The Dragon and His Seven Heads

from Google Images

Something concerning the dragon of Revelation 12 occurs in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus had dispatched the Seventy (70 disciples, including the 12 Apostles) two by two throughout Samaria, as he proceeded on his way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51; 10:1). Upon the return of the Seventy, they greeted Jesus with great joy, saying even the demons were subject to them in his name. Albeit, Jesus warned them not to rejoice over this but, rather, be glad that their names were written in heaven (Luke 10:17-20). What is most interesting is that Jesus said he beheld Satan “having fallen from heaven, as lightening” (Luke 10:18). In other words, Jesus beheld the fall of Satan from heaven as an accomplished fact during his earthly ministry!

 

Now Is Come Salvation…

from Google Images

John heard a loud voice speaking in heaven (Revelation 12:10).

 “…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 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. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhibiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 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.” (Revelation 12:10-14)

 

The Child Who Would Rule All Nations

from Google Images

We are studying the twelfth chapter of Revelation, in which John saw several signs in the heavens. These, as I have shown in studies immediately previous to this one, are signs in the Zodiac, not Greek mythology, but signs which the Lord had given us that take note of the work he was doing among men. He gave these stars and signs their names (Psalm 147:4; Job 9:9), but his word had been corrupted by men to reveal “men, birds, beasts and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23, 28) that reveal different stories than the Gospel, which they originally foretold.

 

The Sign of the Dragon

from Google Images

In a previous study on Revelation 12 I mentioned the woman that John saw in the heavens, and showed that she represented Israel, giving birth to Jesus, according to the flesh (cf. Hebrews 7:14; Romans 1:3; Revelation 5:5; 22:16). Continuing in this study, John saw another wonder (G4952 – semeion) or sign in the heavens. It was a dragon, which in the context of the sign of the woman being Virgo, this second sign must be Draco the dragon constellation (Revelation 12:3) that appears in the sign Sagittarius.

 

The Synagogue of Satan

from Google Images

The doctrine of Satan as understand by Christians today was not so developed in ancient Israel. At least, we have no indication in the Bible that such a doctrine was developed that shows Satan to be a spiritual archenemy of God. From Genesis to Revelation, there simply is no spiritual archenemy of God. As far as Scripture is concerned, satan simply means adversary or enemy. Jesus called Peter his enemy or his satan (G4567 – satanas) in Matthew 16:23. In the Old Covenant the Lord raised up two satans or adversaries (H7854) against Solomon (1Kings 11:14, 23). In fact, the Angel of the Lord was Balaam’s satan or adversary (H7854) in Numbers 22:22. So, what is Jesus referring to when he mentions the synagogue of satan?

 

What Did Jesus Mean by ‘Generation’?

from Google Images

We need only to use the Gospel according to Matthew in order to show exactly how Jesus and his contemporaries understood the word generation. Nevertheless, there seems to be a great deal of confusion in Christian circles, today, over the understanding of this word, as it pertains to knowing the time of Jesus’ Second Coming. Because some of our modern scholars want to place this generation far into the future from when the Gospel had just begun in the first century AD, most believers have come to accept and believe that the return of Christ was prophesied to occur in our day or, perhaps, even more than 2000 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. Nevertheless, if we truly believe that it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18; Romans 3:4; Titus 1:2), then we need to pause and reconsider what believe about the timing of Jesus’ Second Coming.

 

Jesus Being Ironical

from Google Images

While they were in the state of unbelief, Jesus asked his Apostles, when they went out with the Seventy (Luke 22:35; cf. 10:4) and enjoyed the success of their labor, did they lack anything, and, of course, they replied they lacked nothing. In other words, while in the state of belief, they lacked nothing. God was with them, and they enjoyed success in everything they did in the service of the Kingdom of God (cf. Luke 10:17). However, now that they were in the state of unbelief, Jesus said they needed to do the opposite of what he had commanded them in Luke 10:4. In other words, they needed to take their purses and their scrips (shepherd bags), because, while in the state of unbelief they could not expect the provision of God. In fact, if they had no swords, they would now need to sell even their garment to buy one, because without faith they couldn’t expect the protection of God (Luke 22:36).