The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2
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The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2 Charles Feinberg Charles Feinberg: This sign is in heaven. But the woman herself is actually on Earth. But the sign itself is in heaven because God's purpose for her. And relative to her is made known in the councils of heaven. There are four representative women in the revelation the Book of Revelation. The first one is Jezebel whom we've seen before in chapter 2 verse 20 that's the corrupt system of the Roman church, the legalistic church the salvation by works church. The woman here in twelve one is Israel. The great harlot in 17:1 is the apostate professing church headed up in all probability by Rome and then the woman in 19:7 is the bride, the church in heaven. This woman in Revelation twelve was arrayed with the sun moon and stars. This reminds us of the very vivid dream of Joseph the son of Jacob in the Book of Genesis relative to his brethren. Sun moon and stars as we know constitute a complete system of government authority and derived authority are all centered on the woman. She is crowned with all dignity. The twelve stars the fullness of government and responsibility remind us of the twelve patriarchs in Israel. Who is the woman? The woman is Israel. Pictured for us. The woman I repeat is Israel in a figure the child the male child is Christ not the church. The church my dear friends did not give birth to Christ but Christ makes possible the church. It's been well said that Christ was born of a virgin's womb. That church was born. Of the Virgin tomb. So the church Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2 didn't give birth to Christ Christ makes possible the church. It is Israel that brings Christ into the world. Romans 9:5 and. Of whom of Israel as concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed forever amen. So this is Israel not she has been or is now but as she will be. And notice what's indicated concerning her. And her travail and her birth in Isaiah 66:7, before Israel's hour of trial. She brought forth a child. All the intervening history between the birth of Christ and the tribulation is passed over. Now the woman cannot be married nor can it be the church. It is Israel seen as God intended her to be and as she will be in the future. When Christ was born, Israel was not in a place of dignity and power but under Rome. Nevertheless Israel did give birth to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in verse 3 we read of an amazing personality and we see another sign in heaven. A great Red Dragon. Notice those three words great. There was nothing insignificant nothing trifling nothing trivial about it and red which speaks as we know of bloodshed thirst for blood and Dragon a winged serpent with all that means of deceit and cunning and of lying and of seducing a great red dragon. Having seven heads. And ten horns. And seven crowns upon his heads were seen. His tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven. And cast them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered. For when she is delivered he would devour her child. She was delivered of a son a male child who's to rule the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up into heaven. There's a red dragon I said red because he's so eager to shed blood. This is Satan. We know it from verse 9 of this chapter and from the 20th chapter the revelation the second verse the figure of the dragon seems to bear out better than any other the cruelty. This is the first place in the Bible where Satan is called The Dragon he's called serpent. But here he is called the dragon he is called the accuser. The devil the serpent and now he's called a dragon. Seven heads he has just as is later said that the beast in the thirteenth Page 2 of 11 Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2 chapter completeness of earthly power and wisdom are evidently in view. Ten horns speak of the scope of the future empire. Ten Kingdoms to counterfeit the Universal Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. The dragon is going to be the great impelling and compelling force. Never forget it behind the empire. And notice carefully the tail drags down the third part of the stars of heaven. That speaks of his delusive power. The western part of the Roman Empire is brought down with many morally ruined by Satan. He wants to devour her child. That is the main object of the attack. The world may have forgotten that Christ. At the price of his life at the cost of his life brought salvation from God to man. The world I say may have forgotten it and has largely. But Satan has never forgotten that he received his terrible. Terrible defeat at Calvary. Colossians two. And he. Is angry. And still. Continues to be angry and will be angry. Till this very hour indicated in the revelation because he has taken that defeat that downfall of his at Calvary. Very very much to heart and understandably so. He wants to devour the woman's child. That's the main object of the attack. In Matthew two Herod was merely a tool in Satan's hand. Nevertheless he's responsible when he's called a male child. Or a man-child it connects him with his rights and sovereignty as the Son of Man as in psalms two. And verse eight Herod and the Roman Empire were but pawns in the hands of Satan who would blot out the life of the woman's seed and he tried to do that. No. Not only when our Lord Jesus was but a child. He tried it. At. Gethsemane as well. And. Numbers of times during the earthly Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ when Satan instigated and motivated godless men to seek to take his life as at Nazareth, Luke four, when they would take him to the brow the hill and would cast him down. To slay him to assassinate him. But he went majestically out of their sight. Yes. Oh how they wanted to blot out. These satanic agents. The life of the Woman's seed, the very conflict began in Genesis 3:15 and it's carried on till we find it here. This child was Page 3 of 11 Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2 caught up to God and His throne. That's the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Some think it includes the rapture. But I see frankly no necessity for that here since this chapter isn't speaking of the church at all. Rather this male child. So this is his own personal individual ascension. Much history we grant you is omitted here and later on because history is not the primary purpose or aim but the moral purpose of God in the earth. Now notice what happens to the woman. She flees into the wilderness where she has a place prepared of God where they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days a wilderness is a place. Of no human resources that may be too the wilderness of the people mentioned in Ezekiel chapter 20 verse 35 where God will take Israel into the wilderness as he did when they came out of Egypt and he will purge out the rebels as he causes them to pass under the rod and then those who remain will go into the land as the new generation did into the land in the time of Joshua. Ezekiel 20 verse 35. This marks then the end of the last week of Daniel. Watch it carefully notice it friend that between verses 5 and 6. There are almost 2000 years of history thus far. Actually the whole history of the church since the first century since the ascension of our Lord Jesus and now from verses 10 to 12. We have the reason for that flight. War in Heaven and there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels going forth to war with the Dragon and the dragon Ward and his angels. And they prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven whose place. The Dragons place. With his angels or Michael and his angels. The evident. Truth being taught here is. That Satan and his followers did not prevail and their place was not found any more in heaven because they were evicted they were thrown out cast out expelled and the great dragon was cast down. Here we have it the old serpent he that's called the devil and Satan the deceiver of the whole world. He Page 4 of 11 Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2 was cast down to the earth and his angels were cast down with him. And I heard a great voice in heaven saying now is come. The Salvation. And the power. And the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren.