(Revelation) Part 1 the Last Trumpet — Willie Mullan

The Last Trumpet and Revelation 12

Revelation, and we're at chapter 12 this evening. Book of the Revelation, chapter 12. Now I would like to do the whole chapter this evening, but I know there are so many details and so many phrases and so many doctrines, and it's a long, long way to the end of the chapter.

We used to sing it's a long way to Tipperary. Well, this is a long way to the end of a chapter, and I've made up my mind if we're not well through before I come to the spot where we should stop, I will stop and we'll take two bites of this cherry.

This is something I don't like to do, but I may be forced to do. However, we'll get on with the job just now, and as we get on, well, we'll do it tonight. I think you remember this from last week's chapter, chapter 11, verse 15, and the seventh angel sounded.

You remember way back in chapter 8 that seven angels were given trumpets to sound, and as each trumpet sounded, terrible things happened on this very planet of ours. And now this is the last trumpet being sounded.

Let's get that quite clear into our minds, it's the sounding of the last trumpet. And they're followed on after that, it says in verse 18 of chapter 11, and the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and so on.

You see, at the sounding of the last trumpet, there was great excitement in heaven, and then all these items are placed down, but the details of these items are not given. Go on to take chapter 12, and 13, and 14, and 15, and 16, and 17, and 18, to underline all the details.

And this is the very first one that we're after this evening, it's the desolation of Israel, I've called this chapter, and I shall take great time to enlighten you as to why I'm so bold as to call this chapter the desolation of Israel.

The Woman in Revelation 12 Is on Earth

So we're at chapter 12, and there are great details. Verse 1, And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

I want you to look carefully at the word wonder, there appeared a great wonder in heaven. If you have a good marginal reference Bible, there should be a little number at the word wonder, and if you go to the margin you'll find that the word wonder means sign.

I think it might have been better if our translators had put it in the text rather than in the margin. And there appeared a great sign in heaven. You see there are many books in heaven at that time, we have been through this in chapter 5, and then again in chapter 7, and so on.

And there's a sign given to all these people in heaven. But I want you to get this very straight and careful this evening, that while the sign is for the people in heaven, the woman is on earth. A woman is not in heaven, and don't be reading it into it either.

The woman is on earth. Just to make you sure of that, look at verse 6 of our chapter this evening, and the woman fled into the wilderness. And I'm sure you would be honest enough to say there is no wilderness in heaven, because some strange character came to argue with me once and said this woman is in heaven.

And the moment I said she fled into the wilderness, I said I would like you to instruct me now about this wilderness in heaven. Of course Jimmy was only waking me up now. You can see that the woman is on earth, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she is the place prepared of God, that they should feed her there.

Now watch the time factor, because that's most important this evening. 8234 days. You know, when the time factor is there, she must be on earth. So the word wilderness, and the 1260 days, well I'm sure persuade you that she's on earth.

We're thinking to persuade you that she's on earth at a particular period, because 1260 days are three and a half years. 42 months, that's the period we're thinking about. So that the woman is on earth.

And if that doesn't persuade you, let me take you down to verse 13. Our chapter, and when the dragon saw that he was cast onto the earth, and he will be, mind you, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man's child.

So I don't think that we're going to have any more problems. The sign is given for those in the heavenlies in heaven, and the woman herself, she's on earth. And what we must underline before we go any further, she's on earth at a particular period.

The 1260 Days, Two Witnesses, and the Beast

During these 42 months, or this 1260 days, this class ought to remember quite easily, and I'm sure you do, what we read in chapter 11. Let's go back to chapter 11. Let's read it over again now. Verse 1.

And there was given me, that was given John a reed like unto a rod, and the angel stood saying, rise and measure the temple of God. This is the time when the temple of God will be built, of course. And the altar and them that worship therein, and the court which is without the temple leave out and measure it not.

For it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they tread on their foot forty and two months. That's the same series now. Well, if you're not sure, we'll read the next verse. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three four days.

That's the same period now. That was the 12. So that this woman is honored during this particular period when God's two super witnesses are on earth. When the Jewish temple is built again. Have you got that?

Because you'll need to get all those facts in if you're going to argue with me. Now that's very interesting, isn't it? And it's more interesting when we go on to chapter 13. Because we don't only go back to chapter 11, let's go on to chapter 13.

And what's this very casually? This is this horrible beast that we'll have to deal with in the not too far distant future, and we shall take time to do that. It's said in verse 5, and there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy.

And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. Is that the same period? Because before we start any arguments at all, we've got to be sure that this woman is on earth. She's in the wilderness.

She's being persecuted by the devil. But the most important bit is that she's on earth and being persecuted at a particular period of earth history. Make no mistakes about that. In the three and a half years, in the 42 months, or the 1260 days, and that's taking a prophetic year of 360 days as I understand it should be taken.

So I think that you can see that she's on earth, and I think you can see that she's on earth at a particular period. Let's go back to the book of Daniel just for a moment. Daniel chapter 7. I just want to establish this very clearly just now.

Daniel’s Fourth Beast and the Three-and-a-Half-Year Period

You remember this chapter when we went through it bit by bit? It's the chapter where Daniel saw four great beasts coming up out of the sea. Chapter 7 verse 3. Four great beasts. And we don't need to take the time to go all over it again.

But Daniel was interested in the fourth beast. Do you see verse 19? Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast. He was most interested to know this. And then someone came to tell him, verse 23,. Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, and it's a kingdom down here all right, which shall be diversed from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise. And I think that we're beginning to see the horns appearing just now, and Mr Heath is doing a great lot about this. And it says, and another shall rise after them, and he shall be diversed from the first, and shall subdue three kings, and he shall speak great words against the most high, and shall wear out the face of the most high, and think to change times and laws.

And they shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time. And I understand from the Hebrew that the time means a year, and the times mean two more, and the dividing of the time is a half, and it means three and a half, it means 42 months.

So you see that this woman, we're going to think about very carefully this evening, she's on earth, and she's being chased into the wilderness, and she's being persecuted by the devil, and she's here at the time when the two superwitnesses are here, and she's here at the time when the beast is here, and she's here at the time when these ten tolls are here, and this king arises out of the midst of them.

So I think we've got our tidied up, unless you want to argue with me. Have a look at Daniel chapter 9 while we're there. Daniel chapter 9, and of course I think this is the greatest prophecy of all prophecies, is to save time as much as possible, verse 24.

Seventy weeks are determined upon my people, and he's talking to Daniel, to Daniel's people, and upon thy holy city. I don't think you've any problems with that, except the seventy weeks. Because the word weeks, there is an old Hebrew word that means sevens.

You know that a week is made up of seven days. Well what this should have said, more clearly in English, was that seventy sevens are determined upon my people. And if you multiply 70 by 70, you have 490.

And now you've got to find out from the passage, 490 what? And we find it's 490 years. And if you measure back from the commandment going forth to the building of the temple, and the building of the city, to the day that Christ entered into it, 69 sevens are gone.

And it just left one seventh to go, just one week to go. Fourth, God called out the people after that for his name, the church of Jesus Christ, from every kindred and tongue and people and nations. And one of these days the Lord Jesus will come to the air and take his waiting people home.

The church will rise to meet him. All they that are Christ's that is coming. And of course you'll find this out, look at verse 26. And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off. Now the Jews also have been able to count the years to the cutting off of the Messiah, only they couldn't believe he would be cut off.

They couldn't understand the sufferings of their Christ. They only saw the glory that was to follow. Shall be cut off but not for himself. And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the century, the people, the Romans.

Because the prince that shall come after Christ was cut off was Titus. And the end thereof shall be with a flood. And unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he, this prince that shall come from this revived Roman empire, these ten foes if you like, this common marship if you like, he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, for seven years.

And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. What's the half of seven now? Three and a half, 42 months it is. I don't want to go into this prophecy, it'll waste my time.

Israel as the Woman of Revelation 12

What I want to say to you, we are going to look at a woman this evening in the chapter. While the sign is in heaven, the woman is on earth. She's being pushed into the wilderness, she's being persecuted by the devil.

She appears on this earth in this persecution of the time when the two witnesses are here, when the beast is here, when this revived Roman empire has appeared, when this man of sin is here, in the very time when he breaks the covenant with Israel.

Surely all these things are too clear to get you mixed up. 42, three and a half, 1260. So I think you can see that the woman is on earth, and I think you can see the period in which she will appear. Let's go back to the chapter now, we're back to chapter 11, chapter 12.

Now have we established that she's on earth, and being persecuted, and running into the wilderness, after this particular period that we have so many details of in so many parts of this book. Now we've got to decide now, who is this woman?

What's God talking about? Yes, we've got to decide that. Now there are five outstanding women in the scriptures, five. Of course, there are many great women in the scriptures. I have given bible readings on the seven lilies of the new testament, and they're all great.

Last year at the convention I gave this bible reading on the seven lilies of the new testament, and I don't think I had ever so many letters in my life about the blessing that it was, and there are many women in the scriptures.

But there are five outstanding ones. Well, of course, Eve, who is an outstanding woman. She's the mother of us all. You know, I know that some of the modernists, they don't believe the genesis story. They don't believe there ever was an age.

They think it's a sort of eastern mystic fable of some kind. In fact, I heard about one of the high schools teaching this. Let me turn you to the new testament just for a moment, to 2 Corinthians, chapter 11.

Eve, Creation, and the Authority of Scripture

And you young folks, pay attention. And if they will do this in your school, will you please stand up and read this to them, and don't argue with them. Just read it, and read it with them. I heard about the master in one of the high schools who's the modernist, and he comes off with some of this nonsense sometimes, and some of the boys and girls that are here tonight just stand up, you know, and say, I'd like to say this, and he said the other day, now you sit down, you go to the bible class, and he has you inoculated.

May I have them inoculated with the truth. And if he's afraid of that, it's a pity of him. Don't you take any nonsense with him. But what it says here, 2 Corinthians, chapter 11. Paul writing, and remember the book's inspired.

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me, for I'm jealous over you with godly jealousy. What a lovely thing to say about the flock. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as the Church Virgin to Christ.

But I fear less by any means of the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtleties. Did Paul believe that? Well I can tell you he believed that. He believed there was a God in Eden. He believed the serpent.

He believed the subtlety was there. He believed Eve was there. Some of these boys coming up seem to think they know better than this inspired book. I fear less by any means of the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtleties.

So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Ah, let's make no mistakes about it, Eve was there all right. Yes, and she was created for the man, this book says. And did I underline the word created for you?

Her, she wasn't evolved, oh no. She was created for the man, the book says. That is not evolution, that is creation. And in that day this book says God created them male and female. Oh yes he did, you know, he's the faithful creator.

But Eve is one of the great characters of this book, isn't she? Then I think we've got to get this into that Israel, the nation of Israel, is pictured as a woman in this book. As the wife of Jehovah. What an honour she has.

Israel as the Wife of Jehovah

Let's go back to Isaiah 54 please. Prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 54. And God writing to the Jewish nation through this Jewish prophet Isaiah. And here's what he said to them in verse 5. For thy maker is thine husband.

Isaiah 54 verse 5. Thy maker is thy husband, the Lord of hosts is his name, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

For a small moments have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. I know that some of the old expositors, the old Puritans even, they tried to read the church into that. You don't try to go down to the temple and say that God won't forsake the church, do you?

Because I hope you're not. Because I'll tell you what the Lord says to every believer in this place, and he said it on the day you were saved. He just stepped into the road in front of you. He said I will never leave you more forsaken.

And there's no talk at all about gathering the church. There will never be scattered man if the body. Oh no, this is history. This is history of the nation of the wife of Jehovah. And this is the great woman that's in the scripture.

Mary and the Virgin Birth

You know, the Virgin Mary is the great woman. Let's get the hold of that now. Luke Gospel chapter 1, just for a moment. Verse 26. Luke Gospel chapter 1, verse 26. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God onto the city of Galilee near Nazareth to a virgin.

That's a very special word that's there, you know, in the Greek. And that version of Luke's Gospel that they're giving out through around the doors is baloney, you know. Of course, I think some of you don't even know that.

Because when you take it and look at it just there, it will say, to a girl. And they took away the word virgin and put girl, and who gives them the authority to do that? No. I don't think that they have the authority to do that.

I think it's a perverted version that they're giving out. Why didn't they do it right when they were doing it? I wonder what the Bible society's saying now. They're allowed to do this with God's word.

He has exalted it above his name. So I'm not throwing it in the fire. If you want to give out a decent one, get one and give it out. This woman is a virgin. I wonder that the Roman Catholic Church gives you that.

I think they're so goofy they don't even know what's in it. Because I think if they knew, they wouldn't stand for it. Now, have a look at this. To a virgin, not to a girl. To a virgin is the inspired word.

It's false to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and a virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her and said, Heal thou that art highly savoured, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.

And you're quite correct when you call the blessed virgin Mary. You have no trouble with that at all. Because I think you've got to always remember this, that she was blessed among women, not among women.

That's what the pagan church has done. She's just blessed among women. But she was really blessed. She's a very special character, you know, and we need to not let anybody play along with this word virgin.

Because this virgin birth is one of the fundamentals of the faith. Won't ever let anybody touch it, you know. Some of the boys say to me, you know, you could do away with a virgin birth and go to heaven, can you not?

I'm not a big idiot. You'll go to hell. I don't think they know what they're saying sometimes. If this child, the Lord Jesus, was not virgin born, do you know what you're saying? You're saying that Mary prayed about in the dark with some man and she had a child too.

Well I'll tell you what you're making the child, you're making the child a bastard. Oh it's a word that arouses you a bit, doesn't it? Well if a girl has a baby and we don't know the father, the child's a bastard according to the English language.

I hope you're not calling Christ a bastard. If you do this, then you're calling Mary a bad woman. If you don't believe in the virgin birth, where does the child come from? If she's praying about in the dark with a German, let's hope it is, what would he know about it?

I'd be amazed if a man standing two thousand years away from the thing, he knows the shape and size of the German. God pity us, why did we put up with it? If Mary was praying about with somebody, she was a bad woman.

I'll tell you this, if the child's a bastard and Mary's a bad woman, this book is a farce. This book is not true. We might as well go home and burn it. I'll tell you this, if Mary is a bad woman and Christ is a bastard and the book is a liar, then the cross is nonsense.

Jesus Christ is the sinful son of a sinful woman by a sinful power. He can't be your savior, can he? Oh, you're stuck where they preach this, are you, while you were at school. Don't be waiting too long, because we haven't too long to wait.

Get out! Stay out! I'll tell you this, that Mary, yes, she's a very important woman, she was chosen of God to be the mother of the Messiah. What a job! So he was an important woman, and Israel, after the wife of Jehovah, was an important woman.

And Mary is an important woman, and let me say this, that the church of Jesus Christ was an important woman, so she's the bride of Christ. Let's go to the letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6. Ephesians, chapter 5.

The Church as the Bride of Christ

Great portion here, all leads up to the truth. Verse 22, Ephesians 5, 22. Wise, submit yourselves unto your husbands, now you listen, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the savior of the body.

Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

You see, he's viewing the church here as the bride of Christ. He says in verse 31, For this God shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh.

This is the great mystery. But I speak concerning Christ and the church. You see, the church is the bride of Christ. And there's going to be a marriage supper one day, and we'll come to it in the book of Revelation, and you'll see the details.

Have you got these? Are they on your fingers, because I want to put them there. There's these, you know, and there's Israel, the wife of Jehovah. And there's the blessed Virgin Mary, and there's the church, the bride of Christ.

The Scarlet Woman and Babylon

Now, there's another woman very important, and it's Revelation 17, and we'll have to have a night or two of that when we come to it. But I want to show you this now for a very important reason. Revelation 17, verse 1,.

And there came one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials, and doth with me, saying unto me, Come hither, I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore. That's not a very nice name, is it?

Verse 3,. So he carried me away in the spirit into the woman, sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns, refers to the beast, of course.

Of course, when we look at this great figure, this man of sin that's coming, we shall see that this is him. But notice that the woman is riding the beast here. Saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast.

This lies upon her forehead was a name written, this is her name, it's in big letters, mystery. Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, abominations of the earth. Verse 6,. So I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints.

I'm perfectly sure that this is the Roman church. I will have no trouble at all in proving it, but I'll take my time to do it for you when we come to it. Yes, if you look back down through history and see the inquisition at work, you'll know who was drunk with the blood of the saints.

Now, here are five outstanding women, the outstanding women of the scriptures. There's Eve, there's Ephrael, there's Mary, there's the church, there's this great whore, this scarlet woman as I call her.

Identifying the Woman as Israel

Now, let's go back to a chapter again. We've especially started yet. In fact, we're not really started, but it's all right, are you? Well, now, we see that there is a woman on earth in the wilderness here in that particular period of the 42 months when the beast is here, when the two witnesses are here.

Now, who is this woman? Now, I listed one of the commentaries the other day, and they said it was Eve. Wouldn't that make you laugh? Do you really think that they're going to bring Eve back to that particular period?

I don't think it deserves to be even talked about. Some of them said that this is the Virgin Mary, and this is all her troubles. This is the troubles that she had in life. Well, we're going to examine this in a moment.

You'll find that this woman is clothed with the sun, and the moon is under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars. And do you ever remember the Virgin Mary being clothed with the sun at any time?

You know, I'll tell you this, that when Christ hung on the cross, and there was standing by the cross three women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary the wife of Cleopas. You know, as our Lord hung in agony, what a wonderful person he was.

He looked down at her, and he could see her, you know. She must have been aged now. After all, he's 33 and a half. And I think Joseph is dead. And you know, over a little bit he saw John standing, the apostle.

And he just lifted his landward eyes, and he looked at John, and he said, son, behold thy mother. He couldn't hold his hand, he just said, son, behold thy mother. And he looked at her, and he said, mother, behold thy son.

And the scripture says, John took her home from that moment forth. Like all the Roman Catholics denote that. That John looked after Mary. Mary didn't look after John, you know. Did you get the hold of He took her home and looked after her.

As she hadn't anything, she was just a poor Galilean. But she was blessed of God. She was the mother of the Messiah. She'll not be coming back into that period. Oh, not at all. You know, friends, in this book that we've been going through, we have noticed that the church is already at home in heaven, in chapter 5, singing, thou art worthy for thou art slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.

So they'll not be there. They'll be home by that time. England won't be there, and New England won't be there, and the Germans won't be there. There's only two left. And they'll both be there. Oh, Israel will be there, and the scarlet woman will be there, but she'll not be getting chaste.

She'll be on the back of the chaser, won't she? There's only one left. That's why I call the chapter, The Desolation of Israel. Oh, there's a lot of things to tie you up in the chapters. Now, this is Israel.

Now, as you look at this chapter, you'll have to see it like this. You know, God is telling us here what the nation will be like when he has finished with it. Oh, you know, he's going to put Israel into the melting pot, and he's going to squeeze all the unbelief out of them, and he's going to bring a remnant right through this tribulation period, and he's going to bring them into the great millennial reign of this redeemed, ransom people.

You know, in that day, this phrase can be said, they'll be clothed with the sun. Let's go back to the last chapter of the Old Testament, Malachi. Malachi, and we're at the very last chapter, chapter four it is.

Israel, the Sun of Righteousness, and the Messiah

Malachi, chapter four. Malachi, chapter four. Now, listen carefully to what it says. For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all that do wickedly shall disturb. And the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall not leave them neither root nor branch.

That terrible day that we've been thinking about in chapter eight, when these trumpets were being blown, when this fury of the fire came. Let's go, but unto you that fear my name. And remember, he's writing to Israel.

Unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. You know, our Lord Jesus Christ is presented in this book under two heavenly figures. He's the bright and morning star, and the sun of righteousness.

For those of you who know about the stars, you know that just before the morning really breaks, that the bright and morning star will sink. You know, friends, the Lord Jesus is coming for the church of the bright and morning star.

This is our blessed hope. And of course, this period of tribulation will run on this earth, and this nation is going to be put into the melting pot. Ah, but the Lord will come as the sun of righteousness.

For Israel, yes. And this remnant will go into this millennial kingdom clothed with the sun. Have a look again at what is said back in chapter 12 in Revelation. And there appeared a great sign in heaven.

A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. You know, you know about the moon, don't you? Well, you know the moon was given to rule the night. That's to do with the darkness of the night.

There will come a day when the Lord Jesus will take this nation of Israel and clothe her properly. And every conceivable form of darkness will be put under her feet. And I'll tell you that in that day, she'll not only be clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, but upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

There'll be no lost tribes, you know. All but there, and I'm not the British Israelite either. Yes, this is the picture of her when God has finished with her. This is why all heaven gets excited when they see this.

But God not only tells us here what she will be like when he has finished the job, but God tells us and reminds us what he has done through this nation. Let's never forget it was through this woman, through this nation, that our Savior came to this world.

Let's forget that. Now, let's see it now. We're at chapter 12. We're into verse 2 now. And she being with child tribes. And prevailing in birth, and came to be delivered. And there appeared another sign in heaven.

Don't let's go on with this sign too much for a moment. Behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his head. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, the angels went after him.