The second group will be converted by the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom by the Two Witnesses.

           Those will be trying times for the Israelites who will not commit idolatry by bowing the knee to the Image of the Beast. It will be a war of persecution that the Antichrist will wage against them, and thousand will die a martyr's death.

The Remnant that is left behind is divided into two groups.

       First are those who keep the Commandments of God, they are Orthodox Jews who observe the Old Testament Law.

       Second are those who accept the testimony of Jesus Christ, they accept Jesus as their promised Messiah.

The Woman isn't the Church, it's Israel.

         When the Church is caught out [raptured] no remnant is left behind, all that are 'In Christ' are taken away; but the Woman [Israel, the Jews] flee into the wilderness, the remnant that is left behind.

Confused trying to destroy the Woman, the Dragon will turn to make war against the remnant of her seed, against those Israelites left in Palestine or the nations that keep the commandments of God, and have a testimony of Jesus Christ.

           Here he will give the Beast [antichrist] his power and his seat and his great authority.

The Jewish Remnant
Revelation 12:17

"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."

The 'Woman' and the 'Dragon' are symbols and so are the 'Eagle's Wings.'

             They speak of the flight of Israel [the woman] into the 'Wilderness' where she will be kept safe and cared for, for 3 1/2 years until the Dragon [satan] is bound.

The Woman will be given 'Wings of a Great Eagle' so she can fly into the 'Wilderness,' into 'Her Place' where she will be nourished for  a time, times and half a time, or 3 1/2 years.

When the Dragon is cast out of Heaven onto the earth, he knows he's been defeated by the Man-Child, who takes His place of power.

         He [the Dragon] will turn his hatred on the Sun-Clothed Woman [who is Israel] who gave the Man-Child birth.

The Persecution of the Sun-Clothed Woman
Revelation12:13-16

"And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the Woman which brought forth the Man-Child.
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 [3 1/2 years], from the face of the Serpent [The Dragon].
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.
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."

All the evil powers will be imprisoned during the Millennium, with Satan, the Heavens will be clean during that period, and this will account for the rule of righteousness and peace of those days.

When the Dragon and all the Principalities and Powers of evil that occupy the 'middle heaven'; that's the heaven between the atmosphere of our earth and the 'third heaven' where God dwells, are cast out and down, then the Heavens will be clean in God's sight.

The prophet Daniel tells us that it will be the 'Time of Trouble' that is to come on the Jews and that this time is the Great Tribulation.

        At that time Michael the Archangel will stand up and deliver the Jews and the result will be a war in heaven and the Jews will be delivered, not from the Great Tribulation, but out of it.

While Satan has been the 'Accuser of the Brethren' for ages, the reference is made to the Jewish Remnant (the brethren of Christ) who will go through great persecution during the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation Period and will die as martyrs.

           They are the 'souls of them  that were slain for the Word of God,' and they overcome by the 'Blood of the Lamb' and the 'Word of their Testimony' and as martyrs they 'loved not their lives unto the death.'

Satan is the god of the world systems, of the earth.

         These world systems include business, society, politics and religions.

                  He is the ruler of the powers of darkness of the spirit world.  He is so mighty that a person can't successfully resist him without God's help.

Satan is a great 'Celestial Potentate.'  He is the 'Prince of the powers of the air' and the 'God of this world.'

          He is not the God of this earth, that belongs to the Creator-God.  'The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.'

Antichrist is going to have Babylon, rebuilt, for his Capital City.

         He will be King of Babylon and also King of Tyrus.

When the Antichrist becomes the Beast, he is an incarnation of satan.

One thing is certain, the Dragon/Satan is a created being; one of the most exalted type.

         Before his rebellion, he was "The Anointed Cherub that Covereth". He was the protector of the "Throne of God."

         He was perfect in all his ways from when he was created to the day iniquity was found in him.

         He was the "fullness of wisdom" and the "perfection of beauty".   But all that caused his downfall 'pride'.

The War in Heaven is started by trying to run the Dragon and his angels out of Heaven.

          Satan, the Dragon and his angels were not cast out of Heaven at the time he rebelled and held in some prison because he was able to visit the Garden of Eden and tempt Adam and Eve and he had access to God in Heaven in the days of Job,  2,000 years before Jesus and he was free to visit the earth in Jesus' day.

The Archangel
War in Heaven
Revelation 12:7-12

"And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon: and the Dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not: neither was their place found any more in Heaven.
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.
And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of 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.
And they overcame him (the Dragon) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death (martyr's death).
Therefore rejoice, the 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."

Politics will have no place in the government, the people will not be oppressed by those in power, rights will be accorded to everyone, and everyone sit under his own vine and fig tree.

Jesus Christ's 1,000 year rule will be dominating, He will rule over the Nations with a rod of iron.  This means that He will, will be supreme.

          We can't imagine His rule to be other than a rule of love.

John takes us to God's dealing with ISREAL.

         The flight of the Woman is not until after the War in Heaven. She flees for her own safety.

"And the Woman fled into the Wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand, two hundred and threescore days."

          The flight of the Woman ISREAL into the Wilderness to escape from the Antichrist. John is not dealing here with the Church.

                   The Woman and her Child has to account for the Dragon's wrath against her because he didn't succeed in destroying her Child (Jesus Christ) when He was born.

The Man-Child
Revelation 12:5-6

"And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His Throne."

           As a result of her travail the Sun-clothed Woman brought forth a Man-Child who was to rule the nations.

                    There is no question as to who is the Man-Child; Christ.