DECEMBER 15 & 16 READING…REVELATION 11-12
It was a crazy busy day yesterday…catching up today. in these two chapters we are introduced to five personages. Once again John will use word pictures to describe each…I believe their identities are clearly shown.
Chapter 11 starts with John being given a measuring rod, and being told to measure the “tribulation temple”…but he is told to only measure the temple proper and not the court. There will be another temple, it is prophesied…it will be the people’s temple, not the Lord’s temple. I believe it will be placed on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, right alongside the existing mosques that are there…this is the reason John is told not to measure the courtyard inhabited by the Gentiles. God will send two witness to prophesy for 3 1/2 years. They will have power to shut up heaven’s rain, and do miracles. They will be invincible until God says otherwise. They will be hated by the world for the words they speak. When their God appointed time and task is finished, God will allow them to be killed, and the world will celebrate and refuse to bury their bodies. After 3 1/2 days of their bodies laying in the street, they will stand up alive, and they will be caught up into heaven. At this time an earthquake will hit Jerusalem, killing seven thousand people. This is followed by the blowing of the seventh trumpet, heaven is opened and the Ark of the Covenant is seen…in heaven there is loud worship to eternal God.
Chapter 12 reveals a woman, a child, and a dragon all in a dramatic battle. Who is the woman? This is Israel…the description given by John is almost exactly like Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9, describing the original Israel from whom the Messiah would come. The child is Messiah Jesus. The dragon is Satan, who we know at Christ’s birth he tried to kill Jesus. Verse 5 speaks of the ascension of Jesus after his Resurrection. Then in verse 6 we see the rage of Satan is turned against Israel, but God’s hand of protection is upon them. Satan is finally thrown out of heaven…he has no more access there to accuse the people of God. He is thrown down to the world, where he will attempt to destroy the people of God, and deceive the unbelieving world. When Satan sees that he cannot get to Israel his rage drives him to then attack those who were on the earth who have trusted in Jesus…the tribulation saints. There is much more in this chapter, but this is my emphasis…once again, please trust Jesus, now, while there is time.
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
MONDAY’S READING…REVELATION 13
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