great wonder great red dragon (Rev 12:1-5) And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman...

The Tribulation

THE WORK AND

MINISTRY OF THE ANTICHRIST

SATAN IS

KICKED OUT

(Rev 12:1-5) And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she

being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared

another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten

horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of

heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as

soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto

God, and to his throne.

I. Recognizing the Players

Who is this Woman?

(Rev 12:1-2) And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed

with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her

head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with

child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

(Gen 37:9-10) And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his

brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and,

behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made

obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and

said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I

and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down

ourselves to thee to the earth?

(Rom 9:4-5) Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh

Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

B. Who is this Red dragon?

(Rev 12:3-4) And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and

behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and

seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the

stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her

child as soon as it was born.

(Rev 12:9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,

called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was

cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

NOTES

He is RED!

He is a Dragon!

He has 7 heads!

He has 7 crowns! (kingdoms)

7 CROWNS

OF SATAN

1.Nimrod –Babel2.Pharaoh - Egypt 3.Sennacherib –Assyria4.Nebuchadnezzar – Babylon5.Darius- Medo-Persian6.Alexander the Great –

Greece7.Caesar Augustus- Rome

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

C. Who is this child?

(Rev 12:5) And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God,

and to his throne.

NOTES

“she brought forth” is reference to his 1st coming of Christ in which he fulfill his office of a Prophet

A prophet was a person that went to man on behalf of God

(Heb 1:1-2) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past

unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his

Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

(Act 3:22-23) For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A

prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your

brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things

whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to

pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from

among the people.

NOTES

The phrase “rule with a rod of Iron is no doubt a reference to the office of King which Jesus will hold for 1000 years in the Kingdom of heaven.

(Psa 2:7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou

art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

(Psa 2:8) Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost

parts of the earth for thy possession.

(Psa 2:9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt

dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

(Rev 19:15) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the

winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

NOTES

“Caught up to God” is a reference to the office of Priest which he has fulfilled since he ascended to the father

Priest is a person that gores to God on behalf of man

(Heb 10:11-13) And every priest standeth daily

ministering and offering oftentimes the same

sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this

man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat

down on the right hand of God; From henceforth

expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

(Heb 7:24) But this man, because he continueth ever,

hath an unchangeable priesthood.

(Heb 7:25) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth

to make intercession for them.

(Rev 12:4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them

to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to

devour her child as soon as it was born.

NOTES

Remember that God foretold in Gen. 3:15 that he was sending a seed of the woman (Israel) to crush the head of the serpent (Satan)

Therefore Satan attached the seed through out the history of Israel. He never new when and where that seed would be born…

(Mat 2:1-3) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of

Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came

wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his

star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod

the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and

all Jerusalem with him.

(Mat 2:7) Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise

men, enquired of them diligently what time the star

appeared.

(Mat 2:8) And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me

word again, that I may come and worship him also.

(Mat 2:11-14) And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with

Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened

their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And

being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And

when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

(Mat 2:16) Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding

wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the

coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to

the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise

men.

(Rev 12:4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them

to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to

devour her child as soon as it was born.

NOTES

This a verse that is directly referring to the coming Messiah

But it is very familiar to the same process of the Christian life

(1Pe 5:8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your

adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,

seeking whom he may devour:

(1Jn 2:13) I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is

from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have

overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have

known the Father.

(1Jn 2:14) I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him

that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God

abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

II. Reviewing the Process

(Rev 12:2) And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be

delivered.

NOTES

We would all agree that verse 2 is not referring to single event in the history of Israel, but is referring to a process that started in Gen: 3:15 through Abraham, to David to etc, to Mary and Joseph.

Therefore when we look at verse 4 when realize that the Holy Spirit is writing about the whole process, not some event that will happen in the future

(Rev 12:4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood

before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as

soon as it was born.

NOTES

Angels are referred to a stars at times in the scriptures

(Rev 1:20) The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right

hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest

are the seven churches.

(Rev 9:1) And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto

the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

(Gen 37:9-10) And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his

brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and,

behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made

obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and

said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I

and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down

ourselves to thee to the earth?

(Job 38:4-7) Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the

earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?

or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the

foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God

shouted for joy?

(Job 1:6) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the

LORD, and Satan came also among them.

(Job 1:7) And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou?

Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in

the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

(Jud 1:6) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he

hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the

judgment of the great day.

(2Pe 2:4) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to

be reserved unto judgment;

Mark 5:1-16