The teaching moves from the close of Revelation 11, which reaches the end of the Millennial Kingdom, the seventh trumpet, the response of the twenty-four elders, the judgment of the dead at the Great White Throne, and the rewarding of Millennial servants, prophets, and saints, into a major time shift at Revelation 11:19. There the temple of God is opened in heaven and the Ark of the Covenant is seen amid lightning, noises, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail, returning attention to the period when God deals with Israel under the Law at the beginning of the Tribulation.
A great sign appears in heaven: a woman with child who is in birth pains. The woman is Israel. The child is Christ. Another sign appears: a great red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven diadems. The dragon is Satan, and the heads and horns relate to the successive Gentile world powers and to the man of lawlessness. The dragon’s tail draws a third of the stars of heaven and casts them to the earth. The stars are angels; Satan persuaded a third of the angels to follow him, as described in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14. He has been cast out of the mountain of God and no longer participates in the government of God, yet he still rules over the earth through his world system. He stands ready to devour the child as soon as it is born. The child is caught up to God and to His throne. Between the catching up of the child and the woman’s flight into the wilderness lies approximately two thousand years—the Dispensation of Grace—plus the first three and a half years of the Tribulation.
The woman then flees into the wilderness to a place prepared by God, where she is nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. This occurs at the middle of the Tribulation. The nation of Israel is protected and provided for there.
War breaks out in heaven. Michael and his angels fight the dragon and the dragon’s angels. Michael is the archangel—the only one so designated—the head of the angels and the protector of Israel. Daniel 12:1 shows Michael standing up for Israel in the time of unprecedented trouble, delivering those written in the book. Jude 9 records that when Michael disputed with the devil over the body of Moses he did not bring a railing accusation but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” Spirit-being ranks place cherubim (Satan is a cherub) and seraphim above angels; only angels fell with Satan. Michael is also the one whose shout at the rapture clears demons from the path because of higher authority. The battle is spiritual and mental, not physical. The half-hour of silence previously noted in heaven corresponds to the time required to cast Satan and his angels out.
They do not prevail. No place is found for them in heaven any longer. The great dragon—the serpent of old, the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—is cast to the earth, and his angels with him. He is thereafter bound to the earth and no longer has access to the third heaven to accuse the brethren. A loud voice in heaven announces that salvation, inherent ability, the kingdom of God, and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of the brethren has been cast down. The brethren in view are Tribulation saints, not the Church. The Church has already been resurrected and is represented by the twenty-four elders seated on thrones. Christ, as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, continually intercedes for the Church (Hebrews 7:25). The Kingdom of God is spiritual, relating to salvation and to righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (John 3; Romans 14:17). Birth from above by the Spirit is required to discern it.
Israel is presently called Lo-Ammi—“not my people”—yet a remnant will be saved and the land promises to Abraham stand (Hosea 1:9; Romans 9:25–26). The Church is God’s people today and holds a better covenant built on better promises; the Church does not replace Israel. The saints who overcame the dragon by the blood of the Lamb are those slain by the Harlot, the worldwide religious system that rises in mystery form during the first half of the Tribulation.
