Revelation 12

Rev 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was

Again, in our last lesson, it was my conclusion that the woman is Israel. This is further born out by what Paul says in Romans:

(Rom 9:4-5 NKJV) who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; {5} of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Again, my conclusion is the woman is the nation, or people of Israel. It doesn’t make sense to make the woman the church as some would like to do, since Christ established the church.

(Rev 12:6 NKJV) Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

(Ezek 20:33-38 NKJV) "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. {34} "I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. {35} "And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. {36} "Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you," says the Lord GOD. {37} "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; {38} "I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

(Rev 12:7 NKJV) And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

(Dan 12:1 NKJV) "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. [the great tribulation]And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.

(Dan 12:2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

The Resurrection: “those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,”

(Dan 12:3) Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness [the soul winners] Like the stars forever and ever. {4} "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

I understand this to be God’s way of letting us know that this was in the distant future for them: A time that may now very well be upon us.

(Rev 12:8 NKJV) but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

(Rev 12:9 NKJV) So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil

who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

(1 John 5:19 NKJV) We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

(Rev 12:10 NKJV) Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

"Now salvation – obviously not referring to the salvation we gain in baptism. This is our final triumph, our final salvation.

the kingdom of our God – Obviously something beyond the kingdom as we experience it in the church.

the power of His Christ have come, -- Again, a power that we don’t see displayed now. He is reigning in one respect now, but this is total control, with the power of Satan gone. “for the accuser of our brethren, has been cast down.”

(Rev 12:11 NKJV) "And they overcame him (1) by the blood of the Lamb and (2) by the word of their testimony, and (3) they did not love their lives to the death.

1) by the blood of the Lamb – their justification before God is made possible by the blood of Christ.

2) by the word of their testimony, -- their faithful witness of Christ and Who He is.

3) they did not love their lives to the death. – It’s not what we think of as victory, but some will over come Satan, even though he may kill them.

(Rev 12:12 NKJV) "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

(Rev 12:13 NKJV) Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

(Rev 12:14 NKJV) But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

two wings of a great eagle, -- Some say the eagle is a reference to the United States. I cannot say that with certainty, but we know that God has used other governments to help His people. For example:

(2 Chr 36:23 NKJV) Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!

that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, -- Apparently a place of safety. – God does provide a way of escape for some.

(Joel 3:16 NKJV) The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

(Isa 26:20-21 NKJV) Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. {21} For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.

where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, -- Same time as in other passages: 3 ½ years, 42 months, 1260 days!

(Rev 12:15 NKJV) So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

(Rev 17:15 NKJV) Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

(Ezek 38:15-16 NKJV) "Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. {16} "You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes."

(Rev 12:16 NKJV) But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

(Ezek 38:18-19 NKJV) "And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," says the Lord GOD, "that My fury will show in My face. {19} "For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: 'Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel,

Rev 12:17: And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.