Revelation 12 (Part 2)
THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp
Wednesday November 19, 2008
At the end of Revelation 12:5, Jesus was taken up to the Father's right hand, so our account therefore continues with the story of the woman AFTER Jesus arose from the dead:
Revelation 12:6 (NIV)
6. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
We can tell that verse 6 is talking about a three and a half year period during the tribulation because of other verses that refer to these same 1,260 days. The jump forward in time would be because Israel did not exist any more from 70 AD up until 1948, so the continuation of the story of the woman (Israel) would naturally take it to the last (70th) "week" of years (7 years) prophesied by Daniel.
Daniel 9:24-27 (NIV)
24. "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. 25. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven `sevens,' and sixty-two `sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
I'm sure we've all heard about the 70 'sevens', but in case any of you haven't, here's a brief explanation. We know now from history that the 'sevens' are seven year periods. The 7 "sevens" and the 62 "sevens" have already happened, and one is yet to come. The temple was rebuilt just as Daniel prophesied, and it was standing when Jesus came:
Daniel 9:26 (KJV)
And after threescore and two (62) weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Jesus' earthly physical ancestry was "cut off" when He died. Then the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. The Romans were the "people of the prince to come." That's why the antichrist's kingdom is referred to by many Bible scholars as a revived Roman empire.
Daniel 9:27 (NIV)
27. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the `seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
Here is the abomination that causes desolation that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:15; a wing of the temple will be desecrated:
Matthew 24:15 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel-- let the reader understand--"
There currently is no temple standing in Jerusalem, so we know it will have to be rebuilt. In the middle of the seven-year tribulation period, the anti-Christ will put an end to sacrifice and offering, so we know the temple will be rebuilt and sacrifices will be resumed before the "middle" of the seven-year period. According to Daniel 12:11, the "abomination that causes desolation" will be set up 1,290 days into the seven-year period in which the anti-Christ reigns:
Daniel 12:11 (NIV)
11. "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
The Jews in Jerusalem will flee to the "place in the desert" prepared for them by God:
Matthew 24:15-22 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
15. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel-- let the reader understand-- 16. then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
20. Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. 22. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
This is what Revelation 12:6 and 12:14 are referring to:
Revelation 12:6 (NIV)
The woman (Israel) fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Revelation 12:14 (NIV)
The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.
There will be people who have studied the Bible and will know that the "Day Of The Lord" is at hand when this happens, so many of the Jews will be looking for the Messiah's return:
Matthew 24:23-28 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
23. At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or, `There he is!' do not believe it. 24. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-- if that were possible. 25. See, I have told you ahead of time. 26. "So if anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, `Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
There will be deceivers posing as the Messiah; Jesus calls them "carcasses" that gather "vultures".
After this 1,260 day period (42 months, 3-1/2 years), the great and terrible "Day Of The Lord" will come:
Matthew 24:29,30 (NIV)
29. "Immediately after the distress of those days "`the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' 30. "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
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Now, back to the Revelation 12 account, that is interrupted to show satan's part in the story:
Revelation 12:7-12 (NIV)
7. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
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 Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
11. They overcame 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."
Once again, we know from the rest of the Bible (as described in last week's Daily Words) that this happened when Jesus arose from the dead. Satan is now prowling around the earth like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
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Revelation 12:13 (NIV)
When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
When satan was hurled down, he was enraged that God's plan of redemption that he had been trying to stop all this time was carried out successfully through Israel, so he pursued them. As a result, Jerusalem fell in 70 AD.
Revelation 12:14 (NIV)
The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.
Once again, the woman represents the nation of Israel, and Israel did not exist as a nation from 70 AD until 1948, so the skip to the end times at this point makes sense. This is talking about the same period of time as Revelation 11:1-3:
Revelation 11:1-3 (NIV)
1. I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."
The Gentiles "trample on the holy city (Jerusalem) for 42 months. It is during this time that the two witnesses will prophesy. We know that the two witnesses are eventually killed by the beast (after the 1,260 days).
(To be continued)
PRAYER
Thank You Father for sending Jesus to disarm satan and bring Your salvation, power, Kingdom, and authority to the earth. Thank You for Your Word that tells me about all I've received by entering Your Kingdom. Help me understand Your ways better and put them into practice as I renew my mind with Your Word and allow Your Word to govern my life.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
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