Study Desk

Then the woman gave birth to a son. He is to be the leader of the world using a piece of iron. But this child was taken away to God and His throne.

The woman ran away into the desert. God had made the place ready for her. He will care for her there 1,260 days.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God has saved from the punishment of sin! God's power as King has come! God's holy nation has come! God's Christ is here with power! The one who spoke against our Christian brothers has been thrown down to earth. He stood before God speaking against them day and night.

This dragon was very angry with the woman. He went off to fight with the rest of her children. They are the ones who obey the Laws of God and are faithful to the teachings of Jesus.

The Woman and the Dragon Something very special was seen in heaven. A woman was there dressed with the sun. The moon was under her feet. A crown with twelve stars in it was on her head. She was about to become a mother. She cried out with pain waiting for the child to be born. Something else special was seen in heaven. A large dragon was there. It was red and had seven heads and ten horns. There was a crown on each head. With his tail he pulled one-third part of the stars out of heaven. He threw them down to the earth. This dragon stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth to her child. He was waiting to eat her child as soon as it was born. Then the woman gave birth to a son. He is to be the leader of the world using a piece of iron. But this child was taken away to God and His throne. The woman ran away into the desert. God had made the place ready for her. He will care for her there 1,260 days. Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against this dragon. This animal and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough to win. There was no more room in heaven for them. The dragon was thrown down to earth from heaven. This animal is the old snake. He is also called the Devil or Satan. He is the one who has fooled the whole world. He was thrown down to earth and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God has saved from the punishment of sin! God's power as King has come! God's holy nation has come! God's Christ is here with power! The one who spoke against our Christian brothers has been thrown down to earth. He stood before God speaking against them day and night. They had power over him and won because of the blood of the Lamb and by telling what He had done for them. They did not love their lives but were willing to die. For this reason, O heavens and you who are there, be full of joy. It is bad for you, O earth and sea. For the devil has come down to you. He is very angry because he knows he has only a short time." When the dragon which is the devil saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he began to hunt for the woman who had given birth to the boy baby. The woman was given two wings like the wings of a very large bird so she could fly to her place in the desert. She was to be cared for there and kept safe from the snake, which is the devil, for three-and one-half years. Then the snake spit water from his mouth so the woman might be carried away with a flood. The earth helped the woman by opening its mouth. It drank in the flood of water that this dragon spit from his mouth. This dragon was very angry with the woman. He went off to fight with the rest of her children. They are the ones who obey the Laws of God and are faithful to the teachings of Jesus.

I stood on the sand by the sea-shore. There I saw a wild animal coming up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns with a crown on each horn. There were names on each head that spoke bad words against God.

And it opened its mouth speaking very bad things against God. It spoke against God's name and His house and against those living in heaven.

It was allowed to fight against the people who belong to God, and it had power to win over them. It had power over every family and every group of people and over people of every language and every nation.

He fooled the men of the earth by doing powerful works. He did these things in front of the first wild animal. He told those who live on the earth to make a god that looks like the first wild animal. The first wild animal was the one that was cut by the sword but lived.

The second wild animal was given power to give life to the false god. This false god was the one that was made to look like the first wild animal. It was given power to talk. All those who did not worship it would die.

These are men who have kept themselves pure by not being married. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been bought by the blood of Christ and have been made free from among men. They are the first ones to be given to God and to the Lamb.

He said with a loud voice, "Honor God with love and fear. The time has come for Him to judge all men. Worship Him Who made heaven and earth and the sea and the places where water comes out of the earth."

A third angel followed, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the wild animal and his false god and receives a mark on his forehead or hand,

he will drink of the wine of the anger of God. It is mixed in full strength in the cup of God's anger. They will be punished with fire and burning sulphur in front of the holy angels and before the Lamb.

The smoke of those who are being punished will go up forever. They have no rest day or night. It is because they have worshiped the wild animal and his false god and have received the mark of his name.

Then another angel came out from the house of God and called to Him with a loud voice. He said, "Use Your knife and gather in the grain. The time has come to gather the grain because the earth is ready."

Then another angel came out from the house of God in heaven. He had a sharp knife for cutting grain also.

Then I saw something that looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I saw many standing on the sea of glass. They were those who had won their fight with the wild animal and his false god and with his mark. All of them were holding harps that God had given to them.

They were singing the song of Moses, who was a servant owned by God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "The things You do are great and powerful. You are the All-powerful Lord God. You are always right and true in everything You do. You are King of all nations.

After this I looked and saw that the Holiest Place of All in the house of God was opened.