great wonder great red dragon (Rev 12:1-5) 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: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 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.

I. Recognizing the Players

Who is this Woman?

clothed with the sun moon under her feet head a crown of twelve stars (Rev 12:1-2) 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: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me Shall Ithy mot brethren (Gen 37:9-10) And he 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. 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?

(Rom 9:4-5) Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth 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, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

B. Who is this Red dragon?

(Rev 12:3-4) And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

(Rev 12:9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

NOTESNOTES  He is RED!  He is a Dragon!  He has 7 heads!  He has 7 crowns! (kingdoms)

1.Nimrod –Babel 2.Pharaoh - Egypt 3.Sennacherib –Assyria 4.Nebuchadnezzar – Babylon 5.Darius- Medo-Persian 6.Alexander the Great – Greece 7.Caesar Augustus- Rome

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

C. Who is this child?

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

NOTESNOTES  “she brought forth” is reference to his 1 st coming of Christ in which he fulfill his office of a Prophet  A prophet was a person that went to man on behalf of God

(Heb 1:1-2) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

A prophet (Act 3:22-23) For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

NOTESNOTES  The phrase “rule with a rod of Iron is no doubt a reference to the office of King which Jesus will hold for 1000 years in the Kingdom of heaven.

(Psa 2:7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (Psa 2:8) Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron (Psa 2:9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

shall rule them with a rod of iron (Rev 19:15) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

NOTESNOTES  “Caught up to God” is a reference to the office of Priest which he has fulfilled since he ascended to the father  Priest is a person that gores to God on behalf of man

this man (Heb 10:11-13) And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

this man (Heb 7:24) But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. (Heb 7:25) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born (Rev 12:4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

NOTESNOTES  Remember that God foretold in Gen. 3:15 that he was sending a seed of the woman (Israel) to crush the head of the serpent (Satan)  Therefore Satan attached the seed through out the history of Israel. He never new when and where that seed would be born…

(Mat 2:1-3) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

(Mat 2:7) Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. (Mat 2:8) And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

(Mat 2:11-14) And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

(Mat 2:16) Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born (Rev 12:4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

NOTESNOTES  This a verse that is directly referring to the coming Messiah  But it is very familiar to the same process of the Christian life

(1Pe 5:8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

(1Jn 2:13) I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one (1Jn 2:14) I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

II. Reviewing the Process

(Rev 12:2) And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

NOTESNOTES  We would all agree that verse 2 is not referring to single event in the history of Israel, but is referring to a process that started in Gen: 3:15 through Abraham, to David to etc, to Mary and Joseph.  Therefore when we look at verse 4 when realize that the Holy Spirit is writing about the whole process, not some event that will happen in the future

(Rev 12:4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

NOTESNOTES  Angels are referred to a stars at times in the scriptures

The seven stars are the angels (Rev 1:20) The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him (Rev 9:1) And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me Shall Ithy mot brethren (Gen 37:9-10) And he 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. 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?

morning stars (Job 38:4-7) Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

(Job 1:6) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:7) And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

but left their own habitation (Jud 1:6) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. angels that sinned (2Pe 2:4) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Mark 5:1-16