**Simple Keys to Understanding the Book of Revelation — Part 14 **
We have already seen that the Great Tribulation is necessary as a final effort on God’s part to bring the church to full maturity, without spot or wrinkle, lacking nothing, and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
“… for [only] when Your judgments are in the earth will the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God).”—Isaiah 26:9 (AMPC)
“… but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”—Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV)
“My brothers and sisters [ fellow believers], when you have many kinds of troubles [trials; testing], you should be full of joy [ consider it all/pure joy], because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience [perseverance; endurance]. [And] Let your patience [perseverance; endurance] show itself perfectly in what you do [have its full effect; finish its work]. **Then you will be perfect and complete [mature and whole; or completely mature] and will have everything you need [lack nothing].”—**James 1:2-4 (EXB)
“… so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer”—2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (NKJV)
The Sun-Clothed Woman flees into the wilderness in Revelation 12:6, where God has prepared a place for her. What is the purpose of a wilderness in our lives?
In Moses’ time, the wilderness was a place of preparation and testing for the children of Israel before they could fully enter into all that God had promised them. It was also a place of divine protection and supernatural provision.
In Jesus’ time, He was driven into the wilderness in order to prepare and empower Him to fully enter into His God-ordained purpose (Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 4). Luke 4:1 tells us that Jesus went into the wilderness filled with the Spirit, but He returned from the wilderness experience in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14) to fulfill His destiny.
The wilderness is a place where believers become overcomers.
The Protection of the Sun-Clothed Woman
After the man-child group of Overcomers is caught up to God’s throne, triggering the final war in Heaven, Satan and all of His principalities and powers are cast down to the Earth once and for all. Since he cannot get his hands on the man-child group, he turns his wrath on the Sun-Clothed Woman—the Church.
“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.”—Revelation 12:13 (KJV)
But God will protect the Church. Although the Church will experience persecution—as she always has since the days of the first disciples—God has prepared a place of supernatural protection and provision for her during this time.
“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”—Revelation 12:14 (KJV)
We have already seen in Revelation 12:6 that it will be the man-child group who nourishes the Church for “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” which is about 3½ years. Here in verse 14 it is confirmed that this time of wilderness for the end-time Church will last “A time, and times, and half a time.” This seems to be simply another way of saying 3½ years. The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, puts it this way:
“But the woman was supplied with the two wings of a giant eagle, so that she might fly from the presence of the serpent into the desert (wilderness), to the retreat where she is to be kept safe and fed for a time, and times, and half a time (three and one-half years, or 1,260 days).”
Satan’s persecution will not be able to destroy the Church during this time, as we see in verses 15 and 16:
“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”—Revelation 12:15-16 (KJV)
This is reminiscent of the miracle of Moses’ time when the Red Sea was parted to allow God’s people to escape the armies of Pharaoh, but then the same waters that opened up to help them cross, closed upon their enemies to prevent them from pursuing God’s people. God made a way for Israel where there seemed to be no way, and He will do the same for His Church during the time of Great Tribulation! This will be a time of supernatural protection for those believers who dwell in the secret place of the Most High, as God describes for us in Psalm 91:
“1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. **2 **I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
**3 **Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. **4 **He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. **5 **You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, **6 **Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
**7 **A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. **8 **Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even** the Most High, your dwelling place,** **10 **No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; **11 **For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. **12 **In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. **13 **You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. **15 **He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. **16 **With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” (NKJV)
But the protections described in this psalm are conditional. These promises are not guaranteed for every Christian unless they meet the conditions. The conditions for receiving these supernatural protections are found in verses 1, 9, and 14.
These promises of protection are for “he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.” God declares that “because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.”
In Moses’ tabernacle, most people never ventured beyond the outer court, which contained the bronze altar, representing salvation, and the bronze laver, representing sanctification. But there were many who became priests unto God and pressed on into the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies to minister to the Lord and develop personal relationships with Him. These two chambers were covered. Those outside could not see what was inside these two chambers unless they entered into them. These two chambers made up the secret place of the Most High.
The protections that are described in Psalm 91 are for those individuals who “dwell in the secret place of the Most High,” as we are clearly told in the first verse of that Psalm.
The Holy of Holies corresponds to the man-child group of Overcomers who are clearly protected by being caught up to God’s throne and given a priceless commission to care for the Sun-Clothed Woman during the time of Great Tribulation.
The Holy Place corresponds to the Sun-Clothed Woman group of believers who receive supernatural protection and provision during the time of Great Tribulation.
What Happens to the Remnant?
But what happens to the Outer Court believers? What happens to those Christians who received salvation and may have experienced some level of sanctification, but never really pursued a personal relationship with the Lord?
The very last verse of Revelation chapter 12 reveals the sad fate of these believers.
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”—Revelation 12:17 (KJV)
This remnant is not included in the Man-Child group that is caught up to Heaven or the Sun-Clothed Woman group that receives supernatural protection and provision. This is the 3rd group. These are the outer court believers. They do not experience the same protections that the Holy Place believers and the Holy of Holies believers experience because in their lives, they did not pursue relationships with God. They do not receive the same protections of Psalm 91 because they did not meet the qualification specified in the first verse.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”—Psalm 91:1 (NKJV)
These are not the firstfruits of the harvest that are taken directly to the Temple of God. These are not the main harvest that is gathered and taken to the threshing floor before being delivered to the barn. These are the gleanings that are left in the field.
Their fate was sealed in the previous chapter when they were not included in the count of those who were found to be worshipers who dwelt in the inner court of the temple of God. Having no intimate relationship with God, they were left without the same protections as those who truly loved and worshiped God.
“Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months.”—Revelation 11:1-2 (NLT)
Jesus prophesied about this group in His Sermon on the Mount:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”—Matthew 5:13 (ESV)
This remnant in Revelation 12:17 will be battle-fodder for the Dragon. They will most likely be faced with the choice of denying Christ or facing death. This is the last time this group is ever mentioned in Scripture. They are never heard from again.
For a more detailed explanation of the events in the book of Revelation, I highly recommend this free book about the end-time harvest (PDF download), as well as this free book about the Daniel’s prophecy (PDF download), and this free book about Revelation prophecies (PDF download). These were all written by my friend and former pastor.