The prophets of old, who
delivered the messages of warning to Israel of her destruction for lack of
obedience, were often hated and were even killed. The cost of disobedience
is yet unlearned today by God's children, in spite of all the Biblical
warnings and lessons.
God will send His two
anointed witnesses to warn, but they will be rejected in her streets. The nations cannot comprehend that modern Israel (including
the Gentile church) and her disobedience along with our beloved city,
Jerusalem of the twenty-first century, will fall in complete destruction;
nonetheless, the Bible is so plain on this matter than only blinded eyes
cannot see it (John
12:40; Revelation 3:17).
May we be among those who "grieve and lament over the detestable things that
are [to be] done" in the Temple in Jerusalem in the last days (Ezekiel
9:4), for destruction will begin with the people who
claim to really know God (Matthew
7:21; 1 Peter 4:17-18)
and will spread to the whole world (Ezekiel
9:6).
Jesus cried out, "O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers
her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house
(Temple) is left to you desolate," Matthew 23:37-38.
Israel's leadership, with the help of Rome, went on to see that Jesus was
crucified and killed.
6. The
"great city" in Revelation is first identified as the location where what
happened (Revelation
11:8)?
Where our Lord was crucified. She is also called derogatory names--Egypt
and Sodom for her idolatry and adulteries.
Covenant-breaking
Jerusalem/Israel is given a third insulting name in Revelation. The woman
will sit on the end-time world governments as though on display--the focus
of the whole world. She is decked with the riches of the nations but sadly
she has on her forehead, "MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH," Revelation
18:3-5.
7. She is
later called what in verse 18 that identifies her with Jerusalem?
She is called the "great city," --the city where our Lord was crucified.
With this background, we
want to consider the righteous woman of Revelation 12. This woman sits in
contrast with the wicked woman to come later in Revelation. She is pregnant
and in her last moments before birth. She is contracting and pushing to
bring to completion her destined delivery. In Matthew 24:8
Jesus revealed, concerning the final destruction of the fallen city
Jerusalem (which He had just declared would be left desolate), that when
wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes suddenly escalate, that "all
these things are the beginning of birth pains" for Israel, Jerusalem
and the Jewish people.
9.
Revelation 12 is derived, in part, from Isaiah 66:6-10
that uses the parallel of birth. What two origins are depicted in these
verses?
First she delivers a
"Son" which leads to the birth of a "nation." The birth of both Messiah,
and in the final moments of time the birth of a nation, is revealed in
Isaiah's analogy of the woman, as in Revelation. A new and righteous nation
(144,000) will come to birth when Jerusalem is in great tribulation pain and
when the voice of the Lord is heard from the Temple. For "suddenly the
Lord… will come to His Temple… but who can endure the day of His coming?"
Malachi 3:1-2.
However, the majority in
modern Israel and the church, will be Covenant-breakers. They will see in
Antichrist, the long awaited Messiah, and consider him the son foretold to
come to birth in Revelation 12. Many in synagogues and in the fallen
churches will consider themselves the righteous woman in travail and trials
of the last days, believing that in Anti-Messiah they have found their
savior. However, the woman depicted in Revelation 12 will be persecuted by
Antichrist and Satan instead of sheltered, and will run into the wilderness
for protection. From this large group of dissenters a smaller one will
emerge in birth--the 144,000 elect of God.
10. In
Revelation 12:3
another sign appears in Heaven--an enormous red dragon. Who is represented
by the dragon (Revelation
12:9)?
11. The
dragon has "seven heads and ten horns." What do these symbolize according
to Lesson 5?
Earth's governments and
military powers are carried by the supremacy of Satan during the final
conflict; the beast is Satan's heads and mouthpieces of destruction that
will hurt and destroy the remnant of God's people. In truth, Satan is
synonymous with governments, and the governments are Satan's means to his
end--full control of Planet Earth. By the time Satan reaches Heaven, as
depicted in this vision of the ferocious red dragon beast, he will have
already brought great turmoil upon the nations--war, bloodshed and mass
destruction. The seven heads and ten horns (7X10) represent 70 nations of
the world, indicating Satan's worldwide control of the planet during the
last days.
12. In Revelation
13:1 the ten horns (countries) are
adorned with ten crowns (rulers); however, in Revelation 12:3
there are only seven crowns--three are missing. Why (Daniel
7:7-8)?
Three nations of the
Western Europe Union will fall in death and destruction, launched by the Old
Soviet Bear (Daniel
7:5) that holds the three ribs (or tusks) in its mouth. Out of mass
destruction Satan will exalt Antichrist through demonic apparitions and
deceptions. In the midst of great tragedies of war, calamities by wind,
wave and fire, massive earthquakes and widespread pestilence and disease,
Satan will unleash his great trickery guised in Christian robes. Lucifer
and the fallen angels who once enjoyed Heaven's prestige will make their
final attempt to takeover the throne of God.
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Focus On The Prophecies Ministry 5815 S.W. 29th Street Topeka, Ks
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