Revelation Study 20: Chapter 12, Verses 1-6
“How you have fallen from heaven, Ostar of the morning, son of the dawn!” Cross references:
- Exodus 15:18 : Ps 10:16; 29:10; Is 57:15
Isaiah 14:12
1And there appeared a great sign in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
“great sign”-
μέγα σημεῖον
megas sémeion
σημεῖον
- a sign, miracle, indication, mark, token.
- a sign (typically miraculous), given especially to confirm, corroborate or authenticate.
- then emphasizes the end-purpose which exalts the one giving it.
- Accordingly, it is used dozens of times in the NT for what authenticates the Lord and His eternal purpose, especially by doing what mere man cannot replicate or take credit for.
This great sign appeared in “heaven.”
“a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet”
Identity of Women
1 The Church?
2. Israel?
3. Remnant of Israel?
Considerations
- Four symbolic women in Revelation
- Jezebel (Rev. 2:20)
- Israel (Rev. 12); OT- Israel is the adulterous wife of the Lord
- Harlot (17:1-7)
- Bride of the Lamb (19:7-8)
“clothed with the sun”
God’s people are clothed in His righteousness; the truth of the gospel, the light of Christ
The true church shines with the light (truth) of the sun (Jesus Christ).
“The moon under her feet”
“Bishop Newton understands this of the Jewish typical worship and indeed the Mosaic system of rites and ceremonies could not have been better represented, for it was the shadow of good things to come. The moon is the less light, ruling over the night, and deriving all its illumination from the sun; in like manner the Jewish dispensation was the bright moonlight night of the world, and possessed a portion of the glorious light of the Gospel. At the rising of the sun the night is ended, and the lunar light no longer necessary, as the sun which enlightens her shines full upon the earth; exactly in the same way has the whole Jewish system of types and shadows has been superseded by the birth, life, crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of Jesus Christ.”
Support of Clarke’s analysis
- God’s chosen nation (Jacob- the sun in Joseph’s dream)
- Moon- part of the cycle of Israel’s required times of worship (Numbers 29:5-6; Nehemiah 10:33; Psalms 81:3; Isaiah 1:13-14; Col. 2:16)
The moon receives its light from the sun and then reflects the light to the earth. The moon’s light is not its own. This is an analogy of Christ’s people reflecting His light to the world.
“and upon her head a crown of twelve stars”
The twelve tribes of Israel
2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Her stage in pregnancy
- OT imagery describing Israel (Isa. 26:17-18; 66:7-9; Jer. 4:31; 13:21; Mic. 4:10; 5:3)
- Church is not married (19:7-9; 2 Cor. 11:2)
“and pained”
βασανίζω
I examine, as by torture; I torment; I buffet, as of waves.
Further Considerations:
- As birth pangs upon a woman will the coming of Christ be
- No nation has suffered as Israel has
3And there appeared another sign in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
The second sign – woman’s mortal enemy
Dragon
δράκων (drakón)
- a dragon or huge serpent
- drákōn (from derkomai, "to see," the root of the English term, "dragon") – properly "seeing one," used of dragons (huge serpents) seeing their prey from far away
- (figuratively) Satan (Rev 12:7,9) exercising his subtle (indirect) impact on heathen governments (powers) – i.e. accomplishing his hellish agenda from "behind the scenes."
***only referred to as this in Revelation (terrifying); Hebrew word (tannin) dragon- also refers to monster or sea monster
Isaiah 26:16-27:1
O LORD, they sought You in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, your chastening was upon them.As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, she writhes and cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before You, O LORD.We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, we gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, nor were inhabitants of the worldborn.Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth willgive birth to thedeparted spirits.Come, my people, enter into your rooms and close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignationruns its course.For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer cover her slain.In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, with His fierce and great and mighty sword, evenLeviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.
Hebrew
“Leviathan”
לִוְיָתָן (Livyathan)
“Dragon”
תַּנִּין (tannin)
Job 41:1; Isaiah 27:1
Septuagint
Job 41:1
αξεις δε δρακοντα εν αγκιστρω περιθησεις δε φορβεαν περι ρινα αυτου
Isaiah 27:1
τη ημερα εκεινη επαξει ο θεος την μαχαιραν την αγιαν και την μεγαλην και την ισχυραν επι τον δρακοντα οφιν φευγοντα επι τον δρακοντα οφιν σκολιον και ανελει τον δρακοντα
“seven heads and ten horns”
- Ten horns
- The kings who will rule under the Antichrist
- Ten Nation confederacy
Dan. 7:23-25
“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.He will speakout against the Most High and wear down thesaints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; andthey will be given into his hand for atime,times, and half atime.
“and seven crowns upon his heads”
Seven diadems
διάδημα (diadéma)
- a head-wreath, crown, diadem
- royal crowns symbolizing power and authority
- used three times in the NT – referring to: a) the pagan empires of ancient history which opposed God (Rev 12:3); b) the end-times coalition led by Antichrist (Rev 13:1); and c) the infinite majesty (kingship) of Christ (Rev 19:12).
Seven empires running their course under Satan’s dominion
1. Egypt
Ezekiel 29:1-5
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3 Speak and say, ‘Thus says the LordGOD,“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the greatmonster that lies in the midst of his rivers, that has said, ‘My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it.’“I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales. And I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, and all the fish of yourrivers will cling to your scales.“I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers; You will fall on theopen field; you will not be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the sky.
2. Assyria
3. Babylon
4. Medo-Persia
5. Greece
6. Rome
7. Future empire of the Anti-Christ
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered, to devour her child as soon as it was born.
“stars” – angels (stars belonging to heaven)
Isaiah 14:12-15
“How you have fallen from heaven, Ostar of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’“Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.
How many? – Rev. 5:11- myriads
“to devour her child as soon as it was born”
Satan’s mission has been to devour the children of God
Many examples of this
- Satan inciting the Jews to kill their own babies
- Saul trying to kill David
- Esther
- Herod trying to kill Jesus
5 And she brought forth a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
The woman gives birth to a son
- Israel brought forth the Messiah
Jesus will rule all the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 19:11-21)
- Iron rod cannot be broken- speaks of swiftness of God’s rule against sin and rebellion
“her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne”
He is seated at the right hand of God
6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days.
“And the woman fled into the wilderness”
Area formerly occupied by Moab, Ammon, and Edom
Daniel 11:40-41
“At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through.He will also enter theBeautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.
Matthew 24:15-21
“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house.Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.
“she has a place prepared by God”
- God is in control
- Shows another example that He will protect His people
“that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days”
- They will be nourished and defended by God for 3 and a half years
Satan does not give up