Revelation 12-14
Illustration: The Bushman tribe of Africa has an interesting way of finding water. They trap baboons. You see, baboons are keen to always have a great secret cave where ample fresh water can be found. Instead of working hard to find the water, the humans trick the baboons into delivering up their secret. Typically, the baboons are extremely careful and secretive about their watery whereabouts, but the humans have their wily ways. The human will set a trap to first catch the baboon, usually, something like placing a small hole in an anthill with food in it, the baboon reaches in, closes fist, and not being smart enough to realize what is happening he doesn’t open his fist to pull out his hand and is stuck until the human grabs him and ties him up to a tree real quick.
It’s hot so the human gives the baboon one of the baboon’s favorites treats, salt. Lots of salt to eat, how nice.
Well, salt makes you very, very thirsty, and so as the baboon sits in the hot sun eating salt for a while, he then gets more and more thirsty.
So thirsty, in fact, that as soon at the human unties the baboon, the baboon runs blindly and obliviously straight to the watering hole, without realizing it is revealing its watery secrets.
The baboon follows it’s thirst, its blinded by the salt, and ends up forfeiting the sacred and important.
In Revelation here we will begin to see a big picture of how the Devil does this same thing to human beings.
As we look at some of the events in these following chapters it is hard to believe that humans can be so deceived, so willing to follow evil, so duped, but we all have eaten salt before and need the help of a Savior to rescue us from running to quench our thirsts in the wrong place.
Here in Revelation 12-14 we see the ultimate bait and switch. One thing promised, another thing delivered.
Chapter 12 zooms out from the timeline of the Tribulation somewhat, and shows us the big cosmic backstory.
Revelation 12:1-9
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
John sees a sign in the sky, there is evidence that this actually could have been the alignment of the stars and planets around the birth of Christ, but its about much more than stars and planets.
This is the cosmic true story of the battle between good and evil, between God and Satan.
John sees a woman clothed in the sun and the moon beneath her feet, 12 stars, this I believe represents Israel.
Then a dragon (Satan) with 7 heads (could be a reference to Rome, or Evil Empires), 10 horns (nations), and 7 crowns (authority), so he has a lot of power and authority, and his tail sweeps 1/3 (incomplete, unsuccessful) of the stars (fallen angels, or demons) from the sky (heaven) to earth.
The woman gives birth to Jesus, there is a reference to a messianic Psalm (Psalm 2:9), so we know this child is referring to Jesus
The dragon wants to devour the son, but he is taken up to God and to his throne, likely this is referring to the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
The woman, Israel, is then taken to a place to be cared for, 1,260 days, again the reference to 3 1/2 years. .
Likely, this points to a time in where Israel will be attacked yet again by Satan, as he has throughout history, to destroy God’s plan to redeem Israel by destroying Israel.
Then it shows a war in Heaven, God’s angels vs. the Devil’s demons and God’s forces win and the demons lose their ‘place in heaven’, the devil or Satan and his forces are cast down to the earth.
So this can refer to a few things: 1. Pre creation of earth/humanity, at at time when Satan first rebelled and was cast down 2. After the fall in the Garden when the serpent was cursed 3. Or after Jesus was crucified and rose and defeated the forces of darkness, broke their power. 4. Or it could be a mix of those, could be that Satan initially rebelled but still had heavenly access, had subsequent times where he recruited more demons away and then at some point was cast out of heavenly access, likely at the time of the cross and resurrection, or perhaps leading up to the Tribulation, End Times.
Since the beginning of the book, remember Genesis 3, the serpent, the Devil, who was created by God to serve God in holiness, but with free will rebelled and became the leader of all evil, and his fellow fallen demons, have been attempting to stop the plan of God to redeem creation from sin and death.
Note he says the Devil leads the whole world astray, remember 7 heads, 10 horns, 7 crowns.
7 represents divinity and completeness, but also completing a work, so there is a purpose for this dragon.
Why would God give the devil so much power?
Remember the original design, mankind was meant to rule with God, but in Genesis and ever since, mankind has abdicated (forfeited) the rule of the earth to the serpent, a mere beast of the field in Genesis 3.
But the serpent has been fed over the millennia and now is a full grown dragon with an evil army.
Revelation 12:10-12
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
God limits the power of Satan, the Dragon really is on a leash, can only go so far.
Satan means the accuser, verse 10, court language, he is indicting us on sinful charges.
He doesn’t always have to lie, though, he is known as the Father of lies, but honestly we have sinned and fall short and deserve judgment, we have plenty of dirt on us.
The gospel, the truth is that Jesus gives us mercy when we deserve judgement, verse 11, the blood of the Lamb, the old hymn "Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe”, and by trusting Jesus, the word of our testimony, we and those in the End Times are able to stand even unto death.
Did you know that guilt and shame are not from God! Grace and mercy are, though. And when we feel trapped in guilt and shame that is the accuser, the devil, and the way we overcome is by remembering and repeating that we have forgiveness and freedom through Jesus’ blood and we have victory through what Jesus has done for us.
Revelation 12:13-17
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Even though we are in this world with the dragon, like Daniel in a lion’s den, the Lord preserves us.
Specifically here, he keeps the Woman, Israel preserved, Israel miraculously is still a people and nation, think of their history, the devil just keeps trying to wipe them out, Egypt, Haman, AD 70, persecution, Holocaust, October 7th, but God has a special place for them!! .
Then there is a warning that persecution is going to happen as the Dragon seeks to attack all who follow God, Jew and Christian alike.
In the Tribulation, those who maybe had never considered themselves believers, will come the stark realization, as we see in the next chapter, that the forces behind their world and goals are evil and will come suddenly to faith. God know them already, and calls them to his side. The will realize the enemy has been feeding them salt, and run to the only one who can truly satisfy their thirst.
As it says in the last chapter of Revelation, 22:17, “Let anyone who is thirsty come, and take freely from the water of life.”
Now in Chapter 13 we zoom back in to the End Times storyline and see the sketch of the main evil characters emerge.
In chapter 12 we saw the devil, or Satan, and his demons. Now we move to two beasts, the Antichrist and the False Prophet who will play a prominent role in the End Times.
Revelation 13:1-10
The dragon[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.[b] 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.”[d This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
There is this scene with the Dragon sitting by the seashore ominously waiting, summoning, a beastly creature to emerge from the abyss of the sea (reminds me a gritty movie scene). 10 horns, 7 heads, 7 crowns, it has authority among the nations. The seas represent the nations, he will be a national, global leader of some sort. Many efforts are made to guess who the Antichrist is or will be, all efforts fail, it can be fun to speculate but be careful not to take it too far.
A mix of the empires of Daniel 7, the devil gives this figure its power to influence the world.
Fatal wound, some think this end times figure, the Antichrist will be a ruler who incurs a fatal wound but seems to miraculously heal.
The whole world follows the Beast, they are in awe of this leader.
Remember chapter 4, the first seal, the rider on the white horse
The Antichrist will appear to be a savior of the world in the midst of havoc and chaos. This person will have all the right answers and make all the right promises.
Daniel 9:25-27, (as we dipped into last week, mentions what many think is this figure of the Antichrist)
25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One,[f] the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.[g] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’[h] In the middle of the ‘seven’[i] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple[j] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
This passage written mid 500’s B.C. and it predicts 49 years or 7 “sevens” (7 year periods) from the time a decree would go out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and the work would be done.
Several such decrees happened fairly close to each other, the one in Nehemiah 2, was 444 BC and seems to be regarded as the one, Nehemiah completes his work in 49 years. .
Then from that 7 “sevens” add 62 sevens (483 years) until the Anointed One, Messiah, would come, that is the time period Jesus had been born, specifically could have been to the day, when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, at Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on April 6, A.D. 32.
Daniel predicts with great precision the timing of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the first coming of Jesus 500 years before it happens!
Then a ruler comes to destroy the city and sanctuary, that could be Roman General Titus A.D. 70, but he didn’t confirm a treaty for 7 years, nor in the middle did he break it. Titus might have set himself up to be worshipped but if so it was real quick as the temple was literally a tinder box burning to the ground when Rome attacked it.
Whether this is touching quickly on Titus A.D. 70 and then moves to the end times future or it just is referring to the End Times future, it definitely from verse 27 is the future End Times.
A future 7 year period, the Tribulation, where half way through the Antichrist breaks a treaty and sets up something truly disgusting to God.
The Antichrist is indicated here as making a treaty with God’s people, referring to Israel. So maybe this person does what no one else can do and brings peace to the Middle East. But as Daniel predicts the peace doesn’t last long, and after 3 1/2 years the treaty is broken. Daniel seems to refer to the figure of the Antichrist, as setting up the abomination that causes desolation in the Jewish Temple. Now there have been events like this in the past, for you students of history, Antiochus Epiphanes, 167 B.C. and Titus AD 70, but I think this is actually pointing to this ultimate beastly abomination, that will be set up in a newly built temple in Jerusalem in the future.
Chapter 11, I didn’t touch on it much last week but in beginning of the chapter where John is told to measure the temple, could be a reference to a new temple to be built in our future.
This is actually a thing, Israel wants to rebuild the temple for real, potentially reinstating the sacrifices of the Old Testament.
The Antichrist will promise a religious utopia, but will quickly show his true colors.
People worship the Beast. This is a new but actually really very old religion.
The devils oldest trick, remember, he even tried to get Jesus to worship him. And he loves it, blasphemy for 42 months, 3 1/2 years.
Verse 8, all the world will worship him, except those who come to faith in Jesus, who names are written in the Lamb’s books of life.
Verse 8 “The Lamb slain from the creation of the world”, the Gospel plan was in place since the first brick of the universe was laid.
Verse 10, “faithful endurance on part of God’s people”, but we will be in heaven right, raptured? Yes, I think so
But if I’m wrong be ready for the Tribulation.
I think the take away here is whether then, now, and or anytime don’t be led astray by the influence of Antichrists and be ready to suffer for Christ.
The devil is always active to lead the world astray, then, now, in the future, until he is locked up forever.
Revelation 13:11-18
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e] That number is 666.
The beast out of the earth is the False Prophet, the earth represents the arena of commerce and religion.
This figure looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon
Many think that alongside the Antichrist this figure will lead a global social/economic/religious reform leading all the world to pledge allegiance and even worship to the Antichrist, thus completing the unholy trinity of the Devil, Antichrist, and False Prophet. He is sort of like the false Holy Spirit.
He is able to perform signs, real or fake, either way, convincing.
He makes the people set up an image to worship the Antichrist, who again it says will be wounded by sword, so maybe someone tries to assassinate the Antichrist but he survives. Notice the devil is trying to copy God (Jesus was actually killed and resurrected). The False Prophet somehow animates this idol of the Antichrist and those who don’t worship it are killed. And then he forces all people to receive a mark on their right hand or forehead, so that they cannot buy or sell without it.
Number, or Mark of the Beast is 666. The number of man, or the man.
What is the mark of the beast? Again many speculate, and I am glad that it doesn’t say too much. It gives us enough info to be wise in the world and avoid situations and forces that resembles Antichrist.
You see this is the ultimate mix of religion, state, and commerce. It all leads to a global remaking of world order and funnels everything to this global false religion linked to the Antichrist.
Perhaps in the name of unity and tolerance, the Antichrist will begin his march and quickly it turns bad.
Some think the False Prophet is or will lead the apostate Christian Church, or a mix of great world religions to lead people to ultimately worship the Beast.
Abrahamic House, Abu Dahbi, UAE, to Pop stars displaying demonic signs in their video, people are not any less spiritual than in the past.
And this new world order and religion will look beautiful to so many.
But eventually, as good as intentions look, the ugly Beast will rear its head.
The ultimate bait and switch.
Chapter 14
Revelation 14:1-5
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
But again, we see God is not done, the worse the enemy gets the more God turns what the enemy meant for evil into good for those who trust God. Remember the biggest example of this. Satan enters Judas to betray Jesus, and works behind the scenes influencing powers, leading Jesus to be crucified, finally he has killed Jesus, and has stopped the plan he thinks, but only to give God ultimate victory.
(Collisions 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[e]Through the cross disarming the powers and authorities)
Remained virgins, likely a reference to refraining from sexual immorality, or sin in general. No where in the Bible is it a sin for a man and woman to have sex within marriage.
We see a vision of the 144,000 sealed by God, they are victorious, their mission has been fruitful, for Israel specifically salvation comes to millions, along with many others saved during the Tribulation.
They sang a new song. A new song is a song of deliverance. Only they could sing it. When you go through something difficult, God puts a story and song in your heart, triumphant and special to you.
The elders, raptured church is there, and these 144,000, plus all we can assume those who have believed their preaching
Revelation 14:6-13
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” 8 A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’[a] which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” 9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
Then an angel flies over the earth and preaching the gospel to everyone. Warning them to worship God and not the Beast, and that judgment is coming.
Remember God is not keeping the truth a secret from people nor asking for blind faith.
Last week looked at Old Testament prophecies about Jesus and talked a bit about how there are over 300 Old Testament predictions about the Messiah, some say closer to 450. Jesus fulfills them all in one earthly lifetime, a short one too. The odds of one person in a 30 year period fulfilling these predictions made by various authors from various parts of the world, some made 100’s of years apart and all many 100’s of years before Jesus’ birth is astronomical.
Odds of just 8 of those being fulfilled in one life is anywhere from 10 to the 17th power to 10 to the 28th power.
Lottery, take the approximate population of earth, 7 billion plus 3 billion to make the math easier, to get to this number I just mentioned you need over 10 million planet earths filled with 10 billion people each, and everyone gets one ticket for the lottery, and out of that many people you win. Just for 8 prophecies, imaging for hundreds.
Professors at Westmont College using the more conservative figure, that is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000
Took 10 to the 17th power in silver dollars, for example. Lay them over the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Mark one of them and stir the whole mass of them thoroughly. Blindfold someone and have them find the one marked silver dollar. That is the odds of one man fulfilling just 8 prophecies.
48 prophecies would be 10 to the 157th power
For 300 it is almost incalculable
Biblical prophecy shows the reliability of the truth of Jesus, the fine tuning of the universe shows that undoubtably there is a Indigent Designer of the universe, it’s fact that natural life could not exist based merely on random evolution, the power of the intelligent mind of humans, our awareness, consciousness align with what scripture says. Ingrained morality, points to a benevolent and good Creator. SO many things point to the truth of God.
But the enemy dilutes our God given senses with the wine of “her adulteries”. Feeding us salt.
Then an angel comes and says Babylon has fallen. Who made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries. We will get more into Babylon later.
A third angel, warns them not to take the mark, if so you will face the wrath.
Verse 10 they will be tormented, the realization that they have rejected God for eternity is torment, and the place of existence without God will be a terrible place, and we start to get a glimpse of eternal wrath or hell, we will spend some special time on heaven and hell at the end of this series.
Here it gives the idea of the saved survivors before their condemned perpetrators in court, as the perpetrators are finally sentence. Divine justice on a grand scale .
Verse 13 those who follow Jesus, those who face persecution in this life, will find peace, rest and healing
Verse 14 Harvest of souls, there will be a great harvest of souls in the end times
Revelation 14:14-20
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[b] with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. 17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.[c]
Verse 17 All the evil efforts of the dragon, his demons, and mankind that follow his ways, will spring back on them as wrath poured out, like wine trampled in the winepress, it has been ripening, and now the crushing will come, evil forces and an unrepentant world will reap what it has sown. More plagues and a great war to come.
Some see the first half of the Tribulation as the wrath of the Dragon, and the 2nd half as the wrath of God.
Regardless, God’s plan will prevail and the efforts of the enemy will only solidify those who belong to and trust Jesus as one of greatest revivals and moves of God happens right during the Devil’s 15 minutes of fame.
Lessons
Beware of bait and switch, quit eating the salt.
God always wins no matter hard much it looks like he is losing. Illustration: Rocky, takes the hits and tires the other guy out. God is not like Rocky, but it can seem like it sometimes.