Wednesday Bible Study: The History of the Whole World, part one

 

Last time I promised you the History of the Whole World, God's view.  Since it would be from God's view, this means two things: One, this is going to involve the Jewish people at this point in our story, as the Church is already "off the table"; Two, this will have a little past and a whole lotta future.  But God was ready to let John in on the true picture of things.

Rev 12:1  And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 

Rev 12:2  She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 

Now if you were taught Catholic, as I was, you might think this woman is the Church, getting ready to birth Christ's Kingdom on earth, and this whole chapter is an allegorized story of the Catholic Church.  But it is not so, which I'll show you coming up in future weeks.  First, we look at where such symbology came before:

Gen 37:9  Then he (Joseph) dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." 

In one respect, it was Jacob, Rachel, and his brothers bowing to him (as they would- save for Rachel- in Egypt).  But in another sense, it was the future people Israel bowing to Christ.  And Israel's story was a story of agony, much of it self inflicted (as labor can be seen), preparing for...

Rev 12:5  She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne...

...the coming of Jesus, who had yet to rule the nations, and after crucifixion and resurrection returned to heaven.  But first-

 Rev 12:3  And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 

Rev 12:4  His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 

This, later identified, is Satan.  It was in his rebellion originally that 1/3 of the angels fell... and he was certainly waiting to destroy Jesus from Herod's slaughter of the innocents when He was a baby right to the Crucifixion, when he thought he had succeeded.  But now Jesus had completed job #1 and ascended to His Father.  Thus began the Church Age, which this history skips right past.  I believe the next few things are coinciding with our last 2 studies, and fall hard on each others' heels.

Rev 12:7  Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 

Rev 12:8  but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 

This is a new war, and he was cast down to earth at the time either before or at the assassination "attempt" on the AntiChrist we discussed way back at the first seal.  How do we know that?  Observe...

Rev 12:12  Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" 

Three and a half years short.  We know that, from our study 2 weeks ago, that three and a half years passed between the first seal and the death and ascension of the Two Witnesses.  And now...

Rev 12:13  And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 

Rev 12:14  But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 

The Dragon (who we'll see is the pattern the AntiChrist is made from), tries to take his vengeance on the faithful Jews that are left, but they miraculously are able to escape.  Let me tie some things together before we proceed.  Go back to Jesus teaching about these days...

Mar 13:14  "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 

Mar 13:15  Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 

Mar 13:16  and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 

Mar 13:17  And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 

Mar 13:18  Pray that it may not happen in winter. 

Mar 13:19  For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 

Mar 13:20  And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 

We've had the Abomination of Desolation- when AntiChrist declared himself god after killing the 2 Witnesses. We have Jesus commanding the flight of the Jews to flee.  But also:

Luk 17:31  On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 

Luk 17:32  Remember Lot's wife. 

Luk 17:33  Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 

Luk 17:34  I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 

Luk 17:35  There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left." 

We add to our knowledge here that, first, there will be no looking back and yet surviving.  Second, there is going to be a miraculous assist- "the two wings of the great eagle ".  Remember hearing this verse?

Isa 40:30  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 

Isa 40:31  but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. 

Also, we have again the 3 1/2 years- the Jews will be protected ON EARTH during the rest of God's judgment on the world.  But where is it that they are taken/flee to?  Jesus told us:

Luk 17:37  And they answered and said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them, Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 

I know a lot of pastors have a speculation where this means; I'm going to go with, "This is another of those things that will make sense AT THAT TIME."

And at that point, Satan unleashes his best soldiers (human or demonic, you guess):

Rev 12:15  The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 

Rev 12:16  But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 

And this we read about- if I didn't bring it up already- in the aftermath of the Ascension of the Witnesses:

Rev 11:12  Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 

Rev 11:13  And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 

The earth opened, and seven thousand elite followers of the AntiChrist- his guard as he declared himself god, no doubt- were swallowed like a flood into the earth.

Rev 12:17  Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. 

The Jews having been stolen from him Satan- by now in full possession of the AntiChrist, unleashes full persecution- and the rest of the Gentiles (or at least the most of them) are martyred in this persecution.  This fulfills the waiting time that God promised the previous martyrs way back at the fifth seal.  

Now, John knows the players behind the scene in the unfolding story.  Now it's time for the front line players to be introduced, which we'll hit next time.