CHAPTER 12

Revelation 12:1,2

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 crown of twelve stars.

2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

This great sign of a woman is described in celestial images such as being clothed by the sun and having the moon at her feet and on her head is a crown containing twelve stars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. This is reminiscent of Joseph's dream found in Genesis 37:9-11 in which the sun represents Joseph's Father and the moon his Mother and the twelve stars represent his 12 brothers who bow down before him. The woman spoken of here would scripturally represent the nation of Israel which has longed for and will finally give birth to the most special child ever born - the Messiah - In Isaiah 54:6 & Hosea 2:19,20 God speaks of Israel as a pure woman. This chapter summarizes the most awesome drama ever to be enacted and describing to us the promise God had made that He would provide a way out from the curse of sin. This would be accomplished through the child that would be born through this pregnant woman spoken of here who is clothed with the sun which reflects the very glory of God and is shown travailing in birth. The pain described here would refer to the travailing of Israel under Roman oppression.

Revelation 12:3,4

3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads

4 His 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 he might devour her child the moment it was born.

As the woman prepared to give birth a huge red dragon - later identified as Satan in verse 9 came and stood before the woman to kill the child when it was delivered. The dragon's seven heads, ten horns and seven crowns symbolizes its dominion over the entire world. The description of this dragon (Satan) symbolically refers to his fierce power and his murderous nature and the crowns his presumptive claim of royalty - he wants to be king. Many commentators believe that the third part of the stars that are thrown to the earth are describing one-third of the angelic host in league with Satan who were cast out of Heaven with him.

Revelation 12:5

She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and to his throne.

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Isaiah 9:6-7

6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no End. Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice.

When God came to earth in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who was destined to rule the world with a rod of iron, Satan attempted through pagan Rome to destroy Him. But he was only allowed to 'bruise' Him not destroy Him. When Jesus gave His life for the sins of the world He did so willingly as an act of self-sacrificing love, no one took it from Him. Then God through His Spirit raised Him from the dead and brought Him back to His eternal home to stand by His throne.

John 10:17-18

17 The reason my Father loves Me is that I lay down My life only to take it up again.

18 No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

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Revelation 12:6

The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

The woman is seen fleeing to the wilderness, a desert place to escape the persecution of the dragon (Satan) to a place God has prepared for her. The woman represents the Nation of Israel so we see here that God has planned to prepare a place for these His chosen people on earth. Some even think this place in the wilderness is the rock city of Petra, south of the Dead Sea, so much so that some Christian businessmen have even stocked the place with food and evangelistic tracts written in Hebrew. This verse also helps us to understand more clearly that the woman referred to is the Nation of Israel and not Mary or some other woman. The two thousand and threescore days represents the last 31/2 years of the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 12:7-9

7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (Satan),and the dragon and his angels fought back.

8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.

9 The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

John now is witness to a battle in Heaven between the Arch Angel Michael and his Angels versus the dragon (Satan) and his angels. This is a battle between two equals for Satan is the counterpart of Michael who is the chief Angel and Satan who was once called the angel of light. Satan and his angels loose this battle and they are kicked out of Heaven. Take notice of the names and titles attributed to Satan, great dragon, old serpent, the Devil, and the accuser of the Brethren, the one who deceives the whole world. Satan's fall is great for he goes from being a glorified angel who is banished from Heaven to the accuser of the brethren destined to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.

Revelation 12:10-12

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now has come the salvation the power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down (to earth).

11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives unto death.

12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

Because of Christ's victory over death and His bodily resurrection all Heaven breaks out with a shout of victory. Jesus has conquered the power of sin and death and the accuser of the brethren has been cast out of Heaven. Verse eleven gives us three keys to the Saint's victory over Satan.

1. The Blood of the Lamb - The accuser may accuse us but those accusations mean nothing because the price for our redemption has been paid in full by the precious 'Blood of the Lamb'. His literal death in our place and the literal judgment He bore on our behalf, is what saves us.

2. The Word of their testimony - As faithful witnesses their testimony overcame Satan's deceptions and this testimony was what they themselves had experienced of God's redeeming Grace and Satan's lies had no hold on them.

3. They Loved not their lives unto death - By their not clinging to their earthly lives and by believing that 'to live is Christ, and to die is gain' Satan has no hold on them and they have nothing to fear from him.

All the inhabitants of Heaven are told to rejoice because of the eviction of Satan, but to those on earth he says 'Woe to them' because of Satan being among them and because he knows he is beaten and that the time he has left is short, he is furious and very dangerous.

Revelation 12:13-14

13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.

In his anger Satan will seek to exact revenge from the woman (Israel). He attacks her and persecutes her with the intent of destroying her but God who is always near protects her. The two wings of a great eagle we read about here are an emblem such as those spoken of in the Book of Exodus during the deliverance. Some commentators have even described them as a great military transport plane that is used to evacuate people in an emergency. The wilderness place is the same place referred to in Chapter 12:6, which is called the rock city of Petra that is South of the Dead Sea.

Exodus 19:4

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

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Revelation 12:15,16

15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.

16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

This water spewed out by the serpent (Satan) to destroy the woman (Israel) is a symbol of the fury (persecution) that is poured out against Israel and is believed to be that which Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:20,21.

Matthew 24:20-21

20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-and never to be equaled again.

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Revelation 12: 17

Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring-those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

The dragon's (Satan) wrath is focused on God's people and most likely refers to both Jews and Gentiles who are 'the rest of her offspring' who through obedience are holding on to their testimony of trusting in God's love and forgiveness and enduring to the end through all of the persecution and this infuriates the dragon (Satan).