by Rev. Ken Symes
Revelation chapters 12-14 form one prophecy referencing events covering at least 2,000 years. These referenced events take us from the birth of Messiah to His supervision over the Divine judgments in the closing days of the outpouring of God’s wrath on an evil and rebellious world (cf. Revelation 12:5; 14:14, 20).
THE WOMAN
In verse one we see the first “great wonder” in heaven. The woman is not actually in heaven but on earth. It is the sign (wonder) that is in heaven. She is described as “a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” This reminds us of the dreams of Joseph (Genesis 37:9) in which the future glory of Israel is symbolized by the crown with twelve stars. The nation of Israel is often referred to as a woman who is the wife of the LORD (cf. Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 31:32; Ezekiel 16:32). This woman is the nation of Israel. According to verse 5, this woman “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.” This could be no other than Jesus, the Son of God.
THE DRAGON
“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon…” (vv. 3, 4). Here Satan is presented at his worst (cf. Revelation 20:2; Ezekiel 29:3-4). He is described as “red” denoting his murderous nature. In verse 4 his tail, symbolizing his power, sweeps through the heavens drawing one third of the angels, symbolized as stars (cf. Job 38:7), into his evil web. From the moment that Satan became full of himself and determined to replace God as the ruler of this world, he knew in order to do that, he had to destroy Israel so that the true God could not fulfill His unconditional promises to her.
Knowing that the Messiah, the seed of woman, would come through Israel, the one who would ultimately destroy him, he immediately focused on the woman to destroy the child before He is born. But He was born and when his attempts to persuade the Messiah to follow him failed, he sought to destroy Him. And in so doing, God’s redemptive purpose and plan was fulfilled at Calvary, leaving Satan no other alternative but to destroy Israel.
THE DELIVERANCE
The hatred of the Jew is satanically inspired. In order to rule, Satan must destroy Israel and the Jew. Verses 7 to 10 relate back to Daniel 12:1. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of the people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Notice the source of their deliverance: “And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death,” Revelation 12:11. This is Yeshua, Jesus, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.
God promised Abraham that “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3). Anti-Semitism, in whatever form, aligns one with Satan and his hatred of God, Israel, and the Jewish people. Anti-Semitism brings the cursing of God upon the one who practices it.