Revelation 11:15-Revelation 12
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“A Woman, A Dragon And The Child” • 10.4.20 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
Text
• Revelation 11:15 : "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'" : We have finally come to the sounding of the seventh angel, which brings us back into heaven from Jerusalem.
- We won't discover what the seventh trumpet actually brings about until chapter 16! The Lord instead reveals the response of heaven.
- The angel sounded and a loud chorus, a "mega phone" erupted in heaven! The proclamation that hangs in the air concerns the state of the Kingdoms of this world.
- For the entirety of their history, the nations of earth have raged against the God of heaven and His Christ. God, in His infinite mercy, has given ample time for their surrender, but, to no avail!
- With the blowing of the seventh trumpet, the announcement rings through the corridors of heaven that there will now be a transfer of power!
- "The Kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ!" This is far more than a planet wide transition of power. This is universal, "kosmos" wide, if you will!
- All rule everywhere must submit itself to the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ! Unlike all other transitions of power, this will be the final one! Why? Because Jesus will reign forever and ever!
- As "age" gives way to "age, Jesus will remain upon the Throne, with no sign of weakness, no term limit, no successor and no threat to His authority! This is the kind of news that brings true joy!
- It almost seems impossible, but let me assure you that is a coming attraction! It is as sure as everything else that this book has prophecied!
- God is going to decree that the Kingdoms of this world belong to His worthy Son! Verse 16.
• Revelation 11:16-18 : "And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: 'We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.'" : Who could be more excited about this announcement than the twenty four elders!?
- In chapters 4 & 5, we discovered that these elders were redeemed humans, given a place of authority in heaven. They had all had their fill of experience of human government.
- No wonder they are happy to fall on their faces before the Lord God, to offer their worship, their thanksgiving to "The Lord God Almighty!"
- More than one commentator has suggested that this designation be considered "The One who has His hand in everything!"
- He is the eternal One, who is, was and is always coming! He is present at all times, past, present and future to our thinking! To Him, it is merely existence!
- They thank Him because He is using His great power to reign. "You have taken," means to "take for" or "take upon oneself."
- It has always been God's for the taking, but He will not take it until this point in time. For reasons known only to Him, it has served His interests to allow human government to continue.
- If anything, it will have proven by this time, that any government run by any human, will bring humanity to a lesser dignity than God desires! Our choice of something less will be our undoing!
- One of our greatest misconceptions is that we, as a race of humanity, can engineer a life on earth that brings flourishing to all people. We are incapable of such idyllic heights!
- The nations have been given chance after chance to surrender themselves to God. Someday, their chances will have run out and God will actively remove their previous privilege.
- How will the nations respond? Predictably, they will be "angry." The "ethnos" will be filled with and exploding forth with wrath. This is no different from any time that they related to Him!
- Usually, that wrath against God was met with mercy for men. The twenty four elders are thankful that He will now meet their wrath with His own!
- Men will no longer await judgment. The unrighteous dead will be raised to judgment. God will not be deciding men's fate. He will be confirming it!
- At the same time, the Lord will reward His servants, the prophets and the saints, the ones who that revered His Name, whether they were insignifcant or famous believers!
- He will finally destroy those that destroy the Earth. John is not referring to those that are "climate criminals" but those who have promoted destruction upon the planet.
- Verse 18 is a bit of an outline of the rest of the book of Revelation, when God completely brings in the good things that His prophets have declared! (Revelation 10:7) Verse 19.
• Revelation 11:19 : "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail." : Remember what has just occurred on the Earth. An earthquake has destroyed a tenth of Jerusalem.
- Presumably, the Great Tribulation temple went right along with it! When John sees the Temple Of God in heaven, it's pristine and in wonderful shape!
- The Temple on Earth was always a copy of that which existed in heaven. (Hebrews 9:24) In heaven's temple, the ark of His covenant was out in full view.
- If this is the greater "ark," then this box like structure held within it the contents of God's case against humanity! In Israel, there were three emblems of Israel's rebellion.
- The ark contained the two tables of God's law, a pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded. (Hebrews 9:4) Over the ark was the "Mercy Seat," where the blood pooled to satisfy the Lord's wrath.
- If God leads His final campaign against the Earth with the 10 commandments, the law, how do you think mankind will fare? You do not want God to lead with what you deserve legally!
- In spite of man's attempts to keep the 10 commandments from view, to remove them from the national, indeed INTERNATIONAL consciousness, God's throne is built upon His standard, not ours!
- From the look of things, the lightnings, noises, etc., God is not looking to approach Earth's occupants with a gentle and quiet approach. This brings us to Revelation 12.
- This chapter begins a section which introduces us to the spiritual warfare that has been taking place since governments were formed!
- It will especially give us a look at the government that stood in opposition to God at the time of the Great Tribulation. First, God must make introduction to four of the seven key players. Verse 1.
• Revelation 12:1-4 : "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born." : John is again called away to observe this "mega," significant wonder. The CSB has a textual note that is helpful. It was a "great symbolic display."
- The first image is of a woman who is clothed with the sun. It surrounds her and the moon was beneath her. She is wearing a 12 star wreath, the same word that is often translated a crown.
- She is pregnant and in the final stages of giving birth. It's a painful vision and it doesn't get better when another sign appeared. There is a fiery dragon waiting in the delivery room!
- He is fierce! His seven heads point to the sum of all evil wisdom. His ten horns and seven crowns speak simultaneously of a government coalition, but generally of a lust for power.
- The dragon is also not without allies. John notes that he used his tail to drag a third of the stars from heaven and they were thrown to the earth.
- The dragon's purpose for being was to consume the Child the moment it was born. Why was he so intent upon that purpose? Verse 5.
• Revelation 12:5,6 : "She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days." : The woman's male Child was to receive the rule over all nations! He was set to rule with permanence!
- The rod of iron represents a severe and thoroughly rigorous rule. The dragon was set to pounce, but the Child made it. He was seized away, the same word that gives us "rapture!"
- The Dragon has no power where God and His throne are concerned, but his intent to destroy was unabated, so he refocused on the woman, who fled from his presence into the desert.
- While she is going out into nothing, she is going to a place where all of her needs will be met. Everything has been readied for her by God Himself!
- They will have the resources to withstand the dragon for 1,260 days! At this point, we have the key to this set of symbols. First, who is the woman? Some have supposed it to be the church.
- The problem is that we are the chaste virgin bride of Christ and we are born of Him! (II Corinthians 11:2, I John 2:29) This woman is pregnant. No. This woman can only be Israel!
- When Joseph shared his second dream with his already jealous brothers, he identified Israel using this very same language! (Genesis 37:9)
- Israel is the woman clothed with the sun and standing above the moon. Her twelve starred wreath are the twelve sons, the tribes of Israel. Who then, is the dragon? This will be given to us.
- Revelation 12:9 is going to tell us that this is none other than Satan! From the very beginning of time, Satan has spent all of his time and agency devoted to the destruction of Israel.
- Think of how many ways he has tried to keep God's people from existing! Go back to Cain killing Abel. What about the Egyptians who relentlessly ruled over them.
- Athaliah, a wicked usurper Queen, came within one descendant of stopping Davidic descendancy. On and on it goes!
- He has tried to persecute from without and he has tried to pollute from within! Satan has fostered an irrational hatred of Israel since the inception of the nation! Why?
- In order to keep the Child, Jesus Christ, from ever coming into being! Think of how Satan even tried this using Herod's madness in Matthew 2:16-18! In every case, God turned the tables
- Israel failed on their side of the covenant continually, but God always preserved THE LINE!
- Here, at the mid-point of the Great Tribulation, Israel will again be the focus of all of Satan's energy and this remnant will be forced back into the wilderness for the remainder of the war!
- God will protect and feed Israel there for three and a half years, just as he did for forty years!
- As far as where they will flee, many scholars have believed that Israel will run to the rock city of Petra based upon the prophecy of Isaiah 16:4.
- Petra is an ideal place, in that it's entrance is very narrow and easily defended, while it's occupancy has been as high as 300,000 historically.
- Today, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations for the Jewish people, with over 300,000 per year taking in the sites! God will hide and feed the nation!
- This will coincide with an unfortunate turn for Satan and his fellow cohorts. Verse 7.
• Revelation 12:7-9 : "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." : The word "war" is not necessarily helpful here. One commentator suggested that it would be better to consider this word "an assault." Michael, the Archangel, along with his angels, fought and won!
- Michael's name means "who is like God?" and Daniel 12:1 says that he is specifically set apart to "watch over the sons of your (Daniel's) people."
- We know then who was involved. We know where this happened. It took place in heaven. It was in the spiritual realm. We know the affect that this war brought to pass.
- There wasn't a place for the rebel angels in heaven any longer! The NLT reads that they were "forced out of heaven." The dragon, the serpent of old, the Devil and Satan, are finally banished!
- Don't be confused. There was a time prior to the creation of the World that Satan had fallen from his previous position as an angel, an annointed cherub. (Isaiah 14:12-16, Ezekiel 28:12-19)
- Jesus was there that day and adds His testimony that Satan's fall to Earth was like lightning! (Luke 10:18) But that did not cut off heavenly access to Satan.
- We find him roaming the Earth and checking in every now and again in heaven! (Job 1:6, 2:2) Here at the mid-point of the Tribulation, Satan is exiled permanently!
- The deceiver of the whole world is banished to the world that he has caused to roam away from the safety of a life in God! He will be cursed along with the world he has inspired!
- He began by deceiving himself! His pride in his own beauty was such that it caused him to believe that he could be like the Lord Himself! (Isaiah 14:12-15)
- One day, the nations will stare at him and wonder aloud, "Is this the man that made the earth tremble!?" (Isaiah 14:16) Satan's absence brings joy to heaven. Look at verse 10.
• Revelation 12:10-12 : "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.'" : With Satan and his angels permanently expelled from heaven, all there is the inevitability of the good things God intends!
- Salvation, strength, the Kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ has come! These were always the outcomes, but the full expression has not yet been seen.
- Satan has managed to filabuster the courts of heaven with his constant accusations! The word "accuser" gives us our word "category."
- He loves to object based upon categories and we are deceived when we buy into some version of categorical righteousness. "I might have done this, but at least I didn't do THAT!"
- Satan loves to bring his objection, based on the facts that our actions regularly reveal that we are not of the category of the righteous! He is right in asserting our unrighteousness!
- He has been assaulting the court of God with his objection before God continuously, day after day, night after night! There is rejoicing in heaven when he has been cast down and silenced!
- There is great joy because Satan has only ever accussed one group of people: The Brethren! He goes after the only ones that have any defense!
- Their defense isn't found in their righteousness, but in the blood of the Lamb! The blood of Jesus is the believer's single claim to righteousness!
- That external work, performed on our behalf by Christ, is made internal when the Holy Spirit indwells and baptizes the believer at conversion.
- We are authentically His righteous ones when it shows up in our testimony and is preserved in us even when our lives are threatened! I like the NIV's translation of verse 11.
• Revelation 12:11 (NIV) : "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." : The word of our testimony is the word of our salvation!
- We were once alienated from God, enemies and objects of wrath, but God reconciled us to Himself in Jesus Christ!
- Now, we are Sons and Daughters, citizens of heaven even while we serve as Ambassadors on Earth! That is one part, the past history of our testimony!
- For those that wish to be victorious over the enemy, that testimony had better be current! I'm amazed at how easily God's people get out of the lane of obedience to His Word!
- There are some who are listening to me at this moment, who are guilt ridden by how far they have fallen from the Lord! You feel defeated and depressed! The enemy uses your track record!
- Faithful, present obedience wins the day and quiets the Enemy from what he would say!
- Ultimately, our final key to victory over Satan is our resignation which revolves around the definition of life! Christians do not love their physical live above their spiritual life!
- The word that is used here for "love" is "agape. It's the love of decision. It's the love that looks rationally at something and seeks God's best for it's expression!
- We love our life in Christ and we would rather die for the gain of Christ, than live at a loss of Him! That is why, when push comes to shove, Christians readily accept martyrdom!
- This is the victory cry of heaven, a true cause for rejoicing among the citizens of heaven! Not so much for those on the Earth!
- For those that have made the Earth their home, there is a giant cause for weeping! Satan is now a full time resident and he is breathing out fumes of fury! He's boiling over with anger!
- He knows that he only has a short window of time, the Greek word for "opportunity!" In the final 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation, he will shoot his final shot! Verse 13.
• Revelation 12:13,14 : "Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent." : It's interesting that the vision presents the dragon, Satan, as having come to an understanding. He perceived that he had been finally cast to earth.
- There wasn't any going back. This was it! At that moment of discovery, he began to persecute Israel. The word is defined by an array of actions that reveal hostility.
- Pursuit, harassment and trouble are all parts of this concept. He has done this throughout history because of their relation to the Lord Jesus genetically and his hatred of God generally.
- Here, at the time of the Great Tribulation, he does it again! He has tried and tried and tried. He has an entire planet on his side and every resource at his disposal! What will God do?
- He will do what He has always done! He will deliver them once again! The first time that you find this reference to "Eagle's wings" in the Bible, it refers directly to God Himself! (Exodus 19:4)
- Israel's remnant will arrive safely and will be kept and fed for the remainder of the Great Tribulation! Satan has been thwarted again! Does he give up? Verse 15.
• Revelation 12:15-17 : "So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." :
- If one could admire Satan for anything, it would be his persistence! He's a defeated foe, but he keeps coming. Here is his latest effort.
- Satan spews a flood water toward the people of Israel, in order to carry them away. Could this be a literal flood? Does Satan have control of such phenomena?
- Remember that Pharaoh's magicians were able to duplicate some of the plagues that Moses performed. On the other hand, some prophets used flood terminology to describe invading armies!
- Whichever is true, the action will be to no avail, as the earth opened it's mouth and swallowed the flood waters whole! How disappointing for Satan!
- For every move, God has a counter to the enemy's activities! The enemy has no way to hurt God, except to continue his rage against Israel, seeking to ever be at war with her! Why?
- Because by this time, this remnant will keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ! That is what Satan wants to snuff out in their life and in ours!
Conclusion
- The Enemy of our God has used every device at his disposal and he will
continue as long as he has time! Our Lord will also counter him at every step!
- For you and I, we are victorious when we cling to our one claim to righteousness, the blood of Jesus Christ! That is our only hope and the all sufficient fountain.
- We walk in freedom when the word of our testimony, past and present, is intact and when our love for Jesus far transcends our love for this life!
- When we walk this way, he can't win and we can't lose! Let us learn the lesson well!
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