Temple Baptist Church - 4-18-2021
Revelation 12:4-6
Revelation 12:4-6 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (5) And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
A. We have now discussed the three “players” found in heaven before the foundations of the world were laid. They were found in the mind of God’s foreknowledge in eternity past.
1. The Woman is Israel, God’s covenant people. Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
2. The Child is the Messiah, the Seed of the Woman. Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
3. The Great Red Dragon, Lucifer AKA Satan. Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
B. God has a Purpose. It cannot be changed or thwarted.
Isaiah 46:9-11 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (11) Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
C. Satan has a Plan.
1. His Plan to destroy the Woman’s Seed. Genesis 4:8-12 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (9) And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? (10) And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. (11) And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; (12) When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
2. His Plan to destroy Israel.
His Plan to Bypass The Promised Seed – Genesis 16:1-2 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. (2) And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
His Plan to Destroy A Father of Israel – Genesis 27:39-41 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; (40) And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. (41) And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
His Plan to Kill Israel’s Deliverer – Exodus 1:15-17 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: (16) And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. (17) But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
His Plan to Stop Israel’s Throne – 1 Samuel 19:2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
His Plan to Defile Israel’s King – 1 Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
His Plan to Withstand Israel’s Priesthood – Zechariah 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
The List could go on at this point.
3. His Plan to Destroy the Christ.
At Christ’s Birth – Matthew 2:16-18 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. (17) Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, (18) In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
During Christ’s Life – Luke 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
John 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Before Christ’s Propitiation - Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Matthew 27:26-27 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (27) Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
Through Christ’s scourging and the beatings that He endured, a normal man would not have lived to be crucified. His crucifixion was essential to our propitiation and salvation!
D. God Hides Israel – Verse 6.
1. God’s Warning to Israel – Matthew 24:15-22 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: (18) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. (19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! (20) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
2. God’s Hiding of Israel – “where she hath a place prepared of God.”
There has been much speculation as to where God will hide Israel. Most theologians say that He will hide them at Petra, the Hidden City. This city carved into the face of cliffs is found in southern Jordan. It is a Cave City that covers over 30 square miles.
The city of Petra was established as a trading post by the Nabateans, an Arab Bedouin tribe indigenous to the region in what is now southwestern Jordan. The Nabateans living and trading in Petra soon accumulated a significant amount of wealth, and an envious Greek Empire attacked the city in 312 B.C.
I personally put no confidence in Petra because: a) Satan know where Petra is and b) God will hide Israel, an entire nation where no one can find her! Israel will be hidden for 3 ½ years or until the end of the Tribulation Period until she beholds the Deliverer, her Lord and Messiah, Jesus Christ.
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