Lessons From
The Woman That Had Once Been
Clothed With The Sun
(Rev 20:4 KJV) "And I saw the souls of them
that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and
for the word of God"
This study is not intended to be a verse-by-verse study of Revelation 12, but it is about the major turning points foretold therein. It is about various ways that Satan's worldly systems and ideas have pursued the true Church. It focuses on faithfulness under pressure, determination and overcoming.
Major Refs: D590-591, R306, R5992
33AD To 313AD
(Approximately the Ephesus & Smyrna Stages Of
The Church)
| 1 |
| a) |
What do the following represent and why?
- The Woman (Rev 12:1, 5-6, 14-17)
Include when the below apply. What guiding principles can be gained from them today? (Jude 1:3)
- Her being clothed with the sun
- The moon under her feet
- The crown of 12 stars on her head
|
| b) |
What does the Red Dragon represent (Rev 12:3-4)? Why?
- Which head of the seven, is in control of the dragon by verse 4? (R306)
|
| c) |
Describe some of the experiences of the Church and their faithfulness during this period. (R5992) (i.e. What valuable principles can we learn from the trials and faithfulness of those that stood for the Truth? Note what the Ephesus stage was praised for in Rev 2:1-7. What was their attitude toward the deeds of the Nicolaitans? What was their attitude in trial? What do the 10 days in Rev 2:10 represent? What about individual examples? Possibly describe some of the ways that ones like Peter, Paul or others faithfully witnessed of Jesus and the word of God. What about sisters that did the same in other ways? What about individuals that came later?) |
|
313 AD To 539 AD
(The Beginnings Of The Counterfeit Of God's Kingdom)
| 2 |
| a) |
What multiple lines of evidence show that the timing of the birth of the man-child in verse 5 applies to the beginning of a Counterfeit of God's Kingdom in about 313 AD and not to God's True Kingdom? |
| b) |
What are a few of the factors that gave rise to this birth? |
|
| 3 |
| a) |
What were some of the worldly ideas and compromises that tested the true Church during this period? How did brethren faithfully address them then? (Rev 2:12-17) |
| b) |
What are some of the worldly ideas and compromises that test the true Church today? How should we address them? |
|
| 4 |
Daniel shows that two important events would take place before the 1260 days (and other prophecies starting at the same time) could begin.
| a) |
What are those two events in history and what year did each of the two occur? (Include scriptural and historical evidence.)
|
| b) |
Why do the Scriptures call Papacy the "Abomination of Desolation"? (i.e. Explain the depth of why both words were used.) |
|
Question for fellowship: What was represented
by the war in heaven (Rev 12:7-9), the
participants, and the claims that came afterward?
(i.e. What strong evidence is there that this is
not the same Michael as in Dan 12:1? Why is
the dragon called Satan? Why is this war in
"heaven"? In which verse in Rev 12 does
Papacy become the controlling head of the
dragon?)
539AD To 1799AD
(1260-Year Wilderness Experiences
Rev 12:6, 14)
| 5 | What do the following represent and why: (Fill in some of the context.)
| a) | The wilderness |
| b) | Two wings |
| c) | Nourishment (include Elijah's) |
| d) | The drought (Jam 5:17; 1 Kings 17-18) |
| e) | Blasphemies spoken for 42 months (Rev 13:5) (Explain the depth of how blasphemous these things were.) |
| h) | The contest between Elijah and the priests of Baal (In what ways was the result of the contest not a complete victory?) |
|
| 6 | Describe some of the faithfulness under pressure of ones like Waldo, Wycliffe, Huss, Luther, Tyndale etc. and others less known. (i.e. Relate a few experiences that especially touched you. What truths did they have? What did the Truth mean to them? How much does the Truth mean to you? Would you be willing to do the same? Could we lose the Truth under much less pressure?) 1799 AD To 1846 AD. |
| 7 |
| a)
| What scriptural/historical event clearly locks the end of the 1260 years to 1799? (C44-47) What do the following symbols represent and why: (Fill in some of the context.) |
| b)
| The flood (Rev 12:15; Dan. 12:4-7) |
| c)
| The earth swallowing the flood
- What would have happened otherwise?
|
| d)
| Rain after famine (1 Kings 18:42-45) |
| e)
| Cleansing of the Sanctuary by 1846. |
|
| 8)
|
| a)
| Regardless of the time in the Gospel Age that a person might live, what does it fully mean to be beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God? (Rev 20:4) |
| b) |
In what ways can we faithfully carry this out now under current conditions? (As a start consider R2416 sections 5-6 and R2007. The experiences that the Lord gives us will vary, so consider a full range of possibilities.) |
|