TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY IN BIBLE PROPHECY
Lesson 28: A prophetic recap of a spiritual war between God and Satan
and the role Israel, China, and the U.S. will play in that
war during the last days of the age.
I A review of some of Satan's past attempts to destroy Israel.
4b and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to
be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was
born (Rev. 12:4b).
A After introducing Red China as Satan's premier standard
bearer in the last days, the narrative abruptly shifts
back to the woman with child in verse 2 and reviews a
past battle, in the war between God and Satan, which
took place in Egypt.
B Jacob's twelve sons settled in Egypt where they
eventually became so numerous that the Egyptians felt
threatened by them.
C It was at this time that Satan's tool, the Pharaoh of
Egypt, decreed that all males born to the Israelites
should be cast into the river.
D Why did Satan attempt to kill all Jewish males at birth
in ancient Egypt?
1 Satan knew that God's Son of promise was to come
through the nation of Israel.
2 Satan also knew that if God's promised child was
killed, "as soon as it was born," Christ would not be
able to fulfill His mission of rescuing the human
race from eternal destruction.
E Satan's plan to annihilate Israel was thwarted when the
parents of a child named Moses devised a plan to save
their baby's life.
F Moses escaped death and eventually led the Israelites
out of Egypt to their own land and safety.
G Thus, the Hebrew nation survived Satan's attack and
several generations later the promised Son of God 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 (Rev. 12:5).
A The birth of Christ fulfilled the promises to the nation
of Israel concerning the arrival and mission of God's
promised child.
13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a
small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my
God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and
shall call his name Immanuel (Isa. 7:13-14).
B "And her child was caught up unto God, and to his
throne" refers to the fact that although Christ died, He
conquered death, when He arose from the grave and
returned to God the Father in heaven.
C When Christ ascended in open daylight in the presence of
His apostles, He confirmed the truth and power of the
Christian faith.
II The narrative then returns to the Sixth Trumpet War and the
events that will take place during Red China's invasion of
Israel.
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 (Rev. 12:6).
A As the Chinese come sweeping into Israel many of the
people will flee to the wilderness, probably the Sinai
desert area to the south.
B The prophecy then states that "they" feed her there for
a thousand two hundred and threescore days (about 3 1/2
years), but it does not say who "they" are until later.
III The narrative then returns to a past spiritual battle that
took place in heaven.
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.
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.
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.
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 (Rev. 12:7-11).
A In this battle Satan and his angels were defeated and
confined to the Earth.
B Jesus spoke of this impending battle just before His
death.
27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?
Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came
I unto this hour.
28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice
from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will
glorify it again.
29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it,
said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to
him.
30 Jesus answered and said, this voice came not because
of me, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the
prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die
(John 12:27-33).
1 According to this passage, Satan, "the prince of this
world," was "cast out" of heaven when Christ died on
the cross and took the judgment of every man on
Himself.
a Satan thought he had won the battle when Christ died
on the cross.
b However, death could not hold Christ since God accepted His perfect life and death as payment for the sins of all mankind.
2 Hence, when Christ arose from the grave He not only
conquered death, but Satan who had the power of death.
C Christ's victory at once made it impossible for Satan to
accuse Christ's followers in heaven "before our God day
and night" since they were henceforth vested with the
power to overcome Satan "by the blood of the Lamb."
D Christ's death and resurrection also marked the beginning of the kingdom of God which He spoke of when He started His ministry.
E In order for a man to become a living member of the
kingdom of God he must realize that he has fallen short
of what God intended him to be, repent, by asking God's
forgiveness, and believe the gospel--eternal life
through faith in Jesus Christ.
IV Satan continued to persecute Israel after Christ's victory
over death and will continue to do so until Christ returns
and sets up His earthly kingdom.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in
them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!
For the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth,
he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child
(Rev. 12:12-13).
A About A.D. 70, just a few years after Jesus was rejected
by Israel's leaders, the Romans conquered and destroyed
Jerusalem and carried the Jews into captivity.
B This was another of Satan's all-out attempts to destroy
Israel.
V The narrative then explains how the United States Air Force
will remove Israeli civilians from the path of Red China's
invading forces during the Sixth Trumpet War.
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 (Rev. 12:14).
A The airborne wing of America's armed forces uses "two
wings of a great eagle" to simultaneously represent the
nation under whose flag they fly and their main mission,
which is to defend U.S. airspace.
B God employed this same symbolism to show that America
will use its air power to quickly evacuate Israeli
civilians from the onslaught of Red China's massive
invasion force.
C What does the word "great," in this description of the
"great eagle's" rescue of Jewish civilians, tell us
about the U.S. at this point in the prophetic flow of
post-AWWI events?
1 The word "great" reveals that America will still be a
great power after AWWI.
2 The word "great" confirms for the second time that
the United States will come through AWWI in
relatively good shape.
D Since this verse repeats the earlier account of the
Israelis' flight into the desert, "a thousand two
hundred and three score days" and "a time, and times,
and half a time," represent approximately the same
period of time--3 1/2 years.
E The cross-documentation of this escape reveals that it
will be the Americans who will feed the Israelis in a
desert area for 3 1/2 years, the same period of time
when one world government "beast" will be extending its
control over the entire world.
F Since U.S. peace-keeping troops were sent to the Sinai in
1976, and the 82nd Airborne Division was stationed at
Eitam air base in the Sinai in 1982 (as part of America's
Rapid Deployment Force strategy), it appears "the place
prepared of God" (Rev. 12:6) has already been stocked
with American food and planes to fulfill this prophesied
future rescue.
15 And the serpent cast out of the mouth of him behind the
woman water as a river, in order that he might make her
carried off by the river.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened the
mouth of it and swallowed the river which the dragon cast
out of the mouth of him (Rev. 12:15-16, IGENT).
A The intermixing of Satan's serpent and dragon symbols
and Red China's dragon symbol here is necessary to the
task of explaining Revelation 12's overview of a
spiritual battle between God and Satan and man's
interactions in this battle.
B The serpent in this text identifies Satan's ever present
wrath toward the woman (Israel) as the source of
inspiration for China's plans of conquest which will
culminate in a massive attack against Israel.
C The imagery will find fulfillment in God's nation,
Israel, being attacked by "water as a river" in the form
of Satan's tool, Red China, sending a river of men
against Israel.
D Overflowing waters are often used in scripture to
represent attacking armies.
- Jeremiah used this terminology when he prophesied the
defeat of Pharaoh's army by King Nebuchadnezzar of
Babylon.
7 Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters
are moved as the rivers?
8 Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved
like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will
cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the
inhabitants thereof (Jer. 46:7-8).
E The reference to "the serpent cast out of the mouth of
him behind the woman water as a river" identifies Satan
as the serpent and author of the decision to send a
pursuing force after the fleeing Israelis.
F The language suggests that Red China will use Satan-
inspired anti-American propaganda to incite neighboring
Arab states to turn on the United States for helping the
Israelis escape.
G Since the text does not mention any decisive U.S. action
in the battle, other than U.S. evacuation of Israeli
citizens, it is clear that America will not be able to
intervene effectively against China's massive army on
Israel's behalf.
1 Red China will overrun Israel.
2 But Satan will not be satisfied with land alone, since his real objective is the annihilation of the Jewish people.
3 Hence, Satan will send his river of men after the
fleeing Israelis.
H At this moment of Israel's helplessness, God's earth,
will open "the mouth of it," and swallow up in death (in
some way not specified here) the pursuing force.
I Thus, Satan's attempt to annihilate the Israeli refugee
remnant encamped in the desert will fail.
J Consider the use of pronouns in this last verse.
1 "It," in the phrase, "and the earth opened the mouth
of it," appropriately refers to the earth as "it".
2 But in the phrase, "and swallowed the river which the
dragon cast out of the mouth of him," the dragon is
not referred to as "it."
3 Therefore, "him" has to refer to Satan and not "it,"
the Red Chinese beast, or invading power structure.
4 Yet, water as a river most definitely refers to the
army of men which are swallowed.
5 Thus, Red China, who has belligerently used Satan's
coat of arms for centuries, will become an extension
and tool of Satan himself.
- When Satan speaks, Red China will act accordingly.
VI China's shift of her war against Israel to the rest of the
woman's seed.
17 And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went away
to make war with the rest of the seed of her, the ones
keeping the commandments of God and having the witness of
Jesus; (Rev. 12:17, IGENT).
A The failure to completely crush Israel will infuriate
China's leaders, but at least a defeated Israel will not
be a focal point for conflict with her Arab neighbors.
B This fact will help the nations work toward their goal
of unity and peace.
C China will let the refugees remain in the desert and
go about the task of establishing complete control over
the world's nations.
D To obtain this goal China will make every effort to
crush the opposition--"the rest of the seed of her, the
ones keeping the commandments of God and having the
witness of Jesus."
E In a spiritual sense, all who keep the witness of Jesus
are the seed, or descendants of Israel.
- They are the "rest of the seed," the wild olive branches "grafted in among them" (Rom. 11:17).
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are
all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3:28-29).
F China, therefore, from this point on in the tribulation,
will direct her rage at the world's Christians, and
especially U.S. Christians whose influence will cause
the U.S. to intervene on Israel's behalf.
18 And he stood on the sand of the sea (Rev. 12:18, IGENT).
A The chapter ends with Red China standing on the "sand of
the sea."
B In other words, in the days following the Sixth Trumpet
World War China will emerge from the sea of people on the
earth to the position of the world's number one power.