Revelation 12

[Elder 111]

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

Rev 12:1 Is speaking of the church. It is decribed as being clothed with the righteousness of Christ (sun) and and built on the bible ( moon under feet). Having the crowning work of the apostles also.
The Bible like the moon reflecting the light of the sun, reflects the will, and light of Christ.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
What is the church doing with a child?
This is the birth of Jesus. It will also indicate that the church did not start with the coming of Christ but was here on earth before. Where was it? No where but in the nation of Isreal. As you know the church is called spiritual Isreal, that we are Abraham's seed. Gal. 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Thsi also implies that Isreal was to carry the message to the world, for God's church is not for one poeple or nation. Ruth the Moabite and Rachab the Caananite were fore Parents of Jesus. Matt. 1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
Now if the message for the church is to the world and the church was Isreal, It will mean that the message that we say are for Isreal are to us also. That does not mean that every detail given and required of Isreal is for us to observe and do now but that we can not totally disregard those messages and requirement, they are also God's light to the world.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Who or what is this red dargon? The bible should be used to explain itself and in so doing we see that the dragon makes reference to satan. Verse 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Rev. 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. You would realise that the ten horns Seven heads and seven crowns is also similar to what Daniel saw. In Daniel 7 it is stated that these are kings or kingdoms, Rev 17 also speaks of the same. These are specific kingdoms coming out of the Roman Empire and satan seems to be leading them. I can not help but also notice that, 7 signifying completness in the bible, would imply that satan would have complete control of the world or influence over it. No wonder Dan 12:1 states And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 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.
It is made more clearly that the dragon is satan, the third part of the stars of heaven makes reference to the third of the angles that follow him. Stars in Job 38:7 also maks reference to angles "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy"? The event of waiting to devour her child is realized in the attempt to kill the baby Jesus.

 

[Elder 111]

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.

This clarifies that the child the woman brought forth was Jesus.

 

[Elder 111]

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 church in hiding? for 1260 days? God took or led her there.
We should always let the bible explain itself, in prophecy days are equal to years as shown in NUM 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, [even] forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. again in Eze. 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.
God kept the church in the widerness for 1260 years. This can not apply to our time for we sense that His coming is near.
Is there a time in the pass of which we can say that this was true? This would mean that God's church was not always leading out. When did this period start and finish? Where is God's church now? It will be obvious that all churches are not of God's doing.
Do not think this strange because Jesus Himself made the point in Matt. 7 21-22 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

This is food for thought. Read the whole chapter for meditation.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

War in heaven of all places. Time to get satan and his angels out. Who is Michael? Another angel? In Daniel 10:13 we are given an answer. 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; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Gabriel is saying that He needed help. Fighting for 21 days without success. This was just not the king of Persia but satan trying to prevent God's will from being realized. Remenber Daniel was praying for the release of the Jews to go back home. If Gabriel could not succeed, who else could help him but Jesus, "Michael one of the Chief princes" ( one of the Godhead)? It is said that Michael is Jesus' war name. We also see in Jude that Michael is the archangel, arch means over. Who are over or in charge of the angels?

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Here we see that satan failed. We can take strength from this knowing once we are in Christ we will succeed.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Satan is all around us and the whole world is following after him. When we make a decision to follow Jesus, do not expect the world to rejoice, I am certain that many of you, if not all. would have gotten the worst of reactions from those of the world when you decided to follow Jesus. Please take note that he is in the "churches" also, even in the church of God, after all was not Judas with Jesus? So don't become discouraged when you experience unholy things in church. Hold fast to Jesus and He will see us thruogh.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 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 brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Two things to note here. 1 Satan has come not more so salvation and strength in Christ. This reminds me of the text that says " where sin abounds grace do much more abound".
2 Satan is the accuser of God's people. When we stand accusing God's people we are doing the work of Satan. Not that we do not tell person that they are wrong when they are for Natan spoke to David, but we do not take the attitude of condemning God's people in recounting the sins already laid at the feet of Jesus.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Here is the victory of the saints. There overcame and we will overcome too, as long as we stand under the blood of Jesus and by the word of God in our living. Note also that all are willing to give their lives for Christ.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 12 Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
There is rejoicing in the heavens. Why? Satan is gone, there do not have to content with him no more. Woe to the earth and sea. Why? We have to content with satan and he is "blue vex". He knows that soon his end will come and he wants to take as many of us as he can with him. Be on your guard. God bless you and keep you amen.

 

[Elder 111]

verse 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child].
Satan intent is the destroy the church of God. Should we then find the church that carry the true message of God in th majority? It may suggest that it will be in the most disliked. Note for certain that it does not include all denominations for we do not all believe the same doctrines.

 

[Elder 111]

verse 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.
Again it is repeated that the woman was in the widerness in hiding. This is a feature of God word, important things are repeated. We will also find the same facts of the in Daniel,but there we have some more information. The reason for going into the wilderness is clear, satan. Can it be that those doctrines of the bible that are most rejected is where God church is? Like Sabbath. That was in hiding for a while.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 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.
The flood, what is it? Some believe that this was a flood of fault doctrine. Today it is so bad that one may wonder if there is any church that completed have the truth of God. I believe there is. God would not have His church obliterated. Doctrine counts.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 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.

God continues to help the church, the flood is swallowed up. Some believe that this became a reality when the pilgrim fathers came to America. Here was a new land where they could live with being persecuted.

 

[Elder 111]

Verse 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.
Her is the churchof God, she keeps the commandments. Do all churches keep the commandments of God? James 2 is helpful. Firstly many used this passage to say that if we keep the sabbath we need to keeps all the "laws of Moses" but is that what is meant? Verse 11 quotes from the ten commandments "For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law". So in fact it implies that if we do not keep the Sabbath we are guilty of breaking all ten. Some say that it is of works and not faith. Verse 26 'For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also".
I will leave Ez. 22:26 with you Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed [difference] between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
God repeated it before He ended His last message, but to us. Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
If it is important to God should it not be for us? Who so do are of His true Church! Amen.