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The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2

Charles Feinberg

Charles Feinberg:

This sign is in . 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 . 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 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 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 . 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 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 in the thirteenth

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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

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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 . 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 . 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. and there was war in heaven. and his 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

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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. Notice it now. The accuser of our brethren is cast down who accuses them before our

God. Day and night he's relentless his unremitting and they overcame him because of the blood of the lamb and because of the word of the testimony and they love not their life even unto death.

Therefore rejoice oh and ye that dwell in them. Woe. For the earth. And for the sea because the devil is gone down unto you having great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time. Verse 7 to 12. Indicate these verses indicate the reason for that flight. Many feel that the woman will flee into the wilderness in the eastern part of the land of Palestine. There are indications that this is true. For instance and 25.

And then as we read history we get something of a preview. Of what. Believers did at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. under the Romans with their leader Titus Flavius.

They did flee out of the western part of Palestine into the south eastern portion. This woman. The remnant of Israel is now being persecuted. And enduring the tribulation time because from them has come the . Where does she flee? She flees into the wilderness but not just something of her own choosing because she has a place prepared of God. And God sees to it that she's sustained that she's nourished and maintained for a thousand threescore days. That's the full time of the last week of Daniel three and one half years or forty two months and now we read one of the most startling expressions. I take it in the entire Bible we read and there was war in heaven.

Now to say there was war on earth. Well that's nothing unusual. Seems as though that's a malady that we can never get over. There are wars and rumors of wars.

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Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2

There have been wars in ancient times in medieval times in modern times so to say there was war on earth someone might be tempted to ask what else is new and to say there was peace in heaven well there's nothing new about that. We expect that pictures we have of the glory we don't have people concerned. We don't have people worried. We don't have people in agony. But there is peace in heaven. And now friends we read of the war in heaven. Of all the remarkable statements in scripture. This is surely. One. Of the most significant. Now to read of war on earth.

There have been wars and rumors of wars. Multiplied ones. There was war in ancient times.

There has been war. In medieval times and certainly war of a very lethal death dealing type in modern times. So there is nothing unusual if we say there was war on Earth. Someone might be tempted to ask so what else is new.

And to say there was peace in heaven. Well we expect peace tranquility. And quiet and joy. And fellowship communion there. But the passage does not state there was war on earth or that there was peace in heaven. It states this remarkable revelation. There was war in heaven.

This is not said to be a sign because the presence of Satan in Heaven is a reality not just a figure.

This is the first step. In the execution of God's judgment on Satan. Here we find Michael and his angels warring against Satan and his angels war in heaven. Why Michael. Because of his relation to Israel. You will remember Daniel 12:1 we read that he is the prince the Archangel. Who standeth who champions who espouses the cause of Israel? He appears when they are in question and when their interests are involved. Evidently the same thing in Jude when Michael disputed with Satan over the body of he comes on the scene when their interests are involved or they are threatened. You find that in the 12th chapter of Daniel verse 1.

Now Satan is defeated completely. Christ foresaw that in Luke 10 17 and 18. When cast on the earth after his defeat Satan takes command of the judged Earth. This is one of the basic

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Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2 causes of the . Satan furious now Satan never has access again after revelation 12

Satan never has access again to heaven to accuse anyone after he is cast down to the earth and his angelic followers with him his evil angels the voice in heaven. Is that. Of the saints in heaven as we can see from the context. The Doxology anticipates what shall come to pass as a result of the forceful eviction of Satan from heaven. For all Satan’s accusations. Remember friends we believers have a remedy in 1 John two one and two if any man sin we, believers have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous. He's the propitiation he is the satisfying sacrifice for our sins and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world. Now Satan will no longer accuse the Brethren which brethren are these Brethren that Michael has been contending for.

They are the godly remnant in Israel during the time of the Tribulation. Now of course he accuses us as well he accused Job in the first two chapters of Job we read of that he accused. The

High Priest Joshua the son of the Jehozadak Zechariah three and through him accused all of

Israel. He does accuse us as well but he is no longer going to accuse Israel. These apparently have not been raised but they await that time. Mark the manner or the way of their victory. We read they overcame Satan by the blood of the lamb. By the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives even unto death. It's the blood of the lamb. The Lord Jesus Christ that has all the elements needed for victory. It has that efficacy. It has that overcoming power by the word of their testimony. Oh how Satan is silenced how he's routed by the testimony of believers. As it is in accord with the word of God. And then. It couldn't go unnoticed that they loved God more than their own lives they loved not their lives even unto death. They were willing to be martyred.

For the sake. Of the word and the truth of God.

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Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2

And friends that's the manner by which we overcome today as well by the blood of the lamb by the word of our testimony and the surrender of life even unto death. And how many have been martyred in the history of the church the glorious history of the church and never forget it the 20th century is not an exception. There have been numerous martyrs in our own century while they were rejoicing in heaven. Those on Earth. Are in woe. It shows a little does it not. It shows how out of sympathy with heaven Earth can be because while there is tremendous rejoicing in heaven. Those on Earth are in for woe. And they have wailing and agony. The earth and the sea. All the governments of the earth and the people of it experience great wrath. Come down upon them. The devil knows he has but a short time. And now the persecution of the woman is set forth in the last verses of the chapter verses 13 to 17. When the dragon sees it he's cast down to the earth he persecutes the woman.

We read and when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man-child the one of course mentioned that male child and that woman from the early part of this twelfth chapter and there were given to the woman. The two wings of the Great Eagle that she might fly into the wilderness unto 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 after the woman water as a river that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream and the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth and the dragon waxed wroth angry with the woman and went away to make war with the rest of her seed.

That keep the commandments of God. And hold the testimony of Jesus verses seven to twelve as we've seen. Explain why the woman Israel had to flee. Now the woman is given wings for rapid flight as well as for her protection. But Satan still furious. Spews out water. As a river.

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Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2

We are to think of this as his evil teachings that issue out of his mouth. He stirs up certain governmental powers to plague to persecute and harass God's people Israel. He's in that business he's been in that business for years.

Who was behind a Hitler who was behind the Roman Empire? Who's been behind the persecutions of Israel even today? Satan. And those who heed. His. Incitements against Israel.

God prevents it by the help of other powers powers that do befriend them powers that in some way have a concern for the cause of Israel. Finally we find the dragon. Angry against the woman going away to make war with the rest of the seed. This woman cannot be the church or you would have a partial rapture you see. Here's the rest of the [inaudible] of the woman of Israel the godly remnant. How do you know their godly. They keep the commandments of God and they hold they adhere. They cleave to the testimony of Jesus. Those who have not fled from Jerusalem when the tribulation burst forth will now find that Satan is at war with them. When he cannot strike directly at God. And course he is unable to do that now because Christ is seated at the right hand of the father.

He did tempt him when he was on earth. He did seek every means against him when he was in his earthly ministry but Satan. Is at war with those who name the name of Christ and his testimony. Satan strikes at them. When he wants to show his opposition to the living God and our Lord Jesus Christ and these in the land witness for God it's not going to be easy but they do that in spite of the persecutions of the anti-Christ and the Roman beast. They will not have as we see later on they will not have that mark of the beast upon their hands. And their forehead. They.

Refuse that in spite of all they know. Refusal will entail they are willing to undergo that persecution to be true to God. Now they're a godly company pious before God and witnesses to

Christ and his coming kingdom. They're especially. The objects of the venom and of the wrath of

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Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2

Satan. I say again this woman cannot be the church because Satan is persecuting the rest of her seed and if you make this woman the church you must logically have a partial rapture. You have the splitting of the body of Christ and that is found nowhere. That I can see in the word of God.

The body of Christ is a unit. There are some that have gone on already. There are many who are alive today but we are all conceived as a united body of Christ separated for a while. But not endlessly and not split in a fashion. That would be included here if this woman were the church. In view of these coming events friends we should all be doubly certain. That we are prepared to meet the Lord Jesus in peace at his return. Oh it's so easy friends, I know from experience and from the Expressed experiences of others as they've told it to me it's so easy to love these truths. It's so easy to want to know it in exactly the right way. It is easy to seek to be accurate and meticulous. And at the same time not have the heart truly warmed and truly excited and truly anticipating with great expectation. And with great anticipation the coming again of the well-beloved of our souls. But we've got to be prepared. There must be preparation to meet the

Lord Jesus in peace at his return.

If you were to want to have an audience. With one of the great leaders of the world or with one of the crown heads of the world. You wouldn't just go in. On your own volition or unprepared. No. We've got to be prepared to meet the Lord of glory at his return and the preparation is not as intricate as some folk would have it. Some folk would make it out that here we have something that no one can know. You ask someone are you saved. Do you know you're going to heaven? Well who knows? You can't know. Yes you can. Hereby we know hereby we know says the Apostle John in his first . The preparation is very simple so simple is this preparation that Satan has fooled and blinded so many that it can't be the way the true way must be much more intricate much more difficult.

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Feinberg: The Open Scroll, the Two Witnesses, the Last Trumpet Pt. 2

What is the preparation? Just look away from sin and and self and self-effort and endeavor. And the advice of well-meaning friends even and loved ones look away from all earthly and all human. And trust Christ. What does that mean? Cast yourself wholly upon him.

He said he did it. I believe it that settles it. He died in your place. He died in mine. It wasn't easy.

He was lifted up between heaven and earth. At Calvary as though fit for neither place. He the just one died for us the unjust that he might bring us to God he bore in his own body with excruciating agony. He bore in his own body our sins upon the tree. Friend. When he says now come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, is he not worth our love. Our trust our acceptance. Receive him now.

[End Part 2]

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