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The "chain of events" in this unit of study is not as clear as we might like. We believe they will occur at the end of the Millennium following the release of Satan from the "bottomless pit". They will not necessarily fall in this order.
We will see in the next 9 chapters:
With that in mind, lets look at the first of these 5 groups of 7 visions. The first one describes 7 events of the Dragon's kingdom. Seven people will appear and represent events and situations not necessarily in order.
Notice in this first event, a woman appears. She symbolizes the Church, the body of believers, "clothed" in the "Son". This represents:
She wears a crown of 12 stars representing the 12 Disciples or the "doctrine" preached by them. The "true doctrine" is describes as the "Crown of Glory" to believers.
The woman is described as "crying out in pain to be delivered". The Church, by this time, will have been persecuted for a long time and will be crying out for deliverance from the Anti-christ. Notice the Anti-christ is described as a "Red Dragon", red symbolizing fierceness and cruelty.
The Dragon has 7 heads symbolizing complete authority in persecution and false understanding. It also has 10 horns. The number 10 has long represented "total dominance". (Rome, at its height, had 10 providences, the European Common Market recently reached its goal of total dominance of Europe by adding it's 10th. nation.)
The Dragon had 7 crowns or diadems symbolizing a series of 7 leaders. (Rome had 7 Caesars, each became increasingly evil.)
Notice what the Dragon did:
Notice the lack of success of the Dragon:
"Now war arose in heaven. Michael and his Angels fighting against the Dragon and
his Angels." The time of this event is almost impossible to establish. The
concept of Satan's freedom to go where he chooses, until he is bound and cast into
the "bottomless pit", is equally hard to comprehend. In the book of Job, we see
that Satan was free to roam heaven and earth even though he had rebelled and had
been cast out of heaven. Here, it would appear, that his privilege to roam heaven
is taken from him, as it was during the Millennium. His activities from this point
on will be confined to the earth until he is eventually banished to the "bottomless
pit" forever. This war, though apparently occurring in Heaven, also has and will
take place on earth as the forces of good and evil will constantly strive for
control of the earth.
Song of Woe and Rejoicing
["Click here for Revelation 12:10-12"]
It would seem that Heaven's gain was the Earth's loss. John sees in this vision a joyful Heaven singing phrases in a "loud voice" as Satan receives his just dues. It appears that one of Satan's activities in Heaven was to accuse the believers. This he did day and night. A typical example of this is the story of Job.
Notice the "power" used to cast Satan out of heaven is the same "power" we use to cast him out of our lives, "the blood of the Lamb and the Word of God". Christ, on the cross, provided the victory and Michael made use of that power just as we do.
Notice that Heavens gain was the earth's loss. "Woe to you, O Earth, for the Devil
has come down to you in great wrath." Why was he mad? because he got thrown out
of Heaven. His "time" is now short. He has 42 months to accomplish his dirty work
here on earth. We have always felt the efforts of Satan here on earth but that is
only a drop in the bucket compared to what his efforts will be during these last
days.
The Woman and Her Other Children
["Click here for Revelation 12:13-17"]
In the first event we were introduced to a "woman" who we said symbolized the church, here we see her becoming the object of Satan's persecution. We see her being given supernatural help symbolized by two wings of a great eagle. These wings were to fly her to a prepared hiding place in the desert. This place in not here identified, however, many have defined it as "the foot of the cross" or "the feet of Jesus". It is a place of protection promised those whose names are written on the "Lambs Book of God" during this time of persecution.
Notice the duration of this time of protection. She was to be protected for a "time", and "times", and "half a time".
| Time | = | 1 |
| Times | = | 2 |
| Half a time | = | .5 |
| Total | = | 3.5 years (42 months) |
This period of time, 3 and one half years or 42 months or 1260 days is constantly being referred to in Revelation and is often referred to as "the time of the Gentiles", believed, as previously stated, to refer to the last half of the 7 year cycle of forgiveness established by Moses.
Notice the scheme that the Devil devises to kill the woman. He caused a "river of water" to flow from his mouth in hopes that it would sweep her away, but the earth came to her rescue and opened up and swallowed the water. Now, what is this symbolic of? The flood of water symbolizes the flood of false doctrine and heresies with which Satan will bombard the church in the last days. Christians will "feed" this flood by their indifference and by their bickering. Also their ignorance of God's word will aid Satan in his evil task. Fortunately, God will protect His Church. These heresies will only accomplish what God allows them to accomplish. They too will be swallowed up by His will.
Notice that this protection only made Satan angrier, and Satan went off to make war on the rest of her offspring. This is a difficult statement to interpret. Several interpretations have been suggested.
Either way, Satan will be at work against Christianity in whatever form he finds it.
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