Transcript
Segment 24 - 12.01 - The three portents
Then in chapter 12, the story goes on here. Many tie-ins now to the New and Old Testament. We see here now the coming of what Dr. Hunt calls three portents, three portents. The portent is something like an omen or a sign of something that is to come. Beginning with chapter 12, you see three portents. The first one has to do with the birth of the Christ child, the birth of the Christ child.
We said that the seven seals can represent metaphysically the process of denials. The seven trumpets overall can represent the process of affirmation. Then what happens with that seventh trumpet? Then the heralding of the coming of the kingdom of Christ. Then in chapter 12, right after that, the first portent has to do with the birth of the Christ child. Through denial and affirmation, something should happen within us. An experience should take place. That experience can be the most important experience, the birth of the Christ awareness within us. Christ is born in us once again when we become aware of who and what we are. That’s one way that you can look at a metaphysical pattern in this Book of Revelation. The seven seals are denials. We got to get rid of all of our old negative thinking, deny the power that we’re giving to false thoughts. The seven trumpets or affirmation affirm the truth. Then suddenly the birth takes place within us. In a grand way, it’s the birth of the Christ awareness. It can be the birth of any divine idea. It’s the demonstration that finally takes place within us. That pattern evolves here in the Book of Revelation.
Segment 25 - 12.01 - 1st portent - The woman and the dragon
Well, in Chapter 12, let’s take a look at that, with the First Portent, which is the first 17 verses. And it talks about the birth of a Christ Child. A woman is mentioned here, and she has a child, and the child is crying out, and she’s crying out, okay? And then, a dragon comes into the picture. The dragon represents Satan. The dragon represents Satan. The woman is supposed to mean true Israel, and the woman also represents Mary. The woman is true Israel, and on a different level, it represents Mary. The child is the Christ Jesus. The child represents Jesus, and the dragon represents Satan, the Antichrist. Who might have been identified as Satan or the Antichrist when Jesus was born. Who tried to do away with Jesus?
Herod. So, probably a reference to Herod, but this it’s just, it’s simply a retelling, in a very apocalyptic way, in a very dramatic way, of the birth of Jesus. Okay? Of the birth of Jesus. And so all this is told here, and the dragon, Satan, is after the child. Okay? He’s after the child. And then, this picture of war in Heaven is going to be portrayed here. All right?
Go down to Verse 7. Here’s a very important idea. In Verse 7, it said, “Now, war arose in Heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.” Michael is the Archangel, the chief angel. You find a lot of angels in the Old Testament, but the first time angels are given names in the Bible is in the Book of Daniel: Gabriel, and Michael, as the Prince of Angels is named. So, Michael becomes the Archangel.
So, here now, this whole classic battle is portrayed in Heaven. There’s this great battle, this war that arises. Not on Earth. See, that’s to come, but it’s all taking place in Heaven, if you can pick up on this idea. Michael and his angels are fighting against the dragon, and Michael defeats the dragon, and he’s cast down onto Earth. Satan is kicked out of Heaven. In other words, the great battle between the powers of darkness and light is fought in Heaven, as he pictures it here. And the powers of light, God wins, and Satan is cast down on Earth.
Here’s another good news, bad news. Satan got kicked out, but where is he? He’s here with us, on Earth. You see how Satan got down to Earth? And folks, in the old Testament, Satan was someone who always worked for God. There are only three places in the Old Testament, where the name Satan is mentioned: in 1st Chronicles 21:1, in Job, the first chapter, okay? Zechariah, Third Chapter, Verse 1, that Satan is mentioned, and he’s always a worker for God.
Then the idea evolves, because of writings like this, that Satan rebels against God, and he’s cast down. So he’s kicked out of Heaven, that’s the good news, but he’s down here on Earth with us, running around, tormenting for a time. But there’s a beautiful metaphysical interpretation to this, that I just love. In other words, the battle has already been won in Heaven. And Heaven, to us, metaphysically, can represent what?
In consciousness, in truth. Once you win the battle in consciousness, once you get your thinking straight, then what happens? Then it will be won in manifestation, because, as within, so without. Once we win that battle in consciousness, by getting our thoughts straight, then it’s gonna manifest itself on Earth, at the right time, and in the right way. It’s a beautiful metaphysical interpretation. It’s Satan’s last struggle. The battle has already been won in Heaven> He’s loosed on Earth, which means, to us, metaphysically, that the battle has been won in the Heaven of our mind, and all we have to do now is let it unfold on the Earth.
And the way it unfolds on the Earth can also depend upon how we’re willing to work with it. You’ll see that it’s gonna take awhile before, in the Book of Revelation, before this battle on Earth. But we can win it on Earth instantly. So, a beautiful, very beautiful, idea here. But Satan is cast out, and he’s down here on Earth with us, okay? And this is all in the 12th Chapter here. And then, a few other things happen here. The dragon pursues the woman on Earth, but she’s taken safely away, so the dragon, it says, goes after the rest of her offspring.
So, yeah, after he’s been cast out of Heaven, the woman and the child are secreted away. They’re safe, but the dragon then goes after the rest of us. He goes after the faithful. So the writer is warning the faithful, that, “Look. Satan is loose for a time, so you’re gonna have some trouble on Earth.” It’s all symbolic. Who is Satan supposed to be representing, in the writer’s time? The Roman Empire. The Roman Empire, who are persecuting the faithful, through emperor worship. Making them go, and bring offerings and that type of thing, to the Emperor, get these little verifying slips of paper, in the mark on their hand, or forehead, that they’ve performed their obligation, and so forth. So the Satan is really a reference here, to the Roman Empire, and then, the story builds on from there.
