The Second Half

Temple Baptist Church - 5-16-2021

Revelation 12:9-17

 

A.  The first half or 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period are now history and it was “hell on earth” for those inhabitants that were left behind. 

 

1.  By “left behind,” I am speaking of those who heard a clear presentation of the gospel prior to the Rapture of God’s Church, received “strong delusion,” believed a lie and are the “walking dead” of humanity.  Alive with no hope of eternal salvation!

 

2.  Ignorant men have both written and received the “Left Behind Series” which in no way lines up with the Scriptures.  There will be no second chances after the Rapture for those who have heard a clear presentation of the gospel prior.

 

3.  Those who have never had a clear presentation of the gospel prior to the Rapture of God’s Church and will have opportunity to hear (through the witness of the 144,000 and an angel who will be preaching the Everlasting Gospel) and be saved.

 

B.  Now, let us look at prophecies concerning the second half. 

 

C.  Verses 10-11. 

 

1.  First, we see a multitude which cannot be numbered were saved under the witness of the 144,000.  Multitudes have been saved in the first half.  Those mentioned are the souls under the altar who were martyred during the reign of Anti-Christ. 

 

Revelation 6:9-11  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:  (10)  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?  (11)  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

 

Revelation 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

 

Revelation 7:13-17  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?  (14)  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  (15)  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.  (16)  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.  (17)  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

 

Their salvation is through the blood of Christ (7:14) and their suffering is no more through the comfort and provision of Christ in heaven (7:15-17).

 

2.  Second, we see a multitude which cannot be number being saved during the second half of the Tribulation Period through the witness of an angel.

 

Revelation 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

 

Revelation 12:10-11 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.  (11)  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.

 

a)  These are saved by the blood of the Lamb.  Verse 10 – “brethren”

 

b)  These overcome through the blood of the Lamb.  Verse 11.

 

c)  These overcome by the word of their testimony.  Verse 11.

 

d)  These are martyred because of their faith.  Verse 11.

 

D.  Verse 12.

 

1.  Heaven is rejoicing because of Satan’s defeat and cast down to the earth never to return.

 

2.  A woe is pronounced to the inhabitants of the earth because Satan comes down having great wrath.  You think Satan is destroying today, his fall will create far greater consequences!

 

Isaiah 14:16-17  They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;  (17)  That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

 

E.  Verses 13-16.

 

1.  Verse 13, Satan turns his hatred and wrath upon Israel because it was the Nation of Israel that gave birth to Jesus Christ, the Promised Seed of the Woman—Messiah of the Nation of Israel—and Saviour of the World.

 

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

 

2.  Verse 14, God supernaturally hides Israel in “her place” from the face of the serpent, where she is “nourished” for 3 ½ years (“time, times, and half a time”—three and one half years, forty two months, or 1260 days).

 

Revelation 12:14  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.  (Some teach that the “two wings of a great eagle speak of a great airlift that will carry Israel away but I personally believe that is the power of God that carries them.  I do not think that “her place” will be in Petra, the Hidden City of the Dead, because many people think that, and Satan knows where Petra is.)

 

I said that I believe that God supernaturally hides Israel from all prying eyes including Satan’s.  Here are a couple of examples as to what God can do.

 

Luke 4:29-30  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.  (30)  But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

 

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.

 

3.  Verse 15.  Satan’s followers on earth will seek to find Israel but cannot.  “Water” is a metaphor for masses of humanity as Satan sends his followers on earth to find and destroy Israel.

 

Revelation 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

 

4.  Verse 16.  Whatever Satan uses to try to find and destroy Israel, God will again use supernatural means to thwart his plans. 

 

Revelation 12:16  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.

 

Jacob’s Trouble or the Tribulation Period is not about Satan punishing or taking his wrath out upon Israel.  It is about Daniel’s Seventy Week, where God will once again deal personally with Israel and use this time to restore Israel (graft the natural branch back in) for His glory.  This is between God and Israel!

 

F.  Verse 17.  When Satan cannot find Israel, he will turn his wrath upon those Jews that have converted to Christ and are not hidden.  These have “the testimony of Jesus Christ” and Satan hates them.

 

Revelation 12:17  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.