Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Revelation 12:6
May 3rd, 2009
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Inspirational;Book Study

"And the woman fled into the wilderness,"  We have established that the woman represents Israel.  In verse 4, we saw Israel laboring over the centuries to bring forth the Messiah. Then we saw the Messiah caught up to heaven after He had purchased redemption for man. This is the fulfillment of both Heb. 10:12,13 and Psalm 110:1, where it says, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enmies thy footstool."

That is the scene today, Christ sitting at the Father's right hand, see Ephesians 1:20,21.  That scene will continue throughout the tribulation period as the Father works to bring Satan down. Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit and Christ will come and rule on the throne of David, see Phillipians 2:9-11. Christ's ascension is proof of Satan's failure.

Although Satan continues opposing Christ by attacking the Church, which is Christ's earthly Body, there is victory in Christ. The method of this victory is revealed in Ephesians 6:10-13.  Also God's plan is revealed in James 4:7.

There is a great time lapse between verse 5 and 6,  verse 5 ends with the ascension Christ. In verse 6, we now view the woman, Israel, at the mid point of the tribulation period. That time laspse is now about two thousand years. The Church is not mentioned because when the Church began at Pentecost, the nation of Israel was temporarily set aside.The Apostle Paul reminded us of this in Romans 11:25, "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in"

The events of verse 6 take place when God is dealing with Israel again. The Church will be raptured from the earth, the Antichrist will appear on the scene and sign a 7 year false peace with Israel. Antichrist will allow Israel to rebuild the Temple and re-establish the worship. Satan has a purpose in this re-establishment of the Temple. He wants to be worshipped as God has been worshipped and he wants to be worshipped in the very place where God has been worshipped.

Jesus tells us about Satan's man, antichrist, and his move to set up himself to be worshipped at the mid-trib point. See Matthew 24:15-21. Verse 6 opens with this scenario of Israel fleeing into the wilderness. God is not caught by surprise as Satan tries to destroy Israel to fascilitate the world's worship of him. Notice God's response to this situation, "Where she hath a place prepared of God". God has a prepared place for His people as antichrist in a rage seeks to utterly destroy Israel from the face of the earth.  There is the suggestion that the prepared place is the mountain fortress of Petra. In Zechariah 13:8-9 we read how Satan will destroy two thirds of the nation of Israel and that one third will be preserved by God.

It will be during that time that God will deal with the remnant of His people and bring them back to Himself. We read about that in Zechariah 13:9. Notice God dealing with Israel during that time, "That they feed her", verse 6. God will provide for the remnant, while antichrist and Satan seek to destroy them.

I think we have a picture of this protection of God for His people, it is found in Exodus where God hides Israel in a cloud so that pharoah cannot find her and destroy her.

The verse closes with the revelation of the time frame of this situation, "a thousand two hundred and threescore days,"  This is obviously the last half of the tribulation period.  Today the whole world is set against Israel, the Islamic nations are vowing to utterly remove Israel from the face of the earth.  Satan is even now preparing men to launch this final assault, we tremble for this people and nations, as they are blinded to their awful fate. There will be three stages to their destruction. First will be the war of Ezekiel 38-39 when the Islamic nations and Russia will be dealt with. Secondly, the battle of Armegeddon when all nations will be destroyed.  Thirdly, there will be the sheep and the goat judgment of Matthew 25:31-33,41.