Revelation 12:5-6
He Felt That One
If you would like to do so, find Romans 11 and Daniel 11 as I will
turn there in this message as well.
Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who
was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and
her child was caught up unto God, and to his
throne.
We began looking at the Conflict of the Ages last week. In an attempt
to explain what this conflict, I divided into three rounds last week.
We ran out of time so let’s go back to that train of thought this
week.
The first round of that conflict is not pictured in this text. It
began before God created mankind. Even starting so long ago, that
conflict has been the cause of every conflict man has ever
experienced, including man’s fall into sin, his condemnation and
separation from God, and his ultimate damnation.
Round Two is pictured in verse \\#1-5\\. It started when Jesus was
born. The details of Round Two can be found in remainder of the New
Testament. It includes the death of Jesus on the cross, His
resurrection, and the birth of the mighty church. We are still in
Round Two.
Round Three has not started yet, but I believe we are getting close.
The church could be raptured at any moment. Soon thereafter, the
Tribulation will begin and then 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation,
what I am calling Round Three will officially begin.
As I said, we began talking of the events last week, but were
interrupted by the clock. Let’s briefly remind ourselves where we
were and continue forward.
I. Review of Round One and Round Two
A. Round One is not mentioned in this section of Scripture.
1. It took place before mankind was ever created.
2. It began with Satan decided he wanted to be as God.
3. One of the results was Satan was cast out of heaven.
Luke 10:18 And he (Jesus) said unto them, I
beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
a. He still has limited access.
b. \\#Rev 12:10\\ describes him as coming before God to
accuse the brethren.
B. \\#1-5\\ Round Two is described.
1. Three characters are mentioned leading us into Round
Three:
a. The woman who is Israel.
b. The Child who is Jesus.
c. The Great Red Dragon who is the devil.
2. \\#5\\ The text summaries three facts about Jesus:
a. Jesus is pictured as being born.
b. He was to rule the nations with a rod of iron.
(1) "Was to" indicates it WAS the plan of God that
Jesus should rule the nations, but did not come
to pass.
(2) Jesus was born, but He did not rule because He
was rejected, first by Israel and then by all
mankind.
(3) Despite what some think, that was not a problem
for God.
(4) God is not interested in showing us what He can
do when no one has a choice. God is interested
in showing us what He can do regardless of what
choices are made.
(a) God is able to give mankind honest choices
and still accomplish His will.
(b) Jesus was legitimately offered to the Jews.
(c) They had a choice to accept Him or reject
Him.
(d) They chose to reject Him.
(e) God will still accomplish His will.
c. If we were talking about anyone other than God, we
might considered this a lost plan; but God is not
finished, and this Child will yet rule the nations.
3. The third fact about Jesus is that He ascended to God
and to His throne. (Of course that is the ascension of
Jesus and took place almost 2,000 years ago.)
II. Round Three
A. Sometime after Jesus ascends, the woman (Israel) will flee
into the wilderness.
Rev 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.
B. I believe Round Three starts after the rapture of the Church.
1. This is part of the Seventh Trumpet, 3 1/2 years after the
rapture of the church.
2. Two things:
a. A huge portion of time has passed since the Child
(Jesus) has ascended.
(1) So far it has been 2,000 years, and we are still
counting.
(2) Why skip over all of that time?
b. Where will Israel flee to be protected?
3. In preaching through this Book, I try not to get into
topics that are too complex to explain or too difficult
to understand, but I am going to get close to that in the
next two thoughts:
C. Why skip over 2,000 plus years?
1. In a nutshell, I believe that after Jesus ascended, God
stopped the Jewish clock.
2. God actually gave an exact number of years from the time
that Messiah would be cut off until everything promised
would be consummated.
a. \\#Dan 9:24-27\\
b. I have discussed this several times.
c. This morning let me just say that the time period
from when Messiah was cut off until the consummation
(conclusion) was supposed to be seven years.
d. We are way past that.
e. What happened?
3. Again, the Jews rejected their King so God set them aside,
thus stooping the Jewish clock.
a. Paul spoke of this in Romans 11:
Romans 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained
that which he seeketh for (an intimate relationship
with God); but the election (the saved) hath
obtained it, and the rest (the Jews) were
blinded….
b. We got what the Jews have always wanted, a personal
relationship with God.
(1) It came to us through Jesus Christ.
(2) Of course individual Jews can still be saved and
the whole nation could have received their
Messiah, but they rejected Jesus.
c. Paul went on to describe what God has done with Israel
and the saved.
(1) He does it by comparing the plan of God to a
tree, Israel to the tree’s natural branches, and
the church to some wild branches.
Romans 11:17 And if some of the branches be
broken off (that’s the Jews), and thou, being
a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them,
(that’s us, the saved) and with them partakest
of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
(2) The tree’s natural branches have been cut off—
That is Israel.
(3) When they rejected God, God set them on a shelf.
(4) However in \\#24-26\\, Paul tells us that God
will put the natural branches back on the tree
one day.
(5) That will be AFTER the church is raptured.
d. When the church is removed and specifically when the
seven year peace treaty is signed with Israel, the
Jewish clock will start again.
e. But as far as God’s plan for the Jews, it is like the
church age does not even exist.
D. Where in the wilderness will Israel flee?
1. As far as I can find, the Bible doesn’t actually say.
2. What the Bible does say about this place is:
a. The Jews will flee to it.
b. It will be in the wilderness.
c. It will be prepared by God.
d. The Jews will be safe there for 1,260 days or 3 1/2
years which I take it from Revelation’s timeline
will be the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation.
3. Many believe the place will be Petra.
a. Petra is a rock city in the country of Jordan,
Israel’s neighbors to the east.
(1) If you are not familiar with Petra, you need to
search for it on the internet and see it for
yourself.
(2) People lived in Petra during centuries gone by,
but it became a lost city for around 1,000
years, and was only rediscovered in 1812.
https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/the-man-who-discovered-a-
%E2%80%98lost%E2%80%99-wonder-of-the-world
(3) In 2007, Petra has been voted one of the New
Seven Wonders of the World.
https://www.businessinsider.com/petra-jordan-7-wonders-of-the-world-
indiana-jones-2018-7#:~:text=The%20ancient%20city%20of%20Petra,
The%20Last%20Crusade%20in%201989.
(4) Petra is said to be a virtually impregnable
fortress. (That may be not be true in this day
of rockets and missiles.)
b. Petra could definitely be said to be in a wilderness.
(1) The whole country of Jordan is wilderness.
(a) 75% of Jordan meets the meteorological
definition of a desert; having less than
8 inches of rain annually.
http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/geo_env1.html#:~:text=Comprising
%20around%2075%25%20of%20Jordan,900%20meters%20above%20sea%20level.
(b) 1/6 of Jordan is nothing but volcano
spillage, lava rocks.
http://www.khammash.com/research/basalt-bombs
c. Petra is close to Israel.
(1) Jordan is Israel’s neighbor to the east.
(2) Petra is just 100 miles away from Jerusalem.
(3) Jordan is one of the very few Arab nations that
is, and has been for many years now, friendly to
Israel.
d. Jordan is also the one area of the world that the
Bible indicates may NOT be under the rule of the
anti-Christ.
(1) \\#Dan 11:41\\
(2) I have referred to this passage several times
as it prophesied the coming of the Greek ruler,
Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
(3) Antiochus IV Epiphanes is a type of the anti-
Christ.
(4) It is difficult to know how much of this passage
is speaking of just the man, Antiochus IV
Epiphanes, and how is speaking of the anti-
Christ.
(5) But I believe \\#Dan 11:41\\ is speaking of the
anti-Christ as it tells us one area that for
some reason the anti-Christ will NOT control:
Daniel 11:41 He shall enter also into the
glorious land, and many countries shall be
overthrown: but these shall escape out of his
hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the
children of Ammon.
(6) Look on any Bible map at the territory of Edom,
Moab, and Ammon and compare that land to the
present-day land of Jordan and you will see the
boundaries are very close to the same.
(7) That does not necessarily mean that the Jews will
flee to Jordan of if they did that they will
flee to Petra; but it is logical.
(8) Why would the anti-Christ limit his access to
Jordan? Maybe to get the Temple Mount for the
Jews.
E. \\#7\\ During this time, God will let Michael, the arch-
angel, and "his angels" fight against the devil.
Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael
and his angels fought against the dragon; and the
dragon fought and his angels,
1. This isn’t a past battle but a future one.
2. Daniel has given us this prophecy as well, and his
description makes it clear that this has not happened
yet.
Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand
up, the great prince which standeth for the
children of thy people: and there shall be a time
of trouble, such as never was since there was a
nation even to that same time: and at that time
thy people shall be delivered, every one that
shall be found written in the book.
a. It gets confusing because Jesus said in Luke that
Satan has already been cast out of heaven.
b. And Satan was cast out of heaven, but he still had
limited access.
c. When the Seventh Trumpet is sounded, he will lose all
access to heaven.
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their
place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into
the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
d. There will be "no place" \\#8\\ for the devil in
heaven any more.
e. The eviction notice that was served in \\#11:14-19\\
is being carried out.
f. It will be 3 1/2 years before it is completed
executed, but it is definitely beginning.
III. \\#10-17\\ Results:
A. The heavenly saints will rejoice!
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in
heaven, 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.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and
they loved not their lives unto the death.
1. And why not?
2. They now understand better than anyone what the devil has
done to them and how he has hurt them.
3. They also understand how powerful the blood of Jesus is
and what it has and will do for them forever and ever.
B. But the world will mourn.
Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye
that dwell in them. 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.
1. Why will the world mourn?
2. Because there is nowhere else for the devil to go and
nothing else for him to do but pour his fury upon those
left on the earth.
3. At least when the devil was accusing us before the Father
he was not here to torment us, at least not in person.
4. This also gives him more time to either be or direct the
anti-Christ.
C. \\#13-17\\ And Israel will suffer.
1. The angrier the devil gets, the more he takes it out on
Israel and the those saved on the earth.
2. Remember, those last seven years are called the GREAT
Tribulation for a reason.
It is sad but things will go from bad to worse and from worse to
worst. Much like what is happening in the world today only what we
are seeing is just a drop in the bucket to what will happen. What’s
the answer? It is a what as much as a Who. Jesus is.
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