Chapter 11:15-19 is GOD'S SUMMARY of the rest of the rest of the Tribulation period (11:19-19:10 give the details of the last half of the Tribulation.) God first states the truth in outline, and then goes back to fill in the details. This is a good method of teaching anywhere.

THE SEVEN GREAT ACTORS OF THE TRIBULATION:

[1]. The woman (1 2:1,2)
[2]. Satan (12:3-4)
[3]. The Child (12:5-6)
[4]. The Archangel (12:7-12)
[5]. The Jewish remnant (12:13-17)
[6]. The beast out of the sea (13:1-10)
[7]. The beast out of the earth (13:11-18)

FIVE of these PERSONS are presented in (Rev. 12) to picture the GREATEST WAR OF ALL, the conflict of Satan with the woman and her seed (Gen. 3:15). At times this battle has broken into the open, and at times it is undercover.

From Genesis to Revelation we are given the record of this mighty conflict between these two forces-righteousness and evil; God and Satan- seed of woman and seed of the serpent. This conflict has been raging for almost six thousand years, and will end with the defeat and judgment of God upon Satan.

I. THE WOMAN (12:1,2 - Israel)

WHO IS THIS WOMAN?

[1]. Some say THE CHURCH - but this cannot be for two reasons:

(a). The church did not give birth to Christ (the Child).
(b). The church is not on the earth during the Tribulation (it is in Heaven since 4:1).

[2]. The VIRGIN MARY? The Roman Catholic Church so content, using this passage to help promote its heretical "Mother of God", "Queen of Heaven" doctrines; but Mary cannot be this woman here, for she was not subjected to persecution after the birth of Jesus (as this chapter teaches concerning "the woman").
[3]. MARY BAKER EDDY? - Claimed she was this woman, and that the Child is her "Christian Science", and that the dragon is mortal mind, the enemy of her "Key to the Scriptures".

THIS WOMAN IS ISRAEL (see fulfillment of Joseph's dream of Gen. 37).

"clothed with sun" - Israel's brilliant position before God
"moon under feet " - reflecting the glory of God
"crown of twelve stars" - representing the twelve tribes
"travailing in birth" - see Isa. 54:1 See the word "her" in Hos. 2:14,15; Deut. 32:11 +The "us" in Isa. 9:6 is Israel.

 

II. THE DRAGON (12:3,4 - Satan)

As soon as the promise of this Child was given there appears a dragon to try to destroy the child obviously this is SATAN.

"Red" is the color of blood, war, murder (Jn. 8:44), sin, and Satan.

"Seven heads and ten, horns" (seven crowns)

(a). Symbolizing the wisdom and power of Satan in the Tribulation period.
(b). Horns- refer to Kingdoms (the future restored Roman Empire- we'll study later).
(c). Tall- revealing his influence- "third" of angels that fell (vs. 4) (Jude 6: Dan. 8:10,24).

Contrasts this picture of Satan with the beautiful picture in (Ezek. 28:14-16) - This is what SIN WILL DO!

The dragon's desire is to devour the child, evidently knowing His destiny is to be Ruler with an iron rod. Satan has known since (Gen. 3) that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head. All Satanic activities are carried on with the double motive: His ambition to rule and to be worshipped, and his hatred toward the One whom God has chosen to take the kingdom that Satan has sought to gain.

Satan is the "old dragon", but JESUS KNOWS HOW TO KILL DRAGONS!

 

III. THE MAN-CHILD (12:5,6)

We nearly always refer to the "man-child" as the Lord Jesus Christ for several reasons:

[1]. He is said to "rule the nations with a rod of iron".
[2]. The woman is Israel and she brings Him forth.
[3]. The Child is caught up, as Christ was in (Acts 1).

However, there is still an unexplained aspect to these verses that remain shrouded in mystery. Although we can teach inspirationally that this "man-child" is Jesus Christ, there is an indication that someone else may be sent to deliver Israel during the Tribulation or it may be a reference to an Israelitish remnant. Please consider-when you read the gospels you find out that many Jews expected the return of Moses and Elijah, but many though that Jesus Christ was the second coming of Jeremiah (Matt. 16:14)! There is no doubt about the time of Jeremiah's prophecy. Jeremiah, at the time of the king of Babylon (type of Antichrist), prophesies to Israel (about to be thrown out of the land as they are in the time of the Antichrist), concerning the destruction of Jerusalem (as it will be destroyed in the Tribulation by the Antichrist), and he disappears down into Egypt to pronounce the final prophecies on the Second Advent, "the day of the Lord" (Jer. 50-52). Notice other parallels in (Lam. 4:19,20,21,22,5:9).

 

IV. WAR IN HEAVEN (12:7-12)

Michael is one of the three (Gabriel, Lucifer-Satan) great angels mentioned in Scripture. Michael seems to be the champion of God's holiness, and has a special relation with Israel (He is mentioned five times in the Bible, each time in relation to Israel). Michael leads the heavenly hosts to battle against Satan. This war takes place at the end of the first half of the Tribulation, when Satan is cast out of Heaven.

SATAN HAS ACCESS to Heaven now, and so enters there to bring accusation against the saved (but, don't worry-we have an Advocate with the Father (1 Jn. 2:1). When the church is translated (at the Rapture) into the presence of God, the devil is going to enter and make his last accusation. God will speak to Michael to "clear the court", and Satan and his host will be cast out of Heaven.

There are four times in the Bible when Satan is CAST OUT:

[1]. Ezek. 28:14-16 - from his exalted position as angel in Heaven.
[2]. Rev. 12:9 - cast out of Heaven as accuser for millennium
[3]. Rev. 20:1-3 - cast into bottomless pit for millennium
[4]. Rev. 20:10 - cast from Great White Throne Judgment into Lake of Fire forever.

Verse 12-There will be great rejoicing in Heaven when Satan is cast out, for it will be a great moment, BUT, there will be great sorrow on earth. Having been cast out of heaven the devil will be more vicious than ever, because he will be living in his last years as "prince of the power of the air" and he will know it. (Any dying animal-beast is more viscous.) Satan will try more than ever to defeat God's purposes, but God will protect Israel and deliver her.

YOU TOO CAN DEFEAT THE DEVIL:

Verse 11 gives us THREE WAYS to defeat the devil in our Christian lives:

[1]. By the BLOOD of the LAMB- the devil doesn't mind good works, good intentions, but he hates the blood of Jesus and its power.
[2]. By your testimony- give your testimony of what God has done for you, the devil hates that.
[3]. Love not your own life- when you love God's work more than you love your own life, the devil is defeated.

 

V. WOMAN PERSECUTED AND DELIVERED (12:13-17 - Jewish Remnant)

The devil is losing the battle. He has lost access to Heaven and he has failed to devour the Man-child thus he turns to persecute the Woman-Israel. When Satan knows that his time is short he will seek to destroy the nation to whom God has promised the kingdom and through whom He brought the Defeater of Satan, BUT, God will protect her. (Even today the church that is doing the most for God is the one to receive the most criticism from the devil's crowd- BUT GOD GIVES THE VICTORY.)

WE CANNOT BE NEUTRAL IN THE BATTLE AGAINST SIN, STAND UP AND FIGHT!!!!