Revelation 6, 8 and 9 reveal to us prophecy regarding the antichrist Islam. Revelation 11 contains prophecy which tells us what would become of God’s witnesses. Revelation 12 informs us of the plight of God’s chosen people; the House of Israel and the House of Judah. This chapter seems understandable when you first read it, but once you sit down and really study it, it is very complex. There are so many possibilities and different ways it could be interpreted. It seems to be going over history at the same time it’s revealing the future. It’s being played out in the heavens at the same time it is taking place on Earth. Many of the verses can be given a literal and a figurative translation with both making sense. There is one thing for certain, here as is common in much of the book of Revelation, the part the religion of Islam plays can be clearly seen.
Revelation 12:1 (KJV)
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the Sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
The very first verse of this chapter, like many verses in the Bible, has been given both a literal and figurative translation. Some believe we should not be giving this a literal interpretation and looking to the heavens for signs, yet others believe this is exactly what needs to be done.
In the end, if the interpretation you are about to read is correct, it does not really matter if you take the interpretation of this verse literally or figuratively because you come up with the same meaning either way. One could say this verse has a dual fulfillment in a strange sort of way. First, this verse is prophetic in that it tells of an event that is going to happen in the future and the other is a sign or signal; warning us the message this verse carries will be taking place shortly.
There are many in Christendom that will look at you cross eyed and think of you as ridiculous if you tell them this is a sign that will appear in the heavens. This is because they have either misunderstood or received a wrong impression of what our Lord said in the books of Matthew and Luke.
Luke 11:29 (KJV)
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
First, the generation that Christ was addressing was given a sign; and it was to their detriment that they did not understand it. Second, there is a world of difference between seeking a sign before you will believe and looking for a sign our Lord said He would send to warn or inform He is about to act. You will never be able to say you were not warned!!! Third, we were told by our Lord that these signs would be coming way back in the first chapter of the Bible. Just because our Lord said it in the Old Testament does not mean it should carry any less impact or meaning! Fourth, what do you think He was telling us to watch for in those many times He commanded us to watch?!
Genesis 1:14 (KJV)
Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
NOTE: The lights in the firmament of the heaven are the sun, moon and stars. All three of these are used in the Sign of the Son of Man and the great wonder in heaven in the first verse of this chapter.
Before going any further we need to talk about the signs of the Zodiac and the constellations. Christians have been taught, and rightfully so, that we need to stay away from astrology and the reading of the daily horoscopes. While this is undeniably true, it does not mean that our Lord cannot or will not use them. Job 9:9 says “He made Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.” He made them and He will use them in any way He pleases. You just read in Genesis where our Lord said He is going to use the sun, moon, and stars for signs to us, so who are we to say “No, you can’t?” If you are a Christian that has a problem with signs in the heavens, you are reading too much into a few verses, and making deductions that should not be made. In Bible prophecy our Lord uses all His creation for signs. It was our Lord That said “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Was he not giving us a sign of the last days using His creation? What about the Star of Bethlehem?
While it is a sin for us to even try to use the stars to reveal our fortune or determine what our day or month will bring, it is perfectly acceptable to use them as a guide in the sense of direction for travel. It is perfectly acceptable for us to look for the signs our Lord told us He would send! They are given for our benefit, and it is to our detriment to ignore them. The stars of the heavens are a perfect example of something miraculous and wonderful that God created for good, but man has found a way to use them for evil.
If you ever read some of the prophetic websites on the internet, you know there are many that want to give this first verse of Revelation 12 a literal translation and tell us the heavenly occurrences described in this verse actually took place on September 23rd, 2017. While there are many that doubt this, there is a great deal of evidence that bears this out. In fact, if you do some research into the original Greek words used in this verse, you will find this verse actually states this sign is going to appear in the heavens!! However, there is a lot that depends on how the word heaven is interpreted.
The word heaven is used in so many different ways it’s difficult but important to understand what it means. For example, When Absalom’s hair caught in the branches of a tree, it was said that he hung suspended between the heaven and the earth, (II Samuel18:9) yet he was probably not more than a few feet if not inches off the ground. Then there is the verse in I Chronicles 21:16 when David saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, with a sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Proverbs 25:3 tells us; the heaven for height and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. These verses each show a little different way of expressing hea
ven.
As you can see the Greek Word “Ouranos” would mean the heaven “through the idea of elevation,” meaning anything which is located or suspended above the ground. How ever this is not necessarily the same definition our Lord gave to it way back in Genesis chapter 1. It is important to have a good understanding of the word heaven and its different uses in order to understand what the Word of God is saying here. So let’s take a look at this portion of scripture where it was our Lord that first defined what the heavens are. Since He is the one that first defined it way back in the beginning of His Word, we should give this a little more weight. It’s doubtful you have heard this interpretation of “heaven before.”
Genesis 1:6-8 (KJV)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the wat
ers, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.” First we need to know what a firmament is:
According to Strong’s it is an expanse and it comes from the word raqa which means to overlay or spread forth. So when God says “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters,” He is making an expanse or space between the waters.
“And let it divide the waters from the waters” This means there will be a complete division of the waters with the expanse (firmament) in between.
“And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so” What is very important here is where He put the firmament. It states the firmament or expanse was in the middle and the waters were above and below the expanse. It is not an expanse being placed between the waters and dry land appears; this occurs in verse 9. This is saying there are waters above and below this firmament. This is not speaking of the waters on the earth being separated from the waters in outer space or in other parts of the galaxy. It is speaking about the waters that reside on the earth and the waters that were once suspended in the upper regions of the Earth’s atmosphere; this is not talking about the rain in the clouds. This verse is telling us there once was a shield of water that encircled the entire earth. You may think this sounds a little incredulous, but that is exactly what is being described in this verse. If this is correct, it provides us with many answers for the changes that occurred on Earth when this shield was destroyed. The diagram below illustrates this.
If there was a shield of water encircling the entire Earth, the Earth would literally be a gigantic greenhouse. It would cause the temperatures on the entire planet to be close to the same. This would explain why they have discovered tropical type plants under the ice in Antarctica. It would explain how the Earth was watered by dew in the morning and not by rain from clouds. It would explain why there was no rain before the flood of Noah’s time and how God used nature to lessen man’s lifespan. A ring of water circumventing the Earth would filter out all the rays of the Sun that are detrimental to man. This would go a long way to explain why the lifespan of mankind went from 900+ years down to 120. It would also explain what Genesis 7:11-12 meant by “and the windows of heaven were opened” and how it could possibly rain for forty days and forty nights.
“And God called the firmament Heaven” God called this expanse between these two bodies of water heaven. This ring of water that encompassed the Earth was dumped on the Earth during the time of Noah’s flood. When that happened the upper boundary of the heaven was eliminated making everything above the surface of the Earth heaven. This means the heavens stretch out into outer space without end. This means that what happen on earth is technically taking place in heaven. This agrees with Proverbs 25:3 which suggest the heavens are immeasurable.
This means that even though this sign of Revelation 12:1 is seen in the heavens, it does not mean it is just a description of what the stars and planets are going to do. This is still a prophecy with a practical application that will be carried out, and since this is a heavenly sign, it is our Lord reminding us to be looking for what He said He is going to do; and informing us it is going to occur shortly, at the time He appointed.
When you stop and think about it, this really was and is a great wonder in heaven. It is our most wonderful, all powerful Lord using the stars of Heaven to paint a picture for us of the events He is about to carry out here on earth! If using the stars, the moon and the sun as actors in a play that is soon to make its debut on Earth is not the definition of power, what is?!!!
The Star of Bethlehem
But wait, this sign of Revelation 12 is only part of the story. It is actually the continuation of a story that took place years ago with the birth of Christ. It uses the same area of the heavens with many of the same stars and planets that our Lord used 2000 years ago to announce the birth of His son; only this time these same celestial objects are being used to tell a different story. Let’s take a brief look at the first sign that announced the birth of Christ. This may help better understand this sign of Revelation 12 and give an even deeper appreciation of just how awesome our Lord is!
Because of our greater understanding of the heavens and the unbelievable precision with which our Lord set them in motion, we are now able with the use of computers to plot where the celestial bodies were positioned in time past, as well as where they will be years into the future. Because of this we can now view the heavens just as they appeared just prior to the birth of Christ.
There is a similar occurrence that ties the wonder in heaven that happened during the time of the birth of Christ with the wonder in heaven of Revelation 12:1. Both of these wonders involve the constellation Leo which is known as the king of the constellations and both of these wonders involve the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter being in conjunction. Furthermore both of these wonders involve Jupiter being in retrograde.
Jupiter being in retrograde means that the planet Jupiter during these heavenly signs actually appeared as if it stopped and reversed the direction of its travel in the heavens. When a planet is in retrograde, it appears as if it has changed directions. This is caused by the varying orbital speeds and locations of the planets as they go around the sun. This observance takes time to complete. It is not something you can watch with the naked eye in just one evening. It must be observed by keeping a close eye on the heavens over a period of time.
The Sign of a New King
First, you need to be aware of the fact that 2000 years ago they paid a lot of attention to the signs and events in the heavens. It was not like the civilization of today where people seldom ever look up to see a star in the night sky. For one thing, they did not have street lights to hide the stars at night, nor did they have electric lights to light their homes or TV and internet to pass the night away. They placed meanings on the events they observed happening in the Heavens.
During the time of Christ’s birth the event which caught the attention of the wise men was taking place in the constellation Leo. The constellation Leo is made up of 9 stars. The star in the front leg of Leo is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It is called Regulus which in Latin means little king. It is believed that the planet Jupiter and Venus were in conjunction and Jupiter was in retrograde around Regulus. This means that it appeared from Earth as though the planet Jupiter was encircling the star Regulus. To the Magi the planet Jupiter, the king of the planets circling the little king star in the king of the constellations was a sign that meant there would be a change of royalty or leadership coming. It was this sign that caused them to follow the star which eventually led them to Bethlehem and the manger where Christ laid.
This bright star was caused by the close proximity of Jupiter, Regulus and Venus. Venus and Jupiter are the two brightest stars in the night sky and when you add Regulus to this duo you would have a breathtakingly bright star.
The book of Matthew gives us enough information to pretty much confirm what you just read is indeed the scenario which happened to announce the birth of Christ. It is the repeat of the conjunction of the planets in the second year that seals the deal.
Matthew 2:7-10 (KJV)
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
There are two very important points to be made from these verses. First, Herod inquired of them when the star first appeared. Secondly, they were on the way to Bethlehem when the star appeared again. We know this appearance was a second appearance because they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. If the star had been appearing every night to them they would not have rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Matthew 2:16 (KJV)
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
When the wise men did not return to Herod, why did he slay all the children in Bethlehem that were 2 years of age and younger? Because they told Herod that the sign first appeared to them 2 years prior. From what Matthew tells us it is fairly obvious that this sign appeared 2 years prior to the arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem. Then after Herod sent them on their way to find this child who would one day rule Israel, the sign appeared again to them and led them to the place where baby Jesus lay. This makes total sense because this sign after it appeared would only have been visible for two to three weeks during each occurrence.
Now let’s take a look at how similar the sign that was used to announce the birth of Christ is to the sign of this first verse of Revelation 12, and how He uses His creation in the most amazing ways.
A Great Wonder in Heaven
Revelation 12:1 (KJV)
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the Sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven” The backdrop for this prophecy is heaven but its reenactment will be carried out on Earth. The original Greek word used for wonder is semeion which means sign or miracle. It relates to a sign that is of a miraculous or supernatural nature.
Next let’s take a look at the definition of the Greek word used for heaven. There’s not much doubt this is a heavenly sign when you observe how many times these words are used and what they are used to mean. Ouranos means heaven 268 of 284 times in the New Testament.
“A woman clothed with the sun” You already know woman to be a metaphor for religion and the sun is symbolic of truth and light. Since the woman is clothed with the sun it would make this the true religion, as opposed to a religion of smoke and darkness which would be a false religion of lies and evil. So this woman represents true religion which would have to be Christ centered because Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) He is also the light of the world. (John 8:12)
“And the moon under her feet” The “under her feet” would imply a position of power and the moon is indicative of the world of false religion as man has made images of and worshiped the moon for thousands of years. Just like false religion, the moon produces no light; it can only reflect the light from another source. When one looks at the moon it can fool you because it appears to produce light, but if you take away its source, it will disappear. Islam, even though they claim not to worship the moon, currently uses its image as the symbol of Islam. Islam gives no light, it only gives the perception that it does by mimicking the Word of God. It only produces darkness, destruction and death. This is why our Lord shed so much light on it in the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah, and The Revelation of Jesus Christ, as well as many other parts of Scripture.
Please use the graphic below to help in the “literal” interpretation of verses 1-4. The “in the heavens” literal interpretation of these verses happened over a two year period of time. “And upon her head a crown of twelve stars” The crown of 12 stars gives away this woman’s true Identity. This dream very much resembles Joseph’s dream (Genesis 37:9) with the sun, moon and the stars. The stars were Joseph’s brothers in Joseph’s dream and such is the case here with the twelve stars representing the 12 tribes of Israel. This would be the House of Judah consisting of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah and the House of Israel consisting of the remaining 10 tribes. The presence of the crown as well as the number 12 signifies the number of perfect government or divine authority. This would further show this to be Israel in a position of authority over the world. Israel is clothed with the sun because she is God’s chosen people and it is through her that both the Old and New Testaments, the Word of God were revealed.
Deuteronomy 14:2
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
Revelation 12:2 (KJV)
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Israel was under Gentile rule from the time of the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions until 1948. Israel was promised by God that a Messiah (the anointed one) would come from the line of Judah and would take the throne of David and restore Israel to the prominence she once enjoyed. (Acts 1:6)
Jeremiah 23:5-6 (KJV)
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth” Israel with much pain was longing for and expecting this child. (the Messiah)
“And pained to be delivered” The pained to be delivered in this verse speaks both to the nation of Israel that brought the child (Jesus Christ) into the world, and to the nation of Israel that was looking for a king. Israel pained to be delivered from Gentile rule. Because Israel was looking for a great king to deliver them from Roman rule and not a savior to deliver them from their sin. Almost everyone missed His coming, even to the point they were oblivious to the fact the Son of God was standing in their midst. Just like the Christian of today, Israel had little understanding concerning the prophecy they were given. Just like the Christian of today, they knew the Messiah was coming, but they didn’t know when and they didn’t know what He is going to do when He arrives.
It is in this manner History is about to repeat itself. Despite all the writings and signs that specifically spell out when and how Christ will return for His saints, extremely few even know what the Sign of the Son of Man is, and thus only a very few of the living will be taken. The world is now at a point where almost every prophecy that foretells the second coming of Christ has been fulfilled. The Christian world knows in their hearts Christ return is near, but just as the Jews they have misinterpreted so much of His Word they really have no idea how or when He will return. They believe His return could happen at any moment because they do not understand the Feasts of the Lord. Just as the Jews are still looking for the Messiah, Christendom is still looking for the Man of Sin (antichrist) to emerge from a revived Roman empire as a man of peace and make a 7 year peace treaty with Israel. Just like the Jews, they missed him even though he was standing in their midst; even though he took up a good part of the news reports almost every day for better than 3½ years. They missed him because they didn’t heed Christ’s warnings. They didn’t even see these warnings because they didn’t study His word in the way it should be studied; as a branch that is grafted into the Olive tree. If they would have studied His word through the eyes of those to whom it was given, they would have been able to see the errors they made, and they would have learned from the mistakes of the Jews. What we have here is a classic case of His-Story repeating itself, which further proves that those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it!
Revelation 12:3 (KJV)
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
“And there appeared another wonder in heaven” Again; heaven is the backdrop in which this wonder plays out. However, just as it was defined in the first chapter of Genesis, heaven can also be describing things taking place on Earth because the Earth by definition is part of the heavens.
“And behold a great red dragon” All the way from in the beginning to the very end the devil in Scripture is a dragon which in present day interpretation is a snake. If you take a close look at pictures of dragons you will notice they are actually winged lizards or snakes. Here a great red dragon is described. Great indicates he is a formidable foe and red indicates he is an evil deadly dragon who is guilty of much death.
In keeping with the interpretation this is a sign being displayed in heaven of what is actually taking place on earth, there is really what looks to be a dragon displayed in the heavens. If you search images on the internet by typing dragon in Virgo, you will find pictures of this dragon in outer space that was positioned near the planet Jupiter in retrograde as it came out of the womb of Virgo. The location of this red dragon in heaven is shown in the lower left corner of the Constellation Virgo & Leo picture 2 pages back. Jupiter exited Virgo’s womb on September 23rd 2017, two days after the feast of Trumpets. This is the precise day Christ will restore the House of Israel with the House of Judah during the Fall Feasts of the Lord as spelled out in the Book of Revelation and Hosea 6:2. This symbolizes the rebirth of Israel.
“Having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” This dragon is almost identical to the beast that appears in Revelation 13. A dragon is a beast so there is really very little difference in the names. You have already read the Biblical definition of a beast, but Webster’s 1913 Unabridged English Dictionary also has a good definitions as to what a beast is. Webster’s says a beast is a “coarse, brutal, filthy, or degraded fellow;” which is also a man who does not have the love of God within him. It is the image of God within a man that separates him from the rest of the animal kingdom. In fact, a man that follows his own laws and unrestrained passions is worse than any beast in the animal kingdom! As you know, in Bible prophecy a beast most often refers to a Godless kingdom. Since there is no dragon in the night sky that has seven heads, these seven heads must be speaking of the same seven kingdoms as Revelation 13, with each head representing one empire. The horns represent the leaders of these kingdoms, and the crowns further define what kind of power the horn exercises. A crown indicates the horn is a king, or person that has complete or final say in any matter, as opposed to a prime minister or president that has to deal with other leaders or governing bodies.
As explained previously, the Greek kingdom has four horns but only one crown is because the actual Greek Empire under Alexander the Great only existed for 12 years. Alexander died at the early age of 33, so the united empire never had another leader that had a final say in any matter which is indicative of a king or a crown. Technically the empire existed, but it was split up among his four generals, and none of them ever had complete say over the entire empire. These four generals were constantly fighting among themselves, and two of the generals, Seleucid and Ptolemy, were practically in a constant state of war trying to take control of Jerusalem.
Between the years of 319 B.C. and 302 B.C. the control of the city of Jerusalem changed hands seven times. So the Greek Empire actually had 1 crown plus 4 horns. The Heads, Horns, and Crowns are displayed in the chart provided.
Revelation 12:4 (KJV)
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
“And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven” The dragon’s tail is the part of this beast that is shared by all the kingdoms, meaning that all of the beasts together are responsible for taking one-third of the stars of heaven. Does this not sound exactly like what you read in Revelation 8 and 9? Revelation 8:9 says a third part of the ships were destroyed. Ships and stars are both metaphors for His saints, so this is the second witness to this beast taking the physical lives of Christ’s witnesses.
“And did cast them to the earth” and took their mortal lives. (Killed them) Satan and all his followers can never take the eternal life of the stars of heaven. There are some that believe this means the dragon caused them to fall or rebel against the Lord. If these were truly the stars of heaven no kingdom on earth could make them rebel against their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because “they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:14 (KJV)
“And the dragon stood before the woman” The dragon (Satan) was right there beside this woman (Israel, the one clothed with the religion of truth and light) which was ready to be delivered; meaning ready to give birth.
“For to devour her child as soon as it was born” The dragon, (Satan) wanted to kill this child Jesus Christ, the truth and light this woman is clothed in, before she could bring that truth and light into the world. Rome was the empire during this time so it would be a government that was authorized by the Emperor in Rome. Rome is the 6th head of this dragon that was to attempt to put the child to death. Satan is always right there, doing all he can to stop the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. In this case it would be King Herod, the one that put out the decree to kill all male children of 2 years and under.
Revelation 12:5 (KJV)
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.
“And she brought forth a man child” the truth and light the woman is clothed in, Jesus Christ
“Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron” This is prophecy yet to be fulfilled. When Jesus Christ returns He will set up His Kingdom on earth and rule with a rod of Iron.
Revelation 2:27 (KJV)
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
“And her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne” Referring to when Christ ascended up to heaven to take His place at the right hand of God the Father. He left in the same manner that He will return.
Acts 1:9 (KJV)
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Revelation 12:6 (KJV)
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.
The beginning date of this verse is referring to a very specific time period which is given in both Matthew 24 and Revelation 11. The woman refers to the religion of truth so those that fled would be her witnesses that God has prepared a place for.
Matthew 24:15-22 (KJV)
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
This Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet is the Muslim Dome of the Rock which was built on a wing of God’s Holy Temple on The Mount of the Congregation. (Also called Mt. Moriah and God’s Holy Mountain.) It was started or “set up” in 688 A.D.. In this Scripture, Jesus is warning the inhabitants of Israel to get out-of-town when they see this building go up or as He says in Mark 13:14 “standing in the place where it ought not.” It was from this point on Jerusalem and Israel started becoming a wilderness. Besides the dwindling of the vegetation, by the 1830’s the population of Jerusalem had dropped to 5000 people. This is why it was called the “abomination that maketh desolate” in Daniel 12:11. This was the beginning of the REAL great tribulation period when Islam was constantly victorious and almost unstoppable until late in 732 A.D. when they were defeated at the Battle of Tours. The Muslims took children from Christians and Jews and raised them as Muslim. Their children served the Muslims in their armies and courts; prompting Christ’s warning “woe to them with child, and to them that give suck.” 
In Biblical prophecy 1 day equals 1 year except when speaking of 1 day only or when directly referencing our Lord. Knowing this the 1260 days becomes 1260 years. If we take the Dome of the Rock setup date of 688 A.D. and add the 1260 years onto it, you get 1948, the year when Israel was given statehood.
This coincides precisely with:
Revelation 11:3 (KJV)
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Revelation 12:7 (KJV)
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
It is apparent that after Satan’s unsuccessful attempt to devour the woman’s child, he and his angels decided to make a final stand in heaven.
Revelation 12:8 (KJV)
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in Heaven.
This verse suggests there indeed once was a place for Satan in heaven, but there is not a place for him anymore. Satan and his angels were defeated and now there’s no place for him or his angels to hide in heaven.
Revelation 12:9 (KJV)
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.
This is the same occasion that is listed in Revelation 8:10 where a great star was cast out of heaven.
Revelation 8:10-11 (KJV)
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
In these verses a “star” is a messenger which can be evil or good. Burning like it was a lamp tells us it is a light, but not a true light. This evil enlightenment is called Wormwood. Wormwood is a plant known to be very bitter. When refined to volatile oil it is a narcotic poison. It fell upon (killed) a third part of the people. Rivers and waters and fountains of waters refers to peoples. Rivers are people who have fled their countries as a river overflows its banks and the fountains of waters refers to Israel.
The false light here is Islam which is a false religion whose members are very bitter. Thus the hatred for the Jewish people and anyone else who will not convert to their religion. They are so bitter they celebrate the death of an enemy desecrating the body and leaving it lie in the street. They do this to show the utter contempt for they have for them.
Revelation 12:9 is also the prophecy of Isaiah 14:12 fulfilled.
Isaiah 14:12 (KJV)
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations.
As was revealed in Chapter 2 which covers Isaiah 14, Lucifer is a Latin word meaning light bearer or light bringer. (The original Hebrew words are translated to son of the morning, and mean the same thing.) Light Bringer refers to the brightest object in the sky before the sun comes up, meaning the celestial body that brings the greater light; which is the sun. The brightest objects in the sky before the sun rises are the planet Venus (brightest star in the morning / evening sky) and the moon. Both of these celestial bodies were ancient gods which the Romans, Greeks, Persians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians worshiped. These empires all existed before Satan was cast out of heaven. So if Satan (Lucifer) has been cast out of heaven and down to the earth, where is he now? What happened to these worshipers of Satan now that he is no longer in the heavens? The answer can be found in the seventh empire, the Ottoman or Muslim Empire. Just take a look at any Muslim mosque or the flag of any Muslim country and you will find him, because they all bear the insignia of Lucifer, the crescent moon and the morning star. This is why these seven kingdoms are referred to as the dragon! They all worshiped and served Satan.
SPECIAL REMINDER: Isaiah chapter 14 is written as a chant against the King of Babylon. Actually, it is God speaking to Lucifer who is the King of Babylon. Twice, in verse 13 and in verse 14 God says to Satan “You have said in your heart I will ascend into heaven” and then “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.” The original Hebrew word for I will ascend is “ala.” It is spelled differently, but the pronunciation is exactly the same as Allah.
“Called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” Truer words were never spoken.
There are close to 2 billion deceived Muslims, and most of the rest of the world has no idea who Allah really is, or what is going on in the world today. Two of the last three U.S. Presidents have said in regards to Islam and Christianity, “We all worship the same god.” This is the most foolish and blasphemous statement they could have possibly made. Now you know why Muslims are getting their way all over the world; the world does not know God, so by default they belong to Satan. They are members of the same family, so wouldn’t one expect them to work together?
Revelation 12:10 (KJV)
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.
“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” Salvation comes through the blood of Christ which was shed on the cross when He paid the penalty for our sins. When He rose from the dead, He conquered death. When He conquered death all power was given to Him in heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18) It was His strength and triumph over death that makes the Kingdom of God available to all.
“For the accuser of our brethren is cast down” Satan actually means adversary or accuser. This verse would seem to indicate that it was when Christ gained the victory over death, that Satan and his band of followers were cast out of heaven. This may indicate why John, the writer of Revelation wrote:
1 John 4:3 (KJV)
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
“Which accused them before our God day and night“ We know from the book of Job that it was Satan that stood before God and accused him of sin day and night. He was a prosecuting attorney in God’s court, but because of what Christ did, his position was eliminated. There was no need to accuse anymore as the sin debt for mankind was paid in full and now the judging is left to Jesus Christ. So when Satan was defeated and cast down to the earth he decided to become an author and write a book, because he wanted to be like the most high (Isaiah 14:14) who had already written a book. Satan used his book to achieve his agenda and deceive a large portion of the population of earth. The book became a best seller and is used by the 2nd largest religion on Earth with a membership of 2 billion people.
Revelation 12:11 (KJV)
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.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” Jesus Christ made it possible for all to overcome Satan by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. In order to overcome Satan one must first confess and repent of their sin, and ask Christ to forgive and save them. Next they should be baptized and put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and follow him. By putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ you will have the testimony that allows you to triumph over sin and death.
“And they loved not their lives unto the death” When one follows after Christ they realize that life is not all about you. Once you accept Christ as your personal savior and put your faith and trust in Him, you essentially die to self, just as He died for you. Christ died for you so that you could live for Him. You love not your life unto death because you realize it is really His life, we are His creation and it was He that paid the penalty for our sin and redeemed us with His blood. It is through this testimony that victory over sin and death is achieved.
Revelation 12:12 (KJV)
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.
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them” Because of what Jesus Christ did all those that put their faith and trust in Him rejoice. Christians do not dwell on earth, we dwell in heaven. We are in the world but not of the world; our home is in heaven. This is not spoken to those that are lost and dwell on the earth, those who build up their bank accounts, and forget about building up their riches in heaven.
“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea” The inhabiters are those that dwell or reside on the earth. This would refer to unbelievers, people who do not know Jesus Christ. The inhabiters would seem to be speaking to people living in the less populated areas and the sea in prophecy would refer to very large populated areas where there are a sea of people. Together they take in the entire population of Earth warning us we have a mad and evil devil among us who is going to destroy to the best of his ability because he knows he has but a short time left.
Revelation 12:13 (KJV)
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child
The dragon, Satan has been persecuting Israel through people that serve him from the time before he was cast down from heaven. Since Satan was cast out of heaven it has become even worse. Antisemitism is everywhere and can be tracked throughout history. In 1492 the Jews were expelled from Spain. During World War II Hitler killed 6 million of them and almost every country in the world has people who hate Jews. The deceived Muslims have persecuted them (and everyone else) since they started their Jihad on the world around 634 A.D. Present day Israel has been defending herself for years, but the world (Satan) accuses her of being the attacker. Muslims have a very deep-rooted hatred for Jews. When Islam first came into being, Jews were not treated badly, but as time passed, the fair turned to dislike, which turned to contempt, which turned into absolute hatred. Like any sin when there’s no repentance it grows progressively worse until it leads to death.
Revelation 12:14 (KJV)
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.
“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle” This is a good example of just how exact the vision Jesus gave to John really was. Keeping in mind this vision was 1900 years ago; how would you describe an airplane carrying people if you had never seen one before? Yes, two wings of a great eagle. It was during this period of time that the airline industry took off. It is also during this period, right after World War 2, that a heavy immigration of Jews to Israel took place to re-establish Israel as a nation again by defeating their Muslim attackers. If you doubt the two wings of a great eagle are airplanes, consider this; who is it that is trying to bring down the airplanes, and why do you think they started doing it? The answers are easy: It’s Muslims that were bringing down airplanes because the planes were bringing lots of Jews to Israel.
“That she might fly into the wilderness, into her place” As was mentioned earlier, when the Muslim’s built their temple the Dome of the Rock in 688 A.D., Israel became a wilderness where not much of anything would grow. In the early 1800’s Jerusalem became little more than a ghost town with a population of just over 5,000 people. After the 7th century Muslims put very little into the upkeep of Jerusalem. It wasn’t until the Balfour Declaration was signed in 1917, Jews began returning to their land which after centuries of neglect was little more than a wilderness or wasteland. It was only after the Jewish people started returning to their land that it once again began to blossom, just as God had promised it would in His Word.
“Where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time” The period of time, and times, and half a time in question here directly follows the 1260 days (years) alluded to earlier in verse 6 when the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness of the world. As we showed you this period was from the setting up of the Dome of the Rock in 688 A. D. to 1948 when Israel became a nation. This 3½ year time period also begins in 688 A.D. and ends 3½ prophetic years later when both Israel and their migration back to Jerusalem were completed.
“Where she is nourished” refers to the time the Jews were disbursed throughout the world. During this time they were heavily persecuted, but they were also highly prosperous in their new locations. Prosperous to the point they were the envy of their landlords. When war broke out with the Arabs in late 1947, God even provided Israel with weapons flown into Israel from other nations with Czechoslovakia being the main contributor. Israel had almost no arms, army, or air force when the conflict started. Everything they needed to fight a war had to be imported into the country. So this is how Israel was nourished with all her needs
It is quite possible that the reason our Lord uses the time, times, and half a time or the dividing of time instead of the standard days, months, or years is because there is no definitive starting and ending dates given for these events described. However, there was an article which stated that this 3½ year period was the heaviest immigration to Israel since the Jews were allowed to return to Israel after the signing of the Balfour Declaration in November 1917. Some of the nourishment Israel received from the world was in the form of weapons and immigrants as both of them were very much needed to help her survive the Arab onslaught that was thrust on her because of the proclamation put forth by the United Nations.
“The face of the serpent” here one could substitute the word presence for face according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary. The Arab countries of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria all took part in trying to prevent Israeli statehood during the 1948 war. The face is the focal point of a person. It is usually what you notice first when looking at someone. So the face of the serpent could also be referring to all the countries that bordered Israel. The surrounding Muslim countries you would see first when looking at a map of the area.
Revelation 12:15 (KJV)
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman” What this verse speaks of has already happened and continues even now. A flood occurs when water overflows its containment whether it is banks of a river or shores of a lake. As you already know, in Bible prophecy water in various forms such as seas, rivers, and fountains refer to different kinds or groups of people, so this refers to the millions of refugees that have left all the Muslim countries (overflowed the borders of their countries) and headed to countries all over the world. While Europe and the U.S. took in more than their share, Satan has sent them out all over the world. You will now find them in places you would never expect to find people that are accustomed to high heat and arid conditions. People whose language, dress, customs and religion are totally foreign to the lands of their destinations. People that do not assimilate into other cultures, but rather people with a 1400 year history of assimilating other cultures into theirs. Just another example of “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
We wanted to include the almost unbelievable pictures of this exodus from Islamic countries heading for Europe, but were not able to obtain permission to use them. The numbers of people and the length of the lines was truly staggering. One picture that was taken from directly above the exodus showed a column of people traveling along the roadside that was approximately 25 people wide, and its length went on further than the eye could see. The Satan once again has tried to copy what our Lord did by dispersing His people all over the world, but Satan has a much more sinister purpose in mind. This also goes in direct violation of God’s will going all the way back to the first Babylon when God scattered man abroad and gave them multiple languages. Allah is only allowed to be worshiped in Arabic. Islam seeks to unite mankind as one under Allah, so it’s spreading out all over the world with the goal of conquering and making the whole world bow down to Allah.
Psalm 18:4 (KJV)
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
“That he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” Here we find out the purpose of the flood. These are not poor refugees that have no purpose other than to get out of a war zone, as 80% of these refugees are men of fighting age and they come from many different Muslim countries; not just Syria. The idea behind this is to get enough Muslims into Europe and other countries to force the nation’s hand to do what they want and to withdraw any support for Israel. What country is going to go against the wishes of millions of Muslims that will blow up your cities and kill you and your children if they do not get their wishes? What better excuse or way is there to sneak your army into an ignorant enemy, without having to build a wooden horse?
This flood is still in progress and this is the very flood spoken of by Daniel in chapter 9:
Daniel 9:26 (KJV)
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Revelation 12:16 (KJV)
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
This flood of refugees was taken in by many countries to the objection of many of their citizens. These countries are now paying the price of their foolishness with more civil unrest, increased terror attacks, and a huge increase in the number of rapes. If the leaders of these countries knew the Word of God they would know that if you take in a group of people who curse Israel and worship Satan, your land is going to be cursed too. In Genesis 12:3 God told Abraham He would curse them that curse him and bless those that bless him…… and God does what He says He will do!
Revelation 12:17 (KJV)
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman” If there is any doubt in your mind at all as to who the god of the Muslim is, this verse should close the deal. Who are the ones expressing their anger against Christians, Jews and Israel? Who teaches their children to hate and kill Jews? The answer is rather obvious.
“And went to make war with the remnant of her seed” The word remnant according to both Strong’s and Vine’s Greek Dictionaries means rest of or others of her seed. So this prophecy states that Satan will make war with Israel and the rest of the people who came forth from her, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This clarifies whom the others or rest of are. It is the ones that profess Jesus Christ as their savior and keep the commandments of God. This verse defines exactly what we saw happening with ISIS. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria murdered every Christian and Jew they came across, and the world did nothing. This tells us that it is not only Moslem’s that Satan has deceived, but the rest of the world also, just as it is stated in verse 9 of this chapter.
The "REAL" Sign of the Son of Man; & 