Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse
1. “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;”
The identity of this “woman”
has been a controversial issue over the centuries. To many Catholics,
“she” is Mary, the mother of Jesus, because of the identity of her
child, as seen in verse 2. To others, she is Israel, and to some
perhaps the Church, whereas others have viewed her as representing the
earth, for we all came from the dust of the ground. Perhaps her
clothing will help us, for God does intend that we will understand.
She is clothed “with the sun,” which,
in other places, has represented the glory of God (as in Matthew
17:2). She IS of the Lord, dressed in His righteousness.
The church came out of Jesus Christ; not the
other way around (verse 2) so “she” is not the “church” as we
understand it. One of Joseph’s dreams (Genesis 37:9-11) included
similar imagery, in which the sun, moon and 11-stars would bow down to
him. His father WAS Israel. He and his brothers were of Israel.
Later, when he was governor of Egypt, his brothers and father (Jacob,
also known as “Israel”) did bow before him. “Stars”
in Revelation 1:20, were identified as angels, and may represent key
angels that have been assigned to protect God’s people. Certainly,
this “woman” is not a person – “She”
is a people, most likely Israel, created and “clothed”
by God, for His purposes on this earth.
Verse
2. “and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in
pain to give birth.”
The “woman” in verse 1, was about to have a
child. “Unto us a son is given”, God
shouted to the world through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6), hundreds
of years before the Messiah was born. The “us”
in that verse is clearly Israel, the people of God. The “male
child” (verse 5) who was about to be born is the Messiah, Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. Notice that all of these verses present
images that are symbolic of reality, but are in the form of
illustrative imagery. God is presenting literal, true events and
people, in the form of parables.
The stars around her head, the moon as her
footstool, all are illustrations of a reality that God intends for us
to understand. The Bible, in its entirety, is like that. We are
presented literal truth, but sometimes in symbolic form. Once I saw a
painting called “The Joust.” It was
abstract – horses, riders and lances could not be seen. But somehow,
the force of combat COULD be felt in the broad strokes of the
painting. Jousts are/were real – the painting carried the emotions of
ancient combat. This “woman” in
Revelation is much like that. Reality is being shown to us in
symbolic form.
Verse
3. “Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red
dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven
diadems.”
This “red dragon”
is clearly identified in verse 9, as “Satan,”
the “serpent of old” who appeared to
Eve, the first woman, in the form of a serpent (Genesis 3:1 &
forward). The first “sign” was the “great
sign” of verse 1, where we saw the “woman”
who is the people of God, as represented by the nation Israel. The
Messiah (verse 2) came out of that nation. The Book of Revelation
presents a “behind the scenes” look; not only a glimpse of the place
of God, but also a look at the powers behind the systems of this
world.
There are only two kinds of people in this
world. This “woman” is representative
of those who trust in God. The “dragon,”
this second “sign,” is the powerful
force behind those who do not have faith in the Lord. Both peoples
have power. The one is clothed in the things of God, whereas the
enemy is like a fierce “dragon” (the
imagery is possibly a dinosaur) in nature. The one is typed as a
woman, who is led by God; the other as a vicious dragon, not led by
anyone.
Verse
4. “And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw
them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about
to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.”
These verses reach backward and forward
thousands of years in an instant. We have glimpsed the Ark of the
Covenant (11:19) and have been present at the birth of the Messiah.
Now we are at a point in eternity, likely BEFORE creation, when one
third of the race of angels was tempted by that evil being, Satan, and
fell away from Him who loves us all. They are flung to the earth (see
also Daniel 8:10). These fallen angels may well be the demonic
creatures who plague many, but KNOW their future is bleak and limited
(Matthew 8:28-29).
Satan is the enemy of God. Unlike Jesus
Christ, who is from “everlasting”
(Micah 5:2), Satan is merely a created being, as seen in places like
Ezekiel 28:15 (“You were perfect in your ways
from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you”),
where God reaches through the throne of Tyre, to the being behind its
power. But he is powerful, though limited, and his aim, since he was
not able “devour” this Child, is to
mislead and harm as many as possible, in the little time he has.
Verse
5. “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the
nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to
His throne.”
I agree with Dr. J. Vernon McGee and many
others that the “male child” of this
verse is Jesus Christ, who will indeed “rule
all the nations.” Recorded in this verse is a birth which took
place 2000 years ago. He, the Lamb of God, was “caught
up to God” after His Ascension and He is the One who has been
opening the “seals” we have seen on
the “scroll” in Chapters 5 through 8.
This “Son” was prophesied by many in the Old
Testament. Isaiah shouted: “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” (Isaiah 9:6). How
wonderful that the enemy couldn’t “devour”
Him (verse 4), for Christ has “redeemed us to
God by (His) blood…” and “made
us kings and priests to our God” (Revelation 5:9-10).
Verse
6. “Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place
prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand
two hundred and sixty days.”
“One thousand two
hundred and sixty days” is, as we saw in Revelation 11:3, a
very important three and one-half years, in that it represents
one-half of the Time of Tribulation that is to come upon this world.
The “woman” is actually a people, the
people of God. We saw in verse 5 that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was
to come from the “woman,” and there is
no doubt that He was born in Bethlehem, in Israel (Micah 5:2, Matthew
2:1). His mother and step-father were Jewish and He who came out of
eternity, was given through the Jewish people.
The words of these verses leave very
little doubt that the “woman” who is
to flee “into the wilderness”
represent Jewish believers who are to be “nourished” (protected) for 3 ½ years,
during the time of terror that is soon to come. Notice the advance
preparation that God has in mind for His people. You may think the
trouble in your life is a surprise, but our Lord has had your
deliverance in mind since before the creation of this world.
Verse
7. “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war
with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,”
At some point, before the beginning of time as
we know it, a great “war” began which
set into motion events that will continue to rage until the end of
this world system. “Michael” is the “archangel”
mentioned in Jude 9 and Daniel 10, who seems to have a special
assignment to protect the people Israel. In Daniel 10:13, we find him
being “withstood” by the “prince
of the kingdom of Persia” (the demonic power behind the throne
of the Persian Empire) for “twenty-one days.”
He is called “your
prince” in Daniel 10:21, which has tempted some to conclude he
is the Lord, but in Jude 9 he is rather called “the
archangel” (from the Greek “ho
archangelos”), and in Daniel, he is “one
of the chief princes” (Daniel 10:13). A reason that the world
is not much worse off than it is, is because of this “Michael”
and others like him, who have been assigned to fight against the “dragon”
of this verse; Satan – the enemy of God (see verse 9).
Verse
8. “and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place
found for them in heaven.”
My wife, Genevieve, has been on many boards
and has been president of a lot of them. She was in charge of such a
board, a few years ago, where the opposition tried to overthrow her.
They failed and I’ll never forget her comment to the person who tried
to take her place, as they were considering a vote. She said, “You
don’t have the votes!” Genevieve was right – They were not
strong enough. These enemies of the most-high God, are “not
strong enough” either.
The enemy fools those who look to him,
pretending to them that he is stronger than he actually is. But note
that he and his followers, though they were many, “were
not strong enough,” and they’re being booted, unceremoniously,
right out of heaven. There have been some, who, because the Lord is
gentle, mistakenly think He is weak. The opposite is true, for it is
the enemy who is “not strong enough.”
Our Lord is simply gentle in His love for you.
Verse
9. “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is
called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was
thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
The “dragon”
of verse 7 is clearly identified in this verse as the one called “the
devil and Satan,” the deceiver of this world. You don’t want
to be deceived, do you? Of course you don’t! No one wants that.
Built into us all, however, is a capacity to have faith, a NEED to
believe – in God! This supernatural “dragon” has been with humanity
since the beginning, deceiving many about the very nature of reality.
In this verse we see him as he is “thrown
down” to this earth; he and his “angels”
(demonic creatures) with him.
It’s significant to ask, WHEN does this
happen? From the perspective of eternity, it has already occurred.
But when, from an earthly perspective will these creatures be thrown
down? We find this enemy of God and mankind in Job 1:9-11 & context,
where he is seen as the accuser of Job, at the throne of God. He is
called our “accuser” in Rev. 12:10.
How many times has he accused YOU before the throne of God? FINALLY,
this monster is being thrown away from the throne, and he will accuse
no more. Precisely WHEN this will happen is less important than the
fact that it WILL occur. Your accuser will be cast down.
Verse 10. “Then 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, he who accuses them
before our God day and night.”
Note again, as we have seen in verse 9, that
Satan is the “accuser” of those who
love the Lord and have placed their faith in Him. There is that
point, and it seems to be during the time of Tribulation at the end of
this age, that he will be “thrown down”
and not allowed to accuse you and the rest of humanity anymore. So
many people, even those who have trusted in the Lord, feel condemned
inside. Feelings like that will be gone.
We will see in verse 11, that those who trust in
the Lord have overcome this “accuser”
because of the “blood of the Lamb.”
That is, Jesus Christ died in our place so that you and I will not be
condemned. As it says in this verse, God’s kingdom and Christ’s
authority will come physically to this earth, and he who accuses us
will be no more. You can rejoice in Him right now, for the Lord’s
victory is inevitable. Salvation BELONGS to those who wait on Him.
Verse 11. “And they
overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word
of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced
with death.”
There is nothing in any of us that can merit
salvation before God. If we overcome, it is by the blood of the
Lamb. In Him, we gain the strength to speak of Him, to tell what He
has done for us (our testimony), and so enable others to be rescued as
well. In the death of Jesus Christ, we are offered life. Because His
blood was shed, we are given bountiful life that will never end.
We demonstrate that we trust in Him by our
willingness to continue in that trust, even when things don’t seem to
go well. When we really have faith in Him, we recognize that even if
we lose our life on this earth, we have everlasting life with Him. We
believe that His death really does give us life. Here’s some
questions: How much do you love the Lord? Enough to live for Him? To
die for Him? Enough to TRUST in Him that HIS plan for your life is
better than yours?
Verse 12. “For this
reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe
to the earth and the sea, because the devil
has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a
short time."”
Satan currently has access to the heavens, and
can appear there regularly to accuse people like you and me. When we
feel self-condemned or we accuse one another, it is a reflection of
what is being done elsewhere. If a feeling of being condemned is
tiring for us, what must it be like for those angelic beings in the
heavens who must constantly witness such condemnation? They will
REJOICE when such actions are no longer possible for him.
But certainly, WOE to the earth and its people
when the rage of this “dragon” (verse
9) is confined to the earth. It will be well for us to be out of here
when he knows that “he only has a short time.”
When you look at the news and see all the murders, all the thievery,
lies and other trouble in this world, it is recommended that you look
up, along with those in the “heavens” and REJOICE with them, for all
this trouble will soon be over.
Verse 13. “And when the
dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the
woman who gave birth to the male child.”
This “woman” who
gave birth to the “male child” was
discussed in the first verses of this Chapter. “She” is not a
“woman,” but instead is a people, the nation Israel. The “male
child” is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who came out of the woman
by being born through that people. The “dragon”
is described in verse 9 as “the devil and
Satan,” the “accuser” (verse
10) of those who trust in the Lord.
It’s terrible that one person would persecute
another. The source and origin of all such behavior is right here.
Yes, people treat one another badly because of sin, and indeed we are
all sinners (Romans 3:23), but there is more. There is an instigator
of sin, who, during the little time “he”
has left, during the Tribulation at the end of this world, will vent
hatred at God’s people, especially those Jews who trust in the Lord.
Verse 14. “But the two
wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could
fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a
time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.”
This “time and times and
half a time” has been understood by many to be the last half of
the “Tribulation” period, a 7-year time of judgment on the world.
Certainly God DOES bear up His people on eagle’s wings, and He will do
exactly that, during this terrible moment in earth’s history. The “serpent”
was said to be synonymous with the “dragon,”
the “devil” and “Satan,”
in verse 9. He is the ancient enemy of God and of the human race.
We see examples of God describing his protection
of the nation Israel on the wings of an eagle, in such places as
Deuteronomy 32:11 & context. In those verses, the name “Jacob”
is used for Israel, and God is like an eagle, hovering over its young,
“carrying them (Israel)
on its wings.” In Exodus 19:4, we are
told that God delivered Israel from Egypt “on
eagle’s wings.” The Lord does protect His people in the “wilderness.”
Not only in the Tribulation, but also now, if life seems like a “wilderness,”
you will be rescued from the fury of the evil one.
Verse 15. “And the
serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so
that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.”
This “serpent”
(the devil) is more than merely malevolent; he is also resourceful.
It’s difficult to tell precisely what the “water
like a river” of this verse is, but water, which was created by
God to give life, can also be used as a weapon to take it away. The “water”
of this verse may well represent armies that are sent on a mission of
destruction, but “the Lord on high is
mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the
sea” (Psalm 93:4).
The target is the “woman,”
the people of God, and this “serpent”
indeed wants “her” to be swept away.
It’s amazing how filled with hate this creature is, for even though “he”
knows he is doomed and his time is short, “he”
continues to try and destroy the apple of God’s eye, the people
Israel. The “war” that “broke
out in heaven” (Revelation 12:7) is now raging on planet earth.
Verse 16. “But the
earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up
the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.”
Our God has infinite resources. The earth is
just an inanimate thing and has no ability to help anybody. But God
is a person, a Person of infinite love, who gives eternal assistance
to those who are in need. The earth itself is a tool in His hands,
capable of being used to help His people. God can and does cause
events and objects to swallow the constant attacks of the evil one,
called in this verse the “dragon.”
However, the Book of Revelation is rich with
imagery, and as a “dragon” is symbolic
of Satan (Revelation 12:9), the “earth”
may well be representative of something else. But the point is, God
DOES protect His people. He has in mind your safety at all times, and
if something apparently “negative” happens to you, it is because of a
higher purpose – He intends a good outcome. If the ultimate happens
and you leave this world, you will be with him, safe – forever!
Verse 17. “So the
dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the
rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the
testimony of Jesus.”
If the “woman” in
these verses is representative of Israel, then the “rest
of her children” are those of the Gentile nations who trust in
the Lord Jesus. Note that those “who keep
the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”
acquire a strong enemy, because this “dragon”
will hate you for your decision. He literally will “make
war” against those who love the Lord.
As we saw in the preceding verse, something
wonderful happens every time “he” attacks. Yes, this creature will “make
war” with you, but as we saw in verse 8 & context, he is “not
strong enough” to do you permanent harm. The Lord God, Maker
of heaven and earth, IS strong, and He will protect you – forever! It
is SAFE for you to “keep the commandments of
God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” You can safely place
your faith in Him – And you’ll be glad you did!
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
P.O. Box 92131
Long Beach, CA
90809-2131 USA
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
