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And it's a great question and I don't know that the answer is going to be appreciated or liked because really that's one of those things where when we have, when we have what we assume to be an encounter with an angel, is there but this is where and I think we talked about this in our first class where if we turn our attention and our focus on an experience, then we are putting our hope faith and trust in an experience. We'll go to Matthew chapter 18, Matthew chapter 18, looking at verse 10, and actually this is we're going to back up, we're going to just go, we're going to start at the beginning of 18 where it says, it says, at that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Anytime we watch anything that touches on a theological notion I go this is just this just bad theology and and she started stopping me as we're watching something she just says mom I know I know it's I'm not turning to this for theology I'm turning it to it for fun but anyway so so there you go the Nephilim the great mystery not as exciting as we think or as as sometimes it's portrayed but but it makes more sense it's more realistic and so there we go all right so we started in Genesis now we're going to jump all the way to revelation there is um revelation is I mean we could I know we talked about this last year we could spend just years in revelation and still um be fascinated and find more uh we're gonna go to revelation 12 revelation 12 so we started in Genesis the very first book of the Bible and we're going all the way to the end to revelation the very last book in the Bible so we're making it very easy to find today um we don't even have to open to the middle and then flip we just know you either go to the front of the back so we're in the back of the Bible revelation verse 12 um so have you ever been reading in Daniel it also has this where where you read and it talks about a time times in half a time and we kind of read past that and go yep okay sounds good what is time times and half a time so that is what we're going to be looking at today so we're going to start with verses uh one through six because this is very interesting remember how we talked last year about how revelation goes in these cycles right it's cyclical writing and so here we're going to find in these first six verses of chapter 12 we find that um that it's it's a quick version of then what is laid out in the rest of 12 so let's go ahead and read verses one through six where John is seeing the vision and he says a great portant appeared in heaven a woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of 12 stars she was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs in the agony of giving birth then another portant appeared in heaven a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven diadams on his heads his tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born and she gave birth to a son a male child who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron but her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne and the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God so that there she can be nourished for 1,260 days okay so a great sign it begins by saying a great sign a great sign is it's pointing to something of importance remember how we hear that there will be signs and wonders that Jesus did many signs and wonders he is it that is always pointing to something of divine importance that's happening a visual representation of something divine right we know that when Jesus performs miracles something divine is happening right there we know that anytime there's a sign given there's something divine that's happening that's going on so so this woman is wearing a crown of 12 stars on her head now a crown was given in reward for a contest it was it was it showed a victory and this crown of of 12 stars it represents 12 of the 24 elders that were around the throne of God so in the throne room we read about the 12 elders that are praising and worshipping the Lord and we knew when we talked about this last year we talked about how 12 those 12 of those 24 represented or were the 12 tribes of Israel and the other 12 were the 12 apostles so you have the Old Testament and the New Testament coming together and you have the 24 represented so you have you have this woman who is wearing the crown of 12 stars on her head and prior to the child's birth the 12 stars are representing the 12 tribes of Israel it's those those 12 tribes so it's really that old testament people that are being represented here it's it's all the people of God in the Old Testament that are represented then after the child is born the 12 stars are representing the other 12 elders that are that are the 12 apostles which represents the New Testament Church which represents the people of God both both of the Old and the New it's it's the complete people of God the stars are signifying that the woman represents the entire people of God Israel and the New Israel the Old Israel and the New Israel Mary is is the model of the woman or for the woman she's also the model for and represents the church so here we have this woman and and and she is I mean we know that Mary did give birth to Christ but we also know that the church is referred to as a bride remember in the Old Testament how consistently the prophets write and and God writes through through them talking about the the unfaithful bride that is the church and then afterwards we hear in the New Testament about the church that is adorned as the bride for Christ right the bride of the lamb so the church is adorned with the sun and crown of stars God loves and honors his people God loves his people his people of all his people of now and his people to come God loves all of his church the moon that is under the woman's feet that shows that she's the dominant earth entity in his creation so everything everything in creation is governed for the benefit of the church the church is to increase to be cared for the church is protected by God the dragon then is sitting here it's just incredible imagery this dragon that is just waiting for this child to be born to debour him so so we see that the dragon at the start isn't again or isn't after the woman the dragon wants to destroy the child the dragon wants has a focus against the child that's where the warfare is all centered but the child escapes the dragon and that's when the dragon turns his rage toward the woman so if you keep your hand in revelation and if you go to Psalm 2 now we're going to open to the middle of our Bibles into Psalm 2 please it's just incredible when you get into you know I like the the Lutheran the Lutheran way of understanding that scripture interpret scripture because it helps to clarify it helps a lot to make sense of what doesn't seem to make sense and we see that that God has it he has what he wants us to know in his word so so it's just kind of cool that's a total aside but it's just it's just really cool to see how God gives us always through his word understanding so so in in Psalm 2 we read we read about the prophecy of this so reading in Psalm 2 it says why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed saying let us burst their bonds a sundering cast their cords from us he who sits in the heavens laugh the Lord has them in derision then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them within his fury saying I have set my king on Zion my holy hill I will tell of the decree of the Lord he said to me you are my son today I have begotten you ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession you shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel now therefore oh kings be wise be warned oh rulers of the earth serve the Lord with fear with trembling kiss his feet or he will be angry and you will perish in the way for his wrath is quickly kindled happy are all who take refuge in him so we see that in Psalm 2 God is telling us that he will anoint his king he will install his king who is the anointed one and in Psalm 2 verse 9 when it talks about the iron rod it's looking past the present age where gods or Christ rain is hidden right it's looking past that into the future rain when Christ's rain will be revealed in power and with glory and so it's light in light of the future rain the the future rain of Christ the kings kings are told fear worship and serve the Lord in that knowing that this rain indeed is coming and so this is what is the kings and those of us on earth are invited to to fear and worship so that that the escape of the wrath of God can happen remember happier all who take refuge in him we know that the rain the eternal forever rain is the Lord's and so when he comes again in all power and glory and and his kingdom is no longer hidden from the world we know as believers we do not need to tremble because our time now is is revering the Lord our king and and we know his kingdom is to come so that is that is an invitation and a warning right that that those who who revel in the worldly rain and the reign of the dragon gods wrath indeed will come upon them the dragon the dragon though can only look toward or look forward to his complete termination his a complete termination of his of his rule and so he's furious with this child he's furious with this child and that's where he wants to to snatch the child in Luke chapter one verses 31 and 32 we find out that the male child that is to be born to marry is to rule on the throne forever we know that his his rule and reign will be forever it is eternal and Jesus declares in his ministry over and over again that he is the shepherd he is the one who has come to call and gather the sheep just as God had promised so so in verse five going back to Revelation in verse five we read she gave birth to a son a male child who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron but her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne a lot happens in that phrase in this phrase we have the incarnation we have the ministry of Jesus we have the passion the death the resurrection and the ascension in just a little phrase so so so we have the sum of our whole everything that we know about Christ all in those few words that the child was born and snatched up to God Jesus the child he is exalted and enthroned it is not the dragon it is not the dragon who prevailed it is Christ it is the child born who prevailed praise the Lord the dragon couldn't destroy the child at his birth so now now we're going to jump down so so those verses one through six that an overall explanation of what's happening here then then John in his writing with the prophecy he comes back then beginning in verse seven and goes back over it and explains what happens and tells of it in more detail so in that we hear beginning in verse seven war broke out in heaven Michael and his angels fought against the dragon the dragon and his angels fought back but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven the great dragon was thrown down that ancient ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan and deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him then I heard a loud voice in heaven proclaiming now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down who accuses them day and night before our God but they have conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony for they did not cling to life even in the face of death rejoice then you heavens and those who dwell in them but woe to the earth and to the sea for the devil has come down to you with great wrath because he knows that his time is short okay a couple of things here why I keep highlighting that that this you know the first six verses give a shortened version and then we come back to get more details because when when one reads revelation in a linear fashion then we see that there are that that they're they're really then are two dragons how does this work and you see this timeline getting really muddled and very confused so when we understand that we're coming back to to the deeper explanation or more details it makes it clearer does that make sense yes oh good I'm so glad I also I also want to highlight I just find it so amazing these incredible descriptions of the serpent of the devil given where where it is it is in verse um verse 10 and into 11 it talks about um the accuser the accuser who accuses that day and night before our God and isn't that exactly what the devil does but stand there first saying you know come on it's okay you know tempting us warring us into sin we sin and then he says can you believe what you just did you should be ashamed you are unworthy you are un-savable right isn't that what the great accuser does I love those verses just it's just anyway so um so the dragon can't destroy child that has then the woman this this first Mary is now the church it's both the old and the new Israel um and and we read about that where where Paul in Romans writes about there's no longer Jew in Greek but but we're one in Ephesians chapter two we we read all about um the unity of who we are in Christ right that we are no longer separated but we are one we read in the New Testament in Paul where he talks about um you know we're all one in the Lord one Lord one spirit one baptism for the forgiveness of sin and so we have this unity and um let's go ahead and go back to Revelation verse 13 so when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child so he's pursuing after this woman he can't he cannot defeat the child and so he goes after the woman he goes after the church but the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she could fly from the serpent into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time see time and times and half a time okay we're gonna math that's okay this is this is simple math okay yes so we have we have time that's one we have times so that's two so we have that and then we have half so that is time times and half a time one plus two is three plus half is three and a half simple math now I'm gonna explain what this even means so so um three three and a half is half of number seven right so the number seven is very key here okay so when we read um we read earlier in Revelation we read about um about a 1,260 days uh that the witnesses of God are on the earth right and we read about um 1,260 days where where the city is trampled right and and so this is a very figurative language um three and a half years equals 1,260 days so we we're coming to look at this figuratively um and not linear so it's not that there will be two prophets proclaiming for three and a half years exactly and then there will be burning in the city for three and a half years exactly and then but it's it's figurative so the two the the prophets the witnesses of God were in that time period okay so um but we're talking about times time time times and and half a time um so so three and a half is half of seven seven is God's number seven is God's number remember he created in seven days and created in six rested on the seventh but but it's the seven days of creation um so so we have this this fullness in the number seven the fullness of of God well three and a half is half that is the devil's mockery of God three and a half is the devil's mockery of God and until the completion of God's time we are in a period of the devil's mockery we're in a period of the devil the accuser wreaking havoc and accusing doing all he can to torment the the church so he chased after the woman the woman went into the wilderness and she was in verse 14 it says that she is nourished for a time and times and half a time so we are currently in the time and times and half a time but the woman remember at this point is the church she is the church let's go back to Revelation to read in verse 15 then from his mouth the serpent poured water like a river after the woman to sweep her away with the flood but the earth came to the help of the woman it opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth then the dragon was angry with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her children those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus so remember the dragon now is being referred to as the serpent where do we first see the serpent genocents in the Garden of Eden who deceive, eve and Adam right and is also told by God that he will be crushed that he will be crushed by Eve's offspring so now the dragon the serpent has been trying to devour this child can't cannot destroy the child he chases after the woman chases after the church continues to hound after the woman but the woman is cared for she is nourished she is nourished by creation she is provided for and we know that as the church we are under complete and the church being you know believers we are always under fire by the the serpent by the devil the dragon but we are nourished week after week with word and sacrament we are nourished day after day with word right and so we're always nourished and kept in in God's reign and rule by his mercy and by his grace so um yeah so God cares for the woman in the wilderness the serpent still causes a lot of pain a lot of anxiety and we see that he turns to then torment the rest of her seed. And so I really like studying this time, times and half a time in the season of Advent because we know that we're in this time, times and half a time, this time where the devil will do his best to come after us. So Jesus sent Peter and John saying go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it they asked him where do you want us to make preparations for it listen he said to them when you have entered the city a man carrying a jar of water will meet you follow him into the house he enters here's very specific instruction about this man so prophecy can really deal with small matters it can also deal with great events for example the prophecy with regard to flood the prophecy with regard to the destruction of Jerusalem both times Jesus's death and resurrection the end of the world so prophecy can deal with small and also great here's something else to keep in mind prophecy can cover either a short or long period for example some prophecies are fulfilled the very same day in Holy Scripture and other prophecies other prophecies take thousands of years the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in his first coming or his second coming is an example of that or we hear it put this way in second Peter the third chapter a good way to find second Peter is to go to the book of Revelation and start to work your way back toward Matthew you're going to cross over the Johns and then you bump into the Peters very quick second Peter chapter 3 we'll pick up in verse 3 first of all you must understand this that in the last days scoffers will come scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming for ever since our ancestors died all things continue as they were from the very beginning of creation they deliberately ignore this fact that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished but by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the Godless but do not ignore this one fact be loving that which the Lord one day that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like one day the Lord's not slow about his promise is some think of slowness but is patient with you not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance so what we see is it can be either covering a short period of time or a long period of time here's another descriptor with regard to prophecy it can be conditional or unconditional unconditional prophecy is God promises something and it's simply going to be Christ birth death resurrection his return perfect examples of unconditional prophecy but then you have conditional prophecies in other words they are fulfilled only if the people who received them met certain conditions so for example when when Jonah foretold the destruction of Nineveh that immediate fulfillment that immediate fulfillment was laid aside when the people repented or another example is in Jeremiah chapter 18 let's turn there please in the Old Testament Jeremiah chapter 18 and we'll pick up in verse 7 Jeremiah 18 verse 7 at one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it but if that nation concerning which I have spoken turns from its evil I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it and that another moment I made to declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and planted but if it does evil in my sight not listening to my voice then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it so you can have prophecies then that are unconditional you can have prophecies that are conditional here's the next some prophecies were delivered by dreams or night visions so for example you've got Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the image that was interpreted by Daniel or Jacob's dream of the latter or Joseph's dreams about his family you can also have visions examples of of that is Paul and Acts 22 or John in the book of Revelation here's another descriptor of prophecies some prophecy is received by direct encounter with God Genesis 18 is an example of that Abraham received a promise of a son that was a direct encounter with God or sometimes the angels will come and deliver the prophecy we read in scripture about the angel coming and delivering the prophecy with regard to the birth of John the Baptist or the angel coming and delivering the prophecy with regard to the birth of our Lord so here's some then principles or descriptors of prophecy just to review they can deal with matters smaller great they can cover a short or long period they can be conditional or unconditional some were delivered as dreams or night visions some were received by a direct encounter with God okay let's go on let's gain that greater understanding around this whole issue of prophecy some can be given in plain literal language and other prophecies can be given in symbolic language what we can deal with are what are called types and types is an old testament event that looks forward to the new testament and the ultimate fulfillment so a type a type can be for example a person we see in scripture Melchizedek was a type a type of Christ the true priest or a type can be an event the freeing of Israel from Egypt is a type that points forward to the redemption that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ or it can be a thing the Passover lamb in the old testament is a type that points forward to the lamb of God Jesus Christ prophecies can be acted out symbolically for example let's go to Jeremiah chapter 27 verse 1 Jeremiah 27 verse 1 and here we have a prophecy that's with symbolic actions as it's communicated so verse 1 chapter 27 in the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah son of Josiah of Judah this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord thus the Lord said to me make yourself a yoke of straps and bars and put them on your neck send word of the king of Edom the king of Moab the king of the Ammonites the king of Tyra and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to kings at a kaya of Judah give them this charge for their masters thus says the Lord of hosts the God of Israel this is what you shall say to your masters it is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth with the people and animals that are on the earth and I give it to whomever I please now I have given all these lands into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon my servant and I have given him even the wild animals of the field to serve him all the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave but if any nation or kingdom will not serve this king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and put his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon then I will punish that nation with the sword with famine and with pestilence says the Lord until I've completed its destruction by his hand you therefore must not listen to your prophets your diviners your dreamers your soothsayers or your sorcerers who are saying to you you shall not serve the king of Babylon for they are prophesying a lie to you with the result that you will be removed far from your land I will drive you out and you will perish but any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him I will leave on its own land says the Lord to till it and live there see there we see the prophecy symbolically lived out by Jeremiah there can be symbolic language you see that in Ezekiel Daniel Zechariah also with John for example the candlesticks in Revelation they stand for congregation the beasts in Daniel stand for the kingdom so prophecy can be communicated symbolically here's a very important point I'd like you to remember truths which are taught in symbolic language in scripture are also taught elsewhere in plain literal language let me say that again truths which are taught in symbolic language in scripture are also taught elsewhere in plain literal language so one looks then for the plain literal language and then uses that in the interpretation of the symbolic so always when one sees symbolism look for the plain literal interpretation if one doesn't that's where that launch into imagination can simply come into being where sometimes people will interpret prophecy and you say where are you getting that because you see it doesn't bear the correct biblical principles of interpretation so why is it important to study prophecy we've laid principles with regard to prophecy why is it important to study prophecy first prophecy shows the glory of the true God that he's in control that we can count on him that we can count on his word let's go to Isaiah chapter 46 right before Jeremiah Isaiah 46 we'll pick up in verse 8 Isaiah 46 verse 8 remember this and consider recall it to mind you transgressors remember the former things of old for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is no one like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done saying my purpose shall stand and I will fulfill my intentions prophecy shows as we see the fulfillment of prophecy prophecy shows that we can rely on God that his word is trustworthy here's a second reason why it's important to study prophecy prophecy directs us to Christ let's go to Luke chapter 24 Matthew Mark and then Luke Luke chapter 24 verse 44 then he said to them these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled Jesus of course is the one speaking here then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures see Jesus showed how the very scripture points to himself here's a third reason prophecy prepares us for the events that are still coming let's go to Matthew chapter 24 verse 32 Matthew chapter 24 verse 32 Jesus said from the fig tree learn its lesson as soon as its branches become tender and puts forth its leaves you know that summer is near so also when you see all these things you know that he is near at the very gates here's another reason prophecy influences are conduct in the present let's go to second Peter chapter 3 and we're a good way to find second Peter's just go to revelation and then slowly work your way backwards second Peter chapter 3 verse 14 therefor beloved while you are waiting for these things strive to be found by him at peace without spot or blemish another reason why we study prophecy is it makes up a great part of the word of God there are some 8,300 verses in holy scripture that have elements of prophecy in them so you consider 8,300 verses in scripture that contain elements of prophecy within the 31,000 verses in holy scripture so a major portion of scripture is dealing with prophecy we study prophecy also so that we may be a people that can recognize where there's a bad interpretation of prophecy and then we can address that bad prophecy those false views so in the weeks ahead let's study about the prophecies fulfilled at Christ's first coming the prophecies fulfilled being fulfilled today the prophecies to be filled be fulfilled at Christ's return and next week we'll take a look at prophecies fulfilled during the old testament God bless We studied last week the topic of the justice of God and the fate of the unbeliever. I am the Lord who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by myself spread out the earth, who frustrates the omens of liars and make fools of diviners, who turns back the wise and makes their knowledge foolish, who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the prediction of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, it shall be inhabited and of the cities of Judah, they shall be rebuilt and I will raise up their ruins, who says to the deep, be dry, I will dry up your rivers, who says of Cyrus, he is my shepherd and he shall carry out all my purpose, who says of Jerusalem, it shall be rebuilt and of the temple your foundation shall be laid.

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