Under severe persecution, it was necessary for the church to go underground. God promised the church would remain forever. While the church did not cease, it did go into the wilderness.

1. Church in the
Wilderness
Revelation 12:5-6

2. Sinking feeling? Hopeless?
Have you had those kinds of feelings about the
future of the church?
Ray Summers wrote - “Many times it appears
that the enemy has the upper hand and will
win, but all the time we know that the victory
is ours because we have seen the headline
announcing the victory. John used this
method many times in Revelation – always
very effectively.”

3. Revelation 12:1
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman
clothed with the sun, with the moon under her
feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
●
A Radiant Woman
●
Clothed with the sun
●
Has 12 stars on her head
●
This woman is the church
●
Church is the bride of Christ – Romans 7:4
●
See also Revelation 21:9
●
This is not Mary bringing Jesus into the world
●
The church is the woman preaching Christ

4. Revelation 12:2
Then being with child, she cried out in labor
and in pain to give birth.
●
She, the church, brought Christ to the world
●
Satan will do what he can to prevent Christ
from being preached to the world
●
Preaching Christ can be painful –
imprisonment, suffering, even death
●
The gospel is spread today – not in comfort,
but in pain and anguish.

5. Revelation 12:3
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a
great, fiery red dragon having seven heads
and ten horns, and seven diadems on his
heads.
●
The dragon is the devil – So the great dragon
was cast out, that serpent of old, called the
Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole
world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels
were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)
●
There is no dispute here.

6. Revelation 12:4
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and
threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood
before the woman who was ready to give birth,
to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
●
This dragon tried to prevent the arrival of
Christ
●
As soon as the church preaches Christ, Satan
is ready to attack

7. Revelation 12:5
She bore a male Child who was to rule all
nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was
caught up to God and His throne.
●
Satan knew Christ was coming
●
He tried to prevent His coming to earth
●
Athaliah killed all the bloodline – except a 6
month old baby – Joash (2 Kings 11-13)
●
Haman had a plot to kill all Jews (Esther)
●
Herod killed male babies in Bethlehem
(Matthew 2)

8. Revelation 12:5
The Jews plotted to kill Jesus and keep Him in
the tomb
●
ALL attempts failed
●
Christ was raised from the dead and ascended
to heaven
●
But Christ was being preached by the church
●
Satan turns his attention to the woman
(church) that was preaching Christ.
●
Attacking the church is a way to get back at
Christ

9. Revelation 12:6
Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where
she has a place prepared by God, that they
should feed her there one thousand two
hundred and sixty days.
●
To survive, the church must flee into the
wilderness (go into hiding)
●
God always protected His family
●
Israel – in Egypt, wilderness, promised land
●
When threatened by Haman or Athaliah
●
When threatened by Saul of Tarsus
●
When under attack today

10. What about today?
The church will suffer persecution
2 Timothy 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live
godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
We will come out of the persecution, hardship,
tribulation and suffering
We may have to go through the wilderness
The church is in this world – but not of this
world

11. Conclusion
Man reading Revelation
on his lunch break.
Was asked, “Do you
understand all about
that book?”
He answered, “I know
that the good guys
win!”