1. Revelation 12 – Great wonders in the heavens
Teaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27)
Revelation 12 – Great wonders in the heavens
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2. Great wonders A great woman giving birth A great dragon
A third of the stars falling to earth
A man-child born and snatched up to God
War breaking out in heaven
The dragon hurled down to earth
The pursuit of the woman
The woman born up on eagle’s wings into the wilderness
Very common in revelation
Revelation 13 v 13 & 14, rev 16 v 14, rev 19 v 20
Sometimes deceitful miracles – a titanic battle

3. The woman
A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars.
Some say the church – the woman gave birth to the man child – Jesus – Jesus gave birth to the church not the other way around
Some say the woman was Mary – the problem is that Mary is then told to flee to the mountains where she will be protected for 1260 days, so it doesn’t fit
The proper fit rests with Israel
Genesis 37 – the sun and moon in Joseph’s dream were symbolic of Jacob (Israel)
Israel the wife of Jehovah that brought forth the Messiah
Ezekiel 18 verses 8 – 14
Jeremiah 31 verse 32
Isaiah 54 v 5
The wife of Jehovah brought forth Jehovah’s son (the Messiah)

4. The woman The woman in scripture always connected with religion
Chapter 2 v 7 – Jezebel the woman of false religion
Chapter 17 v 1 – Harlot – false religion
Chapter 19 v 7 marriage of the Lamb – Wife
Chapter 21 v 9 Bride – Lamb’s wife
Jeremiah 3 verse 20 – the treacherous wife of Jehovah
Ephesians 5 – the Church is the bride of Christ
1 Corinthians 10 verse 32 indicates three groups of people in the scriptures – Jews, Gentiles and the Church of God (Jews and Gentiles who are saved)
All of the symbolism here reflects Jewishness

5. The woman and the child The territory of the kingdom
Daniel 6 v 26 an indestructible kingdom
Daniel 7 v 26 & 27 – A kingdom with everlasting dominion
2 Peter 1 v 11 – salvation is entering the everlasting kingdom of Christ
The territory of the kingdom
Psalm 47 v 7 & 8 – all the earth
Psalm 103 v 19 – rules over all the earth
Psalm 48 v 1 & 2 – from Israel and Jerusalem
The crown of 12 stars
12 speaks of either 12 tribes or 12 apostles
12 tribes were part of the history of Messiah
Rev 7 – symbolism of 12 in revelation
The woman in labour

6. The woman and the child Cries of labour pains
Israel travailing when Messiah came
Described in Isaiah 26 verses 17 & 18
Also in Isaiah 66 – striving to be born and promised peace and comfort
The child was a man-child
The authority of the man-child – rule with a rod of iron (imagery from Psalm 2 v 7-11)
The rod for discipline and comfort (Psalm 23 – they rod and staff comfort me)
Rod of iron, however, is not for comfort but for judgement

7. The Child
Zechariah 13 v 8 & 9 – two thirds will not turn to messiah and will die: one third will be saved
Revelation 19 verses 13 – 15 rod of iron and wielding a sword
The child was ‘caught up to God’ – ascension
True of us too 1 Thessalonians 4 v 17
And of Paul – 2 Corinthians 12
He came from the Jewish woman (Mary was from Nathan’s line) at a time when Israel was in travail

8. Israel – the woman in travail
722 BC – captive by Assyrians
Amalgamation with the Assyrians – lost national identity and produced the Samaritans
The title ‘Jew’ came from Judah – previously called ‘The children of Israel’
After the kingdom was divided:
Northern tribes under Rehoboam and Jereboam were idolators and worshipped Jeroboam’s two golden calves.
Southern Kingdoms Judah & Benjamin became known as Judah

9. Israel – the woman in travail
586 BC Jerusalem burned down and then 70 years in Babylon
Cyrus brought them back and the temple was rebuilt
Men who were young at the time of Solomon’s temple said it did not compare well
Prophets said neither would compare to the temple to come
No voice of God or shekinah presence for 400 years
1st time God speaks after this is to Elizabeth when they were under Rome
2nd time to Mary
Then there was the slaughter of infants when boys were killed fulfilling the prophecy of Ramah (Matt 2 v 18: Jer 31 v 15 and Genesis 35 v 16
It was into this that The Man-child came – Messiah the King

10. So what’s it all about
This is a history of the battle for humanity between God and Satan
We go on to read of the victory taken by God
It demonstrates that the battle has been a spiritual one between the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places – Ephesians 6 v 10 – 20
It reminds us that the birth and progress of Messiah was fiercely contested
We are also reminded that Satan will be full of wrath because he knows he has limited time – he is going to lose.

11. Teaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27)
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