[Chapter 12 lays out the history and future of the world in relation to Israel, the center of God’s attention.]
SCENE ONE (verses 1-2) (a very brief glimpse at elements of history that are significant in the Lord’s opinion)
% v. 1 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman . . .”
(The “pope” says the “woman” is Mary, but the pope is a liar and works for Satan!)
Isaiah 49:1-3 “The Lord . . . said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
(There are two biblical “women” in the book of Revelation. The “woman” of chapter 12, Israel, has, sadly, played the whore against the Lord, but is beloved of him and will be saved in the end. The “woman” of chapters 17 & 18, Roman Catholicism, is the envious enemy and imitator of Israel, and is hated and rejected by God.)
ISRAEL: (often typified as “Jerusalem” and is frequently discussed by the Lord as though a woman)
Jeremiah 6:2 “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.”
Ezekiel 16:1-42,60,62 (10) “I clothed thee. . . .” (The Lord loves Israel, in spite of her ways.)
Isaiah 44:22 “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
Jeremiah 24:7 “And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”
Isaiah 54:1-7 “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.”
ROMAN CATHOLICISM: (The other “woman” (Revelation 17 & 18) is Satan’s counterfeit of what God has chosen.)
Revelation 17:3-4 “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour. . . .”
v. 6 “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints. . . .”
v. 9 “The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” (Rome!)
v. 18 “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”
[For example, Satan used BOTH (1) Simon Peter and (2) Judas Iscariot (and both were fickle); yet the Lord loved one, and utterly rejected the other.]
(1) Matthew 16:21-23 “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan. . . .”
26:69-75 “Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.”
Luke 22:31-32 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
John 21:15-19 “He saith unto [Peter] the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? * * * Feed my sheep.”
(2) Luke 22:3 “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.”
Matthew 26:21-25 “. . . woe unto that man [Judas] by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”
Psalm 75:7 “But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
% “clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: . . .”
(See: comment on Revelation 1:20)
Genesis 37:5-11 “. . . and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.”
(In the vision Joseph is himself the twelfth star, that is not seen.)
SUN: (symbolism for “father” or “the Lord”)
Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun. . . .”
Malachi 4:2 “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. . . .”
2nd Peter 1:19 “. . . until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. . . .” (the only star seen in the “day”)
Revelation 1:16 “. . . and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
21:23 “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon . . . for . . . the Lamb is the light thereof.”
22:16 “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” (The morning star is the sun.)
[John 14:8-9 “. . . he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. . . .”]
MOON: (symbolism for “mother”)
1st Corinthians 15:41 “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon. . . .”
[The moon is a lesser “glory” and gets its light from the sun.]
(In Genesis 37:9,10 the “moon” was Joseph’s mother.)
[Galatians 4:26 “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.”]
STARS:
Job 38:7 “morning stars” / “sons of God” [Of course, in Joseph’s dream the “sons” are sons of Jacob.]
Revelation 1:16-20 [Since:] “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. . . .”
[by deduction, the “twelve stars” would appropriately be the twelve angels of the TWELVE TRIBES of Israel]
(We would not have known of the “seven churches” if it had not been revealed in Revelation, but we well knew there were twelve tribes. Being given the key concerning angels of Revelation 1:20 reveals the rest.)
21:10-12 “. . . at the gates twelve angels, and . . . the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. . . .”
% v. 2 “And she [the woman, Israel] being with child . . .”
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born . . . and the government shall be upon his shoulder. . . .”
QUESTION: Who is “us” here?
(John 4:22 “. . . we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”)
% “cried . . .” (This is Israel crying.)
Jeremiah 31:1-15 “. . . A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation , and bitter weeping. . . .” (Israel needs her King.)
Micah 4:6-12 (see v. 1) “Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? . . . for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.”
% “travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” (This is an allegory.)
(1st Thessalonians 5:1-4 “. . . then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child. . . .”)
QUESTION: Isn’t this getting the “travail” AFTER the Lord’s birth?
ANSWER: Answer: Yes!
Isaiah 66:5-14 (7) “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.”
[This prophecy is not true of Mary: it is spiritually and historically true of Israel.]
(See: Revelation 12:5 “a man child”)
SCENE TWO (verses 3-6) does not follow scene one chronologically, but is an expanded view of what was already seen.
% v. 3 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; . . .” (Israel was the first “wonder.”)
(There are only these two “wonders” in all of the new testament.)
% “and behold a great red dragon, . . .” (This is the second of the two major earthly players in this battle.)
Isaiah 26:17 — 27:1 “In that day the Lord . . . shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent . . . the dragon. . . .”
Ezekiel 29:1-3 “I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.”
QUESTION: Who is the Lord really talking to here?
ANSWER: There is duality: (1) the Lord is really talking to Pharaoh, but (2) is more especially really talking to his boss, Satan, who thinks just like Pharaoh thinks; supposing he is God and made all this himself.
(Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan. . . .”)
(20:2 “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan. . . .”)
QUESTION: What is the significant difference between the descriptions in the above two verses?
ANSWER: By chapter 20 “the dragon” isn’t “great” anymore.)
(The dragon is “red.”)
Genesis 25:21-26 “And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.”
Romans 9:13 “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
Genesis 25:30 “red pottage” / “Edom”
Proverbs 23:31-32 “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red . . . it biteth like a serpent. . . .”
Isaiah 1:18 “scarlet” / “red” (the color of sin)
Revelation 17:3 “. . . and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast. . . .”
v. 4 “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour. . . .”
18:12 “. . . for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: . . . of . . . scarlet . . . and souls of men.”
(They were for sale!)
v. 16 “Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in . . . purple, and scarlet. . . .”
Revelation 6:4 (“Red” is the color of blood.)
17:6 “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. . . .”
QUESTION: Why would the dragon be red in John’s vision? (We are seeing things the way the Lord sees them!)
ANSWER: John 8:44 “He was a murderer from the beginning. . . .”
QUESTION: Roman Catholicism clothes itself in “purple and scarlet” for a reason: she doesn’t have a choice.
% “having seven heads and ten horns, . . .”
Revelation 17:3 “. . . having seven heads and ten horns.”
v. 7 “. . . which hath the seven heads and ten horns.”
v. 9 “The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” (This seven headed monster is Roman!)
v. 12 “And the ten horns . . . are ten kings; which . . . receive power as kings one hour with the beast.”
% “and seven crowns upon his heads.”
13:1 “And I . . . saw a beast rise up . . . having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns. . . .”
(When this beast RISES UP it has “ten crowns” on its horns, but in the 12:3 vision it only has “seven crowns.”)
Daniel 7:7-8 “. . . behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots. . . .” (There are three crowns less in Revelation 12:3.)
vs. 15-24 “. . . and another shall rise after them . . . and he shall subdue three kings.”
[In Daniel 7:7-8, the fourth beast, with ten horns, had a little horn rise up with “a mouth speaking great things.”]
Revelation 13:5 “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things . . .”
% v. 4 “And his [Satan’s] tail drew the third part of the stars [angels] of heaven . . .”
[This “heaven” is “the third heaven” which is the “kingdom of heaven”. (See: 2nd Corinthians 12:2)]
% “and did cast them to the earth . . .”
Daniel 8:9-10 “. . . a little horn . . . cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.”
% “and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, . . .”
1st Chronicles 21:1 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (for example)
% “for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” (Satan has done this before.)
Exodus 1:15,16,22 “And Pharaoh charged all his people . . . Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river. . . .”
[Satan attempted to prevent Moses, from delivering his people.] (He didn’t succeed.)
QUESTION: Does the significance of this fact lie with Moses’ mother?
Matthew 2:13-16 “Then Herod . . . slew all the children that were in Bethlehem . . . from two years old and under. . . .”
[Satan attempted to prevent Jesus Christ from delivering his people.] (He didn’t succeed.)
QUESTION: Does the significance of this fact lie with the Lord’s mother?
QUESTION: Between whom is this battle taking place, really?
ANSWER: Between the Lord and Satan. Israel and the fate of the world are at issue, and Mary is by comparison, irrelevant. To make all of this be about the “Queen of Heaven” is not only pagan and anti-scripture, but misses the entire point of everything that is going on.
Acts 4:26-28 “. . . against thy holy child Jesus . . . both Herod, and Pontius Pilate . . . were gathered together. . . .”
(They did not succeed.) (Herod and Pilate are pawns in a deadly game of deception, conspiracy, and murder!)
% v. 5 “And she [Israel] brought forth a man child [Christ], who was to rule [future] all nations with a rod of iron: . . .”
(John 18:36 “. . . but now is my kingdom not from hence.”)
Psalm 2:1-9 “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. . . .” (That is, with absolute power and force.)
Revelation 2:26-27 “And he shall rule them [the nations] with a rod of iron. . . .”
19:11-15 “. . . that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. . . .”
% “and her child was caught up unto God and to his throne.” (This takes us to the present.)
John 20:17 “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
Acts 1:9-11 “And . . . while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”
Hebrews 12:2 “. . . Jesus . . . is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
(Remember:) Revelation 3:21 “. . . I . . . am set down with my Father in his throne.”
“His Throne”
Psalm 11:4 “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven. . . .”
103:19 (The extent of that domain:) “. . . his kingdom ruleth over all.”
45:6 (How long it will last:) “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. . . .”
(Hebrews 1:8 This was said “unto the Son. . . .”) (for “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” who all deny Jehovah.)
Psalm 9:7 (The purpose of it:) “. . . he hath prepared his throne for judgment.”
Revelation 22:1 “And he shewed me a pure river . . . out of the throne. . . .” (+ We shall gather at the river. . . .)
% v. 6 “And the woman fled into the wilderness, . . .”
[as Moses, Ezekiel, Elijah, Isaiah, and David, (from whence came John Baptist!)]
Matthew 24:16 “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. . . .”
Zechariah 14:1-5 “And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains . . . and the Lord my God shall come. . . .”
Hosea 2:14-23 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness. . . .”
% “where she hath a place prepared of God . . .” (This is the Lord’s standard plan.)
Exodus 23:20 “Behold, I send an Angel before thee . . . to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.”
Isaiah 42:16 “And I will bring the blind [(Israel)] by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.” (In case you didn’t know, this is Israel that is “blind” that the Lord will NOT “forsake”.)
(Romans 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”)
John 14:1-4 “I go to prepare a place for you. . . . and the way ye know.” (said to the disciples for the church to know)
% “that they should feed her there . . .”
QUESTION: Who does “they” refer to here? (Yes, it could refer to angels; or:)
1st Kings 17:1-6 (one example for “they” in the bible: “And the ravens brought him bread and flesh. . . .”)
Job 38:41 “
(Exodus 16:31-32 “Fill an omer of it . . . that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness. . . .”)
John 6:30-33 “. . . Moses gave you not that bread from heaven. . . .”
(Matthew 15:32-38 “. . . I will not send them away fasting . . . in the wilderness . . . And they did all eat. . . .”)
% “a thousand two hundred and three score days.” (1,260 days, or 42 months, or 3½ years)
[The 12:6 event is the same as in 12:14, where the time is described as: “for a time, and times, and half a time”]
Daniel 12:1-9 (v. 7) “. . . it shall be for a time, times, and an half. . . .”
7:25 “. . . and they shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time.” (3½ years)
(Remember: Revelation 11:2 “. . . the holy city shall they [the Gentiles] tread under foot forty and two months.”)
(v. 3 “And . . . my two witnesses . . . shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days. . . .”)
Revelation 13:4-7 “And . . . power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” (42 months = 3½ years)
SCENE THREE (verses 7-17) (is a focused look at history from within scene two, moving forward to the end of the world.)
% v. 7 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon . . .”
QUESTION: Why doesn’t it say what you might expect here: “The Lord and his angels fought against the dragon. . .”?
ANSWER: This war was “in heaven”: the Lord was NOT! He was hanging on the cross, and for three days was dead and buried (the obviously perfect tactical time for Satan to attack.]
QUESTION: What would you expect Satan to do when it looked like he might have the advantage, and TOTAL victory was in his grasp? just sit around drinking beer and watching the football game, like we do?
QUESTION: Why did “Michael and his angels” fight, but yet WE are told “resist not evil”? – Matthew 5:39
ANSWER: The answer to this question was given by the Lord himself to Pilate right before Pilate pronounced to the people that the Lord was innocent, and then had him tortured to death for not committing any crime.
John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight. . . .” [Michael and his angels fought, defending their kingdom, and their home, the only place they had, which kingdom is the only place we have.]
% “and the dragon fought and his angels . . .”
QUESTION: Come on, Tom, could Satan and his angels actually launch an attack against heaven?
ANSWER: Yes! Look at the evidence:
Job 1:6-7 “. . . the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.”
2:1-2 “the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. . . .”
[Prior to being prevented from doing so, Satan and his host were able to intrude into heaven.]
Matthew 11:12 “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence. . . .”
(The Lord did not put an end to this until he thought the time was right.)
% v. 8 “and prevailed not. . .” (In other words, Satan lost that war!)
Exodus 15:3 “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.”
(The Lord, as “a man of war” was wise to his enemy’s intentions. He prepared his generals for the battle that he knew would come while he was submitted to his Father at the cross.)
1st John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” [Our God is “greater” than Satan: the Lord personally defeated Satan on earth for the sake of lost mankind, and “Michael and his angels” won the physical war in heaven! Satan is a two-time looser!]
% “neither was their place found any more in heaven.” [As we saw earlier, prior to this, their place WAS found in heaven.]
Λ John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”
QUESTION: When was “now”?
ANSWER: Two thousand years ago, at the time of Lord’s crucifixion.)
% v. 9 “And the great dragon was cast out . . .” (Revelation is here simply summing up history.)
% “that old serpent . . .” (See: Genesis 3:1-5 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field. . . .”)
% “called the Devil, and Satan . . .” (He is called by several names, for example:)
Beelzebub Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15
Belial 2nd Corinthians 6:15
leviathan Isaiah 27:1
Lucifer Isaiah 14:12 (Clearly, this was Satan’s name before he was cast out.)
the god of this world 2nd Corinthians 4:4
the power of darkness Luke 22:53; Colossians 1:13
the prince of the devils Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22
the prince of the power of the air Ephesians 2:2
the prince of this world John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11
% “which deceiveth the whole world . . .” (Is that hard for your optimistic inclinations to swallow?)
1st John 5:19 “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
Revelation 16:13-14 “. . . the spirits of devils . . . go forth unto the . . . whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (That is, to fight against the Lord at the battle of Armageddon! That is deceived.)
% “he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” [Satan is a loser, but the world doesn’t seem to know it. He will succeed in doing here what he failed to do in heaven: TAKE OVER!]
% v. 10 “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven. . . .” [Only very important things are announced this way.]
(Matthew 3:16-17 “. . . a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”)
(John 12:27-28 “Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”)
% 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.”
(“Now” was two thousand years ago! This was history when it was written, and even more so now.)
(again) John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”
Ecclesiastes 8:4-6 “Because to every purpose there is [1] time and [2] judgment. . . .”
[1] 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. . . .”
Exodus 9:1-5 “And the Lord appointed a set time. . . .” (Did the Lord have a purpose here?)
Matthew 16:1-3 “. . . ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
Matthew 8:28-29 “. . . art thou come hither to torment us before the time?”
(Even the devils know their time appointed.)
[2] John 16:7-11 “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
John 12:47 “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”
Acts 17:31 “. . . he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world. . . .” (the future)
Daniel 5:1-26 “. . . MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.”
(Belshazzar is a runt example of antichrist.)
Revelation 12:12 “ the devil . . . knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
[The Lord has numbered the days of his kingdom!]
% v. 11 [This verse takes us to the present.] “And they . . .” (“our brethren”, that is; from verse 10 above)
% “overcame . . .” (The Lord is not asking anything of us he did not do himself.)
Revelation 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
21:7 “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
[There are a dozen references in Revelation to overcoming:]
2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:26, 3:5, 3:12, 3:21, 11:7, 12:11, 13:7, 17:14, and 21:;7
Romans 8:35-39 (37) “. . . in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
1st John 2:13-14 “. . . the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.”
5:4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
4:4 “Ye . . . have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
QUESTION: Why would you suppose “overcoming” Satan and the world is referred to so often?
ANSWER: Because it is so important, and the Lord expects it of us.
% “him . . .” (“the accuser”, that is; from verse 10 above)
QUESTION: How do you overcome Satan?
% “by the blood of the Lamb, . . .” [This is where the power is.]
Isaiah 1:11 “. . . I delight not in the blood of . . . lambs. . . .”
[“the blood of the Lamb” is the real thing; “the blood of . . . lambs” was an instructive example.]
Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
[This is not a reference to a glass of “Boone’s Farm”, but to the Lord’s blood, at the time still flowing in his veins!]
(Acts 5:24-28 “. . . the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”)
[Wait a minute here! The apostles didn’t bring his blood on them: they specifically brought it on themselves:
Matthew 27:24-25 “Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”]
Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood. . . .”
1st Peter 1:18-19 “. . . with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. . . .”
Revelation 1:5 “. . . Jesus Christ . . . washed us from our sins in his own blood. . . .”
Revelation 7:14 “These . . . which came out of great tribulation . . . washed their robes . . . in the blood of the Lamb.”
[This figuratively describes those who die in the tribulation, in suffering death for Christ’s sake.]
% “and by the word of their testimony . . .”
Luke 21:10-19 (13) “And it shall turn to you for a testimony.”
Matthew 12:35-37 “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Proverbs 10:11-21 “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life. . . . The lips of the righteous feed many. . . .”
QUESTION: Doesn’t the fact that they overcame by the blood of the lamb “and by the word of their testimony” imply faith and works?
ANSWER: Yes! (James 2:14-26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
% “and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
Matthew 10:22 “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
QUESTION: “Endures” to the end of what?
ANSWER: that endures to the end of his life
16:25 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Matthew 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
2nd Thessalonians 1:4 “So that we ourselves glory in . . . all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure. . . .”
Philippians 1:27-30 “. . . in nothing terrified by your adversaries. . . .”
% v. 12 “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.”
John 3:29 “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”
1st Peter 1:1-9 “. . . whom having not seen, ye love; in whom . . . ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. . . .”
% “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.”
Daniel 7:21 “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. . . .”
Revelation 13:5-7 “. . . and power was given unto him . . . to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. . . .”
John 16:20 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
% v. 13 “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth . . .”
[This is not a second event, but refers to what was given already in verse 9.]
Luke 10:18 “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”
(If this is a reference to when Satan was “cast out” it is of course prophecy of what was just about to happen.)
% “he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.”
(Satan hates what the Lord set his affection upon! He can’t get his hands on the Lord so he persecutes his people.)
Acts 18:1-2 “After these things Paul departed from Athens . . . because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. . . .” [Such as this has happened all over the world, and then the Nazi extermination camps!]
QUESTION: Where does all the hatred of the Jews come from?
ANSWER: Anything precious in the sight of the Lord is hated by Satan and those that serve him.
% v. 14 “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle . . .”
[Secondly, no doubt, the words are used symbolically (Look at the symbolism of an “eagle”.): ]
Psalm 103:5 “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
[Does not the use of the word eagle here suggest physical strength and power, as we had in our youth?]
Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
(If they had literal wings, why would they be running and walking?)
Proverbs 23:5 “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” (Of course, this is simply figurative.)
% “that she might fly into the wilderness . . .”
[What is given here in this verse is a repetition of what was given before in verse 6:]
Revelation 12:6 “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.”
(again:) Hosea 2:14-18 “Therefore, behold I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness . . . and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.”
QUESTION: How did the Lord bring Israel “when she came up out of the land of Egypt”?
ANSWER: Deuteronomy 32:9-12 “As an eagle . . . beareth them on her wings. . . .”
% “into her place . . .” [This was “a place prepared of God . . .” already given in verse 6 (Scene Two).]
% “where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time . . .”
[This time period was already referred to in verse 6 (Scene Two), of which Scene Three takes a more detailed look.]
% “from the face of the serpent.” [That is, in other words, from the “intent” or “plan” of Satan.]
1st Peter 3:12 “. . . but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” (meaning, the “intent” of the Lord)
Luke 9:53 “And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.” (or, his “plan”)
[Satan will have a “plan”; but the Lord’s “plan” will ruin Satan’s plan!]
% v. 15 “And the serpent cast out of his mouth . . .” (Remember that this is a vision and given as allegory. Examples:)
Isaiah 5:14 “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure. . . .”
Revelation 16:13 “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”
% “water . . .” [“Water” is used in the bible to represent many things, but it has a specific meaning here.]
Revelation 17:15 “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (In other words, “water” here designates the whole world as a great flood.)
[Satan unleashes his fury against Israel, and everything that he controls is directed against her.]
[The “god of this world” controls almost everything here.] (He doesn’t control real Christians.)
Luke 4:6-7 “And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.”
% “as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” [“Flood” is quite specific:]
Genesis 6:17 “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh. . . .”
[This first use of the word, “flood”, is only about water; but the purpose of it is “to destroy” men.]
2nd Samuel 22:5 “When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. . . .”
Psalm 18:4 “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.”
Isaiah 8:5-8 “Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah . . . the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of . . . the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks . . . and . . . shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.” [That is, this destroying king shall come like a flood!]
28:2 “Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which . . . as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.”
Daniel 9:26 “And . . . the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
[This “flood” will not be water; it will be “war”: see Genesis 9:11.]
Genesis 9:8-13 “And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” [not from the Lord, that is]
Jeremiah 46:7-10 “Egypt riseth up like a flood . . . and he saith . . . I will destroy the city [Jerusalem] and the inhabitants thereof . . . for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.”
Jeremiah 47:2 “Thus saith the Lord; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city [Jerusalem], and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.” [These “waters” are not H2O:]
4:10-13 “. . . he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles.”
Isaiah 59:19 “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”
Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
% v. 16 “And the earth helped the woman . . .”
(This is not the “people of the earth” which help the woman: it is “the earth” ITSELF which helps her!)
Matthew 8:23-27 “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”
(If you don’t know, you had better figure it out!)
Exodus 15:9-12 “Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them. . . .”
(Men don’t obey the Lord, but everything else does.)
(Luke 6:46 “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”)
% “and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”
Numbers 16:23-33 (32) “And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up. . . .”
Psalm 69:15 “Let not [1] the waterflood overflow me . . . and let not [2] the pit shut her mouth upon me.”
[Number 1 is what Satan’s people try to do, and number 2 is what God will do to Satan’s people.]
% v. 17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman . . .”
QUESTION: What is Satan’s problem? Why all the hostility against the Jews?
ANSWER: Why did Cain kill Abel? (There is a spiritual battle resulting from Satan’s “ENVY” against what God loves and accepts.)
Acts 7:9 “And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him. . . .”
13:42-45 “But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy. . . .”
Matthew 27:17-20 “For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.”
% “and went to make war . . .” (Look at the fruit of the spirit of antichrist, as for example in the popes, who are antichrist.)
Revelation 6:2 “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”
% “with the remnant of her seed . . .” (that is, in other words, “with the few left of the woman’s spiritual offspring”)
Ephesians 2:(all) “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. . . .”
Romans 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
11:11-18 “. . . through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles. . . .”
John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
% “which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
(Forget everything everybody told you: these are Christians (real ones) and they are called “the saints”!)
Daniel 7:21-25 “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. . . .”
Revelation 13:7 “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. . . .”
Jeremiah 30:1-7 “. . . it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”
QUESTION: How shall Jacob “be saved out of if”?
ANSWER: You just read about it! Jacob is the “woman” in Revelation 12.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE TRUTH
(1) Phoney and deceived “Christians” refer to Luke 21:36:
Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (They assume that “escape” means to be taken out in a pre-tribulation “rapture”.) (Grace Yara escaped!)
(See: Isaiah 57:1 “The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.”)