Simple Keys to Understanding the Book of Revelation — Part 11
We saw that the Overcomers, the Firstfruits of the end-time harvest, were caught up to God in Revelation 12:5, before the time of the Great Tribulation. But what happens to the Sun-Clothed Woman, who represents the majority of the true end-time Church?
We are told in the very next verse what will happen to this woman during the time of Great Tribulation.
“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.”—Revelation 12:6 (KJV)
The destiny of this woman is very different from the experience of the man child. While the man child is caught up to Heaven to stand before Jesus in Revelation 14:1, the woman is left on Earth and is forced to flee for her life. God has not abandoned her. He has prepared a place of safety and provision for her during this time of great difficulty. We are told that this time will last “a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” With some quick calculations, we can find out that 1,260 days is roughly three and a half years. 1,260 days divided by 365 days in a year equals roughly 3.45 years. By comparing this amount of time with other references in Scripture, we can confirm that this is the time of the Great Tribulation.
While the Overcomers are caught up to Heaven before the Great Tribulation, the majority of the Church will be left on Earth during this time and will experience the Tribulation. This is consistent with the pattern of the harvest throughout scripture. While the Firstfruits are taken directly to the Temple of God after they are harvested, the Main Harvest of wheat is taken to the threshing floor.
“This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says:
‘The city of Babylon is like a threshing floor, where people crush the grain at harvest time. The time to harvest Babylon is coming soon.’”—Jeremiah 51:33 (ICB)
Threshing the wheat was necessary at harvest time to separate the grain from the chaff (the inedible husk). The Overcomers in the Firstfruits group had come to maturity early and were ready to be taken directly to the Temple of God. Those in this Main Harvest, however, still have some issues of the flesh that need to be dealt with. That chaff needs to be stripped away before they will be ready to meet the Bridegroom.
The Bridegroom is coming back for a bride that is without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). I don’t think that anyone would look at the condition of the Church today and say that she is without spot or wrinkle. Everything that the Lord has done to prepare the Church to meet the Bridegroom has not worked up to this point. Believers have allowed the power of the Word of God to be choked out by the cares of this life, as we’re told in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14). Many believers have continually frustrated the grace of God that would have brought them to maturity and conformed them to the image of Christ.
This Sun-Clothed Woman group corresponds to the Holy Place in the Tabernacle of Moses. They had gone further than the Outer Court Christians, but they had not pressed on into the Holy of Holies, like the Overcomers, the Firstfruits, to experience an abiding intimate relationship with the Lord. These are the foolish virgins in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The Wise Virgins, the Overcomers, had prepared themselves to meet the Bridegroom, and so when He arrived, they went in to be with Him, but then the door was shut. When the foolish virgins protested, they were told that they were lacking an intimate relationship with the Bridegroom.
These foolish virgins had likely put an emphasis on religious duties of ministry and had neglected relationship with the Lord. The Lord warned the church in Ephesus that they would lose their place in His Kingdom if they did not repent for losing their first love for the Lord Himself (Revelation 2:4-5). For this Main Harvest group, it is easy to get caught up in religious duties and lose focus on the most important thing, as Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10:40-42.
There was a lot of ministry activity in the Holy Place of Moses’ Tabernacle. The shewbread needed to be replaced before it spoiled. The oil in the lampstand needed to be replenished to keep the lamps burning. The wicks needed to be trimmed. The incense needed to be produced and replenished as it was burned on the Altar of Incense. The Holy Place is where relationship with the Lord really begins, but there is a danger of getting caught up in religious duties and believing that ministry is the highest priority. When this happens then the relationship with the Lord suffers. This was the mistake of the foolish virgins. It is mainly this lack of an abiding, intimate relationship with the Lord that will result in this Main Harvest group, the Sun-Clothed Woman, having to endure the Great Tribulation.
We are told in Acts 14:22 (KJV) “that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” And Paul reminded us in 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 (NKJV), “that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.”
The Great Tribulation is not punishment on the Church. It is redemptive. Nothing else has worked to bring the Bride to maturity. Knowing this, God has predestined the Church to go through a Great Tribulation at the end of this age as a final effort to prepare the Bride to be ready to meet the Bridegroom. The Tribulation will be destructive for some, just like the wilderness was for most of the children of Israel, but for others, like Joshua and Caleb, it will propel them to new heights in their relationship with the Lord, working godly character in their lives to conform them into the image of Christ.
“… 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)
Tribulation can make us better or bitter. It all depends on how we respond to it.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world*** you will have tribulation;**** but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”—John 16:33 (NKJV)*
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, 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 5:1-5 (NKJV)
After surviving the reign of the Antichrist in Revelation chapter 13, we see that those in this Main Harvest group, symbolized by the Sun-Clothed Woman, will be harvested in Revelation 14:14-16, just before the wrath of God is poured out onto the Earth. Jesus also described this to his disciples in Matthew 24 and in Mark 13.
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”—Mark 13:24-27 (KJV)
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.
