The Historical Parenthesis (Revelation 12)

Chapter 8

Chapter 12 is what I call a historical parenthesis. Verses 1 and 2 describe Israel and identify her as the one who gave birth to the Messiah (cf. Gen. 37:9, 10). Verses 3-5 describe the relationship of the devil to the Messiah. He is called the great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns with ten diadems on the heads. The heads are both references to seven kings and the city of Rome, the city which sits upon seven hills (cf. Rev. 17:9-13). It is the city out of which the false church rises. Need any more be said about the Roman Catholic Church? The current ecumenical movement to unite all believers under one banner (not one Lord), will end as it began, in Rome. Is it not strange that Catholic means universal? Is it not obvious that the very reason for the reformation was the heresy of the Catholic Church? Is it not obvious that Satan will finally commit the ultimate expression of his rebellion against all God intends for mankind by leading the greatest awakening of foolishness ever perpetrated upon the mind of man? I tell those of you who are now in the Catholic Church, “Come out of her my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” (Rev. 18:4, 5) She is, even now as I write these words, moving to unite all liberal protestant churches with her into a One World Church which calls itself The World Counsel of Churches. This church will make a covenant with the devil for a time, after which he will break the covenant and kill all who claim loyalty to the church. This is the abomination of desolation described by Daniel in chapter 9 and verse 27 and 12:11. At the end of the 1,290 days the bowl judgments begin. That is why I have concluded the bowl judgments will only take 45 days to complete. The phrase “How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!” seems to be a reference to the period when Satan’s time is over and Jesus returns to establish His earthly kingdom. During that time the bowl judgments, the final judgments of God on humanity, the most devastating judgments ever to be experienced by the inhabitants of planet earth, are poured out upon them.