“Apocalyptic literature is a special kind of writing that arose among Jews and Christians to reveal certain mysteries about heaven and earth, humanity and God, angels and demons, the life of the world today, and the world to come.”

Apocalyptic literature “reveals” these mysteries

through the use of

visions and highly

symbolic language.

Our Guiding Principle

Don’t miss the forest for the trees! Let’s not get lost in the

details and therefore miss the message Jesus has for us!

Chp. 1 Chp. 2-3 Chps. 4-22

“Things

which

you have

seen”

“Things

which

are”

“Things which will take place”

Vision of Christ Vision of Consummation

Theophany Talks Tribulations Triumph Together!

Revelation 12

Two great signs Two ferocious wars One very certain outcome

(vv. 1-6)

Revelation 12:1-2A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:3-4aThen another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:4b-5The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:6The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Two great signs (vv. 1-6)

- A pregnant woman

Revelation 12:1-2

A great and wondrous sign appeared in

heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:5

She gave birth to a son, a male child,

who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.

Revelation 19:15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:5

She gave birth to a son, a male child, who

will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.

Signs and Wars

Ephesians 1:18-20That you may know . . . what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.

Signs and Wars

Two great signs (vv. 1-6)

- A pregnant woman (Israel)

- A hideous dragon

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Revelation 12:3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an

enormous red dragon with seven

heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 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.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.

Signs and Wars

1 John 5:19We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Two great signs (vv. 1-6)

- A pregnant woman (Israel)

- A hideous dragon (Satan)

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Two great signs (vv. 1-6) Two ferocious wars (vv. 7-17)

- War #1 – occurs in heaven

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Revelation 12:7-8Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:9And 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.

Signs and Wars

Who is this “Michael?”

Signs and Wars

Daniel 12:1 – “The great prince”Daniel 10:13 – “One of the chief

princes”Daniel 10:21 – “Your prince”Jude 1:9 – “The Archangel”

Satan has access to heaven?

Job 1:6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:10And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of

his Christ have come, for the accuser of

our brothers has been thrown down, who

accuses them day and night before our

God.

Signs and Wars

Two great signs (vv. 1-6) Two ferocious wars (vv. 7-17)

- War #1 – occurs in heaven- War #2 – occurs on earth

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Satan’s 3 targets in the war on earth:1. The male child (Christ)

Revelation 12:4bAnd the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when

she bore her child he might devour it.

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Satan’s 3 targets in the war on earth:1. The male child (Christ)2. The woman (Israel)

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Revelation 12:13And 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.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:14But 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.

Signs and Wars

Exodus 19:6You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:15The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep

her away with a flood.

Signs and Wars

June 22, 1972

Revelation 12:15-16The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep

her away with a flood. 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.

Signs and Wars

Satan’s 3 targets in the war on earth1. The male child (Christ)2. The woman (Israel)3. All followers of the true God

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Revelation 12:17Then 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.

Signs and Wars

Sealing 144,000 Jews

Saving a multitude of Gentiles

As we look in the rearview mirror at Revelation 7 – we see God . . .

Two great signs (vv. 1-6) Two ferocious wars (vv. 7-17) One very certain outcome!

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

Revelation 12:12Therefore, 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!

Signs and Wars

Revelation 12:11And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Signs and Wars

Colossians 2:13-15And you, who were dead in your trespasses . . . God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Signs and Wars

Two great signs (vv. 1-6) Two ferocious wars (vv. 7-17) One very certain outcome!

Revelation 12(Signs and Wars)

1. Don’t underestimate the Enemy of your soul!

1 Peter 5:8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

2. We should expect persecution … if we are living for Jesus Christ!

2 Timothy 3:12Indeed, all who desire to live a godly

life in Christ Jesus will be

persecuted.

John 15:18-19If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

John 15:20Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they

will also persecute you.

2. We should expect persecution … if we are living for Jesus Christ!