’s father Antipater II was an Idumean who became Judaized. It was Julius Caesar who appointed Antipater procurator of Judea. The title was passed on to his son Herod the Great who maintained worshipping pagan gods, causing hatred amongst the people transitioning into New Testament times (cf. Matthew 2:1-22; Luke 1:5. See also Mark 3:8).

 

Because of its beautifully colored sandstone cliffs and valleys, Petra’s terrain has many colored shades of red, purple, and yellow. Consequently, Petra became known as the Rose Red City. Centuries later, after a couple of earthquakes, the only accessible entrance to Petra is a one-mile long, twelve-foot-wide Siq (Arabic for a pass) by which Arab tour guides would lead tourists through on horseback or donkey.

 

Upon entering the city, one can observe marvelous Roman columned architectural facades protruding from the cliffs and caves built by Roman emperor Trajan in A.D. 105. In its heyday, the city’s population once swelled from 20,000 to 30,000, today just a popular tourist attraction. [Please view Petra on Google or Bing images].

 

3. The third possibility and most likely is that the exact location is not revealed by Scripture therefore it remains unknown. Hoverer, Almighty God can miraculously, stealthily, and instantaneously construct such a place as He has so past demonstrated. In some instances, for example:

1.   God prepared a place for Elijah at the brook of Cherith where he was nourished by ravens (cf. 1 Kings 17 1-7)

 

2. God prepared a place under a juniper tree for Elijah later when he was nourished by an angelic messenger in the desert (cf. 1 Kings 19: 1-8)

 

3.  God prepared an escape route and refuge in Egypt for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph after Herod's murderous attempt to annihilate all the newborn males two years and younger (cf. Matthew 2:16-17)

 

Food for thought: If God would allow secretive spots such as Petra to be made known to future generations, would this not be advantageous to the enemy?

Deuteronomy 29:29 - The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever…

 

A place prepared of God, that they should feed her (Israel’s remnant) there a thousand two hundred and threescore days

The book of Romans informs all Israel who turns to their Messiah Jesus Christ shall be delivered (called the remnant). Sadly, those who do not accept their Messiah will go through Tribulation, be judged, and enter into eternal damnation.

Romans 11:26 - And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

 

During the Great Tribulation, however, God is dealing primarily with His chosen people – The Jews. In the first half of the Tribulation, two-thirds of the world's population has died, and one-third remains. One-third includes Gentiles, but mainly Jews, and the 144,000 sealed evangelists. At this time, God will gather those who have not taken the mark of the beast (cf. Revelation 13: 16-18) and pledge their allegiance to Him.

 

Thus, Israel’s remnant is given divine deliverance to a safe location, heavenly preserved from the dragon. They are better interpreted in the same sense as in verse 14, “Where she is nourished for a time.” Israel’s sustenance will be equivalent to or as in the days when He rained down manna and quail on the Israelites.

Psalm 105:40 - The people asked, and He brought quails and satisfied them with (manna) the bread of heaven.

 

1260 Days (3 ½ years) identifies the period during which the witnesses prophesied, and coincidently, the same amount of time the dragon is allowed to exercise his authority.

 

The following lesson will not only reveal the fourth character of Tribulation but also one of Scripture’s most important battles. Proving to be an interesting study, the great red dragon will also be progressively unmasked as to his initial beginnings.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.   What is the Man Child’s role during the Millennium?

2.   How many ways were Satan's plans impeded?

3.   What does the phrase rule with a rod of iron mean?

4.   What does the phrase caught up unto God mean?

5.   How does God preserve a remnant of His chosen people?

6.   How has God demonstrated preservation in the past?

7.   How long and how does God sustain his people?

 

 

If this study was a blessing to you, make it a blessing to others.

SAVE AND FORWARD THIS LINK

http://breadoflifeministriesassoc.blogspot.com/