Revelation 12 - Removing The Fog of Religion

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Revelation 12

PROPHECY > Prophecy Outline
Satan, the Woman, and the Offspring
Revelation 12  -- Prophecy Part 1


by your  servant Dan L Baxley


Satan and the Woman -- First Things  First
There is a principle ignored by many when looking into the prophetic  statements recorded in the Holy Bible and we need to have this understanding  first, before we can properly understand the first thing about this “account”  recorded in Revelation 12, concerning the Woman and her “offspring”.  So, please be patient with me as I lay the  ground work for a better understanding enabling us to come to a fuller  understanding of this important record.   
Most new comers to the Word tend to do this, ignoring the Historical  setting of Prophecy past, eventually becoming confused and disorientated.  This confusion leads some to give up while  others end up following someone claiming to have the “key” to understanding and  with charts and books all proclaiming we are the “end generation” but in truth  they only see in part.  This super  knowledge, some claim to possess is, of course, they either say or lead you to  believe, coming from God.  Paul dealt  with this and few quote him when it comes to their prophetic words  –

(1Co 13:9-10)   For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But  when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done  away.
(1Co 13:11-12)   When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I  thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but  then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am  known.

We only see part of the picture  but when we come face to face with the reality of the prophetic words then we  will see clearly.  Read again what Paul  is saying, what he was inspired to tell the Church then and now.  Anyone that tells you they know it all, that  the God of gods is speaking to them then take care.  It always makes me nervous when I hear a  preacher say, “I receive a word from the lord today”, and so should you.  

(Jer 14:14)  Then the LORD (YHWH) said unto me, The  prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded  them, neither spoke to them: they prophesy to you a false vision and divination,  and a thing good for nothing, and the deceit of their  heart.
(Jer 23:25-27)  I have heard what the prophets said, that  prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.  How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets  that prophesy lies? Yes, they  are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;  Which  think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell  every man to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten my name for  Baal.

Note:  The name Baal, has the same meaning  as the term “Lord”, just as we see in modern translations, the name of our  Creator, YHWH, is exchanged for Baal, or, the LORD.  What an irony, the translators substitute,  knowingly, the title “LORD” for His Name and this substitute just happens to be  the definition of the ancient name and title,  “BAAL”. In other words, His Name, the Name  above every name has been substituted for the name “Baal” as seen in the  English, “LORD” – how many different ways can it be said?  His Name has been replaced by another!  

(Isa 52:5)   Now therefore, what have I here, says Yahweh, that my people is taken  away for nothing? They that rule over them make them to howl, says Yahweh; and  my Name continually every day is blasphemed (scorned –  H5006).
(Isa 52:6)   Therefore my people shall know my Name: therefore they shall know in that  day that I am he  that doth speak: behold, it is  I.
(Isa 52:7)   How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good  tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good,  that publishes  salvation; that say unto Zion, Your God reigns. (Name  Restored)

A time is coming when His Name will no longer be “scorned” as it is today  by many calling themselves Christians.   It is understandable the world would treat His Name with disrespect and  toss it aside, treating His sacred Identity as nothing and with “scorn” but for  those claiming the Holy Scriptures as theirs, the Jews and Christians alike to  do this is scandalous.  The Christians  say it does not matter and reject those trying to present the truth of this  while the Jews say they are giving His Name the highest honor by not using it,  by hiding it, by using other alternative, substitute titles and names, as  opposed to using His true Identity.  Too  holy to use, some say, and this is such a denial and excuse as to make His Name  of little or no use.  In their own  self-righteousness they, like the rest of the world, toss His name aside, hiding  it when they should be preaching in His Name, publishing in His Name, declaring  His Name to the world.  No, they all had  rather use the name of “another”

(John  5:4244)   But I know you, that you have not the love of  God in you. I am come in my Father's Name, and you receive me not: if another  shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and  seek not the honor that comes from God only?

Read it again, see what He is saying – the emphasis is on accepting any  name above His and pointing our how they, these teachers and preachers, are only  too willing to give honor to one another among themselves but not to the Name of  our Creator, our Savior, who came in His Father’s Name.  It is only by the restoring of His Name and  the Name of our Heavenly Father that the prophetic word can be understood in  more detail.  We see only partly, like  through a shadow, and that is when we do not deny His Name, so imagine how much  more in the dark are those who reject this  truth?

Prophecy Fully Understood?
For  the most part the purity of the Prophetic Word can only be realized and fully  appreciated after the fact.  Many  prophetic revelations can only be understood after they happen.  Put another  way, many prophetic statements and revelations will only be understood  after  they happen -- then the perfection of the prophecy will be plainly seen – at  least to those firm in His Word.

Some prophecies are not meant to be understood until they occur then  proving the surety of His words as recorded by His prophets and certainly much  of the prophetic word is not to be fully understood until the  "end days" of man's rule.   
An attempt to make certain prophecy (remaining to be fulfilled) fit a  certain idea or preconceived notion, or some pet theory, a teacher twist the  Scriptures to fit, or to fill in between the lines in attempts to make a new  truth to fit with their theory, making a guess or a lie a truth.  This is a mistake many "prophesy teachers"  engage in.  For example, many of today’s Evangelical prophecy teachers are  making the assumption we are the last "generation" that we are living in the  beginning of the "end days" -- this is a desire not a fact, but in most circles  it is taught as a fact.  The problem with this is many have already gone to the  grave and many more have a foot in the grave but still hang on to this teaching  that we are the “last generation” which flies in the face of the real truth of  the Prophetic Word.  There is much more  to happen before were enter the last generation, much more.  We are only at the first steps of His coming  Wrath and finally the “Day of the Lord”.   
Also, before these modern day teachers there were others doing the same  thing, in generations past, but their time has come and gone, generation after  generation of “last generation” preachers have come and gone.  Just as we can witness today, the major  players in the “prophecy game” today are all in their twilight years and  technically we do not appear any closer to the final end and a “rapture” of all  the babies and Christians of the world than any other time, like, say, World War  1 and World War II.   

Nearly  every generation since the Messiah walked this Earth has taught this idea of  living in the end age, the “end of days”,  and all have been wrong in the sense of their understanding.  Certainly one could say we have been living  in the “end days” since our Lord was crucified.   Even the Apostles thought they  were going to see the return of YaHshua, teaching the brethren to prepare for  what was  to come, as you can read in the following verses – Heb 1:2, Heb 9:26, Acts 2:17,  1 Cor 10:11, 1 Jn 2:18.

As time moved forward, you begin to see  writings in the letters to the Churches begin to change as it became apparent  the time of His return would be further down the road with John being the last  witness to this truth and being the Apostle used to write the last book, the  Book of Revelation.  A great deal of prophecy concerning the future and events  leading directly to the return of our Savior, YaHshua, will not be understood  until it is witnessed, literally seen and experienced by faithful followers of  His Word.  Peter, seeing the end of his life coming and what appeared to many as  a “delay”, he encourages the body of believers to hold fast to the word and be  ready to endure to the end of our lives and that it is our responsibility to  grow in “knowledge or our Savior,  YaHshua”

(2Pe 3:9)   The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count  slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,  but that all should come to repentance.
(2Pe  3:17-18)   Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before,  beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your  own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our  Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and  for ever. Amen.

Now  read Daniel 9 and you will see the book he was inspired to write is closed and not to be understood  until the time is come for humanity to enter what is called the  end-days.   Keep this in mind as you read any commentary on biblical prophecy concerning the  "end days" and the coming of our Lord Yahshua.  

Diverse Opinions and Confusion – The Same  JESUS
There are many diverse opinions as to  what constitutes an individuals religion and or faith.  There are some 450 differing religious  organizations within the Christian community, maybe more, all having variations  on teachings of doctrine that set them apart one from another.  Some of these so-called followers of the  Christ point bony fingers at others. Looking at fellow professors of the same  Jesus they preach and teach, these accusers passing judgment  on others attempting to walk in the Messiah's foot steps.  They whisper -- cult,  sects, or worse. The odd thing is, in all of this diversity and forced  separation, nearly all use a common book to teach from, professing their loyalty  and love for a JESUS they all confess as their savior.  
While differing on doctrine and arguing  over which laws to keep, or not, they all claim "Jesus" as their savior and the  Holy Bible as their book. I am in no way questioning the sincerity of most  believers, especially those that actively study the Holy Book -- the message is  there, the mystery revealed -- there is only one way, through one person, with  one Name, by which we must be saved -- many teach the message but deny the  author of that message, the very author of the salvation taught. YaHshua is His  Name, not Jesus.  Still, the accusers of the Mormons, as an example, and  other splinters groups, the Seventh Day Adventist and others like the Jehovah's  Witnesses, all called "cults" and “heretics”, but look, the accusers also teach  this JESUS, they too, preach Jesus as  Savior.  These self-righteous  Churches, pointing the bony finger at others, hissing, “Cult, sect, deceivers”,  are deceivers themselves, blinded by their own preaching of “JESUS as  Messiah”.  These accusers within the  Christian Faith teach and confess the same false Messiah and honor the same  pagan festivals – they are all the same.  They too confess this Jesus so what is  their point, why are they against like minded brothers and sister confessing the  same messiah?  They all certainly have  unity in declaring their Messiah under the same name – JESUS.  

Teaching the "message" but denying the  author of our "salvation" is missing the mark.   Teaching the "message" of our Savior and upholding the Holy Bible as the  Words of our God is wonderful and has brought many to a change in their lives,  but, the natural progression of study and prayer should bring one to the true  "identity" of the one Messiah and this does not seem to be happening.  My problem is not with the new children  coming into the Faith "once delivered", no, but with the teachers and preachers  that keep their students in the dark -- that refuse to preach in the name that  all will have to profess one day, and that name will not be "Jesus".  

Many church-goers are just too busy to  study the Book in an effort to get to know their God, let alone read it on a  regular basis -- they have heard the message, had a change of heart, but this  busy life leaves them right where they started -- these busy converts of the  "message" let the preachers tell them what it says.  This is not how it should be but in reality  is and this allows some with twisted views to enter in and with every imagined  and fictional teaching possible.   

(Php 2:12)   Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my  presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and  trembling, NIV
(2Pe  2:2-3)   Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into  disrepute. In their greed these teachers  will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long  been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. NIV  (Made up stories is another way of  saying they write “fiction”.  “Left  Behind” series of books and movies come to mind?  As well as many  other)

So, what is wrong with this picture?  The Christian Community, by its very nature  is divided (Luke 11:17, Matt 12:25).  I have  always had a problem with one group of "Jesus"  worshipers calling another group of "Jesus" worshipers a cult or a sect.   Their  unity is in the name JESUS but they accuse and point fingers at others  confessing this name, why?  Aren’t they  all of the  "Jesus" cult?  Two groups  come to mind, that the general population of Christian teachers teach and accuse  of being heretics and cults -- the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses.  Two Christian orders that could not be more  different, yet both profess, correctly, the Holy Bible as inspired scripture and  hold the modern day "Jesus" as the Son from God.  They preach the same "Jesus" that the  accusers preach -- they all preach in the same name.  If the Name is not important, as some claim,  then why do they all baptize in that name, a name that never existed until 400  years ago?  
When you look at the various  ChristianChurches and organizations it does appear as though any  organization that encourages deep Bible study gets singled out as a cult.  The Seventh Day Adventist, the Witnesses and  other smaller groups -- even though these groups profess the same Jesus, and  teach from the same book, the Holy Bible, they get labeled, as something evil or  worse --  a "cult".   

What is it that makes one group a cult  and another somehow more righteous and entitled to the exclusive title of  Christian?  Can it be that those actually  teaching its followers to study the Bible in depth, to make Bible study a part  of their personal lives, are a threat to the "feel good" preachers?  Of course, they are threatened by anyone  gaining and growing in "knowledge of the Father and the Son", and why do you  suppose that is?  Because their authority  is challenged when you have students, lay members, growing in knowledge,  knowledge that may question what is being taught.  Many a wolf in sheep’s clothing would be  uncovered.  There are those, however, of  the laity that want to hear stories of fantasy and fiction, hearing only what is  pleasing to the hear (2 Tim 4:3-4).   There is that element of paying to be told only what you want to hear, I  hope that is not you but you instead grow in “knowledge”, settling in for the  long haul, after all, we have the whole of eternity ahead of us.  Peter saw that the return of our Savior  YaHshua was not going to happen in their time and left the small flock with this  instruction:

(2Pe  3:18)   But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior  YaHshua the Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!  Amen.

All profess JESUS as the Savior, the accusers and the  accused cults -- denying the birth name of our Savior, YaHshua, worship this  fake image they call JESUS.  Doctrinal  differences mean nothing in light of this.   Can you see the nonsense of this; can you see the great division in the  ChristianChurches?

I tell you the "body of the Living Christ" is  not divided and never has been.  It may  not be as visible as some, and it may not have the appearance as men would see  it -- in fact -- the visible, united, Body of the Messiah on this Earth is  visible only to our Heavenly Father and our Messiah. Certainly there are a few  here and a few there that may be in physical contact, but you will not find the  unity of the Body in any one Church organization.  

One group points to  another group claiming they or the other is teaching a different "Jesus" than  that taught by true Christians.  I will  not bother at this point comparing the different "Jesus" being taught, making  one a "cult member" as opposed to a true member because I personally see them  all the same -- they all teach under the same false name, being brothers united  in the same deception.  From the  accusers point of view there are many false Jesus' being taught and it is the  majority that is deciding which  "Jesus" is the correct "Jesus".  They are all wrong and all are professing a  wrong Savior.  They teach and preach in a  name that did not every exist in the days our Savior walked this Earth in the  flesh. The name they (Jesus cults) preach in, teach in, baptize in is not the  name the Apostles of our YaHshua taught in, and it is certainly not the name any  of the "first fruits" were baptized into. This is the great deception of the  Christian religion -- they are all cults -- they are all of the "Jesus" cult  -- poking each other in the eye with their deceived and diseased doctrines.  

The many differing  ChristianChurches like to claim things that do not belong to  them.  This is natural, of course, as one  group feels, and teaches, in many cases, that they are the one true followers of  the Messiah -- the one true church.  It  has been a favorite teaching of many that the Church is  Israel, and some teach that the Woman of Revelation 12 is  speaking, symbolically of the Christian Church.   So, here is a prophecy, a prophetic writing about a woman that at the  very least gives birth to our Savior, and produces and "offspring" Satan seeks  to destroy.  It is my humble opinion the Woman of Revelation 12 is  Israel, not the Christian Church.  

The Woman of Revelation  12
Revelation 12 gives a vision described  by John that has confused and mislead many, many great minds and not so  great.  The understanding of this chapter  really is not that difficult, but it seems to be totally misunderstood by so  many, you have to wonder just who are they listening to?  You do not have to be a Bible scholar to  figure out who the woman of Revelation 12 is, but you can become confused if you  have any preconceived ideas about who or whom you want the Church to be.   Approaching this chapter with preconceived  ideas, one could see how this chapter can be a problem and the reason for its  mishandling.  We will use the King James  Version, but I encourage you to look this chapter up in other versions as  well.  No I am not  an advocate of the KJV Only error.

Revelation 12:1  6And 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  And she being with child cried,  travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 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. 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. 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. 6 And  the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that  they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 7  And  there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and  the dragon fought and his angels, 8  And prevailed not; neither was their place  found any more in heaven. 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. 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. 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.  KJV

The literal image is that of Mary mother of our  Messiah giving birth to a child whom the Red Dragon, Satan, wants to  destroy.  From the bible stories nearly  everyone is familiar with the efforts of King Herod to destroy the Messiah at  birth giving the command to destroy all children two years and under -- a  fitting picture of Satan standing before the woman to destroy the child.  This woman in the vision has even greater  meaning -- she is not the Christian Church as many would like to believe or  teach, but is, on a national scale, Israel.  Read it  carefully, the twelve stars encompassing her head are the stars, or angels of  each of the tribes of Israel and she stands on the moon.  The moon has always been the base upon which  Israel of the Old Testament established its days and times,  its calendar, if you will -- unlike the pagan world that used the sun. Speaking  of the sun we read, "clothed with the sun".   As a nation Israel was to bring light into the world they were to  deliver the truths of the Holy Word of the Living God to a dark world -- shining  the light of truth in the world.  They  failed in this to some degree, but it is undeniable that they have been the  guardians of the written WORD and their story is not over, when the Restoration  takes place (read all of Ezekiel 36 & 37), after the Messiah's return, they,  as a nation, will be a light to all other nations, not for their sake, however,  but for His Holy Names sake (verses 22-23).   This visionary woman giving birth to the Messiah is the nation of  Israel, whom He sprang from.  
Snatched Up
Reading on there is no mistaking that the Child, being  snatched, or caught up is the Messiah, not some selective body of  Christians.  This truth being made plain  from the word itself cannot be denied.   Knowing this, how is it possible to suppose the woman is the Christian  Church when it is clearly understood by all that the Christian Church is  supposed to be founded upon the Messiah not the other way around.  Do you see?   Those that would have you believe this woman is a symbol for the  Christian Church are making a huge error, and this error leads off into other  errors and a twisting of the Word.  In  this case the woman produced the Messiah so she cannot be the Christians that  flee into the wilderness, as is taught by so many.  The woman, that is to say,  Israel, takes flight into the wilderness.  This, of course, does not fit in with the  time lines drawn up by the teachers pushing the Christian Church as being  Israel.  Yes, some  teach that the Church has replaced Israel, and so, they say, when  Israel is mentioned it is really referring to the  Christians, what nonsense.  Many  evangelicals engage in this false teaching with a desire to show that the woman,  the Church, is given special protection, while others like to teach that the  child caught up is the Church in rapture, those snatched up.  It is clearly the Messiah that is caught up  as is made plain by the expression, "who was to rule all nations with a rod of  iron", previous to mentioning, caught up. The context must be twisted out of  shape to make it say anything else.  The  Messiah is caught up to the Father and His Throne.  Also, notice, the Woman gives birth to a  "male child" -- try spiritualizing that away -- the Woman is  Israel out of whom our Savior sprang, the "male  child".

To be sure, there are those that correctly teach this  woman is Israel but a misapplication occurs when we see references  made concening her offspring, those that Satan seeks to destroy.  In his frustration at not being able to  completely annihilate the people of Israel he moves to destroy the “offspring”, those having  come out of the first Church composed almost entirely of Jews.  History shows plainly that the people of  Israel, though they are dispersed out into the wilderness of the earth, along  with the offspring, the followers of YaHshua and Satan has been pursuing her at  every opportunity – kill the woman (Israel), kill the offspring (the body of  YaHshua, the Church).   
   
Satan and His  Angels
We have seen from the scriptures that Satan sought to  devour the child after His birth.  He,  Satan, had influence over the ruling forces of that period.  We see the Satan pictured as a serpent, a Red  Dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads.  This is a picture of a powerful spiritual  being able to direct the affairs of earthly governments past and present.  Most biblical students in bible prophecy see  the implications of this imagery as connected with Revelation 13 and recognize  as having, at least in part, something to do with the Roman Empire of the past and the future.   Seeing the historical efforts of Herod, a  Roman appointed ruler, to kill all the boys two years and younger (Matthew 2:16)  at Bethlehem we should be able to see this as evidence of Satan using a man, a  leader of a government, to do his bidding in an attempt to devour the "male  child".   We see, later, an even greater  attempt at destroying the child by the use of the religious authority and the  military authority of Rome in the crucifixion of our Savior.  At one point it would appear as if Satan had  won, our Savior dies but no, wait, He is raised back to life and snatched up to  heaven, having defeated the only real power Satan possessed, the power of  death.   HalleluYah!
Next we see Satan and his demon angels  cast out of Heaven and thrown to the earth.   This is additional information giving the reader, the time of  events.  Notice, Satan is our accuser before being tossed out of heaven, but  no more, not since the Messiah, for he is cast down to Earth and our Father now  hears the words of our Mediator, YaHshua, and not the words of our accuser.  See also that Satan has deceived the whole earth not just some spot but the  whole earth.  We have the timing for this war in Heaven  from a pretty good source.
  
 Luke  10:18  And he (YaHshua) said to  them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from  heaven. KJV  

These are the words of the Messiah.  He literally witnessed the fall of Satan to  this Earth, no longer having access to come before the Heavenly throne.  Because of our Messiah, our Savior and  brother in Heaven, Satan cannot accuse us (by that I mean the body of believers  from the beginnings) any more.  When you  come boldly before the throne in prayer, please know the accuser is no longer  there, only the Father and the Messiah to lend support for your petitions.  HalleluYaH.
Close to when the Messiah began His  ministry on earth Satan's access to heaven was sealed, he and his demon-angel  followers were cast, or imprisoned on this earth.  From that moment Satan began to work on  destroying the Messiah and this he accomplished only doing more harm to  himself.  Once the Messiah had ascended into Heaven the final seal of admission  had been taken from Satan and his followers.  Notice in verse 8, "...and  they lost their place  in heaven".
So, we see that Satan and his angelic followers lost  their place in Heaven and that he is now busy deceiving the whole world, and  that the Saints, then and now are busy resisting him and overcoming him by the  blood of the Messiah, and, as history shows, their own blood.  Some of our brethren have given up their  fleshly lives willingly in order to maintain their fellowship with the Messiah  and to remain children of the Most High - they loved not their lives (of the  flesh) unto death (Revelations 12:11).   The  ultimate victory is by and through the blood of the Messiah.  It is by His sacrifice for us alone that has  made it possible for us to follow Him into eternal life.  There is no other way, no other system, no  other religion, no other god, no other path, this is the only way and there is  no other.  All must come to the Messiah,  accepting His sacrifice for us, and He is willing to grant forgiveness of our  sins and without merit from us, to pardon us from the death penalty, giving us  life.  In this state we will all  eventually see true peace and love on earth and in the whole of the  universe.  

The Problem - 1260  days
The 1260 days mentioned in verse 6  equals 3 1/2 years as you count years.   More than a few apply these days to the tribulation period just before  the return of the Messiah, but the context of this verse, within the frame work  of the surrounding verses does not, or should not, launch you 2000 years into  the future (From the origin of this writing by the Apostle John).  The prophetic word stops, then reignites 2000  + years later, some tell us?   

The Book of Revelation is Not a Steady Flow of Sequences

The book of Revelation has a method of  presentation that must be recognized --   the story flow.  You will see, as you read, the story line goes along and  then stops and filler information is inserted then the narrative of the story  flow will picked up again -- it moves along in jumps, sometimes forward and  other times backward to fill in.  This  occurs throughout the book and if you don't know this it is easy to misapply  events - you must recognize this or the main line of the coming events can get  lost in the details and the mixing of past details with those still future.  Here is a good example in this same chapter 12,  verses 7 – 13, about Satan losing the battle to gain access to Heaven and being cast  (thrown) to Earth. The details of this happening is plainly seen, but misapplied  by many, placing this event into the future, but the truth is that this has already  happened - he, Satan, is here - he and his demon angels are here, now.  How do we know this for sure?  Again, we go  to the Bible, returning to Luke's gospel account, in the words of our Savior –  this bears repeating --

Luke 10:18  And He said  unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from  heaven.

He, YaHshua, personally witnessed the  fall of Satan, the casting out of Satan being thrown to this Earth -- his access  to the Heavenly throne is now and ever since then, denied, no longer allowed to  come in among the other angels presenting themselves to the Ancient of Days (Job  1).  But this did not keep him from making an attempt to return.  Satan and his angels, who had previously been cast to earth, imprisoned here, made a charge back toward Heaven, he and his angels, chasing after YaHshua into Heaven but was stopped by Michael and his angels.  Not just stopped but cast back down to Earth, he and his demons, back to their place of imprisonment, not longer able to cause trouble in the Heavenly Realm.  And all of the angels of Heaven shouted with joy, because Satan and his minions were no longer allowed to cause trouble in Heaven as on Earth.

Satan  is cast out, not once but twice -- understand this, because it will clear up a lot of the mistreatment of the Revelation 12 account, and you will see it as an historical fact.  The First casting out of Heaven came when YaHshua gave us the report -- read Luke 10:18 again -- as an eye witness to Satan's fall from Heaven at that time the 70 who He sent out two by two had returned and reported their success, even over devils, and YaHshua then told them that He had personally witnesses Satan cast down to Earth like lightening.  This is the First time Satan is cast down.  Remember, Satan already has authority over this Earth, as previously mentioned, so this event marks a definite change in Satan's standing in Heaven itself.
   Now, at that time, Satan seeing He and his angels are trapped on this Earth he then sets out to destroy the those who belong to YaHshua, possibly in and effort to destroy the competition, those who would replace him and his angels d permanently. But it is in death when our Savior is raised back to life after three days and three nights in the grave -- rising to defeat death, and the author of death, Satan.  Yahshua Ascends into Heaven to take His place next to our Heavenly Father, and as He is snatched up leaving  Satan behind, defeated.  Satan and his demon angels spring into action and literally chase after YaHshua, only to be met by Michael and his angelic army and fought against Satan and his demons and threw them back down to this earth.  Satan seeing he and his angels are defeated and not permanently trapped on this Earth, He first goes after the people of Isarel, to destroy them, and failing in this, he turns on the "offspring" (converts,  followers of YaHshua, New covenant believers) on whom to vent his anger.  This is the basic outline and scenario of events in Revelation chapter 12.

While many believers  suffer and many suffer death they are promised life eternal, and just as YaHshua was raised so will the  believers be raise.  No matter what does he can not ever keep them from living again, all he can do is attempt to make, or cause, those believers to break their confession or to lead the world off into believing the Lie, in an attempt to keep mankind from gaining Life Eternal.  For this reason Satan will be after them, after those who confess YaHshua, everyone else is blind and will go along to get along.  In the first century, with  Satan attempting to do his worst to those repentant believers, and to the Jews are  scattered, dispersed into the Earth.  Short of destroying the whole world Satan  cannot devour all of those faithful to YaHshua.  Satan and his angels unsuccessful attempt to get back to Heaven is cast back down to this Earth, and imprisoned here?  

********  Now let's read in the book of  "revealing" how Satan responded to this insult.

Revelation 12:13 -17 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 (offsrping), which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of YaHshua the Christ (the Anointed).

We are given more details now about the woman's  flight into the wilderness, remember, when Israel lived in the wilderness after  leaving Egypt she did not leave the earth nor she did she enter into the Kingdom  either -- the people of God are still on the Earth, dispersed.  Many attempts to make sense of this  verse have suggested that the wings of a great eagle could mean jet airliners  flying the chosen people to the place of safety, as a future event for the "end  times", but I'm of the opinion that it means escaping into the world and that when it says that she is "nourished" this would indicate that she is not lost, she maintains her identify as the  people of the Creator God.

Going back to the time, and times,  and half times, brings us right back to the 1260 days, but notice, this is all  within the same context of verse 6 and cannot be separated -- "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days". Keeping with the context what is the next  thing to happen?  Remember, this is in an historic context, not a prophetic reveal, but it is something that had already happened, being re-pictured for John, a reminder of sorts.   Satan, unable destroy the Savior, and not unable to  completely destroy Israel, The Woman, because she has been dispersed into the wilderness of  the world, Satan then, later, turns on her offspring and just who is that?  That is the first century church, that is the  people of the Messiah, history, again, bears this out.  But still, the 1260 days, how can that be reconciled with the events as presented?

That 1260 years or 3.5 years, the times, times and half times, is applied to Israel/Judah, not the believers in YaHshua as Messiah and Savior -- these are the Offspring -- Those who were keeping the commands of the Father and bear the Testimony of YaHshua as the Son and Savior, these are the offspring upon whom the Devil turned his warth as he was unable to consume, that is, to destroy all of the people of Israel, those first chosen to replace him and his demon angels.

First you have to forget about what you have been  taught about these days being tied to the last days tribulation period.  We have already seen how the woman  Israel, and that it is  Israel that goes into hiding and we see that her offspring,  those that have the testimony of YaHshua the Messiah, become the object of  Satan's wrath and we do not see any time restraints given when considering of  Satan's war against the saints.  The 1260  days belong to the woman, not her offspring.   From the time the Romans tore most of Jerusalem down in 70 AD, the Israelites have been pretty much  dispersed through out the world.  But the  complete destruction and final blow dealt to the people of  Israel occured between 135 AD and 140 AD.  In the infamous  70 AD the Temple was the object of the Roman Armies contempt and they pulled it  down, stone by stone, but it was not until around the end of 140 AD that  Jerusalem was leveled, literally, and every Jew they found was taken  away.
You must understand, without the existence of the  Temple and the sacrificial system the Jew, the Israelite,  is cut off from God having no blood sacrifice to reconcile them and forgive  their sin.  They have no reconciliation from sin and are cut off from  God.  Of course this problem would be solved if they would turn to the  Messiah, but they have not and mostly will not.  Those that had found their way  back to Jerusalem would have been anxious to get the  Temple back up -- this the Romans would not tolerate.   around 135 AD a mini rebellion sprung up among the Jews that had managed to get  back to Jerusalem and they, of course, wanted to rebuild the Temple.  
This time the Romans came in and virtually leveled  all of Jerusalem, making it a city no more, at least for that  time.  This was the death-blow to the  once proud nation of Israel and was finished in 140 AD,  Jerusalem being completely leveled.  Without their Temple their religion is but a hollow shell.  One of the great future events is to be the  "Restoration" of Israel and their conversion to the one they have rejected  (Zechariah 14).  
Back to the 1260  years
I am not a scholar of history, I have no  degrees and cannot say with absolute certainty that what I am about to propose  is totally correct.  Maybe someone with  more knowledge in numbers and calculations will see the point I am trying to  make and can supply the correct arithmetic, dates, etc, to the following  observations:
Using the principle of a day equaling a year we can  see the 1260 days as 1260 years.  If you  add the years 140AD, the time the Jews were finally outlawed from the area of  the once proud Jerusalem and the city completely removed you then have 1400  AD.  If I'm not mistaken it is around  this time a great many disruptions began to occur, leading into the inquisitions  that included the wholesale persecution of the Jews throughout the known  world.   Up to this time, it seems, the  Jews were not hindered in their pursuit of living and let live.  While they were virtually denied access to  the area they once called home, they seemed to flourish as though a protective  covering were over them, but this was all about to change in the years  approaching 1400 AD.  The in-fighting and  open rebellion of certain Christian groups and individuals like Wycliffe and  Luther with the Mother Church of pagan Christianity led not only to a blood bath  of Christians but also of the Jews.
 
The curtain of protection had been removed and  since that time to now modern history has continued demonstrating its hatred for  the people of Israel, for the Jew.   Europe attempted the complete destruction of these people  cherished by the Creator God.  Yes,  Europe, the Germans could not have done what they did  without all of Europe going along with it -- most of the world, initially,  looked the other way.  Who, besides the  English and the Americans finally stepped up to put a stop to it?  It is my belief that the 1260 days spoken of  in the context of the "Woman" is now a past event, but, in hedging my bets  -- there could also be an end-times fulfillment with our Heavenly Father  rescuing a remnant of modern Israel, but again, this 1260 days, at this time  (this point in Revelation 12) cannot be applied to the Christians.  There is no  time limit placed on Satan's pursuit the offspring of the Woman or  Revelation 12, and that would be the Christians, or more precisely, followers of  the Messiah, YaHshua.  So far he, Satan, has done a pretty good job of deceiving  those claiming to be followers and keeping the numbers, the world over, of  actual followers of YaHshua to a minimum.
1260 years pluse 140 years and we have  1400 AD and we enter an historical period of darkness, religous murder, and  wholesale persecution of the Jews, as well as true followers of YaHshua, the  Messiah of the Bible.  This may not be the final answer to this, and I am sure  it is not, but with an open mind we can look to the future and to the coming of  our Lord YaHshua as opposed to the coming of some great and terrible time called  the "Tribulation" and the "end-days".  
False Rapture Doctrine --  
  
None of this has to do with the  Rapture doctrine of "escapism".  Notice, even in the context of Revelation 12  do we see the Woman (Israel) or the offspring of the Woman (Christians) beaming  up to Heaven.  What we do see is the dragon turning on the offspring  and no mention of any protection at all, none, zip, zero.  If Satan is barred from Heaven how could he  make war with the saints if they are snatched up, or raptured up?  No, the saints are here on earth and Satan  has been the great persecutor of those that hold the "Testimony of YaHshua", as  well as  other people that bear His name, the Jews (YaHuda) when they come to  their senses and give glory to him whom they pierced (Zech 12:10).  
We read later in Revelation that there are certain groups with special  protection, but only at and just before the Messiah's return.  You have the 144,000, a group of 12,000 from  each of the 12 tribes of Israel.  We don't have to wonder if  Israel is going to survive, they are, it has been  determined that a definite number are to survive the "Wrath of God" and will  witness the Tribulation period. (Revelation 7 and 14)
144,000
There is another people, besides the  144,000, and we read of them in Revelation 9:4, a  people sealed with the mark of God on their foreheads, that is in their minds, I  believe, but it could be an actual, visible marking.  It could literally be a mark on the forehead,  but it has been recognized that personal intellect is in the forward part of the  brain, or at least is understood to be your mind, but when we consider our  intellect is internal we would have to question why and angel with a marker  would be "placing" a mark that would not be visible and if it is determined it  is something the believer intellectually accepts then there would be no need for  the special marking.  At any rate, this is another event that will have to be  witnessed before the full understanding is known.
When you read the surrounding verses you  can see that the punishment or wrath of the Creator God on the people of the  world is terrible. Yet He has protected this bunch and they are on this earth,  not in heaven, not in the clouds, but on earth.
Revelation 9:2 6And the fifth angel  sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given  the key of the bottomless pit.  And he  opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke  of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke  of the pit. 3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto  them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4  And it was  commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any  green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God  in their foreheads.
Yes, my friends, it is a battle of  names.  There will be those that have taken the name  or the mark of the name of the Beast, and there are those that have the mark of  the Living God, the seal of God.  I  believe the verses above demonstrate a number of individuals only the Creator  has knowledge of, those that have the testimony of YaHshua the Messiah.  There are another people included in this  marking, this sealing.
Revelation 7:2  And I saw another angel ascending  from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice  to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3   Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed  the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4  And I heard the number of them  which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand  of all the tribes of the children of  Israel.
This is pretty plain, the 144,000 are to be sealed, given special  protection and these are not the Christians, least of all the pagan  Christians.  The description of the  144,000 is given in a detailed listing each tribe of Israel by name and equal number.   This deliberate numbering demonstartes and  exactness of intent.  Our Heavenly Father  has determined a specific number. and when this takes place no one will be able  to say it is a coincident.  Another proof  to come that He is who He says He is.
Email questions and comments to: dan@servantsofyahshua.com
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