Wednesday night proved to another wonderful time comparing scripture with scripture and digging in to see what the Bible has to say concerning the end times, the time of Jacob’s trouble. Walking through Revelation 12 was truly enlightening and lots of fun.
V.3 – 4 The dragon (Job 41 and Isaiah 27:1) draws out 1/3 of the stars of heaven (angels) when he attempts to overthrow God. Isaiah 14:12-19; Ezekiel 28:11-19 (This occurred in eternity past before Adam was created)
V.5 — The woman – Israel- has the man child (Jesus), and the dragon waits to devour him, but he is caught up to heaven to the throne of God. (Acts 1:9-11)
V.6 — (Over 2,000 years passes between v.5 and v.6 — the ascension of Christ and the middle of the tribulation) The woman flees into the wilderness to be cared for by God, after the antichrist set up the abomination of desolation in the Temple, in the middle of the tribulation. Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11; Matthew 24:15. She will be cared for for 1,260 days or 42 months = 3 1/2 years. Also, look at v.14 – 17.
The abomination of desolation is the critical moment that divides the tribulation in half — the first 3 1/2 years of relative peace, and the second 3 1/2 years of horrific terror and wrath poured out on the inhabitants of the earth and creation itself. There will be extreme loss of life and destruction.
V.7 – 9 gives us a glimpse at the supernatural galactic battle that will occur in the waning days of the tribulation. Michael, the Archangel and the angels of heaven do battle with Satan, the dragon, and his angels (v.3-4), and defeat them and cast them to the earth, to be imprisoned or quarantined, until Messiah Jesus comes in the 2nd Advent to dispense justice upon them. (Remember Ch.6:13 and the stars of heaven falling to the earth, even as a fig tree casteth forth her untimely figs…)
It was truly energizing to dig in and discover what God has so simply given in His Word! We will get through the trumpet judgments this coming Wednesday, and then the vials next week. Keep studying the Word! 2 Tim 2:15