Part 6
An Unwelcome Ruler
For almost 2,000 years, millions of Christians have prayed these familiar words: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). That prayer will literally be answered at the very end of this age, when the 7th trumpet of Revelation is sounded (Revelation 11:15), and the 70th seven-year period prophesied by Daniel the prophet comes to an end (Daniel 9:24-27).
The apostle John wrote concerning that event:
For almost 2,000 years, millions of Christians have prayed these familiar words: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). That prayer will literally be answered at the very end of this age, when the 7th trumpet of Revelation is sounded (Revelation 11:15), and the 70th seven-year period prophesied by Daniel the prophet comes to an end (Daniel 9:24-27).
The apostle John wrote concerning that event:
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).
Only two verses later, the 24 elders (a high order of angelic beings) who sat before God on their thrones worshiped, saying, “We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned” (Revelation 11:17).
It would be reasonable to expect that with the return of Christ to rule over Earth, the nations of the world would rejoice. At last there will be a King who will bring peace, joy, blessing, and righteousness to Earth. However, John surprises us with the response of the nations of the world to Christ’s coming: “The nations were angry” (Revelation 11:18).
How shocking! How tragically shocking! For 2,000 years godly men and women have prayed, “Thy kingdom come.” But astonishingly, when Christ finally touches down on Earth at the end of this age, the sinful, unregenerate nations of the world will be angry. They will be characterized by defiant rage.
The hostility of the nations will manifest itself in an insane attempt to fight against God and His only begotten Son. Sensitive ears can almost hear the words of King David reverberating down through the ages of time as he wrote these words of the Last Days:
It would be reasonable to expect that with the return of Christ to rule over Earth, the nations of the world would rejoice. At last there will be a King who will bring peace, joy, blessing, and righteousness to Earth. However, John surprises us with the response of the nations of the world to Christ’s coming: “The nations were angry” (Revelation 11:18).
How shocking! How tragically shocking! For 2,000 years godly men and women have prayed, “Thy kingdom come.” But astonishingly, when Christ finally touches down on Earth at the end of this age, the sinful, unregenerate nations of the world will be angry. They will be characterized by defiant rage.
The hostility of the nations will manifest itself in an insane attempt to fight against God and His only begotten Son. Sensitive ears can almost hear the words of King David reverberating down through the ages of time as he wrote these words of the Last Days:
“Why do the heathen [nations] rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves [with defiant determination], and the rulers take counsel together [as if in a conclave], against the LORD, and against his anointed [the Messiah], saying, Let us break their [God and His Son] bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:1-3).
The nations want no bands (bonds) or cords – no interference – no divine restraint. Rather, in their spiritual blindness and rebellious spirit, they will submit instead to Satan, the Antichrist, and the forces of evil.
If one feels the need for further evidence to substantiate the attitude of the nations at Christ’s coming, they need not look far. During the final 3½ years of this age, God will raise up 2 witnesses to proclaim His message to the world. God said: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a [1,260] days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3).
These 2 servants of God – probably Moses, the great lawgiver, and Elijah, the premier prophet – represent the law and the prophets. Upon completing their ministry, they will be slain by the Antichrist. That terrible event is spoken of this way:
If one feels the need for further evidence to substantiate the attitude of the nations at Christ’s coming, they need not look far. During the final 3½ years of this age, God will raise up 2 witnesses to proclaim His message to the world. God said: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a [1,260] days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3).
These 2 servants of God – probably Moses, the great lawgiver, and Elijah, the premier prophet – represent the law and the prophets. Upon completing their ministry, they will be slain by the Antichrist. That terrible event is spoken of this way:
“When they [God’s 2 witnesses] shall have finished their testimony, the beast [the Antichrist] that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit [the place where demons are incarcerated and an indication that the Antichrist will be satanically empowered] shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them” (Revelation 11:7).
The response of the nations to the murder of God’s 2 servants by the Antichrist is described this way:
“And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth” (Revelation 11:10).
The world is not moving toward greater enlightenment, justice, and peace. Instead, it is being drawn, as if by an increasingly more powerful magnet, toward the counterfeit kingdom of Satan and his diabolic plan to rule Earth, which began in the Garden of Eden. The godless nations are represented as goats in the “sheep and goats judgment” of the nations at Christ’s coming (Matthew 25:31-46).
God, however, has not been caught off-guard, unprepared, or powerless to respond to Satan’s influence upon the nations. He has encouraged men and women of faith to watch, work, wait, and pray for the promised coming Redeemer. In the text being examined in this article, God reveals the prominent events at the end of this age in preparation for the Messianic Age to come.
A Chosen Woman
“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” (Revelation 12:1).
The Greek word translated “wonder” or “sign” is semeion. The basic meaning of “sign” is that of an authenticating mark. For this reason, in the Bible signs are often associated with “wonders” or “miracles.” The purpose of a sign, wonder, or miracle was frequently to authenticate a message as coming from God. And, of course, there are warnings not to be fooled by counterfeit signs (Revelation 13:13-15).
Moses did signs (miracles) in the royal court of Egypt to authenticate that God had sent him to Pharaoh to command him to let God’s people go (Exodus 4:1-8).
Throughout Christ’s earthly ministry the Jewish leadership repeatedly came to Him to ask for a sign to authenticate what in their view was His revolutionary teaching and the source of His authority (John 2:18). His oft-repeated answer was this: “There shall no sign be given” (Mark 8:11-12). They continued to pressure for a sign, and He responded by saying, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Matthew 12:39). Christ was saying that, had the nation been faithful to the writing of Moses and the prophets of Israel, they would have known who sent Him and the source of His authority.
But they had spiritually prostituted themselves. They substituted the traditions of humanity for the truth of God. Still, with unabated audacity they continued to press Him for a sign. He responded by saying, “For as [Jonah] was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).
On yet another occasion, He gave the same answer to the same question with these words: “Destroy this temple [speaking of His body], and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The one sign (miracle) He gave that would authenticate all He did in life and death would be His resurrection.
Signs were normally seen on earth, but the “sign” to which this text refers appeared in Heaven. John wrote: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven.” The sign was of “a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1).
It was her adornment that made this woman unique and miraculously significant. Many Bible teachers have done great harm to this text with an incorrect identification of the woman. Their interpretation not only does harm to the immediate context, it also distorts God’s plan for the redemption of humanity as revealed throughout the Bible.
The woman in Revelation 12 is not Mary the mother of the Lord, as some teach. Nor is she to be identified with the Church, as others proclaim.
God, however, has not been caught off-guard, unprepared, or powerless to respond to Satan’s influence upon the nations. He has encouraged men and women of faith to watch, work, wait, and pray for the promised coming Redeemer. In the text being examined in this article, God reveals the prominent events at the end of this age in preparation for the Messianic Age to come.
A Chosen Woman
“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” (Revelation 12:1).
The Greek word translated “wonder” or “sign” is semeion. The basic meaning of “sign” is that of an authenticating mark. For this reason, in the Bible signs are often associated with “wonders” or “miracles.” The purpose of a sign, wonder, or miracle was frequently to authenticate a message as coming from God. And, of course, there are warnings not to be fooled by counterfeit signs (Revelation 13:13-15).
Moses did signs (miracles) in the royal court of Egypt to authenticate that God had sent him to Pharaoh to command him to let God’s people go (Exodus 4:1-8).
Throughout Christ’s earthly ministry the Jewish leadership repeatedly came to Him to ask for a sign to authenticate what in their view was His revolutionary teaching and the source of His authority (John 2:18). His oft-repeated answer was this: “There shall no sign be given” (Mark 8:11-12). They continued to pressure for a sign, and He responded by saying, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Matthew 12:39). Christ was saying that, had the nation been faithful to the writing of Moses and the prophets of Israel, they would have known who sent Him and the source of His authority.
But they had spiritually prostituted themselves. They substituted the traditions of humanity for the truth of God. Still, with unabated audacity they continued to press Him for a sign. He responded by saying, “For as [Jonah] was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).
On yet another occasion, He gave the same answer to the same question with these words: “Destroy this temple [speaking of His body], and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The one sign (miracle) He gave that would authenticate all He did in life and death would be His resurrection.
Signs were normally seen on earth, but the “sign” to which this text refers appeared in Heaven. John wrote: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven.” The sign was of “a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1).
It was her adornment that made this woman unique and miraculously significant. Many Bible teachers have done great harm to this text with an incorrect identification of the woman. Their interpretation not only does harm to the immediate context, it also distorts God’s plan for the redemption of humanity as revealed throughout the Bible.
The woman in Revelation 12 is not Mary the mother of the Lord, as some teach. Nor is she to be identified with the Church, as others proclaim.
The identification of the woman as the Church comes from certain Protestant writers who, with the wave of a mystical wand, bestow upon the Church all the blessings promised to Israel. But somehow, these same writers want to allow all the promises of cursings to remain upon Israel. They want to have it both ways. These are often the same commentators who want to identify the 144,000 people, who are sealed and said to be comprised of 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, to somehow refer to something other than Israel (Revelation 7:3-4).
Once people embrace a system of theology teaching that the Church has replaced Israel, they are forced to explain away the obvious meaning of many biblical texts in an attempt to keep their ill-conceived system intact. However sincere and well-intended, these “Israel replacers” have done great harm to students trying to gain an understanding of God’s Word.
The woman of Revelation 12 clearly refers to the descendants of Abraham through Jacob – the Jewish people. Their status as the woman of Revelation 12 has nothing to do with what they believe, where they live, or how good or bad they are. By contrast, it has everything to do with the unconditional covenant their God – who cannot lie and is never unfaithful – made with Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). It goes back to Genesis 3:15 where the “woman,” in the expression “of the seed of the woman” bruising or crushing the serpent’s head, is a prophetic reference to Israel whose seed will defeat Satan.
This woman is said to be “clothed with the sun.” To be “clothed with the sun” indicates the sovereign bestowal of divine honor and favor. We do well to ask, “In what ways was this honor and favor bestowed?” In the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Romans, he wrote this concerning the Jewish people:
Once people embrace a system of theology teaching that the Church has replaced Israel, they are forced to explain away the obvious meaning of many biblical texts in an attempt to keep their ill-conceived system intact. However sincere and well-intended, these “Israel replacers” have done great harm to students trying to gain an understanding of God’s Word.
The woman of Revelation 12 clearly refers to the descendants of Abraham through Jacob – the Jewish people. Their status as the woman of Revelation 12 has nothing to do with what they believe, where they live, or how good or bad they are. By contrast, it has everything to do with the unconditional covenant their God – who cannot lie and is never unfaithful – made with Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). It goes back to Genesis 3:15 where the “woman,” in the expression “of the seed of the woman” bruising or crushing the serpent’s head, is a prophetic reference to Israel whose seed will defeat Satan.
This woman is said to be “clothed with the sun.” To be “clothed with the sun” indicates the sovereign bestowal of divine honor and favor. We do well to ask, “In what ways was this honor and favor bestowed?” In the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Romans, he wrote this concerning the Jewish people:
“Who are Israelites; to whom [pertains] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came” (Romans 9:4-5).
Concerning the adoption – they were sovereignly chosen to receive God’s calling and blessing freely – or literally, “without a cause.” They did nothing to deserve God’s calling. What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning the glory – they were sovereignly chosen to have the manifestation of God’s presence (the Shekinah Glory) in their midst, first in the wilderness Tabernacle and later in the Temple on Mount Zion. What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning the covenants – they were sovereignly chosen to be the recipients of a series of legally binding agreements with their God. Among them are the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3); the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19-31; Deuteronomy 29-30); the Land Covenant (Genesis 15:1-18); the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16); and the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28). What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning the service of God – they were sovereignly chosen to officiate over the sacrificial and ceremonial system God revealed to Moses and was designed to point to Christ. What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning the promises – they were sovereignly chosen to be the depository of God’s Word to the world. Both the Old and New Testaments are the fruit of the Holy Spirit moving upon Jewish men. Those God-breathed Scriptures reveal the promises of God to Israel, the Church, and the unsaved world. What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning Christ – they were sovereignly chosen to be the human channel through which Christ would come into the world. What other nation had such a privilege?
It is the Jewish people who are clothed with the sun, not Mary – as wonderful and heroic as she was – and not the redeemed Church. God chose the Jewish people to be the lifegiving spring of every spiritual blessing that comes into the world. It is this truth that is at the core of the Lord’s statement that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).
Some who don’t like God’s sovereign choice of the Jewish people may voice their displeasure, or even attempt to distort the facts. But none of it will change the reality of God’s sovereign, unconditional election of Israel for the purpose of being His instrument to bring blessing to the world.
Not only is the woman clothed with the sun, but the moon is under her feet (Revelation 12:1). This symbolism points to the clear fact that the woman will be in a place of dominance and the moon in a place of subjection. The identification of the moon under the woman’s feet has perplexed commentators through the years.
The moon in the imagery set before us is likely referring to the Gentile nations of the world. More specifically, it may be a reference to the Islamic world, which is represented by the crescent moon. That the moon is under the feet of the woman clothed with the sun is most likely a graphic depiction of Israel’s victory over the nations of the world at the end of the age. And in the end she will fulfill the divine purpose for which she was miraculously brought into being, even though the nations oppose her at every occasion.
Israel’s domination over the nations will be directly related to God’s defeat of Satan and Christ’s defeat of the Antichrist. The Gentile nations of the world have been Satan’s weapon of choice to achieve his goal of world domination since the Tower of Babel, where the virus of idolatry, counterfeit religion, and the concept of a one-world government had their beginnings (Genesis 11:1-9).
As a direct result, the nation of Israel was supernaturally brought into existence to counter Satan’s plans. Through her seed, God provides redemption for those who will come to faith (Genesis 12). It has been noted that at the end of the age, the nations of the world will rebel against God. This, of course, excludes the believing Church that had earlier been raptured and is by the time of these events with her Lord.
This woman clothed with the sun is said to have a garland, or crown (stephanos) of 12 stars upon her head (Revelation 12:1). The 12 stars represent the 12 sons of Jacob who, in turn, became the 12 tribes of Israel.
The biblical definition of a Jew is one who is a descendant of Abraham through Jacob. Regardless of his religious convictions or worldview, by birth he is part of the covenant nation and the covenant is unconditional. Faith, however, in the provision of the covenant is that which opens the door to the covenant’s blessings. Abraham believed God and it (his belief or faith) was accounted by God to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:5-7).
Abraham was the father of Ishmael, but Ishmael was not a Jew. The promises given to Abraham were given to his son Isaac (Genesis 21:9-12). Isaac was the father of Esau, but Esau was not a Jew. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham and son of Isaac, had the promises confirmed to him (Genesis 28:13-15). Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel by God (Genesis 32:24-28), had 12 sons, and they became the 12 tribes of Israel. The tribes, in truth, came to represent the entire nation of Israel.
Something further concerning this woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars upon her head is noted by John: “And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered” (Revelation 12:2). The entire Old Testament, from the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 12, until the birth of Christ, as recorded in Matthew Chapter 1, is the account of a nation in travail and paining to give birth.
That travail did not last 9 months, but almost 2,000 years. It was not simply the travail of nationhood with which all nations must normally cope. It was dramatically intensified travail directly attributed to Satan, who did everything within his power to keep the woman from giving birth to the promised Seed who will one day consign him to eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14-15). It is of great importance to understand that Israel’s travail in giving birth to the Messiah was for the benefit of humanity.
People condemn Israel for her failure and sin in the Old Testament, and she deserves condemnation. Few, however, link her failure to an understanding of the unique pressure she was under from Satan because of her divinely appointed destiny. It is for this reason God promised Abraham: “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3). An early Prime Minister of Israel faced with a myriad of problems was once heard to lament, “Let someone else be the Chosen People for a while.”
It is reasonable that the New Testament opens this way: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). As the physical seed of King David, Christ has a legal right to the throne of Israel. As the seed of Abraham, He will fulfill the covenant God made with the patriarch Jacob (Israel) when He promised, “in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:14).
Concerning the glory – they were sovereignly chosen to have the manifestation of God’s presence (the Shekinah Glory) in their midst, first in the wilderness Tabernacle and later in the Temple on Mount Zion. What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning the covenants – they were sovereignly chosen to be the recipients of a series of legally binding agreements with their God. Among them are the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3); the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19-31; Deuteronomy 29-30); the Land Covenant (Genesis 15:1-18); the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16); and the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28). What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning the service of God – they were sovereignly chosen to officiate over the sacrificial and ceremonial system God revealed to Moses and was designed to point to Christ. What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning the promises – they were sovereignly chosen to be the depository of God’s Word to the world. Both the Old and New Testaments are the fruit of the Holy Spirit moving upon Jewish men. Those God-breathed Scriptures reveal the promises of God to Israel, the Church, and the unsaved world. What other nation had such a privilege?
Concerning Christ – they were sovereignly chosen to be the human channel through which Christ would come into the world. What other nation had such a privilege?
It is the Jewish people who are clothed with the sun, not Mary – as wonderful and heroic as she was – and not the redeemed Church. God chose the Jewish people to be the lifegiving spring of every spiritual blessing that comes into the world. It is this truth that is at the core of the Lord’s statement that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).
Some who don’t like God’s sovereign choice of the Jewish people may voice their displeasure, or even attempt to distort the facts. But none of it will change the reality of God’s sovereign, unconditional election of Israel for the purpose of being His instrument to bring blessing to the world.
Not only is the woman clothed with the sun, but the moon is under her feet (Revelation 12:1). This symbolism points to the clear fact that the woman will be in a place of dominance and the moon in a place of subjection. The identification of the moon under the woman’s feet has perplexed commentators through the years.
The moon in the imagery set before us is likely referring to the Gentile nations of the world. More specifically, it may be a reference to the Islamic world, which is represented by the crescent moon. That the moon is under the feet of the woman clothed with the sun is most likely a graphic depiction of Israel’s victory over the nations of the world at the end of the age. And in the end she will fulfill the divine purpose for which she was miraculously brought into being, even though the nations oppose her at every occasion.
Israel’s domination over the nations will be directly related to God’s defeat of Satan and Christ’s defeat of the Antichrist. The Gentile nations of the world have been Satan’s weapon of choice to achieve his goal of world domination since the Tower of Babel, where the virus of idolatry, counterfeit religion, and the concept of a one-world government had their beginnings (Genesis 11:1-9).
As a direct result, the nation of Israel was supernaturally brought into existence to counter Satan’s plans. Through her seed, God provides redemption for those who will come to faith (Genesis 12). It has been noted that at the end of the age, the nations of the world will rebel against God. This, of course, excludes the believing Church that had earlier been raptured and is by the time of these events with her Lord.
This woman clothed with the sun is said to have a garland, or crown (stephanos) of 12 stars upon her head (Revelation 12:1). The 12 stars represent the 12 sons of Jacob who, in turn, became the 12 tribes of Israel.
The biblical definition of a Jew is one who is a descendant of Abraham through Jacob. Regardless of his religious convictions or worldview, by birth he is part of the covenant nation and the covenant is unconditional. Faith, however, in the provision of the covenant is that which opens the door to the covenant’s blessings. Abraham believed God and it (his belief or faith) was accounted by God to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:5-7).
Abraham was the father of Ishmael, but Ishmael was not a Jew. The promises given to Abraham were given to his son Isaac (Genesis 21:9-12). Isaac was the father of Esau, but Esau was not a Jew. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham and son of Isaac, had the promises confirmed to him (Genesis 28:13-15). Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel by God (Genesis 32:24-28), had 12 sons, and they became the 12 tribes of Israel. The tribes, in truth, came to represent the entire nation of Israel.
Something further concerning this woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars upon her head is noted by John: “And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered” (Revelation 12:2). The entire Old Testament, from the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 12, until the birth of Christ, as recorded in Matthew Chapter 1, is the account of a nation in travail and paining to give birth.
That travail did not last 9 months, but almost 2,000 years. It was not simply the travail of nationhood with which all nations must normally cope. It was dramatically intensified travail directly attributed to Satan, who did everything within his power to keep the woman from giving birth to the promised Seed who will one day consign him to eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14-15). It is of great importance to understand that Israel’s travail in giving birth to the Messiah was for the benefit of humanity.
People condemn Israel for her failure and sin in the Old Testament, and she deserves condemnation. Few, however, link her failure to an understanding of the unique pressure she was under from Satan because of her divinely appointed destiny. It is for this reason God promised Abraham: “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3). An early Prime Minister of Israel faced with a myriad of problems was once heard to lament, “Let someone else be the Chosen People for a while.”
It is reasonable that the New Testament opens this way: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). As the physical seed of King David, Christ has a legal right to the throne of Israel. As the seed of Abraham, He will fulfill the covenant God made with the patriarch Jacob (Israel) when He promised, “in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:14).
A Dreadful Dragon
Another wonder appeared in Heaven. This second sign was not of a woman clothed with the sun – rather it was of a “great red dragon.” The woman had the moon under her feet – the dragon had 7 heads and 10 horns. The woman had a crown of 12 stars upon her head – the dragon had 7 crowns on his 7 heads. As the woman is all about righteousness and ultimate triumph, the great red dragon is all about wickedness and ultimately his own defeat.
It is a serious miscalculation to laugh, scorn, or dismiss the imagery of a great red dragon as ghoulish foolishness, or give up on any attempt to understand the Book of Revelation with its many figures of speech behind which there is literal truth.
The 7 heads of the dragon represent 7 powerful kingdoms that arose throughout history. They have no relationship to the Seven Hills of Rome as is sometimes suggested. These 7 heads of the dragon had one preeminent goal – the annihilation or assimilation of the woman clothed with the sun. Why should it be thought otherwise? Satan knew that the seed to which the woman would one day give birth would crush his head. The identity of the 7 heads (kingdoms) of the dragon can be identified.
The 1st head of the dragon was Egypt. Initially, the Jews prospered down in Egypt during the life of Joseph. In time, however, they were enslaved and the command was given that all Hebrew male children were to be slain at birth (Exodus 1:15-16). This would quickly lead to Israel’s extinction. Only the action of the midwives – who did not obey Pharaoh’s command – prevented this from occurring (Exodus 1:17). A later Pharaoh planned to slaughter the Jewish people and amassed his chariots against them. On that occasion God intervened by parting the Red Sea, allowing the Jews to escape (Exodus 14:10, 16, 21-22).
The 2nd head of the dragon was Assyria. In 722 B.C., the notoriously ruthless army of the Assyrians came from the East and defeated the 10 northern tribes of Israel, which had at an earlier time separated themselves from the 2 southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It was characteristic of the Assyrians to chain prisoners together and place hooks in their jaws and tongues as they marched them back to Assyria (2 Kings 15:29). If the captured prisoners didn’t keep up, a pull on the chain could rip the tongue out or tear away part of the jaw.
The 3rd head of the dragon was Babylon. Three times in a 20-year period the Babylonian army sacked Jerusalem – in 606 B.C., 598 B.C., and 586 B.C. On the final occasion, they destroyed the Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah, put an end to the sacrificial system, and plucked out the eyes of Zedekiah, the last king in the Davidic lineage to reign; but only after he was forced to watch the murder of his two sons (2 Kings 25:7). After 70 years of captivity, a small and feeble remnant of the people returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
The 4th head of the dragon was Medo-Persia. In 536 B.C., the Medo-Persians defeated the Babylonians and became the dominant world power. The Book of Esther records a decree sent out by the Persian King announcing that all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire were to be slain on a specified day (Esther 3:9-15). Only intervention by Queen Esther, who was a secret Jewess, prevented the annihilation of her people.
The 5th head of the dragon was Greece. In 336 B.C., at the age of 23, Alexander the Great crossed the Aegean Sea from Macedonia into Asia Minor. With a small, well-trained army and brilliant tactics, Alexander defeated the dramatically larger Persian army. Over the next 12 years he continued his military campaign and pushed all the way to India in the East, and south to Egypt and North Africa, capturing everything in his path. Through the introduction of the Greek language, culture, and pagan gods, as recommended by his teacher Aristotle, he assimilated his conquered lands into the Greek Empire. History, however, records that Alexander befriended the Jewish nation and did not attack or harm Jerusalem. He died at age 33.
Following his death and after much political intrigue and conflict, four of his generals divided up what was now the massive Grecian Empire. In 168 B.C., the army of one of Alexander’s Grecian Empire successors – Antiochus Epiphanes – who ruled Syria and Asia Minor, marched into Jerusalem. He desecrated the rebuilt Temple on Mount Zion by sacrificing a pig on the altar, placing a statue of his pagan god Zeus in the Holy of Holies, and demanded that the Jews worship him. He forbade the Jews the right to practice circumcision, observe the Sabbath, or adhere to the Mosaic Law. It was an attempt to assimilate the Jews into his kingdom by adopting the idolatrous, Hellenistic (Greek) religion. Many Jews refused to acquiesce and became martyrs.
The nation’s existence hung in the balance. Only a heroic uprising, led by Mattathias Maccabee and his 5 sons, which would last for 3 years (168-165 B.C.), drove the invaders from the land, permitted the cleansing and rededication of the Temple, and the restoration of the priesthood. The Jews established a holiday to commemorate the event and called it “Hanukkah” – the Feast of Dedication.
The 6th head of the dragon was Rome. During the 2nd century B.C., Rome began its ascendency as one of the world’s superpowers. Rome united much of the civilized world through her military might, rule of law, brilliant road system, and Pax Romana (Roman peace).
But Rome was intolerant and ruthless toward nations that would not submit to her. In A.D. 66, a small group of Jews complained because of religious persecution at Caesarea Maritima, the major Roman stronghold along the sea coast of Israel. A legion was sent from Rome to quell what had now become a disturbance. War between Rome and Israel broke out and lasted 4 years.
In A.D. 70, with 3 legions, the Romans finally broke through the city walls of Jerusalem and then the walls leading into the Temple compound. The Temple was looted and set on fire. The large amount of gold that adorned the Temple melted and ran down the massive Herodian stones. The soldiers, in a frenzy to get at the gold, literally dismantled the massive stones one by one, fulfilling Christ’s prophecy spoken 40 years earlier that not one stone would remain upon another (Matthew 24:1-2).
During the 4-year conflict, tens of thousands of Jews were killed, and many more men, women, and children were taken to Rome as slaves. Many were forced to build the Coliseum, probably with funds from the artifacts taken from the Temple. Evidence of the Roman conquest of the Temple in Jerusalem can still be seen to this day in the carved relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome near the Coliseum. Thousands more Jews fled to other countries and the islands of the sea. Almost 1,000 men fought on for 3 more years from a mountain fortress in the Judean wilderness called Masada. In A.D. 73, when they could no longer hold off the Roman soldiers, the defenders agreed among themselves to die by self-inflicted wounds.
Thus began the worldwide Diaspora (dispersion) of the Jewish people that would last almost 1,900 years. During those centuries, the Jews were persecuted wherever they went. It was as if there was a sign over the earth that read: “No Jews wanted.” This period of worldwide dispersion was graphically described by Moses.
Another wonder appeared in Heaven. This second sign was not of a woman clothed with the sun – rather it was of a “great red dragon.” The woman had the moon under her feet – the dragon had 7 heads and 10 horns. The woman had a crown of 12 stars upon her head – the dragon had 7 crowns on his 7 heads. As the woman is all about righteousness and ultimate triumph, the great red dragon is all about wickedness and ultimately his own defeat.
It is a serious miscalculation to laugh, scorn, or dismiss the imagery of a great red dragon as ghoulish foolishness, or give up on any attempt to understand the Book of Revelation with its many figures of speech behind which there is literal truth.
The 7 heads of the dragon represent 7 powerful kingdoms that arose throughout history. They have no relationship to the Seven Hills of Rome as is sometimes suggested. These 7 heads of the dragon had one preeminent goal – the annihilation or assimilation of the woman clothed with the sun. Why should it be thought otherwise? Satan knew that the seed to which the woman would one day give birth would crush his head. The identity of the 7 heads (kingdoms) of the dragon can be identified.
The 1st head of the dragon was Egypt. Initially, the Jews prospered down in Egypt during the life of Joseph. In time, however, they were enslaved and the command was given that all Hebrew male children were to be slain at birth (Exodus 1:15-16). This would quickly lead to Israel’s extinction. Only the action of the midwives – who did not obey Pharaoh’s command – prevented this from occurring (Exodus 1:17). A later Pharaoh planned to slaughter the Jewish people and amassed his chariots against them. On that occasion God intervened by parting the Red Sea, allowing the Jews to escape (Exodus 14:10, 16, 21-22).
The 2nd head of the dragon was Assyria. In 722 B.C., the notoriously ruthless army of the Assyrians came from the East and defeated the 10 northern tribes of Israel, which had at an earlier time separated themselves from the 2 southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It was characteristic of the Assyrians to chain prisoners together and place hooks in their jaws and tongues as they marched them back to Assyria (2 Kings 15:29). If the captured prisoners didn’t keep up, a pull on the chain could rip the tongue out or tear away part of the jaw.
The 3rd head of the dragon was Babylon. Three times in a 20-year period the Babylonian army sacked Jerusalem – in 606 B.C., 598 B.C., and 586 B.C. On the final occasion, they destroyed the Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah, put an end to the sacrificial system, and plucked out the eyes of Zedekiah, the last king in the Davidic lineage to reign; but only after he was forced to watch the murder of his two sons (2 Kings 25:7). After 70 years of captivity, a small and feeble remnant of the people returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
The 4th head of the dragon was Medo-Persia. In 536 B.C., the Medo-Persians defeated the Babylonians and became the dominant world power. The Book of Esther records a decree sent out by the Persian King announcing that all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire were to be slain on a specified day (Esther 3:9-15). Only intervention by Queen Esther, who was a secret Jewess, prevented the annihilation of her people.
The 5th head of the dragon was Greece. In 336 B.C., at the age of 23, Alexander the Great crossed the Aegean Sea from Macedonia into Asia Minor. With a small, well-trained army and brilliant tactics, Alexander defeated the dramatically larger Persian army. Over the next 12 years he continued his military campaign and pushed all the way to India in the East, and south to Egypt and North Africa, capturing everything in his path. Through the introduction of the Greek language, culture, and pagan gods, as recommended by his teacher Aristotle, he assimilated his conquered lands into the Greek Empire. History, however, records that Alexander befriended the Jewish nation and did not attack or harm Jerusalem. He died at age 33.
Following his death and after much political intrigue and conflict, four of his generals divided up what was now the massive Grecian Empire. In 168 B.C., the army of one of Alexander’s Grecian Empire successors – Antiochus Epiphanes – who ruled Syria and Asia Minor, marched into Jerusalem. He desecrated the rebuilt Temple on Mount Zion by sacrificing a pig on the altar, placing a statue of his pagan god Zeus in the Holy of Holies, and demanded that the Jews worship him. He forbade the Jews the right to practice circumcision, observe the Sabbath, or adhere to the Mosaic Law. It was an attempt to assimilate the Jews into his kingdom by adopting the idolatrous, Hellenistic (Greek) religion. Many Jews refused to acquiesce and became martyrs.
The nation’s existence hung in the balance. Only a heroic uprising, led by Mattathias Maccabee and his 5 sons, which would last for 3 years (168-165 B.C.), drove the invaders from the land, permitted the cleansing and rededication of the Temple, and the restoration of the priesthood. The Jews established a holiday to commemorate the event and called it “Hanukkah” – the Feast of Dedication.
The 6th head of the dragon was Rome. During the 2nd century B.C., Rome began its ascendency as one of the world’s superpowers. Rome united much of the civilized world through her military might, rule of law, brilliant road system, and Pax Romana (Roman peace).
But Rome was intolerant and ruthless toward nations that would not submit to her. In A.D. 66, a small group of Jews complained because of religious persecution at Caesarea Maritima, the major Roman stronghold along the sea coast of Israel. A legion was sent from Rome to quell what had now become a disturbance. War between Rome and Israel broke out and lasted 4 years.
In A.D. 70, with 3 legions, the Romans finally broke through the city walls of Jerusalem and then the walls leading into the Temple compound. The Temple was looted and set on fire. The large amount of gold that adorned the Temple melted and ran down the massive Herodian stones. The soldiers, in a frenzy to get at the gold, literally dismantled the massive stones one by one, fulfilling Christ’s prophecy spoken 40 years earlier that not one stone would remain upon another (Matthew 24:1-2).
During the 4-year conflict, tens of thousands of Jews were killed, and many more men, women, and children were taken to Rome as slaves. Many were forced to build the Coliseum, probably with funds from the artifacts taken from the Temple. Evidence of the Roman conquest of the Temple in Jerusalem can still be seen to this day in the carved relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome near the Coliseum. Thousands more Jews fled to other countries and the islands of the sea. Almost 1,000 men fought on for 3 more years from a mountain fortress in the Judean wilderness called Masada. In A.D. 73, when they could no longer hold off the Roman soldiers, the defenders agreed among themselves to die by self-inflicted wounds.
Thus began the worldwide Diaspora (dispersion) of the Jewish people that would last almost 1,900 years. During those centuries, the Jews were persecuted wherever they went. It was as if there was a sign over the earth that read: “No Jews wanted.” This period of worldwide dispersion was graphically described by Moses.
“And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were [evening]! And at [evening] thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see” (Deuteronomy 28:64-67).
The 6th head (kingdom), as already noted, was Rome. In between the 6th kingdom, Rome, and the 8th kingdom, that of the Antichrist, there must be a 7th kingdom. However, the 7th head of this great dragon mentioned in Revelation is far more difficult to identify than the first 6. Biblical scholars have debated the identity of the beast’s 7th head for centuries. The constraints of time and space do not allow for a full discussion here, but I do want to offer a few thoughts as it relates to this difficult question.
Some have speculated that Germany fits the description. Germany was a highly advanced, moral nation with a strong Christian influence that could be traced to the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther. But in the early part of the century, Christian “higher criticism” (theological liberalism), which began in Germany, started to make inroads and the great historic doctrines of the Christian faith were rejected. This liberalism created a spiritual vacuum in the hearts of many of the German people.
By the early 1930s, a man came to power who would plunge the world into the Second World War. Adolf Hitler wanted to rule the earth and populate it with a super race. The mentally ill, deformed, gypsies, and especially the Jews were special targets of the Third Reich. When the war ended in 1945, 6 million of the estimated 15½ million Jews of the world were murdered for no other reason than they were Jews.
Others have sought to identify the 7th head of the dragon as the Ottoman-Turkish Empire. The Ottomans ruled the Middle East from 1517 to 1917. Their empire was one of the largest and longest-lasting empires in history. At the height of its power, this sprawling empire controlled territory that extended from the borders of Austria in central Europe to the horn of Africa. From east to west, it spanned a vast region extending from the Persian Gulf to the western regions of North Africa. Most importantly, it controlled Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Still others identify the 7th head of the dragon as the historic Islamic Caliphate. I lean toward this view as I believe it best fits the criteria of Scripture regarding the 7th kingdom.
The Islamic Caliphate
Shortly after the death of Mohammed, a series of militant Islamic caliphs (Muslim military leaders) rose to power. One after the other, they conquered and colonized vast swaths of territory across the Middle East by the sword in the name of Allah. They each led their Islamic armies to loot their way through towns and cities from Syria to Egypt and as far east as Persia – crushing all who stood in their way. They sought to erase the cultures, religions, and symbols in these conquered lands by enforcing total submission to Islam. During their reign of pirating and terror, much of Christendom was completely destroyed within a short span of years.
In A.D. 636, with their sights set on the ultimate prize, these marauders moved south after ravaging the Christian communities in Syria, to besiege Jerusalem. In this wave of Islamic conquest, they cut off supplies and took the city by starving the inhabitants. Jerusalem fell to the Muslims after a 4-month siege in A.D. 637.
According to some historians, when Umar, the conquering Muslim caliph entered Jerusalem and saw that no church had yet been built on the ruins of the Temple Mount, he took advantage of the situation and ordered the construction of an Islamic mosque on the site of Israel’s Second Jewish Temple. It was competed in A.D. 691. Through the years, many changes and updates have been made to the structure, but it still stands today as an Islamic shrine known as the Dome of the Rock.
The strengths of this view are many. Without getting into too much detail at this point, I will say that one of the most significant strengths related to our discussion here concerning the 7-headed beast of Revelation 12 is that the geographic land area of the historic Islamic Caliphate covered nearly the same land areas of the nations that will comprise the 8hth and final kingdom (see Revelation 13:1-3; Ezekiel 38).
If you understand Scripture to indicate that the 7enth head (kingdom) of the beast re-emerges in the Last Days as the 8th and final kingdom, then this geographic consistency becomes exceedingly important. This final beast empire will be a conglomeration of 10 nations (symbolized by the 10 horns on the beast, each with its king) that unite under the authority of the Antichrist.
John noted there were 7 crowns on the 7 heads of the dragon (Revelation 12:3). As the 7 heads on the dragon depict 7 empires, the 7 crowns on the heads of the dragon depict kings who rule over those empires. The identification of specific rulers associated with these kingdoms seems clear in some cases – and yet in others is more difficult to determine. Below is a list of what I believe to be plausible identifications of these historic kings.
The pharaoh of Egypt “which knew not Joseph” – perhaps the son of Ramesses the Great, who wanted to annihilate the Jewish people – was most likely the 1st crown (Exodus 1:8-10).
The king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, who took the 10 northern tribes into captivity, or his grandson, Sennacherib, who laid siege on Jerusalem, may have been the 2nd crown (2 Kings 15:29).
The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed the Temple, ended the priesthood, and took the Jews into captivity, was the 3rd crown (2 Kings 24:1-16).
The prime minister of Persia, Haman, who tricked the Persian king into sending out a decree to have all the Jews in the empire killed, was the 4th crown (Esther 3:8-11).
The king of Syria (part of the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great), Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who ruthlessly attempted to outlaw the practice of Judaism and assimilate the people into Greek culture and idolatry, was the 5th crown (Daniel 8:9-11).
The emperor of Rome, Vespasian, or his son, General Titus, who destroyed the Temple and took thousands of Jews back to Rome as slaves, may have been the 6th crown.
As previously noted, the identification of the 7th head of the beast has been debated among Bible scholars for centuries. Obviously, the leader of the 7th empire is inseparably linked to the identification of the empire itself. Without the certainty of that knowledge, we can only speculate at this time as to the identity of the 7th crown.
The 7 crowns (kings) upon the 7 heads (kingdoms) depict the kings empowered by the dragon for one primary purpose – the destruction of the Jews. The dragon, however, does not work alone in his treacherous activity. A third of the angels followed him in his initial rebellion against God. They do his bidding by influencing men and nations: “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth” (Revelation 12:4a).
A Royal Birth
Through the first 5 heads (kingdoms) and 5 crowns (kings), the satanic attempt to abort the birth of the seed of the woman failed. And “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). But Satan was not easily discouraged: “And the dragon stood before the woman [Israel] which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12:4b).
Some have speculated that Germany fits the description. Germany was a highly advanced, moral nation with a strong Christian influence that could be traced to the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther. But in the early part of the century, Christian “higher criticism” (theological liberalism), which began in Germany, started to make inroads and the great historic doctrines of the Christian faith were rejected. This liberalism created a spiritual vacuum in the hearts of many of the German people.
By the early 1930s, a man came to power who would plunge the world into the Second World War. Adolf Hitler wanted to rule the earth and populate it with a super race. The mentally ill, deformed, gypsies, and especially the Jews were special targets of the Third Reich. When the war ended in 1945, 6 million of the estimated 15½ million Jews of the world were murdered for no other reason than they were Jews.
Others have sought to identify the 7th head of the dragon as the Ottoman-Turkish Empire. The Ottomans ruled the Middle East from 1517 to 1917. Their empire was one of the largest and longest-lasting empires in history. At the height of its power, this sprawling empire controlled territory that extended from the borders of Austria in central Europe to the horn of Africa. From east to west, it spanned a vast region extending from the Persian Gulf to the western regions of North Africa. Most importantly, it controlled Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Still others identify the 7th head of the dragon as the historic Islamic Caliphate. I lean toward this view as I believe it best fits the criteria of Scripture regarding the 7th kingdom.
The Islamic Caliphate
Shortly after the death of Mohammed, a series of militant Islamic caliphs (Muslim military leaders) rose to power. One after the other, they conquered and colonized vast swaths of territory across the Middle East by the sword in the name of Allah. They each led their Islamic armies to loot their way through towns and cities from Syria to Egypt and as far east as Persia – crushing all who stood in their way. They sought to erase the cultures, religions, and symbols in these conquered lands by enforcing total submission to Islam. During their reign of pirating and terror, much of Christendom was completely destroyed within a short span of years.
In A.D. 636, with their sights set on the ultimate prize, these marauders moved south after ravaging the Christian communities in Syria, to besiege Jerusalem. In this wave of Islamic conquest, they cut off supplies and took the city by starving the inhabitants. Jerusalem fell to the Muslims after a 4-month siege in A.D. 637.
According to some historians, when Umar, the conquering Muslim caliph entered Jerusalem and saw that no church had yet been built on the ruins of the Temple Mount, he took advantage of the situation and ordered the construction of an Islamic mosque on the site of Israel’s Second Jewish Temple. It was competed in A.D. 691. Through the years, many changes and updates have been made to the structure, but it still stands today as an Islamic shrine known as the Dome of the Rock.
The strengths of this view are many. Without getting into too much detail at this point, I will say that one of the most significant strengths related to our discussion here concerning the 7-headed beast of Revelation 12 is that the geographic land area of the historic Islamic Caliphate covered nearly the same land areas of the nations that will comprise the 8hth and final kingdom (see Revelation 13:1-3; Ezekiel 38).
If you understand Scripture to indicate that the 7enth head (kingdom) of the beast re-emerges in the Last Days as the 8th and final kingdom, then this geographic consistency becomes exceedingly important. This final beast empire will be a conglomeration of 10 nations (symbolized by the 10 horns on the beast, each with its king) that unite under the authority of the Antichrist.
John noted there were 7 crowns on the 7 heads of the dragon (Revelation 12:3). As the 7 heads on the dragon depict 7 empires, the 7 crowns on the heads of the dragon depict kings who rule over those empires. The identification of specific rulers associated with these kingdoms seems clear in some cases – and yet in others is more difficult to determine. Below is a list of what I believe to be plausible identifications of these historic kings.
The pharaoh of Egypt “which knew not Joseph” – perhaps the son of Ramesses the Great, who wanted to annihilate the Jewish people – was most likely the 1st crown (Exodus 1:8-10).
The king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, who took the 10 northern tribes into captivity, or his grandson, Sennacherib, who laid siege on Jerusalem, may have been the 2nd crown (2 Kings 15:29).
The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed the Temple, ended the priesthood, and took the Jews into captivity, was the 3rd crown (2 Kings 24:1-16).
The prime minister of Persia, Haman, who tricked the Persian king into sending out a decree to have all the Jews in the empire killed, was the 4th crown (Esther 3:8-11).
The king of Syria (part of the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great), Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who ruthlessly attempted to outlaw the practice of Judaism and assimilate the people into Greek culture and idolatry, was the 5th crown (Daniel 8:9-11).
The emperor of Rome, Vespasian, or his son, General Titus, who destroyed the Temple and took thousands of Jews back to Rome as slaves, may have been the 6th crown.
As previously noted, the identification of the 7th head of the beast has been debated among Bible scholars for centuries. Obviously, the leader of the 7th empire is inseparably linked to the identification of the empire itself. Without the certainty of that knowledge, we can only speculate at this time as to the identity of the 7th crown.
The 7 crowns (kings) upon the 7 heads (kingdoms) depict the kings empowered by the dragon for one primary purpose – the destruction of the Jews. The dragon, however, does not work alone in his treacherous activity. A third of the angels followed him in his initial rebellion against God. They do his bidding by influencing men and nations: “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth” (Revelation 12:4a).
A Royal Birth
Through the first 5 heads (kingdoms) and 5 crowns (kings), the satanic attempt to abort the birth of the seed of the woman failed. And “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). But Satan was not easily discouraged: “And the dragon stood before the woman [Israel] which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12:4b).
Historically, this occurred when Herod the Great, upon hearing from the wise men of the East that the King of the Jews was born, sent soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all male children 2 years of age and under. But Joseph, being warned by God in a dream, took the child and Mary down to Egypt and escaped Herod’s death decree (Matthew 2:13-16). Herod was not a Jew; he was an Edomite. Herod was not of the tribe of Judah or the family line of David and had no right to Israel’s throne.
He was placed in power by Rome – the 6th head (kingdom) of the dragon. Like the dragon, Herod had attempted to devour the Child at birth, but the Child who is destined to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 12:5a) was safe in Egypt.
Within the text of Revelation 12, the sinless life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection of the newborn King is passed over in silence. Not a word concerning this incomparable life is spoken in a rush to get to His ascension: “And her [Israel’s] child was caught up unto God, and to his throne” (Revelation 12:5b).
The scene moves immediately from Christ’s birth to the final stage of the battle of the Last Days because the Last Days are the context of Revelation Chapter 12: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her [1,260] days” (Revelation 12:6).
In clear focus is the last 3½-year period of Daniel’s prophesied final 7 years.
A Conflict in Heaven
He was placed in power by Rome – the 6th head (kingdom) of the dragon. Like the dragon, Herod had attempted to devour the Child at birth, but the Child who is destined to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 12:5a) was safe in Egypt.
Within the text of Revelation 12, the sinless life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection of the newborn King is passed over in silence. Not a word concerning this incomparable life is spoken in a rush to get to His ascension: “And her [Israel’s] child was caught up unto God, and to his throne” (Revelation 12:5b).
The scene moves immediately from Christ’s birth to the final stage of the battle of the Last Days because the Last Days are the context of Revelation Chapter 12: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her [1,260] days” (Revelation 12:6).
In clear focus is the last 3½-year period of Daniel’s prophesied final 7 years.
A Conflict in Heaven
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his [good] angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his [evil] angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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” (Revelation 12:7-9).
The dragon with the 7 heads, 7 crowns, and 10 horns is here identified by 3 titles. He is called the Serpent, the Devil, and Satan. They are all descriptions of his character. To know what the dragon is like, simply follow his names. As the Serpent, he is the tempter of man to sin against God – and that solicitation which began in the Garden of Eden has not yet ceased.
As the Devil, he is the accuser of man before the throne of God both day and night. As Satan, he is the adversary of the human race, seeking to destroy humanity’s soul and usurp his divine destiny to be king of the earth. Sometimes he does his work as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and other times as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8).
The devil’s expulsion from Heaven will be a source of great rejoicing in Heaven:
As the Devil, he is the accuser of man before the throne of God both day and night. As Satan, he is the adversary of the human race, seeking to destroy humanity’s soul and usurp his divine destiny to be king of the earth. Sometimes he does his work as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and other times as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8).
The devil’s expulsion from Heaven will be a source of great rejoicing in Heaven:
“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 (Revelation 12:10).”
The devil’s expulsion to Earth is the catalyst for what the Lord Jesus called the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21), for it is at that precise time that the serpent will empower the Antichrist for 3½ years (Revelation 13:5-7).
To underscore this period’s unprecedented severity, Jesus added, “And except those days [of great tribulation] should be shortened, there should no [believing] flesh be saved” (Matthew 24:22). The prophet Jeremiah called this period “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7) to emphasize the fact that Israel would be at the center of this terrible persecution.
John wrote, “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child” (Revelation 12:13). More than 2,000 years have already elapsed since the woman gave birth to the man-child, but still the dragon hates the woman with a fanatical, unholy hatred. The intensity of his persecution now becomes desperate because he knows he has only 3½ years to succeed in his conquest of Earth or face eternal damnation (Revelation 20:10).
During the Old Testament economy, Satan’s plan was to destroy the nation through which Christ would come into the world. Satan failed. Christ was born, grew to manhood, died for the sins of the world, rose from the dead, and ascended to His throne at the right hand of His Father. At the end of this age, it will be time for Christ to return.
At His coming, He will imprison Satan and cast the Antichrist and false prophet into the Lake of Fire.
At His coming, He will purge the earth of all that has defiled it since the advent of sin.
At His coming, He will bring to fruition the salvation of all those who, through the ages, have been redeemed by grace through faith alone.
At His coming, He will establish a glorious 1,000-year Messianic Age upon Earth.
But Jesus is not a usurper. He is a legitimate heir to the throne of Israel. He is from the royal tribe of Judah and the kingly line of David. For Christ to return, there must be a nation called Israel, a capital called Jerusalem, and a people called Jews (literal descendants of Jacob/Israel). Therefore, when Satan is cast out of Heaven to Earth and knows he has only 3½ years, he will go after the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
His only hope will be to get the Jewish nation to worship him and take the mark of the Antichrist. This is “the abomination of desolation” to which the Lord referred with the accompanying warning to flee Jerusalem when this occurs (Matthew 24:15-21; Luke 21:20-21).
A Miraculous Preservation
To underscore this period’s unprecedented severity, Jesus added, “And except those days [of great tribulation] should be shortened, there should no [believing] flesh be saved” (Matthew 24:22). The prophet Jeremiah called this period “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7) to emphasize the fact that Israel would be at the center of this terrible persecution.
John wrote, “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child” (Revelation 12:13). More than 2,000 years have already elapsed since the woman gave birth to the man-child, but still the dragon hates the woman with a fanatical, unholy hatred. The intensity of his persecution now becomes desperate because he knows he has only 3½ years to succeed in his conquest of Earth or face eternal damnation (Revelation 20:10).
During the Old Testament economy, Satan’s plan was to destroy the nation through which Christ would come into the world. Satan failed. Christ was born, grew to manhood, died for the sins of the world, rose from the dead, and ascended to His throne at the right hand of His Father. At the end of this age, it will be time for Christ to return.
At His coming, He will imprison Satan and cast the Antichrist and false prophet into the Lake of Fire.
At His coming, He will purge the earth of all that has defiled it since the advent of sin.
At His coming, He will bring to fruition the salvation of all those who, through the ages, have been redeemed by grace through faith alone.
At His coming, He will establish a glorious 1,000-year Messianic Age upon Earth.
But Jesus is not a usurper. He is a legitimate heir to the throne of Israel. He is from the royal tribe of Judah and the kingly line of David. For Christ to return, there must be a nation called Israel, a capital called Jerusalem, and a people called Jews (literal descendants of Jacob/Israel). Therefore, when Satan is cast out of Heaven to Earth and knows he has only 3½ years, he will go after the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
His only hope will be to get the Jewish nation to worship him and take the mark of the Antichrist. This is “the abomination of desolation” to which the Lord referred with the accompanying warning to flee Jerusalem when this occurs (Matthew 24:15-21; Luke 21:20-21).
A Miraculous Preservation
“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 [3½ years], from the face of the serpent” (Revelation 12:14).
The Bible doesn’t tell us how many Jewish people will flee into the wilderness. Even if it were only 5 percent of the Jewish population living in Israel today, it would suggest a figure nearing 350,000. I pray this number will be much larger. Our missionaries in Israel are tireless in their attempt to contribute to that cause. These Jewish believers will comprise a believing remnant within the nation. And they will, in some miraculous way, be helped by God during their flight to a place He has prepared for them in the wilderness.
Some believe their flight will be to the mountainous desert region of Petra in southern Jordan or to nearby Bozrah. They will be pursued by the serpent: “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” (Revelation 12:15).
The imagery of a flood in pursuit of the woman may be understood at face value or may be a depiction of an advancing army. If so, the army is seemingly being drawn into a trap: “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” (Revelation 12:16). Perhaps the earth will help the woman by one of the many earthquakes foretold for the Last Days, but this is only speculation.
How will the dragon respond to his inability to kill this remnant of Jewish believers who are being protected and provided for in the wilderness by the same God who provided for the 2 million Jews of the Exodus for 40 years?
Some believe their flight will be to the mountainous desert region of Petra in southern Jordan or to nearby Bozrah. They will be pursued by the serpent: “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” (Revelation 12:15).
The imagery of a flood in pursuit of the woman may be understood at face value or may be a depiction of an advancing army. If so, the army is seemingly being drawn into a trap: “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” (Revelation 12:16). Perhaps the earth will help the woman by one of the many earthquakes foretold for the Last Days, but this is only speculation.
How will the dragon respond to his inability to kill this remnant of Jewish believers who are being protected and provided for in the wilderness by the same God who provided for the 2 million Jews of the Exodus for 40 years?
“And the dragon was [full of wrath against] 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” (Revelation 12:17).
The “remnant of her seed” will include all those Jews and Gentiles who reject the mark of the Antichrist and, like the patriarch Abraham, place their faith in the Son of God alone.
In May 1948, Israel became a nation after almost 1,900 years of worldwide dispersion. From the ashes of the Holocaust, which was a satanic attempt to annihilate the Jewish people once again, God brought the nation of Israel back into existence. In the more than 75 years since that event, the Jewish state has had to fight 6 major wars and defend itself against countless terrorist attacks for survival.
Aside from the United States, the Jewish nation stands alone among the nations of the world. The Arab world, the European Union, India, China, Russia, and a host of other nations routinely oppose her on important matters at the United Nations.
Israel’s isolation and exclusion has nothing to do with her policies. Though far from perfect, she has been one of the more ethical and upstanding democratic nations of the world (notwithstanding the gross misrepresentation of her in the media). Her long list of remarkable contributions to the greater good of humanity in the areas of medicine, technology, invention, and innovation has dwarfed those of many other nations with far greater land areas, populations, and natural resources.
But these accomplishments have done little to change her situation. Israel has a long history of enduring hatred and persecution, and it is all due to one reason: She is the woman clothed with the sun. She was the vessel chosen to give birth to the Son of God. The dragon hates her for this, and will continue to seek her destruction by influencing the nations of the world.
The dragon and his 7 world empires are in a spiritual war with Israel that has stretched across the centuries in a largely unseen and little understood conflict. In the final episode of this lopsided battle, the dragon and his 10 horns (the 10 nations who will give their power and authority to Satan’s progeny, the Antichrist) will be on one side – and Israel will be on the other.
From a human perspective, the outlook for the Jewish nation seems dire – and the prospect of Satan’s victory seems certain. But things are not what they seem. The dragon and his hoards don’t stand a chance of winning; one plus God is always a majority.
Jesus Christ is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David – and He alone is destined to rule the world from Jerusalem. In the end, He will crush the dragon’s head. He will restore Israel to her place of glory among the nations of the world, and He will reign as the legitimate King of Israel, as King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
In May 1948, Israel became a nation after almost 1,900 years of worldwide dispersion. From the ashes of the Holocaust, which was a satanic attempt to annihilate the Jewish people once again, God brought the nation of Israel back into existence. In the more than 75 years since that event, the Jewish state has had to fight 6 major wars and defend itself against countless terrorist attacks for survival.
Aside from the United States, the Jewish nation stands alone among the nations of the world. The Arab world, the European Union, India, China, Russia, and a host of other nations routinely oppose her on important matters at the United Nations.
Israel’s isolation and exclusion has nothing to do with her policies. Though far from perfect, she has been one of the more ethical and upstanding democratic nations of the world (notwithstanding the gross misrepresentation of her in the media). Her long list of remarkable contributions to the greater good of humanity in the areas of medicine, technology, invention, and innovation has dwarfed those of many other nations with far greater land areas, populations, and natural resources.
But these accomplishments have done little to change her situation. Israel has a long history of enduring hatred and persecution, and it is all due to one reason: She is the woman clothed with the sun. She was the vessel chosen to give birth to the Son of God. The dragon hates her for this, and will continue to seek her destruction by influencing the nations of the world.
The dragon and his 7 world empires are in a spiritual war with Israel that has stretched across the centuries in a largely unseen and little understood conflict. In the final episode of this lopsided battle, the dragon and his 10 horns (the 10 nations who will give their power and authority to Satan’s progeny, the Antichrist) will be on one side – and Israel will be on the other.
From a human perspective, the outlook for the Jewish nation seems dire – and the prospect of Satan’s victory seems certain. But things are not what they seem. The dragon and his hoards don’t stand a chance of winning; one plus God is always a majority.
Jesus Christ is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David – and He alone is destined to rule the world from Jerusalem. In the end, He will crush the dragon’s head. He will restore Israel to her place of glory among the nations of the world, and He will reign as the legitimate King of Israel, as King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
Watch the teaching below!
Posted in End-Times, Israel, Middle East, Rapture & Wrath
Posted in endtimes, Revelation, Dragon, Israel
Posted in endtimes, Revelation, Dragon, Israel
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