Revelation 12:13-17

As we consider the current global events happening in the world, we’ll see how the stage is being set to usher in the Tribulation Period. It may not happen now, but it certainly could happen soon as Israel, and many Christians across the world continue to be persecuted.

Revelation chapter 12, it is a chapter of warfare, a chapter of battle and it is talking about a future event and that future event is something that is not only yet coming but church, you know that it is something that is very, very graphic.
And even today, listen carefully. Even today, a sharp Bible student in tune with the with the word of God can already see signs that are forming, that speak of the age in which we’re studying in this tremendous chapter.
And again, we’ll conclude this chapter this morning with God’s help.
But we see now as we come to Revelation Chapter 12, you remember in the first six verses is that there was a war on earth.
There was this formation we know of the Bible speaks about as I right now paraphrase and put as a conglomerate.
The Old and New Testament together. The Bible tells us that the ancient Roman Empire that was never conquered.
By the way, it was not defeated, it was not beaten in war where it was officially declared conquered.
The Roman Empire simply fragmented, it became so huge, it became so unable to control once it was under the rule of the emperor, then it broke into the western and eastern flanks of the Roman Empire and the fragmentation of it just dispersed throughout the world officially.
According to historians, Rome has yet to be conquered. It’s never been beaten.
It’s a rule that just simply went away and in some ways it’s out of the minds of men.
But the Bible says that it’s going to be resurrected in the last days, it’s going to come back together and out of that resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, which you got to stop and ask yourself which you should is where was the ancient Roman Empire?
If you can answer that question by going globe in a couple of history books, you’ll be able to highlight it and circle it and you’ll be able to conclude where the ancient Rome Roman Empire was and where you have to be looking for the resurrection of that ancient Roman Empire.
I’ll give you a cue. Where is Rome today? Anybody just roam the city?
Is it in, is it in North America or in Europe? It’s in Europe.
The rise of the, what’s called the revised Roman Empire will come out of Europe.
Rome will be its base and the Bible makes that very clear.
It’s during that time as there will be an economy coming online, there will be a unification of those nations of Europe.
They affectionately call it in Europe, the US.
E it’s a little play, you know, acronym United States of America in Europe, they’ll say us e the United States of Europe, we know it today is the EU but it’s possible that out of the eu will arise, 10 predominant leaders.
The Bible speaks about that. Out of the 10 predominant leaders.
The Bible says, then there will be three predominant leaders just in many ways as it is today in the world, like many countries, you know, or like many situations in the world where you have a lot of leadership.
Uh there will be key leadership and the Bible speaks that this time will come and the Bible has never been wrong no matter what your opinion is, the Bible has never been wrong about that.
But as we look to the things of this chapter, you can easily become depressed as you look at these things even though they yet future.
And frankly, if you’re a Christian this morning, if you are a Christian this morning, listen, not by title. OK?
Not because you’re a card carrying member of the ba bap costs union of uh believers.
But what we look to you could look at this portion of scripture and become uh discouraged even though it really as a Christian, this has nothing to do with us regarding our timing and and I don’t want that to sound arrogant.
But by the time you come to Revelation Chapter 12, those of you today who would say I’m a Christian.
Um, you’ll have no business with this chapter.
You will not be on earth at this time when this comes.
So, you might be saying, well, pastor does that mean it’s 100 years away.
Well, it could be, but it also could be just, uh, seven years away as early as that.
We don’t know what it’s going to be, but we know this, that we’re starting to see the signs of the as semblance of the, of the characters needed to pull this off.
It’s already happening in the world around us as we march ever closer.
So this morning, I’m going to listen, run through the concluding verses of this chapter and then by God’s grace, we’re going to look this morning and as a church, what I think we need to hear about today and that is the hope from heaven.
Keep that in mind as we look at this, the hope from heaven. What do we know about?
Chapter 12? Number one, the woman is described, we know as Israel, it says in chapter 12 that she brings forth a son that was caught up to his throne into heaven.
We know now that that son is Jesus Christ. Israel brought forth Jesus Christ.
Then we see that introduced to us is this personality called the drag.
And we wonder who the dragon is.
But yet here in chapter 12, it says that the dragon is none other than Satan Lucifer, the devil.
That serpent of old. And the Bible speaks about a time that after the first half of the tribulation period is completed that seven year period of time, that 3.5 year segment that the last half is when Satan is cast to the earth where he’ll be among people.
I’m not speaking that he’ll appear in scary blood with his red underwear and pitch fork.
I’m not talking like that, but his infiltration and his sway of demonic and spiritual darkness upon the earth will be powerful.
But listen, everyone and you already know the answer to this. You really do.
It will be directed toward a certain nation.
The Bible says, and a certain group of people that history has shown us to keep an eye on.
You can’t deny it. There is no doubt and it is a fact that there is no race, there is no nation, there is no people or belief that has received more persecution on the planet of the earth than the Jewish people than the nation of Israel.
And what they hold to from the very beginnings of time.
And you need to ask yourself if you’re a skeptic this morning.
And I love a good skeptic because once a good skeptic is convinced of the facts, they become dynamic believers.
So be thinking skeptic who’s been most persecuted in human history, answer the Jew, what nation has been fought against and by the way, what territory, what piece of property can boast that their yard has experienced more wars than any other country on the planet.
Not only Israel but the Valley of Mado.
We know the name of Armageddon or we would say Armageddon, Armageddon, the greatest battlefield of the world historically and futuristically is found where right in Israel’s backyard.
That’s not a coincidence. It’s not a coincidence that Jerusalem is the holy, the most hotly contended piece of territory on the planet today.
Not a coincidence. It’s not a coincidence that anti Semitism that is unexplainable hatred against Jews is rising in the world and we’re not exempt from, uh I say we, the Christian church globally historically has not always been kind to the Jewish people.
There’s a lot of atrocities that have been done ignorantly by the so called Christian church against the Jews.
But the Bible says in Revelation 12, that Satan will come and he’ll have a vengeance.
He’ll have an anger against the Jewish nation and he will seek to destroy them.
We pick it up in verse 13 of chapter 12.
Now, when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who is Israel who gave birth to the male child, but the woman was given two great or two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished.
And here you go, you, you guys ought to know the answer to this what it means in the Hebrew thought for a time, times and a half a time, 3.5 years from the presence of the serpent.
So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood. Will you circle that like a flood?
That means it’s not a flood after the woman that she might be, that might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
But the earth opened up and helped the woman and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, angry, furious with Israel and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring.
You want to ask the question, who are they?
It’s those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ this morning.
I want to talk about what this passage really is speaking about though.
It seems horrifically dark and sinister and certainly that’s Satan’s intent.
It is the fact that there’s hope coming from heaven that the Bible says that in the last days before Christ could ever return to the second coming, that there must be a nation of Israel.
And listen, if you’re visiting for the first time, you’re at a disadvantage because for the last several weeks, we’ve been building the case from the Bible about who this woman is.
The Bible makes it clear that it is Israel says Isaiah, it’s Israel says Deuteronomy, it’s Israel Moses spoke of on and on.
It goes, Jesus talked about for the world to be in tune and be watching out for when you see the fig tree put forth its leaves, you know that summer is near and in the old Testament many times, Israel has been understood to be that of a victory.
And so as you study the word of God in its totality, you see that there’s a time coming that Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 against the nation of Israel.
It will be a time unprecedented in persecution that has never been prior.
Can you imagine think of world War II and Hitler unprecedented persecution such as the world has never seen nor ever shall be that time is yet coming.
The Bible talks about in this event that there will be hope though that will come from heaven.
I’m gonna ask you to jot this down if you would.
Uh Second Peter chapter one verse four, second Peter 14 says concerning Jesus our Lord, by which you have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these promises, you might be partakers of the divine hope or the divine nature.
Keep that in mind as we put together this hope for Israel and the same hope for us.
It is God, my friend and God alone who is faithful and he is ever present to help us.
And nothing is more clear in seeing his commitment to deliver than with the nation of Israel church.
Listen, if God has said his word to Israel and he’ll fulfill it, then he’s going to fulfill his word to you as he has spoken it because you know what the Bible says, the Bible itself says, there is nobody on the face of the earth that is least deserving of God’s goodness in the nation of Israel.
Did you know that? It says when God spoke to His people in the old Testament said, don’t think I’ve picked you because you are more bright and you’re more beautiful and you’re more obedient than any other nation in the world.
He said, I’ve chosen you because you are the most stubborn, the most difficult.
God said, I know that you’re like that. But does he forsake them? No, will he give up on them?
No. The book of Romans chapter nine and chapter 11 says that he has not given up on them, but he has for a time allowed them to go in their unbelief and disobedience for this present age that the gospel would be preached around the world that the gentiles would receive the grace of God.
That’s us. And we’re grateful. The Bible says that we’ve been grafted in to that vine grafted in as a wild branch.
We’ve been grafted into the vine and that vine originally, of course, is Christ.
But the source that comes out as we see the woman bringing forth this male child, Jesus Christ, Israel bringing forth Jesus, that promise was originally given to her Israel.
So God will not forsake Israel and you and I are living at a time of history.
Please listen where there are clear warnings.
We don’t have to trump them up or dream them up where God is announcing and has announced in his word.
I am swinging now the pendulum and my close examining, I back on the nation of Israel.
And we all received a wake up call on May 14th, 1948 when Israel became a nation.
Again the second time in one day, the Bible also says, concerning our hope and our comfort that we’re going to get to get into for a moment which Israel will know about wonderfully in that time, that time of great tribulation.
It says in Hebrews chapter four, beginning in verse 14, seeing then that we have this great high priest who has passed through the heavens that is Jesus from this earth up into heaven.
Jesus, the Son of God.
Let us hold fast our confession for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.
Aren’t you glad for that? But was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin?
He did not sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may be able to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Quickly. This my friend. If you look at these verses right here, this is what we see.
Verse 13 and 14. When the dragon saw that he had been cast to earth, he persecuted the woman persecuted Israel who had brought forth the male child.
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time, times and a half a time from the presence of the serpent.
Verses 13 and 14 teaches this that on the onslaught of any enemy, including Satan himself.
God has promised Israel a time of deliverance that she has never quite known before in recent times but is not foreign to her of ancient times.
There is a reason why, hey, remember when I told you, you need to read the Old Testament to understand the Book of Revelation in the book of Exodus.
And in the book of Deuteronomy, you have the answer as to what are these two great wings that will carry Israel away to safety.
God says in his word through his prophets of all through Moses.
He said, remember and have the people to remember that I led them forth out of Egypt and brought them into the promised land on the wings of a great eagle.
Now, did you ever read your Bible to see Israel riding on the back of a big eagle?
The answer is No, but who is he referring to regarding being the big eagle himself?
Isaiah 40 verse 31 tells us that uh if we walk and if we run, we will become tired, we will become weary.
But in the Lord, we need not ever be tired because it says that we will be uh renewing our strength that we will mount up.
It says as wings of eagles mean this is a promise given specifically though we and I think it’s a good thing to do.
We steal it from the promise of Israel. We can steal that promise God is not a respecter of persons.
He says, I will bear you up. That’s why. And I love this.
And this gives me, I don’t want to get like nut about it, but this gives me goose bumps sometimes when I think about it, look on your lap is open the Bible.
You might be sitting here this morning saying pastor, this is sleepy stuff. I mean, this is boring stuff.
This is like a story. Do you understand? Be careful because this will happen.
We’re not reading some sort of a fairy tale here. It will happen.
God so to speak, will swoop down at a time when the antichrist under the possession of Satan that European global leader, he will come against Israel with an anti Semitic hatred and God will rescue so many of his people, a remnant it says of the nation and God is faithful.
So this is not a story, it will really happen.
And he makes mention that’s why you need to need to know the Old Testament.
The clue is I rescued them in Egypt from, from Egypt of Old and I’m going to rescue them again from the attacks of the enemy.
God is faithful. He never changes and he can be dependent upon as we look at this.
Look with me in verses 15 to 16. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood.
Good Bible students. What do you know right now when you circle like a flood, what do we know?
We know this? It is not a flood of water. How do we know?
Because he would have said something different. He speaks. Now he’s announcing to us what I’m speaking to you.
There’s going to be this manifestation of something that is going to go after the after the woman in Israel.
It is going to be like a flood.
And we know from the context, it will be for what reason to destroy her?
It will come from the order of the serpent.
Now, is there going to be a literal serpent walking around the globe wearing a three piece suit? No.
What is he communicating to us that at the order of the antichrist which the Bible tells us is a human, is a man possessed by Satan possessed.
I can say in the context by the dragon there will be an order by what most scholars believe, some sort of a security force, some sort of a security detail, an army to go after these rebellious Jewish believers who will not bow as we shall see.
Commencing in chapter 13 to the rule and reign of the political and religious government of the antichrist, they won’t bow and it’s going to anger him so much.
Not only that Satan has been booted out of heaven.
He has no access to heaven and now he’s been pent up on planet earth and boy is, he ticked off and he vents his rage against Israel pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on real life radio with his message called Hope from Heaven.
We’re so glad you joined us today.
Hope from Heaven is part of Pastor Jack’s series called The Book of Revelation.
It’s a series on the final book of the Bible and the unveiling of future events for us and for the world.
And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life radio. Hey, everybody.
This is David J in studio with my friend, Pastor Jack. Pastor Jack. How you doing? I’m doing great.
How you doing? I’m doing pretty good.
Uh But let me tell you, I am counting down until Countdown arrives at my house.
I’m really excited about this new book now, it’s called Countdown All Eyes On God’s Ultimate End game.
And it’s a brand new book you wrote about The Indicators happening today.
You know, right now that point to prophecies and end times events.
Can you, uh, can you tell us a little bit about it? Yeah.
You know what, lately, with all the things that have been going on in the world, of course, uh, more specifically these last few years, but of late with wars and rumors of wars as Jesus put it just quickly put together a book from recent messages that I’ve done.
And um I think that people will find it extremely timely because of course, uh there’s been a lot added in between uh the sermon notes and all that are relevant and current to this moment.
I think people are gonna find it insightful and the goal of course, is to bring the hope of the gospel to people.
Now, pastor, you mentioned the timeliness of this book with all that’s happening in the world today.
It feels like these days we might be running out of time.
Yeah, exactly why both the cover will depict time fleeting and the title Countdown itself.
I think, I think Davy, when you look at it, people believer or non-believer, there’s a sense of urgency among people I know among those who are believers, there’s a sense of urgency basically to, to, to get the job done about getting out the gospel.
But for the nonbeliever, I think they sense an overwhelming grip of things being temporary, the zeal for example of, of passions uh are now, quickly becoming uh not the answer unfulfilling, which it used to take a lifetime of pursuing sex, drugs and rock and roll as people would say it, power uh education.
Now they’re finding out really quick. Wow.
You know what uh this leaves a really bitter taste and I’m still empty and I need to find hope.
Well, there you have it. The new book by Pastor Jack Countdown.
All eyes on God’s ultimate end game and you can order it right now for a gift of any amount at Jack Hibbs dot com slash offer.
That’s Jack Hibbs dot com slash offer.
Yeah, this program is made possible by the generous contributions of you.
Our listeners visit us at Jack Hibbs dot com. That’s Jack Hibbs dot com.
Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio.
Wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in his word, we’ll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.