Great Wonders
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
In the close of chapter 11 we had:
(1) Temple of Jews. 11:1–2.
(2) Testimony of the Witnesses. 11:3–13.
(3) The trumpet of the Angel. 11:14–19.
Chapter twelve introduces us to the second half of the Tribulation. This twelfth chapter is the “Great Sign Chapter” of Revelation. The word “wonder” in verse one and three is semeion which means “sign.” It is used here for the first time in Revelation. There are two wonders or signs in this chapter.
1. A Great Wonder … 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. Another Wonder … 12:3—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.
This is also a chapter of “great things.”
* Great wonder—vs. 1
* Great red dragon—vs. 3
* Great wrath—vs. 12
* Great eagle—vs. 14
Let’s look at the great and wonderful things in this chapter beginning with verse one.
The Woman
The Woman
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:
Ya’ll remember that I mentioned beginning this series that you must look at Revelation literally unless the Bible tells you differently.
The problem comes with people look at it all one way or the other, well, the Bible here in verse tells us that it’s a sign - a wonder - so we know the context we have is symbolic.
The woman here is symbolical. She is not to be taken literally but as a symbolic representation of something. Of whom is she a symbol?
The identity of this woman has been the subject of debate and false doctrine for centuries. Let me share a few of those with you.
1.) Roman Catholics believe that this woman is Mary. There are several reasons why this cannot be true: Mary never ascended in Heaven; Mary gave birth on earth and not in Heaven; Mary cannot be wedged into verse 6.
2.) Some believe the woman is the church. However, it was Christ, the man-child that gave birth to the church and not the other way around.
3.) A woman by the name of Mary Baker Patterson Glover Eddy claimed that she was the woman and the religion she gave birth to in 1879, Christian Science, was the man-child.
Let me just say, none of those are true...
So, who is this mysterious woman?
I believe the woman represents the nation of Israel.
The nation of Israel is the only option that fits the context of the Scripture.
Israel is portrayed as a woman in travail in Scripture.
7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up, Until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: Then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
This woman was pictured in the dream of Joseph:
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
The eleven stars are Jacob’s sons which formed the twelve tribes of Israel, Joseph being number twelve.
The fact that the woman is seen clothed with the sun and moon is most illuminating. These are light-conveying objects.
The moon is a reflector and the sun is the source of light. Israel was God’s light bearer to mankind in the Old Testament. She became unfaithful which led to her judgment. In the Tribulation, she will become a light bearer again in the form of 144,000 witnesses and two in Jerusalem.
Today, the Church is the torch, but when the Rapture takes place, the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel will fall back upon Israel. The twelve stars on her crown represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the crown conveys the idea of the leadership role Israel has played in the past and will play in the Tribulation, especially through the 144,000 witnesses.
The Child
The Child
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
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.
Although Mary gave birth to Jesus, one must read the context of this chapter to see that it is a Nation that brings forth a child.
1. Gal. 3:16 – “seed of Abraham”
2. Rom. 1:3 – “seed of David”
The child that came out of Israel is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Jesus Christ is the seed of the woman foretold in Genesis 3:15
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Christ was crucified, buried, raised from the dead. He has ascended on high and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
One of these days, He is going to return to rule with a rod of iron in His Millennial Kingdom.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
The Dragon
The Dragon
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.
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.
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.
The red dragon is the devil himself according to verse 9. Several names are used for him, but this title is the most terrifying symbol.
Notice the title for Satan in this chapter:
* Red Dragon—He is the motivating force behind much of the bloodshed in history.
* Old Serpent—This was his name in the Garden of Eden.
* The Devil—This means “slanderer or accuser.” Notice vs. 10
* Satan—This means “adversary.” He is our enemy for sure.
Satan’s governmental operation is referred to in the third verse. There are seven crowned heads and ten horns. Many believe these represent world governments and regions of those governments.
Like a vicious dragon he has been on the prowl to destroy the Lord ever since he fell...
The Old Testament reveals the trail of blood that was shed to keep the Lord from being born in the first place.
It started with...
* The murder of Abel, a righteous man, by Cain his brother.
* By trying to cut off the Hebrew nation in Egypt and destroying the Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1; 2). It is interesting to note that Pharaoh is called a dragon (Ezekiel 29:3).
* By the invasion and captivity of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was called a dragon too (Jeremiah 51:34).
* By the decree of Haman to have the Jews wiped out in the Persian empire (Esther 3:8–15).
* Satan tried several times in the New Testament.
* Herod’s decree to kill the babies two and under in Bethlehem.
* The attempt to get Christ to jump off the pinnacle of the Temple.
* Satan tried to use the people of Nazareth to kill Jesus by running Him off a cliff.
* The Cross of Calvary. Thank God He arose from the grave and lives forever more.
Satan is out to destroy us too. He roams the earth seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
The conflict with Christ continues with the propagation of Islam, other false religions, and the worship of Satan.
The Care
The Care
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.
We are reminded here that Satan hates the nation of Israel. He has tried to defeat her and destroy her since she first appeared.
No other nation on the face of the earth has suffered as much as Israel. No other race has been persecuted as have the Jews.
The history of the Old Testament is filled with story after story of nations coming against Israel to destroy it. The pages of history are filled with hatred, persecution, racism and murder, all aimed at the Jew.
Satan hates Israel for two reasons. He hates Israel because she is a constant reminder to him that his power is limited. He attempts to destroy Israel and time and again she is delivered by the power of God.
Satan hates that!
He also hates her because she is a constant reminder to him of the glory he used to wear. The glory of Heaven rests on Israel just as it used to rest upon him.
Persecuted by the dragon, the woman is protected by God in a prepared place...
This helps us to understand with certainty that the woman is Israel and not Mary. How could Mary possibly flee into the wilderness in this way?
We are told that in this wilderness refuge the people of Israel will be taken care of.
We do not know who the “they” are who will feed the Jews, but we do know that for the last half of the Tribulation Period, 1,260 days, Israel will be cared for.
In spite of the sin, the hatred and the evil of those days, God will see to the needs of His people. He will either use friendly nations or supernatural means, but when the Tribulation ends and Jesus returns, there will be a remnant of the nation of Israel left.
These faithful Jews will embrace the Lord Jesus and they will worship Him as their Messiah.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God has a plan for the ages and that plan will be worked out in His way in His time.
Are you part of God’s plan? Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? Have your sins been washed away by the blood of the crucified and risen Lord? Are you saved? Are you living for Him as your should? Are you thankful that He saved your soul?
You might want to talk to Him about your relationship with Him. You might want to thank Him for saving you. You might want to come pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Psalm 122:6.
If there are needs, you come!