11:19 - And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there was lightning, and voices, and thunder, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Revelation 12 Chapter twelve introduces five key players who will play important roles in the drama of the great tribulation. Chapter twelve sets the ground to introduce the anti-Christ in chapter thirteen. This is the first of a number of visions which form an interlude between the seven trumpets and the seven bowls.

Leading Roles in Chapter 12 1. The Woman – Is she Mary, Israel, or the Body of Christ? 2. The Great Red Dragon/Serpent - Satan 3. The Man Child – Is it Jesus or the corporate Christ? 4. Michael the Archangel and His Angels 5. The Remnant of the Woman’s seed

The Woman Clothed With The Sun

Rev. 12:1 - And there appeared a great sign in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown (stephenos) of twelve stars:

Evil – Jezebel & The Whore of Babylon God uses women to represent religions or belief systems in the book of Revelation There are four women mentioned in revelation, two are evil and two are good Evil – Jezebel & The Whore of Babylon Good – The clothed with the sun – The Bride I Cor. 10:32 - Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

Who does the woman represent? Roman Catholic Church - Mary Dominionists/LDR – The Body of Christ Futurists - Israel The woman is Israel who came forth from the righteous seed of Seth. In Gen 3:15, the first prophecy of the bible, Satan was told he would be destroyed by the seed of a woman.

The symbolism is only found in one place in the bible - Gen The symbolism is only found in one place in the bible - Gen. 37:9-11 – Joseph’s dream 37:9 –11 - Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth 12:2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth

Is, 26: 17-18 - As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, YAHWEH. 18 We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth; we have not given birth to people of the world. I believe the birth pangs represent all the discomfort and pain Of Israel Who desperately desired Messiah to come to bring relief and blessing, and to bring justice against the nations.

Is. 66: 6-11 - Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of YAHWEH repaying His enemies all they deserve. 7 "Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a man child. 8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?

Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. 9 Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says YAHWEH. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God. 10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. 11 For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts;

There is no doubt that the imagery of Revelation twelve is drawn from Isaiah. Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?

Zech. 12:9 - On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. 10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced , and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. Rev. 11:26 - And so all Israel shall be saved : as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

The sun and moon are Jacob and Rachael The 12 stars are Israel, the children of Jacob

The Great Red Dragon

12:3 And there appeared another sign in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

This is the first appearance of Satan as a Dragon, who is also the serpent in Gen 3:1,15. (see Rev. 12:9) He is red because because of all the blood he has been responsible for on the earth. Jn. 8:44 – “He was a murderer from the beginning”.

He has seven Heads – Satan’s Seat He has seven crowns (diadems) on each head Complete authority He has ten horns – Satan’s Alliance This description will also be seen of the Anti-Christ who bears the image of the Dragon in chapter 13 and 17.

12:4a - And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth:…

Who are the stars of heaven? 1. Pastors? In John 1 the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches – A letter was written to each. Some teach this means apostasy. False teachers are called “wandering stars” in Jude 13. 2. Political Powers? Dan. 8:8 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. 3. Fallen angels?

12:4b - …and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, to devour her child as soon as it was born.

From Gen. 3:15 throughout history Satan has tried to destroy the woman and the seed. It started with the murder of Able. Attempted total corruption of the human race The desire to bless of Ishmael The desire of Esau to kill Jacob The attempted destruction of Israel by Pharaoh The attempted destruction of the Jews in Canaan The Babylonian conspiracy of Hamaan The attempt of Herrod to kill baby Jesus

All this means only one thing!!! Satan may get an “A” for effort but there is one ever present reality that overshadows his efforts, and that is: Jesus Christ is Lord!!! Satan is a “Loser”

The Man Child

12:5 - And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne.

Look at His authority all nations – rod of iron Psa 2:7 I will declare the decree of YAHWEH. He has said to Me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You. Psa 2:8 Ask of Me, and I shall give the nations for Your inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession. Psa 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Rev 2:26 And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations. Rev 2:27 And he will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter they will be broken to pieces, even as I received from My Father.

12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] sixty days.

Star Wars Battle of the Angels

12:7a - And there was war in heaven:

12:7b - …Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

12:8 - And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

12:9a - And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world:

12:9b - he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

When does this war take place?

12:10 - And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

12:11 - And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12:12a - Therefore rejoice heavens, and you that dwell in them.

…having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time. 12:12b - Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, …having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.

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

12:14 - And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Matt. 24:15 - therefore when you shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

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

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

12:17 - And the dragon was angry 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.