REVELATION

1
REVELATION

• Chapter Twelve

2
THE WOMAN AND THE CHILD

• V 1 - 6

3
THE TWO SIGNS

• V1 The Woman
• V3 The Great Red Dragon

4
THE WOMAN

• The Church Of Christ
• She represents the same body which the two
  witnesses represent because both are connected
  with the 1260 days

5
IMAGES OF THE CHURCH

• The church is portrayed as a woman which is in
  harmony with New Testament teaching
• She is glorious because she reflects the beauty
  of Christ
• She has a crown of 12 stars which is the emblem
  of government within the church

6
THE CHILD

• The v5 leaves us in no doubt that the child is
  Christ Ps.29 Rev.227
• Christ was not only born of a woman but he was
  born of the church
• The Old Testament Church travailed in pain and
  expectation awaiting the birth of their Messiah

7
THE DRAGON

• V9 reveals that this is Satan
• He is depicted as a monster because he destroyed
  the beauty in which he was created
• He is red, the colour of blood and murder

8
SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS

• The ten horns represent his power. This power
  however is limited by God
• He has crowned himself with seven counterfeit
  crowns to claim jurisdiction in Gods kingdom Is.
  1412

9
THE DRAGONS ACTIVITY

• Drawing the stars from heaven represent Lucifer
  persuading a number of angels to rebel with him
  against God Job 387.
• The dragon watching the woman giving birth
  teaches us that Satan waited in expectation for
  Christ in order that he might destroy him.

10
THE WATCHING DRAGON

• In The Old Testament
• Murder of Abel
• The depletion of the godly seed in Noahs day
• The tower of Babel
• Pharaohs hatred of the Hebrew boys
• Sauls hatred of David
• Destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar

• In The Life Of Christ
• Edict by Herod to slay the children under two
• The temptations
• Opposition by the Pharisees
• Attempts to kill the Lord before the crucifixion
• The betrayal of Judas
• The call from the the Jewish mob , Crucify him

11
THE WAR IN HEAVEN

• V7-12

12
THE COMBATANTS

• Michael and his angels
• The dragon and his angels

13
MICHAEL

• The name means Who is like God?
• This has led some to believe that he is Christ
• He is certainly an archangel Jude v9
• He contends against Satan
• He contends on behalf of the people of God,
  Daniel 1013, v21 121

14
THE TIME OF THIS BATTLE

• POSSIBILITIES
• When Lucifer and the fallen angels were cast out
  of heaven
• At the end of time Satan will make one last
  effort to wrest Gods people from the Lord
• After the exaltation Satan made a bold effort to
  attack the glorified Christ
• This is the war fought throughout the New
  Testament after the birth of Christ
• This battle was fought in the Old Testament in
  order to destroy the saints before the blood was
  shed at Calvary

15
THE CONFLICT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

• This battle ends with the establishment of the
  Kingdom v10
• In the Old Testament Satan appeared before God
  with evil intent Job 16
• Satan made claims over Gods people which he
  cannot do post Calvary, Jude v9
• Satan sought to accuse the church, compare v10
  with Zechariah 31-2
• Satan was absolutely defeated at the cross, Gen
  315

16
THE VICTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT AGE

• The accuser has been cast down
• Therefore overcoming Satan is possible and
  certain because of the power of the blood, v11
• Let us be warned, however, because he will
  exercise his fury against the church all the more
  knowing that his time for mischief is short

17
THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON IN CONFLICT

• V 14-17

18
VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS

• Futurists interpret this passage literally
  claiming that during the tribulation the Jews
  will be given a place of refuge outside Jerusalem
  in the wilderness
• As the woman and the dragon are symbols I would
  argue that this wilderness should also be symbolic

19
THE WILDERNESS

• The wings of the eagle represents the protection
  of the Lord, Exodus 194
• The wilderness is a place within the world yet is
  separated from the world. The churchs power is
  found in her separation
• The stream of water are the devices used by Satan
  to carry the church out of her separate position
  because then he can destroy her
• Ultimately he will fail and the church will
  triumph