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Commentary on Revelation

Chapter 12

The seven mystic figures

The woman with child

Rev. 12:1 And a great portent 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 with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery.

Who is this woman? She wears the sun and the moon which Gen. 1:17 reminds us were designed to give light to the world. She wears a crown of twelve stars. Recall that 12 is the number of God's people (12 patriarchs, 12 tribes, 12 apostles). Does she represent the Church? No, she is depicted as having existed before the birth of Christ. She includes the Church, however. She represents all of God's people throughout time. (Isaiah 54:1ff and Micah 4:9ff also depict God's people as a woman.) Who is the child? Jesus descended through the Jewish line; that is, he came from those who were God's people under the old covenant. Thus, the child is Jesus who from a physical perspective was brought forth from out of God's people. (See verse 5 below.) The destiny of the woman depends upon this child; her sin made his birth necessary.

The dragon

3 And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth;

A powerful, blood thirsty dragon appears waiting to devour the child. Where have we seen this same cast assembled before? Genesis 3:15 - God said to the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Compare, also, Romans 16:20 - "then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." Who then is this dragon? Satan acting through Rome. That Rome is involved is clear from the dragon's description: seven heads with diadems and ten horns. The details regarding these descriptions will be given when they appear again in 13:1 and 17:7. The stars may represent God's people. Compare Gen. 15:5, Daniel 12:3, Matt. 13:43. Their fall to earth may indicate that the dragon caused them to fall away from God. That is, they become part of "those who dwell upon the earth." This is a further indication of the power of the dragon. The dragon waits to devour the child: Satan had attempted to do this while acting directly through Herod the Great, but, of course, he had even then been acting indirectly through Rome since it was by their authority that Herod ruled. See also Jer. 51:34 where Babylon swallows God's people "like a monster." Egypt, who also tried to devour a servant of God as a child (Moses) and who persecuted God's people, is called a great dragon in Ezekiel 29:3.

The male child

5 she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Here we have further evidence that the child represents Jesus. He was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. (Compare Psalm 2:8,9; Rev. 2:26-28; 19:15.) Before the dragon could devour the child he was caught up to God and to his throne. That is, Jesus ascended to Heaven and out of Satan's grasp. Satan failed to defeat Jesus when he was most vulnerable. He certainly won't fair any better after Jesus has ascended to rule from Heaven! The woman is separated from the child for 3.5 years. That is, the separation is neither permanent nor complete. God nourishes and sustains her during the interim. God assures his people that although they are being persecuted by Rome and although Jesus is no longer with them in person, that situation will not last forever and while it does last God will be with them to sustain them and protect them. This is the third time and the third different way that this message has been delivered to the readers of this book. Israel was also nourished in the wilderness while running from the great dragon Egypt (Ezekiel 29:3).

The angel Michael

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world - he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

This is not a literal war. Satan was defeated at the cross. Recall John 12:31 - "Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out." Jesus did not need Michael to do something he had already accomplished himself. This battle (like everything else here) is symbolic. This battle and its outcome simply emphasizes the point that if Satan couldn't defeat Jesus while he was on the earth he certainly can't defeat him now that he is in Heaven. The angel Michael serves here as Christ's representative. In Daniel 12:1 he is called "the great prince" who has charge of God's people. He may have been the angel pictured in Revelation 10. No place is found in Heaven for the dragon and his angels. That is, his assault on Heaven is a complete failure. His defeat is decisive. When Jesus ascended he had completely defeated Satan. Recall:

1. 1 John 3:8 The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

2. John 16:11 The ruler of this world is judged.

3. John 16:33 I have overcome the world.

4. Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him. [That is, in Jesus, or as some translations read, in it, meaning the cross.]

5. Hebrews 2:14 That through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil.

The message: The power behind Rome has already been defeated.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Now have salvation, power, the kingdom of God, and the authority of Christ come. We have seen language like this before. (Rev. 11:15, for example.) As before, this passage does not mark the beginning of God's kingdom or Christ's authority. Instead it depicts a public vindication and reaffirmation of those things. (Recall our earlier comments concerning the reign of Christ.) Similar language was used in Luke 21:31 with regard to the fall of Jerusalem. Satan was conquered by the blood of the Lamb (Christ) and by the word of their testimony; that is, the gospel. Satan was defeated by the death of Christ and by the forgiveness of sins which was made available through his blood. The death of Christ was a defeat - but not for him. The death of Christ was a judgment - but not against him. Those who conquered loved not their lives even unto death. Recall Dietrich Bonhoeffer's reminder that "when Jesus calls a man, he bids him to come and die." Jesus taught that true discipleship began with the denial of self. Many teach that even if God did not exist, the Christian life would still be the happiest way to live. Nonsense! Christianity consists in a denial of self; a forsaking of one's own concerns in favor of others. Any happiness we derive from following Christ is based upon Christ himself. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor. 15:19 that "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied." That would be a Christian's condition if Christ did not exist. That is, the Christian life without Christ would be a truly miserable life.

1. Matthew 16:24 If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

2. Acts 20:24 Paul says "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

3. John 12:25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

12 Rejoice then, O heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"

Those who dwell in Heaven are told to rejoice. Remember that God's people, even those on earth, are pictured in Revelation as dwelling in Heaven. The phrase "those who dwell upon the earth" always refers to the enemies of God. This parallels the New Testament teaching that spiritually Christians do dwell in Heaven. Recall:

1. Col. 3:1-2 "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

2. Phil. 3:18-20 "For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

God's people are told to rejoice because their victory is assured. The Lamb has conquered Satan through his death and the power of his word. He could not defeat Jesus while he was on earth and certainly won't be able to do any better now that Jesus has ascended to Heaven. The power behind Rome was utterly and completely defeated at the cross. Rome will be the next to go. Satan used Rome without any regard for its welfare; that is, Satan came down to it "in great wrath." Satan knows his time is short. That is, Satan's opportunity to attack the Church through Rome will not last forever. Just as Satan grasped his opportunity and attempted to kill Jesus in his infancy, Satan also saw an opportunity and attempted to crush the Church in its infancy. In each case, Satan failed and was utterly defeated.

13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had borne the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

The dragon saw that he had been thrown down to earth, so he pursued the mother of the child. That is, Satan realized that his plans to defeat Jesus had backfired so he began to attack Jesus's followers. (When did Satan realize his plan to kill Jesus was being used against him? Perhaps he was behind the dream Pilate's wife had in Matt. 27:19.) Remember, persecution does not mean that God is not in control. He was in control at the cross and he was in control while Rome persecuted the Church. The woman is given wings with which to escape. That is, the woman is protected and preserved by God. Wings are often used to symbolize God's protection:

1. Ex. 19:4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

2. Deut. 32:11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the Lord alone did lead them.

3. Ps. 36:7 How precious is thy steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of thy wings.

4. Isa. 40:31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

The dragon attempts to kill the woman with a flood yet the earth swallows the water. Where did God literally use dry land to defeat Satan? When Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea (Compare Ex. 14:21-31 and Ps. 106:9). Here, as then, God is pictured as defeating Satan on his own turf. Note: The conflict between Egypt and the Israelites parallels the conflict between Rome and the Church in many ways. Events that occurred literally in Exodus are frequently used symbolically in Revelation to remind the reader of the earlier similar conflict in Egypt and its final outcome. The dragon wages war against the offspring the woman. The woman herself and her child are beyond the reach of the dragon. That is, Jesus and the Church (as a whole) are unstoppable and cannot be defeated by Satan. However, Satan still wages war against individual Christians; that is, against the other offspring of the woman. The promise given in Revelation that Satan will not be able to defeat the Church is not new or unique to this book. Recall Jesus's statement in Matt. 16:18 - "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it." Compare Hebrews 2:14 - "That through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil." Chapter 12 ends by saying that "the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus." Chapter 13 provides the details of this attack. In particular, Chapter 13 will introduce us to two of the weapons which Satan used in his battle against the Church; namely, a beast from the sea and a beast from the earth. As we will see, these beasts each represent Rome but do so from different perspectives. Many of the images in this chapter may also be found in Daniel 7. Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and 17 comprise some of the most impressive examples of predictive prophecy in the Bible.