We have just noticed, that there are two full numbers. The full number of the firstfruit of Israel, who caused the rapture, and the full number of all, by which Satan has been sentenced and cast out of the heaven. His remaining time now is only 3 1/2 years. 

 

Now we continue to read Rev 12.

 

12 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.

 

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

 

14 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. 

 

15 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.    

 

16 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.    

 

17 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. 

 

Verse 12:

Satan has left only 3 1/2 years. He knows, that his hopes are gone.  He wanted to stay the ruler of the world.  Since Adam he and his companions have the power, although not unlimited. people are easily cheated by him.  If they would know his true character, they would be horrified. 

 

Now thrown on earth his wrath concentrates on the persecution of the woman. The woman will be saved however and stays in the desert for the next 3 1/2 years.   

 

Verses 15 and 16 describes a picture, which seems to be unknown by the elements, but the meaning is quite clear: The woman receives on her flight a crucial help. But what mean the elements of the picture? 

 

The woman wants to save Israel, as we will see in verse 17.  Satan attacks the woman.  Of course, he cannot do it directly, because she has a contract with God himself, - like Moses.  But he attacks Israel. Why can he do this? Israel is not yet saved. They did not yet accept the Messiah. A confrontation with the law would devastate Israel, because they are all guilty - without the justification through the blood of the lamb.

 

The gush of water of the Snake is a dangerous indictment against Israel. 

 

Then the earth opens and the indictment will be prevented. Let us look at the picture in

4. Moses 16,28.   The same picture.   Satan plans an attack on Israel by the the people Korah. The earth devours Korah because Moses is authorized.  

Here Mary is authorized.  She is the mother of Israel.  And here Satan attacks Israel with this indictment.  

 

Verse 17 shows, that the woman cares for her descendants. It shows also, that the descendants consists of two groups: On one hand there are the followers of Jesus and the others? They are Israel, who did not find the Messiah, yet.   

 

With those people from Israel the woman flees into the desert. They, too, are her children. There they will soon realize, who the Messiah is.  

                                                                               * * * * * 

Now, it is not written in the text, that this woman will save Israel into the desert. Nowhere this has been mentioned - at least not explicitly.

 

Now we are going to do this. 

 

In Rev 7 we can read about the 144000.  Verse 3: "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads".  

 

12000 of each tribe are getting sealed. The 12000 is a symbolic number, probably, and means: "All" of the tribe, "who hope in Jesus" have been sealed by the angel.  And those are finally 144000. 

 

We read about them in Romans 11,16: "For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches". 

 

The "firstfruit" is a picture of those people, whose full number caused the rapture. Because if they are holy, then also the "lump" they have been taken from, Israel.

 

But this is not the whole people of Israel. They are those, whose foundation roots on three pillars: 

 

                                    1. Moses and the prophets, 

                                    2. Jerusalem and the temple, 

                                    3. the expectation of the Messiah. 

 

                                                                           * * * * * 

And there were still other people, whom the woman left behind - also their children - to save Israel. 

"Who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus". 

In his wrath Satan persecutes those, "who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus."

 

And therefore all those will be saved, who refuse the mark of the beast. With them the first resurrection comes to an end, which has begun with the rapture. All people from this first resurrection will rule with Jesus during the millenium. 

 

                                                                                 * * * * * 

This Israel, Mary has saved into the desert, undergoes now a terrible shock: Because this Jesus, who died on the cross 2000 years ago, is really their Messiah! 

 

Zechariah 12: 

9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 

 

                                                                                                 March 2015, deFrohna.