In Revelation 12:1-6, there are three significant symbols . The first symbol is in v.1 "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve (12) stars on her head." This woman is obviously the nation of Israel (See Genesis 37:9-11). The second symbol is in v.2 "She (the woman/Israel) was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth (pregnant with "the Seed of woman or with the first prophecy in the Bible, Genesis 3:15). This refers to Jesus Christ "...the male child who will rule all nations with an iron scepter..." The third symbol is found in v.3. "Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its head." This is Satan, the serpent in Genesis 3. Verses 4&5 reveal that the serpent tried to kill the male child(Jesus) before He could fulfill His mission. But Satan failed. Jesus laid down His life on the cross for the sins of mankind; He was raised from the dead, conquering death, hell and the grave for man; and then He ascended back into the glory of Heaven from the Mount of Olives(Acts 1:9-11).
This brings us to verse 6: "The woman(the nation of Israel) fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she will be taken care of for 1,260 days. It is this prophetic scripture concerning the woman(Israel) and the red dragon(Satan), at the time of the end, that we will focus on now as to how it pertains to "the Abomination of Desolation" (the 1,260 days). Let's begin with the seven-headed dragon with the seven crowns and ten horns on its head. The seven heads with the seven crowns represent the seven world empires through whom Satan has worked and will work in his attempt to destroy the woman(Israel). The first six of these empires have already come and gone. They are in order, 1. Egypt, 2. Assyria, 3. Babylon, 4. Medo-Persia, 5. Greece, and 6. Rome. Satan used each of these empires in his attempt to destroy the Jews. That is both Biblical and historical fact. That leaves one more head of the dragon, one more empire that the devil will work through in his attempt to annihilate the Jews. This will be the empire of the Antichrist, the man of sin and lawlessness. Satan will work through him to form the last world empire in his attempt to defeat God and His plan. Revelation 17:12 says that "The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast." Every time the word "beast" is used in the Book of the Revelation it refers to the Antichrist. The only exception is when it refers to the false prophet. This is so the believer will know that the false prophet, in spite of his deception, is also of the Antichrist. Verse 13 says "They( the ten kings) have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast(Antichrist). The "one hour" of v.12 refers to a short period of time, likely just a few years.
Now back to the 1,260 days of v.6. This time period is also referred to as 42 months ( Revelation 11:2) and three and one half years (Daniel7:25). God is making it clear that this time period is a literal time period and is not to be spiritualized! The 1,260 days is also "the great tribulation period." It is the last 3 1/2 years of the final seven years of this present age that will give way to the Millennial reign of Christ. It will be Satan's final attempt to annihilate Israel and defeat God. Listen to how Jeremiah describes it in Jeremiah 30:7 "How awful that day will be. No other will be like it. It will be the time of Jacobs/Israels trouble, but he will be saved out of it." Daniel 12:1-2 defines the 1260 days this way, "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people(Israel) will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then . But at that time your people(Israel), everyone found written in the book will be delivered." And Jesus spoke of the 1,260 days in Matthew 24:15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination of desolation' spoken of by Daniel the prophet let the reader understand." ( See Daniel 9:27) Jesus also said this about this time period in Matthew 24:21 For then (during the 1260 days; the last three and one half years of the Great Tribulation) there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now and never will be equaled again." In the middle of the seven year peace treaty made by the Antichrist with Israel, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering, and at the Temple(the rebuilt Jewish temple) he will set up the 'abomination of desolation' until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. He will declare himself to be God and will demand to be worshipped!
God spoke through Jeremiah, Daniel and His Son to tell us that Satan's final attempt to annihilate the Jews and defeat God will be the most horrific 1,260 days ever known on the earth! This means that Israel's most difficult days are not the holocaust but instead will be the suffering that is yet to come--the "time of Jacob's trouble"-the Great Tribulation-the time that begins with the 'abomination of desolation' at the hands of the Antichrist when he declares himself to be God and so breaks his seven year covenant with the Jews!
However, it will be at the conclusion of these days that the remnant of Jews will be saved as they turn their hearts to Jesus as their Messiah(Romans 11:25-27). Listen to these amazing words in Zechariah 12:10 "I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They (the Jews) will look on me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him(Jesus) as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one who grieves for a first born son."
Let me conclude today with these thoughts. Iran is developing a nuclear weapon and it is pointed at Israel; the Arab uprising in the Middle East is uniting all of Islam against Israel; the foundational peace agreement signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979 was broken just recently when for the first time in 30 years Israel's embassy in Egypt was attacked; just a couple of weeks ago Turkey--the long time "friend" of Israel expelled Israel's ambassador and cut off trade over the flotilla incident that happened in the waters off of Gaza just a little over a year ago; and just last week the Palestinians applied for statehood at the United Nations--a statehood that is to be had at Israel's expense! What am I saying? I am saying that the "time of Jacob's/Israel's trouble" may be closer than we think! So what are we to do? We as the Church are to love, support and pray for Israel. Now is the time for the Last Day Church to allow God to prepare them to be the "Corrie Ten Boom," "the Hiding Place" "the place prepared in the wilderness" by God to take care of Israel when they need us; to take care of "the least of these"(Matthew 25) when the worst antisemitism that has ever been is launched by the Antichrist when the "abomination of desolation" begins. God's heart is turning to Israel once again. Will you allow your heart to become one with His? Will you also turn your heart to Israel in these Last Days? To do so is to put yourself in the center of God's perfect will. It is to "seek first the Kingdom." And the result will be that all that you need will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Shalom (Gen.12:1-3)
This brings us to verse 6: "The woman(the nation of Israel) fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she will be taken care of for 1,260 days. It is this prophetic scripture concerning the woman(Israel) and the red dragon(Satan), at the time of the end, that we will focus on now as to how it pertains to "the Abomination of Desolation" (the 1,260 days). Let's begin with the seven-headed dragon with the seven crowns and ten horns on its head. The seven heads with the seven crowns represent the seven world empires through whom Satan has worked and will work in his attempt to destroy the woman(Israel). The first six of these empires have already come and gone. They are in order, 1. Egypt, 2. Assyria, 3. Babylon, 4. Medo-Persia, 5. Greece, and 6. Rome. Satan used each of these empires in his attempt to destroy the Jews. That is both Biblical and historical fact. That leaves one more head of the dragon, one more empire that the devil will work through in his attempt to annihilate the Jews. This will be the empire of the Antichrist, the man of sin and lawlessness. Satan will work through him to form the last world empire in his attempt to defeat God and His plan. Revelation 17:12 says that "The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast." Every time the word "beast" is used in the Book of the Revelation it refers to the Antichrist. The only exception is when it refers to the false prophet. This is so the believer will know that the false prophet, in spite of his deception, is also of the Antichrist. Verse 13 says "They( the ten kings) have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast(Antichrist). The "one hour" of v.12 refers to a short period of time, likely just a few years.
Now back to the 1,260 days of v.6. This time period is also referred to as 42 months ( Revelation 11:2) and three and one half years (Daniel7:25). God is making it clear that this time period is a literal time period and is not to be spiritualized! The 1,260 days is also "the great tribulation period." It is the last 3 1/2 years of the final seven years of this present age that will give way to the Millennial reign of Christ. It will be Satan's final attempt to annihilate Israel and defeat God. Listen to how Jeremiah describes it in Jeremiah 30:7 "How awful that day will be. No other will be like it. It will be the time of Jacobs/Israels trouble, but he will be saved out of it." Daniel 12:1-2 defines the 1260 days this way, "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people(Israel) will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then . But at that time your people(Israel), everyone found written in the book will be delivered." And Jesus spoke of the 1,260 days in Matthew 24:15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination of desolation' spoken of by Daniel the prophet let the reader understand." ( See Daniel 9:27) Jesus also said this about this time period in Matthew 24:21 For then (during the 1260 days; the last three and one half years of the Great Tribulation) there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now and never will be equaled again." In the middle of the seven year peace treaty made by the Antichrist with Israel, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering, and at the Temple(the rebuilt Jewish temple) he will set up the 'abomination of desolation' until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. He will declare himself to be God and will demand to be worshipped!
God spoke through Jeremiah, Daniel and His Son to tell us that Satan's final attempt to annihilate the Jews and defeat God will be the most horrific 1,260 days ever known on the earth! This means that Israel's most difficult days are not the holocaust but instead will be the suffering that is yet to come--the "time of Jacob's trouble"-the Great Tribulation-the time that begins with the 'abomination of desolation' at the hands of the Antichrist when he declares himself to be God and so breaks his seven year covenant with the Jews!
However, it will be at the conclusion of these days that the remnant of Jews will be saved as they turn their hearts to Jesus as their Messiah(Romans 11:25-27). Listen to these amazing words in Zechariah 12:10 "I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They (the Jews) will look on me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him(Jesus) as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one who grieves for a first born son."
Let me conclude today with these thoughts. Iran is developing a nuclear weapon and it is pointed at Israel; the Arab uprising in the Middle East is uniting all of Islam against Israel; the foundational peace agreement signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979 was broken just recently when for the first time in 30 years Israel's embassy in Egypt was attacked; just a couple of weeks ago Turkey--the long time "friend" of Israel expelled Israel's ambassador and cut off trade over the flotilla incident that happened in the waters off of Gaza just a little over a year ago; and just last week the Palestinians applied for statehood at the United Nations--a statehood that is to be had at Israel's expense! What am I saying? I am saying that the "time of Jacob's/Israel's trouble" may be closer than we think! So what are we to do? We as the Church are to love, support and pray for Israel. Now is the time for the Last Day Church to allow God to prepare them to be the "Corrie Ten Boom," "the Hiding Place" "the place prepared in the wilderness" by God to take care of Israel when they need us; to take care of "the least of these"(Matthew 25) when the worst antisemitism that has ever been is launched by the Antichrist when the "abomination of desolation" begins. God's heart is turning to Israel once again. Will you allow your heart to become one with His? Will you also turn your heart to Israel in these Last Days? To do so is to put yourself in the center of God's perfect will. It is to "seek first the Kingdom." And the result will be that all that you need will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Shalom (Gen.12:1-3)
No comments:
Post a Comment