Revelation 12 depicts a battle between Satan and God in graphic apocalyptic imagery. "A pregnant woman about to give birth appeared in heaven clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head... then also appeared an enormous red dragon with 7 heads, 10 horns and 7 crowns on his heads... his tail swept a third of the stars from the sky... and he waited for the woman to give birth to that he could devour the baby... and she had a boy who will rule all nations... but the child was snatched up to God's throne... and the woman fled to the desert to a place prepared by God where she was taken care of for 1,260 days... then there was war in heaven as Michael and his angels fought against the dragon... and the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven... as the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan was hurled to the earth... and I heard a loud voice from heaven declaring... this is the salvation, power and kingdom of God and the authority of Christ... who has hurled down the accusers of the brothers... who overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony... so rejoice... but woe to the earth and sea because the devil has gone down to you... and he is furious because he knows his time is short... then the dragon chased the woman but she was given eagle's wings so she could fly somewhere safe in the desert out of the serpent's reach... so the serpent spewed a river of water to try and drown her and sweep her away... but the earth helped the woman swallowing up the river... so the dragon was enraged and went to war against those who obey God's commandments".
Saturday, 17 October 2026
Projects Meeting
Yesterday I took part in a meeting with our projects team discussing action in this final quarter of 2026 and planning for the continuing of the work in 2027. It was a good meeting.
My writing of the summaries of the Bible chapter by chapter nears its end as I have now completed 99% of the Bible having concluded half the 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation. Within a couple of days I should cover the final "Come, Lord Jesus" and "Amen"!
Revelation 11 (résumé): The 2 Witnesses
Now John says at the start of Revelation 11: "I was given a measuring rod and was told to measure the temple and altar and count the worshippers... excluding the outer court with the Gentiles who will trample the holy city for 42 months... and I will empower my 2 witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth... and these witnesses, olive trees or lampstands have special defensive mechanisms... and anyone that wants to harm them must die... and the 2 witnesses have power to control rainfall, to turn waters into blood and attack the earth with plagues... but eventually the beast from the Abyss will attack the 2 witnesses and kill them and their bodies will lie in the street of the great city... and for 3 and a half days they will be refused burial... and the people will rejoice over their deaths... but after 3 and a half days a breath of life from God entered them and they stood up... and the people were terror struck... and then the witnesses went up to heaven in a cloud and there was an earthquake which destroyed 10% of the city killing 7,000 people, and the survivors glorified God... then the 7th angel sounded his trumpet and loud voices from heaven announced that the kingdom of the world had become the kingdom of the Lord Jesus and he will reign forever... then the 24 elders worshipped saying... thanks to God who has begun to reign... the time has come for judging the dead... and for rewarding the prophets and saints... and for destroying those who destroy the earth... and God's temple was opened... and the ark was seen as there was lightening and thunder".
Friday, 16 October 2026
Revelation 10 (résumé): The Angel and the little Scroll
Now John says: "Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from the heavens robed in a cloud with a rainbow above his head... and he was holding a little scroll... and he gave a loud roar of a lion... and 7 thunders spoke but I was told not to write this down... and the angel raised his hand to heaven and swore that there would be no more delay... then the voice from heaven told me to take the little scroll.. and the angel told me to eat it... and it tasted sweet as honey but in my stomach it turned sour... so I was told that I must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings".
Revelation 9 (résumé): Further Trumpet blasts
"The 5th angel sounded his trumpet and I saw a fallen star given the key to the shaft of the Abyss from where smoke arose, sun and sky were darkened by the smoke, and out of the smoke came locusts with power like scorpions... and they were told to attack those without the seal of God on their foreheads... and they couldn't kill people but tortured them for 5 months... with the stings like a scorpion was their agony... in that day people will long to die, but death will elude them... and these hybrid locust/scorpions had gold crowns, human faces, women's hair, lion's teeth, breastplates of iron, and stings like scorpions torturing the people for 5 months... and they were led by the angel of the Abyss... then came the 6th angel blowing his trumpet... and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar ordering the release of the 4 angels bound at the River Euphrates with orders to kill a third of mankind... the horses and riders were red, blue and yellow, the heads of the horses resembled lions and out of their mouths came smoke, fire and sulphur... killing a third of mankind... but the rest of mankind still did not repent, or stop worshipping demons or halt their murders".
Revelation 8 (résumé): The 7th Seal and the Golden Censer
Chapter 8 starts with the opening of the 7th and final seal "and there was silence in heaven for half an hour... and the 7 angels who stand before God were given trumpets... and a further angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer with much incense... and the incense went up with the prayers of the saints... but then the angel filled the censer with fire and hurled it on the earth bringing thunder, lightning and an earthquake... then the first angel sounded his trumpet and there came hail and fire mixed with blood... and it too was hurled down on the earth causing a third of the earth and trees to be burnt up and all the green grass was burnt... then came the second angel blowing his trumpet and a blazing mountain was thrown into the sea turning a third of the sea into blood and killing a third of sea creatures and destroying a third of all ships... now the third angel sounded his trumpet and a great blazing star fell from the sky on rivers and springs and a third of the water turned bitter killing many people... then the 4th angel sounded his trumpet and a third of the sun, moon and stars turned dark... and I heard an eagle flying in mid-air call out woe! woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the trumpet blasts yet to be sounded by the other 3 angels".
Revelation 7 (résumé): 144,000 sealed
Between the opening of the 6th seal in chapter 6 and of the 7th seal in chapter 8 John sees 2 visions in chapter 7 with the first being of 4 angels and the second being of a great multitude. "I saw 4 angels standing at the 4 corners of the earth... holding back the 4 winds of the earth... then another angel came from the east having the seal of the living God... and he told the 4 angels that had been given power to harm land and sea to not harm anything before they had put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of God... and 144,000 were sealed with 12,000 being from each tribe of Israel... then John saw the 2nd vision of a great multitude which no-one could count... from every nation, tribe, people and language... standing before the throne in front of the Lamb wearing white robes and holding palm branches crying out... salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb... and the angels fell down in worship to God saying... praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honour, power and strength be to our God forever... then one of the elders asked who the multitude was... and I told him he knew... and he said these are those who came through the great tribulation and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb... they are before the throne and serve God day and night... and never again will they hunger or thirst... and the Lamb will be their shepherd... leading them to springs of living water... and God will wipe all tears from their eyes".