1 And a great (megas) sign (sēmeion) appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Revelation 12:1 Nothing in the book of Revelation should be interpreted as symbolic unless identified as such! THIS WOMAN IS NOT LITERAL. This is sign gr. sēmeion Strong s g4592 an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally: miracle, sign token, wonder. a sign, a token, a symbol.
Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his 9 brothers and said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars (Joseph is the 12th star) were bowing down to me. Genesis 37:9 This dream represents the nation of Israel. Jacob knew that the eleven stars, plus one - Joseph, was to be the nation of Israel. Israel is compared to a woman many times in both the Old and New Testament: Isaiah 54:1, 47:7-9, 50:1, Jeremiah 3:1-21, Hosea 2:1-23.
Israel is introduced as a woman - a mother about to give birth. What was the hope of every Jewish woman? To give birth to a male child! Specifically, the Messiah! He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. Daniel 11:37
2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. Revelation 12:2 The woman is experiencing the pain and tribulation of nation of Israel, and is giving birth to Christ! 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. Romans 9:4-5 Before Christ was born, Israel went through many periods of affliction, thus, the birth pains and agony of giving birth!
For to us (the nation of Israel) a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
And another sign appeared in 3 heaven: Revelation 12:3a Again, nothing in the book of Revelation should be interpreted as symbolic unless identified as such! This is a sign, a token, a symbol. sign gr. sēmeion Strong s g4592 an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally: miracle, sign token, wonder.
behold, a great red dragon, 3 Revelation 12:3b The dragon is identified as Satan in verse 9. His color is red, the color of blood. He is great because of the power he has to rule the earth. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do 44 your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning John 8:44a
with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads 3 seven diadems. Revelation 12:3b Seven is a number of completeness, representing his complete dominion over the earth. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but 12 against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
So, the horns represent strength and the crowns represent kingdoms. We ll read more about the kingdoms in Chapters 13 and 17. Satan has his kingdom. He is the ruler over this world.
His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and 4 cast them to the earth. Revelation 12:4a Isaiah 14:12-14 recounts the fall of Satan from heaven. In this verse we find that Satan took a third of the angels with him. We know that the stars refer to angels because of the Isaiah reference - How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! Isaiah 14:12a
And the dragon stood before the woman who was 4 about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. Revelation 12:4b The dragon hates the woman and desires to kill the child! Satan s plan has always been to destroy the nation of Israel to thwart the plan of God! I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring (Israel - Christ); he shall bruise (crush) your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15
But, in spite of Satan s best efforts. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all 5 the nations with a rod of iron, Revelation 12:5a Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Psalm 2:8-9 Messiah will break and dash them in pieces when He comes again to the earth. - Ryrie Study Bible Notes
5 but her child was caught up (harpazō) to God and to his throne (Christ s ascension!), Revelation 12:5b Then we who are alive, who 17 are left, will be caught up (harpazō) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always caught up gr. harpazō Strong s g0726 To seize; catch (away up), pluck, pull, take by force. be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17
and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has 6 a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days (3 1/2 years). Revelation 12:6 There is a tremendous time lapse between Verse 5 (birth and ascension of Christ) and Verse 6, which is not uncommon in prophecy. Israel is enjoying comparative peace in the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation, so the reference must be to the preservation of a portion of the nation Israel through the great tribulation and into the millennium.
in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days (3 1/2 years). Revelation 12:6b This verse indicates that during the intense part of the great tribulation, this remnant of Israel will be protected by God.
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels 7 fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, Revelation 12:7 At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people (Michael is Israel s advocate and defender!). And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. Daniel 12:1a
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels 7 fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, Revelation 12:7 Though the conflict at the end of the age is primarily on earth, there will also be war in heaven. The purpose of the war is to expel the dragon and his angels. John F. Walvoord writes that this event marks the beginning of the great tribulation.
This is not a mänō ä mänō fight between God and Satan. Satan couldn t even last a round with God. This battle is between a created Lucifer and a created Michael! Satan likes to make you think he is God s equal. Michael and Satan have tangled before. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the 9 devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke you. Jude 1:9
And, they tangled in Daniel - The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, Daniel 10:13
but he was defeated, and there was no longer any 8 place for them in heaven. Revelation 12:8 We know that Satan has had access to heaven. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. Job 1:6 Satan s activities will now be restricted totally to the earth! This is a major step in his ultimate defeat, and Satan is really, really angry about it and full of wrath!
And the great dragon was 59 thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil (diabolos) and Satan, Revelation 12:9a The false accuser of the brothers. Devil gr. diabolos Strong s g1228 Satan: false accuser, devil, slanderer, prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely.
the deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9b And he (Jesus) said to them, I saw Satan fall like 18 lightning from heaven. Luke 10:18 The ancient serpent from the garden of Eden, the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world starting with Eve.
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the 10 salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Revelation 12:10 Satan has been thrown down and there is great rejoicing in heaven! The loud voice could be the martyred saints in heaven under the altar because thy refer to the accuser of our brothers.
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb 11 and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelation 12:11 Three powerful spiritual weapons are employed to secure the victory of the saints. 1. The blood of the Lamb renders the believer pure and makes possible his spiritual victory 2. The word of the believer s testimony opposes the deceiving work of Satan in that the Gospel is the Power of God unto salvation 3. The believers are so totally committed that they die as martyrs
Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in 12 them! 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! Revelation 12:12 Heaven rejoices, but the earth trembles because Satan has no more opportunity in heaven to accuse the brotherhood. He is livid and will now focus his entire attention and wrath on the earth. Many commentators feel that this marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation and, if so, Satan has 3 1/2 years left in his reign on earth and scripture says he knows it.
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown 13 down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. Revelation 12:13 We know that the woman represents the nation of Israel and now Satan, cast from heaven in defeat, will turn all of his focus and all of his energy on the nation of Israel throughout the Great Tribulation. The last and worst wave of anti-semitism is about to roll across the earth. It will be worse than anything that has gone before it in history! The time of Jacob s trouble!
But the woman was given the two wings of the great 14 eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, Revelation 12:14a Metaphorically, the wings of eagles has previously represented the grace of God for the people of Israel. You yourselves have seen what I did to the 4 Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Exodus 19:4 God will get them out on eagle s wings because of His grace!
to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. Revelation 12:14b We know that the woman represents the nation of Israel and now Satan, cast from heaven in defeat, will turn all of his focus and all of his energy on the nation of Israel throughout the Great Tribulation.
In the book of Daniel, we find that the antichrist will wage a fierce battle but that Edom, Moab and the main part of the Ammorites will be delivered from the hands of the antichrist.. He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites.. Daniel 11:41 This is present-day Jordan.
Down through the ages, there has been a notion that, because the safe zone for the woman described in Revelation and the spared zone in Daniel is actually in modern-day Jordan, this place might refer to the City of Petra.
The serpent poured water like a river out of his 15 mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. Revelation 12:15 The woman (Israel) will escape to a literal place. Therefore, we might assume that the water is literal as well!
But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the 16 earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Revelation 12:16 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Exodus 15:3-5 (Song of Moses and the People) Oops, well Satan that didn t work before either!
However, the river could also be a great army that Satan sends after the nation of Israel! therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them 7 the waters of the mighty and many, the king of River,[a] Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, and it will sweep on 8 into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. Isaiah 8:7-8 (In 701BC, Sennacherib invaded Judah and only Jerusalem escaped.)
In Ezekiel, the king of the north is seen marching on Israel. How will the king be stopped because no nation is there to stop him? God is there and will destroy him with natural forces. With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment 22 with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. Ezekiel 38:22
Then the dragon became furious with the woman and 17 went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus (obviously the 144,00 sealed witnesses are in Satan s sights). Revelation 12:17 Some of the translations include And he stood on the sand of the sea as part of Revelation 12:17. It should begin Chapter 13.
And he stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a 1 beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.. Revelation 13:1 And the angel said to me, The waters that you saw, 15 where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. Revelation 17:15 Rising out of the sea can be translated as rising out of the masses of people. Satan will call the beast out of the sea of humanity.
Down through the ages, a great amount of energy has been spent to identify the antichrist. Here are some guesses - Oliver Cromwell The Pope (AD991) Pope Leo Pope Gregory IX Adolf Hitler Caligua Judas Iscariot Moshe Dayan John F. Kennedy Henry Kissinger Caesar Nero Antiochus Epiphanes Mikhail Gorbachev
And when they have finished their testimony, the 7 beast that rises from the bottomless will make war pit[a] on them and conquer them and kill them, Revelation 11:7 The beast rises from the bottomless pit. The beast is Satan incarnate! He is Satan walking around in the flesh. He is the counterfeit to Christ! He is imitating Christ. Christ was God in man. The antichrist is Satan in man.
This calls for a 9 mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; Revelation 17:9 Rome was known as the City of Seven Hills.
And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings (or ten 12 kingdoms) who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. Revelation 17:12 Generally regarded as ten confederations of a European Common Market which will arise in or before the tribulation period. It is the last and final form of the Roman Empire. The ten toes on the beast of Daniel represent the ten-fold kingdom of the Roman Empire of the future. The beast will be their coalition leader! This beast is a political leader.
Gold (Babylon 606 BC -539 BC) Silver (Medo-Persian 539 BC - 332 BC) (Isaiah 44:28-45:1-4) Bronze (Grecian 332BC - 68 BC) Iron (Roman 1 68 BC -?) Iron + Clay ( Rome II )
And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet 2 were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. Revelation 13:2 Remember the beasts from the book of Daniel!
4 The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
In other areas of the OT, the Word of God symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar and/or Babylon as both a eagle (Jer 49:22; Lam 4:19; Ezek 17:3). Statues of winged lions, which are believed to have been representative of the empire, have been found in the ruins of Babylon. The tearing off of eagles wings and that the lion stood on two feet with heart of man probably refers to Nebuchadnezzar s insanity.
5 And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, get up and eat your fill of flesh!
The bear raised up on it s side represents the Medo-Persian Empire. The lopsided stature represents Persia as it soon overshadowed the Medes in the kingdom. The three ribs represent three major Medo- Persian conquests of Babylon (539 BC, Lydia (546 BC) and Egypt (525 BC).
6 After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
The leopard and wings represent the swiftness with which Alexander the Great conquered. His empire broke off into four parts after his death.
But this beast conforms to the fourth beast of Daniel 7.
7 After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. (Hmm, 10 toes)
The antichrist has features of all three of these kingdoms. Though he is far more awesome than these kingdoms, he combines the strength, brutality and swiftness of all these kingdoms into one awesome, evil package! Under antichrist, the final configuration of the Roman Empire will rule with unparalleled strength, brutality and swiftness. The antichrist will be one charismatic and powerful dude filled with evil and brutality. He is a composite of all early rulers and will come at a time when the earth is in the midst of the worst chaos ever experienced. People will follow him blindly out of exasperation and exhaustion. He is the political beast.
But!!!! The antichrist will be a physically attractive person! and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other 20 horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. Daniel 7:20 (NKJV)
One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but 3 its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. Revelation 13:3 Satan is of a mind to replicate the death and resurrection of the two witnesses. So he arranges for the beast to be mortally wounded in the head, probably fakes the beast s death, and brings him back to life! All the peoples of the world now rush to follow this great leader because, among other things, he has the ability to resurrect himself. But, he is a fake and will ultimately find himself as one of the first two inhabitants of hell!
And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his 4 authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? Revelation 13:4 Satan wants to be worshipped And he said to him, All these I will give you, if you will fall 9 down and worship me. Matthew 4:9 and this is obviously Satan s golden hour.
And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty 5 and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. Revelation 13:5 Satan will reign 42 more months. He also has a big mouth. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. Daniel 7:8 We need to be careful who we listen to.
It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against 6 God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling (could be the tabernacle in the temple or his heavenly dwelling), that is, those who dwell in heaven (that s us, folks). Revelation 13:6 For 42 months this beast will be spouting curses against the God of heaven, His dwelling and the church in heaven. Why do you think the beast is cursing the church in heaven? Do you think anyone has forgotten the rapture?
Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to 7 conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, Revelation 13:7 The saints are those living in the great tribulation period. He was able to conquer them, but not turn all of them. Satan is now totally focused on the earth. He has been thrown down from heaven. He is the ruler of the earth and is not constrained by the Holy Spirit who is in heaven with the church. For 42 months, he has unbridled authority over every tribe and people and language and nation.
and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone 8 whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb (the saints who will survive into the millennium) who was slain (Christ). Revelation 13:8
These are the darkest hours in the history of the world. - J Vernon McGee
The antichrist will be a vicious and sadistic ruler. Here s what we know from scripture - He kills 2/3rd of all the Jews He conquers the city of Jerusalem He slaughters myriads of gentiles Revelation 13 Zechariah 14 Revelation 13 He wears out the Saints of the Most Daniel 7:25 High
The antichrist will be a vicious and sadistic ruler. Here s what we know from scripture - His program is one of market seizure, economic squeeze, mark of the beast, torture and on and on.
If anyone has an ear, let him hear: 9 If anyone is to be taken captive, 10 to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. Revelation 13:9-10 Satan has full sway. The saints (Jew and Gentile) will be taken captive and slain with the sword. They are called to endurance and faith. If anyone has an ear, let him hear: Truth will still be available for anyone who will listen.
11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth (gē). Revelation 13:11a This beast is the false prophet and is called out of the land of Israel. He would have to be because this beast is a Satanic messiah and if the Jews were truly going to listen to him and follow him, their long-awaited messiah, then he would have to be from Israel.
It had two horns like a lamb (a fake christ) and it 11 spoke like a dragon (it was articulate and convincing as it spoke the gospel of Satan). Revelation 13:11b Then if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ! or There he is! do not believe it. For false christs 24 and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Matthew 24:23-24 The first beast was a political leader. This second beast is an imitator of Christ. He is a religious leader.
It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its 12 presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. Revelation 13:12 The false christ has the same authority as the first beast. He will preach convincingly and lead the first apostate church in the worship of the beast.
And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt 36 himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. He 39 shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. Daniel 11:36, 39
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will 3 not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of is revealed, the son of destruction, lawlessness[a] and with all wicked deception for those who are 10 perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 10 The second beast will exalt the first beast to a place of worship. They are fake healers and miracle workers.
It performs great signs, even making fire come down 13 from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the 14 signs that it is allowed to work in the presence the of[d] beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. Revelation 13:13-14 Hollywood will love this guy. He is a master of special effects. He imitates Elijah by bringing fire down to earth. (Laser warfare?)
Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the 11 sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast 12 down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Exodus 7:11-12 The world will be taken in by the false prophet. The people will forget that Pharaoh had magicians and those that practiced the black arts as well. The beast will have satanic power.
And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the 15 beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Revelation 13:15 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put 9 you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. Matthew 24:9 The image of this beast will be a sight to see! Since I don t believe that Satan can give breath, this might be the most advanced robotics the world has known!
Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and 16 poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell 17 unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. Revelation 13:16-17 In the economy of the false prophet, religion and business are wedded. Down through history, slaves, soldiers, and even Jews have been branded. This mark, however, is not like getting your hand stamped at the museum. This mark results in an eternity of agony.
This calls for wisdom: let the one who has 18 understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Revelation 13:18 Wisdom has been accumulating for centuries regarding the calculation of the number of the beast. However, we are no closer to understanding than the first readers of Revelation. 6 is the number for man (man was created on the 6th day). It is a possibility that only the people going through this period of tribulation will have the wisdom to calculated the number of the beast.