The Lord's Table - Revelation 12

Rev 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. ² Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
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. 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. 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. 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.

I believe that many of the Lord's children will be protected, as well as fed by the Lord, in the wilderness during the Great Tribulation. Even now, I believe God is raising up people to prepare a place of God's choosing, in remote areas for this time. I refer to this as the ministry of Joseph. During the seven years of plenty, God's servant Joseph, stockpiled enough food to feed both Egypt, as well as the surrounding nations for the seven year famine that followed.  God also, instructed Noah to build an ark for the survival of mankind, if Noah had not been obedient to the Lord, none of us would be here today. God did not build the ark for Noah, but instructed him how to do it, and it took Noah one hundred and twenty years to complete the ark. I believe that those who will hear God's voice will be prepared for this time of war, famine, as well as persecution.  God will have his ark's of safety and provision established in remote areas for this time. Now is the time to make preparation for the seven years of distress ahead. 

In Rev 12 we read about the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a garland of twelve stars upon her head, this is a representation of Israel. The twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel, and she bore a male child who will rule the nations with a rod of iron, as well as will be caught up to Heaven, this of course is our Lord Jesus Christ.  The description of the woman is similar to Joseph's dream (Genesis 37:9-11). In that dream, the sun represented Jacob, the moon represented Joseph's mother Rachel, and the eleven stars were the sons of Israel which bowed down to Joseph. In this sign with twelve stars, Joseph is now among the other tribes of Israel. I also believe that this comparison to Joseph's dream is an indication of God's provision in the wilderness. The dragon who is making war with the woman is Satan, working through his anti-christ, and beast empire. 

  Rev 12:13  Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. ¹⁴ But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. ¹⁵ So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷ And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  

Rev 12:13-17 speaks further of the persecution against the church. The woman is given two wings of an eagle so that she may fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for three and a half years. Satan (the dragon), is enraged and makes war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The woman mentioned in this chapter is symbolic of Jewish believers in Christ, and the rest of her offspring is a reference to the gentile Christians. Rev 12 is not a reference to the modern day nation of Israel. It is a reference to both Jews, as well as gentiles in Christ. Apart from Christ, there is no salvation or protection from God. May those who have open hearts to God, read this prophecy and understand.