THE WOMAN AND A GREAT RED DRAGON

Revelation 12:1-17

Introduction: It has been pointed out that there are three pictures of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are (1) Revelation 6:12-17; (2) Revelation 11:13-16; and (3) Revelation 14:18-20.[1]There are also three demonstrations of the Tribulation shown in the Seals, Revelation 5-8:5; Trumpets, Revelation 8:6-11; and Vials(of wrath), Revelation 15:1-18:24. One writer, John Phillips, points out that God’s plan has been revealed and that Satan’s “schemes are unmasked.”[2] He develops Satan’s plan as it can be traced back to the beginning of time and manifest in the goal of eradicating the world of all that would remind him and others of God and develop a one-world government with him at the head and manifest in people like Nimrod (Gen. 10) and others.[3] In Revelation 12, Satan intensifies his attack on Israel knowing that if they are eradicated, he could have full reign on the earth. This is manifest in his temptation of Jesus Christ when Satan offered Jesus all the world and their glory if He would bow down and worship Satan (Matt. 4:8-9). This section of Revelation demonstrates the desire of Satan to be the ruler.

I. THE FUTURE OF ISRAEL. The things in this chapter give the narrative that describes the hate Satan has for the nation of Israel and their relationship with God. In order to develop this, it is necessary to explore some matters about Israel found in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Look at:

· Romans 9:1-8 where the relationship between God and Israel is described and how God used the nation of Israel to provide the Law, service to God, and the promises (Rom. 9:4).

· Then in Romans 9:9-33, the history of the nation is described in a brief form.

· Esau and Jacob are discussed in Romans 9:9-13,

· Moses and his conflict with Pharoah is covered in Romans 9:14-17,

· the complaint of a Jew of why God has done what He will with the people he deals with in Romans 9:18-24, and

· the Jews and Gentiles are addressed in vs. 24.

· The narrative in Romans 9:25 and the following describes the prophecy of “Osee” (Greek spelling of Hosea) found in Hosea 2:23.

· Then in Romans 9:27 the prophet Esaias (Greek spelling of Isaiah) is quoted from Isaiah 10:22-23 and Romans 9:29 quotes Isaiah 1:9.

· The following is the status of the Gentile people Romans 9:30.

· Finally, the failure of Israel to have “faith” is stated in Romans 9:31-33. The book of Romans gives the New Testament basis for the restoration of Israel. This is promised in the Old Testament (see Jer. 30:1-3). This was fulfilled after the captivity of Babylon but has a further reach to the end times.

While Israel is not in captivity by a foreign government now, yet they are estranged from God until Jesus returns and they will be saved as a nation (see Zech. 12:10-11; 13:6, 9).

The Tribulation is about Israel being disciplined and restored when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and leads them into the land. The book of Hosea provides a statement that gives a link to the return of Israel to the land in the Tribulation. It is stated in Hosea 2:14-16. Here are some passages that support this position: Micah 7:14-15; Ezekiel 20:33-38: Isaiah 11:16; 33:16; Zechariah 14:1-4; Habakkuk 3:3; Isaiah 63:14; Psalm 68:1-25; Deuteronomy 33:1-3. There will be a restoration of Israel to the land promised to Abraham as well as a return to a place of prominence in God’s economy. They are His “wife” and will be restored after the divorce (see: Jer. 3:6-8, 14-18). Paul said in Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Israel has brought forth a “child” Jesus (see: Isa. 26:16-21; 66:6-13; Jer. 4:31).

This section of the book of Revelation gives a prelude to the conflict that will continue as Satan seeks to destroy Israel and overtake God’s creation for his own. The problem with Satan is that he has blinded himself to the obvious that he cannot win against God. Revelation 12 is the signal for the intense battle to begin. The neat thing about this is Jesus will defeat the beast and the false prophet and assign them to the “lake of fire” (Rev. 19:20) and eventually Satan to the “lake of fire” (Rev. 20:10).

II. THE FALL OF SATAN

Before launching into this study, it will be good to look briefly at Satan’s career and activity. This will cover several aspects of the one called Satan, the Devil, the serpent, the dragon, Leviathan, the Great Red Dragon, and many more. This is brief and there will be scripture that will not be explored but for the serious student of scripture necessary to see all the aspects of the adversary of the plan, purpose, and progress of God’s will for the world.

1. The origin and fall of Satan. Satan is a “created” being in the realm of angels. In fact, he had a special position as a “cherub”[4]according to Ezekiel 28:14-16. This is in one of the passages that tell of the fall of Satan. The other passage is Isaiah 14:12-17. Satan is one of the “fallen” angels who “kept not their first estate.” Note, Jude 1:6, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

2. The activity of Satan. The first encounter of a person with Satan is in Genesis 3:1 and there he is called a “serpent.” This does not necessarily mean he was a “snake.” His character is much like a snake, subtle, silent, and deadly. One of his primary activities is deception and disguise. This is what he did with Eve. There is a central passage that describes Satan’s deceit in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. There he disguises himself as “apostles of Christ” and an “angel of light” as well as “ministers of righteousness.” That is a little scary. How does a believer know whether a “minister” is a true minister of righteousness? When they depart from the clear teaching of the word of God.

3. The power of Satan. Satan is known as the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). He is called the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). There is an interesting exchange between Satan and Michael the archangel over the “body of Moses” in Jude 1:9.

4. The doom of Satan. The passage in Revelation 20:10 indicates that he will eventually be cast into the “lake of fire” following the rebellion he leads against Israel in the battle of Gog and Magog (Rev. 20:7-9).

III. THE WOMAN AND THE CHILD, Revelation 12:1-2, 5-6. This section introduces the student to the battle that the Dragon initiates against Israel. Do not confuse the woman with the Catholic Church. The woman here is the nation of Israel. The child of course is the Lord Jesus Christ. There is an important verse that speaks to this matter. It is John 4:22, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” [Emphasis added.] Jesus is talking about His lineage of David which also originated with Abraham. Another reason this is the nation of Israel is the reference of the “sun and moon” under her feet and a “crown of twelve stars.” See the dream of Joseph in Genesis 37:9-10. The only application of this verse is that the woman is Israel.

Revelation 12:5-6 sets the stage for the struggle between the Dragon and the nation of Israel. The child born to this woman, Israel, was a “man child” and was to rule “all nations with a rod of iron.” The next phrase, “. . .and her child was caught up into God, and to his throne” (vs. 5), is a reference of the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven described in Acts 1:9. The important matter in vs. 6 is statement that “. . .the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days.” That would be 3½ years. The nation of Israel was in the wilderness for 40 years when they left Egypt, thus this cannot refer to that event. Note that God will “feed” her for that 3½ years, just as He did when they fled Egypt. The difference is 40 years versus 3½ years. The narrative of the woman fleeing into the wilderness will be resumed in Revelation 12:13-17.

IV. THE DRAGON, SATAN, ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY THE CHILD, Revelation 12:3-4. The Dragon’s purpose is stated in these verses and the break of the two verses 2-6 simply explains the events to describe the intensity of the activity. The “seven heads and ten horns” were discussed at the last meeting. The “seven heads” are seven kings seen historically. They are kings that Satan moved against the people of God. The “ten horns” will be seen later in the study of Revelation 13, 17.

V. THE WAR IN HEAVEN BETWEEN MICHAEL, HIS ANGELS AND THE DRAGON AND HIS ANGELS, Revelation 12:7-11. The war described in vs. 7 is between Satan and his “fallen” angels and Michael (the archangel) and his “good” angels. This is a battle between these two groups. Michael is named in Daniel 10:13 and is designated as “one of the chief princes” and according to Jude 1:9 is an “archangel” or one of the important angels. He is also recognized as the “prince” of the nation of Israel. Satan and his angels lose the battle (“prevailed not” is a reference to Satan). The penalty for losing the battle is to be cast out of heaven. That would suggest that he no longer had access to the presence of God (see: Job 1:6; 2:1). The abode of Satan right now is the “air” according to Ephesians 2:2. That would be the “stellar universe.” It is assumed that Satan does not have complete access to God. It says in Revelation 12:7, “. . .neither was their place found any more in heaven.” Notice the possessive personal pronoun “their.” That demonstrates how precise the KJV is.

The next verse shows the nature and goal of Satan toward “believers” and Israel. He is the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10). The first part of Revelation 12:10 is anticipatory. Evidently, the casting of Satan and his angels out of heaven is a prelude to the advent of Jesus Christ and the “kingdom of our God, and of his Christ.”

There is an important passage in this section that one does not dare overlook, Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” This is a reference to the “brethren” of vs. 10. This is a powerful verse and one we should pay attention to. Three elements are part of their testimony, “the blood of the Lamb,” “the word of their testimony,” and “they loved not their lives unto death.” This is a reference to “believers,” not angels. It is suggested that they are in heaven and not necess-aryily on earth. That could be a debatable subject. If you look at the first part of Revelation 12:12 it could be both, believers on earth and in heaven.

VI. THE WOE PRONOUNCED ON THE EARTH DWELLERS, Revelation 12:12. Here it is found that the devil is extremely angered because of his defeat and his being deprived of access to heaven and his abode for several millenniums. The verse is a warning to the “inhabiters” of the earth and of the sea. The devil has “great wrath” because of the circumstances he has experienced.

VII. THE DRAGON PERSECUTES THE “WOMAN,” Revelation 12:13-17. The attention is now directed to not just the “inhabiters of the earth” but the “woman.” A reference to Israel on the earth. This is a continua-tion of what was stated in Revelation 12:1-6, the persecution of the nation of Israel. It is interesting that vs. 13 points out that the woman “brought forth the man child.” This persecution could be enhanced be-cause of the victory over death at His resurrection which Satan could have thought he had won the vic-tory when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross.

A. THE WOMAN FLEES INTO THE WILDERNESS, Revelation 12:14. The woman was again protected by God when He provided a “great eagle” to rescue the nation. It is interesting that when Israel was in the wilderness after escaping Egypt following the long period of being slaves to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, God made the statement in Exodus 19:4, “4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.” Again in Deuteronomy 32:11, “11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings.” God can provide a “great eagle” to provide an escape from the in-tense persecution the serpent brought upon Israel. Yet, Revelation 12:14 gives an indication that God moved Israel to the wilderness and nourishes her. According to Revelation 12:6, this was a place prepared by God for the nation. Note that the “wilderness” they are taken to is the same area as when Israel fled Egypt in the book of Exodus.

B. THE DRAGON (SERPENT) SEEKS TO DESTROY THE WOMAN WITH A FLOOD, Revelation 12:15. This again displeased the serpent, and he caused water as a flood (Rev. 12:16). This is an indication of the fury that has hold of the serpent since his plan is thwarted by God in protecting Israel. This is another incident that indicates that the Devil has been given some authority over the forces of nature as was the case in the book of Job when he caused a “great wind” (Job 1:19) to destroy the house where Job’s children were residing and killed all of them. All of the calamities that came upon Job, his family, and his belongings were instigated by the Devil. One writer makes an assessment of these proceedings by saying, “This imagery gives us almost no insight into how such an escape might be accomplished in actual earthly terms, but it powerfully portrays the unfailing supernatural help that will preserve a corporate group of ethnic Israel from complete destruction in the final days of that future cataclysmic period.”[5]The Devil/Satan keeps back nothing of his power in an attempt to destroy Israel. He did not consider the promises given to Israel by God in His word.

C. THE EARTH HELPS THE WOMAN, Revelation 12:16. This verse has an interesting statement about the earth, almost as if it is animated. It is given credit for protecting Israel from the flood instigated by Satan. When contrasting the trip Israel made out of Egypt through the wilderness to the land of promise and how the water protected them from the Egyptian army and Pharaoh, the earth become a protecting agent in the attempt by Satan to destroy Israel by swallowing the water. God saw the water of the Red Sea as a means of protection.

D. THE DRAGON WAGES WAR WITH THE “REMNANT OF HER SEED” WHO HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, Revelation 12:17. The protection of Israel by God evidently infuriates the Devil and he intensifies his attack on the remnant of Israel. His wrath (“wroth”) is intensified against the woman (Israel) and goes to war against the remnant of her seed. This group is described as those “which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” This has been described by some as the 144,000 in Revelation 14. Regardless of the differences of opinion, the fact is that Satan seeks to destroy the people of God. This is the world’s objective and is instigated by Satan.

Spiritual Application: Do you “keep” the commandments of God and do you have a testimony of His grace? Satan would love to derail you from serving God. Will you allow him to do that? Some things to consider.

[1]Peter S. Ruckman, The Book of Revelation (Pensacola, FL: Baptist Bible Bookstore Publications, 1970) page 579. [2] John Phillips, Exploring Revelation (Neptune NY, Loizeaux Brothers, 1991) originally published by Moody Press, 1974, page 154. [3]Ibid. [4]The Bible reveals that there were evidently five cherubim (plural of cherub). Four are mentioned in Ezekiel 1, 10 and they are again brought into discussion in Revelation 4:8-11. These cherubs have special positions and responsibilities. These cherubs (cherubim, Hebrew pl.) are first seen in Genesis 3 to guard the “tree of life” (Gen. 3:24). There were two cherubim over the “ark of the covenant” in the Tabernacle (Exod. 25:18-19). The word “cherubim” is found 56 times in the Bible. [5]Buist M. Fanning, Revelation, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 360.