1. Lesson One of the Book of Daniel, Introduction to the Book of Daniel

We have studied chapter 12 of God’s wonderful prophetic book of Revelation where we are given a chronological listing of events from the time when Israel was in the land to the time through the Tribulation period.

That time when Christ returns in power and glory to take charge of this world by setting up His kingdom on earth and when Christ’s prayer, that that which is done in heaven may also be done on earth.

That listing included the woman great with child, the man child delivered, the dragon at the ready to devour the child, the child caught up to God, the woman fleeing into the wilderness, and then war in heaven between Michael and Satan.

We were told there will come a time, perhaps it is near, when Michael, the Archangel and his angels, will war with Satan and his angels and that war will be the end of Satan, as far as his access to heavenly places is concerned.

He and his following will be cast down to the earth to begin another war, a war against the people of God.

God tells the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea in Revelation 12:12, Woe! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

God tells us here that Satan knows where he is in the plan of God.

He knows that he is a defeated foe, he knows that he is a shortimer, but he also knows that he has some liberty to continue to oppose God and all that God has created, for God is not yet finished with Satan.

God will isolate him to the earth with his loyal forces but Satan knows he has but a short time to carry out his evil.

Satan is incapable of repenting and turning from his evil for he is only evil and there is no goodness in him.

Jesus said about humankind, Father forgive them for they know not what they do, but Satan did know what he did when he willingly rebelled against God, for he was not deceived.

So in spite of the fact he knows he is doomed he can do nothing but oppose until God renders him incapable of opposing.

He has opposed God in the heavens and now he continues that opposition on earth continuing his attempt to destroy God’s people.

So as we continue our study of the seven personages of Revelation let us read what will take place on earth after his exit from the heavens.

We read in Revelation 12:13-17,   And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. ¹⁴And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. ¹⁵And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. ¹⁶And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. ¹⁷And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

So here we are introduced to a group which can expect great wrath from an exiled Satan.

It is a unique group and called "the remnant of her seed."

It is not all of her seed, all that she brings forth but a remnant, a portion that is left after a separation or removal from the whole.

We know not the number included in the remnant however remnants are usually thought of as a small part of the whole.

And this is verified numerous times in the Old Testament when remnants are described as a small part of a greater group.

Go into a fabrics store and you will find remnants, usually the end piece of a bolt of cloth, small and leftover.

This is how God describes his children, leftovers, and as Paul described himself in:

I Corinthians 4:13,  Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

offscouring n. [off and scour.] That which is scoured off; hence, refuse; rejected matter; that which is vile or despised. Lam. 3. 1Cor. 4.

Jesus told of the remnant in this way in:

Matthew 7:13,14,  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Now the remnant that faces Satan’s wrath, the remnant that Satan declares war upon have found the gate, they have found the narrow way that leads unto life.

That gate is Christ and Christ alone, for there is no other gate.

So we see in our chapter 12 passage the remnant is given power to escape Satan’s wrath.

Revelation 12:14,  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

This passage that will take place in the future reminds us of what took place in the past regarding Israel.

Listen to what God told Moses in Exodus 19:3-6

This was said thousands of years ago but God is still on the throne and He will have His peculiar treasure.

The treasure of Moses’ day failed Him but God will not fail.

And as He bare them on eagle’s wings into the wilderness to prepare them for the promised land so to He will take the remnant of chapter 12 into the wilderness.

Study the Exodus and take that study into Revelation as regards the remnant and we will learn much.

So when Satan pursues Israel in the tribulation, God gives her two wings of an eagle and endows her with power to fly into the wilderness where she is nourished three and a half times.

This eagle analogy of course means the God’s full power will be on the side of the remnant to insure that they are brought to places of safety.

Now in verse 6 the woman fled into the wilderness, to a place prepared of God and is fed for one thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Both of the times given are equal to the last half of the tribulation period.

Both are three and one half years, both are the times of Jacob’s trouble.

And this is indeed the time of Jacob’s trouble for Satan’s front lines of war have been moved to the earth and all out efforts on his part will be in play to utterly destroy the remnant of God.

So, knowing that the tribulation is of a 7 year period, means the fleeing to the wilderness begins at the middle of that period and this is verified by Jesus Christ’s instruction in:

Matthew 24:15 where he told his disciples,  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) ¹⁶Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Daniel the prophet said this in Daniel 12:11-13,  And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Most likely the extra 30 days, and the extra 45 days over and above the 1260 days of Jacob’s trouble mark times of cleansing that must take place after such horrendous events have occurred.

The daily sacrifice is taken away in the middle of the 70th week of years, the tribulation period, which begins the time of Jacob’s trouble and therefore marks the time for the remnant to flee to the mountains.

Remember from our study of Daniel and earlier lessons in this series that Antichrist will make peace with Israel for one week but as Daniel 9:27 tells us:

Daniel 9:27, …….in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

So Satan’s man, the man of sin, the opposer of all that is good, the promoter of all that is evil, initiates the battle of Satan against the remnant by defiling the temple, by taking away the daily sacrifice and demanding all to worship the image of the beast.

Remnant Jews knowing the words of Christ will flee for their lives into the wilderness hiding wherever they can hide however God tells us that he will feed them.

So this place in the wilderness will be a place of nourishment for those Jews who escaped Satan’s wrath against them.

Again we can go to the book of Exodus and find that the seed planting of scripture for this tribulation event was the escaping of the Israelites from Egypt.

Where did God first take them?

He took them to the wilderness, and fed them for 40 years, a miraculous feeding of manna from God.

During these years God cared for them and great purging took place before deliverance into the promised land.

If God gave us examples in Exodus concerning promised land preparation then what takes place in the wilderness during the great tribulation will be a time of the cleansing of those who flee.

Scripture teaches that only the true remnant will enter into the kingdom and I believe that God will use the wilderness as he did in the Exodus to purify and cleanse and many will die in the wilderness as many died in the wilderness of Sinai.

This is so clearly stated in Ezekiel 20:33-38,  As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: ³⁴And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. ³⁵And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. ³⁶Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. ³⁷And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: ³⁸And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

There are many similarities to what took place in the exiting of Israel from Egypt to what will take place in the great tribulation.

We have already studied the two witnesses sent to preach against the Antichrist during the great tribulation, which can be likened to the sending of Moses and Aaron to the Pharaoh, an Old Testament type of Antichrist.

Even the name of the deliverer of Israel, in the Exodus and in the great tribulation is the same.

Joshua and Jesus which are equal in definition, one being translated from Hebrew to English and the other being translated from Greek into English.

Both mean Savior or salvation of the Lord.

Isaiah saw this salvation for he saw God’s care for his children in the wilderness when he wrote the words of Isaiah 35.

Isaiah 35:1-4, The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. ²It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

Now note verse four for it speaks of those with weak hands, those with feeble knees, and those of a fearful heart.

God is speaking of those who have fled the onslaught of Satan and have come to the wilderness to escape and to seek help from the Lord.

And help certainly comes for God tells them:

Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.

God will provide a place of protection for his own, a place in a wilderness that will be glad and a desert that will rejoice, for the presence of the Lord will be there bringing nourishment to His remnant people.

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
Strength for today is mine all the way,
And all that I need for tomorrow.
My Lord knows the way through,
All I have to do is follow.