Grace World Outreach Church
Pastor Daniel K Norris
REVELATION OF MESSIAH
The Cosmic Christmas
Return Of The King
Text: Rev 12:1-17, Rev 12-14
Revelation 12:1–6 (ESV)
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Revelation Review (see end notes for a Christ centered Rev outline)
* Ch 1-3 Vision One: The Seven Churches
Jesus is the One who rebukes and refreshes His church
* Ch 4-5 Vision Two: The Throne, The Lamb, The Scroll
Jesus is the one who rules and remains over all things
* Ch 6-16 The Seals the Trumpets the bowls
Jesus is the only one who can bring the Fathers plans and purposes to their fulfillment
As the vision of the seals, trumpets and bowls is revealed to John, he sees an angel with an open scroll and is told to eat the scroll and proclaim its message. He is told this is, “the mystery of God” that would now be fulfilled (Rev 10:7).
Part of the message and mystery of the scroll is the Cosmic Christmas Story
1) THIS CHRISTMAS STORY HAS A COSMIC CAST
* THE WOMAN (Israel)
“a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (vs 1).
“then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me” (Genesis 37:9, ESV)
She represents:
* The Nation of Israel (Gen 37:9; Isaiah 66:8)
* The Womb of Salvation (Get 3:15; John 4:22)
* THE DRAGON (Satan)
“behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it” (vs 3-4).
John tells us who the dragon is, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” (vs 9).
* The great dragon
* The ancient serpent
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made” (Ge 3:1).
Satan begins the story of the biblical narrative as a snake in a garden, and is a seven headed dragon in revelation. Warning to us that what you do not kill in its immaturity will eventually try to kill you in its maturity
* The devil or satan
- “the slanderer”
- “the adversary”
1 Peter 5:8–11 (ESV)
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
He is still God’s devil (Job 1:6)
He is your adversary
* The Deceiver
“43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:43–44 ESV).
-
He is a deceiver and He is deceived - there is NO TRUTH in him
3 Damnable Lies
- God is not good or just
- God is not real
- There is more than one way
* THE CHILD
vs5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne
- He was born to rule
“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:8–9 (ESV).
- He was caught up to the throne of God
“Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34, ESV).
2) THIS CHRISTMAS STORY HAS A COSMIC CONFLICT
The mystery reveals that we are part of an eternal conflict that began at the beginning in the garden of eden
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
(Ge 3:14–15)
Because of this word the devil is
* Antisemitic - hostility, hatred, or prejudice towards jewish people
he understands it is through this woman (Israel), her offspring will crush his head.
* AntiChrist
* AntiChristan
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring”
Remember your enemy is either seducing you or stalking you but he is not sympathetic towards you
Enmity - hostility towards your enemy
Anger towards the enemy is a God given gift, the deceiver attempts transfer that hostility off himself and towards the Lord.
Being angry is not a sin, but being angry at the wrong thing can lead you into sin.
3. THIS CHRISTMAS STORY LEAVES US WITH A COSMIC CHOICE
13:15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
The Two Marks Of Revelation (Revelation 13:15–14:5 (ESV)
The Seal of the Lord - (Rev 7:3, 9:4, 14:1)
The Shema
4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Dt 6:4–9).
The New Testament Fullfillment
Ephesians 4:30 (ESV)
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The Mark of the Beast ... The Anti-Shema
Many worry about a future Antichrist and his mark, yet fail to realize the antichrist is already present and many already given their allegiance
Only one way to overcome
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (Revelation 12:11–12, ESV).
EXALTING JESUS IN REVELATION
A Christ Centered Revelation Outline
Prologue: The Christ of Communication (1:1–8)
Theme: He is the God who reveals His will to His people.
Vision 1: The Christ of the Churches (1:9–3:22)
Theme: He is the Lord who rebukes and refreshes His churches.
* To Ephesus He says, “Remember your first love.” (2:1–7)
* To Smyrna He says, “Remain faithful to your God.” (2:8–11)
* To Pergamum He says, “Repent of false teaching.” (2:12–17)
* To Thyatira He says, “Remain fast among false teachings.” (2:18–29)
* To Sardis He says, “Repent from incomplete service.” (3:1–6)
* To Philadelphia He says, “Rest in the promise of God.” (3:7–13)
* To Laodicea He says, “Repent from your indifference.” (3:14–22)
Vision 2: The Christ of the Cosmos (4:1–16:21)
Theme: He is the God who reclaims the earth for His kingdom
* The vision in heaven (4:1–5:14)
* The destruction on the earth (6:1–16:21)
* The seal judgments (6:1–17)
* The 144,000 (7:1–17)
* The trumpet judgments (8:1–9:21)
* The two witnesses (10:1–11:18)
* The war in heaven (11:19–12:17)
* The beast and false prophet (13:1–18)
* A description of the end (14:1–15:8)
* The bowl judgments (16:1–21)
Vision 3: The Christ of Conquest (17:1–21:8)
Theme: He is the God who repays the ungodly for their sin
* Judgment on false religion (17:1–18)
* Judgment on evil commercialism (18:1–24)
* Justice in Christ’s return to the earth (19:1–21)
* Justice in Christ’s reign on the earth (20:1–6)
* Justice in Christ’s consignment of Satan and sinners to the lake of fire (20:7–15)
* Joy in Christ’s call of His saints to the new heaven and new earth (21:1–8)
Vision 4: The Christ of Consummation (21:9–22:5)
Theme: He is the God who reigns for all eternity.
* The description of eternity (21:9–27)
* The delights of eternity (22:1–5)
Epilogue: The Christ of Challenge (22:6–21)
Theme: He is the God who requests all to come to Him.
* He invites the church. (22:5–9)
* He invites the world. (22:10–19)
* He invites the individual believer. (22:20–21)