The Scroll of Revelation, 19 - Israel and the Church Overcome Satan

Revelation 12:1-17, Commentary

This chapter is another of revelation's "close-ups" Here you will see a Woman, her Children, and a Dragon, depicting events that take place during the final three and one half years of earth's history.

During this time, Jerusalem has a Jewish temple and a Gentile population, per chapter 11. God has a witness represented well by two Elijah-like prophets. What else is going on for these "one thousand two hundred and sixty days"? Chapter 12 is given to show us just that.

Review. I believe we have seen this "woman" picture before, in chapter 7. More details are given here, but the overall pattern is the same. First there is something very Jewish that appears. The woman that is clothed with the sun, moon, and stars (12:1) must be the same as what Joseph saw and related to his family way back in Genesis 37:9-10. This is Israel. In chapter 7 Israelites from every tribe are sealed. Later in both chapters is seen "another" group, the "rest of her offspring" who keep the commands of God (12:17), have the testimony of Jesus (12:17), and who washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb (7:14). That other child certainly matches every description of the church available to us. Here in chapter 12 we see more of the church's washing process, and how they come out of the great Tribulation through untold suffering.

Here is the first introduction to the source of all the Jewish and Christian trouble: a "fiery red dragon" with seven heads and ten horns. We know that neither the woman or the dragon here are to be taken as literal, but every piece of information given is valuable. The seven heads and ten horns will be fully explained in chapter 17, and will be seen again as a part of the "beast" known as antichrist in chapter 13. But the identity of this chapter's monster is spelled out in verse 9: This is Satan.

Though one is tempted to see Jesus and Mary in the beginning of this passage, the imagery will not work for the latter portion of the chapter. The woman, after giving birth (12:2), flees into the wilderness (12:6), and is seen later as the mother of others, who follow Jesus (12:17). This does not fit the reality of Mary's life, but does describe Israel, who first brought Jesus into the world, then an elect people. The continued hatred of Satan for Israel through the centuries is documented history.

So Satan tries to devour Jesus, through King Herod (12:3-4, Matthew 2:16-18). But the King to be is born anyway (12:5). That same Satan tries, during the Tribulation, to devour the Elect (12:15). The suffering church of verses 7-12 overcomes this assault by being faithful until the death. No rapture is hinted at here.

Basic to the understanding of the chapter is the fall of Satan. It is mentioned in verse 4. One third of the angelic host is thrown to the earth. This is further explained in 12:7-9. There is a heavenly battle between the good and evil angels. The evil ones lose and are cast out of the heavenly realm. This is what Jesus "saw" predictively (Luke 10:18). This is also what Daniel saw in his prophecy (Daniel 8:9-10). In that vision, the "little horn" aka the man of sin grows up to "the host of heaven", and is able to bring "stars" (Biblical symbol for angels) to the ground.

So, war in heaven, conflict on earth. The man of sin is released from his place in the pit (chapter 13 and 17) and Satan, cast to the ground, uses him to rise to power here (12:10-12), having lost it in heaven. Israel is protected (12:16), experiencing Christ for the first time. Saints are scattered, defeated, (Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:11) because they are ready to go and be with Jesus.

In the telling of the story, behind-the-scenes truths come out:

12:10, The accuser: Satan and his accomplices, we are told, use the mechanism of accusation against us daily. We see this working itself out in the life of Job, and know that it has a reality we must also confront. He accuses us because he himself is guilty. So when he comes to earth, his desire to hurt the people of God is foremost on his mind.

12:11, The defense of the believer: What Jesus did for us, and our constant talking about it, and our seeking first His Kingdom until the day we die, that is the victory!

12:12, Such hatred,stored up for such quantities of time, is lethal. Satan has more than Christians to overcome in his "short time." He has to unravel the predetermined will of God in three and one half short years. He knows God has never been wrong about anything He has predicted, but in his great pride he will hope for one exception to the rule.

12:13, 14, His first task is to go after Israel, the apple of God's eye, the heart of his plans for humanity. The special 144,000, as noted in chapter 7, are "lured" away to the wilderness, loved by Jesus, and protected by Him. They are taken to a place seemingly by airlift where they cannot be touched by Satan's rage. How long? Three and one half years, the entire length of the Great Tribulation.

12:15-16, Desperate, frustrated, the enemy takes measures to flood, literally, the hiding place of the Jews. This could well be what is going on in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria, with the control of water for the Tigris-Euphrates, or some such vast water supply (see part five). But by an earthquake or another natural phenomenon, supernaturally timed, water meant to flood the wilderness retreat will be diverted.

12:17, Description of the believer: Just like the Antiochus of ancient history, and indeed, quite possibly that man himself, preserved through the ages for this moment, this angry frustrated God-hater will find someone else upon whom to vent his fury: The Church. Like the true Jew, we are those who "keep God's commandments", as John loved to point out in his epistle (eg I John 1:3). We are also those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ.This is no end-time faction called "tribulation saint". This is me. This is you. This is the church of God.

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