In the
previous post, Satan and his angelic army have been cast out of heaven. The hosts of heaven will erupt in a great praise
and worship service.
Revelation 12:10–12 “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. 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. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in
them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come
down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time.”
The
hosts of heaven know that Satan’s final demise is soon (from the heaven’s
perspective of time) to be realized. I
think it is noteworthy that it is a great man of faith that makes this
declaration. He notes that believers had
emerged victorious from the attack of the enemy against them by claiming the
blood of the Lamb, Jesus the Messiah, and living in obedience to Him as a
testimony of their love for Him. The
wording of some translations makes me think that these words may be
specifically honoring those that died as martyrs; some translations read as
though this references the whole body of believers. I think both are true. I believe martyrs to the faith as well as all
that have placed their faith in God are given special grace to face death.
Though
the heavens are rejoicing, they declare a woe for those on planet earth that
will have to experience Satan’s wrath.
He will finally realize, if he hasn’t already, that his time is short.
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, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ.”
Satan’s
first priority upon being confined to planet earth is to persecute the people
of Israel, the nation that gave us the Messiah.
God has, however, prepared a place of special protection and provision
to which they can flee. I think the “two
wings of a great eagle” also reference the fact that He will provide a sure way
for them to get there. God’s protection
of the Jewish people is often compared to the actions of an eagle.
Exodus 19:4 “Ye have seen what I did
unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings,
and brought you unto myself.”
Deuteronomy 32:9–12 “For the LORD’S
portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He
found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him
about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth
them on her wings: So the
LORD alone did lead him, and there was
no strange god with him.”
Many
speculate that the place where God protects the Jewish remnant for the last 3.5
years of the tribulation might be Petra in Jordan. This is a reasonable possibility to me since
Daniel declares that the Antichrist is not allowed to overthrow Jordan.
Daniel 11:41 “He shall enter also
into the glorious land, and many
countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of
the children of Ammon.” [These
lands are in the area of modern day Jordan.]
It also
fits in with Isaiah’s prophecy of the Lord coming from Bozrah (in Edom) to
Jerusalem as he returns to make war with Antichrist.
Isaiah 63:1–4 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with
dyed garments from Bozrah? this that
is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?
I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and
thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the
winepress alone; and of the people
there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample
them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I
will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.”
We know
that Satan will be acting with full use of his temporarily allowed powers
during this time. It seems he will try
to prevent the Jewish remnant from reaching their place of refuge by using
those powers to cause a great flood, but God will override that miracle by
causing the earth to swallow up the waters.
This will infuriate Satan, so he turns his attention to making war with
the remnant of Jews that have turned to faith in the Messiah and are striving
to keep His commandments. Though I
believe this to have particular reference to the 144,000 and the two witnesses,
I think it will include all that are followers of Jesus during that time that
are outside the specially protected area of escape.
(to be
continued…)
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