1. 1

2. The Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ As told by the Apostle John in The Revelation Revelation 12:1-17
4 …. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to His throne Revelation 12:4-5 (NIV84) 2 2

3. Were it not for His being God in human flesh and blood, we would be hopelessly helpless.3

4. Did it matter that the Son of God was born as a human man to fulfill the promise of God made in the Garden of Eden following the devastating disobedience of Adam and Eve? 4

5. Genesis 1:27, 31 (NIV84) 27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. 5

6. Genesis 3:1 (NIV84) 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 6

7. Genesis 3:11-13 (NIV84) 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman You put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 7

8. Genesis 3:14-15 (NIV84) 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” 8

9. Genesis 37:5, 8 (NIV84) 5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.
8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9

10. Genesis 37:9-10 (NIV84) 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 10

11. Genesis 37:28 (NIV84) 28 … when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. 11

12. Genesis 45:4-8 (NIV84) 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 12

13. God was preserving the genealogical line from Adam and Eve so that from them would be born the Messiah, the Savior of the world. 13

14. Exodus 3:5-6 (NIV84). 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said
Exodus 3:5-6 (NIV84) 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 14

15. Exodus 3:7-8, 10 (NIV84) 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—…. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.” 15

16. Exodus 14:5-6 (NIV84) 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 16

17. Exodus 14:15-16 (NIV84) 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17

18. God would protect His people so that He would preserve the genealogical line from which the Messiah would be born as a human baby. 18

19. Micah 5:2-3 (NIV84) 2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 19

20. Micah 5:4-5 (NIV84) 4 He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will live securely, for then His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And He will be their peace. When the Assyrian invades our land and marches through our fortresses, we will raise against him seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. 20

21. This story of human history becomes the metaphor describing our pilgrimage with Jesus Christ today.21

22. The book of the Revelation Jesus Christ as the King of the universe
Human history
from creation to the consummation*
*consummation: the final fulfillment of all of God’s promises to bring everything under His rule and reign for eternity! 22

23. The book of the Revelation
Reveals to us both the visible and invisible opposition to Christ and His people. 23

24. The book of the Revelation
How significant was the incarnation of God to John’s review of human history? 24

25. an entire outline of human history
Revelation 12-15:4
an entire outline of human history
Jesus Christ is the center point of history 25

26. Revelation 12
The war that was waged against the human birth of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. 26

27. God’s people = an expectant mother
Revelation 12:1-2 (NIV84) 1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
God’s people = an expectant mother
The woman = Eve = the lineage of God’s people
The woman = Mary 27

28. Revelation 12:3-6 (NIV84) 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to His throne. 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 28

29. The second half of the Revelation presents a reality that is not visible to the human eye.29

30. But the monstrous dragon is not invincible!
Our hope for eternity, wrapped up in one verse:
Revelation 12:5 (NIV84) 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to His throne. 30

31. Neither sin nor death would overcome our Savior!
At His birth, Jesus conquered Satan! He conquered all Satan’s temptations!
Neither sin nor death would overcome our Savior! 31

32. What is the meaning of the desert?
Revelation 12:6 (NIV84) 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 32

33. His presence would go with them into the desert!
Before going into the Promised Land, where did God lead the children of Israel?
His presence would go with them into the desert!
42 stages provides symbolism for the 42 months or 1,260 days that speaks of God taking care of the woman in the desert. 33

34. The wilderness wanderings of Israel
the symbol (metaphor) for the time period between Christ’s two comings. 34

35. Revelation 12:7-9 (NIV84). 7 And there was war in heaven
Revelation 12:7-9 (NIV84) 7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 35

36. Revelation 12:10-12 (NIV84) 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” 36

37. Revelation 12:5 & 9 (NIV84) 5 … And her child was snatched up to God and to His throne,
9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 37

38. Revelation 12:13-14 (NIV84) 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male Child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 38

39. A place of escape from the devil’s threats and attacks.
Revelation 12:15-17 (NIV84) 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
A place of escape from the devil’s threats and attacks.
Symbolized by the desert where God’s presence is our protection. 39

40. We are always in a war with Satan and his armies until we are safely in heaven with Christ. Vigilance is always the character of a man or woman of God who wants to be a conqueror in Christ. 40

41. Our vigilance is to constantly be drinking in the word of God into our hearts and lives. Deepening our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ ... 41

42. Jesus defeated all of Satan’s attempts to prevent His birth, just as He promised him in Genesis 3:15. 42

43. 43

44. 44