This chapter of Revelation is called a parenthetical chapter, meaning it was inserted to cover a long period of time. We will see it begins in the first earth age then this second earth age. Rev.12 and verse 1 reads.
Rev.12:1] And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
This is mother Israel, the twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Jacob. This is in the first earth age.
Rev.12:2] And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
She being with child is bringing in a new earth age. Why I have always said “if you don’t understand the first six chapters of Genesis, you’ll never understand the end”. Now, Isaiah wrote in his last chapter this very prophesy. Isa.66 and verse 5 reads.
Isa.66:5] Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
Sounds like the woe trumps.
Isa.66:6] A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.
[7] Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
[8] Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Notice eyes to see and ears to hear, written for God’s elect.
Isa.66:9] Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
[10] Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
[11] That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
He will feed us in the wilderness. He will feed us the Word of God.
Isa.66:12] For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.
Bringing in the gentiles also from the O.T. They should have known this when they crucified Jesus, that he was indeed the Son of God.
Isa.66:13] As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter.
Isa.66:14] And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.
This would be the seventh trump. The seven vials are poured out on his enemies.
Isa.66:15] For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
That great army that comes back with the Lord at the seventh trump.
Isa.66:16] For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
Plead is underestimating his wrath. But, didn’t that sound a lot like Revelations. Back to Rev.12 and verse 3 reads.
Rev.12:3] And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
These seven heads are a political system, this is still first earth age, though this one world system comes to the earth during the end of the fifth trump. Rev.13:1. Notice it is Red, it is communism.
Rev.12:4] And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Again, the first six chapters of Genesis must be understood for any of this to make sense. Now, let me explain this a little. Satan drew a third of God’s children to his side in the first earth age causing the Katabole, G2602 the overthrow of Satan. God had a choice that he could kill a third of his children or cause all to be born in the flesh innocent of the knowledge of the first earth age. Giving them free will in the flesh to either love God or Satan. This earth age came with “The Child born of mother Israel” or Salvation. Don’t overlook as soon as it was born, the serpent beguiled Eve in the garden, and was after the seed line to destroy the seed before Christ could be born.
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.
Christ was born and sits on the right hand of God, the right hand being his Power. Now about this rod, this is discipline, where we get our word disciple from. Let’s go back to Isaiah, Isa.7 and verse 14 reads.
Isa.7:14] Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Immanuel means God with us in Hebrew. So now we are in the second earth age.
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.
This should sound familiar, last chapter we found the witnesses had these many days. This is 3 ½ years, shortened to 2 ½ months. Bringing us to the sixth trump. Do not overlook a place prepared by God and they are fed, meaning the two witnesses feed God’s elect there.
Rev.12:7] And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
We studied this in 2Thes.2, let’s pick it up with verse 3 and it reads.
2Thes.2:3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Satan comes before the true Christ comes, there is no rapture.
2Thes.2:4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The reason for the apostasy, they believe he is Jesus.
2Thes.2:5] Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
[6] And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
The he that will let is Michael and it happens in verse 7 of chapter 12 which we just read.
2Thes.2:8] And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
[9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
[10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Had they only read God’s Word they would have had salvation. Back to Rev.12 and remember Michael is warring against the Dragon, and verse 8 reads.
Rev.12:8] And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Let’s go to Jude and read verse 9.
Jude 1:9] Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Never argue with Satan, just rebuke him in the name of the Lord. Back to Rev.12 and verse 9 reads.
Rev.12:9] 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.
The seven thousand fallen angels are cast out of heaven with Satan onto the earth. Satan and the fallen angels will not be born of woman. Notice all the names of Satan here, many more like dragon and antichrist were left out but just so we know there are many. And it began in the garden with the serpent. Let’s go to 1Cor.11 and verse 10 reads.
1Cor.11:10] For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
This power we established is Jesus Christ, and the angels are coming with Satan. Back to Rev.12 and verse 10 reads.
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.
Don’t overlook that he accuses us day and night to the LORD. Cast down, look out he knows he has but a short time. Let’s go to Luke 21, like Mat.24 and Mark 13 Jesus is giving the account of the end times. Luke 21 and verse 17 reads.
Luke 21:17] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
[18] But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
That was what I came here for, not one hair of your head will perish.
Luke 21:19] In your patience possess ye your souls.
[20] And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
The desolation is the desolator, an entity not a condition, the antichrist is coming. Back to Rev.12 and verse 11 reads.
Rev.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.
Let’s look closely at this word testimony. Here it is G3141, Marturia and means; what one testifies, but it also says it comes from G3144 Martus, where we get our word Martyr from. And means; 1. those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death. But we don’t worry because to be absent from this body is to be present with the LORD. Back to Rev.12 and verse 12 reads.
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.
Rejoice in heaven but woe to those on earth. This is the beginning of the half hour in heaven and the 2 ½ months on earth. It is the sixth trump.
Rev.12:13] And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
This would be the mother Israel, there are twelve stars in her crown. All twelve tribes, not just the tribe of Judah, but all Christian nations of the world today, especially America. Israel and America, called little Satan and great Satan by Iran today. I hope eyes and ears are open with this lesson and all of the Revelations studies we have had these past few weeks.
Rev.12:14] 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.
Giving us the 3 ½ times of the seven years which have been shortened to 2 ½ months of the sixth trump. From the face of the serpent, meaning he is here and it is the sixth trump.
Rev.12:15] 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.
Out of his mouth, these are lies. Jesus told us do not be deceived. But, the whole world whores after him, this is the great apostasy. The falling away talked about in 2Thes.2.
Rev.12:16] 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.
The earth used here to do the will of God, let’s go to Numbers 26 and read verse 10.
Num.26:10] And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.
This sign was for God’s children in these end times. But God’s elect are sealed and ready to be delivered up to Satan to give the testimony of Jesus Christ. Back to Rev.12 and verse 17 reads.
Rev.12:17] 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.
Keeping his commandments is not enough, you must also have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Many will be deceived, but those who study the Word of God have this testimony of Jesus Christ. God bless us for studying his Word, let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible