We are still examining Rev. 12 to see if what we are shown is a past event (Jesus’ ascension) or something in our near future. We see that this particular dragon is poised for action. It wants to devour the Woman’s Child as soon as it is born.
      She does indeed bear a male Child. That word is capitalized because of what the rest of the sentence tells us. This Child was born to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Sound familiar? It should because this phrase is one of the promises Jesus said His Church would likewise inherit as His Body. This Child is the Body of Jesus, the completed Church united as one at His second coming.
      This in no ordinary birth. We know this because of another peculiar phrase recorded in this vision. In verse 2 we see the Woman (Israel) crying out in labor and in pain to give birth. These are the final transitional labor pains that bring forth the actual birth.  Why include this very obvious aspect of any birth here in this vision of the time of the end?
          Hopefully, you now know the answer. It is because we are meant to make the Spirit-inspired connections. The wording is meant to take us to the cross-reference of Isaiah 66:7-8, where we find the same woman (Israel) about to give birth to a male child. Only here she is in labor and the child is birthed, but there is no pain. No wonder the prophet asks who has ever heard or seen such a thing?
           End-Time Lesson: We are meant to see this comparison to help us identify the time frame here in Rev. 12. The birth in Isaiah foresaw Jesus’ first coming, when Jesus was born  into this world as a baby out of the tribe of Judah. He came to bring a new and better covenant, cut between the perfect man (Jesus) and the perfect God, as opposed to the old covenant cut between God and the rebellious Jewish nation.
         When Israel missed its visitation, their temple was destroyed, and the Jewish people were scattered across the nations.  As a result, Daniel’s timely 70 Weeks prophecy concerning Israel’s future was put on hold. Jesus told them that they would not see Him again until they say, “blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’’ (Mt. 23:39).
          Here in Rev. 12 John shows us the woman (Israel) about to give birth, but this time she is in great pain. She has just suffered a huge loss from the Dragon’s initial invasion. He is dead set on devouring the nation.
           But something just as astounding happens at this second birth. Her Child is caught up to God and His throne in Heaven! The Greek word for being caught up here is harpazo, which describes a catching away to safety in the nick of time, at the appointed time. In short, what we are seeing here is another view of the rapture. Incidentally, this Greek word is never used in the context of Christ’s ascension.
          So what happens to the Woman? The remnant of Israel, those who survived the invasion flee into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God. They finally receive Jesus as the Messiah for they see Him go up and they see Him deliver them from the Antichrist’s armies. This is when they make their “blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” confession of faith. So they are born again.
         In her prepared place she is feed and protected for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Can you guess how long 1,260 days equals? Yes, 3½ years! So even as the Body of Christ has arisen to our prepared place in Heaven to be seated as the heavenly government, Israel goes to her prepared place on the earth. Stay tuned to see her next assignment.
         The bottom line is this: Did we see all this when Jesus ascended? Absolutely not. So we must conclude that we are not seeing a past event but an event in our near future.   

      We have just finished the first half of the Revelation. It brought us up to speed as to what happened in Heaven after Jesus’ resurrection and into our own time. It also gave us  an overview of what is in our near future—the “time of the end.”
     In ancient literature, the middle of a written piece often highlighted the key point of the writing. So it should not surprise us that Rev. 12 is a pivotal piece of the end-time picture. As such, we need to be very certain of what it contains. As in the Exodus, we need to follow the leading of the Spirit. In effect, the pillar of cloud has not moved on, so we will linger here for a bit to make sure we see everything the Spirit has to show us.
         Before we tackle the contents of this chapter, we need to identify what it is depicting. In the confusing concoction of our man-made end-time views, many assert that this chapter abruptly changes course back to a past event—namely Christ’s ascension. You may recall that we already saw this in chapter 5.
      Yet when we make the necessary Spirit-inspired scriptural connections, what we see here doesn’t match that view. In short, what we need to determine is if the events described here are past events or events in our near future. If the events recorded here deal with what is to come, then this cannot be showing us Jesus’ ascension that is in our long-ago past.
           The chapter opens with a couple of signs in heaven. The first is a great sign of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Why is John seeing this? The figurative language points us back to the same description seen in Gen. 37:9. Joseph, one of Jacob’s 12 sons, has seen a vision and shares it with his brothers. It is of a woman with the same sun, moon and stars imagery. He informs them that it means they will bow down and worship him some day. Needless to say, this didn’t go over well with the brothers, even though it did turn out to be true.
         The woman in Joseph’s dream symbolized the nation of Israel that would come forth through Jacob’s lineage. We are meant to see that the woman giving birth here in Rev. 12 is likewise the nation of Israel. But is it showing Israel’s past or her future? The answer is in the second sign that is seen in heaven.
            It is a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns. Its red color tells us it is blood-thirsty. It’s tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. What or who are the stars? We must stay with the context. They are the same stars of the first sign, the nation of Israel. You may remember that when God called Abraham to be the father of this nation, He told the man to look to the heavens and see all the stars in order to get a vision of how great the nation would become.
           We already know that the dragon symbolizes Satan, the power behind the counterfeit kingdom trying to establish it’s counterfeit one-world order on the earth. The fact that this dragon has seven heads and ten horns tells us that it is the final manifestation of the Gentile oppressors who have sought to destroy Israel.
           It was vividly portrayed in another prophetic vision in Daniel 2, which is commonly identified as the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It portrayed the various Gentile empires that have come against Israel throughout history. The fact that the vision in Rev. 12 depicts seven heads and ten horns tells us we are at the bottom of the historical statue—the feet with ten toes. Since we have not yet seen this specific final manifestation of the Beast yet, we have our first indication that we are seeing a future event and not something from the past (as with Jesus’ ascension).
         End-Time Lesson: We know from the many Old Testament prophecies that Israel will suffer a huge invasion as the Day of the Lord comes (the 7th and last Day, also known as the Day of the Lord). So what we are seeing here is this initial swift invasion that kills one-third of the stars (people), when Israel thinks it is dwelling in peace and safety (1 Thess. 5:3).
           We’ve already seen from the signs of this current age reviewed in the first part of the Revelation that the final sign that signals Christ’s return is total darkness over the whole earth. This darkness has two impacts. The first is that it shall halt this sudden invasion in its tracks. The second is that it signals our Lord’s second coming. It is when the heavenly realm is scrolled back and the whole worlds sees Him coming to gather His Body at the rapture and take us back to Father’s House in the 3rd Heaven. We’ll see the effect of this later in this same chapter.

      When the 7th and final trumpet sounds (with the 3rd woe) we hear loud voices in heaven. They are the high praises of God in the mouth of the heavenly court—Christ and His Body. It is the two-edged sword of their declarations (Ps. 149:6). This high praise of God and the declaration of His plan of redemption announce the beginning of the end of the cosmic battle between God and evil.  “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11:15-16).
        No wonder the 24 elders who represent the Old Testament saints fall on their faces in worship. They sing a song of praise unto God and unto Jesus for the Day of Judgment has come. To punctuate this pivotal point, the people on earth see and hear an astounding, earth-shattering scene. “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail” (emphasis added).
        Whether or not the hard-hearted nations and tribes of the world fully understand the significance of what they are seeing is hard to say. But the sounds they hear had to shake them—literally and emotionally.
        But the real purpose of this heavenly revelation is for the Jews. When they saw Jesus coming again to gather His Church as this Day dawned, our resurrection triggered the remnant’s acceptance of the Messiah. It triggered their 3rd Day revival as prophesied in Hosea 6:1-3.
        As this final Day unfolds, they shall behold for the first time the heavenly Ark of God’s Covenant from the Holy of Holies, for they are no longer separated from it. They have been made holy by the blood of the Lamb, receiving forgiveness, righteousness, and sanctification.
        Because they did not receive this by faith when Jesus came the first time and throughout this present age, they miss out on being part of the Church, the ruling government of heaven. Yet they still receive the blessing of adoption, being made part of the family of the redeemed.
       Even though they also miss out on being delivered from the wrath of this Day, the astounding view of the heavenly temple and the Ark of the Covenant with the mercy seat must bring such great assurance of God’s promises to them as a nation, no matter what is to come. It will affirm that they are in Christ and shall be resurrected as well at the final great white throne judgment, also known as the final harvest.
      End-Time Lesson: Rom. 11:25-27 describes the mystery of blindness that came to the Jews because they chose to reject Jesus. But verse 29 reminds us that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Even though the natural branch (Israel) has been temporarily cut off from the Vine/Branch (Jesus Christ) and the Gentiles have been grafted into Him, there is coming a time when the natural branch shall be grafted back into the tree. John is about to reveal it to us.
         The prophet Micah prophesied about this pivotal shift in God’s plan of redemption. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. “Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this shall be peace” [emphasis added; you will see why shortly].
        This portion of the Revelation vision clears up another crooked place in the end-time pathway, where the path leads off in two opposite directions, each of which circles back to the same place, with no forward progress being made. One path asserts that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s sight (“replacement theology”), despite what the prophets foretold. The other path asserts that the Church must support Israel no matter what, even when the Jewish nation seeks to rebuild their temple—a temple that God views as an abomination (a terrible slap in His face).
       Why? Heb.10:29 gives us the answer. The reinstitution of the sacrifices in the rebuilt temple in effect tramples the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which mankind was sanctified a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace.
          The mystery of blindness reminds us not to think more highly of ourselves just because we were grafted in through Christ. How can we when we know we are forgiven and counted righteous ONLY because of Jesus’ shed blood. But at the appointed time something astounding shall happen. As Micah proclaimed, it shall happen at the time of the end when she who is in labor has given birth. No surprise here, this is exactly what John sees next in the Revelation. Stay tuned! 

      Now that we know from Daniel what the crucial flashpoint is in Chapter 11, we can understand what is about to take place. The angel informs us that the Gentile oppressors surrounding Israel will make war against her that will last 42 months (which just so happens to be 3½ years).
       In response, God sends an astounding confirmation of His will to the nations. It is two witnesses who shall prophecy in Jerusalem 1,260 days, which likewise happens to equal 42 months and 3½ years. The two witnesses are generally identified by scholars as Moses and Elijah, for they represent the 2 distinguishing feature of the law and the prophets. They also miraculously appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus (Mt. 17:1-9). The miracles these two perform during this time are the same as what Moses and Elijah did during their Old Covenant ministries. They are described as two olive trees and two lampstands—representing the anointing and the light of revelation.
        But that is not the only encore performance that is seen. When their ministry is complete, they are killed. The Beast here refers to the spiritual counterfeit trinity of the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the Dragon (Satan). Satan, who is the power behind this ungodly Beast, seeks to erect is own one-world order.
         End-Time Lesson: What happens next cements the point of why God must avenge evil on the earth. The people from all the tribes, tongues, and nations will see the witnesses murdered and their dead bodies lying in the street for 3 regular earthly days. The people rejoice over this, celebrating and sending gifts to one another. Why? “Because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 11:10). How did they torment them? By warning them of what was to come.
         Did this torment bring painful stings and bloodshed like that of Satan’s forces (Rev. 9)? No, the torment of the two witnesses consisted of telling the people the truth that God Almighty reigns. And if the people continue to reject Him, God’s perfect justice shall be served. He shall destroy those who seek to destroy the earth (Rev. 11:18).
        God’s truth always prevails. So in the midst of this hedonistic celebration, God brings yet another encore performance. This time He resurrects the two witnesses after three days. All the people see them rising up to Heaven in clouds of glory, just as they saw Jesus raised up as His resurrection and saw His  Church raise up in resurrection as this last Day dawned.
      John brings us back to the unfolding revelation with this announcement: “The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly” (v. 14).
           Before we leave this chapter, however, we need to see one more important detail—where is all this happening? In what city? Verse 2 tells us it is the holy city (Jerusalem), confirmed by the fact that this is where the Temple is rebuilt. Verse 8 tells us that this  city is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. In case we’re tempted to think this can’t be Jerusalem because of this spiritual condition, it is also described as the place where Jesus was crucified—Jerusalem. Stay tuned to find out why this is important.