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each day on our A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE Revelation 12:7-17 Verse 7: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, Verse 8: And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. Verse 9: And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Some Bible authorities believe that this war in heaven began at the time of the Rapture in chapter 4, verse 1. Since a war involves a number of skirmishes or battles, this is a distinct possibility. The assumption is based on Daniel 12:1 and 2. These scholars reason that since those who are caught up in the rapture of the Church must pass through the areas where Satan reigns-the aerial and stellar heavens-Satan becomes aroused and attempts to hinder this evacuation of the saints from the earth. However, as he attempts to interfere in this glorious event, angels-ministers of the saints (see Hebrews 1:14)-rush to the rescue, and the space confrontation and conflagration begins. This happened in the past-why could it not occur again? Where did it happen in the past? Consider Daniel 10:13 as we are introduced to Michael, the commander in chief of heaven's armies. Daniel says, But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes [an angelic name and title], came to help me. God tells Daniel that He had every intention of answering His prayers, but that for twenty-one days the devil tried to hinder the response. Finally God had to send Michael to battle the devil in the area of his domain (the first and second heavens) in order to make the answer a reality. Thus, it is possible that Michael will again battle God's adversary at the time of the Rapture in order to allow Christians their entrance into glory in the twinkling of an eye, as promised in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54. Michael is mentioned five times in God's Word, beginning with Daniel 10:13. We find him again in Daniel 10:21 where he is described to the Children of Israel as Michael, your prince. His third mention is in Daniel 12:1: And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people. In Jude 9, we find Michael, the archangel, contending with the devil over the body of Moses. Notice that every time Michael appears, he is connected with the Children of Israel-making it very plausible that he is at war with Satan in our present and fifth text, defending the Jewish people. The war is on, and it is the greatest aerial combat in history: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon [Satan]; and the dragon fought and his angels. Are you shocked to discover Satan in heaven? Most people (including most Christians) imagine him as a little creature dressed in a red uniform, running around in a place called hell, jabbing his victims with a pitchfork. This is all a lot of mythological nonsense. Satan is a magnificent creature to behold. In fact, his beauty brought his ruin. Ezekiel 28:17 states: Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Not only is it a lie to picture Satan as a grotesque monstrosity, but it is equally false to place him in hell. He has never been there. He is the god of this world system, the prince of the power of the air, and the prince of this world, as we have already observed. He has been in heavens one and two (the aerial and stellar heavens) since his fall-and he will remain there until he is cast to the earth in verse 9. It is also important to note that he is not cast into eternal hell (the lake of fire) to join those he has duped until after the Millennium (chapter 20, verse 10). Now, as this battle is fought, Satan is defeated. Praise God! Satan is mighty, but God is Almighty! Satan can destroy, but God can destroy the destroyer! That is why the Christian should never fear the events of daily life. He has victory in Jesus. Yes, greater is he that is in you, than -he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Satan's demise began when he was cast out of the third heaven (see Isaiah 14:12-14), continues until Revelation 12:9 when he is cast out of the first and second heavens, and is completed when he is cast into the lake of fire (chapter 20, verse 10). John foresaw that hour and said, The prince of this world [shall] be cast out (John 12:31) and the prince of this world is judged (John 16:11). To the eternal Christ, Satan's doom was as good as accomplished, but for you and me, time had to pass. Now, in our text, the moment has arrived: (Satan and his angels) prevailed not (verse 8.) Michael's gunners zero in, and Satan's place-an abiding location for centuries-is found no longer. Instead, the dragon (Satan) which deceiveth the whole world: [is] cast out into the earth, and his angels [are] cast out with him. This signals the end of Satan's rule in the aerial and stellar heavens, and the victory celebration begins. All heaven rejoices over that which Michael's defeat of Satan has accomplished. Verse 10: And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. The spontaneous praise session within this verse occurs because (1) salvation from Satan's atmospheric control has taken place; (2) God's strength has crushed Satan's might; (3) the kingdom is about to arrive; and (4) the power of Christ will be seen as He comes to set up His kingdom. Think of it! The united power of Father and Son casts the accuser of the brethren out of the heavens. Did you know that accusing the brethren is Satan's present ministry? He also uses some ministers and holier-than-thou church members to accomplish this goal. Listen carefully. Every bit of slander against another brother or sister in Christ is simply the devil using an individual's mind and vocal cords. In fact, devil means "slanderer. The term false accuser in the English Bible is translated from the word diabolos or devil. Thus, Titus 2:3 states: The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers. Literally rendered, this verse states: "That the aged women be not she devils." A woman who gossips is a "she devil," and a male gossip is a "macho devil." Both are controlled by the power of the vile one. No wonder lying is one of the seven sins God hates (see Proverbs 6:16-19). When Satan is cast out into the earth (verse 9), the hot spot will be our terra firma where men walk and breathe. At that time there will be only one place of safety and victoryin the arms of the Lord Jesus through His shed blood. Verse 11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. These wise saints resisted Satan by the blood of Jesus and by the Word of God. There is no other way to win a spiritual battle (see Hebrews 4:12). They also overcame Satan by their testimony and loved not their own lives unto death. What a crown awaits them-and you, if you're true blue! Thus, John states in Revelation 2:10: Be thou faithful unto death, and l will give thee a crown of life. Though there is rejoicing in the heavenlies, the picture is quite different for earth dwellers. Verse 12: Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. At this point Satan unleashes all his fury for he knows that within forty-two months (three and one-half years), his reign will be ended. Thus, the great anti-Semitic purge now begins. Verse 13: And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. Immediately God intervenes. Verse 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 verse describes God in His sovereignty and love, protecting His chosen people for three and one-half years. The eagle's wings probably indicate an airlift or some other miraculous speedy escape. God is probably reminding the Children of Israel of His act of preservation in Pharaoh's day, and uses the picture of wings to show them His goodness. He declares, Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself (Exodus 19:4). Safety is promised to His people. Verse 15: And 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. The flood undoubtedly portrays a volume of propaganda-anti-Semitic insinuations, slanders, and slurs-released internationally. Yet, God promises: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19). Verse 16: And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. This verse, too, is reminiscent of the miraculous deliverance God provided the Children of Israel during their exodus from Egypt, when the Red Sea closed in over Pharaoh and his army. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them (Exodus 15:9-12). At this point Satan reaches the height of his anger. Verse 17: And 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. CHANGED LIVES-one at a time Dear Jack & Rexella Van Impe, I am enjoying your TV program. It is a blessing to my soul. I watch your program every Sunday. I have all the respect in the world for you and your wife. You tell us the whole truth. I have been a Christian since I was nine years old. Now I am seventeen years old and still living the life of a Christian. I've been going through trials and tribulation, but I know it is only to make me stronger in the Lord. Sincerely,
Dear Dr. Jack and Rexella Van Impe, Keep up the good work! I religiously (no pun intended) watch your show on TBN! What an insightful show. I truly look forward to Christ Jesus return! Thank you for your show and your ministry. I look forward to seeing you in my home next week. With love in Christ,
I am new to your Web site; however I am not new to listening to your show on TV. I appreciate the information you share (that most news shows do not!) and I truly appreciate your boldness and obedience in witnessing to people. I believe that time is indeed short û Jesus is coming again soon and people should know and be prepared. Thank you for all of your hard work! HIGHLIGHTED PRODUCT OFFERS Daniel: Final End-Time Mysteries Unsealed "Everything Jews, Gentiles and Christians need to know about their future is predicted in the book of Daniel" God commanded Daniel to seal the mysteries of his prophetic book until "the time of the end." What did it mean? Only when the final predicted events began to occur would the Spirit reveal His mysteries to present-day messengers ... That time is now! Dr. Jack Van Impe has poured more than 300 hours of research into this project, studying every book possible on the subject by the greatest scholars. Now he and Rexella have recorded their findings on 7 hours of exciting video tape. Here's a list of the end-time mysteries unveiled and made perfectly clear and understandable on this dynamic video series:
Running time: 7 hours
It makes the book of Revelation plain and clear in just one hour and 40 minutes of video teaching! With a chapter by chapter explanation of the book of Revelation, Dr. Jack Van Impe makes one of the most misunderstood books of prophecy simple and easy to understand, giving you an outline of every important event about to take place on the time clock of human history! WE ACCEPT PRAYER REQUESTS HERE We receive prayer requests from far and wide via the mail, fax, phone, email and now through the prayer section of our website. FEEDBACK: Please help us with your valuable input. Let us know if you enjoyed this electronic newsletter. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! CONTACT INFORMATION: E-MAIL: jvimi@jvim.com PHONE: (248) 852-5225 (8am-4:30pm Eastern Time) FAX: (248) 852-2692 MAIL: Jack Van Impe Ministries JVIM FAMILY OF WEBSITES: JVIM PROPHECY
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