Sabbath, February 17, 2024  - "Revelation 12 REVEALED part 1

Revelation 12:1-6:

(1) “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:  

"The woman is the true church of Christ. The sun is the gospel light in which she is clothed. The moon is the former dispensation, or the Old Testament, which is now obscured by the more glorious dispensation of the gospel; the church is represented as having it under her feet, to denote that she stands on the foundation of the prophets and patriarchs, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. The crown of twelve stars represents the ministers of Christ. {1838 JoL, PSC 172.2}

(2)  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 

"Under the symbols of a great red dragon, a leopardlike beast, and a beast with lamblike horns, the earthly governments which would especially engage in trampling upon God's law and persecuting His people, were presented to John. The war is carried on till the close of time. The people of God, symbolized by a holy woman and her children, were represented as greatly in the minority. In the last days only a remnant still existed. Of these John speaks as they "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (ST Nov. 1, 1899).

"Rome, in its pagan state, symbolized as the great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads, refer xii. 3. {November 16, 1842 JVHe, HST 66.16}

"That the church were to be in a state of trial for a season, here called "two days," cannot be doubted, when Christ himself has said, "in the world ye shall have tribulation," and "these have come through much tribulation," that is "torn and smitten." But let us inquire, by what means they will thus suffer. Daniel says, vii. 7, "After this, I saw in the night visions, and, behold a fourth beast dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth: it devoured, break in pieces, and stamped the residue (or people of God) with the feet of it." Again in Revelations xii. 3, "And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads." {August 2, 1841 JVHe, HST 65.20}

"This dragon power began its power over the saints when the league was made with him B. C. 158--and will end in 1842. Then the third day will begin 1843" [See. Ad. Lib. No. 3, page 61] {January 25, 1843 JVHe, HST 149.4}

(4)  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

"Over seven hundred and fifty years before the Saviour's birth, Isaiah wrote: "Before the Child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings." The death of Herod occurred when the Jewish nation was ruled by its king, aided by the Sanhedrin and the priests; and in the removing of the kings, the "dragon," through Rome, cast the third part of the stars of heaven to the earth. The divine hand which wrote this history cannot be hidden; for the very language which was literally fulfilled in Jerusalem, describes, with equal accuracy, the great fall in heaven, when Satan was cast out together with one-third of the angels,- those who adhered to his principles. {1905 SNH, SSP 214.2}

"The Jewish government was composed of three different offices, viz. Kings, High Priests and Sanhedrim, or Seventy Eiders. These, in prophetic language, are called stars. One of these offices, to wit. that of kings, was taken from the Jews; and cast to the earth, that is, Roman government. {October 1, 1841 JVHe, HST 97.4}

Matthew_28:20 "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

(5)  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

"And she brought forth a man child," Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, typifying the church, Isaiah 9:6 & 7; "who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: {1833 WiM, ESH 50.3}

 "And her child was caught up unto God and to his throne." Christ has ascended up on high and led captivity captive. See John 6:62. Eph. 4:8--10. {October 1, 1841 JVHe, HST 97.4}

"Christ will reign on the throne of the Father in the kingdom of grace until human probation shall close. David, speaking of this gracious reign, says: "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Ps.110:1-3. Peter speaks of Christ as "being by the right hand of God exalted." Acts 2:33. And Paul, speaking of the priesthood of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, says that "we have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens." Heb.8:1. He exhorts the church to look to "Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Chap.12:2. {1865? JW, TTKGG 3.1}

Hebrews 4:14-16, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  (15)  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  (16)  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

“What is our profession? We profess to be following Christ. We claim to be Christians. Do we, then, reveal the Christlikeness? Do we serve the Saviour intelligently? Does the love of God continually flow from us to others? Do we, in word and action, confess our Redeemer? Do we conform our lives to His holy principles? Are we pure and undefiled? Christians must hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. It is not enough to profess the faith. There must be a patient endurance of all trials and a brave resistance to all temptations. Faith can be maintained only by bringing the Christian religion to the test of practice, thus demonstrating its transforming power and the faithfulness of its promises (MS 42, 1901).

The Son of God . . . has fulfilled His pledge, and has passed into the heavens, to take upon Himself the government of the heavenly host. He fulfilled one phase of His priesthood by dying on the cross for the fallen race. He is now fulfilling another phase by pleading before the Father the case of the repenting, believing sinner, presenting to God the offerings of His people. Having taken human nature and in this nature having overcome the temptations of the enemy, and having divine perfection, to Him has been committed the judgment of the world. The case of each one will be brought in review before Him. He will pronounce judgment, rendering to every man according to his works (MS 42, 1901).

(6)  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

"This was the flight of the church into her wilderness state, A. D. 538, when Justinian had decreed the bishop of Rome head of all the churches. God watched over the church and kept her alive twelve hundred and sixty long years of darkness and superstition, and at the end of that period, he brought her out of her state of bondage and set before her an open door of usefulness which no man can shut. {1838 JoL, PSC 173.3}

"...the church fled from the Roman Government, called the great city, that reigns over the nations of the earth. The church seems to have become weary of the protection she had: long soughtin the civil government of the earth, (first the Romans, 150 years B. C.; second, the Roman emperors under Constantine etc.) and therefore fled, and for about 6 or 700 years, we know but very little about her. But God took care "that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days," which is 1260 years, from A. D. 538 until 1798, during which time, the true church, or those who believed in Jesus Christ, and would not bow down and worship Papacy, were not permitted any civil rights, under any of the governments composing the Roman kingdom. But during the whole time she had her teachers and pastors, who did in a great measure feed the flock with the sincere milk of the word. {1833 WiM, ESH 51.1}

"These days were evidently accomplished in 1798," {March 20, 1840 JVHe, HST 6.3}

"When the Waldensian youth had spent some time in their schools in the mountains, some of them were sent to complete their education in the great cities, where they could have a wider range for thought and observation than in their secluded homes. The youth thus sent forth were exposed to temptation, they witnessed vice, they encountered Satan's wily agents, who urged upon them the most subtle heresies and the most dangerous deceptions. But their education from childhood had been of a character to prepare them for all this.  {4SP 75.1} 

     In the schools whither they went, they were not to make confidants of any. Their garments were so prepared as to conceal their greatest treasure, --the precious manuscripts of the Scriptures. These, the fruit of months and years of toil, they carried with them, and whenever it could be done without exciting suspicion, they cautiously placed some portion in the way of those whose hearts seemed open to receive it. {4SP 75.2}