The Revelation 12:                Section two of the book

Reading #441  Heavenly wonders

Since chapter eleven finished with the second coming, we start a new section in the book this week.  The Son of God wants to show us the “WHY” of the last day events, so John’s attention was drawn to a series of visions that explained WHAT was going on in the background of all these happenings.

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Revelation 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: 2 and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

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The woman clothed with sun demonstrated the church of God covered in the robe of Christ’s righteousness.  She stands on the moon showing that she knows her place is to reflect His goodness.  Thus it is written:

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Jeremiah 23:

5 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In His days [spiritual] Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” . . .  

Jeremiah 33:

15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up to David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall [spiritual] Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith SHE shall be called, “The LORD our righteousness”.  [She has this title as His wife.]

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She has a “crown” of twelve “stars” to show that she is led by the twelve apostles of the New Testament.  “Then answered Peter and said to Him, ‘Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed You; what shall we have therefore?’  And Jesus said to them, ‘Verily I say to you, That you which have followed Me, in the regeneration [the new world] when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging [leading] the twelve tribes of Israel’.”  Matthew 19:27-28.

What John noticed in particular was the fact she was heavily pregnant and about to deliver a child, which gives us the setting for this vision.  It had occurred in his own time at the birth of Jesus. Then he saw the greater picture around her.

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Revelation 12:  

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon [a beast], having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads [we should always note the positioning of the crowns on the beast].

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.

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Here the devil appeared in his position as the ruler of the seven “kings” of prophetic time. We’ll come across them in detail later in chapter seventeen, but right now all we need to know is that the heads represent the seven political systems through which he has ruled the world (via the crowns) since Daniel was given his visions, five of whom are now fallen, and one is, with one more soon to come. 

Scattered among the beast’s crowned “heads” are the ten “horns”, or smaller powers, which he also uses in his conflict with the LORD.

In this scenario John was reminded that Satan is not alone on earth, but has a great multitude of angels who left heaven with him when his rebellion began. “The angels which kept not their first estate . . .  left their own habitation . . .” Jude 1:6.  Since then their greatest ambition has been to show God’s system in a bad light, and declare that their method of independence is the way to go.  All they wanted, they claimed, was the right to set up an independent kingdom equal with God’s in a remote part of the universe.  What they refused to believe was that the Son of God was worried about them and when He said that it would never work and that they would end up destroying themselves, they asserted that He was persecuting them and would kill them!  That’s why they left.  They accuse Him, and really believe it, because they ascribe to the Son of God the same motives and behaviour that they have had since their “fall”, and given the chance they will prove it by trying to destroy those who oppose them. 

It is written:

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Isaiah 14:

12 How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars [the leading angels] of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north [in God’s position]. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High”.

15 Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit [You’ll die].

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Speaking to Satan through the king of Tyre, the Spirit said:

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Ezekiel 28:

15 You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you [his iniquity was righteousness twisted for selfish gain.]

16 By the multitude of your merchandise [by your way of life] they [your characteristics] have filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I will cast you as profane [unholy] out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy you, O covering cherub [a special angel], from the midst of the stones of fire. [God takes the blame for the fact that it will be His power, uncontrolled, that will cause sinners’ destruction.]

17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty [you indulged in pride], you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground [in defeat], I will lay you before kings [the saints of God], that they may behold you. [See Revelation 20:9-10.]

18 You have defiled your sanctuaries [your inner being] by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your traffic [behaviour]; therefore will I bring forth a fire FROM THE MIDST OF YOU, it shall devour you, and I will bring you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold you.

19 All they that know you among the people shall be astonished at you: you shall be a terror [a terrifying sight], and never shall you be any more.

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For the first 4,000 years of earth’s history Satan had been able to confuse the issue so well that very few men or even angels saw clearly what was really going on.  Then the Son of God was sent to become the Son of man, and in that position explain the controversy so plainly that all who stood on the edges of uncertainty could make up their minds.

In the timing of John’s vision Satan was shown as determined to destroy the child of the church as soon as He was born, for He obviously posed a great threat to him and his companions.  So he used one of his earthly agents.  “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men”. Matthew 2:16.  But, as we now know, the couple to whom the Son of man had been entrusted had moved down into Egypt and thus escaped his wrath, for God is always one step ahead of the opposition.  Matthew 2:13-15.

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Revelation 12:  

 5 And she [spiritually the church, physically Mary] brought forth a man Child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her Child was caught up to God, and to His throne. 

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In the briefest of words, the Spirit describes the birth, death and resurrection of the Christ, and His way of life.  The “rod of iron” is God’s way of describing the unbending firmness of love and justice. “Justice and judgment are the habitation of Your throne: mercy and truth shall go before Your face”.  Psalm 89:14. “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other’.  Psalm 85:10.  With the strictest of justice the Father will give to every one just what he or she really wants – “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.  Hebrews 10:31.

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Revelation 12:  

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

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John saw the majority of the people of the church of God move out into the less inhabited places of the earth in obedience to their LORD’s command. He had said, “All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen”. Matthew 28:18-20.  And again, “You shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth”. Acts 1:8.  Again and again the words were repeated, that the disciples might grasp their significance.  Upon all the inhabitants of the earth, high and low, rich and poor, the light of heaven was to shine in clear, strong rays. The people of God were to be co-labourers with their Redeemer in the work of bringing the truth to those who live in the world.  John 3:16-17.

In the places prepared for them they found success and failure for the next one thousand two hundred and sixty years.  To describe that conflict to us the Spirit uses a picture of the original one. 

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Revelation 12:  

7 And there was [a] war [of words] in heaven: Michael [the Son of God] and His angels fought against the dragon [with mighty pleadings]; and the dragon fought and his angels [with great arguments], 8 and [reason and love] prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven [for they left of their own accord, claiming that God was throwing them out].

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That “war” was not fought as men fight on this earth, but with words of entreaty and invitation, for that is how the kingdom of heaven fights.  “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [earthly], but [are] mighty through God [the Spirit] to the pulling down of strong holds [in the heart];) casting down imaginations [selfish thoughts], and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge [a desire to forgive] all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled [in repentance]”.  2 Corinthians 10:3-6.  (Those literal physical wars which have been fought in the name of Christianity since Calvary have been inspired by the devil and not by God.)

God works like this: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’.  And let him that hears say, ‘Come’.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely [the salvation of God]”.  Revelation 22:17. “Ho, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters, and he that has no money; come you, buy [with the “gold” of faith], and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfies not?  Hearken diligently to Me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come to Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David”. Isaiah 55:1-3.  This “war” of persuasion has been carried on by the people of God since the very beginning, and has normally been met by a literal war of physical killing, but without retaliation on the part of God’s people, for no one has ever been won to the kingdom by violence, and that’s what the Son of man came to show.  He said to turn the other cheek!  Matthew 5:39.

The words “doing good” are used in only one place in the King James Version of the Bible and have great significance. “That word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree”.  Acts 10:37-39.

Meanwhile, back to our text:

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Revelation 12:  

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

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How can we reconcile the fact that one scripture says they “LEFT”, and another says that they were “CAST OUT”?  If we take the context of the above statement into account, there should be no problem.  We are being told that he was “cast out” AFTER the life and times of Jesus Christ.  It was at the cross when the Son of man died in His physical body that the angels and inhabitants of the universe saw clearly for the first time how the adversaries of God were really treating the righteous of the earth.  Up till then their generous natures had tried to make excuses for what had happened in history!  Now they refused to listen any more to his tales. For more on this subject, try: http://www.oocities.org/weprotest.geo/BibleReadings/revelation/it_is_finished.html

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Revelation 12:  

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brothers [and sisters] is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the death.  

12  “Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them.  Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time”.

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That’s why it is said that “now” has come salvation etc.  The Lamb of God “died” from the foundation of the world for individual after individual, but now all the sinless people of the universe saw what was happening, and were “sealed” in God’s kingdom.  (They will not be fooled by their former friend anymore.)  Note that we are being told that those who live in the universe, meaning the people on the unfallen worlds, are now happier.

But the controversy has intensified on the earth!

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Revelation 12:  

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man Child. 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.

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. 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.

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At first glance, verse 14 looks to be the same as verse 6, but there is a difference!  Now the “woman” (the church of God) is given two “wings” to go back into the wilderness in a hurry. (She came out in 1844 and has been living and preaching in the sight of the world since then.)  The first flight was from 538AD to 1798 (before 1844), and the 1260 days are therefore under the day-for-a-year principle.  But this second escape comes AFTER the end of prophetic time, in our future, and should be seen as three and one half years of literal time. We are looking here at the second time of great persecution, that which precedes the second advent. 

The “water” (the peoples of the world) that the devil sends after her will do great damage and eventually there will be only a remnant left to welcome the LORD on His return. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign [a special marker, Sabbath observance] for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth”.  Isaiah 11:10-12.

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay [lean] upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.  For though Your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet [only] a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed [a special test] shall overflow [be overcome] with righteousness.  For the LORD GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined [a certain experiment], in the midst of all the land. Therefore thus says the LORD GOD of hosts, ‘O My people that dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian [or the Babylonian]: he shall smite you with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against you, after the manner of Egypt [in the way of the world]. For yet a very little while, and the indignation [persecution] shall cease, and My anger in their [My people’s] destruction. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an Ensign of the people; to it [His sign] shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious’.”  Isaiah 10:20-25.

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Revelation 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 God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ [an angel told John “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”. Revelation 19:10].  

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The description of the remnant is very plain – they obey the law of God and are blessed by His Spirit in their speech.  We read earlier, “And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the death”.  Revelation 12:11.  Because they will be willing to give their lives totally into God’s hands in Sabbath “rest”, they will not have to die physically, for the Son of God has already done that spiritually for them. 

Bye for now, Ron

Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library.      No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly.     All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.

Some of these readings are available at http://www.oocities.org/weprotest.geo/BibleReadings/books_index.html

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