Israel, the Dragon, and Christ

Who is this Woman?

Revelation 12:1–2 (NASB95)

A great (μέγα: mega) sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;

and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

Genesis 37:9 NASB95

Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Who is the Dragon?

Revelation 12:3–4 (NASB95)

Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great (μέγα: mega) red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

Genesis 3:15 NASB95

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

AntiSemitism?

Those who deny the abiding actuality of Israel’s election are often charged with a form of antisemitism.

Gerrit Cornelis Berkouwer

Daniel 7:7 NASB95

“After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Daniel 8:10 NASB95

It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down.

Who is the Child?

Revelation 12:5–6 (NASB95)

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule (to rule ⇔ Shepherd) all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Satan's end-times assault on Israel does not succeed. Many Jews will escape to the wilderness, likely the region known as Petra (Matthew 24:16).

Matthew 24:16 NASB95

then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

Matthew 24:17 NASB95

“Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house.

Matthew 24:18 NASB95

“Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.

Matthew 24:19 NASB95

“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

Matthew 24:20 NASB95

“But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.

Who is the Angel?

Revelation 12:7–12 NASB95

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”