Revelation
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
In Revelation, Jesus, through John, shows us the key to understanding the prophecies of the Last Days. In the Letters to the Churches (chapters 1-3) He shows the conditions present in the major denominations in the End Time. In chapter 4 John is taken up on high for a firsthand view of events described by the prophets of old. It is in chapters 12-14 where we are given the key. Here John gives a narrative account of unfolding events starting at the birth of Jesus and proceding to the second coming. With this narrative as our outline, the rest of Revelation, as well as the Old Testament prophecies, fall into perspective.
i hope you have a Bible handy, you'll need it to follow along. Turn in your Bible to Revelation 12:1 and read through 12:17. It's ok, i'll wait .......
Here we see history unfold right up to the present day. Look at it verse by verse ......
12:1-2 --- Israel (the children of Abraham) under the Roman occupation
12:3-4 --- satan, in command of the Kingdoms of this World, prepares to attempt the destruction of the Messiah and thus GOD's plan.
12:5 --- the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies.
12:6 --- beginning of the Church (the seventieth week of Daniel 9:27)
12:7-12 --- the Church Period ( persecution / spreading the Gospel)
12:13 --- rise of the Third Reich (the holocaust)
12:14 --- fall of the Third Reich creation of the Jewish State of Israel
12:15-16 --- the 'Arab Threat' and the protection of Israel through the UN
12:17 --- satan attacks Christianity (begining of the Tribulation Period)
This brings us up to the present day. The churches of the world are under the often subtle attacks of the enemy, and the great Falling Away (2 Thessalonians 2:3) has begun. Soon Born Again Believers will not be welcome in the churches as the Disciples were driven from the Temple by the Priests and Pharisees. Then we will enter chapter 13 were the Beast rises.