 Okay, welcome back everybody to BC, our second lecture on BC 308, Revelation and Daniel. We have three lectures today. This is our second lecture. And I was just responding to a question on the chat, couldn't be less a question about trumpets. So in relation to the rapture, that's in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 and in 1st Corinthians chapter 15, we hear the sounding of the trumpets there as well. And then here in the book of Revelation, we are reading about seven trumpets being sounded. And so what is the connection? And because the trumpet already took place. The rapture we are saying has already happened. So to respond to that, I will just point us back to our second year course notes, where we in our BC 213 course, the end times. As we started talking about the end times, the sequence events, we had a full section here about the trumpet of God. And we discussed, okay, why is it talking about the trumpet of God based on 1st Thessalonians 416, 1st Corinthians 1552, what is the significance of the trumpet? And then we said, we couldn't confuse this with the trumpets that we read about as the seven trumpets announcing the judgments. Here's another trumpet at the second coming of Christ. And so what is the significance of the last trumpet used here? And 1st Thessalonians 416, 1st Corinthians 1552. And so we said here that the last trumpet is signifying the end of the church age. And shouldn't be confused with the trumpets we're reading about through the tribulation. Because as we talk about the tribulation, there are seven trumpets, the seven trumpet judgments. There's another trumpet being sounded at the end of the tribulation when Christ comes before the battle of Armageddon. But this is a trumpet that's being sounded at the end of the church age. That is, that's indicating the rapture. It's likely that there are true trumpets being sounded. The first trumpet is the Lord descending from heaven, and the second trumpet is the resurrection and the catching up of the saints. So there are true. So the sound of the last trumpet, the dead in Christ's rise, second one, second or last trumpet. So we explain this here. In our second course, I'm sorry for taking us back there, but I think it's explained there. If you want to pre-visit those notes, they should help you. Is that okay? Okay. Got it. All right. So the last trumpet, so that there are two trumpets, first and second, in relation to the end of the church age. All right. So yeah. So we were now in Revelation chapter 11, and verse 3, that's where we paused before the break. And we're going to pick up from there. So let's introduce this thought. You see, when we are describing or sharing with somebody a story, a sequence of events, sometimes as we are narrating the story, we might take a certain point, go to the end of the story, then come back and continue the story with other things that we need to cover. For example, if you're talking about a story and you're saying, hey, you know, here's a person, John, and John was doing all this, and then you kind of, you know, you talk about John's whole life till the end of the story, then you come back and say, well, yeah, well, John was 23, and you continue on the story. Or sometimes when you're telling a story, you're giving a story, and then you go back in time. You go say, okay, well, for you to understand this, let me tell you what else happened in the past. And we do that in our conversation. So Revelation chapter 11, 12, and 13 are like that. Revelation chapter 11 introduces to us the two witnesses. And it talks to us about the two witnesses and what they do for next three and a half years. Then it comes back to the middle point. And chapter 12 again talks to us about, it's in the middle midpoint, and it talks to us about what is going to happen with Israel for the next three and a half years. All right, somebody's mike is on, you can turn it off please, mute it please. And then chapter 13 comes back to the middle of the tribulation and talks to us about the Antichrist and the false prophet. And it tells us what they're going to do for the second half of the tribulation, the three and a half years. So Revelation chapter 11, chapter 12, chapter 13 all start in the middle of the tribulation, but they're narrating something, they're revealing something, about something specific that happens for three and a half years. The two witnesses are going to be on the earth for three and a half years. So we read about them only in Revelation chapter 11, but in chapter 11 it tells us what they're going to do for three and a half years. Chapter 12 again picks up in the middle of the tribulation, talks about Israel, it gives us a little background, it takes us behind in time about the dragon, that is Satan Lucifer himself, tells us what Lucifer is going to do to Israel during the next three and a half years. Chapter 13 again starts off in the middle of the tribulation, and we will see the reason we can say with confidence that it's starting off in the middle of the tribulation is because it gives us the timing. Just like how in Revelation 11 verses 1 and 2, it says 1, 2 and 3, it says, you know, 42 months, 1,000 to 60 days, you see that given to us in chapter 12 as well. So we know, we can state with confidence what we are saying. Chapter 13 again, similarly, it starts in the middle, it tells us what the Antichrist and false prophet will be doing for three and a half years. Is that clear? So Revelation 11, 11, 3, God says there are going to be two witnesses, and they are going to be ministering for three and a half years, 1,000 to 60 days. Now these two witnesses, who are these two witnesses? The names are not mentioned here, but we know Malachi chapter 4 verse 4, he talks about God says, you know, I will send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest to come and smite the earth with a curse. So God has spoken through Malachi the prophet saying he will send Elijah. So one of these two witnesses is Elijah. Now somebody may say, well, John the Baptist came. Yes. John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but he was not Elijah. And in Matthew 17, when Jesus was asked about John the Baptist, he said, yes, Elijah has come and he is yet to come. So he was referring to John the Baptist saying, yeah, this is, you know, in one sense Elijah has come, meaning there's somebody who's come in the spirit and power of Elijah, but Elijah is yet to come, Matthew 17. So versus 11 and 12, so even the Lord Jesus pointed and said, Elijah is going to come. So we can state with confidence based on Malachi 4, Malachi chapter 4, verse 5 and 6, as well as Matthew 17, verse 11 and 12, we can state that one of these two witnesses will be Elijah. We don't know who the other, the next witness is, so it's anybody's guess. Some people talk about Enoch, some people say it's Moses, we don't know. But if you go by the criteria, one of the criteria, which is Elijah never died physically, he was caught up and taken up into a, in the chariot to heaven. So the only other person like Elijah would be Enoch, Enoch also didn't die physically. So we could say based on that criteria, the second witness would be Enoch. That's kind of a more of a deduction or a logical conclusion we can come to, but we cannot prove it from scripture. So that's, so we just have to leave it there. Some people say it's Moses because, you know, Moses appeared with Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration along with Jesus, so they say, okay, maybe it's Moses, but we don't know. Moses doesn't fit the criteria of not dying, which Elijah has. Verse 4, Revelation 11, verse 4 says, there are these two olive trees and two lampstands standing before God on the earth. So here's again some prophetic imagery. We know trees can represent people. Psalm 1, verse 3, he will be like a tree planted by rivers of water. All live trees represent men or ministers of God, lampstand can represent the church, lampstand can also represent ministers of God, prophetic pictures, so keep that in mind. He says these two olive trees, talking about the two witnesses, he's calling them olive trees. So all, they're represented the figurative, olive trees are figurative of servants of God, two lampstands figurative of servants of God, right. And the parallel is in Zechariah chapter 4, verse 11 to 14, where they're in Zechariah 4 as well, all of trees are used to represent leaders or ministers of God. Now these two witnesses are serving the Lord, and they do mighty signs and wonders. Just like Elijah in the Old Testament, they could call fire from down from heaven. They can speak and, you know, people's lives are affected. They shut up heaven for no rain, or they have power to turn water into blood. Now some people look at that and say, well, Moses did that, so maybe it's Moses. Well, we don't know. Elijah could also do the same. And then so they did. The purpose of these two witnesses during the second half of the tribulation is explained for us in Malachi 4, verse 5 and 6. It is to turn the people to God and the people towards each other to bring reconciliation with God and with people, lest the earth be completely destroyed. So they're serving in that capacity during that period of time. But then what happens to them? Let's read, please, from verses 7 to, I guess we can read from verse 7 to 14. Revelation 11, 7 to 14, 3 verses each, please. When they finish the testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless beat will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And the dead bodies will lie in the secret of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also a Lord was crucified. Then those from the people's tribes, towns, and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days and not allow them, dead bodies, to be put into graves. Thank you. We're standing onward, somebody. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Now, after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven, saying to them, come up here, and they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. Okay, verse 30 and 14, somebody. In the same hour, there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of a city fell. In the earthquake, 7,000 people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to God of heaven. The second who is fast, behold, the third who is coming quickly, amen. So remember John is seeing all of this in a vision. Many God is showing him things that are going to take place. So there are these two witnesses, prophets, for three and a half years they're ministering on the earth. They're doing all these mighty things in order to turn people to God, and so on. And then towards the end of the three and a half years, so now we're coming towards the end of the three and a half years, he's telling us what'll happen towards the end. The beast, verse 7, the beast. So this is the first time this term is introduced to us, the beast. We will say right now, we will give it to you in chapter 13, we will see clearly. This beast, the beast, the term the beast, is referring to the antichrist, okay? Chapter 13 will explain that to us. But now this term is in the beast, and it's coming from the bottomless pit. That doesn't mean that the man itself is from there, the man is a human being, but he is empowered by hell, the dragon, the devil, the beast, the antichrist, is going to kill them, kill them both. And their bodies are going to be lying in the city of Jerusalem, that's verse 8. But at that time, the city of Jerusalem is going to be so corrupted, so it's going to be so depraved. It's going to be spiritually, it's going to be called Sodom and Egypt. Sodom for its immorality, Egypt for its idolatry. So that means at that time, Jerusalem spiritually will be a very depraved city. Now, Jerusalem is the city of God, Jerusalem will be the city from which Jesus rules. And at that time, or by that time, which means by the end of the tribulation, by that time, it has become spiritually, it has become like Sodom and Egypt. And partly it's because by that time, the Gentiles have come in, overtaken that city, the antichrist has set himself up as God there, the beast. And so morally it has become very, very, it's gone the other direction. So in the city of Jerusalem, now we know it's Jerusalem because verse 8 says, where also our Lord was crucified, that great city. So that's the city of Jerusalem. Now at that time, that these two prophets will be killed by this beast and they're going to let their bodies lie on the streets of Jerusalem. And he's saying here that the whole world, verse 9, they're going to see them lying there on the streets for three and a half days. Now think about this. When John was, you know, John, this was 2000 years ago, when John was saying the whole world is going to see them, physically it was an impossibility during John's time. But today it's a possibility. That means today, you know, we can be seated in any part of the world and we can see live what's happening somewhere. Today it's a possibility. And people can see it on their phones. It says people, tribes, tongues and nations. That means a multitude of people and which is so true, which is so possible today on your mobile phone, you can live stream, you know, whatever news channel you connect to, you can get a live stream. And in real time you can see what's happening somewhere else in some other part of the world. Maybe, you know, even I would say 30 years ago, this was not possible 20, 30 years ago, this was not possible in real time. Of course, you could read to the news or watching television later, but in real time, this is possible today. That means that's how close we are to the fulfillment of these prophecies. And John was writing, it was an impossibility. How could people from everywhere see what two dead men lying in the street of Jerusalem? How could that happen? They didn't have cameras, they had nothing during John's time. Here we are 2000 years later and it's absolutely possible. And so people are going to be so happy, hey, we got rid of these two prophets because they were trying to get, their preaching was causing people to repent and turn to God. And verse 11, after three and a half days, while people are watching in real time, they're going to see these people get onto their feet and they're going to see them ascend to God. God's going to say, come up here. And that's going to be great earthquake. One tenth of the city of Jerusalem will fall and there'll be lots of people who are going to turn to God. Verse 13, 7000 people will be killed. Now, think about this. What John wrote in Revelation 11, like these details, which if John was to logically write in his time, he would not have written this. He would not have said, people from all over the world can see their dead bodies lying in the streets of the city of Jerusalem. He would not have said that because logically it was not possible in his day and time. But he was being given a prophetic vision. He was being given a message from the Lord about things that were yet to come. And he wrote it down. And we are living in a day and time when we can say, we can read it and say, yeah, it's easy. Everybody turn on the phone, watch a live stream and you can see these two dead bodies in the street of Jerusalem. You can see it. It's possible in our time. So having given us this part, John is coming back and he hears the message saying, okay, the second wall is passed. The third was coming quickly. Meaning now we're going to transition into the final war. So each of these each of these sets of judgments are referred to as war. So the first seal, first set of seven seals, first war, the second set of seven trumpets, second wall, the third set of bold judgments is the third wall. So he says the second was passed, meaning it's going to be done. That's what set 15 is the last of the seven trumpets. And then it's the third wall. That's the last set that's going to take. So just announcing that's that's going to happen. So Revelation 11 from the middle of the tribulation till the end of the tribulation in relation to the two witnesses and what will happen to them and what the ministry will be like, what will happen to them and what effect it will have on the people of the earth. So he's given us that. Now we see the seventh trumpet being sounded. So we'll read verses 15 to 19. The seventh trumpet is being sounded. Now remember, we have crossed over the middle line. So the sixth trumpet is before the middle of the tribulation. The seventh trumpet is sounded once we cross over the middle of the tribulation somewhere there. Now the seventh trumpet sound is more of an announcement of things going to be wrapped up. So it's not actually something, an event happening at that moment, but say, hey, this is what's going to happen soon. So Revelation 11 verses 15 to 19, please. Somebody could read that of three verses each, please. Verse 11, 15 onwards, three verses each. And the seventh angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And the four and 20 elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and was, and are to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned. Thank you. Was 18 on? The nations were angry, and your wrath has come the town of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, the prophets, and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great, should destroy those who destroy the earth. Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of his karmic was seen in his temple, and there were lightning, and whizzes, tundering, and earthquake, and great hail. Okay, so the seventh trumpet is primarily an announcement. So we will see, you know, we have seen, and we will see numerous announcements being made throughout the seven years of seven-year period, and this seventh trumpet is an announcement, the announcement that God is going to triumph over all the kingdoms of the earth, and he's going to reign, saying, look, this is going to happen, right? So this is, it literally happens in Revelation 19, you know, so, you know, if he, when we come to Revelation 19, we will see this announcement literally being fulfilled, when Christ returns, but this is an announcement, oh, the kingdoms of this earth have become the kingdoms of our nation, kingdoms of the earth have become the kingdoms of our Christ, and he's going to reign forever, that's going to actually literally happen, and then there's worship happening in heaven, and while that is happening, there is verse 19, there's lightning, tundering, earthquakes, so things are just being shaken on the earth at the seventh trumpet. Now, we come to chapter 12. Chapter 12 is similar to chapter 11, meaning, as we read the chapter, we will see that again, there's a reference made to 1,260 days or 42 months or three and a half years, that means chapter 12 is telling us something that's going to happen over that three and a half, the second half of the tribulation. It has to, chapter 12 deals with how Satan is going to go after Israel primarily, as well as to go after people who have the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ for that three and a half year period, but chapter 12 also tells us a little bit about past, oh, this is how the great dragon came about, this is who the great dragon is, you need to know a little bit about his past, and it tells us something that's going to happen in the heavenly, spiritual, in the middle of the tribulation. So that's chapter 12. So talking about the dragon, Satan, his past, what he's going to do in the middle of the tribulation, he's going to try to get up into heaven and try to ascend, one make is one final attempt to break into the heavens, the throne of God, that's where he wanted to be seated all the time, he's going to try to break there, break in through there, he will not be able to, so he'll come back to the earth, I mean he'll be forced, he won't be able to enter heaven, so he'll be forced back to the earth, he knows his time is short, just three and a half years left, and he is going to go with full vengeance against Israel, and those who have the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, that's chapter 12. So let's read that, Revelation 12 was one through six place, three verses each. A great sign of the earth in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head, she was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven, an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. He still drew a third of the stars of heaven and drew them to the earth, and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth. To devour her child as soon as she was born, she bore a new child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was brought to God in his strength. Then the woman fled to the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed here for 1,260 days. All right, so this passage in Revelation 12 has been a very difficult passage for many. This is, you know, okay, what's going on here, what's you talking about, when does this happen, etc, etc. But actually, if you read it, it's pretty simple. So read it and, you know, understand the prophetic imagery. It's pretty simple. So here in these six verses, we're having three characters or three big guys. We're having this picture of this woman, chapter 12 verse 1, this woman. She's clothed with a sun, the moon, and she's got 12 stars. Like what a strange picture. And then you have this red dragon. People think red dragon, does that represent China? You know, relax. There's a red dragon, and he's got verse 3, he's got seven heads, ten horns, seven diadems. Okay, what does all that mean? And then there's this child, a male child. Who is this male child? Right, now I know we've discussed this in the past, but just to refresh our memory, when you look at these verses, the first conclusion about the male child is we can conclude easily who the male child is, because it says here the male child, verse 5, is going to rule the nations with a rod of iron, and he was caught up to the throne of God. So that's Jesus Christ. Jesus, Revelation 19, tells us very clearly, Revelation 19 verse 15, tells us very clearly he's going to rule the nations with a rod of iron. Hey, that's Jesus. And then he was the one who was caught up, he was taken up into heaven. So the male child, we can clearly point and say that's Jesus. But then who's the woman? Who's the red dragon? Now the red dragon, when you read on a few more verses in which we will do, it's given to us very clearly here that the red dragon, I'm looking at verse 9, the great dragon, the serpent of all the devil and Satan. So red dragon, clear. That's the devil, not China, but it's the devil, red dragon. What do the seven heads, ten horns and seven diadems on his head mean? Verse 3, seven represents perfection, seven heads talking about his authority, seven diadems talking about his rulership on the earth at that time, ten horns pointing to the ten leaders who are going to be, you know, horns always represents leaders or leadership or kings. The ten horns are important because they will come up in chapter 13 and we will cross-reference them to what we saw in Daniel. Daniel, we saw ten toes, we saw ten horns, we are seeing ten horns here again, we are seeing ten horns again in chapter 13. So the ten horns are representing these ten leaders who are going to be influenced to carry out, you know, they're going to be supporting the antichrist and you know, leading things up to the end times. We will look at that in chapter 13. So the red dragon is given to us very clearly in verse 9, that's the devil. Then who is this woman? Because the woman gave birth to the male child, which we said is Jesus Christ because it's only Jesus who's going to rule the nations with the road of iron. It's Jesus who was taken up to the father. So who is the woman? Now the woman cannot be the church because the church didn't give birth to Jesus. Jesus established the church after he went up to heaven. He built his church after he went up to heaven. So it cannot be the church. But the woman then is Israel and we can corroborate that from what we know in Genesis 27 verse 9. In Genesis 37 verse 9, Joseph had a dream and in his dream he saw his father and mother, that's Jacob, Jacob and his mother and he saw his eleven brothers as the son, the moon and the eleven stars. And that matches so perfectly with Revelation 12 verse 1, the woman clothed with the sun, the moon, the twelve stars, twelve tribes of Israel. So this picture is a figurative representation of the nation of Israel. So the woman represents the nation of Israel, the male child represents Jesus Christ, the red dragon is the the devil. Clear? Any questions on that? And then look at verse 6. So what is this dragon trying to do? So it gives us a little bit of history about the dragon. Sorry, let me just back up to verse 4. The dragon, it says, his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. That means this dragon, in somewhere in time past, so influenced one third of the angels of God, stars representing the angels of God, he so influenced the angels of God with his tail, meaning he has so influenced them and he drew them to the earth. So this dragon has one third of the angelic beings created by God with him. For every fallen angel there are two of God's angels. So we know that one third of the angels rebelled along with this dragon when he fell, when he was sent to the earth. And secondly, what else can we see? We see that this dragon was trying to devour the woman, that means was trying to attack Israel. And it says here in verse 6, the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God, they should feed her there one thousand two sixty days. So one thousand two sixty days, three and forty two months, three and a half years. So once again we can say Revelation chapter 12 is talking to us about the forty two months, the one thousand two sixty days during the second half tribulation. So it starts in the middle and goes all the way till the end of the second half of the tribulation. And what is going to happen? This woman, that is the people of Israel, are going to flee to the wilderness and they're going to be preserved there. So now many people ask, where is this wilderness? And we'll read about this again later on in this chapter. Where is this wilderness, where the people of Israel are going to be preserved for three and a half years? One of the suggested or possible answers is in the region of Jordan. So Jordan neighbors or borders along Israel and that whole area is like desert land wilderness. And it is quite possible that when, from the start, from the middle of the seven years or the start of the three and a half years, when the Antichrist begins to really go after Israel, that a lot of the Jews will be dispersed and they will move across Jordan into the space just to protect themselves, just to hide from persecution. Very possible. Now, any questions so far? What's seven onwards? So remember now we are in the middle of the tribulation, three and a half years, 1,000 to 60 days are going on now. What's happening here at this time? Let's read verses seven and we will read till verse 12, please. Revelation chapter 12 verses seven to 12, three verses eight. Somebody could read it for us, please. And war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought but they did not prevail nor was a place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, the serpent of the old called the devil and Satan who deceived the whole nation, whole world. He was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him. Thank you. Verse 10 to 12, please. Somebody? Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now shall this and I'll strain and the kingdom of our God and the power of his price have come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast out and they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testament and they did not love their lives with their death. Therefore rejoice for heavens and you could dwell in them or to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea but the devil has come down to you having great trust because he knows that he has a soft heart. Thank you. So now there has been and I guess it probably will continue a lot of debate on the timing, the timing of these events described in verses 7 through 12. Is John describing something of the past because Jesus said I beheld Satan fall as a lightning from heaven, Luke 10 17, Luke 10 17 18. Is it something of the past or is it something else? Now I can tell you, I will tell you what I feel convinced about. I feel that Revelation 12 verses 7 to 12 is recording what is going to happen in the middle of the tribulation. It's not something that took place in the past. That was already there described to us in Revelation 12 verses 3 and 4 when this red dragon was thrown to the earth and verse 4 he took a third of the stars with him and he came to the earth. That was I beheld Satan fall as a lightning from heaven. He was thrown out of heaven. He took a third of the angels with him. That's already described. But what's the 7 to 12 or I am convinced is it's describing what is going to happen in the middle of the tribulation. Why do we say that? Because at the end of that sequence of events the devil comes back to the earth saying knowing that he has just a short time and it's 1,000 to 60 days three and a half years and he knows he has a short time. So what happens there in the middle of that tribulation? Satan is making one last attempt to invade heaven. It's the war in the heavens because his primary goal was to take the throne of God. That's what he wanted. He wanted to be on that throne. By now he's sitting on the temple in Jerusalem. He's got his man there, the Antichrist. He's not happy with that. He wants that throne. And so he's making his final attempt. Satan and his angels are making a final attempt into heaven and their Michael and his angels are fighting back and they're saying no place here and he is cast out. At the end of verse 9 he's cast to the earth and his angels will say hey that's the only place for giving you permission now. And then there is celebration in heaven verse 10. Salvation belongs to our God. The accuser of the brethren has been cast down. I mean this devil he's the accuser of the brethren. He's been accusing God's people all day and night and he's been sent. But even the brethren they overcame in verse 11. They overcame by the blood of the Lamb by the word of testimony meaning that's how even the brethren are living victorious over this devil through the blood of the Lamb. Verse 12 says, but earth, sorry to tell you, go to the earth. Go to the inhabitants of the earth. We've got bad news for you because the devil has come back and he is mad. He comes. He's come with great wrath. He is so angry because at the end of verse 12 he knows his time is short. So because it's telling us at the end of verse 12 his time is short therefore you connect it back to all the events of verses 7 to 12. Hey therefore this is an event that happens right there in the middle of the tribulation. There's only 1,260 days left. There's only 42 months and the devil knows the time is short. He's so angry. That's why I feel convinced that what verse 7 to 12 record is something that is going to happen in heaven. It's not something with the past. Something going to happen in the heavenlies when Satan makes his one final attempt to try to break through. He cannot. And his only option is you can operate on earth for three and a half years. That's all you've got. And during this last three and a half years he goes after the woman. That's Isra and after those who are following Jesus Christ. So let's quickly read verses 13 through 17 please. Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth and he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male shy but the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time and times and a half from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth held the woman and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which dragon had spewed out of his mouth and the dragon was enraged with the woman and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Thank you. So this is what happening in the second half of the tribulation. So we said chapter 12 is describing basically what the devil is doing against Israel and against those who have the testimony of Jesus. So once the devil is cast down back to the earth you've got a short time you've got only three and a half years left he goes after the woman which is the nation of Israel but God helps her escape. So he uses the picture of a great eagle flying very high. He's just telling us that God is going to help the people of Israel escape the attack of this dragon. They're going to be going into the wilderness. So like we said earlier it's possible that it is referring to the region of Jordan that borders Israel as a nation. So people are trying to escape there or they could escape out into other parts of the world but the dragon spews flood. Now that's a strange thing because you can't imagine a snake spewing out water. We can imagine a snake having its fangs and trying to hurt people but to imagine a snake spewing out water is a strange thing but water as we see in the book of Revelation and we will see it in chapter 17 represents people. So basically the dragon is instigating people but we will see very correctly we will see also in chapter 16 that he instigates people to go after the Jews. So you know if you put it in our modern day language anti-Semitism will be on the rise, will be at its height during this second half of the three and a half years of the seven-year tribulation. People are going to go after the Jews instigated by the devil to kill the Jewish people. That's the nation of Israel but God is going to protect these people. He's going to protect the Jews. He's going to protect Israel as a nation so the devil's going to be so mad about this. He's going to try to instigate as many people to go after the Jews and verse 12 verse 17 those of her offspring who keep the commandments of God another testimony of Jesus Christ. So there will be both Jews and there will also be others during the tribulation who will keep the commandments of God and they will have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now the phrase the testimony of Jesus Christ you will see in Revelation 19-10 referring to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of prophecy. He is the testimony of Jesus Christ. So it's telling us here once again that there will be people during the tribulation who believe in Jesus and they will have the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Now we're going to go for our second break. When we come back after the break we get into chapter 13 where we read about the beast and the false prophet or the first beast and the second beast and we're going to see again what Satan is going to empower these people to do the antichrist and the false prophet. Who is the false prophet and what are they going to do in the second half of the tribulation? Okay so let's take a break. I hope all of you are following me. Hope you're not getting tired, overwhelmed. Everybody's okay? I hope you're not going through tribulation. Okay let's go for a break and we'll come back and take this forward. Thank you.