Revelation 12 Commentary - Woman, Dragon, Child Explained

Bi 622
Mark E. Hardgrove, Ph.D., D.Min.

1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a
woman clothed with the sun, with the
moon under her feet, and on her head a
garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with
child, she cried out in labor and in pain to
give birth.”
Who is this woman?

The first symbol, called by John “a great sign”
is the woman. Who does she represent? There
are four popular options:
1) Mary
2) Church
3) Redeemed of both Israel and Gentiles
4) Israel

Mary
This view has been popular in the Catholic
Church, but there are too many discrepancies
between the woman in Revelation and the life
of Mary. There is nothing beyond the fact
that Mary gave birth to Jesus to connect her to
the “great sign” in John’s vision. Barclay says
of this woman, “she is so clearly a
superhuman figure that she can hardly be
identified with any single human being.”

The Church
This view has more support among those who do
not believe in the Pre-Millennial return of Christ. In
this view the “child” is new believers. Matthew
Henry views the woman as the church, which is “the
spouse of Christ, and the mother of the saints.” He
believes that the twelve stars is “the doctrine of the
gospel preached by the twelve apostles, which is a
crown of glory to all true believers.” The is, according
to Henry, “a holy progeny to Christ, desirous that
what was begun in the conviction of sinner might
end in their conversion, that when the children were
brought to the birth there might be strength to bring
forth.”

Redeemed of Israel and the Church
Leon Morris believes that the woman begins as
a reference to Israel but then shifts to
represent the Church in the wilderness being
persecuted for her faith. Similarly,
Kistemaker posits that the “woman represents
the covenant community of both Old and New
Testament eras.

Israel
A popular position is that the woman is Israel,
especially among Premillennialists. While
some see the reference to the “sun, with the
moon under her feet, and on her head a
garland of twelve stars” as coming from pagan
mythology, it is much more likely that John is
referring to Hebrew references, namely, the
dream of Joseph in which the twelve stars are
the twelve tribes of Israel.

3 And another sign appeared in heaven:
behold, a great, fiery red dragon having
seven heads and ten horns, and seven
diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a
third of the stars of heaven and threw
them to the earth.
Who is the dragon?

1. Satan—Lucifer, the angel of light who rebels
against God.
2. Corrupt Government Generally—Type, Israel,
antitype Jesus—Egypt’s attempt to kill the
firstborn a prophetic forerunner of Herod’s
attempt to kill the Christ child, Rome’s
persecution of Christians.
3. Rome—Was this primarily a reference to Roman
government in John’s time? Is the dragon Roman
rule and its attempts to persecute the church?

4. Every time the number 10 is used in
Revelation it is in association with an
entity that is in opposition to God
(Wilson). The dragon is later identified as
the “serpent,” the “devil,” or “Satan.” Satan
first appears in Scripture as a serpent who
seduces humanity and reappears in
Revelation where he will meet his ultimate
defeat.

5. Many associate this Dragon with the fourth beast
of Daniel 7:7, which is clearly referring to the
Roman Empire. Therefore many scholars believe
that the beast of Revelation represents Rome, or
the revival of the Roman Empire in some form in
the future. Some take the European Common
Market to be a revival of the Roman Empire and
see it emerging as the world power that the Satan
will use to control the world’s economy, religion,
and politics.

There are three main views concerning
when the events of verse 4 occur:
1. In the past, namely, the fall of Lucifer
recorded in Isaiah 14:12-15.
2. During the ministry of Jesus, as He
records that He saw Satan fall (Luke
10:18).
3. In the future. Are these events yet to
come?

4b And the dragon stood before the
woman who was ready to give birth, to
devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5
She bore a male Child who was to rule all
nations with a rod of iron. And her Child
was caught up to God and His throne.
Who is the Child?

Possible Identities:
1.) Jesus?
2.) The Church/New Believers?
3.) Israel?

JESUS
This event is looks like a reference to the attempt of
Herod to have the child Jesus killed. However, Satan
was trying to destroy Israel before she could give us
the Messiah—the attempt to destroy the plan of God
in the Garden of Eden, the attempt to kill the infants
of the Jewish babies in Egyptian bondage, the
attempts to kill David, and so on. The most apparent
answer to this question is that while there have been
many types in the Old Testament, the Child is
ultimately the Christ Child.

6 Then the woman fled into the
wilderness, where she has a place
prepared by God, that they should feed
her there one thousand two hundred and
sixty days.
Israel’s days in the wilderness as in the OT?
The church during the Tribulation Period?
a.) Wilderness = heaven
b.) Wilderness = a place of protection on earth
Israel during the Tribulation Period?

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and
his angels fought with the dragon; and the
dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did
not prevail, nor was a place found for them
in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon
was cast out, that serpent of old, called the
Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole
world; he was cast to the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.

Satan’s access and role as the accuser comes to
a violent end as Michael (no doubt at the
command of God) removes Satan from the
premises of heaven. It is as though God says,
“That is enough! Get out of my sight!”

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in
heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of
His Christ have come, for the accuser of
our brethren, who accused them before
our God day and night, has been cast
down.

The use of the plural “our” would indicate
that it is not one person, but a group. Some
take the reference to “brethren” to suggest
that the voice is that of the saints in heaven.
However, angels are sometimes referred to as
“brethren” (22:9) and the context lends itself
to the conclusion that the voice is that of the
faithful angels rejoicing at the defeat of Satan
and his angels (Morris).

11 And they overcame him by the blood of
the Lamb and by the word of their
testimony, and they did not love their
lives to the death.
It is somewhat ironic that “they”
overcame by the death of the Lamb
and by their own martyrdom. The
word “testimony” is from the Greek
word “marturia.”

12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you
who dwell in them! Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For
the devil has come down to you, having
great wrath, because he knows that he has
a short time."
Here is a word of encouragement. The fact
that the enemy is fighting so hard is evidence
of the fact that he knows that his time is short.

13 Now when the dragon saw that he had
been cast to the earth, he persecuted the
woman who gave birth to the male Child.
The dragon persecuted who?
1.) Mary and Jesus
2.) Israel and Jesus
3.) Israel and the Church
4.) Church and Believers

Gause (1983) believes that the reference to
the identity of the woman shifts, in verse
5, from Israel who gave us the Messiah, to
the church who is the mother of believers:
In our terminology we make a shift from speaking
of Israel to speaking of the Church. We do this to
mark the transition from birth to motherhood.
This transition is from promise to fulfillment—
from Old Testament to New Testament.

14 But the woman was given two wings of a
great eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness to her place, where she is
nourished for a time and times and half a
time, from the presence of the serpent.
In the history of Israel there was a time when
God delivered His people “on eagles’ wings” (Ex.
19:4). Once again, God promises protection, but
not just protection, He also promises
nourishment. Just as He did for Israel in the
wilderness by providing manna, quail and water,
God promises to nourish His people while they
are in a place of protection.

15 So the serpent spewed water out of his
mouth like a flood after the woman, that
he might cause her to be carried away by
the flood.”
The fact that the flood comes from serpent’s
mouth may indicate a decree or violent decrees.
Gordon suggests that it is something like the anti-
Semitic views of some people that have historically
stood behind the persecution of the Jewish people.
A flood is a common symbol of overwhelming evil
as shown in Psalms 18:4; 32:6; 69:1-2; 124:2-5)

16 But the earth helped the woman, and the
earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the
flood which the dragon had spewed out of his
mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the
woman, and he went to make war with the rest
of her offspring, who keep the commandments
of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The earth was cursed because of man’s sinfulness,
but now the earth becomes the means by which the
attack of the enemy is swallowed up and the woman
and her offspring protected. The reference to the
woman and her offspring may refer to Israel (the
woman), and Gentile believers (her offspring)
(Gordon)—in other words, all believers, both Jew
and Gentile.

Some of the facts and timetables of this chapter are
hard to pin down, however the theme of the chapter is
crystal clear:
God will protect His people—all believers, Jew and
Gentile
Satan cannot win
The promise made in Genesis 3:15 may seem to have
tarried, but the promises of God are yea and amen.
We can trust God even in the times of trouble and
tribulation.

Bi 622
Mark E. Hardgrove, Ph.D., D.Min., M.Div.

REVELATION 13
Man4ourseason
Riverbottompreacher

In chapter 13 we are introduced to two
more beasts: the one that arises from the
sea, and the other who arises from the
land. These two beasts, together with the
beast of chapter twelve (who has been
identified as the devil, i.e., Satan) form an
unholy trinity. a

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I
saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having
seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns
ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous
name.
Many of the Greek manuscripts support a
translation that pictures the beast of chapter 12
standing on the sand looking for the beast of
the sea to arise and join him in his reign of
terror. This is the translation preferred by
Aune (1997), Gause (1983), Kistemaker (2001),
Morris (1987), Mounce (1977) and others.

What does the “sea” symbolize?
“chaos” Genesis 1:2
The Mediterranean Sea, which from John’s
perspective stood between Jerusalem and Rome.
Rome, therefore, represented the beast that was
bringing persecution against the saints.
John interprets “sea” symbolically in 17:15, where the
angel told him, ‘The waters that you saw on which
the prostitute sat, they are people and the crowds
and nations and languages” (Kistemaker). See also
Isaiah 17:12, which refers to the nations raging like a
raging sea.

If one recognize the second beast as a reference
to Rome, which sits on seven hills, the
indication for John’s readers is that the Rome is
the child of Satan, which he is using to persecute
the church. From a futurist perspective the beast
is more than ancient Rome. Rome itself is a
symbol of something, perhaps a reference to
political power generally, which was not God’s
original design for human governance. Instead,
God’s intention, which will be realized in His
millennial reign, was for a Theocracy in which
He sits at the center of human governance.

Lahaye (1999, pp. 198-199) believes that the seven
heads represent the seven stages of human
government through time:
1. Assyrian
2. Egyptian
3. Babylonian
4. Medo-Persian
5. Greek
6. Roman (Old Roman Empire)
7. Revived Roman Empire made up of ten nations

Jeffrey proposes the Ten Regions (Divisions) of
the New World Government, which correspond
to the ten horns:
Region 1: Canada and the United States of America
Region 2: European Union—Western Europe
Region 3: Japan
Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Pacific
Islands
Region 5: Eastern Europe
Region 6: Latin America—Mexico, Central and South America
Region 7: North Africa and Middle East (Moslems)
Region 8: Central Africa
Region 9: South and Southeast Asia
Region 10: Central Asia

The seven crowns represent political authority.
The crowns are not on the heads, but on the horns.
This is political power that underwrites the power
of the beast. This beast has been identified by
many as the Antichrist who is an individual who
controls and manipulates a worldwide
governmental structure.
The blasphemous names written on the heads may
be referring to a creed, motto, or slogan adopted
by the government. The Caesars of John’s day
regarded themselves and referred to themselves as
“Lord and God,” which was a blasphemous title to
Christians.

2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard,
his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his
mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave
him his power, his throne, and great authority.
The description of the beast is reminiscent of
the description of the beast in Daniel 7:3-8.
However, Daniel saw four beasts described in
order, while John sees one beast with four
distinct characteristics. Daniel looked
forward, John looks back and see a beast that
is the culmination of the beasts of Daniel.

Gordon says of the Antichrist:
This is Satan’s superman. He is the devil’s Messiah,
the devil incarnate, Satan manifest in the flesh.
Here is someone whose power base initially is
Europe. He heads up a consortium that resembles
a revived Roman Empire; he is the supreme of a
United States of Europe, a ten-nation confederacy.
He is the one who, in the second half of the
Tribulation, becomes the president of the planet,
the world’s last dictator.

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been
mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was
healed. And all the world marveled and
followed the beast.
Satan stages a pseudo-resurrection. Satan does
not have power to resurrect people from death
(Jesus alone has that power), so this may be
something of an act that fools the world. Notice
John says, “as if it had been mortally wounded. It
will look to the world as though this man is dead,
but then he will seem miraculously to rise up and
the world will marvel. His power and following
will be enhanced by this event.

4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave
authority to the beast; and they worshiped
the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast?
Who is able to make war with him?“
They will sing songs to the dragon that are
reminiscent of the songs sung to God, and are
perhaps, intended to mock, for example, the
song of Exodus 15:11:
Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great
things and blasphemies, and he was given
authority to continue for forty-two months.
The Antichrist’s rule, “42 months.” This is three and a
half years, the same length of time given to the Gentiles
to trample the Holy City (11:2). This is the same amount
of time that Israel and her children (Gentile converts?)
are in the wilderness.
This represents the second half of the Great Tribulation
Period. The Antichrist and the false prophet begin the 7
year tribulation period rather peaceful, but then the
Antichrist breaks his treaty with Israel and turns on
them with a vengeance.

6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy
against God, to blaspheme His name, His
tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
He opens his mouth and begins to speak
blasphemy against God, against God’s name,
God’s tabernacle, and God’s church in heaven.
“To blaspheme the name of God is to speak evil of
all that he is and stands for” (Mounce). But it also
implies a claim to be God. As Lahaye notes, “The
Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy because He said
He was God, and He was crucified for blasphemy.”

7 It was granted to him to make war with the
saints and to overcome them. And authority was
given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him,
whose names have not been written in the Book
of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world.
He is given the authority to “make war with
the saints and to overcome them.” And this
war extended to “every tribe, tongue, and
nation.” It will be a global attempt by the
Antichrist to find and kill anyone who will not
worship him.

These are both the Jews who finally
recognize Christ as Messiah, as well as
Gentiles who receive Christ as Lord. Those
who are not caught up to be with the Lord in
the air (1 Thess. 4:17), who are not “raptured”
prior to the beginning of the Tribulation
Period, will only be saved through a time of
trial, tribulation, and blood. It seems that
during the Tribulation Period those whose
names are written in the Book of Life, those
who refuse to worship the beast, will face
death.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He
who leads into captivity shall go into
captivity; he who kills with the sword must
be killed with the sword. Here is the patience
and the faith of the saints.
John is calling believers to consider both what
he has just said, and what he is about to say.
He continues, warning that there will be
those who will be led into captivity and there
will be those who are killed with the sword.

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the
earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and
spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the
authority of the first beast in his presence, and
causes the earth and those who dwell in it to
worship the first beast, whose deadly wound
was healed.
This beast looks harmless, that is, as a lamb. He’s
a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He has horns like a
lamb, they look harmless, yet he speaks like the
dragon. Satan uses this beast as his religious
mouthpiece. This false prophet points the
people to the Antichrist, the incarnation of evil,
as the object of worship.

13 He performs great signs, so that he even
makes fire come down from heaven on the earth
in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those
who dwell on the earth by those signs which he
was granted to do in the sight of the beast,
telling those who dwell on the earth to make an
image to the beast who was wounded by the
sword and lived.

The false prophet is given power to perform
miracles, mimicking the act of God in bringing
down fire from heaven, as was demonstrated by
Elijah on Mount Carmel. Baal’s priests were not able
to produce the fire, but the false prophet in the end
time struggle will gain a massive religious following
by doing what appear to be great miracles. After
gaining the religious devotion and fervor of the
world, he will point them to the Antichrist as the
one who should be worshipped.

15 He was granted power to give breath to the
image of the beast, that the image of the beast
should both speak and cause as many as would
not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
In addition, an image will be built, an idol of
sorts that will appear to be able to have life
and to speak. This idol is an image of the
Antichrist that the false prophet appears to
provide with the ability to converse and to
live. This is a direct challenge to the rebuke of
God through the Psalmist who chided the
people for worshipping idols.

The miracles will astound and convince many
that this must be the real deal; this must be a
God thing. But miracles and the supernatural
alone are not the final measure of what is godly
or what is real. Nothing that happens contrary
to the Word of God, no message contrary to the
Word of God (even if accompanied by great
miracles), is of God. God gave us a standard to
measure every religious claim by, it is His Word
and even if heaven and earth should pass away,
His Word will endure forever

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and
poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their
right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no
one may buy or sell except one who has the
mark or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name.
The Antichrist, with the backing of the false
prophet, will institute a one world religion, a
one world government, and a one world
economy and participation in this process
will only be allowed when allegiance is
pledged to the beast, which will be ratified by
the “mark.”

Again, this is an attempt to imitate God. God
seals the Church through the Holy Spirit, and
the 144,000 are sealed by God, so Satan places
a seal upon his followers as well. It seems that
this will be a literal seal of some sort that will
be affixed (or implanted?) on the right hand
or the forehead of those who have pledged
allegiance to the beast.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has
understanding calculate the number of the
beast, for it is the number of a man: His
number is 666.
The number 666 has been the source of
speculation throughout church history.
Some suggested it corresponds to the
name of Nero in Latin. Others note that
the number 6 is the number of man, and
the threefold use of it suggests a false
trinity. As such, it would be an appropriate
number of the three beasts.

A modern view is a number that corresponds
to our social security number. Currently, the
social security number consists of three series
of numbers, namely, three digits-two digits-four
digits, hence, 324. But if the entire world
were to be catalogued more numbers would
be needed and perhaps three series of six digit
numbers would suffice.

Further, the use of microchips is gaining
popularity in use for animals and now for
small children. These chips contain
information about individual who has it
implanted beneath one’s skin and can even
track an individual from satellites.

Revelation 12 Commentary - Woman, Dragon, Child Explained

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