<< Previous | Index | Next >>"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" The Woman, The Child, & The Dragon (12:1-17) INTRODUCTION 1. With chapter twelve a transition is made... a. Between Christ's judgment on Jerusalem (chs. 6-11) b. And His judgment on Rome (chs. 13-19) 2. To expedite the transition, we are told of Satan's effort to destroy the work of Christ and His church a. That failed to prevent the coming of Christ and His ascension to power b. That led to a failed war in heaven between the angelic forces of good and evil c. That failed to destroy the Messianic community at its beginning d. That would then involve an attempt to deceive the world to destroy the Messianic community [Let's begin with reading the text, noticing the main points in outline form, proposing questions to be answered...] I. THE TEXT IN OUTLINE FORM A. THE WOMAN WITH CHILD... (1-2) 1. A great sign appeared in heaven, in which a woman is clothed: a. With the sun b. With the moon under her feet c. A garland of twelve stars on her head 2. Being with child, she cried out in labor and pain to give birth -- Who is this woman? Who is the child? B. THE DRAGON READY TO DEVOUR THE CHILD... (3-4) 1. Another great sign appeared in heaven: a great, fiery red dragon a. With seven heads, ten horns, seven diadems on the heads b. With a tail which threw a third of the stars of heaven to the earth 2. Standing before the woman, ready to devour the child as soon as it is born -- Who is the dragon? C. THE OUTCOME OF THE CHILD AND THE WOMAN... (5-6) 1. The male child is born a. Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron b. Who was caught up to God and His throne 2. The woman fled into the wilderness a. Where she has a place prepared by God b. Where she is fed for 1,260 days -- Who is this child? Who is this woman? Where did the woman flee? For how long? D. A WAR IN HEAVEN... (7-9) 1. Involving Michael and his angels with the dragon and his angels 2. The dragon and his angels did not prevail a. No place was found for them in heaven any longer b. The dragon and his angels were cast to the earth c. The dragon identified 1) That serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan 2) Who deceives the whole world -- When did this war in heaven take place? E. A LOUD VOICE IN HEAVEN... (10-12) 1. Proclaiming victory for Christ and His brethren a. Salvation, strength, the kingdom of God, and the power of Christ have come 1) For the accuser of the brethren has been cast down 2) Who had accused them before God day and night b. How the brethren overcame the accuser: 1) By the blood of the Lamb 2) By the word of their testimony 3) They did not love their lives to the death 2. A call to rejoice, along with a warning a. For those in heaven, rejoice! b. For the inhabitants of the earth and sea, woe! 1) For the devil has come down to them having great wrath 2) Knowing that he has only a short time -- When did this victory occur? Who had reason to rejoice? Who had reason to weep? F. THE DRAGON'S ATTEMPT TO PERSECUTE THE WOMAN... (13-16) 1. Cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child 2. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle a. That she might fly into the wilderness to her place b. Where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time c. Safe from the presence of the serpent 3. The serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman a. Hoping to cause her to be carried away b. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing up the flood -- Again, who is this woman? Who helped the woman? Where did the woman flee? How long? G. THE DRAGON'S INTENT TO PERSECUTE HER OFFSPRING... (17) 1. Enraged with the woman he cannot reach, the dragon goes to make war with the rest of her offspring 2. The rest of her offspring identified: a. Those who keep the commandments of God b. Those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ -- Who are the rest of her offspring? Where do we read the results of the dragon's efforts? [With the text and related questions fresh on our minds, permit me to offer my understanding and answers to the questions raised...] II. INTERPRETATION OF THE TEXT A. THE IDENTITY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS TEXT... 1. I suggest the woman represents the spirit of faithfulness in God's messianic community (perhaps best exemplified by Mary) who kept covenant with God a. Called "the daughter of Zion" in prophecy (cf. Mic 4:10; 5:2ff; Isa 66:7ff) b. She produced not only Christ, but His first disciples as well, beginning with the faithful Jewish Christian community that escaped the fall of Jerusalem by fleeing into the wilderness (cf. Re 12:13-16) 2. The male child is obviously Jesus Christ a. Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron - Re 12:5; cf. Psa 2:9; Re 2:27; 19:15 b. Who was caught up to God and His throne - Re 12:5; Lk 24:51; Ac 1:9-11 c. And received glory, dominion, a kingdom that all should serve Him - cf. Mt 28:18; Dan 7:13-14 3. The great, fiery red dragon is Satan - Re 12:9 a. Who deceives the whole world b. With great power (symbolized by having seven heads, seven diadems, ten horns) c. Who failed to prevent Christ from establishing His church (kingdom) 4. The rest of her offspring are the disciples of Christ other than those in the faithful Jewish Christian community - Re 12:17 a. Who keep the commandments of God - cf. Re 14:12; 22:14; Mt 28:19-20 b. Who have the testimony of Jesus Christ - cf. Re 1:9; 6:9; 1Jn 5:10 -- With the identity of the characters in this text before us, we are ready to summarize the chapter B. A SUMMARY OF THIS CHAPTER... 1. The chapter reveals why a period of great tribulation was about to come upon Christians, especially in Asia Minor where the seven churches were located - cf. Re 2:10 2. Satan was frustrated by being thwarted at every turn a. Satan failed to devour the child as soon as He was born - Re 12:4; cf. Mt 2:13-21 b. Satan failed to prevent Christ from being caught up to God and His throne to rule the nations with a rod of iron - Re 12:5; cf. Mt 28:18; Ep 1:20-22; 1Pe 3:22; Re 2:26-27 c. Satan and his angels lost the war against Michael and his angels in heaven - Re 12:7-8 1) Many believe this "war" took place before the creation 2) But in the context it may have been a battle following the ascension of Christ - cf. Ep 6:12 d. Satan was cast out of heaven to the earth, his defeated angels with him - Re 12:9-10 e. Satan was overcome by those he accused (in heaven?), through the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and that they did not love their lives to the death - Re 12:10-11; cf. Re 6:9 f. Satan was unable to defeat the woman (the faithful Jewish Christian community) that escaped the fall of Jerusalem by fleeing into the wilderness in Palestine for 1260 days (time, times and a half a time, i.e., 3 and a half years) - Re 12:13-16; cf. also Re 12:6 3. Satan therefore changed his attention from Jewish Christians in Palestine to Christians in Roman lands, i.e., the woman's offspring - cf. Re 12:17 -- While heaven rejoices, woe is pronounced to those on earth (is this the "third woe"?), because Satan knows his ability to deceive the nations is limited - cf. Re 12:9; 13:14; 19:20; 20:3,8,10 CONCLUSION 1. Again, chapter twelve serves as a transition between the two major sections of Revelation... a. The first describing judgment upon unfaithful Jerusalem - Re 6-11 b. The latter describing judgment upon pagan Rome - Re 13-19 2. It reveals how the persecution of the early church increased exponentially... a. When at first it was mostly at the hand of unfaithful Jerusalem (cf. the book of Acts) b. But then exploded in intensity once Satan deceived the pagan Roman empire The forces and means that Satan would use to try to destroy the church via the Roman empire will be introduced in chapter thirteen...<< Previous | Index | Next >>
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