The Second Half Begins…

The second half shows us the exact same time period as the first (from the first to second comings of Jesus) The first half gave us the perspective of the seven seals and seven trumpets; the second will reveal the seven bowls The first half pictured the outward conflict between the Church and the world while the second half takes us deeper into the Church’s real enemies

Week 24: Satan: The Dragon (Revelation 12:1-9)

vs. 1-2 First sign: a woman This should remind us of Joseph’s dream (saw his father as the sun, mother as the moon, and eleven stars as his brothers) The woman is the Israel of God created to bring forth the Messiah (God’s chosen people, the Church, Spiritual Israel) The main emphasis of the OT is that she is pregnant and in labor

vs. 1-2 First sign: a woman The first of all Messianic prophecy is about this and ties it to John’s second sign, the Dragon/Serpent: Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Second sign: a red dragon vs. 3 Second sign: a red dragon Red- suggests his oppressive character (in Rev. 17, the great prostitute is dressed in red and is drunk with the blood of the saints) Seven crowned heads- represents world dominion, emphasizing completeness Ten horns- indicates his power and completed order of time and judgement (drawn from Dan. 7 - Daniel’s description of the fourth beast he sees)

vs. 4a/ 7-9 When Satan Fell

Isaiah 14:12-15 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

vs. 4a/ 7-9 When Satan Fell 1 Timothy 3:6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. Genesis 3:4-5 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The sin of Satan is pride and attempting to be equal to God in status and authority

vs. 4a/ 7-9 When Satan Fell 2 Peter 2:4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. Jude 6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.

Satan is constantly trying vs. 4b-5 Satan is constantly trying to destroy Jesus The entire Old Testament becomes one story, the story of the conflict between the seed of the woman and the dragon, between Christ and Satan. Trying to prevent the birth of Christ through His lineage…

Satan is constantly trying vs. 6 Satan is constantly trying to destroy the woman Next week… we will look at how Satan makes war against the offspring of the woman (us) BUT…

Satan is constantly trying vs. 6 Satan is constantly trying to destroy the woman We are in a special place!! We must flee into the wilderness to a place ‘prepared’ for us, by God we are ‘taken care of’ for ‘1,260 days’ This represents the entire period of the church age

Satan is constantly trying vs. 6 Satan is constantly trying to destroy the woman We are in a special place!! We must flee into the wilderness to a place ‘prepared’ for us, by God we are ‘taken care of’ for ‘1,260 days’ Colossians 1:13 (NLT) For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.