BIRTH PANG NUMBER 39
The Remnant of Israel,
Past, Present and Future!
Part 4
March 9, 2002
Revelation 12:6
[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.
The woman is Israel and the wilderness is the Negev of Israel. I will not spend any time elaborating on this
verse. Prophecy Updates 5 through 11,
found in our Prophecy Archives, contain more information on this verse than you
could ever use in expositing on it.
Revelation 12:7,8
[7] And there was war in heaven: Michael and his
angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, [8] And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in
heaven.
Revelation 12:4 indicated that when Lucifer left
Heaven he took about one-third of the angelic host with him. However, the book of Job clearly indicates
that Satan still has access to God’s presence in heaven at God’s invitation.
Job 1:6,7
[6] Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. [7] And the
Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest
thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From
going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
While it is true that Satan’s appearances, in the
Heaven where God the Father dwells, are rather rare, it is evident that he has
never been completely cut off from access to Him. And here, in Revelation 12:7, we are advised
that a great spiritual battle will occur in Heaven between Michael and his
angels and Satan and his angels. In
verse eight we are advised that Satan’s spiritual army loses. Furthermore, verse eight also tells us that
Satan and his hoard will never again be allowed in the Heaven where God
dwells. This great spiritual battle is
still future, but will be occurring after Israel flees into the Negev wilderness. It will end with Satan being cast permanently
out of heaven.
Revelation 12:9
[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.
This confining of Satan to the earth will mark the
point in time that Satan enters the body of the man of sin (anti-Christ), and
thereafter dwells on the earth as Satan incarnate for the rest of the
Tribulation Period.
Revelation 12:10
[10] 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.
At this point in time the rapture of the saved will
be drawing near, and Revelation 12:11 informs us as to how those
who are to be taken will be selected by God.
Revelation 12:11
[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.
Those taken at the rapture did not overcome the
Devil by baptism, by works, tradition, or any other humanistic endeavor. They “overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb.” It is our faith that His
sacrifice of His body, and of His blood, for our sins was more than enough to
save us from what we are by birth and by our inherited nature, sinners
separated from God, who must have a savior.
We are born-again by belief in His Word that the Overcomer,
Jesus Christ, will make his abode in us to live His life in us.
I John 5:4,5 + John 3:7 + I Peter 1:23 + Galatians 2:20,21
[4] For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. [5] Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is
the Son of God? [7]
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. [23]
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth
for ever. [20] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself
for me. [21] I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
If you have been born again of God, you have
overcome the world by His shed blood sacrifice for your sinful state. Faith allows you to have obtained the victory
over the world by His power. It is your
belief in the sacrificial offering of the sinless Son of man, Jesus Christ, the
living Son of God, as the all-sufficient price for your complete salvation, that causes you to be identified as an “overcomer.”
I Peter 1:18,19
+ Revelation 1:5 + Hebrews 10:14
[18] Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [5] And from Jesus
Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and
the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, [14] For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.