Part III ~ Lesson 3 of 8 – The Great Tribulation

The Sequence of Endtime Events

Equipping God's Saints (Followers of Christ) through the prophecies of the End Times …

We want to keep things in context so the next passage we want to look at is continuing with Revelation 12:7-12:

“And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 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 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.”

Most people have believed that this war in heaven happened before the creation of mankind way back in the beginning. But that's not true. This war in heaven is an event coming in the future. It is a war getting ready to take place. Satan is going to make a last ditch effort to overthrow God before he is scheduled to go to the bottomless pit. Consequently, we know this is a future event because when he is cast down, it says, “he accused (past tense) the servents of God day and night.”

If he were cast down before there were any human beings, then he wouldn't be up there accusing them. He is going to be banished from heaven so he can no longer accuse the brethren. This is an event that is yet to happen.

This passage also shows us that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, so this is a New Testament thing. This is happening after Calvary.

This is not at all the rosy picture we see here in the United States. Here in the US we tend to think serving God is all health, wealth and a bed of roses. Here we are being shown persecution for serving God. Some people could have to give their lives for the Name of Jesus.

When you get outside of the United States, serving God is not as easy of a situation. Look at Christians in China and Sudan, and even in the nation of Israel, for instance. Christians are being rounded up and deported. Christians are being persecuted.

It's important that we look at this. People could die for their faith. People need to be mentally prepared. Every person that really served Jesus Christ, REALLY served Him. They had to be prepared to give their life. In this passage it talks about that: “they loved not their lives unto the death.”

As we approach this time, there are very powerful forces happening in our world right now. Many people are attempting to establish a global system. This is something that is future, but it's just ahead of us. It very well could come to us, here.

In summarizing Revelation 12:7-12, we see:

• A war in heaven with Michael
• Saints are killed
• Devil comes down to earth with Great Wrath ~ Satan's Wrath
• “A short time” is given to this wrath

As seen in the previous passage, “a short time” was 1,260 days ~ 3 ½ years. The next passage we will examine will also have “a short time” to be time / times / and half a time ~ 3 ½ years.

A critical issue that we need to understand is that in Revelation 12:12 it states “... the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath ...” Many people think the Great Tribulation is the Wrath of God, but this scripture specifically says this is the Devil's Wrath. When this war in heaven takes place, which happens half way through this 7 year period, the devil knows he has 3 ½ years left. Again, this is the Wrath of Satan. It is NOT the Wrath of God. Satan knows that after this 3 ½ years he will be going down into the bottomless pit. Anything he has to do, he has to do it during this time. This is the reason the Great Tribulation begins. It is the Wrath of Satan.

Continuing with the next passage we want to look at Revelation 12:13-17:

“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brught 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.

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.

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.

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.”

We see here, again, the time period of “time, and times, and half a time”. This is very important. Whether you are talking about Daniel 7:25, Revelation 12:6, Revelation 12:14, or Revelation 13:5, these are all synonyms for 3 ½ years.

There are several things that happen in this passage of Revelation 12:13-17.

We are talking about the woman, Israel, and how Satan goes after the woman, Israel. She is divinely assisted and is able to flee into a place where she is going to be protected from the Great Tribulation ~ the Wrath of Satan, during this 3 ½ years.

Some people have taught that there is no way to escape from the Great Tribulation, however, this passage clearly says that Israel is going to be preserved from the face of Satan during this 3 ½ year time. So even though the kingdom of the Antichrist will be very prominent, it is not going to be all pervasive. There are going to be some exceptions. The Bible even teaches that during the final 3 ½ years, the Antichrist will be fighting at least 2 wars according to Daniel 11:31-45.

Summarizing Revelation 12:13-17, we see:

• The woman flies into wilderness for time, times and half a time
• Flees from serpent
• Dragon makes war with saints of Jesus

Once the time, times and half a time starts, at that point the dragon makes war with the saints.

It's interesting that when you compare these, the war in heaven happens at the exact same time that the Abomination of Desolation takes place. The war in heaven is a spiritual war between the angels; the Abomination of Desolation is the physical manifestation on earth.

From the time of the war in heaven, that launches the 3 ½ year period of time. Since we know that the 3 ½ year period of time is the Wrath of Satan ~ the Great Tribulation, we can place the war in heaven at the beginning of that 3 ½ years.

Lining up scriptures, one next to the other, there is no other conclusion you can come to. We know the Abomination happens at the beginning of the 3 ½ years, therefore, we know that the war in heaven happens at the beginning of the 3 ½ years.

The thing that is interesting about this is the Abomination of Desolation is when the Antichrist will move into a rebuilt Jewish Temple, claiming to be the Messiah ~ claiming to be God. We ask the question, “How does this relate when Satan is cast to the earth?”

Apparently, this is going to alter the personality of the Antichrist. Demon spirits on earth want to inhabit people. It is even believed that Satan, Lucifer, will personally possess the Antichrist. This man who as ascended into power by peace and diplomacy, will suddenly experience a nature change and will suddenly become the iron-fisted dictator.

Resources: The anointing of the Holy Spirit and God Almighty, of whom I am accountable to. I have prayed diligently and am led to follow and support the teachings of Pastor Irvin Baxter from Endtime Ministries and his teachings of Understanding the End Times. I encourage you to visit his website at endtime.com.