REVELATION 12 WARNING SIGN

“A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.” (Rev. 12:1-2, NIV)

This sign will appear in the night sky on September 23, 2017, as computer simulations predict (as proposed by Scott Clarke, Luis B Vega). This has generated much speculation as to what it is a sign of. There have been other signs in the heavens as of late and they too have to have significance. This sign follows on the heels of the June 30, 2015 repeat of the Star of Bethlehem. Also, the Four Blood Moons and Total Solar Eclipse that occurred in 2014 – 2015.

The sign of Rev. 12 also appeared on September 11, 3 B.C. (albeit with a different fulfillment) establishing the true time of the birth of Christ. Computer simulations have found that this is the only time in history that this sign could be used to mark the first advent of Christ as being in 3 B.C. (see Star of Bethlehem: Heavenly Light). This is assuming that the sign described is astronomical in nature as well as symbolic. I am taking these dates as accepted without explanation to focus on their meaning. Believing them to be correct, what do these signs mean? I am giving my interpretation knowing it is subjective.

Truly, we are witnessing the signs as spoken of by Joel 2:30-31, “I will show wonders in heaven and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” This is now taking place as the world is seeing wonders in the night sky and watching natural and man-made disasters on earth.

I believe that these signs and wonders in heaven are both a warning and a harbinger of what is to come as well as a marker in time. The association of September 11, 3 B.C. with 9/11 is obvious. It could be that this just a calendar coincidence. However, what matters in the prophecy of Joel is the signs that it portends. What is described to happen on earth is an apt description of what the fall of the Twin Towers looked like on that fateful day. This prophecy is not specific to the events of 9/11 but can be seen a harbinger of what is to come.

The re-occurrence of the Star of Bethlehem and the Revelation 12 sign is a warning that we as a generation are living in the last days before the Second Advent of Christ. The Star appeared in the night sky as a herald to the Magi that a great king had been born. The Rev. 12 sign occurred as a historical marker of the birth of Christ. These two signs have not taken place since the time of Christ’s First Advent. That they would appear now can only mean that the Second Advent is near. They are a wonder and not an exact timing of His return.

No exact timeline is given with the Rev. 12 sign other then it precedes the coming of the Antichrist (the Beast) and the False Prophet of Rev. 13. Knowing this, it cannot mark the time of the Second Coming of Christ as this occurs after the war of the Antichrist. Clearly, the time that it marks is in Revelation itself: that the time of the Antichrist and False Prophet is nearly upon us.

Because of the importance of this sign occurring there has been excited conjecture by many.

There are those that believe that the Rev. 12 sign heralds the Rapture of the saints and the beginning of the Tribulation end times. This is the Pre-Tribulation teaching that Christ will come to gather his elect before the seven year Tribulation (time of intense suffering) prior to the Second Advent. This teaching is not generally accepted as fact nor can it be proven to be a false teaching. It is a belief that was made popularly known with the Left Behind books.

I do not believe that it is a harbinger of the Rapture or of the beginning of the Tribulation. Basically, there is nothing in the entirety of Rev. 12 to indicate that it marks the beginning of either the Rapture or of the Tribulation. The sign of the woman with child is two-fold, the first is to mark the birth of Christ and the second is of an end time prophecy for Israel and the coming of their true Messiah. The answer is given in Rev. 12:3-6:

“Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.” (NIV)

We know the dragon is that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan because Rev. 12:7-9 describes a war in heaven in which Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven and were hurled to the earth (a third of the stars/angels). This falling to earth can be symbolized by the shooting stars in the fall called the Draconid Meteor Shower. It is called this as the meteors appear to descend from near the head of the constellation of Draco the Dragon.

The story of the dragon could be just an allegory (the representation of spiritual or moral meanings through the actions of fictional characters that serve as signs) of the fall of Satan to explain the enmity of the dragon for the child (Genesis 3: 14-15).

[According to Scott Clarke (YouTube video) the dragon is represented in the heavens by Ophiuchus. This is called by some as the thirteenth constellation of the Zodiac because a part of it intersects the elliptic of the Sun. Its name is Latin for "serpent bearer." Its sign is that of a man grasping a snake bisecting the constellation of Serpens. It follows Leo, Virgo and Libra and intersects Scorpio and Sagittarius in the Zodiac.

Scott make this claim based on the snake head having seven main stars and the constellation Corona Borealis above the head of the snake having seven stars. The name is Latin for "northern crown" thus identifying the seven heads and seven crowns. However, the red dragon, ten horns and the dragon's tail sweeping a third of the stars out of the sky at this time is missing.

To make the sign unique at this time he points to Saturn being in Ophiuchus during the sign of the Woman giving birth. He claims the man holding the snake is the angel Michael as in the fall of Lucifer. All of this is problematic as there is little to back up these claims. Also, with Ophiuchus little is known of this constellation by the ancients or star maps.

He could be correct in his speculation but it is in no way as convincing as the Rev. 12:1-2 sign in the heavens as seen in the Zodiac.]

However, the dragon could be represented by the enormous constellation of Hydra (a seven headed or many headed beast in mythology) or it could be a yet to be determined sign in the sky. It is a mistake to assume that all of this is taking place at the same time as the woman is giving birth as there are future events that have yet to take place. The sign of the Dragon could be one of these.

On September 23, 2017 the Comet67P is in conjunction with the New Moon under the feet of the Virgin. It was the destination of the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission. Launched on march 2, 2004 it ended its mission by landing on the comet in the Ma'at region (all regions are named after Egyptian deities).

Many have noted a connection between the designation of 67 with 1967 and the Six Day War when Jerusalem was captured by the Israelis. Also, that it is a Jupiter family comet that is believed to have come form the Kuiper belt. These are worth noting but not conclusive.

The sign of a comet is that of a warning sign of a possible future event. Comets have historically been seen as a bad omen, often seen at the time of the death of a prominent person. I believe that this sign of the Comet67P is a warning sign of danger to the male child. There is a threat by the dragon to devour the child. The passing of the comet could be a part of the threat.

[Luis B Vega has written of another comet C/2017E1 whose trajectory implies that it can be seen to inseminate the Woman of Rev. 12. It is possible that this is what is implied. However, comets are historically viewed in a negative way.]

Another threat in the heavens is that of the asteroid 99942 Apophis (formerly known as 2004 MN4). It is a near-Earth object (NEO) that had a frightening probability of striking the Earth in 2029. Though this has since been ruled out, NASA has concluded that it could be on a collision course with Earth in 2036. This too is now considered unlikely but it cannot as yet be ruled out.

The name Apophis is the Greek for the Egyptian god Apep, an enormous water snake. As a god of chaos and darkness he was an enemy of Ma'at, the god of order and truth.He was the main enemy of the sun god Ra and he attempted to swallow Ra and plunge the world into darkness. He was blamed for the darkness of a solar eclipse by swallowing the sun. His roar caused earthquakes as he was the demon of the underworld. He brought the darkness that arrives with terrible disasters like storms. He is of the northern sky at night that Egyptians believed was dark, terrifying and cold.

The sign of the dragon describes the time of Christ’s birth in relation to the First Advent. This is about the danger that mother and child faced with Christ being born King of the Jews. The great power in the world at that time was the Roman Empire, the city of seven hills (heads). The king over the Jews via Rome was Herod. He was fearful of this birth as he coveted his crown enough to murder his own sons. He sought to have this child murdered by having all boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger killed. King Herod was Satan’s agent on earth.

The woman gave birth to Christ so it can be assumed that the woman represents the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. But she can also represent Israel as Jesus is King of the Jews. Astronomically, the sun, moon and twelve stars can be seen in Joseph’s dream (Genesis 37: 9-11). This describes the sun as Jacob (Israel), the moon as Rachael, and the stars as the sons (twelve tribes). This indicates that the woman is Mary representing Israel (Jeremiah 31:4, “…O Virgin Israel”). She gave birth to a son (Son Of God), a male child (Son of Man). It can also be construed that she didn’t give birth to the church (female). We are told that he will rule all nations not just the nation of Israel. Iron is a reference to Rome, the ruler of the world at that time and that has continued to our time.

Her child (the King) was taken up to be with God and to his throne, another reference to Christ, the King of kings. That he was taken up can be seen as sign of the Rapture but the reference here is to the child (male) only. There is nothing to suggest that this includes the church (female).

There is now a gap in time as we are told that the woman (Israel) has to flee into the desert where her God has prepared a place of protection. The time of 1,260 days is the equivalent of the 3 1/2 years known as the Great Tribulation. This is described in Daniel (9:27) as the time of the end and also in Revelation (7:14). The Tribulation time is seven years with the last 3 ½ years referred to as the Great Tribulation. This is an end time event that has yet to take place.

The woman as Israel has not fled into the desert so it is still a future event. This future event is the war of the Antichrist who, like Herod, is seeking to kill those that can be a threat to his rule. This time the threat is only to the woman as her child is not with her. We know it is the Antichrist because of the description of the dragon: seven heads and ten horns. In Rev. 13 the Beast out of the Sea (the Antichrist) has ten horns and seven heads.

The Tribulation has also not taken place but ends with the Second Advent of Christ. This indicates that the time gap is between the First and Second Advent of Christ. The context of the passage of Rev. 12 is about the two advents of Christ. The Great Tribulation is mentioned but is not the focus of the signs or its message. The Rapture as it is known is not mentioned at all.

Many books and interviews have been devoted to the Four Blood Moons of 2014-2015 (also known as a tetrad: four total lunar eclipses in close succession). These too were believed by some to herald the Rapture or the Tribulation, but this has yet to happen. This was speculated because they fell on the Jewish feast days of Passover and Tabernacles, giving them the stature of a sign. There have been many tetrads in the past with some occurring on Jewish feast days. The most significant and recent of these tetrads on feast days are:

1493-1494 – Death. In 1492 the Jews in Spain were forced to convert to Catholicism or leave. This led to the persecution by the Spanish Inquisition to test the converts. Columbus’ historic voyage to America.

1949-1950 – War. Birth of the nation of Israel on May 14, 1948 and the Arab-Israeli War.

1967-1968 – War. Jerusalem was captured by the Jews and came under their control in June, 1967 by way of the Six Day War.

2014-2015 - There is no true consensus of what the 4 Blood Moons and Solar Eclipse are a sign of.

I believe that it is a sign for the birth of Islamic State (ISIL, ISIS) in 2014 and their rise to power in 2015. They are a declared caliphate and whether they survive to see a world-wide empire or not, it is the beginning of a fight for the rule of Islam. They are a threat to Israel and to the world and should not be underestimated. Much blood has already been spilled in cruel ways and there is more to come. They are bringing a darkness on the land along with the bloodshed.

A blood moon and solar eclipse can be seen as a sign of the time spoken of in in Matthew 24: 29, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” A blood moon and eclipse of the sun is not what is spoken of here, it is more likely a darkened sun and moon caused by a natural or man-made disaster. The point is that we are continually being warned of an impending time of trouble. It needs to be noted that eclipses were seen by ancient peoples as harbingers of gloom and doom.

2032-2033 – Next tetrad. 3 lunar eclipses visible from Jerusalem and Israel.

2034 – Total Solar Eclipse. A sign of the Antichrist.

In 2014, I was told by the Lord that the world has only twenty years to prepare. America and the West need to set their house in order (2 Kings 18-20). America spends more than she takes in and has a massive debt that continues to grow. The budget for defense is also massive and unsustainable with America attempting to police the world. Many Americans are war-weary along with many not wanting to see a continued loss of blood and treasure.

August 21, 2017 - Dark Omen. Total Solar Eclipse over America known as the Great American Eclipse. The path of totality passes overwhelmingly over red areas of voters for Trump in the Nov. 2016 election (The Boston Globe). This could be a harbinger (a sign and not a prophecy) of future tribulation for America: war, domestic terrorism, economic distress, earthquake, volcanic activity. It could also be terrible storms and/ or a reign of fire

It needs to be noted that a total solar eclipse took place over Eastern Europe two months after the start of WWI. Known as the World War I Eclipse it took place on August 21, 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria on June 28, 1914.

A total solar eclipse can be seen as a warning to prepare for coming disasters and not as a prophecy of unavoidable doom. A biblical example is in the book of Jonah the prophet. Jonah was told by God to go to the great city of Nineveh in Assyria to preach that it will be overturned. The people believed Jonah's message from God as later did the king and nobles and they repented of their evil ways. God relented and did not bring upon them the destruction that he had threatened.

Why did a Gentile nation listen to a prophet from Israel? This was done in part to suffering previous military losses, diplomatic setbacks, plagues, famine and domestic revolts. Also, a major earthquake took place and a solar eclipse on June 15, 763 B.C. prior to Jonah's arrival. This eclipse would have been seen as a bad omen of continued travail because an eclipse in 784 B.C. preceded the tribulation for the people of Nineveh.

The need is to right the ship of state (state of affairs) before a coming storm hits in massive waves. This is the time to prepare for the coming war of the Antichrist. The Beast in the East is rising while the West is in decline.The sign of the blood moons is that of a bad moon on the rise.

Although I was not told what the event was, I knew 2034 to be an important date. In 2034 there will be a Total Solar Eclipse over Africa, Middle East, Asia and Europe. I see it as a bookend to the one on August 11, 1999 (the sign of the birth of the Antichrist as I wrote of in my book, Advent of the Antichrist). As I believe that the Antichrist was born in 1999, he would be in his mid-thirties around this time and ready to take his place in history.

This would also mark the time of the two thousand year anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ (depending on what dating system is used). The date of the actual crucifixion cannot be verified as it could span a time from 26-36 AD. There is a current belief that it was on April 3, 33 AD based on the four lunar eclipses in 32-33 AD.

There will be many signs in the heavens, in the sun, moon, and stars leading up to the sign of the second coming of Christ. I believe that the solar and lunar eclipses can be markers of important events for God’s people but determining what events they point to can be speculative. In a broader sense taken together they point to end time events. The final signs in the heavens are not yet upon us.

The Book of Revelation describes both natural and supernatural events to take place. The Tribulation (also called the time of great tribulation or distress) is the seven year period spoken of in Daniel (70th week). The world will know this time as the war of the Antichrist. The words tribulation or distress are used in the bible to describe what the saints will have to suffer in the world.

Jesus led the way for us, his suffering was not just for our salvation, but as an example of what his followers will suffer in the world. He is a true leader in that he led the way in suffering so as not to ask of his followers to do anything that he has not done himself. Christians will be made to suffer to force them to renounce their faith and to stop conversions to the faith. This is to be expected and endured.

The early Christians suffered tribulations (distress) and some died cruel deaths because of their faith. Tribulations are still taking place today and this will lead to the time of Great Tribulation. Great evil will arise and will seek to turn the entire world away from Christ. The earth will be in distress as well as the people of the earth. Supernatural forces will be unleashed in a final battle to wipe Judeo-Christianity from the face of the earth. The people of the world will not only have to survive physical destruction, but supernatural battles.

This is spoken of in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.” It is for Christians to fight this battle, to rise up against the forces of darkness and not to shrink from it.

In summary, the Revelation 12 sign of the Woman and the Dragon gives a date for the birth of Christ, the First Advent, and a warning that the Second Advent is near. It is a warning because of the terrible events that will take place that precede the Second Coming of Christ, the war of the Dragon. This time of distress in the world is what Jesus warns of in Matthew 24:4-8 (see Signs of the Coming Apocalypse) concluding with, “All these are the beginning of birth pains.” As no one knows the day or hour of the coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:36-39) it cannot not mark this date.

The return of the “Star of Bethlehem” and “Virgin about to give birth” is a sign that this generation will witness and suffer the birth pains. It is also a sign in the heavens to give comfort that the prophesied Second Coming will take place. He will come just as the prophesied First Coming was fulfilled. The birth of Christ is the beginning of the Church and the reason for the celebration of Christmas. The Church Age will end with war in heaven and war on earth.

We are encouraged to be ready for His return and to look for his Shining Star in the heavens so as to follow no matter where we are. As these days pass we will witness the signs that Jesus spoke of in a more clear way, we will need to remain dear of heart and to stay near to God in spirit.

Psalm 19:1-4, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world….”