The Book of Revelation is not a difficult book to understand.  It’s laid out quite nicely, succinctly, chronologically even beginning in Chapter 1 with John upon the Island of Patmos, exiled for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Chapter 1 Verse 9).  And instead of complaining against God for his circumstance, he tells us that he is in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day…and I dig that…why? 

Well because it is when you are sowing to the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, taking up your cross and denying your flesh as Jesus commanded…it is then that you hear, man…your ears are unclogged, your heart is unhindered (its only then that you are unstoppable!) and John tells us in verse 10 of Chapter 1 he heard a loud voice, as of a trumpet behind him and he responds…he turns and looks and he sees One like the Son of Man…hair like wool and eyes like a flame and this Son of Man identifies Himself as the First and the Last, the One who was dead and yet behold…is alive forevermore.

Only One Person in all of history fits that bill.  And so John opens His Book with a glorious vision of Jesus Christ…there with him, exactly precisely where he should be so that he would receive great revelation, man.  And Jesus lays out the entirety of the revelation for him right?…there in Chapter 1 verse 19. 

Jesus says, “write the things which you have seen.”  We just covered that.  He has seen Jesus, man, in His glorified state and John writes us such a wonderful description there in Chapter 1.  Then Jesus says, “write the things which are,” speaking of the church…or more precisely, the church age found in Chapters 2 and 3 and John lays out for us the 7 descriptive churches of Asia Minor.  Descriptive?  Yes, descriptive of the progression of church history beginning with that first church plant in Ephesus around 33AD and culminating with the last church, the church of the Laodiceans which began around the mid 1900’s and continues today.

The lukewarm church.  The church that has one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake man…the commodity of Christianity rather than the all consuming fire of Christ…where Jesus stands at the door and knocks because He is without the church.  And as we marched together through Chapters 2 and 3, we watched as God rolled out the scroll of church history from Smyrna, the early persecuted church, to Constantine’s Pergamos which led to what we know today as Roman Catholocism in the church of Thyatira.  On to the reformation church in the church of Sardis and arriving at the faithful church in the church of Philidelphia.

What made them so faithful man?  Jesus told us in Revelation Chapter 3 verse 8…you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name…and as we completed our study through the history of the churches, as Jesus said to John, write the things which “are,” as the church age had begun at the time of John’s revelation, we saw that the first three churches, Ephasus, Smyrna and Pergamos were gonzo…off the scene and no longer in operation today…but the final four churches, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea are all on the scene when?  When the Lord returns!  You see they are all in operation today and how do we know that?  The Lord speaks to these churches, unlike the first three churches, in terms of His coming and in terms of the Great Tribulation!

Then Jesus said to John, “write the things which will take place after this.”  And where do we find the “after this?”  Or the “meta tauta” in the Greek?  Revelation Chapter 4 verse 1…begins with “meta tauta.”  And what a wonderful scene it is as John sees a door standing open in heaven and a trumpet blast and immediately he is in the spirit in heaven man (one minute alone and desolate, the next, in heaven!) a wonderful picture of the rapture of the church as John describes a heavenly scene for us in Chapters 4 and 5.  And we are so comforted as the Great tribulation begins in Chapter 6 and carries through Chapter 19 because how many times is the church mentioned during this time?  ZERO times, that’s right!  Why?  Because the church is gone…the meta tauta has begun…the after this is commenced…after what?  After the church age man…

So entirely simple…and we’ve been studying now the Great tribulation for weeks.  Chapters 6, 7, 8 and 9 describe for us the calamity that has come upon the earth as God’s righteous wrath is poured out on a Christ rejecting world.  And for the last few weeks as we’ve looked at Chapters 10 and 11 we’ve seen great wonders as we’ve approached the mid point of the Great Tribulation.  The mighty angel and the little book in Chapter 10 and the two witnesses in chapter 11 culminating with the scene going back into heaven as John’s attention is fixed upon the temple of God…and the wonders that he sees continue in Chapter 12.

Chapter 12 Verses 1 – 2

• Folks have divided for centuries on the subject of who or what this woman is however contextually, as we’ll see as we move through this Chapter, I believe that it is quite clear that this woman represents the nation of Israel.  First, look at verse 1.  John says that he sees a great sign, or your Bible might say, “a great wonder.”  It’s the word semeion in the Greek and literally means a token or a symbol…
• And what’s even more interesting is that we have seen this before haven’t we?  Sun, moon, twelve stars…and this is why I lean towards this great sign or great wonder, this woman as John sees her…as being Israel herself.  The wife of God as described by Hosea and Isaiah…it’s all the way back in Genesis 37…Joseph dreams a dream…
• In Genesis 37:9, Joseph tells his family, “look, I have dreamed another dream.  And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”  And the Bible says that as he told it to his father and his brothers they scoffed at him saying, “what is this, shall your mother, and your father and your brothers indeed come to bow down to earth before you.”  So they knew it…who the 12 stars were…the 12 tribes of Israel and the sun and the moon represented their parents, specifically Jacob himself as the sun…and Jacob of course had his name changed by God to Israel.
• And so not only does this work contextually, but also it works considering the entire counsel of God’s word.  The Bible is always the best commentary on the Bible and so I believe this wonder, this sign, this woman to be Israel and notice she is about to give birth and of course through Israel came the Messiah, Jesus…the one who would defeat sin and Satan…and coincidentally…well look at the next verse…

Revelation Chapter 12 Verse 3

• The dragon man…a type, a sign, a wonder, a symbol of Satan himself and actually what John sees invokes all kinds of implications such as from where the antichrist will reign as John sees seven heads wearing seven crowns possibly referring to the city that throughout history has been called the City of Seven Hills or Rome…and ten horns referring to Satan’s political base, the ten nation confederation that will emerge from the revived Roman Empire which will be led by the Anti-Christ (Daniel Chapter 2)….

Revelation Chapter 12 Verse 4

• And so no doubt this dragon is most certainly Satan as we know that Satan was chief of all created beings in heaven.  The angel of light, the angel of worship…the musician…and when he launched his rebellion against God, one third of the angels sided with him and were cast out of heaven…and to where were they cast?  Jesus said in Luke 10, “I saw Satan fall to the earth,” and here the stars, the fallen ones, those cast from heaven are cast…to the earth…
• And notice, the dragon waits on the baby, for what purpose?  To devour Him as soon as He is born…understand, since time began, Satan has been hard at work strategizing and plotting and planning how to thwart God’s plan of redemption.  In your life too!   God’s very plan for you life…His will for your freedom and your hope…Satan wants it man…like a screaming baby in a toy store, he demands it!  And we cannot be ignorant to his ways the Bible would say but we should take up the armor of God man…prepare…be ready…so that when he strikes…we are, as it were, caught up in God…
• So why is he after this child of Israel?  Well its simply really…if he can stop Israel then there’s no Jerusalem and if there’s no Jerusalem then how is it that Jesus could return to rule and reign over His people from where…Jerusalem!?  Consequently, Satan is no match for Jesus…and so what does Satan do?  Attacks His kids man…you and I and especially the Jews so as to keep the Messiah from returning to Israel…why?  Because at that time its GAME OVER for him…he knows that.  He has known from the beginning and now survey history and understand the horrible mystery of anti-semitism!  Why such aggression and hatred for the Jew throughout history, even continuing today?  Now you know right?  Take out the people, take out the place…capture the promise…but he will fail, desperately…
• And as the time draws nearer…we’ll see Satan doing just that…desperately…attacking the Jew, attacking the church…attempting to stifle his own demise…but he fights from a position of defeat…a position of weakness…and he is no match for the Holy Spirit man…no match for the church…take up the whole armor of God and stand, why?  Because you are able…

Revelation Chapter 12 Verses 5 – 6

• Jesus told the Jews in Matthew 24 that when they saw the abomination that causes desolation that they should flee…run for it man because hostility like they have never seen is about to be launched against them by the AntiChrist and we know that occurs at the mid-point of the Great Tribulation…we’ve looked at that in weeks past as we’ve studied through Revelation and notice here John says that the Jews will flee into the wilderness where they will be for 1,260 days or 3.5 years…and meanwhile it’s Wrestlemania in heaven!!!

Revelation Chapter 12 Verses 7 – 10

• Such an odd truth but certainly one found in Job Chapter 1 and here in Revelation Chapter 12 that Satan somehow still has access to heaven but notice…no longer as John says here his place was no longer and he was cast to the earth, cast down as it were and by who?  Michael!  I love that!  Jesus doesn’t have to toy with little old Satan…he’s no match for the Lord you see and so it’s like He says, “Michael, handle My light work!”  And then Michael says, “for sure, Lord…” because who is that proclaiming condemnation upon Satan and great glory unto the Lord in verse 10?
• Well, the loud voice says, “our God and His Christ,” it’s Michael!  And his message is sure!  “Now has come”, not now is created or now is originated…it never was interrupted…but rather in the Greek there the idea is “now is finished” or “now is historically fulfilled” and thus Satan is cast down…”the serpent shall bruise His heel but He shall squash the serpent’s head,” remember Genesis 3:15?  From the beginning of mankind, man…here it is, condemnation and defeat finally pronounced upon Satan and now more than ever his condition is made clear…that he is out, man…found out…he is overcome, yes by Jesus but look, also…creation!  Even YOU, you’re more than a conqueror according to Romans 8!

Revelation Chapter 12 Verse 11

• Satan is overcome!  More literally conquered in the Greek.  It’s that word nikao and how is he dominated, knocked out, pinned?  By the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony, AND…they did not love their lives to the death.  What an interesting combo man!  I even see the Triune God in that victory statement!
• The obvious first…the blood of the Lamb…oh man, that is Jesus of course right!  By His taking upon our sin in His perfect form, even as a man, He has become our propitiation unto God the Father…the worthy sacrifice and in Him we are made entirely clean and the power and the ultimate penalty of sin is demolished in the life of the Spirit filled born again rescued child of God…and then the word of their testimony…Jesus said in Acts Chapter 1 that you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me eeeeeerywhere!
• Man that boldness here, the word of their testimony so powerful even to overcome the wiles of the devil, that speaks of the Holy Spirit just pumping man…flowing!  And then they did not love their lives to the death!  Something so odd here…you know what word is used here by Michael for love?  Its agape!  Man how telling!
• Not they weren’t fond of their lives…phileo…because that wouldn’t jive with Jesus man…He said that He came that we might have life and life abundant…man zoe life…surging life…life filled with the power and the presence of GOD!  But that they will not agape mortal life, not the temporal glory of a fallen creation but their hearts yearn, their minds are focused, their actions are concentrated…on the life that is to come!  That speaks of God the Father man!  And so you have those that overcome…rescued by Jesus, filled with the Spirit and committed to the plan, purpose and glory of God on high!
• And they crush Satan under their feet man, just as it says in Romans 16:20…like a roach….crunchy even…and they rejoice!

Revelation Chapter 12 Verses 12 – 17

• Many here have guessed at what is meant by the eagle’s wings…could be America helping out Israel but I doubt it…You find in several other places in the Bible this imagery of an eagle but it is always God speaking of His divine provision for His people…Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32…and so I believe this is simply God providing miraculous protection for His people while the enemy is sick with wrath against them…
• And notice when he does not prevail against her he turns to the next best thing…those that have given their lives to the Lord during the Great Tribulation and man that is just one of the distinctives of the enemy.  If he can’t get you, then he’ll go after them…your children, your husband, your wife, your friends…but he is not to be feared, he is to be overcome…by the blood of the Lamb, the word of testimony and absolute eternal perspective.
• Notice step one.  Before you are rescued by Jesus…you’re lost.  Open your hearts and lives to the Lord, man…How much love does it take to give All for you?  All of it, man…all of it.   God loves you so much that He gave…He gave all…and through His sacrifice, His suffering, His sufficient offering, you are able to be freed.  Free, man…and what’s more…once free…you go hulk style all over the evil around you!  You become a weapon of freedom…by learning, growing, deepening your intimacy with God…one on one…by refusing the waste of sin and coveting the indwelling of the Spirit and then the vision of heaven is opened to you.  The Matrix as it were…eternity fills your days…and abundant life…abounds.  Won’t you call upon Him tonight? 
• He’s waiting for you…