Ch 1                                   Rapture                 Return of

         7 Churches  Ch 2-3        4:1                    Christ ch 19                                 New Heaven

                                              Trib ch 6-19                     Millenium  ch 20               & New Earth

                                   Vision of                                   Reign of Christ                ch-21-22

                                    Throne ch 4-5                           1000 years                 

 

                            Revelation Chapter 12                                  Lesson 32                   

 

> This begins another parenthesis section;  12:1-14:20

 

Major Players of the Tribulation                        

 

#1.  Rev 12:1 -- A Woman  =  Israel; Picture is a woman fleeing into the wilderness

#2.  Rev 12:3 -- Dragon   =  Satan;

 

#3.  Rev 12:5 -- Son, a male child;  Messiah/Christ

 

#4.  Rev 12:7 -- Michael;    One of God's elect messengers, main responsibility is Israel  (Dan 12:1)

 

#5.  Rev 12:17 -- Offspring of the Woman;  Remnant of Israel, (few, faithful)

 

#6.  Rev 13:4-8 -- Beast; GWD, A/JC; Political ruler

 

#7.  Rev 13:11-18 -- Beast out of the Land;  False prophet

 

> Chapter 12  is a description of a War 

- First on the earth - Phase I  12:1-6

- Next in Heaven  12:7-12

- War on earth - Phase II   12:13-17

 

 

The main or primary warfare ongoing in this chapter will be between the   woman and the dragon;  12:4b; 13; 15; 17  

 

- There will be some flashbacks in history; but primarily this section will be dealing with the last 3 1/2 years;

 

> War on the Earth Phase I  12:1-6

A great sign - a woman!

 

This tells us that the following; "a woman" is a metaphor for something else;

 

- Then her dress is described: It's described with great splendor, she is crowned and arrayed with great glory!

 

- This woman symbolizes Israel.

- Reasons:

#1 Israel is presented as a woman and the wife of YHWH.  Isa 54:3-6;   Ezk 16:32;  Jer 3:6-10; 20

 

#2 Her description clearly associates the woman with Israel.

Gen 37:9-10 Joseph has a dream; find sun, moon, stars.

 

#3 Her pregnancy vs:2 & Her relationship to the child;

The child clearly being Christ, the Messiah; we know that from vs:5 "who is to rule with a rod of iron"

 

Paul also makes this point, that it is Israel who gave birth to the Messiah in Rom 9:4-5.

 

The fact that the woman is pregnant and in pain, vs:2, refers to the   experience of Israel down through the centuries, waiting for the coming of her Messiah. 

 

 

> 12:3-4  Another Sign - Red Dragon

 

- What does it mean when Satan is referred to as "the great red dragon"?

- "great" = indicates to us the scope of his power possessed especially by his agents, his instruments through whom he works. 13:2; and the reaction of mankind in :3b-4

- "red" = associated with war and death (red horse);   also seen in the bloodshed of the martyrs  13:7 which  indicates his murderous bloodthirsty character.

 

- "dragon" = unfortunately for us our picture of a dragon comes either out of King Arthur and his knights or from Pete's dragon the movie.

 

- This is a very peculiar looking dragon! 7 heads, 10 horns, 7 diadems; Where does this point you??

 

The 10 horns are 10 kings/rulers of 10 nations (17:12) who make up the federation of nations that become the western power block (RRE)  whose sole purpose is to give their power and authority to the Beast. (17:13).

 

> 12:4a A glance back to the fall of Satan;  (2 sentences)

- The first sentence is an allusion back       to the initial fall of Satan; this is not the one detailed coming up in 12:7-12; but a flashback to the one given in    Ezk 28:11-19;  Isa 14:12-17; 

 

- What this passage tells us is the amount of angels who responded to Satan's msg and chose to throw their lot in with him.

 

> 12:4b (2nd sentence) His attack!

- this is a flashback to the incarnation of Christ; birth of Jesus!

 

- From the time that Satan was told in the garden that the seed of the woman would crush his head it has been his intended purpose to stop the coming of this Son!

 

 

Summary

    1. The object of anti Semitism is Christ!  The motivation of anti-Semitism is Satan!

    2. Anti-Semitism arises every time that God is about to do something with or for Israel. (when God is about to act on behalf of Israel)

 

 

     3. A key to prophetic perspective is the world wide attitude toward Israel.

- since 1948 can you find a more widely hated and despised nation than Israel?