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Revelation Segment 11

All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Before beginning this study, I suggest you pray and ask God to guide you through this study. I also suggest that you do you own study of this material in order to ensure its accuracy.
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The way I am going to teach this part of the Book of Revelation is based on the fact that much of the current teaching on the pre-trib rapture of the church is false. Much current rapture philosophy teaches that the Church will be taken away to heaven before any tribulation or wrath of God comes on the earth. This is false. The church will see, indeed is seeing, in parts of the world, much tribulation. See Mat. 24: 29-31. The elect are not Jews or any other specific group; the elect are the church. In Matthew 24, Jesus is talking to the Apostles—the church. The elect are God's chosen people, that is, they are those who are believers in Christ; they are the church. The church includes all believers, both Jews (Israelites) and Gentiles. See also 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. These verses prove that the gathering of the church to Jesus takes place after much tribulation occurs. Yes the church will be taken away by the Christ before the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth in the seven vials. This is the Great Tribulation, the Great and Terrible Day of the LORD, the Day of the LORD, the Winepress of God's Wrath, etc. The church will indeed be gathered back to Christ before this time comes. But there is much tribulation and wrath for the world to endure until that time as well.

The rapture adherents relegate all of the events that will transpire in Revelation (those left behind after the so called pre-trib rapture) to either those who were not saved before the rapture or to the (their term) Jews. According to the rapture adherents all the prophecies about the remnant (See Revelation 11:13) and those who are sealed apply to these two groups. They refer to them as the Tribulation Saints and Israel or The Jews. If they would just let the Bible be the Bible and read what it says, they would realize that these Tribulation Saints are not those saved during the tribulation, but that they are the church (of course some of them will be saved during tribulation but not during the Great Tribulation). They should also understand that the "Jews" as referred to in Bible prophecy are the remnant of the Southern Kingdom. The nation of Israel includes all Israelites, that is, Jews from the Southern Kingdom, and the ten Northern Kingdom tribes dispersed throughout the nations. So when the nation of Israel is spoken of, they say it is of the Jews. But this is not so. The Jews are only a part of the nation of Israel; also included are the ten lost tribes. Admittedly, in the current vernacular, the term 'Jew' refers to all Israelites. Modern Israelis refer to themselves as Jews. Nevertheless, Bible prophecy refers to those of the Southern Kingdom as Jews, and to the Northern Kingdom as Israel. When referring to all the tribes, Bible prophecy uses the term Jacob.

Many rapture adherents also say that God's chosen people are only these Jews. Not so. Christians are also God's chosen people: 1 Peter 2:9, speaking to believers (the church, see 1 Peter 1:1-5), states: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" So when God's people are spoken of in Revelation, the Word is referring to ALL of God's chosen people, which includes the church. If you don't believe this, then you are reading into the scriptures I mentioned and you misunderstand the term "elect".

By the way, when a Jew or an Israelite gets saved, he or she becomes a member of the church. There are not two different churches, one for Gentiles and one for Jews. There is only one church which is for all saved believers, Jew and Gentile (Read all of Aces 10. Read it again. Do you get it? Jews AND Gentiles were saved and became a part of the church). Having said this, let us proceed.

This is a good place to discuss Dispensationalism². Dispensationalism teaches that the scriptures are divided into sections, each one called a Dispensation. They say that God works with people differently in each Dispensation and that most of the teachings of a particular Dispensation cannot be used to understand another Dispensation. For example, Dispensationalism teaches that the Law saves those under the first covenant while faith in Jesus Christ saves those under the new covenant. But that is a false teaching. Hebrews clearly states that all are saved by the blood of Christ, including those under the first covenant and those under the new covenant (Hebrews 2:10-11, 10:1-4, Chapter 11).

Dispensationalists claim that Paul's statement, "rightly dividing the word of truth" means to divide the Bible into such Dispensations. I must categorically state here and now that Dispensationalism is heresy. Your read correctly, heresy. My seminary teaches Dispensationalism. It was through my studies there that I began to understand that Dispensationalism is a heresy and a destructive one at that. It is part of the apostasy (KJV, falling away) Paul spoke of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

A particularly unsound principal of Dispensationalism is that Israel and the Church are forever separate. In fact one of the best-known modern proponents of Dispensationalism, Dr. Charles Ryrie, says that this teaching is the centerpiece (he calls it the sine qua non) of Dispensationalism. This is a demonstrably false position. If the church is engrafted into the root of Israel, and Christians are the children of Abraham, and the adopted sons of God (Ephesians 1:5), then the doctrine of the eternal separation of Israel and the church cannot be true. Read Romans Chapter 11, and 1 Corinthians 12:13. One last statement, Dispensationalism is a doctrine manufactured to force the current pre-trib Rapture doctrine to fit the Scriptures. That is how the pre-trip rapture adherents get the teaching about "tribulation saints", the teaching that tribulation is for the "Jews" only, and the teaching that Christians will be raptured away before this tribulation against the Jews begins. The truth is, Satan's persecution of God's people occurs well before the Great Tribulation. It is happening now. After this tribulation, God pours out His wrath on all unbelievers. There will be no believers in the Great Tribulation, which is the pouring out of the vials of God's Wrath upon the earth.

In 11:12, the two witness have just been resurrected and recalled into heaven. There will be great terror on earth at that time. The entire world will see their ascent into heaven on global satellite TV.

This takes place in Jerusalem (Rev 11:8). A tenth (a tithe?) of Jerusalem will be destroyed by the earthquake taking the lives of seven thousand. God always preserves a remnant of His own people (1 Kings 19:18 & Romans 11:5). The number seven thousand is representative of this remnant. This number, 7000, is symbolic of the complete number of the people loyal to God. The actual number of the remnant may be many times more than seven thousand (e.g. 144,000). Notice that in the same thought, John mentions the remnant along with the people killed by the earthquake. He is telling us that a number of those who oppose God equal to the number of the remnant will be killed by this earthquake. It is the old corollary, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and hand for hand described in Exodus 21:23-27 revisited. That is man's way. But God's way is described by Jesus in Matthew 5:38-39: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: {39} But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Since men want an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth and hand for hand, God is giving it to them the way they want it. There is Biblical precedent for God doing just this.

In Judges 10:10-14 "And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. {11} And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? {12} The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. {13} Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. {14} Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."

AND in Proverbs 1:28-31 "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: {29} For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: {30} They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. {31} Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices."

AND in Romans 1:28 "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"

John says that "the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven." The word rendered "affrighted" is emphoboi (Strong's 1719), which literally means "in fear". What does it mean when God's people are in fear of Him? It means that they revere Him. Fear, when applied to God's people, means reverence or awe. The context bears this out. When the remnant saw this evidence of God's power they were in awe of God and they revered Him, and thus they gave glory unto Him.

Of course, John may be using the word "remnant" to talk of those remaining after the earthquake. If that is the case then those who were left alive in the city glorified God. That is, they gave Him the credit. But that does not mean they were saved. They were frightened and this produced the effect in the people.

This is a parallel of Revelation 9:12. The third and final woe happens almost immediately. The seventh trumpet now sounds. This is the final trumpet of the age. It is the one referred to by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:52. Immediately after the seventh trump is blown, the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of Yehovah and His Anointed One, Jesus. But God is not through dealing with this world and there are still judgments to come upon this world. There are still the seven vials of the wrath of God to be poured out upon the world.

Up to this point, who has been in control of the kingdoms of this world? Satan. He has been in control at God's pleasure (See Jeremiah 27:4-5). There are many passages that prove this statement, but the most definitive one is Luke 4:6 "And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it." Now the kingdoms of the world are taken out of Satan's hands and given to the Messiah Who will reign over them for eternity. This is the ushering in of the next age.

Refer to Revelation 4:4. When the seventh trump sounds and Jesus takes over the kingdoms of the world, it is not surprising that the twenty four elders would worship God.

The events outlined is this verse are, in order, the anger of men (nations), the wrath of God (Great Tribulation), the time of the judgment of the dead (Great White Throne Judgment), the rewarding of God's people (Judgment Seat of Christ), and the destruction of the enemies of God (the Lake of Fire). This verse summarizes the order in which these events will take place. The anger of men could be a result of the great apostasy prophesied by Paul in 2 Thes 2:3.

The people of the world do not want Jesus to reign over them. That is why they have rejected him throughout the last 2000 years. This begins the Great Tribulation. God's wrath has finally come. This verse discusses the judgment of the people, but the Great White Throne judgment is not yet come. There is the wrath of God to come before the Great White Throne Judgment. The events of the seventh trump and the seven vials occur before the Thousand Years; the Great White Throne Judgment happens at the end of the Thousand Years.

This passage mentions the rewards of God's people and of the judgment of His enemies. The seventh trumpet speaks to that time period. The seventh trump ushers in the kingdom age and all these things mentioned in this verse will happen at some time during the kingdom age, which, by the way, lasts for eternity. So to say that this passage refers to the Great White Throne Judgment or the Judgment Seat (bema) of Christ is premature. These events will happen in their time as outlined in this verse.

This passage affirms for us that there is a temple in Heaven. Remember that the things on earth are a shadow of those things in Heaven. Since there was a earthly temple, so there is a Heavenly temple. Can we apply this rule to the Ark of the Covenant? Yes. Some say that this ark in the temple in Heaven is the actual Ark of the Covenant made by Moses in the wilderness. It could well be for the Ark was lost to history after the reign of Josiah. It is possible that God took it into His temple in Heaven after that. But it is also possible that the ark on earth was just a shadow of that in Heaven, and that this is the heavenly ark and the earthly ark still resides somewhere on earth. After all, the ark is one of those things that is a shadow of heavenly things. (Refer to Exodus 25, especially verses 10-22 and verse 40).

If the earthly ark is indeed still upon the earth, there are a few worthy places to look for it. The most likely place would be in the catacombs beneath the Temple Mount, where the priests would most likely have hidden it in times of calamity. There are tunnels that are sealed and are under the control of the Muslims where it could remain hidden indefinitely. Another possibility (though doubtful) is in the Ethipoian Orthodox Chapel at Axum in Ethiopia.

The presence of lightning, voices, and thunder, earthquake, and great hail indicates the presence of God Almighty in His Temple. (See Revelation Segment 8 and the notes there on Rev 8:5).

Here begins a vision of the basic history of the world. This woman represents God's Chosen Race, the Children of Israel. No she is not the Virgin Mary, nor is she the Church. Did Mary go out into the wilderness? Did the church?

Genesis 37:9-10 "And he [Joseph] dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. {10} And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" The sun is Jacob or Israel, the moon is Rachel, Jacob's wife and the mother of Joseph, the eleven stars are Joseph's eleven brothers, and Joseph makes star number twelve. Jacob is the sun and he figuratively clothed his family with his provision and his protection. Rachel is the moon and Jacob's foremost wife and she figuratively girds up the family from underneath (being Jacob's # 1 wife, she is the foundation of the family). The crowning achievement of Jacob is his family of twelve sons.

Now the important history of the world is the story of Jesus Christ and His family beginning with Adam; the seed line passing through Seth, Noah, Shem, Eber (Heber), Terah, Abraham, Jacob, David, and Mary. Therefore Israel came from Abraham who came from Heber, who came from Noah and Seth and Adam; the most significant history of the world. All other history is secondary to this history.

Let us stay on course. The subject is Israel. So this is not Mary when she went into labor. When Jesus was born, the nation of Israel was in travail. The Northern kingdom was somewhere dispersed among the nations. The Kingdom of Judah had been in captivity and returned to the land in "troublous times" (Dan 9:25), Antiochus Epiphanes had sacrificed a pig on the altar, the Maccabean revolt had temporarily freed Judea, but shortly thereafter the Romans came and made the Israelites a vassal nation, and they pained to be delivered from the Roman yoke. The Greco-Roman world was deep in the sins of the flesh and idolatry. The religious leaders were corrupt and no longer Godly. This was a world of travail. This was the world into which the Christ-child came. The nation cried out to be delivered from her distress. The problem is, that when their Deliverer arrived, they rejected Him.

The dragon is Satan (v. 9). The seven heads that are crowned symbolize seven leading nations, and the ten horns symbolize ten leaders. For a long time, there were many ready to pronounce the European Union to be ten nations represented by the ten horns. Of course that does not work because there are twenty-eight of them. There were an original ten. It is difficult to identify who these are. I suppose the G-7 could be considered the seven and the original ten Common Market Nations might be the ten. But this is purely conjecture. On could also easily apply this to Rome, which sits on seven hills. I am not ready or able to identify any at present except to say that these are part of the global political system of Satan. After all, they are a part of the dragon in this vision. This being a vision of History, let us talk no more about future events here.

By the way, Satan was never an angel in the strictest sense. He was a covering cherub (Eze 28:14). A cherub is a living creature and one of the Heavenly Host. We like to generically include all the host of Heaven as angels, but this is not the case. When Satan fell, he became a dragon. A dragon is a serpent; a fascinating serpent, but a serpent nonetheless. He was also shiny for the Hebrew word for serpent also means shining one. Note that because of their scales, snakes have a translucent or shining appearance. One definition of a dragon is a fierce, violent person. Satan appears as an angel of light, but this is only a deception. He is a dragon.

For a good look at the serpent read about the leviathan in Job 41. God is telling about him. Leviathon means serpent or dragon:

3882. livyathan, liv-yaw-thawn'; from 3867; a wreathed animal, i.e. a serpent (espec. the crocodile or some other large sea-monster); fig. the constellation of the dragon; also as a symbol of Babylon:--leviathan, mourning.

Let us take apart this verse piece by piece.

"The sore and great and strong sword" is the word of God. (see Heb 4:12) Jesus will punish Satan with the sword of His mouth (Rev 19:15), which is His word. Leviathan can be a serpent or a dragon; he is both. This verse calls him both. A piercing serpent can also mean a fleeing serpent. Satan caused Jesus to be pierced by a sword. A crooked serpent is a coiled or evil one (the root word of the word rendered crooked means wrong as in not righteous). The dragon in the sea is a veiled reference to Satan among the nations. This verse tells us that the leviathan in Job 41 is Satan.

Isn't it amazing that the dragon in Revelation has seven heads and this Psalm tells us of a many headed leviathan and dragon!

This is a picture of Satan's fall in which he drew a third of the angels into his rebellion and they were cast to earth as was Satan. He took them with him in his fall. Jesus tells us more about this fall in Luke 10:18: "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" Isaiah gives us a further picture of Satan's fall to earth in 14:12: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" Ezekiel reflects this same event: Ezekiel 28:16 "I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God" Isaiah and Ezekiel both give us a full account of this rebellion in Isa 14:12-20 and Eze 28:2-10.

So the dragon fell to earth and took one third of the angels with him. He was in the garden of Eden when he tried to destroy the line of Christ by deceiving Eve. He tried again when the sons of God married the daughters of men producing the Nephillim. He tried again by inciting Pharaoh to kill all the male Hebrew children. He tried again when he induced Saul to attempt to kill David. He tried again with Solomon, and with Joash. Satan has made numerous other attempts to stop the advent of the Christ. All of his attempts are accounted for in this verse.

The dragon, that is Satan, wanted to stop the Christ-child from being born. This is signified by his standing before the woman (Israel). If he could not prevent the birth of Christ he wanted to devour (kill) the child immediately after birth. This he tried when he incited Herod to attempt to kill Jesus when the Magi came to visit him. Herod had all the male children in the area of Bethlehem under two years old killed in the attempt. When he failed in this attempt, he had Jesus crucified. But that miscarried on him too. That act played right into the plan of God.

This is Jesus, the Christ:

Revelation 3:21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Verse five ends with the Messiah ascending into heaven. This event is recorded in Acts 1:9-11 above. So beginning in this verse we are taken to the future time when Satan will be cast to earth in great wrath by Michael. Verse 13 is our proof for this statement. So the woman will flee into the wilderness at that time.

This is a very difficult verse, because there are not many verses of scripture to compare it to. But there are a few.

Hagar fled from Sarah into the wilderness to find peace from her for Sarah had mistreated Hagar.

This scripture deals with Joseph, and that makes it important, because this woman is symbolically Israel, and his twelve sons. Let us go there.

Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him but Reuben intervened and they put Joseph in a pit in the wilderness, sparing His life. Joseph was saved in the wilderness and went on to become the King of Egypt (not the Pharaoh). I believe he was the first of the Hyksos or shepherd kings of Egypt. This does not agree with contemporary orthodox Egyptology, but there are Egyptologists who date the time of the Hyksos nearly equally with the time the Israelites were in Egypt. (A subject for another study). 

God led the Israelites (whom the woman represents) into the wilderness in order to free them from bondage under Pharaoh. While they were in the wilderness He protected them as we see from this passage:

Deuteronomy 29:5-6 "And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. {6} Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God."[they ate manna and quail]

In addition to these, God protected them from their enemies and fought for them against their enemies. They were protected forty years. The wilderness has many times been a place of refuge. For example, Jesus went into the wilderness to pray and fortify himself. He went there for refuge from the crowds that followed Him everywhere seeking to see His miracles. The wilderness is basically wild country. Forests, mountains, deserts, and the like can be wildernesses. Any area that is untouched by men is a wilderness. Breaking the word down, we have wilder and ness. Wilder is from the Old English wild deor which means wild beast and ness is a combining form meaning the state of being. So wilderness is a place in a wild state of being; a place where things grow wild or naturally. The point of this discourse is that a wilderness can be any place in a wild or natural state. And a wilderness is quite often a place of refuge.

A wilderness can also be "multitudinous and confusing collection of events, places, states of being, happenings, etc." (Funk and Wagnalls Collegiate Dictionary) For example, "we were lost in the wilderness of this city" or "we were lost in a wilderness of humanity" or "we were lost in a wilderness of places."

This place in the wilderness where the woman fled was prepared by God for her protection from the dragon. This was a refuge for her. Let us look into the past to see if we can find similar events.

Some say that this is when the Christians, heeding the words of Christ in Matthew 24:16, when the Romans came to Jerusalem. All the Chrisitans in the city fled and were spared when Titus laid seige to Jerusalem and killed many of its inhabitants. But if, as I have stated, the Book of Revelation was written after the fall of Jeruslaem, and the ancient men of the church say it was, this cannot apply to 70 AD. If so, John would have to have been writing history, but he was writing prophecy (Revelation 22:19).

However, this flight into the wilderness can still be explained in that historical context. There is a rule of interpreting prophecy that seems to have some merit. It is called the Law of Double Reference. Though Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost and I have some severe disagreements, his explanation of this law is very good: "Two events, widely separated as to the time of their fulfilment, may be brought together into the scope of one prophecy. This was done because the prophet had a message for his own day as well as for a future time." (Things To Come, J. Dwight Pentecost, 1958, Dunham Publishing, London. 1964 printing, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids) This prophecy of the woman and the dragon is certainly applicable to John's time. Here is how:

In time past, Satan had rebelled and had taken a third of the angels with him in his rebellion. His rebellion continues throughout history. Satan has tried to keep Christ from being born throughout the history of Israel (see above). He had rebelled and was angry that God would provide a way for the salvation of men. So he tried to stop that way. (vv. 3-4)

In the fullness of time, the Christ-child was born in Bethlehem. He lived for thirty-three years and then died on the Cross and forty days later He arose to Heaven, was caught up to God and now sits at His right hand on His throne. (v. 5)

Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she was protected for a time, times, and a half time. This a period of 3½ times. God had prepared this wilderness for her. After the crucifixion, Israel fled into the wilderness that God had prepared for her protection. In what time period were the crucifixion and events immediately following it? It was the period from c. 30 AD - 70 AD.

What happened in 70 AD? The Romans, under General Titus, destroyed Jerusalem and all the inhabitants fled. The Jews rebelled in 66 and Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. It took about 3½ - 4 years, from the entry of Vespasian into Galilee in late 66 AD until the month of Elul (September) in 70. The first battle took place between Vespasian and Josephus at Joptha on the 21^st of Iyyar (April) of 67. Jerusalem fell (resistance ended) to Vespasian's son, Titus, on September 26, 70 AD. So the actual fighting in Judea took from April of 67 until the end of September 70, approximately 3½ years. (This does not include the destruction of the fort at Masada in 75 AD).The Jews then had to flee Judea. This was the dispersion of the Jews or the Diaspora of the Jews.

We need to remember a bit of history here about Israel. When God finally punished Israel because of her sins and idolatry, he had the Assyrians come and take away the all inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom and most of the inhabitants of the Southern Kingdom and relocate them to Assyrian territory between 738 and 722 BC (modern dating). After that these (ten) tribes were supposedly lost to history. This was the dispersion or Diaspora of Israel. It was later that the Babylonians (c. 597 BC) came and took the inhabitants of Jerusalem to Babylon where they were known as "Jews". They returned to the land of Judea seventy years later and remained there until 70 AD.

So how did God protect Israel from Satan? He made them invisible to him. He dispersed them among the nations where they would be less readily recognized. The Jews fared less well than the ten tribes. They have more readily recognized by the world (and Satan). The northern ten tribes are supposedly lost. But God knows who they are and He will bring them out from among the nations in His time when they will be His people and He will be their God. They will ultimately be saved by Christ as multitudes have been throughout history. You see, the ten tribes don't even recognize themselves. They are truly lost to Satan and thus protected. So the wilderness that God prepared for the Israelites for their protection from Satan is the world. By dispersing them, those that remain known (the Jews) are far less apt to totally be destroyed, guaranteeing their protection from annihilation. The world, then, is the wilderness the woman fled into.

Thus precedes the historical fulfillment of the woman and the dragon. There is also a future fulfillment. Revelation 12:5 ends a look at past events. An indefinite interval of years occurs after verse 5. The yet future begins in verse 6. Before we proceed, we must learn what is meant by God's people..

The tribes of Israel are God's people. God's people are also those who are saved by the blood of Jesus the Christ. So both Israelites and Christians are God's people. Christians are:

When speaking of God's people, His chosen, the elect, one cannot separate Israel and the church. This is where I do not agree with Dr. E.W.Bullinger (author of The Companion Bible) or J. Dwight Pentecost. When we are saved, we are wild shoots grafted in to the tree that is Israel. When we believe in Christ, we are the same as the children of Abraham (Israel). And when we are Christ's own we are Abraham's seed (just like Israel). The church has not replaced Israel, nor have we become Israel. As Christians, we are a part of Israel, that is, we are God's people just like Israel are. Drs. Bullinger, Pentecost, and others believed that Israel and the church are forever separate or distinct* (see quote). Scripture paints a different picture. God's chosen, His elect, are those who have faith in Christ. Israelite and Gentile both make up the church, who are God's people. Israel, just like the Gentiles, must be saved by the blood of Jesus. So those who flee Satan's wrath are God's people, including Israelis and Gentiles. 

Dispensationalists (one of which was J. Dwight Pentecost, above) use skewed devices to explain away these scriptures, just as they do to explain how the rapture theory is true. One such device explaining the rapture is the last trump of 1 Cor 15:52. The last trump according to scripture is the one sounded by the angel in this chapter; it is the seventh trumpet. The word for last, eschatos, means the most far out, absolutely final. The final trumpet of the age (aion) is the seventh. Dispensationalists and rapture theorists explain this away by saying that there are many different types of trumps and this is just one of the types. Not true, this, as the scripture plainly says, the seventh and last trump.

A similar device, which is used to explain away the true nature of God's people is the explanation of the seed of Abraham. The dispensationalists explain that the physical seed of Abraham are the descendants of Jacob who will inherit the land of Promise. Christians, on the other hand are the spiritual seed of Abraham. The device says that Israelites are the seed of Abraham while the church is a seed of Abraham. No such classification is mentioned in scripture. As far as the scripture is concerned the seed of Abraham is the seed of Abraham. There are not two seeds of Abraham, but only the seed of Abraham. Yet dispensationalists claim it to be so. The scriptures mentioned above plainly establish Christians as part of the seed of Abraham. The scriptures DO NOT separate Israel and the Church. The 24 elders are the twelve patriarchs and the twelve Apostles. See note on dispensations.

 Now let us observe this principle in the context of the next few verses.

The dragon is Satan (Rev 12:9 & 20:2). Now, we know from scripture that in this age, the world age, Satan has direct access to God. He is the "prince of the powers of the air" in Ephesians 2:2, the "spiritual wickedness in high places" in Ephesians 6:12, and the "prince of the kingdom of Persia" of Daniel 10:13. Satan presented himself to the LORD in heaven in Job 1:7 & 2:1. There are several other references to Satan's position at present. He is allowed in Heaven at present. But there is coming a time when he will war against Michael and will be defeated and cast out of heaven onto the earth. This verse tells of that event. See also, Psa 78:49, John 12:31, 14:30, Rev 12:10.

In time past Satan rebelled against Yehovah. He was judged at that time and sentenced to death. However, while awaiting the execution of that sentence, he is still allowed in heaven. He roams about the earth seeking whom he may devour in spiritual form. He is evidently in heaven in bodily form and when cast to earth he will be here in bodily form.

After his rebellion, God told Satan, "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Isaiah 14:15) And, "therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee" (Ezekiel 28:16). Note that God said "thou shalt" and "I will". Those are both future tense phrases. God did not cast him out of heaven at that time but there is coming a time when God will cast him out of Heaven. That time is spoken of in this verse.

This verse is a restatement of Revelation 9 where a star was cast out of heaven and fell to earth and was given the key to the abyss. That star had a name--Abbadon or Apollyon. See Revelation Segment 9.

The dragon and his angels fought against Michael and his angels. No contest. The dragon has angels on his side. We also know them as demons. At his rebellion, he took one third of all the angels with him. A portion of them married the daughters of men producing the Nephillim. They are the ones locked in the abyss along with demons that have been cast out and sent into the abyss (Luke 8:31). See Revelation Segment 9 for a more detailed view of the abyss. The Devil and his angels (demons) will be cast upon the earth.

This makes Satan very wroth. (Think of Droopy Dog saying "I'm mad!") The most important thing about this verse is that it identifies the dragon. Can you imagine the terrible wonders of those days when Satan and all of his demonic host are present on earth? The Revelation fills in some of the details.

This is a great and happy occasion. Satan is no longer in heaven to accuse believers. Even when he did accuse them continually, they were able to overcome his accusations because their sins were covered by the shed blood of Jesus. But after this event Satan will never accuse believers again.

This is the final woe. Satan is very angry that he is undone. So he will take it out on the earthlings. This is the time of Satan's wrath which is directed at both the people and the nations (sea). We were told in Rev 11:15-17 that the kingdom age is ushered in and the wrath of God is come. That is the Great Tribulation spoken of by Jesus, John, and the prophets. (Joel 1:15, 2:1-2, Isa 2:12 Eze 7:5-7, Oba 1:15, Mal 4:1, 1Th 5:2, 1Pe 4:7 etc.) The tribulation is great because the earth must suffer not only the wrath of God but that of Satan as well.

You need to think closely on this one. It is easy to miss. The dragon is Satan and he has persecuted Israel throughout the ages and is doing so even today. But remember what we discussed about Israel and the church both being God's people and the seed of Abraham, and the church being engrafted branches. Here we are talking about a future event. Satan will persecute God's people during the tribulation for 3½ years. It is possible that this time, which Jesus says will be shortened for the sake of the elect, may be shortened to five months, which is the average life span of locusts (Rev 9:5&10). See also Revelation Segment 9.

Even though Satan will persecute God's people, He will care for them. The wings of an eagle are symbolic for the care and protection of God: "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31). There are many other verses that corroborate this, e.g., Ex 19:4 and Deut 32:11. The wilderness is a place of refuge as we have already seen in our study. God will protect His people from the wrath of Satan and His own wrath is not directed at them.

Some worry about the mark of the beast of Rev 13:16-17, because the word says that they will not be able to buy or sell if they do not have that mark in their foreheads or on their right hand. They worry about not being able to provide for themselves. I think that this, of all the things in the Revelation, is the driving force behind people wishing for an escape such as the Rapture Theory. People do not want to endure this tribulation. But there is really no cause for alarm. This verse says that God will provide a refuge, protection and nourishment. That is the reason that many teach that this only applies to Israel. I feel like we have put that notion to rest in this study. Do not worry. If you are alive when these events take place, God will mount you up on eagles' wings and provide a place of refuge and will take care all of your needs.

This is not, as many teach, a literal flood of water. This is a flood that pours forth like water from the mouth of Satan. Many things can flood. There can be a flood of water, armies, wrath, hate, locusts, or lies. When God speaks of a flood he is usually referring to the flood of Noah, a flood of water, or a flood of enemies or armies. Jesus called Satan the father of lies. The word devil means false accuser; Satan means slanderer. The Devil is a liar. He lied to Eve, he lied to Jesus, he lies to all. This flood is a flood of lies because it comes out of the mouth of the father of lies, that great deceiver, Satan What else would come out of his mouth but lies? That flood of lies began the moment Christ died on the cross and has continued even to this day.

Satan spreads a flood of lies throughout the world to get people to help him catch God's people. He will not be able to do so because of the previous verse and future verses. But he will still try.

 Obviously, the personification of the earth must be symbolic. There is a place in the scriptures where God literally caused the earth to open up and swallow the family of Korah for his rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The earth broke up beneath the feet of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families. (Numbers 16) They fell into the rend and the earth closed over them and swallowed them alive.

This is symbolic. The earth may represent the peoples of the earth. They may help the woman by refusing to believe Satan's lies and ending them as soon as the words were heard. That would be like having the deception swallowed by the earth stopping the flood. But, whatever the method, Satan's lies and deception are overcome and God's people are protected..

 Revelation 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."

THe remant of her seed is indeed the chruch for this remnant is of the saved for it has the testimony of Christ. This enrages Satan even more so he sets forth to engage God's people in actual battle. Remember that our struggle has never been with flesh and blood but with principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this age. These are agencies of spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies. In other words, Satan and his minions. In order to resist Satan, the church has always needed the armor of God. Here is the panoply: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate (corselet) of righteousness, the belt of truth, shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the sword of the spirit (God's Word).

We have already discussed the Remnant. This verse adds fuel to the doctrine that the remnant are those loyal to God and His teachings. They are Christians. Now, if they were the "Jews" or "Israel" as taught by the dispensationalists, why do they have the testimony of Jesus Christ? The dispensationalists teach that Israel and the church are two forever separate and distinct bodies. But if they are Christians, they must be the church, correct? Based on the distinction made by dispensationalism, this is an oxymoron for Israel cannot be the church. The church is those who are saved by the blood of Jesus. So how could there be any such thing as Christians (the church) who are also Israel?

It is this simple. The Rapture Theory is just that--a theory invented by J.N. Darby, a dispensationalist, who based the rapture theory on a dubious "private revelation" of one Margaret MacDonald.  She is also the progenitor of the modern day speaking in unknown (to man) tongues. This rapture theory takes the church out of the world before the tribulation we are presently studying. But the Bible does not set well with this theory. It had the propensity to place roadblocks in the way of the rapture theory. One such roadblock is the verse we are presently discussing.

If the church is "raptured away" how then can there be Christians during and after the tribulation as the Bible teaches? Well it is simple. One just explains this fact away. The dispensationalist simply says these prophecies refer only to Israel or the "Jews". But a closer examination of the Bible renders the dispensationalist's theories incorrect. I think we have done a proper job of doing just that.

 *Notes

Most dispensationalists declare seven different dispensations, some more. My major objection to them is that they state categorically that Israel and the church are on two separate and distinct time lines and that the two will never unite. This is in objection to God's word. See Romans 10:4, 12&13, Ephesians 2. One quote: Ephesians 2:16 "And that he might reconcile both [Israel and the church--vv. 12-13] unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:" Dispensationalists will tell you that this verse does not mean that Israel and the church will be united because it is a "church" epistle and cannot apply to Israel (thus employing circular reasoning). See The Companion Bible Appendix 195 1.A, last sentence; it confirms what I just said for Bullinger was a dispensationalist. (I admire Bullinger but disagree with him on dispensations).

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