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of false prophets who deceive. At the same time a gospel activity is indicated witnessing
to all nations before the end come.
About this same time the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet
will be set up in the holy place. This evidently refers to the image of the Beast, Daniel's
prophecy indicates that the setting up of this abomination occurs in the midst of the final
seven years there referred to. This would leave 3½ years for the tribulation to run until
"the end". So, in perfect harmony, we read that the woman is fed 1,260 days (12: 6), or
(as in 12: 14), "a time, times and a half", in line with Daniel's cryptic utterance. Three
years and a half therefore before the end, and before the revelation of the Lord, the
man-child is caught up. This is the rapture of the overcomers. Some will be "accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass" (Luke 21: 36). The man-child
caught up and escaping the tribulation, the woman who flees into the wilderness, and the
remnants of her seed which are attacked by the dragon, cannot possibly represent the
same company of people. There are the overcomers who are destined to rule; there is the
woman, shielded, fed and protected in the wilderness; there are the seed that are left,
who are persecuted. It is evident that some believers are left to endure the fierce wrath of
the last days. Our attention however must be kept for the present upon the man-child.
Verse 11 adds a detail as to the character of these overcomers:--
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word
of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death."
The sign is a child under the menace of Satanic destruction; the reality is the faithful
testimony of those who loved not their lives unto the death. The dragon waiting to
devour is interpreted in verse 10 as "accusing the brethren before God day and night".
The moment of the rapture of these overcomers is at the sounding of the seventh
trumpet:--
"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" (12: 10).
The words "our brethren" attract attention. Who is it that say these words? The
speaker ("I heard a loud voice saying in heaven") is unnamed, but it is clear, from all
other similar references, that it cannot be a man. In Rev. 22: 9 an ANGEL says to
John:--
"I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy brethren, the prophets, and with them
that keep the sayings of this book."
We adopt the translation given in the Diaglott. "I am a fellow servant of thee", sounds
a contradiction in English. It means that the angel and John and the brethren are all upon
one common level in this aspect. An ANGEL, therefore, appears to be the one who calls
the overcomers "our brethren". These overcomers are to be identified with the Church of
the first-born who are enrolled in heaven (Heb. 12: 22). These have come to Mount Zion
(so had the hundred and forty-four thousand, Rev. 14: 1); and unto the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem. This is also said of the overcomers (Rev. 3: 12). These