"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 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. 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. 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. 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.” (Revelation 12:13-17)

The whole of Revelation 12 is so fantastic, its imagery, its message, transferring us to and fro through the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and knowledge that is too great. The characters of the woman, the seed, the dragon, the angels, and the events, of great war erupting in heaven and upon the earth. The woman undoubtedly signifies Israel (Revelation 12:1, Genesis 37:9-10). But we have imagery that goes way beyond that to the very beginning, of the woman and her seed, that being Eve, the mother of all living, and the promised Seed, being Christ (Genesis 3:15), but also the godly woman Mary who in the fullness of time brought forth and gave birth to the incarnate Christ. And in this wondrous sign, we can see therein that the seed also represents the remnant of believers, first of Israel, the wife of Jehovah, but also the Bride of Christ the Church throughout history.

Now much could be written about all of these, but the primary focus in this specific chapter is Israel. The Church has been raptured before the “time of Jacob's Trouble” and the 7 year tribulation. During this time God will be dealing primarily with the people of Israel and Jerusalem. Many of the Jew's will finally see Jesus during this time, will repent and be converted and hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ. While many shall be purged and Israel shall be refined, God will protect His people supernaturally as He did in the days of their deliverance from Pharaoh and Egypt.

Now Ezekiel said to Israel that He would, “bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered...  And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.  Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt” (Ezekiel 20:33-38).

This would be “like” their experience from the “land of Egypt”. This illustrious wonder reminds us of another time when Israel was protected from Pharaoh, a type of Satan (Read Ezekiel 29:2-5) and nourished by God in the wilderness during the Exodus. “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself” (Exodus 19:4-6, Revelation 12:14). This will be what the Lord does for Israel during the time of their “great tribulation”. Listen to His call to the remnant of His people Israel, “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.” (Isaiah 26:20-21; 27:1)

The imagery used by the Lord in the Revelation is fantastic, He likens the wrath of Satan “as a flood after the woman”. Without some familiarity of the Old Testament, one is sure to get this imagery wrong. “Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers? Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates... Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.” (Jeremiah 46:7-10; 47:2)

Israel's iniquities had hid the face of the Lord that He would not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2), but one day they shall call upon the name of the Lord, and He shall hear them. “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isaiah 59:16-21; 60:1-3)

In that Day, darkness shall cover the earth and the people. When this “flood” comes against the remnant of Israel, that is when the Lord shall return to Zion. In their darkest hour, the Lord shall arise with healing in His wings, and the light of the glory of the Lord shall shine upon them. They shall be brought under the covenant and His spirit shall be upon them, and His Words in their mouth forever. At that time, many Gentiles shall also see the glory of the Lord arisen upon them and shall come to the Light and the brightness of His rising upon Israel. Please take the time to read Luke 2:34, Acts 15:15-18, Ezekiel 38:8; 39:7-8, 21-29, Romans 11:25-33.

Furthermore, when Daniel was given his prophecy of the Seventy Weeks, he was told, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24) This time period would be consummated after the final Week, the last seven years pertaining to God's dealing with the Jews and Jerusalem. We are told, “the end thereof shall be with and a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:26-27)

A seven year covenant will be made by Antichrist with the Jews. This covenant he will break after 3 ½ years when he shall declare himself to be god and set up an idol of himself in the rebuilt Temple at Jerusalem (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 13:14-15; 14:9-11). This is when the Jews which are in Judea are to flee to the mountains. This is when Satan becomes wroth and begins his great persecution and war against the Jews (Daniel 7:20-22, 25-27, Revelation 13:5-7), until the consummation of Daniels 70 Week vision and prophecy, when Christ returns to save His people Israel and slay that Wicked one, that is, the Antichrist and his followers.

Jesus said, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains... For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:15-16, 21). This shall take place mid-tribulation, at which time is the signal for Israel to flee to the wilderness wherein she shall be led under the wings and shadow of the Almighty, and protected for 1260 days or three and a half years.

Let us see what God will do to this great flood that Satan casts out after His people Israel. “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. 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.” (Revelation 12:15-16)

This excellent imagery is again taken from the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and Pharaoh in the form of a song, “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.” (Exodus 15:6-13)

This is like what happened to the house of Korah. “And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.” (Numbers 16:31-33, Revelation 12:16)

Israel for the time present is in part blinded (Romans 11:25-27) because of unbelief and the hardness of their heart. But one day they shall turn to the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:14-17). Jesus had lamented over His people saying, “how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings” (Matthew 23:37). But they “would not” (Please read Deuteronomy 32:8-21, Romans 10:19-21; 9:22-27; 1 Peter 2:6-10). “How often”! But they “would not”. Because of their blindness, salvation has come to the Gentiles. “I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” (Romans 11:11)

When Simeon beheld that little baby, the Christ Child, He prophesied, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against” (Luke 2:34) “Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid”. Israel shall rise again. They shall say, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord”. HOW OFTEN He would have gathered them, He loves them, they are the apple of His eye. They are ever in His focus, even though they are a stiff necked hard hearted people. How about you? God is long suffering not willing that any should perish.

Israel He hath set aside, and one day they shall be carried on eagles wings in the everlasting arms of Jesus Christ. But for now, salvation is come to the nations of the world in the intermission between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel's prophecy. We find out that all those who have overcome the world, sin and the Devil is “by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). One day Israel shall recognize that its only by the blood of Jesus Christ shed for sinners that death shall pass over them. “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He made a way in this wilderness that we are so briefly sojourning. Today is the day of salvation. Do not pass Him up. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He died for our sins and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) that we might have life, He took our death that we might have His life, a life that is more abundant than we can ever imagine this side of heaven. God bless you all. Amen.

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

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