Cosmic Conflict

Paul Corinthian said concerning the devil. We are not ignorant of his devices is for we are not ignorant of Satan's devices.

The trouble is I know far too many Christians that are ignorant of his devices. Because of that we live in constant defeat over and over and over again. There's certain things we need to be aware of in this cosmic conflict when it comes to spiritual warfare rest secure in the knowledge that the war is already one thanks to Jesus. That doesn't mean you won't face real battles. Today we continue our countdown of Skip's top 40 messages on the connect with Skip Heitzigs of YouTube channel number 33 is Skip's message cosmic conflict Skip encouragement to rest of the safety and security you have in Christ. It's to be invisible spiritual war going on around right now want to share about a great resource that will show you how you can enjoy an even more abundant and satisfying life in Jesus Armstrong to Nancy first step in the first words are well now, but it is not common knowledge that the first new is usually to discuss his new center on them. Then again with buzz Aldrin 1959 July number that before. John gets out of the Eagle project at payment or step on the moon gently before that the pouch and took out the wine and bread representing the body, but if you Christ, and he had a personal communion service and that moment when I found out about it about a year previously hit me like a thunderbolt. He noticed a real-life first thing ever on the moon. The Last Supper new hardcover book resource for this month, receive your copy when you get the gift of $35 more to support this program to connectwithskip.com or call one 898 connect with.com or call one 868 Revelation chapter 12 as we dive into our study years ago.

You may or may not know this is an asteroid the size of an airliner that almost hit the it came dangerously close. The expert said it went by the wonderful fond.

The name of 2014 acts. Acts 110, some Micah some crazy little number but experts said that it would have caused significant damage had it hit the surface of the earth. Most people were unaware of that.

Most of us would not have known it, unless we read it or was told to us by those who were able to pick it up with specialized equipment that if you go back a few years to 1985 there was a vessel in the Pacific Ocean that had a little one man submarine that led overboard in a scientist was in this call deep rollover down to a depth of 1500 feet where the sea is inky black and suddenly the scientist said from out of nowhere came a creature he never even knew existed. It was 120 feet long semi transparent with thousands of tentacles and dozens of stomachs. The weirdest thing ever. Not only did he see one, but eventually his entire submarine was surrounded by these odd creatures and then they gobble them up, not just getting that's Hollywood. My point in those two stories is that there are things happening around us that are unknown to us and unseen BIOS, but their real there.

There there invisible. We wouldn't know they exist. Unless we had specialized equipment and direct revelation that they had occurred. Consider Revelation chapter 12 special equipment, specialized information that get us in touch with a very real world one. We don't see one that many of us pay no attention to.

As we live our daily lives very real but invisible world. The world were God in demons and angels all live and move a very real world since the fall of Satan. There has been a constant war going on in the universe. Think of it as the real Star Wars even much more profound than all of those wonderful movies that you've seen over the years, and this battle made its way to the theater of operations known as the earth. Satan tried to pervert the paradise of heaven he was kicked out of heaven. He and the third of the angels fell. He then was consigned to the earth, and he tried to pervert the paradise of the earth. He effectively drugged Adam and Eve and all of humanity into the crosshairs into the crossfire of this great cosmic battle so that mutiny in heaven became the misery of the earth. Chapter 12 of Revelation is a panorama of that warfare seen in symbolic fashion because after all. Revelation is a book of signs, we believe it literally, but there are symbols that point to a reality in Revelation 12 we go all the way back to the fall of Satan from heaven and all the way forward to the end of the great tribulation. On the earth, but I've always believed the Revelation 12 is one of those crucial passages that unless you understand this chapter are the principles that are written in it. You will have no real clue as to past history as well as future prophecy, we asked the question, what's next.

None of it will make sense to us until we understand the principles of Revelation 12. I was reminded this week of an interesting period of our own history in World War II.

We had a very famous general named George C.

Patton and his nemesis in Germany was Erwin Rommel, a German general that face Patton in a series of battles in North Africa. What Rommel did not know was that George Patton had studied Rommel's book on war strategy that he had written. He read it he studied it so he was aware of what the general was going to do next and that knowledge helped him outmaneuver Rommel in North Africa and it is reported that at one point in the battle.

They got so close to each other that George Patton yelled out of his tank as he saw her Rommel eye to eye, and he said I read your book, Rommel. I read your book so as we read God's book who shows us the strategies of the devil. I pray that we will both be aware and encouraged.

You know Paul in Corinthian said concerning the devil. We are not ignorant of his devices says for we are not ignorant of Satan's devices. The trouble is I know far too many Christians that are ignorant of his devices. Because of that they live in constant defeat over and over and over again. There's certain things we need to be aware of in this cosmic conflict so we can elect just today at six verses in Revelation chapter 12 there are four notable characteristics about this invisible war. This cosmic conflict first, it involves a people, that is, it involves a nation or group of people that we begin by looking at verse one. Now he says a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of 12 stars then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. Note that he sees a great sign of the word great.

Here is the word mega it's a mega sign and it's a word that is used repeatedly in this chapter. Not only does he use the word in verse one, a great sign but down in verse three he sees a great, fiery red Dragon mega Dragon verse 12 that Dragon brings great wrath.

Verse 14 great Eagle transports this woman to be protected in the wilderness so everything John sees in chapter 12 is a massive mega woman mega Dragon mega wrath question is who is this woman bushy water have been a lot of guesses as to what this symbol points to in reality and I'm not going to go to the mall because we don't have enough time. Let me ask a question. Where else in the Bible.

Do you ever read about the sun, the moon and the 12 stars is only one other place that has the same motive the same imagery that is back in the book of Genesis.

Young Joseph has a dream and he tells his dad. The dream is a dinner last night I was dreaming in the sun and the moon in the 12 stars were bowing down to me immediately. Jacob, Joseph's dad reacted and listen to what he said shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you know why is that important because Jacob interprets the symbolic meaning of the dream. It's the key to unlocking what were reading here in Revelation 12 in that dream that Joseph had the sun was Jacob. The moon was Rachel the 12 stars were the 12 sons of Jacob who would become the 12 tribes of Israel. So all of that was a symbol of the Jewish nation. The idea of a woman is very, very common in the Old Testament to refer to Israel as a woman as a mother is a pregnant woman in travail giving birth. All of that symbolism is of the nation of Israel repeatedly in the Old Testament, so a woman clothed with the sun and the moon and the 12 stars. We can safely say based upon the only other time is mentioned in the Scripture, as this is a symbol of the nation of Israel and that doesn't surprise us any of us who have read apocalyptic literature.

Whether it's Daniel, Revelation, or Matthew 24 what Jesus said and that all of the discourse we know that Israel as a nation plays a significant role in end time events of the tribulation. It's called by Jeremiah as a time of Jacob's trouble is real trouble.

The angel Gabriel said to the prophet Daniel 70 periods of seven are determined for your people.

That's the Jewish people for your holy city that's the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus in Matthew 24 spoke about the end times with the local flavor of the Jews. He spoke about the abomination of desolation that takes place in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. He said pray that your flight not be on the Sabbath. If you live in Judeo and you're running to the mountains get out quick. All of that has a flavor of local Israel and Judaism. Now here's what's interesting. Have you wondered I hope you have.

Why is it that of all the nations that have ever existed on the earth. There is one nation that is been more hassled, oppressed, opposed attacked than any other nation, and yet has survived. That's Israel. I mean it's uncanny. If you go all the way back to 586 BC when the Babylonians came in and effectively destroyed them, brought them to their place in captivity.

Even though Israel returned 70 years later was gaining independence. The Romans later on came in there several battles ensued between then that wipe them out, but I won't even go into that when the Romans came in in 70 A.D. not only destroying the city of Jerusalem, but massacring 1.6 million Jews and then that happened again in 135 A.D. under Hadrian, the Roman Emperor and then hundreds and thousands of years of the aspirate dispersion, oppression, persecution of the Spanish Inquisition extermination of 6 million Jews during World War II. Over and over and over and over again and yet we just got back from Israel that nation still exist today in the Middle East and it was birthed almost instantly as the prophet Isaiah predicted in Isaiah 66 shall a nation be born in a single day and it was May 14 of 1948 so it's interesting that this one group of people of been hassled and opposed and oppressed, and yet they still exist today.

Why because there something going on in this cosmic conflict that involves this nation, this cosmic conflict is geocentric at the geocentric conflict because God is made unique promises to the Jewish nation.

It's reported that in the late 19th century when Queen Victoria of England set upon her throne and she had a very interesting prime minister named Benjamin Disraeli. They were having a conversation one day and the queen said were prime minister.

What evidence Mr. Prime Minister, can you give to me of the existence of God, the prime minister was thoughtful and after a few moments he said to the Queen. The Jew, your Majesty, the Jew, the Jews still exist and as a part and central to God's purpose in God's plan.

So we have this mega sign a woman appearing clothed with the sun, the moon and the 12 stars.

But notice in verse two then being with child that is she is a pregnant woman. She cried out in labor and pain to give birth.

Now it's not too hard to figure out who this child is I think most of us right off the bat can determine this is no doubt Jesus Christ what it what what is it that the Jewish nation has long for four generations. What is it every Jewish mother long for Messiah the deliverers that would come in the language of Genesis chapter 3 the seed of the woman will come and crush the head of Satan. But let's look at further proof verse five she bore a male child. No notice with this child does, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron that can only refer to one person and her child was caught up to God and his throne. So after the incarnation was the ascension of Jesus into heaven before his coronation in his second coming. So this conflict involves the people and the people are the people of Israel, the Jewish nation. The second notable characteristic.

This conflict includes a perpetrator or somebody else in the story. We haven't yet met were about to meet also given to us in symbolic language. Verse three and another sign appeared in heaven. Behold a great fiery red Dragon backtracking the Dragon having seven heads and 10 horns and seven diadem's on his heads.

His tail drew 1/3 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. Now here we don't have to guess as to who the Dragon hits we don't have to find some Old Testament passage to unlock the meaning of have to do is look at verse nine. Here verse nine of Revelation 12 says. And so the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world and he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with them 13 times the book of Revelation refers to Satan as a Dragon. Here's what's important to understand this is a symbol of a reality, it is not physical description of the of the devil to moral description. It speaks of his vile character at that why this is important because the whole idea of the devil, wearing a tight red suit with little red horns and a pitchfork come from this passage and people in assuming that this is the physical description of the devil. They have pooh-poohed the whole idea of a literal devil will come on you expect him to believe in that little devil running around with pitchfork and horns. That's comic book stuff Gallup organization to the pole. They said you know most Americans believe in God but most Americans do not believe in a literal devil. And it's because of images like this that people have taken and assume that it is a physical description.

All of this is a symbol.

The point to how vile a creature he is. How cruel and fierce CS Lewis said humanity falls into two equal and opposite errors concerning the devil one. Some people taken too seriously. Number two, others don't take them seriously enough.

So on one hand you have denial on the other hand, you have obsession. Many people denied that there is a devil as they just mention but you know what you can have a more powerful enemy than the one you don't believe exists. If you have an enemy that you don't know about. He's got you. You are under his control.

He's outflanked and outmaneuvered, you simply because you don't always there, but the other extreme is obsession. I have met far too many Christians who seem to be obsessed with the devil they want to cast them out of their scrambled eggs and every person they ever meet.

There's a devil behind it all.

We fail to realize greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. I love what John White. He wrote that one of the greatest books I've ever read on Christian living, called the fight and he gives good balance to this issue saying have no delusions about demons reality or their hostility they will oppose you as you obey Christ if you play it cool and you decide not to be a fanatic about Christianity, you will have no trouble from them. But if you are serious about Christ being your Lord and your God. You can expect opposition now look at this Dragon's description here. Seven heads and 10 horns. He's a seven headed monster. That's one ugly Dragon. That's one fierce Dragon what is all this mean by now you should know that the number seven is a significant number in the book of Revelation and throughout the Bible and seven is a number that speaks of what don't say perfection. It speaks of totality completion, just as seven days make a total or complete week seven notes make a total or complete scale. The idea of seven heads speaks of a comprehensive intelligence. I put it this way, Satan has an IQ that is off the charts.

He was an intelligent being that crafted a mutiny in heaven. It got him kicked out of heaven, but also he managed to take 1/3 of the angels with him to be pretty intelligent to pull that off.

He is studying human nature and human character for thousands of years. He knows all of your weak points and he can craft temptations specifically suited for you. Seven headed Dragon but also he is 10 horns, and animals horn was the animal strengthens what he used to fight with. It was its weapon, Satan has dominated the world.

He has authority over all realms of the world. He is called the God of this world and you'll notice that the authority was given to him.

There are crowns on his head he's been coordinated the citizen. This of this world have yielded that authority and power over to him and in the end times don't have time to get into it today. We will see that the counterpart to the devil called the antichrist manages to put together a coalition of 10 world empires or kingdoms together to forge his own powerful kingdom on the earth. In the end times so we have a made a woman.

We have a mega Dragon woman symbolizes Israel Dragon is none other than the devil Skip to 33 message 40 messages come to the series. What's next message and more spiritual teachings and watch him teach live twice a week@youtube.com/Calvary now here Skip to tell you about how you can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way as you help connect others to God's word, the Bible tells us that every day draws us closer to the return of Jesus.

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That's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1880 thank you tune into my Skip Heitzigs of shares, another top message and discusses the antichrist widely debated identity and shows you why it's important for you to prepare for his arrival just in case you may be thinking the idea of a coming world leader called the antichrist as far you have a lot of my castle Skip presentation of connection communication through ever-changing time