This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark
Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland,
County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he
continues teaching through God's Word.
A weapon so odd, you see, how he did this, or what he did here,
or how he treated his wife, or how he was ignorant and, you
know, with his kids, or how he was slothful in his job, or how
he had a lustful thorough or an unforgiving heart or a bitter
attitude. All these things that we still
struggle with as human beings that we asked the Lord to free
us from so that we can walk closer to Him and be more holy
and pure as He's holy. But we all still fail, don't we?
And that's why we continually live in repentance that we say
to the Lord, Lord, please forgive me, I don't want to be
like that. I don't want to act like that.
I don't want to do that. And the Lord is faithful to help
us and grow us and mature us. It seems that some Christians
have a wrong understanding of repentance.
They think that repentance is something that you do once and
then you have your golden ticket into heaven.
As we just heard from Pastor Clark, repentance is a heart
position. It's an ongoing way of living.
As a follower of Jesus, you should be consistently asking
God to reveal the areas of your life that are not pleasing to
Him. And when He reveals them, you
confess, repent, and then walk in the holiness provided by the
cross. Now here's Pastor Clark in
Revelation Chapter 12 with today's edition of Living Waters
of Grace. Revelation chapter 12, Verse
one. 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 12 stars.
Then being with child, she cried out in labour and and in pain to
give birth. And another sign appeared in
heaven. Behold, a great fiery red
dragon, having 7 heads and 10 horns and seven diadems on his
head. 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 she bore
a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and
her child was caught up to God in his throne.
Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place
prepared by God that they should feed her there at 1260 days.
As we study this Book of Revelation, it is a very, very
difficult book to to teach on because there's so much imagery
and so much allegory. And yet at the same time,
there's literal things that we have to be aware of that are
going to eventually come to pass.
And I think the danger whenever you teach prophecy and you're
involved with teaching things that are futuristic, we all have
a tendency to sometimes just like be interested in
information and gather perspective and think about
times and seasons and that kind of stuff.
But my heart as as a pastor is it that this word is not this
information that somehow today in the midst of this study,
you're going to encounter the Lord yourself in a deeper way.
Christ is going to become more real to you that he's going to
speak to you independent of even what I say is the thoughts go
out in your mind as you hear these scriptures.
You begin to think about the greatness of our God as we sang
in that worship song worthy is the lamb.
It was slain before the foundation of the earth.
So we'll go through this slowly this morning.
I looking at this chapter 12. We have a little bit extra time
today because of the agape lunch.
So the sermon sermon normally is about, you know, 3540 minutes a
day. It'll probably be about 5 hours.
So I hope you can have this kid. I see some of our visitors
saying, well, it was nice seeing you guys.
We're out of here. But anyway, verse one, the woman
is described in heavenly images. Now some people as they study
this would think that this woman is Mary, the Virgin Mary, but
that isn't the case and we'll get into why that is not the
proper interpretation of what this is all about.
Whenever the Scriptures are teaching in Revelation these
wild scenes in heaven, we have to keep in mind that many times
these are allegories. And allegory is something that
gives us a picture of a sign that will one day come to pass.
Not the literal fixture, excuse me, picture of a dragon with 10
horns or 7 crowns, that kind of stuff.
And so we're going to think about this from a historical
perspective, especially what's been lined, laid out for us in
the book of Daniel. But this is a first of seven
signs, this first verse that John relates to describing the,
the, the great sign. And the first sign is, is the
greatest sign because it's referring to the nation of
Israel and also the Messiah. But as we look at chapter 12
today and eventually 13 and 14, the main figures of this great
tribulation will be described. And the great sign introduces
the first of the seven this morning.
And verse one, the woman who represents Israel #2 The second
sign is the dragon that represents Satan #3 the manchild
represents Jesus #4 the Angel Michael.
Michael the Archangel head of the angelic army.
The 5th sign is the offspring of the woman which will be the
Gentiles who come to faith in the tribulation Number six.
The beast out of the sea represents the Antichrist #7 The
beast out of the earth represents the false prophet who
will promote the Antichrist. Basically the PR agent who's
going to go around and really advertise the signs and wonders
of of Antichrist. Now we see that this woman is
clothed with the sun. And as I said, the Bible uses
these allegories and allegories communicate a message by means
of symbolic figures. So there's no literal appearance
of of this woman in a feminine form.
But in the Scriptures, women often represent religious
systems. In Revelation and other books of
the Bible, we're told in Revelation chapter 220 about
Jezebel, that's the system of the false teaching that the
Christ is warning the church about in the last days.
Revelation 17 two talks about the great harlot who's
associated with false religion. In Revelation 19, seven through
8, it refers to the bride of Christ associated with us, the
church. So the woman's clothes with the
sun and has this interesting picture of a of a moon under her
feet and on her head a Garland of 12 stars.
Now Genesis chapter 37 talks about the dream that Joseph had
and Joseph obviously descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
God said that through the those guys, their seed, the nations of
the earth would one day be blessed.
So the sun represents in this particular section of revelation
the the person of Jacob. The moon represents Joseph's
mother, Rachel, and the 11 stars represent the sons of Israel,
which bow down to Joseph in the dream.
In this particular sign of revelation, Joseph is now among
the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel.
And so we see in the Old Testament passages regarding
Israel referred to as Zion. Jerusalem is often represented
as a woman. And we don't have time to go
into all the verses. You can check them out later.
Isaiah 54, one through 6. Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 20,
Ezekiel chapter 16 verse 8 through 14, and Hosea chapter 2
verses 19 and 20. If you look those verses up,
you'll find it amazing that the scriptures utilize the feminine
person as the as the nation of Israel.
And so we see in verse 2 that this woman is with child and she
cries out in labor and pain to give birth.
And these are signs of the coming of the Lord when the
earth begins to have this sense of uneasiness and and pain and
and difficulty. It's giving us the indication
that the Messiah is on his way to draw us out of this world for
the rapture of the church and eventually at the end of the
tribulation, the second coming of Christ.
So we believe as a church and as an evangelical body in the world
these days that we are in the last days and the birth pangs
are already being made Evan evident, especially what's
happening in the nation of Israel right now and the Mideast
nations wanting to destroy Israel.
Every day you look on the on the Internet and you can see some
rogue nation, it's speaking and violently against the
destruction of the nation of Israel.
And so the woman gives birth. And if we compare this with
verse 5, it says 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. So it helps us to see very, very
clearly that this is referring to Jesus.
It says during the millennial Kingdom he will roll the earth
for 1000 years with a rod of iron, meaning that everything
will be under his authority. Like right now, even though God
reigns and he's in charge and mankind still has this desire to
be evil and to do evil and corrupt things, and horrible
things happen every day because of sin.
But when Christ comes and rules that thousand a year, everything
will be under control. There won't be all these
horrible things happening in a daily basis because Christ will
be rolling and reigning from his throne in Jerusalem for that
1000 years. So we see through this prophecy
in verse 5 and this statement that the apostle John makes that
this is clear that this is Jesus, the Christ is the Son of
the living God. And the labor pain that Israel
is experiencing describes the trials that Israel is currently
going through and also will go through in greater degree in the
last days. Think about what Israel went
through during Christ's birth under the oppression of the
ungodly nation of Rome. Jews since the beginning of time
have been the most hated race on the face of the earth.
Why is that? Well, the Bible declares the
Jews to be God's chosen race, His chosen nation.
Paul says in Romans the common is well the Jews didn't receive
Messiah and so Christ had to bring the gospel to the
Gentiles. And so many of us as Gentiles
have been born into the Kingdom of God over the last 2000 years
where the majority of the Jewish nation is still Pagan.
Although there's a resurgence of many Jews coming to recognize
Christ getting saved and and of course restored to their
homeland in 1948 as a a literal nation.
I mean a lot of exciting things have happened over the last 60
years, but the power of the Holy Spirit being poured out in that
nation will begin to really be experienced in a great degree
during the last 3 1/2 years of that tribulation where many Jews
will recognize that Christ is a Messiah.
Many of them will be spared and protected the wrath of the
Antichrist during that time as they're going to be hid in a
special place. Many of them won't recognize
that Jesus is truly the Messiah until he descends.
And it says every eye will see him.
And it says of those folks at that time who are alive, they'll
look up and see him whom they've pierced and recognize that he's
the Savior and they'll become believers at that very, very
point in time. So we we see this, this labor
pain that is beginning to be experienced a greater degree
even in our own time today. And in verse 3, it says another
sign appeared in heaven. And this is a really interesting
creature, gives a lot to your imagination.
And this is a fearful dragon that appears again, a sign, an
allegory. The dragon represents the nature
of this individual. He's one who has fierce power.
He has a murderous nature. And this is the picture of the
epitome or fullness of evil. The seven heads, the crown's
represent him claiming royal authority.
We know in the middle of the tribulation he's going to set
himself up in the rebuilt Tabernacle and set himself up
with audacity and claim that he is God and that he is demanded
to be worshipped. And many people will be deceived
thinking that he's he's the Messiah.
He's the one that they were waiting for.
The 10 horns represent the 10 kingdoms that will come into
power at this time. There will be 10 nation
confederacy. Some people believe this is the
precursor of the European Union that's in place right now.
Years ago, we used to think this is the revived Roman Empire.
But as time goes on and we get a more of a picture as to what's
happening on world events, we're much more aware now that this
possibly might be this Mideast confederation made-up of
countries like Iraq and Iran, Afghanistan, Northern Africa.
It's just all those who truly are haters presently of Israel.
So we'll have to wait and see how that all developed.
But the parallel to this verse that we're looking at in verse 3
comes from Daniel Chapter 7 verse 7 and 8.
And that's something, again, in your own time you can look at.
But it talks about these 10 nation confederacy or this
influential power that will support the leadership of the
Antichrist will be subdued by the little horn.
The little horn is referred to in Daniel 7 Chapter 7 verse 8 as
Antichrist and he's identified as the world roller of the great
Tribulation who will reign over this 10 nation power block.
In verse 4 we see the dragon looking to earth.
He drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the
earth. We see at this time that even
though we studied a few weeks ago about the original upset of
Lucifer in the throne room of God, he was the highest created
Angel to reflect the glory of God.
He became proud, wanted people to worship him.
He wanted to set himself up as God.
And of course he was cast from the heaven at that time with
many of the angels. But we also see the interesting
aspect though, that the fulfillment of the completeness
of this event really doesn't come to pass until this middle
of the tribulation. Because right now the Bible
tells us that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood in
Ephesians chapter 6, but principalities and powers, the
rulers of darkness who are at work in this present world.
So we have this celestial battle that's going on even as we
speak, even today as a word of God is being preached around the
world in Bible teaching churches.
There's the force of the darkness that would want to come
and divide into prevent the word from going forth.
But then God's angels stand there with the sword defending
the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the Church of Jesus
Christ, so that the work can be done.
And that's why Jesus says I will build my church and the gates of
hell will not prevail against it.
That gives us great confidence, doesn't it, to know that the
Lord is able and faithful to accomplish his will regardless
of the attacks that come against his Kingdom.
And so we, we see that at this particular point in time,
though, there's this, if you may, parenthetical moment of
separation between 2 events here and the dragon referring to
Satan will literally be cast out of the acts having access to the
heavenly throne of God. You know, and Job, Satan has
access to the throne. It's a mystery.
And he goes, what about your servant Job?
You know, you, you've protected him.
How about if I hassle him and bring us some trials into his
life, he'll end up rejecting you and cursing you and and God, God
gives him permission to deal with with Job.
Of course Job didn't deny deny God and he stayed faithful.
But it's interesting though, that even as we speak, Satan is
described as the accuser of the brethren, right?
He goes before the throne of God.
The Bible says night and day, accusing you and me as God's
children for all the things that we've messed up in a weapon.
So odd. You see how he did this or what
he did here or how he treated his wife or how he was ignorant
and you know, with his kids, or how he was slothful in his job,
or how he had a lustful thought or an unforgiving heart or a
bitter attitude. All these things that we still
struggle with as human beings that we ask the Lord to free us
from so that we can walk closer to him and be more holy and pure
as he's holy. But we all still fail, don't we?
And that's why we continually live in repentance that we say,
the Lord Lord, please forgive me.
I don't want to be like that. I don't want to act like that.
I don't want to do that. And the Lord is faithful to help
us and grow us and mature us. But nonetheless, the enemy has
this access and the angelic dominion of evil enemies of God
are working in this heavenly realm.
Well, at this particular event in verse 4, this is when the
enemy will be cast out of of that capacity, won't have this
access anymore, and 1/3 of the angelic hosts will be with him.
And it's good to realize that in spite of all this occurring, 2/3
of the angelic beings are there to do the bidding and the will
of God. And those two third angels are
also assigned to you and me. All of us, as I said a few weeks
ago, have a guardian Angel, don't we?
We have a Angel that has been assigned to us, The Bible says
in Hebrews aren't a ministering spirit sent forth to minister to
them who are the heirs of salvation.
And so, you know, it's an awesome thing to think about the
fact that the Lord watches over me and you and yet he also has
an emissary, an agent working from his throne room to be with
us personally. And so a lot of us will have to
give that Angel a hug, won't we someday in heaven and say, boy,
you really had to put up with a lot with me.
You know, thank you for for hanging in there.
But anyway, we see that the enemy in verse for his whole
desire was to devour obviously the nation of Israel, but also
the child, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we know way back in Genesis chapter 3, verse 15, when the
first prophetic verse was given to let the whole world know that
in spite of us falling into sin, that God had chosen Messiah, the
sea that would come one day, that would damage the impact of
the evil 1 and thwart his purposes and His will.
But the devil never gives up. You know, the Bible declares
that he's the enemy till the end, till he's cast into the
lake of fire. Someone reminds me all the time,
no matter how things are going in your spiritual life or the
church body or family, the devil's never sleeping.
He's always trying to mess things up.
He comes to steal and to rob and to kill and to destroy.
That's his modus operandi 24/7. He is relentless.
Even though he knows his day one day will be over, that's not
stopping him for doing everything he can to try to
destroy people's lives. And we know in the in the days
of Christ's birth, what did he do with Herod?
Herod was a very evil ruler and he had such an ego that he heard
the prophecy about a king coming and he said I'm the king.
He's worried about a baby. Chances are obviously wouldn't
even be alive when the baby became a full adult to take over
the kingship. And he was so paranoid and it
really influenced by demonic activity and Satan that he sent
the edict out that all the children, the first born males
too would be killed and destroyed.
Of course Christ was spared. We also know that he was rubbing
his hands together whenever Judas was exposed as the one who
would betray Christ. And when he went up and, you
know, betrayed Christ for 40 pieces of silver, and Christ
being taken to the cross, Satan thought he had won the victory,
didn't he? But we know that the cross was
not a place of defeat, was it? The cross was a place of the
enemy actually having all his powers spoiled.
It says in our Colossians that Christ spoiled and disconnected,
so to speak, the satanic dominion of the enemy on the
hearts and souls of human beings.
Because once Christ rose again from the dead, he said it's
finished. He conquered all these
influences, and so it isn't the same now.
And you need to remember that. I think sometimes people get
very paranoid about the devil. Some churches have more focus on
the devil than they do the Lord. They're always talking about
rebuking the devil or casting the demons out or doing this and
that. And Paul never said that.
He said, what do we do? Look unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith, right for the joy that was set down before
him. Despise the cross, yet endured
the shame. You know we're more than
conquerors right in Christ Jesus, so we don't have to worry
about the evil. 1 The Bible says resist the devil and he will
what, flee from you. I don't have to do battle with
him. It's interesting that the
Archangel Michael in Jude verse nine said whenever a lot of
things are going on they were disputing about the whereabouts
of Moses body and all the false teachings that Jude talks about.
He said he would not bring a railing accusation against the
devil right himself. And he's in charge of the
angelic host in the sense of under the authority of Jesus
Christ, Michael the Archangel, he said the Lord rebuke you and
I. I'm very fearful when I hear
people standing out there and shaking their hand at the devil
and thinking that they somehow have the influence to in their
own power and their own name and by their own faith make the
devil run. And the devil, you know, he'll
laugh, he'll say, like you said in the book of the Acts, you
know Peter, I know, Paul, I know.
But who are you? You don't want to mess with that
stuff, right? You want to pray and resist the
devil. And the Bible's clear that
that's our responsibility and the evil one will flee from us.
So we see in verse 5 that this male child who was to rule all
nations, as I said earlier, is the one who will roll with a rod
of iron during the millennial Kingdom.
And this is interesting. And her child was caught up to
to God and his throne. So again, the parenthetical time
period of of the future and at the same time the past when
Christ ascended and the book of the Acts is sit at the right
hand of the father where he ever lives to make intercession for
us before the throne of God night and day.
In verse 6, it talks about the the woman fleeing into the
wilderness. You know, in Matthew chapter 25,
it gives the warning when this time comes to pass.
It says, you know, don't be with child.
I trust your journey won't be in the winter because this will be
the worst time that any kind of event has ever occurred against
the nation of Israel to destroy them.
And so we see this group spoken about in verse 6 is the remnant
of Israel. These are the ones that are
elect by God's grace that don't even know at this particular
point in time, many of them that they'll be part of the body of
the bride of Christ. They don't understand the
concept yet. They still don't know who
Messiah is, many of these people.
But God's going to spare many people and also those who come
to Christ during that time and and Gentiles as well.
In the Book of Revelation, Pastor Clark is taking us
through all kinds of events and happenings that are predicted
for the future. But for those who believe and
follow Jesus, there's much to look forward to in heaven with
Jesus. However, for those who are here
on earth during the Tribulation, there's all kinds of chaos that
will unfold. The Bible talks about an
Antichrist, false prophet, and of course that evil enemy Satan.
Do you see how there are such clever attempts for the enemy to
disguise himself as God and even the Trinity?
The true Savior of the world is God and how he comes to rescue
through his triune nature God the Father, Jesus the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit. Just like Satan tried to take
over for God in heaven was cast out, Satan will try to convince
people on earth that he is the triune God to be worshipped
instead of the legitimate God in heaven.
It's an attempt, and although he will capture plenty in his
schemes, he will not win. The true God wins, and
Revelation unpacks how that will all happen in detail.
Be encouraged because there's a way out for all of this madness
that will ensue on this earth. But you don't want to wait
indefinitely to make that decision about Jesus.
We don't know when the church will be raptured, and you want
to be ready to be with Jesus. To learn more about this, head
over to calvarychapelonline.com. We're so glad you've been with
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