1)    Introduction

a)    Revelation 12 is a brief history involving a Woman who portrays God’s chosen people, The Child who is Jesus Christ, and a Dragon who is Satan the Devil (Rev. 20:2). It consists of three notable eras:

i)       FIRST ERA—REVELATION 12:1-5: The Woman of the First Era portrays ancient Israel up to the time that she gives birth to The Child. She wears a wreathe of twelve stars representing the 12 Tribes who are under a PHYSICAL covenant.

ii)     SECOND ERA—REVELATION 12:6: The Woman of the Second Era portrays a new nation under a SPIRITUAL covenant. She is the spiritual seed of Abraham (Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:29; 4:28) redeemed by God by the blood of The Child. The Second Era begins shortly after The Child is taken up to God and ends after 1,260 years in a wilderness.

1)    ROMANS 9:6-8 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

iii)    THIRD ERA—REVELATION 12:13-17: The Woman of the Third Era is a continuation of the lineage of the SPIRITUAL seed of Abraham and the last era before the end of this age.

b)    These three eras are also linked with three different wildernesses:

i)       FIRST WILDERNESS: The Woman who portrays the 12 Tribes of ancient Israel is in the First Wilderness for 40 years:

1)    ACTS 7:38 “This is he [Moses] who was in the congregation [ekklesia] in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,

2)    NUMBERS 14:33 ‘And your [Israel’s] sons shall be [wanderers] in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.

ii)     SECOND WILDERNESS: The Woman representing the spiritual seed of Abraham went into a Second Wilderness for 1,260 years (prophetic days).

iii)    THIRD WILDERNESS: The Woman, still representing the spiritual seed of Abraham, goes into a Third Wilderness for about 3-1/2 years. Because it is the last era with a short duration, it most likely occurs at the end of the age with a terminus at the return of Jesus Christ.

2)    The Woman—The First Era & the First Wilderness

a)    REVELATION 12:1-5 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed [arrayed] with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a [wreathe] of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

i)       The Woman of the First Era represents the 12 Tribes of ancient Israel because this is BEFORE The Child was born. She was in the First Wilderness 40 years.

ii)     The Child is the prophesied Seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16) and his direct descendant (Matt. 1:1). The Child is Jesus Christ, born out of the tribe of Judah when it was a nation under a PHYSICAL covenant with God.

iii)    The sun, moon, and stars are similar to Joseph’s dream where his father Jacob interpreted them to be Jacob, Rachael, the mother of Joseph, and his 11 brothers:

1)    GENESIS 37:9-10 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother [Rachel] and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?”

2)    In the case of The Woman, instead of Rachel, the moon might represent Leah, the mother of Judah from whom Jesus Christ was descended.

3)    Alternatively, the sun could represent God the Father and the moon Jesus Christ.

3)    The Woman—The Second Era & the Second Wilderness

a)    When The Woman of the First Era was found to be with child, everything changed. The Child was the greatest threat to Satan’s plan of destruction since eternal life would come to mankind. Satan was so desperate to destroy The Child that he gathered ALL the demons (1/3 of the angels). But Jesus Christ was victorious over Satan (1 Cor. 15:57) and the biblical record shifts back to The Woman:

i)       REVELATION 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, [to be nourished] [fattened, cherished, pampered] there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

b)    After the victory of Jesus Christ over Satan, The Woman fled into the Second Wilderness. It had been prepared by God and she was nourished for 1,260 days (prophetic years). Although Scripture does not say, The Woman likely fled because The Child brought eternal life to mankind and that made Satan even more dangerous:

i)       ISAIAH 14:16-17 “… ‘Is this the man [‘Lucifer’ (Heylel)—v. 12] who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?’

4)    Interlude—War in Heaven

a)    After The Woman of the Second Era fled into the Second Wilderness, instead of pursuing her, Satan initiates war in heaven:

i)       REVELATION 12:7-9 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

1)    This is all past tense—“was a place;” “was cast;” “were cast”—indicating it occurs prior to the NEXT EVENTS when Satan persecutes The Woman.

b)    The motive behind this war is a mystery since Satan knows he could never defeat an angelic army, especially one twice the size of his own, nor could he tempt or kill Jesus who was no longer flesh and blood. Perhaps Satan thought he could steal the key to the abyss (Rev. 9:1; 20:1) and release the imprisoned demons to enlarge his army. Who knows? Regardless, Satan and his demons were defeated and cast out of heaven and down to Earth, bringing grave consequences for the world:

i)       REVELATION 12:10-12 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they [the saints] did not love their lives to the death. 12 “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell 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.”

c)     It is somewhat uncertain if the war has already occurred and Satan and his demons have already been cast out of heaven. The Woman of the Second Era was already in the protection of the Second Wilderness before this war occurs. But it is reasonable to assume that the war is a yet future event since The Woman must flee to another wilderness AFTER Satan and the demons are cast out of heaven.

5)    The Woman—The Third Era & the Third Wilderness

a)    The Heavens rejoiced because Satan and the demons are banished from there but that also brings a WOE upon the Earth. Unable to murder The Child or prevail in heaven, Satan is enraged and turns his wrath upon The Woman:

i)       REVELATION 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.

b)    The Woman of the Second and Third Eras is under the New Covenant with the promise of eternal life so Satan is highly motivated to destroy her. He is a grave threat after being cast out of heaven and The Woman flees again to a Third Wilderness:

i)       REVELATION 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 [face = direct confrontation] of the serpent.

c)     The Third Wilderness is distinct from the Second Wilderness, at least in the duration that The Woman is nourished. The Second Wilderness was prepared by God. This Third Wilderness is “her place” (whatever that means) but she is nourished only for a short time, generally accepted to be a prophetic 3-1/2 years.

d)    The primary reason The Woman is there, however, is to hide from the “presence” or face of The Serpent (another epithet of Satan—Rev. 12:9). The PRESENCE or FACE of Satan indicates He could DIRECTLY confront The Woman. Perhaps this is similar for the ekklesia in Pergamos where Satan’s throne was located for a time (Rev. 2:13). This would put The Woman in extreme peril. God responds by sending The Woman into the Third Wilderness so Satan is unable to directly confront her. Instead, he tries to destroy her with a “flood”:

i)       REVELATION 12:15 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.

e)    In the Bible, a flood can be a metaphor for an army (Isa. 8:7-8; Dan. 9:26) and this flood is so great a threat that The Woman needs help:

i)       REVELATION 12:16 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.

f)      After The Woman is saved from the flood, Satan goes to war against her “remnant”:

i)       REVELATION 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest [remnant] of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

g)    The Woman is protected from Satan in the Third Wilderness but the sequence of Scripture suggests that she flees from Satan BEFORE Satan sends out a flood. So, it is unclear if those who are threatened by the flood are those fleeing into the Third Wilderness or a group who never make it.

h)    In either case, Satan attacks a “remnant” after failing to destroy The Woman with a flood. This remnant is either those who never make it into the Third Wilderness or a group that remains after the flood—a remnant of the remnant, so to speak.

6)    God of the Crescent Moon—Satan

a)    Throughout Scripture, Satan has employed physical nations to destroy mankind because God cannot allow a direct attack by him—he is too powerful and too much of a threat. If one angel was able to kill 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (2 Kings 19:35), the world would not last long if Satan was completely unrestrained. So, he is constrained to using physical nations to carrying out his plan of annihilation. Men are mortal and nations rise and fall, sometimes by the hand of God, so Satan’s war against The Woman spans millennia and has required many nations. Some of those are listed in the Bible or historical records but there is one common element that identifies them throughout all three eras—a pagan god whose symbol is the crescent moon.

b)    There have been thousands of gods throughout history, especially before Jesus Christ. It is still the case with many nations in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia ranging from Mongolia and China down through India, Nepal, and eastward to include the island-nations of Oceana in the Pacific Ocean. However, polytheism changed dramatically after Jesus Christ, at least for many nations that turned to monotheistic worship of one of two gods—the Most High God and an ancient pagan god whose symbol is the crescent moon.

c)     Christianity was widespread as millions were converted in the early centuries after Jesus Christ. This was on a scale not generally appreciated in modern times. It began with the apostles spreading the Gospel to North Africa, Ethiopia, the Arabian Peninsula, southern Europe, Britain, Asia Minor, extensive regions in and around the Black and Caspian Seas, and eastward to Kazakhstan and India. A sense of the vast numbers who were converted is given by the first century Jews in Macedonia and Asia Minor who said of Christians, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (Acts 17:6). Christianity brought monotheistic worship of God to many.

d)    On the other hand, there is one ancient pagan god consistently worshipped above all others. This god was first associated with the Sumerians. Sumer, widely regarded as the first civilization, was located in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and geographically centered at the intersection of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers where Eden was located. The names of this god were Nanna, Nannar, Suen, Sin, Sen, and Asimbabbar and his symbol was the crescent moon.

e)    An abundance of archaeological evidence reveals that the god of the Sumerians was also worshipped by many successive nations throughout history including Akkadia, Arabia, Aramea, Assyria, Babylon (Chaldea), Canna, Egypt, Greece, Hindis, the Hittite Empire, the Mitanni Empire, the Roman Empire, Syria, and many, many more. In fact, there is an almost continual record from the first civilization of Sumer to the present day nations and peoples that worshipped the god of the Crescent Moon.

f)      Although many nations had gods who were not THE god of the Crescent Moon, most of the other gods included the crescent moon in their symbol. Baal (Canaan), for example, is a bull with horns shaped like a crescent moon. Astarte (Canaan) had many symbols with a crescent moon. The same is true of Chemosh (Moab), Dagon (Philistia), Molech (Canaan, Syria, Lebanon, Middle East, North Africa, etc.), and Zeus and Artemis (Greece). These other symbols might be for the many demons apart from Satan. However, the universal inclusion of the crescent moon in all the symbols indicates that the god of the Crescent Moon IS Satan, King of the demons.

7)    the First Era—Egypt, Assyria, & Babylon

a)    The Woman of the First Era originally included all 12 Tribes of Israel and she fled into the First Wilderness during her escape (Exodus) from Egypt. Many of the Egyptian gods included the crescent moon in their symbol.

b)    Centuries later, the 10 northern tribes were taken into captivity by the Assyrians around 722 BC. Although archaeologists name Ashur as their main god, a number of others included the crescent moon in their symbol.

i)       2 KINGS 15:29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria.

c)     A little more than a century later, the 2 southern tribes of Israel—Judah and Benjamin—were also taken into captivity by the Babylonians by about 586 BC. A number of Babylonian gods included the crescent moon in their symbol.

i)       HABAKKUK 1:5-6 “Look among the nations and watch– be utterly astounded! For I [the LORD] will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. 6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

8)    the Second Era—Islam & Inquisitions

a)    BEGINNING OF ISLAM—MUHAMMAD & ALLAH:

i)       About 600 AD or 500 years after the apostles, a man in southern Arabia came on the scene whose name was simply Muhammad. Even though his personal history is one of laziness, indolence, drugs, and sexual proclivity, he acquired a following of zealots who recorded his drug-induced utterances and later compiled them into a book known as the Quran. Muhammad was the author of a monotheistic religion called Islam whose god is Allah. Allah is NOT the same as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob[1]:

1)    The Bible does not mention our Biblical God as being Allah. The God of the Bible is Yehovah (in English). Allah was a Babylonian god first found in the Epic of Atrahasis (1700 BC). He was known as the god of revolution and VIOLENCE (remember this!).

ii)     In all regards, Allah is the god of the Crescent Moon, which is the same ancient symbol of the god worshipped by the Sumerians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians (Chaldeans), and many other nations throughout the millennia so he has been around from the beginning. Today, the symbol for Allah is a crescent moon with a star inside. Worship of Allah (through the prophet Muhammad) is a religion called Islam and adherents are called Muslims.

b)    THE ISLAMIC JIHAD:

i)       In general, the ekklesia consist of simple folk who lived in small towns and villages throughout the world. Christianity had no central authority or seat of power like the Pope in Vatican City or the Priesthood of the Jews and Temple in Jerusalem, so they had no noticeable world presence. Christians simply lived in thousands of insignificant places. To destroy Christianity, Satan had to raise a human army, one that would dedicate their lives and the lives of their progeny because it would take centuries to travel throughout the world, find God’s people, and destroy them.

ii)     Wherever they went, they defeated any resistance, rounded up Christians, and gave them one choice: convert to Islam—by VOWING to serve Allah and renounce God—or die by the sword. They called their religious war Jihad because it is “a fight against the enemies of Islam.” The Islamic Jihad is the reason that the Arabian Peninsula, Turkey, and dozens of other nations are no longer Christian. Millions were slaughtered. (Here is a video documenting the Islamic Jihad, which continues even today.)

iii)    The Islamic Jihad began around 600 AD and went through the Arabian Peninsula, regions around the Black and Caspian Seas, and North Africa. After conquering much of that part of the world, the Muslims took Jihad to southern Europe around 800AD and it lasted about five centuries. Basically they followed the paths of the apostles and purged these regions of Christians. Islam is a religion of bloodshed and Muslims are a savage and cruel people who have been murdering millions of Christians (and all non-adherents) for the last 1,400 years.

iv)   In fact, the European Jihad was just barely defeated—but not by man. History records that the Black Death (Bubonic Plague), which decimated Europe from 1346 AD to 1353 AD, killed half or more of the population. Estimates of those who died as a result of this plague range up to 200 million. Among the victims were Muslims, which brings to mind an image of millions of people being swallowed up in earthly graves as happens during the Third Era (Rev. 12:16).

v)     The Black Death severly weakened the Islamic armies in Europe. The final end came from a massive effort by Spain in the 16th century that halted the armies of Islam and expelled about 3 million Muslims.

c)     THE CATHOLIC & SPANISH INQUISITIONS:

i)       But the bloodshed of Christians continued for another four hundred years under the Catholic Inquisitions of which there were three: the Catholic Medieval Inquisition (c. 1184 AD to c. 1350 AD), the Spanish Inquisition (1478 AD to 1834 AD) and the Roman Catholic Inquisition (1542 AD to c. 1750 AD). The Catholic Medieval Inquisition ended with the Black Plague but the Spanish and Roman Catholic Inquisitions began after the Muslims were defeated.

d)    Islam and the Spanish and Catholic Inquisitions literally wiped out millions of Christians during a period of time that aligns quite well with Second Era. The Woman was nourished in the Second Wilderness for 1,260 prophetic days (= years) and the Islamic Jihad in Europe began around 600 AD and ended around 1834 AD after the Spanish Inquisition, a span of time very close to 1,260 years.

9)    Violence of Satan Fills the Earth

a)    The history of Islam is truly violent and bloody. While the common thread of Satan’s war against The Woman are the nations who worship the god of the Crescent Moon (or gods associated with him), there is another key attribute of those nations—VIOLENCE. And Satan IS violence similar to the way that God IS love:

i)       EZEKIEL 28:14-16 “You [Satan] were the anointed cherub who covers; I [the Lord God] established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. 16 “By the abundance of your trading you became filled [H430 = male’] with violence [H2555 = chamas] within [his being], and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones.

b)    Satan is literally “filled with violence within” and he is the one who filled the earth with violence before the days of Noah. God destroyed the earth because of violence:

i)       GENESIS 6:5, 11, 13 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. … 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled [H430 = male’] with violence [H2555 = chamas]. … 13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled [H430 = male’] with violence [H2555 = chamas] through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

c)     Satan FILLS people with violence. A cursory look at the nations that warred against The Woman shows that violence was a main characteristic of all of them. Even David witnessed this:

i)       PSALM 25:19 Consider my [David’s] enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with [violent] [H2555 = chamas] hatred.

d)    VIOLENCE OF ASSYRIA:

i)       Assyria is well known for their violence especially against the 10 northern Tribes of The Woman of the First Era:

1)    JONAH 3:8 [Jonah speaking to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria] but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence [H2555 = chamas] that is in his hands.

e)    VIOLENCE OF BABYLON:

i)       Babylon is also known for their violence especially against Judah and Benjamin of The Woman of the First Era:

1)    HABAKKUK 1:5-6, 9 “Look among the nations and watch– be utterly astounded! For I [the LORD] will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. 6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. … 9 “They all come for violence [H2555 = chamas]; their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives [of Judah] like sand.

f)      VIOLENCE OF ISLAM:

i)       The brutal violence of Islam against The Woman of the Second Era is readily apparent in their brutal and bloody Jihad.

10) the Third Era—Babylon & Islam

a)    So, where does the major threat against The Woman arise in the Third Era? There are several possibilities and they are found by looking for the key attribute of VIOLENCE.

b)    VIOLENCE OF BABYLON IN THE END TIMES:

i)       Just as the earth was filled with violence before The Flood, the days are coming when it will once again be filled with violence but notice who is behind it:

1)    REVELATION 17:3, 5-6 So he [the angel] carried me [John] away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. … 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs [this is violence!] of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

c)     BABYLON ALIGNED WITH ISLAM IN THE END TIMES:

i)       Violence is a key to understanding the threat to The Woman of the Third Era. Almost all of the VIOLENCE against Christians today comes by the hand of Muslims, especially in Africa and countries from Eastern Europe to India. Who are they? Billions of Muslims, followers of Islam. They ALL worship the god of the Crescent Moon who is Allah and Satan! But does Islam connect with Babylon?

ii)     Part of the reason for the Inquisitions in Europe from the 14th to the early 19th century is that the Catholic Church was intimately tied to Islam. It is not widely known but both ancient and modern Cathedrals and mosques stand side-by-side in many Islamic nations. In fact, modern Chaldeans (Babylonians) of today admit they are PART of the Roman Catholic Church. Notice this from the website for the Chaldean Community Foundation[2] in a section titled, Chaldeans are Aramaic-speaking, Eastern Rite Catholics:

“We have a history that spans more than 5,500 years, dating back to Mesopotamia, which was known as the cradle of civilization and is present-day Iraq. Chaldeans are united with the Roman Catholic Church but have separate Bishops and a Patriarch (Patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans) who oversees the Chaldean Catholic Church.”

“Worldwide, Syria represents the 2nd largest Chaldean/Assyrian/Syriac population with 1.6 million Christians. … An estimated 500,000 Chaldeans/Assyrians reside throughout the United States, particularly in Arizona, California, and Illinois. … Chaldeans began immigrating to the Metropolitan Detroit-area in the 1920s … [and] … Metro Detroit has the world’s largest population outside of Iraq, with an estimated 187,000 people.”

iii)    Only the eastern branch of the Roman (Byzantine) Empire ever seriously fought Islam in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Even though the Islamic Jihad in Europe reached as far east as Rome, it is interesting that the Muslims NEVER breached the city walls in Rome. In fact, the Western Roman Empire—responsible for the European Inquisitions—never really tried to stop Islam. Instead, the Western Roman Empire carried out Inquisitions to destroy The Woman AFTER the Islamic Jihad in Europe was defeated by Spain. Finally, it is also not well known that the Roman Catholic Church worships a god whose symbol includes the crescent moon—they call this god the Virgin Mary!

iv)   Modern Babylon is called “the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” This describes a multitude of nations and peoples who all worship the Babylonian god of the Crescent Moon. This obviously includes the Roman Catholic Church, modern Babylon, and Islam. A brief search reveals that the god of the Crescent Moon is worshipped by almost ALL pagan nations. Sometimes he is the main god and other times he is more in the background. Still, he is always there.

v)     If violence is a key indicator, then there are other peoples. For example, Hamas brutally murdered over 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023 in Gaza, Israel. Who is Hamas? In their own words, Hamas is the Islamic Resistance Movement, which is a Palestinian Sunni Islamic political and military organization. In total, the there are 57 Islamic-majority nations, not including political groups such as Hezbolah, Houthis, Muslim Brotherhood, etc. Muslims are exceedingly violent. Among them somewhere are descendants of Edom. While most sources claim Edom no longer exists, the Bible contradicts it. These are prophecies for the end times:

1)    JOEL 3:19 “Because of violence [H2555 = chamas] against the children of Judah [by Egypt and Edom] …”

2)    OBADIAH 1:10 [Speaking to Edom] “For violence [H2555 = chamas] against your brother Jacob …”

vi)   What has to be more than a coincidence is that the Hebrew word for VIOLENCE is HAMAS. In every Scripture above, the word for violence is HAMAS! Is it a coincidence that the modern-day Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement calls themselves Hamas? The entire history of Islam is one of brutal violence, especially against The Woman. Muslims have been carrying out Jihad for centuries as soldiers of Satan who has FILLED them with his VIOLENCE.

d)    The end-time threat against The Woman of the Third Era will be a VIOLENT coalition of nations and peoples, possibly Babylonians & Muslims. Fully 1/3 of all the world’s nations (2 billion people) are Islamic and they all have a common heritage and religion. Most importantly, they ALL call for Jihad against The Woman. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of Islamic ‘migrants’ (aka Muslims) invading Europe, Canada, Australia, and other Anglo-Saxon nations today. Jihad is clearly coming.

e)    Then there is the Roman Catholic Church. Although only a few nations are predominantly catholic, there are about 1.4 billion people in the RCC. Combined with 2 billion Muslims, there are 3.4 billion people under the god of the Crescent Moon (or one of his demons). That is 40% of the world’s population!

f)      Satan remains enraged with The Woman because she continues to exist, especially in western nations. It appears it is only a matter of time before Jihad begins again when Christians will be confronted with the choice of convert or die. The saints who are brutally murdered are the focus of the Fifth Seal:

i)       REVELATION 6:9-11 When He [Jesus Christ] opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain [butchered, slaughtered] for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

g)    Those who are “slain” are butchered or slaughtered. The seven seals are future events of The Tribulation and Day of the Lord and the Fifth Seal describes the bloody deaths of saints, not those who died of ‘natural’ causes. But the “souls of those who had been slain” encompasses all three eras of The Woman. The real threat to Christians is NOT subtle workings of a secret World Government but a brutal and savage death.

11) Conclusion

a)    Just like the ancient Israelites who left the First Wilderness after they became a nation in the Land of Canaan, it seems The Woman left the Second Wilderness two or three hundred years ago after being nourished for 1,260 years. This was about the time that God established the USA. Like the Israelites in the beginning of their time in the Land of Canaan, today is a time of relative peace for The Woman in the Anglo-Saxon nations; however, extreme violence against The Woman of the Third Era is coming.

b)    Many view end-time prophetic events as something like nothing else in history. That is true; however, The Woman has ALWAYS been persecuted, butchered, and slaughtered. The few times that she has had a fairly peaceful existence is an anomaly because The Woman has faced violent death for most of her existence. Prophesies of bloodshed at the end-times has ALWAYS existed for the majority of the ekklesia.

c)     The Bible says that there will be “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be and unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matt. 24:21-22). This is a warning for this corrupt and evil world for the coming vengeance of God because it will be like nothing they have ever read about in history or ever experienced. It is also a warning for the end-time ekklesia ONLY because The Tribulation comes at one of the few times The Woman lives in peace. It will only be new because they have never experienced it but it will not be worse than what happened to many saints in the past.

d)    Today, most Christians have only read about atrocities. There is no bloody slaughter, at least in western nations, and the result is Laodicianism. Even the poorest “have need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17). Besides their physical circumstances, many strive and quarrel with one another over foolish questions or unprofitable and useless things pertaining to The Law (Titus 3:9). But Laodiceanism is a real threat to salvation. Those who are lukewarm are easily overcome by minor problems. “Where there is no vision [lit. SIGHT], the people perish.” (Prov. 29:18). Laodiceanism is the main threat until the bloodshed resumes. When it does, it will become the cure for Laodiceanism:

i)       REVELATION 3:16, 18 “So then, because you [Laodicea] are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I [Jesus Christ] will vomit you out of My mouth. … 18 “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire [fiery trials, tribulations], that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

e)    Laodiceans are so lukewarm that they have SHUT OUT Christ:

i)       REVELATION 3:20 “Behold, I [Jesus Christ] stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

f)      Laodiceans have shut out Jesus Christ because they have little agape love and few Good Works (the Service of Giving and Receiving—Rom. 9:4; 2 Cor. 9:12). Those who open the door of their hearts will live in His PRESENCE. Satan is a Roaring Lion who is still enraged and seeks to devour Christians everywhere (1 Pet. 5:8). His war against The Woman of the Third Era will be a brutal and bloody one. World events indicate that Islam is now regrouping in Europe and the ekklesia are blind to the fact that Muslims have not forgotten their vows to serve Satan. Hopefully, many will soon open the door and allow Jesus Christ into their lives. Otherwise, He will refine them in the fiery trials of the Tribulation. As He said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Rev. 3:19)?

12) May God’s grace and peace be upon you!