With over 200 different groups all claiming to be the true church of Christ how is it possible to tell which is the right one? Bible prophecy has the answer! It outlines the history of the Christian church to the end of time. To find the true church is like finding the flag of the United States among hundreds of other flags. It is easy to do because of certain identification marks. Several marks, or characteristics, of God's true church are listed in the 12th chapter of Revelation. Read the entire chapter before marking any texts. (Keep a marker there. It will help as we keep coming back to this chapter for more clues as we use other verses to explain the meaning of the symbols)

1. Rev.12:1 - What did John see in vision?

Rev.12: LB 1. Then a great pageant appeared in heaven, portraying things to come. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.

   --- "Wonder" (Gr.= -semeion-) means a sign or portent of coming events.

2. Jer.6:2 - What does a beautiful woman represent?

Jer.6: NKJ 2. I have likened the daughter of Zion to a lovely and delicate woman.

3. Isa.51:16 - Who does Zion represent?

Isa.51:16. ...Say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

   ---  Therefore the woman represents God's people or church. Here in Rev.12:1 is a picture of the very beginning of the Christian church. The moon under her feet would represent the Mosaic Old Testament types she stands on; but they are only a reflection of the glorious gospel sun that clothes her in its dawning light. As the 11 stars represented Joseph brothers (see Gen.37:9-10) so the twelve stars would represent the twelve apostles.

4. Rev.12:5 - What was the "man child" destined to do?

Rev.12: 5. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

   --- "Rule all nations with a rod of iron" from Ps.2:9 is a messianic prophecy of the coming anointed Son of God. "To his throne" means to authority and power in heavenly places. That this refers to Jesus is proven by the next two texts.

5. Eph.1:19-23 - To what position was Jesus elevated after his resurrection?

Eph.1:19-23. LB - I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power  20. that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in heaven.  21. Far, far above any other king or ruler or dictator or leader. Yes, his honor is far more glorious than that of anyone else either in this world or in the world to come. 22. And God has put all things under his feet and made him the supreme Head of the church  23. which is his body, filled with himself, the Author and Giver of everything everywhere.

   --- Jesus is the man child and the woman is his church.

6. Heb.12:22, 24-25 - From where does Jesus speak to his church?

 What warning is given?

Heb.12:22, 24-25. NIV - But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly. 24. to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

7. Rev.12:3-4 - How is the enemy of the woman/church described?

Rev.12:3. - LB - Suddenly a red Dragon appeared, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads. 4. His tail drew along behind him a third of the stars, which he plunged to the earth. He stood before the woman as she was about to give birth to her child, ready to eat the baby as soon as it was born.

   --- Primarily this is Satan but more specifically it represents the nation through whom Satan worked to destroy Christ as soon as he was born, namely Rome. See story of King Herod the Roman governor and the wise men in Matt.2:1-16.

8. Matt.27:1-2,26-29,62-66 - What Roman governor authorized the crucifixion of Jesus?

Mat.27:1. LB -  When it was morning, the chief priests and Jewish leaders met again to discuss how to induce the Roman government to sentence Jesus to death. 2. Then they sent him in chains to Pilate, the Roman governor. 26. Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. And after he had whipped Jesus, he gave him to the Roman soldiers to take away and crucify. 28. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29. and made a crown from long thorns and put it on his head, and placed a stick in his right hand as a scepter and knelt before him in mockery. "Hail, King of the Jews," they yelled. 62. The next day--at the close of the first day of the Passover ceremonies--the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate, 63. and told him, "Sir that liar once said, 'After three days I will come back to life again.' 64. So we request an order from you sealing the tomb until the third day, to prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and telling everyone he came back to life! If that happens we'll be worse off than we were at first." 65. "Use your own Temple police," Pilate told them. "They can guard it safely enough." 66. So they sealed the stone and posted guards to protect it from intrusion.

   --- The tomb was sealed with a Roman seal, but the greatest power on earth could not hold Christ in the tomb! Because of His great love for us Jesus lived and died a holy sacrifice for us and won the right of eternal life for the whole human family. Christ's death without one stain of sin upon him was the defeat of Satan. All heavenly beings saw where Satan's government would lead. They saw Satan as He really is, a mad monster bent on killing his Maker! He was no longer allowed in heaven. He was "cast down!" (Rev.12:19)

9. Rev.12:13 - Who does the dragon/devil persecute?

Rev.12: LB 13. But when the Dragon found himself cast down to earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the child.

10. 1 Thess.2:14-15 - As people joined the church as followers of Christ what happened?

1 Thes.2:14. LB - And then...you suffered what the churches in Judea did, persecution from your own countrymen, just as they suffered from their own people the Jews. 15. After they had killed their own prophets, they even executed the Lord Jesus; and now they have brutally persecuted us and driven us out. They are against both God and man,

   ---  The early church was persecuted by both Jews and Gentiles!

11. 2 Thess.1:3-4 - How did these trials effect their faith?

2 Thes.1: LB 3. Dear brothers, giving thanks to God for you is not only the right thing to do, but it is our duty to God, because of the really wonderful way your faith has grown, and because of your growing love for each other. 4. We are happy to tell other churches about your patience and complete faith in God, in spite of all the crushing troubles and hardships you are going through.

   --- Over 3,000,000 Christians were killed during the first 3 centuries and yet the church grew. The blood of martyrs was like seed that brought forth many more converts.

12. Rev.12:15 - When persecution seemed to fail in stopping the church then what did Satan use to sweep them away?

Rev.12: LB 15. And from the Serpent's mouth a vast flood of water gushed out and swept toward the woman in an effort to get rid of her;

   --- The flood from Satan's mouth represents false doctrines, fables and flatteries brought into the church by "water" or the multitudes of unconverted people. Pagan Rome adopted Christianity in name only.

13. Acts 20:29-30 - What kind of teachers would appear within the church?

Acts 20: LB 29. I know full well that after I leave you, false teachers, like vicious wolves, will appear among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Some of you yourselves will distort the truth in order to draw a following.

   --- Compare 2 Thes.2:3. There will "come a falling away" from truth before Jesus returns. Lesson 16 showed that a counterfeit church system began in 538 and lasted 1260 years until 1798 when its political power was broken. This was the spiritual Dark Ages of this worlds history.

14. Rev.12:6 - How long was the woman (church) to be hidden in the wilderness?

Rev.12: LB 6. The woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her, to take care of her for 1,260 days.

   --- These 1260 days are literally 1260 years because when a day is used in symbolic prophecy it represents one year. (Ezek.4:6 "I have appointed thee each day for a year." Nu.14:34 = ". each day for a year. .") This is the same 1260 year period that the false religious-political system has world-wide influence. (See Dan.7:8,25 - "a time and times and the dividing of time" and Rev.13:5 "42 months".  For details see Lesson 16 & 17).

15. Rev.12:14,16 - During this long wilderness period what helped the woman?

Rev.12: LB  14. But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle, to fly into the wilderness to the place prepared for her, where she was cared for and protected from the Serpent, the Dragon, for three and a half years. 15. But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the flood!

   --- The discovery of America, a land of religious freedom; the great protestant reformation; and the invention of printing all helped the woman find the truth of God's word. This certainly helped to swallow up the flood of false teachings that came from the dragon's mouth and had swept over the world.

16. Ezek.34:11-12- - Who is it that rescues the church?

Ezek.34: LB 11. For the Lord God says: I will search and find my sheep. 12. I will be like a shepherd looking for his flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places they were scattered in that dark and cloudy day.

17. Isa. 54:5 - What is God like in relation to the woman/church?

Isa.54: LB 5. For your Creator will be your "husband." The Lord of Hosts is his name; he is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.

18. Rev.12:17 - How does the devil behave toward the "remnant" church?

Rev.12: 17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and he went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

- - - Note Rev.12: LB 17. Then the furious Dragon set out to attack the rest of her children--all who were keeping God's commandments and confessing that they belong to Jesus...

How is God's "Remnant" Church identified? Answer:

   --- (1) It appears before the world with its message after 1798.

   --- (2) It keeps "the commandments of God" (including the fourth that says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath").

   --- (3) It has "the testimony of Jesus" (which "is the spirit of prophecy" and means it has last day prophetic guidance).

19. Rev.14:12 - What are God's living "saints" described as keeping?

Rev.14:12. NKJ - Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

- - - Note Rev.14:12. LB - Let this encourage God's people to endure patiently every trial and persecution, for they are his saints who remain firm to the end in obedience to his commands and trust in Jesus.

   --- Their faith in Jesus is current and active. Here is God's church clearly identified. Here they are: They have patience; they obey all of the ten commandments; They keep the true seventh-day Sabbath; They are Christians and practice the same life-style faith that Jesus practiced; They proclaim the everlasting gospel with emphasis on the three angels messages of Rev.14:6-11.

20. Isa.40:9-10 - Here is a similar message to be repeated.

Isa.41: LB 9. O Crier of Good News, shout to Jerusalem from the mountain tops! Shout louder--don't be afraid--tell the cities of Judah, "Your God is coming!" 10. Yes, the Lord God is coming with mighty power; he will rule with awesome strength. See, his reward is with him, to each as he has done.

   ---  Note Isa.40:28;41:13-14;43:11-12 - The great Creator became our Shepherd Savior and is soon coming back to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords to receive his faithful people.

21. Lu.12:32 - What will the true "little flock" remnant receive?

Lu.12: LB 32. So don't be afraid, little flock. for it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

22. Jn.10:11,27-29 - How will we respond to the love of the true shepherd?

Jn.10: LB 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 27. My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one shall snatch them away from me. 29. for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else, so no one can kidnap them from me.

 We will be happy to follow the example of Jesus.  Jesus, the Great Life-giver, was willing to leave the ninety-nine and lay down his life for this one lost sheep of a world. This world that was high jacked by Satan has been rescued by Jesus so that now all earthlings can choose the gift of eternal life.  They can choose to join the "remnant" who will be rescued when Jesus returns.  May God help you to make that choice today before it is too late.

         Edward Graves