John’s vision refers to the past, and future events in Revelation 12.
“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.” Revelation 12 : 1-5
The woman is Israel, built upon the promise to the Patriarchs, the sun and the moon and the 12 stars being Jacob’s sons.
In Genesis 37: 9-11 Joseph the youngest son of had a dream, ”The sun, the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to him.” The sun – Jacob, the moon – Rebekah, the eleven stars the sons of Jacob and Joseph was the twelfth son. Joseph’s dream pointed to Jesus, Joseph being a type of Christ.
The woman in the vision, is a descendent of Jacob through the line of Judah, King David from whom the Messiah was prophesied to descend from. Luke records the genealogy of Mary tracing her line back to Jacob and the Seth who was the son of Adam the son of God. Luke 3: 38.
Soon after Jesus’ birth we read his life was in danger.
We can determine through our Revelation reading, that the spiritual force working through King Herod was the red dragon representing Satan, who brought his demonic host against the holy child Jesus when King Herod ordered the slaughter of male children under the age of two years.
In verse 4 and verses 7-9 we can also identify the red dragon being thrown out of heaven to the earth, from the words of Jesus in Luke 10: 18 where he saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven, a past event.
The question arises at what point in the history of the earth did this event took place where Satan was cast out of heaven.
The Gap theory Arnold G Fruchtenbaum in his book ‘Footsteps of the Messiah’ maintains that between Genesis verse one and verse two there was a mineral earth, but without oceans, vegetation or people, Genesis 1: 1, 2. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2. The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the waters.”
Isaiah wrote, ”For thus says the Lord who created the heavens (he is God) who formed the earth and made it. He established it. He did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited.” Isaiah 45: 18.
Isaiah recognised that God doesn’t create chaos.
Fruchtenbaum writes: “When God judged Satan he was expelled out of heaven, he took up his abode here on the earth and as a result it became empty and void, it was covered with water and darkness. He continues, sometime after this, the 6 days of creation recorded in Genesis one.”
From the website www.gotquestions.org The author writes, “One difficulty of the gap theory is that it requires that creation suffer death and destruction before Adam’s fall. Romans 5:12 says, “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.” He continues in response to Romans 5: 12, Through Adam’s sin, evil entered our world and the realm of man was cursed. But rebellion already existed outside the realm of mankind (in the spiritual realm), since Satan and his angels had already fallen (Isaiah 14:12–14; Ezekiel 28:12–18). Sin could not enter the realm of man until man chose it. And Satan, via the serpent, successfully tempted man to make that choice.”
The answer to the question at what point, in the history of the earth did this event took place where Satan was cast out of heaven. Theologians would agree Satan appeared on the earth between Gen 1: 1,2 but the theory is still being debated.
But what we do know is that Moses recorded that Satan usurped the authority over the earth after the fall of man. He sought to undermine the fellowship between mankind and his creator. God created man out of dust and then he breathed into Adam his blood, giving him life. “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17: 11.
God told Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit, a few minutes later God saw them eating some fruit, “Didn’t I tell you not to eat the fruit.” “Uh, uh said Adam, “Then why did you” “I dunno, “Eve replied, “She started it” said Adam, “Did not” said Eve. Having had it with the two of them. God’s punishment Adam and Eve should have children of their own”.
The second Adam
Paul referes to Jesus the second Adam, who has redeemed us from the fall of Adam and Eve and the earth with his blood.
The blood and the word of salvation is acted upon by the Holy Spirit bringing forth a person, who is, a new creation in Christ, which includes a place in the new heaven and the new earth.
New heaven and the new earth
The seed of faith that is imperishable contains, the new heaven and the new earth within it. Jesus has achieved a complete work in his death, resurrection and ascension, so we are complete in him.
Jesus bore on his head the crown of thorns; this signified the redemption of the earth. This I believe does not mean restoring our present earth.
Isaiah wrote about the returning Jews from Babylon restoring of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple, but in the new heaven there is a new Jerusalem that is not built from the ruins of the old. The temple is Jesus himself.
So, the question arises when will this future event new earth and heaven take place?
Peter prophesied in 2 Peter 3: 10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare”. This takes place after Jesus calls out his church.
The great tribulation a seven year period precedes the coming of Jesu Israel will make a peace agreement with the antichrist followed by 3 and ½ years of peace, afterwards he makes war against Israel for a further 3 and ½ years. During this tribulation people come to faith in Jesus and will suffer, it may even mean being killed for their faith in Christ. But they will triumphant having been given the victory over death and enter into eternal life.
Revelation 12 Verse 11 “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
On Jesus return he reigns over the earth with a rod of iron and where Satan is let loose for a period of time before I believe the final battle takes place the destruction of the heaven and the earth.
Peter wrote “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3: 13
In John’s vision confirms Peter’s word of prophecy “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven had passed away and the sea was no more.” Revelation 21: 1.
The answer to the question when will this new earth and heaven take place? According to John’s vision a number of significant future events have yet to take place before the new heaven and earth replace our present earth and heaven.