REVELATION LESSON 23

REVELATION

LESSON 23

ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES?

Revelation 12: 11-12   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.

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.

They overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death, therefore rejoice your heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you. He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short.

Now the long activity of Satan in heaven comes to its close and with it the intensified activity of Satan on earth. Those who overcame did so by the blood of the Lamb and by their faithful testimony, and their willingness to be martyrs if necessary.

On earth there would continue to be many martyrs through the great tribulation. Satan knows prophecy and believes his time is short.

Revelation 12: 13-14   ¹³ And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

¹⁴ And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Further attention is given to the activities of Satan during the great tribulation. When Satan the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

While the woman represents faithful Jews and the male child, Rev. 12:5 represents Christ Jesus. The rest of the children could be a reference here to Jewish believers or most likely all believers.

The statement, the woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days is in reference to Israel being preserved through the great tribulation. Though many will perish, a remnant will be spared.

When Israel arrives, God will take are of her. God will supernaturally provide food, clothing, protection and anything else they need. They will spend the next three- and one-half years, the last half of the tribulation, protected by and hidden by God.

Revelation 12:15-17   ¹⁵ And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

¹⁶ And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

¹⁷ And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away, but the earth helped the woman by opening up and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against her offspring. Those who obeyed Gods commandments and held to the testimony of Jesus.

Though the power of Satan is tremendous, so is the strength given to believers in that hour who are said to conquer through the Blood of the Lamb and their testimony.

Since this passage has already referred to “symbols” of the woman and the great red dragon, the word flood could be a symbolic picture of all that Satan is doing to destroy Israel. This would include false teaching which in the end time would come like a flood.

Circumstances of the great tribulation also would test their faith sorely in the fulfillment of the promise of the messiahs coming. Satan not only attempts to persecute Israel but all others who obey Gods commandments. This is of course in many other scriptures that speak of the horrors of the great tribulation.

A glance at history reveals a for-glimpse of his consistent hatred and diabolical wrath against Gods chosen people. It would almost seem that all the animosity and hatred he directs toward God in the last days of his freedom will be hurled against Gods beloved nation of Israel.

The final act on the part of Satan will be used of God to cause a worldwide revival to spread throughout Israel.

Revelation 13:1   13 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

In this chapter prophecy focuses on the coming world government. The beast and the false prophet who lead it. John tells us about two power houses of the tribulation period, the anti-Christ, that is, the political power house and the false prophet, the religious power house.

This is in many prophecies throughout the scriptures that speak of this crucial end time of three and a half years proceeding the coming of Christ Jesus.

These two end time dictators will merge Church and State. Todays leaders keep talking about a new world order. The purpose of this talk of the new world order is to bring the world into a one world government.

They have already created the world bank, the world health organization, the two world courts, the international criminal court, and the international court of justice, just to name a few.

Having introduced the main characters of the end time including Israel, the dragon, Christ Jesus and the false prophet, the revelation given to John goes on to describe the important persons that dominate the great tribulation.

Until next time,

Stay in the word,

Brother Andy