Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Revelation 12:1-2
Mar 29th, 2009
CommentaryArt Sadlier
Categories: Prophecy;Inspirational;Book Study

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:" Rev. 12:1.

Notice a "great wonder", this word also means sign. This is an important sign, a sign of great meaning and significance.

"A woman clothed with the sun," Who is this woman?

There four symbolic women in the book of Revelation who are symbols of religion.

The FIRST one is called Jezebel, she represents paganism. We read about her in Rev., 2:20, this symbol is taken from a real woman who was alive during Elijah's day. She was a woman who led Israel into idolatry.

The SECOND one is the harlot, Rev. 17:1-2.  A woman who is unfaithful to her husband is called a harlot. A church that is unfaithful to Christ her Lord is a harlot church. This woman is a symbol of apostate Christianity during the tribulation period.

The THIRD one is the Lamb's wife, the Bride of Christ, Rev. 21: 9, a symbol of true Christianity.

The FOURTH one found here in Rev. 12:1 is a symbol of Israel. The scripture is always the best commentary on scripture. To discover this symbol we go to Gen. 37:9-10, we have there the meaning of this symbol, which is the nation of Israel.  This woman cannot be Mary, compare Rev. 12: 13-14.  Mary did bring forth Jesus, but Mary does not flee into the wilderness at the mid tribulation point. The scripture tells us who does in Matthew 24: 15-20. Though Jesus was born of Mary, yet in a very real sense it was Israel that brought forth the Messiah. He was the seed of Abraham and David and of the royal line, stretching down over the centuries. The woman cannot be the Church, the church did not bring forth Jesus; Jesus brought the church. Israel is the theme of chapter 12, that is the key.

Verse 2, ''Ànd she being with child, cried travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered." The child is none other than Christ, verse 5 confirms this. We see in this verse the Incarnation, the Ascension and the Second coming. ''Travailing'' - ''Pained'', these verbs are present tense, indicating continuous action, thats how Israel laboured for centuries to bring forth Christ as Messiah.

But there is a second birth alluded to in this chapter as well, the spiritual birth of the nation of Israel which is yet to come. Remember the story of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37, Israel was spiritually dead and miraculously restored to spiritual life. ( Read Ezekiel 37: 1-14)  Revelation 12 is dealing the spiritual rebirth of Israel during the last half of the tribulation period.

In Matthew 24:7 we have description some of the tribulations of that time. In verse 8, ''All these are the beginnings of sorrows,'' the Greek word "sorrows" speaks of the pain of a woman giving birth.  ''Beginning of sorrows'', speak of the first half of the tribulation period. Those birth pains will intensify in the last half of the tribulation period, verse 21 tells us that. "Great tribulation", that represents the final labour pains in which Israel will be reborn spiritually as a nation. In Jeremiah 30:7 that period is called ''Jacob's trouble'', Jeremiah goes on to say, ''He (Israel) shall be saved out of it'', that speaks of Israel being reborn spiritually at the end of the tribulation period. That is the topic of chapter twelve.

Global Government is Finally At Hand
Mar 29th, 2009
Weekly CommentaryArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;World Government;Prophecy

The first attempt at global government occurred at the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Satan had fallen from grace because he sought to usurp God's kingdom and replace God as the ruler of the universe. The book of Revelation tells us of a great final attempt of Satan to establish a world wide kingdom in the last days.

For some years now there has been a tremendous effort to produce a World Government.

Henry Lamb has stated," For such a system of 'governance' to work there must be a procedure for making laws and rules, an independent revenue stream, and a mechanism for enforcement. The rule-making procedure is well established. The International Criminal Court provides the basis for enforcement. But the absence, so far, of an independent revenue stream has prevented the United Nations from becoming the world government so many have envisioned for so long. The current economic crisis is the excuse needed to create a global mechanism to control the global economy and siphon off an independent revenue stream for the world government."

Before he left office, President Bush called a meeting of the G20 to set the agenda for an April [2009] meeting in London. They hope to create a global system to finally control the global economy. Whatever structure that comes out of the meeting, it will likely be empowered to control the global economy and to connect economic actions with ecological and social justice issues as well - just as prescribed by the Commission on Global Governance.

It would seem that we stand on the threshold of the establishment of the mechanism to finally bring about Global Government.

It seems that America is the obstacle standing in the way, America must be neutralized to allow the forces who desire global government to have their way.

Henry Lamb says: "Today, opposition to global governance has diminished in Congress and has vanished from the White House. With eyes wide open, the United States is welcoming global governance. This administration, with approval of the majority of Congress, will cede our sovereignty to an international system that is beyond accountability and devoid of morality. The U.N. is eager to fund its nefarious adventures with money placed under its care by those who bought the promise of hope and blindly voted for change."

He goes on to say, "Once the U.N. has an independent revenue stream to fund its "peacekeeping" forces, which can enforce treaties and the decrees of the International Criminal Court, there will be no force on earth with the power to overthrow it. When the United States realizes the true cost global governance, it will be much too late. The U.N. will control the flow of both money and energy available to the U.S."

He concludes, "Obama and the current congressional majority will be long gone, leaving the next generation to curse their parents' stupidity - and only wonder what freedom was."

Those who understand the Word of God know that there is a far more significant purpose behind this whole movement. Satan is seeking to fulfill his long sought goal he declared in Isaiah 14: 13-14, "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exhalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high." Satan desires to rule over this world and to put his man on the throne through whom he will rule.

World government is being established in preparation for the ruler of the Revived Roman Empire, the Anti-christ to come to power. Satan is doing what he always does, he works through men, deceiving them to accomplish his purposes.

We read about the final form of this coming World Government in Revelation 13:7-8, "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundations of the world."

Verse 15-17, shines more light on this soon coming kingdom, "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

For the believer there is good news in the midst of the coming darkness, before this world ruler comes upon the scene, we will be caught up to be with Christ forever. The trumpet is soon to sound!