The World War, Part 1

Revelation chapter 12. We have covered half of the book and now we're going to cover the other half of the book. Revelation chapter 12, the World War. Part 1. There are three parts here in Revelation chapter 12. There is a war. I don't know if you know that or not, that's going on. It has been happening for thousands of years. It's a war unlike any other war in the history of man. We don't know exactly the date this war began, but we know what events. Precipitated this war. And that was, of course, the rebellion of Satan, in which he decided that he wanted to be God.

He not only wanted to be like God, he wanted to be God. And therefore, because God Don't share his throne with anybody. He was cast out of heaven, and of course, he took a third of the angels with him when he was dismissed from his high-ranking position in gl.

We do know exactly when we became involved in this battle. Genesis chapter 3 tells us how we the human race got involved in this ultimate world war, the battle that has been continuing on down through the ages until the end when the king returns. The good thing about this war is that we know who wins, and it's always good to be on the side of the winner. In this world war, there is a victor, and that victor, of course, is Jesus Christ. And the seventh trumpet, which we have. Spent the last couple of weeks on says in verse number 15: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever.

And never. It tells us that Jesus Christ, the King, will win this battle and he will reign forever. And ever. And while we spent some time looking at this seven trumpet and know that in the future, in Revelation chapter 15 through Revelation chapter 18. We will discuss in great detail all the events that surround the final victory of the king. For the next few weeks, few months, we're going to take a little bit of a break from that. And we're going to go back in time. We're going to go back to the beginning.

We're going go back to the creation of man. We're going go back to the creation of the angels. We're going to go back to the fall of man, and we're going to sweep you all the way through the history of man to the tribulation and then to the end when Jesus Christ returns all. Revelation chapter 12. We'll give you the history of the world. And it's a rather brief history because when you get to verse number 6 of Revelation 12, you're already in the middle of the tribulation. So, in five verses, we're going to give you the history of the world from the beginning to the middle of the tribulation.

Let me read it to you. Revelation chapter 12, verse number 1. And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet. And on her head a crown of twelve stars. And she was with child, and she cried out, being in labor and in pain, to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth.

And the dragon stood before the woman, who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for 1, days. We've been studying the book of Revelation, and we've been studying the horrific judgments that have come upon the people of the earth, specifically those who dwell.

Upon the earth, a phrase used throughout the book of Revelation to describe the unbeliever. And as we have studied this incredible book, which is not necessarily about the end of the world, although it describes the end of the world. It's really about Jesus Christ and who He is. And it just happens to be at the end of the world when we see Him. In a way in which we've never seen him before. But the Bible tells us that this tribulational period that lasts for seven years is a period. Unlike any other period in the history of man.

The Bible says in Matthew 24, verse number 21. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world, until now, nor ever shall be. In the Olive Discourse in Matthew 24 and 25, Christ says, There's come into time, a time that is unlike the world has ever seen before.

And it's unlike anything they will ever experience in the future. Because what's going to happen is so horrific that man would not believe it unless he experienced it. Now, why is it so bad? One is because God is pouring out his wrath upon mankind. Upon specifically the ungodly. And while God is pouring out His wrath on the ungodly, Satan is pouring out His wrath on the godly. That's why this time, this tribulational period, this seven-year period, that has not yet happened. But soon will be, is the worst in the history of the world.

And in Revelation chapter 12, the Holy Spirit's going to take us back to the beginning to explain to us. How we get there? Why do we end up in this tribulational period? There are several things I want to cover with you in Revelation 12. Three major points. One is the crucial characters. That's important for us to understand who they are. Number two is what we call the celestial combats.

And we'll talk about that next week, the battle in heaven. And then we'll talk about the continuing conflict that happens into and through the tribulation until the king comes back. Again. First of all, the crucial characters.

You will note that there are six main characters in Revelation 12 and Revelation 13. There is the woman, the dragon, the child, Michael, the beast from the sea, and the beast from the ear. But there are three crucial characters that we want to discuss this evening that lay the framework. Number one, there's the woman.

Number two, the dragon, and number three, the child. And they are covered in the first six verses. Let's look at them together.

First of all, the woman. And I want you to notice four things about the woman. Number one, her character.

Number two, her clothing. Number three, her cries. And number four, her care. First of all, her character.

The text says, and a great sign appeared in heaven. That word great, mega in the Greek, appears in verse number 3: a great red dragon. Verse number 12, having great wrath. And verse number 14, and the two wings of the great eagle. What John sees by way of vision is something that's massive, something that's h. It's huge not only in terms of size, but in terms of significance. John sees a great sign in heaven, and that sign is a woman. This woman. I believe pictures to us the nation of Israel. Why?

Well, I believe the context will prove that here in a moment. But if you study the Old Testament, Israel is referred to as the wife of God. Granted, she's referred to as an unfaithful wife in Jeremiah chapter 3, a disloyal wife, a divorced wife in Isaiah 50, verse number 1, an adulterous wife. Nevertheless, she is pictured as a wife. A wife, by the way, that will be restored when the king returns. Very significant. How God will restore that wife back to Himself. That's a promise He has given to the nation of Israel, and that wife will be restored.

That's what the picture of Hosea was with his wife Gom, the prostitute, the one who left him and committed all kinds of immoral acts. And God told Hosea, don't divorce your wife. You go after your wife because you're going to picture to the world what I am going to do with the nation of Israel. This woman in Revelation 12 is not the church. Why? Because the church, nowhere in scripture, is called a wife. She's called a bride. She's called a chaste virgin, but she is not called the wife. She does not consummate the relationship until the marriage supp of the lamb in Revelation chapter 10.

19 in verse number 7, 8, and 9. She is pictured as a bride awaiting marriage. But the context makes it very clear that this is Israel. This woman. Her character is described as the woman, Israel. Point number two, her clothing.

It says, a woman clothed. with the sun and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve star. The woman was pre in the life of Joseph. And Joseph, of course, you know, is a phenomenal story, but.

It says in Genesis 37, verse number 5, that Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. And he said to them, Please listen to this dream, which I have had. For behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect. And behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf. Then his brothers said to him, Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams than for his words.

Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, Lo, I have had still another dream. And behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars were bowing down to me. And he related it to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground? And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the same in mind.

Now, reading the text in Revelation chapter 12, you see much similarity there. It is true that Joseph's father, mother, and brothers bowed down to him. You know the story. It all eventually happened just exactly as God portrayed it to Joseph in a dream. Joseph represents the Messianic line. The glory of Israel, the hope of the nation, eventually the hope of the entire world. There's great parallels there. But I want you to notice, number three, her cries.

It says, And she was with child, and she cried out, being in labor and in pain, to give birth. This woman, Israel, was with child. Israel is seen as a mother in Isaiah 26, Isaiah 54, Isaiah 66, Hosea 13, Micah 4, and Micah 5. And by the way, the church is never referred to as a mother in Scripture. But the nation of Israel is. And yet there's something that pains her. There's something that pains her in the bringing forth of this child that caused her to cry. For centuries, Israel cried for a deliverer, someone who would come and rescue them from their bondage.

Someone who would be their Messiah. Someone who would be their deliverer. Someone who would come and rule and reign, and they would be able to rule and reign with him. And so they would cry for centuries for this Messiah to come. No nation has suffered so severely and so intense. And as long as the nation of Israel has, they have suffered because of God's chastening, and they have suffered because of Satan's efforts to destroy the nation of Israel. Which leads me to this, her care. Look over to verse number six.

It says, And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God. So that there she might be nourished for 1, days. Now, here, this woman, whoever she is, and I believe it's Israel, and we know that Israel flees into the wilderness. We know that happens. We study that in Revelation chapter 11. It says over in Matthew 24, these words in verses 15 and 16. It says this: Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place.

Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the houset not go down to get the things out that are in the house. And let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child, and to those who nurse babies in those days. But pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on a Sabbath, for then there will be a great tribulation, such as not occurred. Since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be. There is a fleeing into the wilderness.

There is a flight by the nation of Israel. Revelation 12 speaks of that flight. God will protect them. God will preserve them for 1,000. 2 days or 4 months or three and a half years. God's going to protect them. A remnant of that people, He will protect, and Satan will not be able to get to them. For God has prepared a place for them. How is God going to feed them? Answer: I believe He's going to feed them with manna from heaven. I believe in a supernatural way God's going to provide for the nation of Israel, just like He did in the Old Testament.

To show them, show them that their God will always supply their needs and take care of them. That's the woman. Point number two: the dragon.

And another sign appeared in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns. On his head were seven diadems. If the woman is Israel, the dragon is Satan. How do we know that? Well, look at verse number 9.

And a great dragon was sown down, the serpent of old, who was called the devil, and. Satan, who deceives the whole world. So we know who the dragon is, right? The dragon is Satan. Now, no, folks, Satan is not a dragon. Satan is a spirit being, right? But in the vision, he's portrayed as a dragon. Up to this point, 13 times by the way, in the book of Revelation, he's referred to as a dragon. Why? It speaks of his ferociousness, his fiercen. It speaks of the fact that he is animalistic. He is relentless as a dragon would be relentless.

We know that Satan is a spirit being because he is a fallen angel. And yet, this vision portrays him as a dragon because you need to see the ferociousness. Of this evil one who wants to destroy man. He's pictured as a massive Creature again, it's symbolism, it's a sign that points to the reality. Satan is a spirit, but he's pictured as a dragon because, in reality, he is ferocious. He goes about like a roaring lion, Peter tells us, seeking those whom he may devour. That's how he is. And so I want you to notice four things about the dragon.

Number one, it's color. Text says it's red. Red dragon reveals its true character. It pictures what? Blood. Bloodshed. John 8:4 tells us he's a what? A murderer. He 's been a murderer from when? The beginning, the text tells us. From his color, I want you to see his control. The text says this: that this great red dragon has seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. Now, if you go over to Revelation 17, verse number 9, listen to what it says. It says Here is the mind which has wisdom.

The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. And they are seven kings. Five have fallen. One is. The other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must remain a little while. Now, remember, the text says. Here is the mind which has wisdom. For those of you who want wisdom and you want to have true wisdom, you have to come with us when we study Revelation chapter 17. To understand what it means about these se kings that represent seven worldly kingdoms that encompass the beginning.

Till the end. In Revelation 17, we'll explain that. The point is, Satan is over them all. Folks, Satan wants to rule. That's why he was tossed out of heaven. That's why he was unable to rule from heaven. Because there's only one ruler, there's only one sovereign king, and that's the God of the universe. Point number three, his cohorts.

Back to Revelation chapter twelve. It says this. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.

These are his cohorts. But the four things I want you to see is his craving. His craving. Look what it says. And the dragon stood before the woman. who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he might devour her child. Satan has always tried to destroy the line of the Messiah. Which leads us to the third point in our outline tonight, and that's the child.

Despite his efforts, verse number 5, she gave birth to a son, a male child, who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God into his throne. Three things I want you to notice about the child.

Number one, the incarnation. She gave birth to a son. Remember Isaiah:? A virgin shall conceive and bring forth a child. Isaiah chapter 9, verse number speaks of this one who shall be called wonderful, counsel, prince of peace, the mighty God, the everlasting Father. For unto you a son is given, and unto you a child. Is born. This child that was born is the son of Abraham, from the tribe of Judah, from the star and scepter of Jacob, but instead of David, Jesus. Was a Jew. This is his birth. In spite of Satan's attempts to thwart the birth, it happened.

In spite of Satan's attempts to kill the child, he lived. And then look what happens. And she gave birth to a son, a Mel, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. What is that? That's his coronation. He is to rule. Speaks of it in Psalm 2, verses 7 and 9, over in Revelation 19, verse number 15. It says the same thing about the Messiah who rules. Revelation 19, verse number 15 says it this way: And from his mouth comes a sharp sword. so that with it he may smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.

And he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written King of kings and lord of lords. The word rule It's from the Greek word po, which means to shepherd. In the kingdom age, the shepherd. Not only is he going to give guidance and guard his people. But the rod in which he rules with is a symbol of his judgment and correction. And God says, When I rule in Israel, I will make you pass under the rod.

It speaks of the immediacy of his justice. During the millennial reign of Christ. It speaks of his coronation. It speaks of the time when he is the king and everybody bows in subjection to him, where he rules with a rod of iron. And it says that her child was caught up to God into his throne. That's his ascension. Remember when he was ascended up into heaven? He was caught up to God. The Father said at the ascension that redemption is finally accomplished.

Everything that my son was set to do. He did. The word caught up to God means to seize, to rescue from danger. I believe it applies to Christ's ascension. The order here is not. As it was when he came, his incarnation came first, then his ascension, and then his exaltation up to the throne of God, and then his coronation.

But it speaks of this child. And Satan tried to thwart the incarnation. He could not do that. He did not want Christ to sit down at the right hand of God the Father. He did not want Christ to ascend into glory, but he did. He does not want Christ to come back. He believes if he can kill off the nation of Israel and destroy all the Jewish people and all the holy people, there'll be nothing for Christ to come back and rule. So he sets to do that, and he sets to do it specifically during the tribulational period.

He will not be able to do that because Christ will return as king and will rule with a rod of iron. But Satan is relentless. He has tried and will continue to try until Christ casts him into the lake of fire, which is reserved for him. He cannot destroy the Messiah, and because he can't, he will go after his people. He would do all he can to kill them, to destroy them, to consume them, to devour them. That's his plan. These are the crucial characters: the woman, who is Israel. The dragon who is Satan, the child who is the Christ.

Isn't it good to know that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world? Next week, we'll look at the celestial combat.

We'll look at the time in the future. When Satan him is fin cast out of heaven, he was cast out morally. When one-third of the angels fell, he'll be cast out geographically during the tribulational period.

And we'll talk more about that next time. Let's pray.