Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
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The Conflict of A Woman, A Child, and A Dragon
Revelation 12:1-17
The Conflict of A Woman, A Child, and A Dragon
Revelation 12:1-17
1. The Conflict of the . . Woman. v 1-6
The word great 72 time in 67 verses KJV
61 times in 58 verses NAS
Chapter 12: 1, 3, 9, 12,
14 KJV and Nas
1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
. . . 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of
iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman
fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they
should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
A. The . . Clothes of the Woman. v 1 a
1 Now a great sign appeared
in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under
her feet,. . ."
B. The . . Crown of the Woman. v 1 b
". . . and on her
head a garland of twelve stars." NKJV
". . . and on her head a
crown of twelve stars;" NASB
". . . and a crown of twelve
stars on her head." NIV
". . . and upon her head
a crown of twelve stars:" KJV
Gen 37:9-11 9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me." 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?" 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. NKJV
C. The . . Child of the Woman. v 2 & 5
1. The . . Labor Produced
by this Child. v 2
"Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
Rom 9:4-5 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. NKJV
2 The . . Leader Produced
in this Child. v 5
"She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
And her Child was
caught up to God and His throne.
a. Caught Up equals being snatched, just like 1 Thess
4:17 Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord. NKJV
Rev 19:15-16 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
C. The . . Community of the Woman. v 6
6 Then the woman fled into
the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should
feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Jer 30:7 Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.
WHO IS THE WOMAN
2. The Conflict of the . . Dragon.
v 3 - 4
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a
great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems
on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw
them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready
to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Dragon 13 times in 12 Verses KJV & NASB
10 times in Revelation 12 and 13
A. The Dragon . . Described. 12:3 & 12:9
12:3 And another sign appeared
in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten
horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Ezek 28:11-15 12 "Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: . . . The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. NKJV
B. The Dragon's . . Disciples. v 4 a
4 His tail drew a third
of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.
C. The Dragon's . . Designs. v 4 b
". . . And the dragon stood
before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as
soon as it was born."
Matt 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men,
was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male
children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years
old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise
men. NKJV
3. The Dragon and the . . War. v 7 - 10
A. The . . Place of the War. v 7 a
7 And war broke out in heaven:
. . ."
1. Strange Place for A War.
2. Strategic Place for A
War.
John 12:31 Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this
world will be cast out. NKJV
B. The . . Participants of the War. v 7 b
". . . Michael and his angels fought with the dragon;
and the dragon and his angels fought,
C. The . . Prevailing of the War. v 8 - 9
1. Prevailing in . . Casting
Satan out. v 8
8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any
longer.
a.
The Effect of this Operation.
1) Place no longer found.
2. Prevailing in . . Casting Satan down. v 9
9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil
and Satan, who
deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were
cast out with him.
b.
The Efficiency of this Operation.
1) Satan and his angels cast down.
D. The . . Payoff of the War. v 10
10 Then I heard a loud voice
saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren,
who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives to the death. NKJV
1. The Kingdom has come.
v 10 a
2. The Accuser is cast down.
v 10 b
3. The Faithful Overcome.
v 11
4. The Dragon and the . . Woe. v 12-17
A. The . . Time of the Woe. v 12 -13 a
12 Therefore rejoice, O
heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth
and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because
he knows that he has a short time." 13 Now when the dragon saw that he
had been cast to the earth,. . . "
1. A Time of Rejoicing. v
12 a
2. A Time of Regret. v 12
b
3. A Time of Revelation.
v 13 a
B. The . . Tribulation Factor of the Woe. v 13 b -
1. Israel Is . . Hated. v
13 b
". . . he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
2. Israel Is . . Hidden.
v 14 a
"But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly
into the wilderness to
her place,
3. Israel is . . Harbored.
v 14 b
". . . where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from
the presence of
the serpent.
4. Israel Is . . Hunted.
v 15
15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the
woman, that he
might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
5. Israel is . . Helped.
v 16
16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed
up the flood
which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
C. The . . Triumph Factor of the Woe. v 17
1. The Triumph of the Remnant.
v 17 a
17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with
the rest of her
offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ.
a.
Triumphant In Their Tenacity. v 17 b
b. Triumphant In Their Testimony. v 17 c
Possible Additional Study Help
SATAN -- Unger's
Scripture Names and Titles. Satan is also
called the devil, the dragon, the evil one, the angel of the abyss, the
ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the god of this
world, Apollyon, Abaddon, Belial, and Beelzebub. But Satan and the devil
are the names most frequently given.
SATAN -- Nelsons
Another common name for Satan in the New
Testament is "the devil," meaning "slanderer" or "false accuser." Other
titles by which Satan is identified in the New Testament include "the tempter"
<1 Thes. 3:5>; "Beelzebub" <Matt. 12:24>; "the wicked one" <Matt.
13:19,38>; "the ruler of this world" <John 12:31>; "the god of this
age" <2 Cor. 4:4>; "Belial" <2 Cor. 6:15>, "the prince of the power
of the air" <Eph. 2:2>; and "the accuser of our brethren" <Rev. 12:10>.
Job 1:6-7 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." (NAS)
Zech 3:1-2 1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? (KJV)
Matt 4:9 (KJV)
9 And saith unto him, All these things
will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Matt 8:28-29 28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? (KJV)
Luke 22:31-32 31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (KJV)
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall (KJV)
1 Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (KJV)
Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (KJV)
SATAN
Many wonder why God would allow Satan,
this great embodiment of evil, to exist in His creation. No completely
satisfying answer to this question has been found. Perhaps He allows it
to show that evil and wrongdoing do not provide the key to the ultimate
meaning of life which man so desperately desires. (Nelson's Illustrated
Bible)