General Note: Under the symbols of a great red dragon, a leopard beast, and a beast with lamb-like horns, are represented the powers especially engaged in warfare against God’s people.
Their war is carried forward till the close of time, till only a remnant are left. That we live in the time when the final struggle is to take place, and the remnant be developed, and the long drawn-out controversy is to be finished, makes these studies of special interest. Note throughout these studies, that out of the darkest hour in the history of the world, there will be a glorious deliverance of the remnant. Then in the Book of Revelation is spread out a panoramic view of Paradise restored, and the weary, worn, and faithful children of the Most High, of every age and land, safe at home in the earth made new.
A Prophetic Outline of the Church till the End
Questions
1. A) What did the prophet behold in heaven?
B) With what was the woman clothed?
C) What was under her feet?
D) What was upon her head?
Revelation 12:1 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:
2. What does a woman symbolize in the Bible?
Jeremiah 6:2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.
Note: The apostolic church is here introduced, and its history briefly outlined till the end. The glory of the Gospel, as revealed in the types and shadows, which was the old covenant is (the moon), being in the past, she was clothed with greater Gospel light (the sun) which is the new covenant, and fully organized and filled with power; she went forth “conquering and to conquer.”
3. What was born unto the church?
Revelation 12:2, 5 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 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.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
4. How highly has He been exalted?
Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
5. A) What else was shown the prophet in vision?
B) How is the wonder described?
Revelation 12:3 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.
6. Who is this dragon?
Revelation 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.
Note: Satan is symbolized by the dragon, as shown in Revelation 12:9. At the time of which the prophet is speaking he worked through Rome in it’s pagan form.
7. What work did he attempt to do?
Revelation 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.
8. A) What more did the prophet behold?
B) Who were engaged in the terrible contest?
Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
9. Who prevailed?
Revelation 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
10. Who is Michael?
Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
John 5:26–29 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Genesis 48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
Note: Some will argue that Jesus is not Michael the Archangel because this would make Him a created being. But that is not a Biblical foundation. What we want here is to see what the Bible actually says. And what does it say on this issue? So what does this mean for us? Is Jesus created as some would argue based on Revelation 3:14? Answer: NO! Jesus is called God in Hebrews 1:8. The debate comes from a misunderstanding of two (2) words, (1st) angel, and second (2nd) Beginning.
Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginningof the creation of God;
Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Lets start with the word “angel”, what is the original word and what does it mean? It comes from the Hebrew word מַלאָךְ mal’ak (mal-awk’), and it means an ambassador, angel, king or messenger. So now lets see how else this word is used. In Genesis 32:3 it reads “And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.” Now the word messengers is the very same word “mal’ak”. This means that anyone that delivers a message is a “mal’ak”. Then we could read that Jacob said “the messenger which redeemed me from all evil”. Jesus is the ultimate Messenger from God the Father!
Now let us look at the word “beginning” in Revelation 3:14. First let us always start by looking at the original word. And it was the Greek word ἀρχή arche (ar-chee’), and it means; beginning, corner, first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule. Now what this means is that we should read that He is the “Magistrate, Governor or Ruler” of the creation of God. This is a far better translation of the original word, because Jesus was the instrument by which God made all things so Jesus is not only “not a created being” but “without Him was not anything made that was made” John 1:1-4. In short Jesus is the Creator and not the created, and the Ruler over the Father’s Kingdom! There is therefore no problem with calling Jesus a messenger.
Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning (Ruler) of the creation of God;
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
11. Through the victory of Christ, what is made possible for His people?
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Note: When Satan overcame Adam, he became the prince of this world John 14:30, and took Adam’s place in the heavenly council as a representative from this world. Job1:6-12. His relentless persecution of Christ revealed his true character to the universe, and, when Jesus died on the cross, he was again cast out. He lost his place in the council of heaven, and the second Adam’ now appears there instead. From Revelation 12:4 it seems that about one-third of the angels sympathized with him, and were cast out of heaven with Lucifer. By a comparison of this statement with the unnumbered host that remains faithful Revelation 5:11, we can gain some idea concerning the number of fallen angels with which the church must cope.
John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Job 1:6-12 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 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. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Revelation 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.
Revelation 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12. Having failed to overcome Christ, against what did Satan especially direct his hatred?
Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Note: Satan and his angels in there bitter hatred against God’s government and those keep all of His commandments, are now waring against the followers of Jesus, because they signally failed to prevail against Him Who sacrificed everything, even unto death. Therefore all their power is now directed toward anyone who dares to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and sacrifice this world along with all its glory and pleasure for an eternal crown that will never fade. Satan and his fallen host are now compared to a pride of lions hunting God’s children with the same bitter hatred and envy with which they attacked the Son of God when He walked this earth as the humble Prophet from Nazareth.
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
13. What experience came to the church?
Revelation 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
14. During what period of time was the church in its wilderness experience?
Revelation 12:6, 14 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Note: The 1260 years of papal supremacy as, a persecuting power are here brought to view, beginning in A. D. 538, and ending in A. D. 1798. The true church was indeed in the wilderness during this time. That church which, during all the Dark Ages, trumpeted her lordly commands into the ears of listening Christendom, and flaunted her her proud and haughty banners before deceived crowds, was not the church of Christ; but rather it was the body of the mystery of iniquity and the synagogue of Satan.
Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
15. A) Who helped the church?
B) How was this done?
Revelation 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Note: The Reformation of the sixteenth century began its work. God raised up the noble Luther and his co-laborers to expose the true character of the Papacy, and break the power with which superstition had enslaved the minds of the people.
16. A) Will Satan continue his warfare till the end?
B) What is a remnant?
C) How will it be distinguished?
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
17. How is the “testimony of Jesus” defined?
Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
18. If the last days are here, must not the remnant church be here also?
Note: The remnant church is distinguished by three things:(1) They are a persecuted people; Revelation 12:17 (2) they keep the commandments of God; Revelation 12:17 (3) they have the testimony of Jesus Christ which is the Spirit of prophecy Revelation 19:10. We can not consistently believe that the end is near and the remnant church now doing its work in the earth, unless we believe that there is a church which has all these characteristics.
Revelation 12:17, 19:10 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
19. Does Satan know when the end is near?
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Do you know that the end is near?
20. What is one way that Satan attacks the church?
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Note: Satan is constantly encouraging unbelief. He notes the mistakes and failings of Christ’s professed followers, and taunts the angels of God with them. He is an accuser of the brethren Revelation 12:10, and he will influence as many as possible to do the same work. Those who take it upon themselves to watch their neighbor’s garden, instead of weeding their own plot of ground, will surely find their own gardens so grown up to weeds that every precious plant will be crowded out.
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
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