Church in the Wilderness

Revelation 12:1-6

Introduction

1. Get that sinking feeling of defeat? Feel that all is lost? Hopeless?

2. Ray Summers wrote, “Many times it appears that the enemy has the upper hand and will win, but all the time we know that victory is ours because we have seen the headline announcing victory. John used this method many times in Revelation – always very effectively.” (2, 167)

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.

   1. A radiant woman –

      1. Clothed with the sun.

      2. She has 12 stars on her head.

   2. This woman is the church.

      1. The church is, in the rest of the New Testament, seen as the bride of Christ. In Romans 7:4, the church is married to Christ.

      2. In 21:9 the church is referred to as the bride of Christ. Christ is the bridegroom and the church is the bride.

      3. This is not Mary literally bringing Jesus into the world.

      4. The church is the woman who, through evangelism and preaching, is presenting Jesus to the world.

   3. The woman represents the true church, and those who are faithful to Christ.

2. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

   1. She, the church, gave birth to a child.

   2. Most commentators agree that the child is Jesus. Satan will do whatever he can to stop Christ from being preached in the world.

   3. Bringing Christ to the world can be painful. It can result in imprisonment, suffering and even death.

   4. The gospel is being spread today, not in comfort, but in pain and anguish.

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.

   1. John next sees the fiery red dragon. This dragon is also called the devil, and Satan, in verse 9.

   2. There is no dispute about this. John clearly calls this dragon, Satan.

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.

   1. The great dragon is watching and waiting for the church to preach Christ to the world.

   2. As soon as the church presents Christ as savior, Satan is ready to attack.

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.

   1. Satan knew that Christ was coming. He tried to stop His birth.

   2. Think about the times when the lineage of Christ was hanging by a thread.

      1. Haman almost carried out a plot to kill all Jews in the time of Esther.

      2. At the time of Athalia, the queen who killed all her family, EXCEPT a six-month old baby named Joash. (2 Kings 11-13)

      3. Just as Jesus was to be born, Mary and Joseph had to make a difficult trip to Egypt. Herod was going to kill all male babies to eliminate Jesus.

      4. By creating insurrection, Jesus was arrested and executed at Calvary.

   3. At each of these times, the coming of Christ was threatened. Satan failed each time.

   4. When Christ was raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven, Satan turned his attention to the woman (the church) that was preaching Christ. This helps us understand why the church was being persecuted. The attack on the church was Satan’s way to get back at Christ.

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.

   1. The woman (the church) flees into the wilderness.

   2. God will always protect His family. There is a parallel with the children of Israel leaving the persecution of Egypt and going into the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land.

   3. So must Christians, as we come out of great tribulation (sin) and head for heaven, we must go through the wilderness.

   4. The scene described here is the church in the wilderness. The church is in the world, but not of the world.