Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:3-18
12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
12:4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
12:8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
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."
12:13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
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.
12:15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after 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.
12:17 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.
Revelation 12:3-18 shows the six acts of the dragon or Satan as follows:
The six acts of Satan or the dragon cause the shakings or crisis on earth in all aspects, namely the physical ones such as economy, health, and so on; the spiritual ones such as sins up to the peak, false teachings, and sufferings or persecution; the ones in the marriage such as the destruction, betrayal, quarrel, violence, sexual affairs, mix marriage, and marrying-being given in marriage. Those things are for making the church fall from faith and perish forever.
Why does God let the shakings and crisis in the world happen because of the acts of Satan?
God blesses you.
Revelation 12:3-18
12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
12:4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
12:8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
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."
12:13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
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.
12:15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after 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.
12:17 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.
Revelation 12:3-18 shows the six acts of the dragon or Satan as follows:
- [Revelation 12:4a] The tail dragged a third of the stars in heaven.
- [Revelation 12:4b] The mouth swallowed.
- [Revelation 12:7] Making war.
- [Revelation 12:13] Pursuing or chasing fast.
- [Revelation 12:15] Causing the woman or church to be carried away by the flood.
- [Revelation 12:17] Making war = tormenting or persecuting.
The six acts of Satan or the dragon cause the shakings or crisis on earth in all aspects, namely the physical ones such as economy, health, and so on; the spiritual ones such as sins up to the peak, false teachings, and sufferings or persecution; the ones in the marriage such as the destruction, betrayal, quarrel, violence, sexual affairs, mix marriage, and marrying-being given in marriage. Those things are for making the church fall from faith and perish forever.
Why does God let the shakings and crisis in the world happen because of the acts of Satan?
- It is so that the church or God's servant endures the test of obedience.
For example, Jesus endures the test until He can be obedient to the point of death on the cross.
There are three levels of the test of obedience which Jesus has passed to become example for us as follows:- The water baptism.
Matthew 3:13-17
3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
3:14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"
3:15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
John the Baptist did not want to baptize Jesus because he knew that Jesus had the higher position. Nevertheless, Jesus was willingly baptized by him although actually He was not sinful, because of doing the will of the Father. Thus, the test of obedience means surrendering our prestige for doing the will of the Father. - In Gethsemane Garden.
Matthew 26:42
26:42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."
The will of the Father is that Jesus must receive the cup or suffer until He dies on the cross. Jesus' will is to be set free from the cup because He has no sin. Nevertheless, He can surrender His own will and receive the will of the Father through the worship prayer. Thus, the test of obedience is surrendering the self-will for receiving the will of the Father. - On the cross.
Philippians 2:8
2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus is obedient to the point of death on the cross. He gives His soul. Thus, the test of Jesus' obedience is giving Himself fully on the cross, so He becomes the offering for redeeming or reconciling the sins.
- Through the water baptism, we can give our prestige, riches, intelligence, and so on for receiving the will of God.
- Through the worship prayer, we can give our own will which may seem right, but not in line with God's will, so we can receive God's will.
- Through the cross, we can give our life, willingly suffer in the flesh, willingly sacrifice all things for receiving the will of God, and be obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore like Abraham who willingly sacrificed his son for God.
1 John 5:18
5:18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
All things will be easy, light, and joyful when there is no sin. - The water baptism.
- It is so that the church can be shepherded well and correctly as well as conceive the godly seed and become the descendants of God.
Luke 22:31
22:31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
The shakings or crises are the sifting of Satan for making the church fall as well as the sifting of God for separating the wheat from the chaff.
If the church has the quality of the chaff or skin, namely being satisfied only by the physical blessings without being filled by the godly seed or the true teaching Word, Holy Spirit, and God's love, such church will fall because of the sifting of Satan and being blown by the wind to go towards the burning., namely the judgment and perdition.
Therefore, the church must be filled by the godly seed, namely the perfect faith, hope, and love, in the time of shakings.
Where is the process to be filled by the wheat or conceive the godly seed?
It happens in the shepherding pen or the Holy Place. It means that we must be shepherded well and correctly through the perseverance in doing the three main services to God as follows:- The table of Showbread means the perseverance in doing the Bible Study Service with the Holy Communion to get the fellowship with the Son of God in the true teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ.
It is the time to be filled by or conceive the faith until being perfect or the golden pot. It will become the moon under the feet. - The Golden Candlestick refers to the perseverance in doing the General Service to get the fellowship with Holy Spirit God in the anointing and gifts.
We are being filled with the hope until it is perfect to become Aaron's rod which budded, bloomed, and yielded fruits or the garland of twelve stars. - The Golden Altar of Incense or the perseverance in doing the Prayer Service to get the fellowship with Father God in His love. The sheep breathe with God's love for reaching the eternal life.
We are being filled by God's love until it is perfect to become the clothes of the sun.
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.
The church that has been filled by the faith, hope, and love will appear as the light of the world, the bride, or the ripe wheat.
The results are as follows:- Being victorious over the sifting of Satan. We are evacuated to the wilderness, far away from the presence of the serpent. Satan cannot see us.
- Being preserved abundantly. We shall not want, so we can give thanks until we are in the wilderness, far away from the presence of the Antichrist. We can be blessings for others.
- Being perfect or blameless. We can enter the barn of the eternal heavenly kingdom.
- The table of Showbread means the perseverance in doing the Bible Study Service with the Holy Communion to get the fellowship with the Son of God in the true teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ.
- It is so that the church can be active in the edification of the perfect body of Christ to be as glorious as Jesus is.
Haggai 2:6-8
2:6 "For thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
2:7 'and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD of hosts.
2:8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts.
The beautiful things of the Gentiles will enter the house of the Lord in the time of shakings. It means that there is the revival of sanctification by the true teaching Word and the sprinkling of blood, so the church is set free from the evil will or the lust of money, the unclean desires, bitterness, envy, revenge, and so on. The church can appear like gold and silver.
The silver refers to the redemption by the blood of Jesus or living in righteousness in all aspects such as the private life, marriage, and finance.
The gold refers to the holiness by Holy Spirit.
If we are righteous and holy, we will be equipped with the ministry and the gifts of Holy Spirit or the tunic of many colors.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
We will be used in the edification of the spiritual house of God or the perfect body of Christ.
Physically, there is revival of faith that the church can give the money, time, and thought for being used in the edification of the physical house of God. The edification of the physical temple happens in the time of crisis or shakings so that we do not rely on the riches, but faith and God's mercy, so the miracle will happen and moreover for the edification of the spiritual temple or the perfect body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
3:12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
3:13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
3:14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
3:15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Ministering to God like the grass or wood, namely without the sanctification, but stinginess and greediness (stealing the possession of God and others), such servant of God will be burnt by the fire of temptation, sins up to the peak, and the Antichrist who reigns over the world for three and a half years. Such servant of God must willingly pour out his own blood for being saved and perfected when Jesus comes a second time.
Ministering to God with the quality of silver and gold or living in righteousness and holiness as well as giving to the work of God and others who are in need until giving the whole life to God, one will endure. It begins from the marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, until the Israelites and Gentiles become one perfect body of Christ. We endure until the end line, namely the finishing of the edification of the prefect body of Christ and we receive the clouds of glory or the stretched merciful hands of God.
Exodus 40:33-34
40:33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
40:34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Entering the edification of the perfect body of Christ, there is a relationship between the body and the Head. We place Jesus as the Head, especially for groaning, crying, and confessing all of our physical and spiritual weaknesses and being set free from the flesh.
Romans 8:22-23
8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
8:23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
We get the renewal of life from the fleshly man to the spiritual one like Jesus is.
Proverbs 10:20
10:20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little.
Being honest, believing, and fully entrusting our life to God are the same as the jasper stone and being as clear as crystal.
Revelation 21:11
21:11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
The impossible things can be made possible. He is able to create something which does not exist yet. The last miracle will happen when Jesus comes a second time that we are changed to be as perfect as He is. We are lifted up on the glorious clouds to enter the Paradise and the eternal New Jerusalem forever. We are separated forever from the serpent or Satan.
God blesses you.