When Jesus Christ appeared to John to reveal the Revelation He said...he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations--He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'--as I also have received from My Father...Rev. 2:26-27. Rod symbolizes a shepherd, while iron symbolizes strength. This text is describing Jesus Christ, yet it tells us He will give His power to overcomers, who keep His works until the end...when He returns.
In our study of Chapter 12 of Revelation we find that Israel gave birth to the promised Messiah. 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...verse 5, There is only one person who is revealed to rule all nations with a rod of iron -- Jesus Christ -- a pastoral shepherd of strength.
Satan...the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born...verse 4. When we were last together I asked, "How did the great red dragon attempt to devour the male Child as soon as it was born?"
Satan is the dragon, the woman symbolizes Israel, even though Mary is actually giving birth, and the Child is Jesus. Satan, who dwells in the invisible spiritual realm, is attending the physical birth of Jesus, devising a strategy for destroying Him before He can complete His redemptive work.
But...her Child was caught up to God and His throne...verse 5. What does caught up mean? The phrase means: take to oneself. God's spiritual protection was immediately wrapped around the baby, while Satan planned to interrupt His life. The Child would live to fulfill His purpose and eventually be caught up to God and His throne. Jesus died, rose from the dead and returned to His followers for a period of time. When it was time to permanently ascend to His Father, His followers watched as...He was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight...Acts 1:9.
Only Satan could concoct a devious plan that would not only destroy his target, but destroy innocent bystanders in its destructive wake! What did he devise?
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." Matt. 2:1-2. Herod had no idea a divine birth had taken place, so sent the wise men to find the baby and come back & tell him where he could find the new King of the Jews.
After the wise men offered their gifts of gold, frankincense & myrrh to the Christ child they were...divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way...Matt. 2:12.
Herod was enraged! Not only was a king chosen to take his place, but the wise men chose to disobey his order to come back with his requested information. 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...Matt. 2:16.
King Herod, endowed with unlimited kingdom power and authority, his mind filled with the nefarious plans of Satan himself, slaughtered all the innocent babies born in Bethlehem and surrounding communities. Great grief and sorrow was thrust upon countless families under his rule with apparently no remorse from him. Herod's jealousy created this horrific and senseless event -- jealousy is always a liability!
I believe so far in our study of Revelation chapter 12, we have proven that verses 1-5 have already been fulfilled. This is the historical viewpoint on the prophecy. The modern viewpoint claims that none of theses verses have been fulfilled. We owe it to ourselves to consider all viewpoints, and do some research ourselves before coming to a conclusion.
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...Rev. 12:6. Don't you love a good riddle? Has this prophetic text been fulfilled? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
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