Revelation: The Terrible and the Good - Pt 5
Revelation: The Terrible and the Good - Pt 5
By Stephen Bennett
(Rev Chapter 12) Jan 10 / 2022
In the swirl of the intense imagery of the great tribulation, the joyous party in heaven, celebration song of the world’s kingdoms becoming the Lord Christ’s, and the pending judgements being fulfilled, I John, sensed a new change in the narrative. The mood in the throne room shifted; it seemed the time had come to clarify and reveal more explanatory details of certain character roles in this theatre of the greatest troubles ever seen on earth. I sit with my writing stick in hand, given to me on my arrival with an intricately bound wad of parchment papers that I’d never seen before. I stare at it, amazed; the writing glows, hovering on the perfect scrolls…
John took a deep breath. He was feeling his age right now; one year shy of a hundred. Lifting his free hand, he felt the many new lines on his face, carving their place from the hard slave labor in the hot sun of Patmos. In his mind, he thanked the Emperor in Rome, Titus Flavius Domitianus for sending him to Patmos for the sake of the gospel, after they plunged him in boiling oil and nothing happened. In Rome they'd feared his faith and ‘magic,’ punishable with banishment to the Greek Islands. Not so bad really; God used the old fox Domitian to get him into heaven! John chuckled, eyeing his shiny black crystal writing stick. It was a mystery; he pressed it, and perfect black liquid just flowed; incredible! He looked up, ‘a great sign appeared in heaven,’ (Rev 12:1). It was time to use it again.
The Woman with Child
The first great sign, was ‘a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labour and in pain to give birth’ (Rev 12:1-2). John remembered the recent angel with the rainbow hat (Rev 10:1), but this was next level wondrous. He was getting used to the weird theatre of symbols and images, but these new ones would be important signs, showing things to happen on earth.
The woman was pregnant, shining blindly bright, standing on the moon (the first apparently), wearing a hat of twelve stars. John remembered the dream of the patriarch Joseph, when the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed to Joseph (Genesis 37:9). It was then he realised, the woman-sign was his nation Israel and the twelve tribes. She carried God’s government inside her; the Child Jesus, ‘Consolation of Israel’ Luke 2:25. Many wonderful things had come from his homeland. He knew the Lambs covenant care would fulfil her to the end of time.
Red Dragon Fallen
The second sign then appeared, ‘a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born’ (Rev 12:3-4). John had never seen a real dragon before, and this was even weirder than the red horse of the apocalypse; but he began to piece it together.
The dragon was lucifer, the fallen archangel (Rev 9:1), now satan, who before time, forcibly threw a third of the angels to earth. This seven headed monster also revealed what he was to become at the end; the beast who deceived the world in the tribulation, being the one world ruler of the revived Roman Empire (Rev 12:9). It didn’t look good for Israel in this time either, with great persecution imminent. John remembered the words of Jesus,“I saw satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Luke 10:18. He looked up at the Lamb on the throne and smiled.
Kill the Children
John understood the great darkness (Matt 4:16)(Isaiah 60:2), which existed when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It was the intense scrutiny and activity of satan on earth, wanting to kill the child in the manger, and the reason why satan caused Herod, from the Roman Empire of the day, to kill all the children in Israel (Matt 2:16-18). Satan ex-lucifer was hopping mad. But the Lord’s angels had protected the Saviour, and here He was now; as Lamby as you can get sitting on the throne. John gave Him a wave.
John then saw in the third sign, the woman giving birth to the Child Jesus amongst the barn straw of a manger; it wasn’t pretty, and this Jesus Christ ‘was to rule all nations with a rod of iron’ (Psalm 2:7-9) (Rev19:15) (Luke 1:31-33). God eventually protected His Son, ascending Him to heaven from Israel, before the Church age, reserving Him for the end-times to return as world Saviour. The woman was also protected in the wilderness, with a number of Israel’s people for 3 and a half years of the tribulation (Daniel 9:27). Preserved until the return of the awaited Messiah Jesus.
Archangel Michael War
However, John witnessed the scene of a great war breaking out in heaven where another major character, Michael the mighty Archangel a fierce and tough warrior, fought with his angels against the red rebel dragon. The fighting was the most vicious and intense, but satan-dragon did not prevail; he was cast out of heaven for good. Who was this guy? ‘The serpent of old… (dragon: means a ‘fabulous serpent’ with a keen power of sight, woah!), the devil, and satan, who deceives the whole world… was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him’ (Rev 12:7-9).
Overcome the Devil
Over centuries, satan accused the brethren before God day and night, ever since the garden of Eden, when he was the ‘serpent of old’ (Job 1:6-12). But now the time had come, to end the demon rhetoric once and for all. John heard a loud voice (whenever was it quiet!) saying, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come…’ (Rev 12:10). Yes! It was time for Jesus to return; take care of business as He was destined.
Meanwhile, diehard invigorated believers on earth overcame the devil’s strategies, ‘by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and did not love their lives to the death’ (Rev 12:11). If they were martyred, they didn’t care, their love for Christ was profound. The loud voice continued, ‘rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them!’ It is time…! However, ‘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’ (Rev 12:12). This war is real!
Israel Protected
The great tribulation continues in earnest (Matthew 24:15-22). Once the dragon realised he was cast out for good and would not be going back ever, his rage blew through the heavenly roof. The woman Israel, who birthed Jesus, was protected for a season in the wilderness. She was given ‘two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for three and a half years from the presence of the serpent’ (Rev 12:13-14); God’s faithfulness (Exodus 19:4) (Deuteronomy 32:10-12). But like satan had always done with Israel, he went back to his old serpent ways and persecuted her anyway, with his ancient desire to annihilate her from the Middle East.“That two thirds in it shall be cut off and die. But one third shall be left in it.’ (Zechariah 13:8).
Spewing the depths of satan from his mouth, in a great flood of mayhem, ‘…the earth helped the woman… and swallowed up the flood’ (Rev 12:15-16) Even the planet came to Israel’s aid; the earth and rocks knew that her redemption was nigh. Yet dragon red was deeply enraged with Israel, and ‘went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ’ (Rev 12:17). That is, all the remnant of God who had stayed faithful on earth.
Yes, that dragon was seeing red, was red, and will be red and enraged, until his ultimate end of eternal damnation; for his time is short. So, who is this terrible, evil rebel creature, who’s world is ending, and since the beginning of time has been attacking God as His adversary, and causing havoc with humanity for 6000 years? Who he was may surprise you…
Lucifer Light Bringer
Before time, in heaven, the governing leadership of archangels, aiding the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; were Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel. Lucifer was the light bringer. God created him to be in His presence. The guardian music archangel, who arched over, protected, and covered the throne with heaven’s music. “You were the anointed Cherub that covers,” Ezekiel 28:14.“You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God…” Ezekiel 28:12b-13a. He never played music, as instruments were built into him, and God’s Spirit breathed through Him to play him.“The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.” Ezekiel 28:13b.
Pride Worms Maggots &Names
However, the created lucifer lost his coveted worship job, which the Church now has on earth (he hates worshippers), but Michael and Gabriel still have theirs, as protectors and messengers of God purposes. Pride killed lucifer’s heavenly sound, and he became worm-ridden and maggot ugly, losing his anointing, wisdom and beauty. ‘Your pomp is brought down to Sheol (Hell), and the sound of your stringed instruments; the maggot is spread under you, and worms cover you.’ Isaiah 14:11. Yew!
Lucifer transposed to satan: the arch-enemy of good, the opponent, adversary, and attacker of God. The devil accuser, the hairy one, a malignant shade of devastation and waste! The devil, ‘diabolos,’ the divider, a cast-out channel of false accusation, a demonic being or deity… and the list goes on; nothing good I’m afraid.
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer…How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said… I will ascend into heaven… (I will become the Messiah!)… I will be like the Most High.’ “Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (Hell), to the lowest depths of the Pit (the bottomless one, Rev 9:2). Those who see you will gaze at you… saying:’ “Seriously!”‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?’” Isaiah 14:12-17.
“You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you… you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub… Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.” Ezekiel 28:15-17.
The cast out slippery serpent, former lucifer of light, hissed his way into the vast grounds of the Garden of Eden of Adam and Eve (first humans), and has been deceiving mankind ever since (Genesis 3). Remember, in this tribulation time, before the day of judgment, serpent satan acquired further naming to aptly describe his ever-increasing fallen state.
‘… the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek, he has the name Apollyon.’ Revelation 9:11. The destroyer who fully destroys, a total killing machine, ‘A… bad… un!’ The ‘9/11’ of Revelation, the ‘king of woes’ (V12). It’s his agenda folks! He’s total ugliness without doubt, what a character! Oh, how the mighty have fallen!
He has an End
Jesus said, “… he cannot stand, but has an end.” Mark 3:26. The devil’s end began aeons ago, as he worked himself out of the best job in the entire universe: lead worshipper, governing prophetic music angel of heaven. The close relationship he had with God was now over, he had gone to war with heaven, and a great gulf was between them. His darkened heart was now a song of misery, slowly descending the charts of his fiery red end-time rage.
‘For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;’ 2 Peter 2:4. His final judgement is coming, and there is no security net.’For He has not put the world to come, for which we speak, in subjection to angels.’ Hebrews 2:5. ‘For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.’ Hebrews 2:16. The redemption of Jesus is for us, not the fallen angels.
(Now click this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgG3hUroQyQ for the song Let Revival Fall by Stephen Bennett, blog author).
Super Angry Dragon
The faithful messenger Archangel Michael, saw the evil transformation of his old friend lucifer who had brought such light and music to God’s heavens, creating powerful atmospheres. I John, observed Archangel Michael enter a fierce and bloody war against his old friend lucifer; who morphed into a huge, violent, crazy-mad, serpent-angel of deceiving evil, a formidable, super angry, giant satanic dragon. Eventually dragon cifer-lu, would rise up out of a watery, beastly baptismal of an ocean, fully possessing a human being; the one world dictator, becoming… The Beast (Rev 13:1).
The prophet Daniel describes him as,‘dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong…huge iron teeth…devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling… with the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words (the devil). And will subdue kings’ (Daniel 7:7-8, 24). This beast and his fallen angels would deceive the world in the worst of ways… (as we will start to find out in the next blog post part 6).
Deceiver god of this Age
Satan’s raging indignation perverted God’s truth over many centuries, from the days of the Edenic Garden ground. The hearts of millions were polluted by religious dogma, and other synagogues of Satan (Revelation 2:9b). Their minds convinced, poverty and sickness was normal, pious, and worst of all, it was God’s will to inflict it on them. Satan also cunningly suppressed the truth of music and its power; concealing the Church in blind dark-age doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1), and false ideas, with a piety often nothing to do with the true Father God.
‘But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.’ 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. Satan prides himself as the god of this world system, keeping people from the light of the gospel.
It may be disconcerting talking of the devil. But in fighting any war, a mature understanding and awareness of our primary spiritual enemy is essential: where he came from, what he did in heaven, and what he does now. We know, ‘the thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.’ John 10:10a. We must all,‘be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.’ 1 Peter 5:8. Don’t allow yourself to be devoured in the last days!
Jesus Christ said of satan, “of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:11. I John, actually saw the devil’s casting out; the beginning of the end. He had already been judged aeon’s ago! Jesus saw him fall to earth like lightning (Luke 10:18). I saw this fallen star (Rev 9:1), and him warring on earth with the locusts from the bottomless pit.
I John, now understand so much more, about the adversary I have known about all my believing life. ‘If He charges His angels with error’ Job 4:18b. “Then He will say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:’” Matthew 25:41. The devil is proud as the god of this age, but it is over. Now, satan is already cast aside forever as quick as a bolt of lightning, past, present and future. God makes fast work of anything when needed.
New Era
I say, you have the spiritual authority now in these end-times to bring God’s truth, His worship, with the sounds of heaven, to fill the earth. Take it to the streets, build the Church anew, post this C19 pandemic, push back the enemy, see the glory of God fill the nations and reach the world! Confront the silence; be a true voice! Breathtaking! Selah…
In the world today 2022 plus, the main pressures are mostly economic. Everyone wants more money, success, peace, ease, and a better life – and can you blame them in our crazy world! Most deceptions revolve around chasing these things more than God, and can literally water down the gospel; over time you become shallow, silent, non-confronting, non-convicting, and in the process, unwittingly deny the Lord and His power through lack of relationship with Him; from such walk away (1 Tim 6:5). We can never fully go back to how life was; this is a new era of history.
I John, caught my breath and stretched my fingers, the writing was a little tiring for these old hands, but the incredible writing stick kind of wrote by itself sometimes, helping me along, just flowing with my thoughts. The picturesque Greek Island of Patmos seems so far away now. It was very tough when I was imprisoned, but I love the romantic island beauty. The 34 square kilometre island with it’s 63 kilometres of coastline will become one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Aegean sea. In the future it will be known around the world as John’s Island, the Jerusalem of the Aegean, the Island of the Apocalypse. I’m starting to see why…
(Now click this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxBDb8Syfnw for the song India by Stephen Bennett, blog author).
‘He (Jesus) who testifies to these things says,“Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”’ Rev 22:20.
‘And He (Jesus) said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Mark 4:9.
By Stephen Bennett 10/01/2022
Author - Prophet Musician - As I have Called You
https://store.bookbaby.com/book/Prophet-Musician
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https://store.bookbaby.com/book/The-Poetry-Packages.
https://store.bookbaby.com/book/Prepare-and-Arise
Extract portions of this blog are from the book Prophet Musician, Chapter one, ‘Roots and Beginnings.’ See link above to buy a hardcopy or ebook.
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Photo of angel statue by Francesco Ungaro from Pexels
NOTE: Now go to Revelation - The Terrible and the Good Pt 6. This series of blogs on the book of Revelation, will be up to 12 parts. Pt 6; the rise of the world leader beast out of the sea, the false prophet beast out of the earth, who satan uses during the great tribulation, and the new global trading mark of the beast 666. endtimewriters.com
PRAYER OF FAITH: The Call to give your life to Jesus Christ.
No matter where you are in your Christian walk, Jesus is with you; in your triumphs and trials, to the end! If you have never known God; know this;
“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world (ages)” Amen’ Matthew 28:20. ’But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’ Matthew 24:13-14.
Pray this prayer from your heart and your spirit will come alive to God, for with him there is hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
“My Father in heaven, I give you my life, I repent of all my sin, recreate me brand new. I give you my heart. Fill me Lord Jesus Christ with Your Holy Spirit. I believe You died for me on the cross, and by Your shed blood, you washed away my sins once and for all. Raise me from my deadness of my life to live a new life, just like you Jesus, when you were raised from the dead; I believe you did that. Make my spirit reborn, and let me come alive too filled with Your Holy Spirit.”
“I believe I belong to you Lord. Help me to know you well, teach me Your ways, that I become all that I am meant to be. Help me to love and find love. I thank you Lord that you will always be with me.”
If you have genuinely prayed this prayer to Jesus Christ, in your seeking of God, or you’re coming back to Him, DM instagram or FB or email. Talk to other Christians you may know, and find a Church where you can grow.
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(Click-link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHZiIah2glY for the song 23 by Stephen Bennett, blog author. (From Psalm 23 to minister peace and hope to you).
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