Revelation 12:13-17

(Rev 12:13 KJV)
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Here is the focus of Satan’s wrath and that is the church of Christ. Satan will persecute the true believer throughout the end times but because he is limited he will not be able to spiritually deceive them. The true body of believers is where the divine line lead to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why in Romans 9:6, Paul had stated that not all Israel was of Israel. (Rom 9:6 KJV) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Although the Lord Jesus Christ came through the physical nation of Israel, it was through the spiritual Israel that the divine line came. This is why there must be a differentiation made between the physical Israel and the spiritual Israel which is the redeemed body of believers.

(Rev 12:14 KJV)
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.

(Deu 32:9-12 KJV) For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. {10} 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. {11} As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: {12} So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

Just as God protected Jacob in the wilderness as an eagle bears their young on their wings, so God will be as a great eagle protecting the church from the evil onslaughts of Satan. Again, the wilderness will be the church going into all the world and the time, times, and half a time represents the 1,260 days which is the New Testament period. Satan will be unable to spiritually kill or deceive the true church of God because they will be under His protection. This does not mean that there will not be physical martyrs but these martyrs will hold the true testimony right to the end, which means that Satan could not defeat them. (James 4:7 KJV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. If Satan cannot defeat you because you hold tenaciously to the true Gospel, he will find someone that he can deceive and he will be able to find billions who are steeped in false religion.

(Rev 12:15 KJV)
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.

Satan continues to persecute the church and here he is shown as spewing out of his mouth a great flood so that the church will be carried away by that flood or overwhelmed by it. This imagery of a great flood would refer to the fact that sometimes water or flood will represent a great evil or testing.

(Isa 43:2 KJV) When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

In Isaiah 43:2, we read that God will be with those who go through the waters and the waters would represent the hard times that Christians will go through. It also states that the rivers will not over flow us or better, drown us. In Revelation 12:15, the great flood of persecution which spews from Satan will not be able to drown the church or rather to deceive them. Satan will come against the church with everything he has and that will be like a great flood of evil but as we have already read in many places that God will spiritually protect His children as they trek through the wilderness of this world.

(Rev 12:16 KJV)
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.

(Exo 15:12 KJV) Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

When Korah rebelled against Moses, God had judged that rebellion by allowing the earth to swallow them up as a result of their actions. When Satan will spew his flood of hatred toward the church, the earth, in some manner will also aid them as Satan’s hatred will be swallowed up by the earth. This allusion is a figure showing that God will protect the church during the sojourn on earth. As God protected Moses from the rebellion of Korah, God will protect the church from the ongoing rebellion of Satan.

(Rev 12:17 KJV)
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.

Now that Satan has failed to conquer the eternal church of Christ, his next plan in the war against Christ is to mount a campaign against all the Christians he can. The remnant of the seed of the woman will be all the Christians who become saved till the last day. Those who are truly saved are those who keep the commandments. The way we keep the commandments is through the sacrifice of Christ because He satisfied all the righteous demands of God’s Holy Law and that satisfaction was imputed to every true believer. Satan will continue to attack and persecute Christians until he is finally tossed into the lake of fire on the last day.

 

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