The Last Days
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Lesson 50 | 12/14/25
Revelation 12:12-17 | Rejoice You in Heaven
Chapter 12 is an extension of the 7th Trumpet sounding as the procession of our King is being announced to all creation dwelling in heaven and on earth. God opens the windows of heaven and displays the plan of redemption for everyone to see, including the demise of Satan and the victory of the King and all who are with Him. Today we will wrap up this chapter so lets read Revelation 12:10-17.
As we conclude this chapter, we see a contrast in response to this 7th Trumpet. For those of us dwelling in heaven, we are told to “Rejoice!” But to those who are dwelling on the earth... these are the inhabitants of the earth, those who love this world, they are given a great “WOE.” Remember, the 7th Trumpet is the 3rd woe to the earth-dwellers, but then notice the contrast with those who are in heaven, Revelation 11:14-18 compare to 12:10-12. Every Christian can apply these words of victory to their life right now because our victory is in Christ, but the immediate context of these verses are the toward the Tribulation martyrs.
Notice the “woe” is only to the earth-dwellers. It is always, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth,” Rev 8:13; 12:12. It’s not for Christians. Even though there are still Christians on the earth during the Tribulation and they are being persecuted and killed, they are told to rejoice! Matthew 5:12- Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Last week we spent much time talking about the hope of eternal life with eternal glory to those who lay down their life for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
12:12) Therefore (διὰ τοῦτο because of this... because we have the victory in Jesus Christ) rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell (σκηνόω to tabernacle) in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth (κατοικέω the earth dwellers) and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
These words are being spoken to all those who dwell in heaven and on the earth. But notice the difference in verbs. We who love Jesus tabernacle σκηνόω, have our abode with God versus the earth-dwellers κατοικέω who love this world. John is the only writer to use this word σκηνόω in the NT and it always refers to our abode with God.
Revelation 7:15- Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell (σκηνόω- tabernacle) among them.
Revelation 12:12- Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell (σκηνόω- tabernacle) in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Revelation 13:6- Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle (τὴν σκηνὴν), and those who dwell (σκηνόω- tabernacle) in heaven.
Revelation 21:3- And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God (ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ) is with men, and He will dwell (σκηνόω- tabernacle) with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
John 1:14- And the Word became flesh and dwelt (σκηνόω- tabernacle) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
In contrast, the earth-dwellers κατοικέω, are those who intensely dwell in the earth and love this world. John uses this word 15 times and it is always in reference to where evil dwells, Rev 2:13; 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8; 13:12; 13:14; 14:6; 17:2; 17:8.
But we are those who tabernacle with God. Our citizenship is in heaven where God is. We are merely sojourners in this world, and our desire is to tabernacle and abide in Jesus. At the time of the 7th Trumpet there is a combination of the millions of raptured saints and myriads of Tribulation Martyrs abiding in heaven with God. But twice we see this phrase, “woe to the earth dwellers,” Rev 8:13; 12:12. And as I said in chapter 9, during the three woes, I am not so sure there are any Christians on the earth at this particular time, except for the 144,000 who are sealed and the Two Witnesses, Rev 9:4; 20. It is possible that all the Christians left behind from the rapture and those who became Christians after the rapture have been martyred. But we know there are still more Christians to come because there will be more martyrs for Jesus as Revelation continues, Rev 14:12-13; 20:4.
After Satan loses the battle with Michael the archangel, he is cast out of the 2nd heaven and confined to the earth, and he is mad. He is doing everything he can to destroy the humans from the face of the earth. Even those inhabiting the sea? That is something to ponder... are people dwelling in the sea, or even under the sea, trying to flee the wrath of the Lamb? Because of his defeat, he is so enraged at God that he tries to attack God’s people.
12:13) Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
These next few verses are key to placing the timing of this war toward the beginning of the Tribulation and not at the end or even at the cross. Verse 13 begins with, Καὶ ὅτε, “And when...”. And in connection with this praise from heaven... When the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth and banned from the 2nd heaven, outer space, he will turn his focus to destroying the Jews, the woman who gave birth to the male Child, Jesus Christ. Notice this is past tense... gave birth. After the cross... I think at the beginning of the Tribulation.
It is because of this that many scholars place this at the mid-point of the Tribulation, because the antichrist and Satan persecute the Jews severely in the latter half of the Tribulation week and prevail over them, Rev 13:5-7; Daniel 7:21; 8:9-12; 9:27; 11:21-24; 11:28-45; 12:1; 12:7. However, in this instance, notice that Satan doesn’t prevail in this attack toward the Jews...
12:14) 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 half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
When you read the accounts of the latter half of the tribulation in Daniel and from Revelation 13 on, you would not describe the Jews as being nourished and taken care of, but rather persecuted and overcome.
Verse 14 says Israel is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. This is the same wording and time frame as we saw in verse 6 when the woman fled into the wilderness for 1,260 days. I believe the wilderness is Jerusalem according to Isaiah 64:10 because she is dried up from rejecting her Messiah. And as we have said, God is using this covenant of peace with the antichrist in this first 3-1/2 years as a time of safety to draw the Jews to Jerusalem in order to pour out His fury and bring them back to Himself, Ezek 22:17-22. The antichrist has a covenant with Israel, but not because he loves Israel, but because this is one of Satan’s schemes to gather and trap the Jews together in one place to destroy the plan of God by destroying the Jews. So Satan wages war on the Jews in verses 15-16...
12:15-16) 15 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. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
I believe this is describing the Ezekiel 38 war that is close to the beginning of the Tribulation and the 2nd Seal. We spoke about this in Lesson 36. The flood of water coming out of the serpent’s mouth is a symbolizes an invading army, Jeremiah 47:2–3-2 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail. 3 At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage,
This flood is war coming to the Jews...
In the first half of the Tribulation, the Jews are gathered back to Jerusalem in a false sense of peace confirmed by the antichrist, Daniel 9:27; 11:21-24; 1 Thess 5:13. And while in this state peace, Satan attacks Israel, but God fights for them while they are still in Jerusalem, Ezek 38:8-9, 16-23; Zech 12:3-6; Zeph 3:8. In this vision it says, the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. This could be this earthquake and the mountains being thrown down in Ezek 38:20-21. God divinely protects Israel and the Dragon does not prevail. Satan is so enraged, he can’t destroy the Jews, so as a result, he turns to persecute the Christians. These become the Tribulation martyrs of the first half of the Tribulation...
12:17) 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.
Satan is enraged. He first loses the battle with Michael and is cast to the earth. Then he wages war against the Jews and cannot prevail. So he turns his attention to the Christians, the rest of Israel’s offspring, σπέρμα. Paul tells us in Galatians that all Christians are of the Promise Seed, Galatians 3:29- And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, σπέρμα, and heirs according to the promise.
Notice the two attributes of a Christian in verse 17...
Keeping His commandment of Everlasting Life is the Word that Jesus spoke. This word “keep” is τηρέω- to hold fast or guard. Notice the promise Jesus tells us in John 14:21–23-21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode) with him.
To keep His commandments is to keep His Word
John makes this same connection in 1 John 2:3–5-3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
John records Jesus saying something similar in John 8:51- Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death unto the forever (eternal death). ἐάν τις τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμὸν τηρήσῃ, θάνατον οὐ μὴ θεωρήσῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
This is the walk of a Christian... we hold fast to Jesus, His Word, His Testimony, His Life, His work, even His faith, Revelation 2:13; 2:25; 3:2; 3:10-11. This is the patience of the saints, Revelation 14:12. So we hold fast even unto death as we said last week, because for a Christian, death isn’t the end. It is just the pathway to eternal glory. In fact, here in the Tribulation, God is using death to rescue these believers from the evil world, Isaiah 57:1-2. They will die physically, but they will never perish. This is why the 24 Elders say, “Rejoice you who dwell in the heavens!” Revelation 12:12. Because even among persecution and death, we have victory in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51–58-51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
PREVIOUS LESSON 49 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 51
As we conclude this chapter, we see a contrast in response to this 7th Trumpet. For those of us dwelling in heaven, we are told to “Rejoice!” But to those who are dwelling on the earth... these are the inhabitants of the earth, those who love this world, they are given a great “WOE.” Remember, the 7th Trumpet is the 3rd woe to the earth-dwellers, but then notice the contrast with those who are in heaven, Revelation 11:14-18 compare to 12:10-12. Every Christian can apply these words of victory to their life right now because our victory is in Christ, but the immediate context of these verses are the toward the Tribulation martyrs.
Notice the “woe” is only to the earth-dwellers. It is always, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth,” Rev 8:13; 12:12. It’s not for Christians. Even though there are still Christians on the earth during the Tribulation and they are being persecuted and killed, they are told to rejoice! Matthew 5:12- Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Last week we spent much time talking about the hope of eternal life with eternal glory to those who lay down their life for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
12:12) Therefore (διὰ τοῦτο because of this... because we have the victory in Jesus Christ) rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell (σκηνόω to tabernacle) in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth (κατοικέω the earth dwellers) and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
These words are being spoken to all those who dwell in heaven and on the earth. But notice the difference in verbs. We who love Jesus tabernacle σκηνόω, have our abode with God versus the earth-dwellers κατοικέω who love this world. John is the only writer to use this word σκηνόω in the NT and it always refers to our abode with God.
Revelation 7:15- Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell (σκηνόω- tabernacle) among them.
Revelation 12:12- Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell (σκηνόω- tabernacle) in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Revelation 13:6- Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle (τὴν σκηνὴν), and those who dwell (σκηνόω- tabernacle) in heaven.
Revelation 21:3- And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God (ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ) is with men, and He will dwell (σκηνόω- tabernacle) with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
John 1:14- And the Word became flesh and dwelt (σκηνόω- tabernacle) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
In contrast, the earth-dwellers κατοικέω, are those who intensely dwell in the earth and love this world. John uses this word 15 times and it is always in reference to where evil dwells, Rev 2:13; 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8; 13:12; 13:14; 14:6; 17:2; 17:8.
But we are those who tabernacle with God. Our citizenship is in heaven where God is. We are merely sojourners in this world, and our desire is to tabernacle and abide in Jesus. At the time of the 7th Trumpet there is a combination of the millions of raptured saints and myriads of Tribulation Martyrs abiding in heaven with God. But twice we see this phrase, “woe to the earth dwellers,” Rev 8:13; 12:12. And as I said in chapter 9, during the three woes, I am not so sure there are any Christians on the earth at this particular time, except for the 144,000 who are sealed and the Two Witnesses, Rev 9:4; 20. It is possible that all the Christians left behind from the rapture and those who became Christians after the rapture have been martyred. But we know there are still more Christians to come because there will be more martyrs for Jesus as Revelation continues, Rev 14:12-13; 20:4.
After Satan loses the battle with Michael the archangel, he is cast out of the 2nd heaven and confined to the earth, and he is mad. He is doing everything he can to destroy the humans from the face of the earth. Even those inhabiting the sea? That is something to ponder... are people dwelling in the sea, or even under the sea, trying to flee the wrath of the Lamb? Because of his defeat, he is so enraged at God that he tries to attack God’s people.
12:13) Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
These next few verses are key to placing the timing of this war toward the beginning of the Tribulation and not at the end or even at the cross. Verse 13 begins with, Καὶ ὅτε, “And when...”. And in connection with this praise from heaven... When the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth and banned from the 2nd heaven, outer space, he will turn his focus to destroying the Jews, the woman who gave birth to the male Child, Jesus Christ. Notice this is past tense... gave birth. After the cross... I think at the beginning of the Tribulation.
It is because of this that many scholars place this at the mid-point of the Tribulation, because the antichrist and Satan persecute the Jews severely in the latter half of the Tribulation week and prevail over them, Rev 13:5-7; Daniel 7:21; 8:9-12; 9:27; 11:21-24; 11:28-45; 12:1; 12:7. However, in this instance, notice that Satan doesn’t prevail in this attack toward the Jews...
12:14) 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 half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
When you read the accounts of the latter half of the tribulation in Daniel and from Revelation 13 on, you would not describe the Jews as being nourished and taken care of, but rather persecuted and overcome.
Verse 14 says Israel is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. This is the same wording and time frame as we saw in verse 6 when the woman fled into the wilderness for 1,260 days. I believe the wilderness is Jerusalem according to Isaiah 64:10 because she is dried up from rejecting her Messiah. And as we have said, God is using this covenant of peace with the antichrist in this first 3-1/2 years as a time of safety to draw the Jews to Jerusalem in order to pour out His fury and bring them back to Himself, Ezek 22:17-22. The antichrist has a covenant with Israel, but not because he loves Israel, but because this is one of Satan’s schemes to gather and trap the Jews together in one place to destroy the plan of God by destroying the Jews. So Satan wages war on the Jews in verses 15-16...
12:15-16) 15 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. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
I believe this is describing the Ezekiel 38 war that is close to the beginning of the Tribulation and the 2nd Seal. We spoke about this in Lesson 36. The flood of water coming out of the serpent’s mouth is a symbolizes an invading army, Jeremiah 47:2–3-2 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail. 3 At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage,
This flood is war coming to the Jews...
In the first half of the Tribulation, the Jews are gathered back to Jerusalem in a false sense of peace confirmed by the antichrist, Daniel 9:27; 11:21-24; 1 Thess 5:13. And while in this state peace, Satan attacks Israel, but God fights for them while they are still in Jerusalem, Ezek 38:8-9, 16-23; Zech 12:3-6; Zeph 3:8. In this vision it says, the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. This could be this earthquake and the mountains being thrown down in Ezek 38:20-21. God divinely protects Israel and the Dragon does not prevail. Satan is so enraged, he can’t destroy the Jews, so as a result, he turns to persecute the Christians. These become the Tribulation martyrs of the first half of the Tribulation...
12:17) 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.
Satan is enraged. He first loses the battle with Michael and is cast to the earth. Then he wages war against the Jews and cannot prevail. So he turns his attention to the Christians, the rest of Israel’s offspring, σπέρμα. Paul tells us in Galatians that all Christians are of the Promise Seed, Galatians 3:29- And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, σπέρμα, and heirs according to the promise.
Notice the two attributes of a Christian in verse 17...
- we keep the commandments of God
- we have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Keeping His commandment of Everlasting Life is the Word that Jesus spoke. This word “keep” is τηρέω- to hold fast or guard. Notice the promise Jesus tells us in John 14:21–23-21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode) with him.
To keep His commandments is to keep His Word
John makes this same connection in 1 John 2:3–5-3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
John records Jesus saying something similar in John 8:51- Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death unto the forever (eternal death). ἐάν τις τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμὸν τηρήσῃ, θάνατον οὐ μὴ θεωρήσῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
This is the walk of a Christian... we hold fast to Jesus, His Word, His Testimony, His Life, His work, even His faith, Revelation 2:13; 2:25; 3:2; 3:10-11. This is the patience of the saints, Revelation 14:12. So we hold fast even unto death as we said last week, because for a Christian, death isn’t the end. It is just the pathway to eternal glory. In fact, here in the Tribulation, God is using death to rescue these believers from the evil world, Isaiah 57:1-2. They will die physically, but they will never perish. This is why the 24 Elders say, “Rejoice you who dwell in the heavens!” Revelation 12:12. Because even among persecution and death, we have victory in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51–58-51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
PREVIOUS LESSON 49 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 51