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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REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 11.15

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

                                                                           

Chapter Eleven

The Great Tribulation

The Seven Trumpets

Trumpet Number 7: Woe Number 3

 (The King is Coming)

 

 

 (Verse 15)

 

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

 

The end is near. Highly anticipated since Revelation Chapter 8 and Verse 13, and most significantly, the blowing of the Seventh Trumpet sets in motion the final consummation of God's judgmental events leading up to the glorious return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom on earth. Embracing everything involved in completing the whole mystery of God (cf. Revelation 10:7), will entail the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies. Revelation events at this point are not from the perspective of the heavens but an earthly standpoint.

 

The seventh angel sounded

The implication of the seventh trumpet's blast serves as an anticipatory alarm for punishing judgment. Conversely, it is a slow-moving and continuous sound extending over a considerable amount of time. How long or how many days are not indicated, but it certainly will not sound in a moment or for one day. It appears, nonetheless, to extend to the end of judgment history.

 

The Last Trump

There has been much confusion over the last trumpet of judgment and the last trump of the rapture found in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16. To clarify the discrepancy:

1.  First of all: The sound of the Last Trump is referencing the Church where God is calling up believers to avoid Tribulation. The seventh trumpet blast, on the other hand, is not the parallel of the rapture, but the third woe with regards to the trump of angels initiating the final wave of judgments.

 

2.  Secondly: The rapture trump call happens in an instantaneous moment (in the twinkling of an eye) as opposed to a prolonged sounding of the seventh trumpet.

 

 

3.  Thirdly: Another factor worth considering is that in Revelation eleven's text, the word last does not appear, as seven vial judgments are impending.

 

In conclusion, there is no harmonization between the two trumps, and context prevails. 

 

There were great voices in Heaven

Immediately following the sound of the seventh trumpet, there is a time of great joy heavenward. All of God's created beings are jubilant in anticipation of the termination of evil that is at hand, while at the same time making a dramatic proclamation of His majesty. Understand: Even though the victory has been won, Christ does not yet claim His royal rights until His Second Coming.

 

Great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever

Presently, the kingdoms of this world are under the domain of Satan. At this interval, his time is extremely short, and his earthly rule will soon be passed into the hands of God. All the world's diverse national, political, social, cultural, and linguistic systems and religions will come under the reality of one King – Jesus Christ.

 

Are become

The Greek construction appears in the proleptic (futuristic) aorist tense. The emphasis is to emphatically declare its outcome as if the event has already taken place. For example, if a simple mathematical equation is given, its result is already known with absolute certainty. So, it is a given fact that the kingdoms of this world will be (undoubtedly) the kingdoms of God, and Jesus Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.

 

And He shall reign for ever and ever

Once the Millennial reign of Christ begins, it will continue into the eternal kingdom. Unto the ages of ages, neither will it ever end, nor be interrupted. Concurrently this passage is an outright fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies. One as such is foreseen in Daniel:

Daniel 7:13-14 - I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

 

As a side note: German-English composer George Frideric Handel (1861-1758) wrote His infamous oratorio, Messiah, which recorded the birth, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension in three sections. First performed in Dublin, Ireland on April 13, 1942, its Hallelujah Chorus borrowed this verse from the King James Version of the Bible.

 

 

(Verse 16)

 

And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats (thrones), fell upon their faces, and worshipped God.

 

Considerably, the same twenty-four elders of Chapters 4, 5, and 7 reemerge on stage. They are the firstborn of the resurrection i.e., representatives of the glorified raptured Church. As a signature of profound adoration and thanksgiving, the twenty-four elders fall in a reverential prostrate position before the Lamb. Similarly in Revelation:

1.  They praise the Creator (4:10)

2.  They worship the Redeemer (5:11-14)

3.  They honor the conquering King (19:4)

 

All this worship is an exclamation in anticipation of:

1.  God's power being proclaimed

2.  God's promise being fulfilled

3.  God's punishment being declared

 

 

(Verse 17)

 

Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned.

 

In continuation of the previous verse, the twenty-four elders give praises of thanksgiving to the all-powerful One - El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty, depicting God who always was, is, and (already having come) always will be. The phraseology appreciably expresses His eternal existence, i.e., having no beginning or end.

 

Because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy (exceedingly) great power, and hast reigned

A summary statement thus prepares the way for the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdoms of our Lord. The grammar suggests Christ has assumed His great power and his reign as King has already begun. "Thank You, King Jesus!"

 

 

(Verse 18)

 

And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

 

The listed are referencing the series of events preceding the establishment of the earthly Kingdom and the failed attempts to thwart its realization.

1.  Nations become angry

a.  Enraged hostility over Christ's Kingdom on earth

 

2.  Wrath of God at hand

a.  Spoken as if it has already taken place

 

3.   The judgment of the dead

a.  Articulates the Great White Throne Judgment

 

4. Rewards for prophets

a.  Awarded to faithful proclaimers of God's truth

 

5.  Rewards for saints

a.   Granted to the redeemed of Old and New Testaments

 

6. Rewards for young and old God-fearers

a.  An all-inclusive allotment to both Jew and Gentile

 

7.  Judgment on earth destroyers

a.  Retribution to Antichrist's wicked unbelievers

 

Consequently, the above is a summary statement of events yet to come. But the rebellion of man against God, sadly, will continue to the very end.

 

 

(Verse 19)

 

And the temple (sanctuary) of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

 

A new vision as seen by John is describing the opening of the heavenly Tabernacle. Recall, the earthy was patterned after the heavenly one (cf. Exodus 25:9, 40; Hebrews 8:5).

Romans 8:5b - See, saith He, that thou (Moses) make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

 

Not Moses's pattern, but the original wonder was set before him along with the heavenly Ark of the Covenant.

 

The Ark of His testament

God's faithfulness and covenantal promise are certainly in view here.  In the Old Testament, the Ark (where the presence of God lain) was originally a sign to Israel of His loyal love and protection throughout their wilderness journeys and battles.

 

The Ark of the Covenant was the most important piece of furniture housed in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, and symbolic of God's Throne and presence. On the other hand, the Ark itself consisted of a wooden chest containing the Law and having the atonement lid as the mercy seat covering the Law.

 

Other names for the Ark of the Covenant include:

1.  The Ark of Testimony (cf. Exodus 25:16)

2.  The Ark of God (cf. 1 Samuel 3:3)

3.  The Ark of God's strength (cf. Psalm 132:8)

 

Items contained in the Ark comprised:

1.  The Ten Commandments (broken and unbroken tablets)

2.   The rod of Aaron's budded rod

3. The pot of wilderness manna

 

Meaningfully, in the above passage, the Ark is revealing the habitation of God's continual presence among His people in the Holy of Holies – God's Throne room. Now it is non-veiled and freely accessible as an eternal covenant with His people. The Ark serves too as a reminder to Israel that blood sacrifices were once made as atonement for man's sins, thus, declaring God's divine redeeming mercy. But to believers, the Ark remains the assurance of Christ's love in the reality of His Kingdom.

 

And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail

Not uncommon to God's heavenly throne (cf. Revelation 4:5; 8:5), these events call our attention to the vindication of His people through the forthcoming judgment upon rejecters, a reminder of His righteous indignation. Included will be Satan, his powers, and principalities as foretold by the prophet Isaiah:

Isiah 24:21 - And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

 

Epilogue

As words of comfort, God's people need not fear. One day Jesus Christ will return and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will bring covenant blessings to the redeemed and eternal punishment to the unrepentant. So, God remembers the merciful, even in wrath.

 

This was understood in Habakkuk's prayer:

Habakkuk 3:2 - LORD, I have heard the report of what you did; I am awed, LORD, by what you accomplished. In our time repeat those deeds; in our time reveal them again. But when you cause turmoil, remember to show us mercy! (Net Bible).

 

Breaking the chronology of the seven trumpets essential to Revelation, the main characters of Tribulation are introduced in Chapters 12 and 13. They will be identified and examined as the study continues.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.   What happens when the seventh angel sounds?

2.   Differentiate between the last trump and the 7^th trumpet.

3.   Why are voices in Heaven jubilant?

4.   What is the response of the twenty-four elders?

5.   What causes nations to be angry?

6.   Describe the Ark of the Covenant's purpose.

7.   What is God's purpose in recording these details?

 

 

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