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Click here for Chapter 12 in Streaming Sound 12 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
INTRODUCTION John saw a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: Some say this woman was Mary, the Man child Jesus, the moon, the Jewish law. Then the dragon must have been Herod, and the heaven to which the child was caught up must have been Egypt. But none of this will fit the rod (God's word that was given to measure with). Mary was never clothed with the sun. She never had a crown of twelve stars on her head. Herod had but one head and no horns, while the dragon had seven heads and ten horns. Egypt would be a poor representative of heaven. If this is the case, who are the other children of verse 17? Here I present a much more consistent representation:
Now its coming clear to our minds. The dragon represents Rome. Rome was the empire used of Satan to try to destroy the Savior. The Dragon had "ten horns." A horn grows out of the head of an animal. A horn, you remember, is a king. When the Roman Empire collapsed, ten divisions resulted. Barbarian tribes hammered at the Roman empire for many years until it fell apart and the ten divisions were ruled by ten kings! They were: the Alemani (Germany), the Franks (French), Burgundians (Switzerland), the Suevi (Portugal), the Anglo-Saxons (Britain), the Visigoths (Spain), the Lombards (Italy), the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Heruli. The Pope of Rome destroyed the last three because they refused to become Christian. The last of these, the Ostrogoths, were thrust out of the city of Rome by the armies of Emperor Justinian and have become extinct. Then in 538 A.D. the pope took possession of the city. These ten divisions of Rome are the ten horns of the "dragon."
EXPOSITION 1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
A woman refers to the Church.
The sun is a symbol of a light giver. Therefore, the church is clothed with the New Testament which gives light to its followers.
The moon is a reflection of the sun. The woman is seen standing on the moon. Therefore, she is standing on the Old Testament and dressed with the New Testament. The twelve stars must refer to the 12 Apostles at the head of the Church.
There were 12 stars of the Old Testament and there are 12 stars of the New Testament.
2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. If the Woman is the Church then this must have reference to an increase in her family.
The above text shows that the nation of Israel was referred to as A MAN CHILD BORN OF A WOMAN. It is no great thing therefore if we refer to the Church giving birth to Children, that is, having an increase in its membership.
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. The remaining part of the book will talk extensively about this red dragon. It is therefore necessary that we identify who or what he is. The Dragon was the standard of Pagan Rome in the third century. The best way to explain the meaning of the Dragon with seven heads and ten horns is to let the Prophet Daniel tell us the meaning. Here is what Daniel has to say about it:
Dear reader, are you anxious to know the true meaning of the fourth beast with 7 heads and 10 horns? If so then lets have Daniel tell us who it is:
Now that should forever settle whom the beast is. In Daniel chapter two he speaks of four Kingdoms and identifies them as Babylon, Media Persia, Greece and the fourth as the Roman Empire. It is stated in both Daniel and the Revelation that this Empire would have seven heads. As we examine the Empire we notice that it passed through seven Heads. 1) It was ruled over by seven kings for about 200 years. 2) Consuls 3) Tribunes 4) Decemvirs 5) Dictators 6) 65 Emperors ruled in Rome for 5 centuries. 7) Exarchs of Ravenna ruled for more than a century. This 7 headed beast has 10 horns, or ten kings (kingdoms) over which she ruled for 1260 years. We here identify them as the ten kingdoms of Europe. 1) German Empire 2) Austrian Empire 3) Belgium 4) Holland 5) France 6) Spain 7) Italy 8) Switzerland 9) Portugal 10) Great Britain.
4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
The lies of the dragon drew a third part of the stars (prominent men, Bishops etc.) of the church and caused them to fall back into earthly and political realms. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. When the dragon saw that he was doomed to an overthrow he persecuted the church (Woman) and was violently enraged against the church on earth. The child is safe; that is the ultimate progress and extension of the church is certain. She is constrained to flee into the wilderness. It was only in the mountains, dens and caves of the earth that the true church could meet and worship during the 1260 years of the dark ages. The church always existed during this time. But she was hid from his wrath.
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. Now we must examine this a little closer. Lets again let the Bible interpret the Bible. Look ahead to verse 17: Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspringthose who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. This could hardly be the virgin Mary! I prefer the interpretation already set forth, namely that the Woman is the Church, standing on the Old Testament, enlightened by the New Testament, giving Birth to citizens of the heavenly kingdom. Notice that the rest of her children are identified as her offspring, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. Well, that is what is taught in Daniel:
And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. This figure of speech surely means that there is a glorious elevation. Paul tells us that when we are saved by grace we are seated with Christ in heavenly places.
6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. When the woman (church) fled into the desert (Wilderness K.J.) God nourished her for 1260 long years during the dark ages. They hid from Julian the Apostate, They hid from the Vandals and the Goths. They hid from Nero and the other Emperors of Pagan Rome. They hid in Persia from the fury of Julian the Apostate. They hid from the Pope's war against the Albigenses. They hid during the Inquisition from the "Hounds." They hid in Germany; they hid in the Netherlands; they hid in Ireland; they hid in England. Consider the Quakers, John Bunyan, the French Protestants, Dr. Judson. The list is endless.
7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. This is not in the eternal realm.
I have quoted the above passage so that you may be able to see that when Christians on earth stand up against things that are wrong and battle for the right, that is likened to warfare. We must ever be battling against the powers of darkness. The following verses will give us more insight into this battle.
8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. Please notice that it was the 7-headed l0-horned beast that lost the battle. We have in previous verses identified him as IMPERIAL ROME. With this truth before us we must look and see how he lost his place in heaven (that is his exalted place). Rome failed in the war against Christianity. Christianity wonit obtained a lasting victory.
9 The great dragon was hurled downthat ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. The great dragon was identified by Daniel as the fourth kingdom on earth in Daniel chapter 7. In chapter 2 he identifies it as the Pagan Roman Empire. Old Pagan Rome went down in defeat. When she killed a Christian it called for an army of saints who were ready to die for Jesus Christ. She tried to destroy the Saints but couldn't. The mighty Pagan powers went down in defeat. Christianity won the battle.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down." The mighty Roman Empire was crumbling. Paganism was giving way to the cross. The accuser of God's people was being silenced. The kingdom of our God was coming to its rightful place The euphoria of victory was everywhere.
11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Paganism was overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by the Word and by Martyrdom. The Devil was overcome with the testimony of Stephen, who suffered martyrdom at Jerusalem. He was overcome by the testimony of James the son of Zebedee, martyred by Herod Agrippa. He was overcome by the testimony of Phillip who was martyred in Phrygia. He was overcome by the testimony of Matthew who was martyred in Ethiopia. He was overcome by the testimony of James the Less who was martyred by the Jews. He was overcome by the testimony of Andrew who was martyred at Edina. He was overcome by the testimony of Mark who was martyred at Alexandria. He was overcome by the testimony of Peter who, as some do write, was martyred at Rome. He was overcome by the testimony of Paul who was martyred at Rome. The list is endless. The trail of blood continues to this present moment of time. Attempts were make to extirpate Christianity from the earth. Churches have been burnt. Bibles gathered and destroyed. Millions have been killed. Christian worship has been forbidden. These are but a few of the soldiers of the cross who fought from pulpit to prison for our freedom in Christ. Could it be that we haven't learned the right lessons from this victory? Are we trying to win the victory with big fancy buildings, high paid preachers, large budgets and silent witnesses who refuse to testify?
12 "Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." It is right to rejoice over a victory. This book tells us that they rejoiced when Jesus returned to the heavens for his Coronation. It was a victory celebration because he had redeemed mankind. When Babylon the Great fell in Revelation, chapter nineteen, they said, "Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God."
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. In the previous verse the dragon was called the Devil. This is Satan personified in Pagan powers. When Jesus was tempted of the Devil he was told that if he would worship him that he would give him all the kingdoms of this world. Satan controlled the kingdoms of this world, which were Pagan. When this 7-headed, 10-horned beast went down in defeat at the hands of Constantine and the Holy Roman Empire rose upon its ruins the Devil regrouped and again started to attack the Woman (Church) and her membership. In 312 A.D., Constantine marched forth to do battle for the right to rule the Roman Empire. At this time he was not a Christian, however his mother, Helena, was. The church watched his progress with interest. The Italian emperor opposed to him was Maxentius. He had vowed to Jupiter and to his followers that he would rid the world of Christians. The Pagan world rallied to his support. There were three great battles. Maxentius lost. Constantine became the ruler of Rome. In the East another emperor, Licinius, was still in power. Finally in battle he was crushed. When Constantine finally took control, the defenders of Paganism knew they were facing ruin. Constantine first decreed the toleration of his mothers religion (Christianity). He even made it the official religion of the Empire. He decreed that Sunday, the sacred day of Christianity, would be observed. No work or trade was permitted on Sunday. He then abolished the bloody combats of gladiators. He called forth a council of Christian bishops, known as the council of Nicea. Then in 321, he decreed that the Pagan religion should no longer exist in the Roman Empire and that their temples should be leveled or made into churches. He shook the mighty Roman Empire by moving its capital from Rome to Constantinople. He commanded his entire army to be baptized and become Christians. The ruin of the Pagan religion is described by Gibbon "as a dreadful and amazing prodigy, which covered the earth with darkness, and restored the ancient dominion of chaos and night."
14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. Figures like this are familiar to any student of the Old Testament. When God brought his people out of Egypt he used similar language.
The woman (church) hid in the wilderness for a time (360), times(720), and half time (180). This is a total 1260 prophetic days. This long period of time is known as the Dark Ages. She hid in the wilderness, in the deserts, in the Catacombs of Rome, and caverns of the earth. She was destitute, afflicted, tormented, but like the prophets of old she obtained a good report.
15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. A bold figure showing that the Devil will use every possible means to destroy the woman.
16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. From the above passages it can be seen that the figures of a flood pouring out, simply meant that a torrent of words and statements would come from the Devil like a downpour of rain. In this passage the earth is seen absorbing the water like a sponge. It was in this world that the Christians took refuge during the terrible storms of persecutions.
17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspringthose who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. The dragon which we identified as Pagan powers, now seeing that he cannot win against the church goes and opens up a new front. He will attack from the front but if he is defeated there he will attack from the flank. Just because the devil is defeated in one theater of operation is no sign he will not start trouble somewhere else. He is always attacking the Woman (Church or visible Body) and he is also attacking individual Christians (her offspring). Some interpreters say that the Woman was the Virgin Mary and that the Man Child was Jesus. Are the rest of her offspring the literal brothers of Jesus? Links to other Revelation chapter commentary below e-mail echo@4thewordofgod.com
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