1. Revelation 12-14

2. Context Time- PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE Book written to the 7 Churches Captures the “Spiritual Battle” that involves humanity

3. “...They are the forces of evil, now expressed in the form of an unholy “trinity” of Satan and his two beasts, one from the sea, the other from the land.” (Fee, Revelation 161)

4. The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon Revelation 12:1-9 (msg) 12 1-2 A great Sign appeared in Heaven: a Woman dressed all in sunlight, standing on the moon, and crowned with Twelve Stars. She was giving birth to a Child and cried out in the pain of childbirth. 3-4 And then another Sign alongside the first: a huge and fiery Dragon! It had seven heads and ten horns, a crown on each of the seven heads. With one flick of its tail it knocked a third of the Stars from the sky and dumped them on earth. The Dragon crouched before the Woman in childbirth, poised to eat up the Child when it came.

5. 5-6 The Woman gave birth to a Son who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod. Her Son was seized and placed safely before God on his Throne. The Woman herself escaped to the desert to a place of safety prepared by God, all comforts provided her for 1,260 days. 7-9 War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon—ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray—thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth.

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Virgil_Solis_-_Apollo_Python.jpg

7. Apocalyptic Literature Using known stories to convey a message to a specific group at a specific time Jesus story birth, hiding (Egypt) victory at the cross over the dragon Dragon was in heaven now he’s on earth and he is angry, making war on humanity (12:17)

8. Hermeneutic for Revelation Historicist-...Revelation as a prewritten record of history that is unfolding now Preterist-...Prophesies already occurred and fulfilled shortly after authors lifetime Futurist-...Majority of Revelation yet to be fulfilled and will happen quickly before Jesus return

9. Preterism Rev 1:1 “...events to soon take place” 1:3 “...because the time is near” 3:10 6:11 22:6-10 “...sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place”

10. The Beast out of the Sea Rev 13:1-10 (niv) 13 The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

11. 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_beast_(Revelation)

13. Interpretation 13:2b “...the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority” 10 horns, 7 heads, resembled leopard, feet like a bear and mouth of a lion

14. Interpretation Persecutes saints 42 months Nero persecuted Christians Nov 64AD till June 68AD Mouth utters Blasphemes Nero Declared himself “Saviour and God also Apollo the sun god” Head has a “fatal wound” Nero killed himself by wounding his neck with a sword

15. Mark of the Beast (13:16-18) 600, 60, 6 (666) Numerical value of letters in both Greek and Hebrew Alphabets Spell out “Caesar Nero” Deut 6:8 “law on your head and Hands” Ephesus incense alter where offering to the Emperor was made resulting in a mark on head and hands

16. Revelation 12:10-12 (niv) 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

17. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”