Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12: 3-18 is about the clear and complete appearance of Satan or dragon with his activities on the last days as follows:
Ad.6. Making war or persecuting.
Revelation 12:17-18
12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
12:18 Then I stood on the sand of the sea.
Satan or the dragon makes war or tramples, persecutes, and beheads the rest of her offspring who are not evacuated to the wilderness.
Who are they?
Genesis 13:16
13:16 "And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
Genesis 22:17
22:17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
There are three kinds of Abraham's descendants as follows:
Ephesians 5:15-17
5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
5:16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Therefore, on the last days we must take heed to our life. Do not become as fools but as wise, namely the church or God's servant who understands what the will of the Lord is and lives in it.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-7
4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4:4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
4:5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
4:6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
4:7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
The will of God refers to the sanctification to our private life, marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, and also our relationship in the society up to with our enemy.
How can we live in the will of God or holiness?
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We must use the short time for taking heed carefully to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ or the teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword. We hear it seriously and obey it until we get the sanctification and live in holiness.
2 Timothy 4:1-2
4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
The process of the sanctification by the true teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword is as follows:
Revelation 12:1,14
12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
12:14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
The church that is like the light of the world will be given the two wings of a great eagle for evacuating her to the wilderness, far away from the presence of the serpent that reigns over the world for three and a half years.
Revelation 12:12,15-16,18
12:12 "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
12:15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a floodafter the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
12:16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
12:18 Then I stood on the sand of the sea.
In the short time, Satan or the dragon opens the mouth for pouring his great wrath to the earth for three and a half years through the following things:
Daniel 9:24,27
9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.
9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."
What happens on earth in the three and a half years?
Therefore, let us use this short time for receiving, hearing, reading, and obeying the true teaching Word and appreciating the sacrifice of Christ or receiving the Holy Communion like what we do tonight. Thus, the Bible Study Service with the Holy Communion is important because we are using the short time.
Through the true teaching Word and the Holy Communion, the true teaching Word is ingrained to be practiced in our life. We can be obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore or the veil is torn. We become the wise Christian like the stars.
Where are the stars?
Revelation 1:20
1:20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
Philippians 2:12-16
2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
2:16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
We are held by the right hand of God. We must hold to the true teaching Word as well as be obedient and faithful to it until the flesh does not speak.
The star lives in the hand of God's mercy and goodness or the merciful hand which is great and miraculous, so the star does not rely on the world at all.
The results are as follows:
God blesses you.
Revelation 12: 3-18 is about the clear and complete appearance of Satan or dragon with his activities on the last days as follows:
- [Revelation 12:4a] His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven.
- [Revelation 12:4b] Devouring.
- [Revelation 12:7] Fighting.
[Revelation 12: 3-12] It happens when Satan is still able to go to heaven to accuse men and do his three activities. - [Revelation 12:13] Persecuting or catching up fast.
- [Revelation 12:15] Causing the woman or the church of God to be carried away by the flood.
- [Revelation 12:17] Making war or persecuting.
[Revelation 12:13-18] It happens when Satan has been defeated and cast to the earth. He has no place in heaven forever, so he uses his short time before he is bound and destroyed to come down to men, having great wrath in his three activities.
Ad.6. Making war or persecuting.
Revelation 12:17-18
12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
12:18 Then I stood on the sand of the sea.
Satan or the dragon makes war or tramples, persecutes, and beheads the rest of her offspring who are not evacuated to the wilderness.
Who are they?
- Those who have the commandments (the Table of Showbread) and the testimony of Jesus Christ (the Golden Altar of Incense), but without the worship (the Golden Altar of Incense), so they never change. They are the brood of viper.
- The church or God's servant who stands on the sand of the sea or does not want to cross the sea to go to the harbor of peace. It means that they do not want to be active in the ministry of the edification of the perfect body of Christ.
- The church or God's servant whose quality is like the sand of the sea.
Genesis 13:16
13:16 "And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
Genesis 22:17
22:17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
There are three kinds of Abraham's descendants as follows:
- Like the dust of the earth.
It means the church, God's son, or His servant who does not experience the spiritual circumcision or the sanctification and renewal through the true water baptism like Jesus and the teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword. He keeps the fleshly man with the fleshly characteristics, so he follows Jesus only to look for physical or fleshly things. He does not want to be rebuked and advised through the true teaching Word, but rejects it and becomes a liar or the foolish.
Consequently, he is of all men the most pitiable.
1 Corinthians 15:19
15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
Genesis 3:14
3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
Such life only becomes the food of the serpent. He will only be trampled by the Antichrist. - [Genesis 22:17] Like the sand of the sea.
Genesis 22:15
22:15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abrahama second time out of heaven,
Matthew 7:26
7:26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
The sand refers to the church or God's servant who willingly hears the words of Jesus, but he does not obey the true teaching Word. It is especially about the marriage and ministry. Abraham was not obedient to the Word, but he obeyed the voice of others, namely his wife. Moses in his ministry also had the disobedience, so he went to the wrong direction, not to Canaan. - [Genesis 22:17] Like the stars in heaven.
Matthew 7:24
7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
Daniel 12:3
12:3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
The star refers to the church or God's servant who is obedient to the true teaching Word until the flesh does not speak anymore. Such life is the wise Christian like the obedient Abraham who sacrificed Isaac and Jesus who died on the cross because of His obedience.
Ephesians 5:15-17
5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
5:16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Therefore, on the last days we must take heed to our life. Do not become as fools but as wise, namely the church or God's servant who understands what the will of the Lord is and lives in it.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-7
4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4:4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
4:5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
4:6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
4:7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
The will of God refers to the sanctification to our private life, marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, and also our relationship in the society up to with our enemy.
How can we live in the will of God or holiness?
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We must use the short time for taking heed carefully to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ or the teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword. We hear it seriously and obey it until we get the sanctification and live in holiness.
2 Timothy 4:1-2
4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
The process of the sanctification by the true teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword is as follows:
- The true teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword pierces, points, and convinces or reveals the mistakes and sins which are hidden in the heart. It illuminates the dark heart and shines outside through the words and deeds. We can realize, regret and confess our sins to God and others honestly. We get the remission of sin by the blood of Jesus and do not repeat the sin anymore. We repent and live in righteousness and holiness.
- The true teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword hard rebukesthe hard heart that does not want to repent or confess the sin, but keeps the sins until they peak or come up to the presence of God and such life must be condemned. The rebuke is also for the hard-hearted, namely those who repeat the sins after being forgiven.
There are two attitudes to the rebuke as follows:- Being hard-hearted more, getting bored, or being angry when the Word rebukes. Finally, one rejects the teaching Word and the sins increase and come up to heaven until the condemnation and perdition come.
- Being meek, confessing sins to God and other people, being forgiven and repenting, not committing sin anymore, and living in righteousness and holiness.
- Being hard-hearted more, getting bored, or being angry when the Word rebukes. Finally, one rejects the teaching Word and the sins increase and come up to heaven until the condemnation and perdition come.
- The true teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword advisesus. It advises us so that we do not transgress the border of God. It also becomes the guidance of God's hands so that we can live in righteousness and holiness. The advice becomes the solution of all problems. Facing problem, we must hear and obey the true teaching Word.
The example is Job.
God spoke to him when he was in problem and the test of holiness so that he could be as the pure gold up to the perfection.
The time we face the test and problem is the one to hear the true teaching Word.
The teaching Word needs the patience about the time to hear and the process. We must be patient in the suffering and waiting for God's time.
In the short time, God tries to deliver the true teaching Word in some ways as follows:- Through the dream which is in line with the Word that corrects our life.
Job 33:14-18
33:14 For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.
33:15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds,
33:16 Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.
33:17 In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man,
33:18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword. - Through the suffering and pain. God wants to correct our life, so we must open our ears and heart for hearing the Word and doing the introspection in our life. We are sanctified and healed by God.
Job 33:19-22
33:19 "Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with strong pain in many of his bones,
33:20 So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food.
33:21 His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
33:22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners. - Through the shepherding system, namely the voice of the shepherd or the true teaching Word which is preached faithfully, continually, and repetitively by a pastor for growing the spirituality of the congregation up to the maturity, for being the command, as well as for correcting or sanctifying them.
Job 33:23
33:23"If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness,
- Through the dream which is in line with the Word that corrects our life.
Revelation 12:1,14
12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
12:14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
The church that is like the light of the world will be given the two wings of a great eagle for evacuating her to the wilderness, far away from the presence of the serpent that reigns over the world for three and a half years.
Revelation 12:12,15-16,18
12:12 "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
12:15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a floodafter the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
12:16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
12:18 Then I stood on the sand of the sea.
In the short time, Satan or the dragon opens the mouth for pouring his great wrath to the earth for three and a half years through the following things:
- Spewing water out of his mouth like a flood or the stream of uncleanness to cause the servants of God who are not evacuated to the wilderness to be carried away by the flood in the world.
- Trampling or persecuting the church for three and a half years until beheading the church.
Daniel 9:24,27
9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.
9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."
What happens on earth in the three and a half years?
- "He shall bring an end to sacrifice"It means that the sacrifice of Christ or redemption does not last anymore because the moon under the feet has been taken by the church to the wilderness to be her possession. Thus, the Christians who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus but become like the dust or sand must get the redemption by their own blood and being persecuted and beheaded by the Antichrist, but they will be resurrected when Jesus comes a second time.
- "He shall bring an end to offering"It means that there is no preaching of the Word in the world anymore because the Word and Holy Spirit have become the two wings of a great eagle that bring the church to the wilderness.
Revelation 1:3
1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Revelation 22:7
22:7 "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."
Therefore, let us use this short time for receiving, hearing, reading, and obeying the true teaching Word and appreciating the sacrifice of Christ or receiving the Holy Communion like what we do tonight. Thus, the Bible Study Service with the Holy Communion is important because we are using the short time.
Through the true teaching Word and the Holy Communion, the true teaching Word is ingrained to be practiced in our life. We can be obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore or the veil is torn. We become the wise Christian like the stars.
Where are the stars?
Revelation 1:20
1:20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
Philippians 2:12-16
2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
2:16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
We are held by the right hand of God. We must hold to the true teaching Word as well as be obedient and faithful to it until the flesh does not speak.
The star lives in the hand of God's mercy and goodness or the merciful hand which is great and miraculous, so the star does not rely on the world at all.
The results are as follows:
- The star is held by the right hand of God. We rely on the great mercy of God because our life is only like the worm or maggot. Physically, we are small and powerless. Spiritually, we are full of weaknesses. We should have been in the hell.
Isaiah 41:10-14
41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
41:11 "Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish.
41:12 You shall seek them and not find them--Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing.
41:13 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'
41:14 "Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 66:24
66:24 "And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."
The hand of God sanctifies and changes us to be strong and of good courage or believe and hope God. This is the greatest miracle. The liar can be honest as the house of prayer. The physical miracles will also happen. The right hand of God gives us victory and helps us from the impossible problems. - The right hand of God gives us pleasures or preservation although we are small and powerless in the midst of the difficulties in the world until someday we are preserved for three and a half years in the wilderness.
Psalm 16:11
16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. - The hand of God leads us to the beautiful and successful future life up to the New Jerusalem.
Psalm 139:10
139:10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. - The hand of God exalts and glorifies us. We are used in the ministry of the edification of the body of Christ. We are also glorified or exalted by God in the world until we are changed to be as perfect as Jesus is when He comes a second time. We are lifted up on the glorious clouds up to the eternal New Jerusalem forever.
Psalm 118:15-16
118:15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
118:16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
God blesses you.