REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 12.1

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

                                                                           

Chapter Twelve

The Great Tribulation

(Parenthesis)

The Seven Trumpets

Trumpet Number 7: Woe Number 3

Tribulation Characters

 

 

Introduction

Beginning in Chapter 12, John receives another set of visions from Earth. Concurrent with the blowing of the seventh trumpet, there appears an astounding scene in Heaven where seven personages of Tribulation are introduced. These explanatory prophecies appear both in the natural and supernatural realms. Therefore, pausing the chronology of events thus justifies a clearer understanding of the panorama of revelatory happenings. The final seven bowl judgments will resume in Chapter 16.

 

 

 (Verse 1)

 

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

 

Verses 1 and 2 are a continuation of the previous verse in Chapter 11 when the temple of God in Heaven was opened. After flashes of lightning, voices, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail transpired something portent occurs.

 

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven

John miraculously perceives an exceedingly great wonder in heaven. He utilizes the Greek word sēmeion for wonder as a symbol or a sign of an important truth. Thereupon is a supernatural sign that points to a reality. And the reality he sees is expressed by the next phrase:

 

A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars

Over the years there has been much confusion as to the identity of this woman. First of all, she is a sign that appears in heaven, indicating that she is not a real woman but symbolic. Therefore, she represents someone.

Her identifying characteristics are substantial:

1.  She is clothed with the sun

2.  She has the moon under her feet

3.  She has a twelve-star crown upon her head

 

These distinguishing features will be discussed, but let us first determine who she is not:

1.  Roman Catholic Church expositors assume her to be the Virgin Mary glorified in her assumption, as depicted by Baroque Spanish painter Bartolome Murillo (1618 – 1682)

a.  This theory, however, does not reconcile with verse 6 which states that the woman fled into the wilderness

 

2.  Protestants purport her to be the Church – The Bride of the Lamb

a.  Problems occur with this idea because the Church did not produce Christ, but Christ produced the Church

 

3.  Others believe she is the queen of heaven (cf. Jeremiah 7:18)

a.  Jeremiah's reference, however, alludes to pagan Astarte, the fertility and moon-goddess of Babylonia, thus debunking that premise

 

Other options are seemingly fallacious and simply have no merit to mention.

 

Question:

Who is this woman?

Answer:

Conclusive biblical evidence identifies the woman as representing the nation, Israel. Interestingly, she presents a paradox, since she is a queenly woman arrayed in great glory and splendor, but, at the same time, is described as having travail or suffering (verse 2).

 

Clothed with the sun is a phrase designating Israel's status as God's chosen people. Besides, many Old Testament passages liken Israel to a woman. The most verifying one is found when Joseph revealed this dream to his eleven brothers and Jacob, his father (cf. Genesis 37:5, 9).

Genesis 37:9 - And he (Joseph) dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance (bowed down) to me.

 

In this passage, the first mention of the sun, moon, and stars denotes a prophecy of Joseph.

1.  The sun is Jacob, his father, later named Israel when he wrestled with God at the Jabbok River (cf. Genesis 32:22-38)

 

2.  The moon denotes not Leah, Jacob's first wife, but his beloved wife, Rachael, the mother of Joseph who died earlier giving birth to Benjamin on the road to Bethlehem (cf. Genesis 35:19)

 

 

3.  The eleven stars (the twelfth being Joseph) are representative of the twelve tribes of Israel, Joseph's brothers

 

Juxtapose this prophecy with Revelation 12:1 and the woman in view is none other than Israel. Now, verse 2 will add more detail corroborating that the coming Messiah will be through the seed of the woman (cf. Genesis 3:15).

 

 

1. The Suffering Woman

(Verse 2)

 

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

 

Here the woman is pregnant. The added detail of this passage is illustrative of how, over many years, Israel suffered and travailed before her son, the Messiah Jesus Christ, was finally born [discussed in the next study].

 

Many Old Testament imageries describe Israel's labor pains before the Messiah's birth. Three such passages are presented:

Isaiah 26:17 - Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs (sorrows); so have we been in Thy sight, O LORD.

 

Jeremiah 13:21 - What wilt thou say when He shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail (labor)?

 

Micah 4:10 - Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the City, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

 

But eventually, Israel finally gives birth:

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

 

2. The Great Red Dragon

(Verse 3)

 

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

 

Once again, John miraculously observes another exceedingly great (obviously symbolic) wonder in heaven that appears in like manner as before. Lo and behold, now a great red dragon is seen. Its characteristics are as such:

1.  The dragon appears in heaven

a.   As an extraordinary wonder

 

2.  The dragon is great

a.  As to its magnitude and power

 

3.  The dragon is fiery red

a.  As implied: Its ferocity and murderous nature

 

4.  The dragon has seven heads

a.  Depicting satanic wisdom, counterfeiting the Holy Spirit

                                        i.    Created that way by God

Ezekiel 28:12b - Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

 

5.   The dragon has seven crowns on its seven heads

a.  Seven - A divine number designating completeness

b.  Crowns are diadems, kingly crowns

c.  Seven terrible empires

 

6.  The dragon has ten horns

a.  Ten - A worldly number denoting completeness

b.  Horns are instruments of destruction

c.  The final division of the revived Roman Empire

 

7. The dragon has a ferocious tail (verse 4)

a.  Having the power to murder en masse

 

Dragons

The word for dragon simply means serpent. In Hebrew, it is translated as a monster or sea monster. Usually associated with Satan, the image of a dragon is a figment of mythology, fable, and folklore. Often this legendary creature is depicted as a fire-breathing reptilian beast having a serpentine tail.

 

Tales are linked as far back as Sumer and often involve a dragoness monster being killed by a hero. Most famous are the soldier-saint paintings of Saint George and the Dragon dating back to the tenth century B.C. (see artists: Raphael, Paolo Uccello, Mattia Pretti, et al). Its iconographic emblem has been seen on San Giorgio Pasta products since 1914 (available in the northeastern United States).

 

Some have even suggested the leviathan of Job 41 is an actual dragon. But interestingly, to our text, Eve's encounter after the fall was with a serpent (cf. Genesis 3:1), that serpent of old (cf. Revelation 12:9; 20:2). Therefore, it is no wonder that Satan takes on the form of many imaginations of the mind.

 

 

(Verse 4a)

 

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.

 

Having tremendous power in the dragon's tail, it was able to swoop up and draw down one-third of the stars of heaven. Here, these stars are symbolic of fallen angels who followed Satan's rebellion.

 

As a result of Satan's rebellious conduct, they cast away their heavenly employment to join an earthly, enslaved, evil, and worldly religion (more commentary in verse 9). So, if one-third of the angelic hosts followed Satan to their destruction, that leaves two-thirds of heavenly beings in the army of the Lord. Hence, knowing angels cannot reproduce, good always outnumbers evil two to one.

 

In the forthcoming study, the saga continues. The Great Red Dragon will engage in an all-out holy war against God and Israel to thwart God's promised plan of redemption. Even after Messiah's birth, Satan continues to supplant Christ's finished work on the Cross.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.   Why do judgments not resume after the seventh trumpet?

2.   Describe the first wonder John sees in heaven.

3.   Who is the suffering woman?

4.   What is the essence of Joseph's dream of 11 stars?

5.   Why does the pregnant woman cry?

6.   Describe the Great Red Dragon.

7.   What do the stars of heaven represent?

 

 

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